Archive for August, 2011

Ann Arbor park advisory commission (July 19, 2011): A new project to shore up the ecological health and recreational infrastructure of the Huron River – and to strengthen the economies of river communities like Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti – is getting ready for its public debut in mid-August. Park commissioners were briefed on the RiverUp! effort at their July meeting, and were invited to an Aug. 16 bus tour of sites that will be given initial attention in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area.

Greek Revival shelter at Island Park, where an event to launch the RiverUp! project will be held on Aug. 16. (Photos by the writer)

Elizabeth Riggs of the Huron River Watershed Council, which is coordinating the project, told PAC members that RiverUp! is spearheaded by a conservancy group called the Wolfpack. Co-founded by attorney and former Clinton advisor Paul Dimond and retired Ford executive Ray Pittman, Wolfpack members – mostly from the Ann Arbor area – have been previously focused on state issues. Now, Riggs said, they are turning their attention to a 104-mile stretch of the Huron River, starting from the north at Milford through Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and downstream to Flat Rock.

Also at their July meeting, commissioners got an update about efforts to build an Ann Arbor skatepark. They also reviewed tentative FY 2011 budget results for the parks system – finals numbers will be presented to the commission in August.

Several other topics were discussed or mentioned during the meeting, in the form of communications from staff or commissioners: (1) an update on work at Argo dam; (2) concerns over the proposed Fuller Road Station and the site design’s consideration of the Border-to-Border Trail; (3) a roughly $100,000 donation from the Henrietta Feldman trust; (4) news of the resignation of Greta Brunschwyler, executive director of the Leslie Science & Nature Center; and (5) a preview of an August agenda item regarding dog parks.

Other news regarding the Argo dam project – a $1.17 million effort to build a bypass channel in the Argo dam headrace, and to add whitewater features – emerged the week after PAC’s July 19 meeting.

A July 25 memo from city staff reports that the city was recently notified by DTE officials of upcoming remediation work that DTE plans to do in 2012 adjacent to DTE’s property on the south side of the Huron River, between Allen Creek Drain and the Broadway Bridge. The remediation is being required by the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality.

DTE is offering to pay for the whitewater feature of the Argo dam project, if the city agrees to hold off on construction of that piece until after DTE completes its remediation. Details of the offer haven’t been finalized. [Full Story]

Two local nonprofit groups – the Arts Alliance and the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark – asked candidates in the Aug. 2 Ann Arbor city council primary to respond to questions related to their respective special interests. The Arts Alliance received responses only from Ingrid Ault (Ward 3) and Mike Anglin (Ward 5). [Source] FAAS received responses from all Democratic candidates in Wards 2 and 3, and from Democratic candidate Neal Elyakin in Ward 5. [Source]

Greg O’Dell, former deputy police chief for Ann Arbor, has been hired as the University of Michigan’s executive director for the Department of Public Safety and the university’s chief of police. He’ll start the job on Aug. 22.

O’Dell, an Ann Arbor resident, currently is chief of police and executive director of public safety at Eastern Michigan University. He holds a juris doctorate degree from the University of Toledo College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from EMU. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the EMU school for police staff and command, according to a UM press release.

O’Dell will oversee a department that employs 80 people, including 55 sworn police officers. The campus area faces heightened security in the wake … [Full Story]

Ward 3 Democratic city council candidate Ingrid Ault has deployed a Google advertising campaign. Searches on key words like her own name or “Ann Arbor city council” cause an ad for her campaign to appear on the right sidebar or, in some cases above the search results. Key words triggering Ault’s ads include the names of her two opponents in the race – incumbent Stephen Kunselman and Marwan Issa.  [Screenshot1] [Screenshot2] [Screenshot3] [Screenshot4] [Screenshot5]

The Michigan Daily interviews Ann Arbor city council candidates in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary races for Wards 2, 3 and 5, with a focus on student issues. [Source]

On Tuesday, Aug. 2, Ann Arbor residents will elect the Democratic Party city council nominees for the November ballot in three of the city’s five wards. The council consists of two representatives from each ward plus the mayor, all of whom serve two-year terms. Each year, one of the two seats in each ward stands for election. This year is an off year for the position of mayor.

File photo of sign marking a polling location.

For readers who are uncertain about which ward they live in or where their polling place is located, type in an address on the My Property page of the city of Ann Arbor’s website, and click on the Voter tab. Polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

In Ward 2, incumbent Stephen Rapundalo is challenged by Tim Hull. No Republican candidate filed for Ward 2. So unless an independent candidate submits qualifying petitions by Aug. 15, the only choice on the November ballot will be either Rapundalo or Hull.

In Ward 3, incumbent Stephen Kunselman faces challenges from Ingrid Ault and Marwan Issa. Whoever wins the three-way race will appear on the November ballot with Republican David Parker.

In Ward 5, incumbent Mike Anglin faces a challenge from Neal Elyakin. Either Anglin or Elyakin will appear on the November ballot alongside Republican Stuart Berry.

In Ward 1, incumbent Sabra Briere was not challenged for the Democratic nomination. So unless an independent candidate files by the Aug. 15 deadline, hers will be the only name on the ballot in November. In Ward 4, incumbent Marcia Higgins was not challenged for the Democratic nomination, but will appear on the November ballot alongside Republican Eric Scheie.

Chronicle coverage of the Democratic city council primaries includes two candidate forums per ward, plus an analysis of each incumbent’s past election performance, broken down by precinct, as well as a statistical and geographic overview of campaign contributions.

After the jump, we provide individual links to previous Chronicle coverage of the candidates and other election-related articles. [Full Story]