Comments on: Cold City Cash for Edwards Brothers Land?

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 20:37:58 +0000

I know who Doug Smith is, Mark (I even noted him in my comment), and I’m familiar with his brief, unhappy time at UM and his subsequent exploits. I simply was unaware of the Washtenaw Watchdogs site.

By: John Dory

John Dory — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 18:21:16 +0000

@Rod Johnson:

The Washtenaw Watchdogs was founded by a former U-M Medical School professor and pathologist(Doug Smith).

They employ legal methods such as the Freedom of Information Act to pry loose evidence of breaches of the public trust in local government. Their favorite targets are the University of Michigan and the law enforcement community.

By: Rod Johnson

Rod Johnson — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 05:41:47 +0000

Wow, that Washtenaw Watchdogs (=Doug Smith) site is quite a thing. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Mark.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 18:33:45 +0000

Re: [3] I’ve corrected the attendance record for this meeting and updated the boilerplate meeting file with the current list of councilmembers.

By: Laurie Howland

Laurie Howland — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 17:56:17 +0000

Um, Marcia Higgins was present at this meeting? Kind of amusing since the slamfest against her in the primary was that she wasn’t there.

By: Mark Koroi

Mark Koroi — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 00:16:22 +0000

Re Dream-Nite-Club: On December 3.2013, a three-judge panel heard oral arguments in the appeal. Several members of the AAPD appeared as well as a number of Dream-Nite supporters and Steve Postema delivered oral argument on behalf of the City of Ann Arbor and Roger Farinha on behalf of the night club. While the AAPD may be celebrating this one - the case that City Attorney Postema is still defending is the Dr. Catherine Wilkerson case against AAPD officer Kevin Warner. On Oct. 31 the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reversed a judgment in favor of Warner and remanded the case for trial in U.S. District Court in Detroit; the appeals panel held fact issues existed as to whether Warner violated Dr. Wilkerson's 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable force and reinstated also her common-law state assault and battery claims. The Washtenaw Watchdogs at washtenawwatchdogs.com covered the recent events in that case. The City Attorney never makes a public report to City Council of court defeats like the recent Dr. Wilkerson reversal. Only when he wins.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:57:43 +0000

Clarification with regard to Camp Take Notice: I assume that Jack Eaton was speaking loosely in referring to the city's role in dismantling it. The location of CTN on the west side of Wagner Road near Elizabeth was not in the City of Ann Arbor. I've been reviewing news stories and those and my informally received information indicated that highway patrolmen dismantled it under direction from MDOT, on whose property it was, and with impetus from Governor Rick Snyder. Snyder, I have been told, was distressed that Ann Arbor was featured in a national television show (Tavis Smiley) with a discussion of Camp Take Notice. A video of that segment is here: [link] In any event, it was not "the city" that dismantled it.