Stories indexed with the term ‘Fourth of July Parade’

One of the entries in Ann Arbor’s Fourth of July parade featured a yellow dog “driving” a red car.

And like most onlookers, I was wondering: Does that dog have a license? Well, ok, most onlookers probably weren’t wondering that.

And to be honest, I wasn’t, either – at least not that kind of license.

But I did wonder if the dog’s owner had licensed his pet through the city of Ann Arbor. Out of an estimated 30,000 dogs in the city, only about 7% have the required license. Dogs older than 6 months must be licensed and wear the tag.

The city of Ann Arbor is now making an effort to urge the dog-owning public to obtain the required licenses – which cost $16 for two years.

On May 19 this year, the city council directed the city administrator to enforce the dog licensing ordinance more actively – as part of its budget deliberations. The council based the revenue budget for dog licenses on a 30% compliance rate – or 23 points better than current levels.

What will the city do with the additional money from dog license revenues? On the July 7 city council agenda is a contract for animal control services with Washtenaw County. Dog licensing revenues will help pay for that $135,570 contract.

Residents can obtain the required dog license in person at the city clerk’s office by providing a proof-of-rabies-vaccination certificate from the dog’s veterinarian along with a check made payable to the City of Ann Arbor for $16. Or the proof-of-rabies and the check can be mailed to the city clerk at 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

So, please go fetch…a license for your dog.

More photos of Ann Arbor Fourth of July parade dogs are included below. [Full Story]

As we celebrate America’s representative democracy, it’s fitting that the Ann Arbor July 4th parade featured plenty of elected officials and candidates for local, state and national office.

And though they weren’t campaigning, there were also lots of dogs and cute kids, dancers, beauty queens, scouts, Masons, Baptists, Buddhists, a lawn mower brigade and more. Music was provided by the St. Francis of Assisi band, the drum corps from Huron High, and a few other musical acts – though like previous years, there was no full marching band.

The July 4th parade is organized by the Ann Arbor Jaycees, and it’s a logistical challenge with its own parade of details. We thank the dozens of volunteers who work so hard to pull off an event the rest of the community can enjoy each year.

Before we get to the photos, here’s a reminder that if you’re not yet registered to vote, the last day to register for the Tuesday, Aug. 5 primary is nearly here – Monday, July 7.

Information on voter registration can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The last day to register to vote for the Tuesday, Nov. 4 general election is Oct. 6.

Now here’s sampling of photos from this year’s July 4th parade through the streets of downtown Ann Arbor. [Full Story]

It’s hard to know whether the candy-tossing, pamphlet-proffering politicians in this year’s Ann Arbor July 4th parade were as popular as the backwards clown brigade or the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes. But what politicians or political hopefuls lacked in entertainment value they made up for in volume: This year, 19 of the 84 entries in the Ann Arbor parade were political – candidates running for local, state or national office, current elected officials, and political parties.

It was likely the last parade as an elected official for Janis Bobrin, the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner who has served for more than two decades but is not seeking re-election.

This year is unusual because two judicial races are being contested in the 22nd Circuit Court, and three of the six candidates had entries in the parade.

The July 4th parade is organized each year by the Ann Arbor Jaycees. As parades go, it’s a relatively low-key affair, but this year included a rarity for the Ann Arbor parade – a marching band, from Skyline High School. Miss Washtenaw made an appearance, as did baton twirlers, boy scouts, the Masons, and an assortment of other groups representing a wide swath of this community.

Many of those groups are included in the photo essay below. But the photographs also include candidates for office, whose willingness to stand for election is a testament to our representative democracy, which we celebrate each year on this date.

If you’re not yet registered to vote, here’s a reminder that the last day to register for the Tuesday, Aug. 7 primary is nearly here – July 9. Information on voter registration can be found on the Washtenaw County clerk’s elections division website. To see a sample ballot for your precinct, visit the Secretary of State’s website. The last day to register to vote for the Tuesday, Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 9. [Full Story]

Not every local political candidate or elected official walked the mile-long Ann Arbor July 4th parade route on Monday, but it sure felt like a quorum.

Some of them – like John Dingell, a Democrat who’s the longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives – are veterans of these events. Others are making a debut of sorts. Larry Murphy, for example, attended a candidate forum just last week where he indicated he hadn’t yet made a decision whether to run for the Ann Arbor Public Schools board of trustees. But on Monday he marched in the July 4th parade, and told The Chronicle that he’s “crossed the Rubicon” and decided to enter the race.

The parade – organized each year by the Ann Arbor Jaycees – certainly featured more than just politicos in its ranks. Kids, clowns, firetrucks, horses, pageant queens, sword fighters, baton twirlers and many others marched the route from State to Liberty to Main to William.

But Independence Day is rooted in our nation’s democracy, and in our ability as citizens to elect representatives to serve us at all levels. So with that in mind, and in keeping with The Chronicle’s focus on local government and civic affairs, we hope you enjoy this photo essay from Monday’s parade. Happy Fourth of July, Ann Arbor! [Full Story]

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Hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July Parade in downtown Ann Arbor on Sunday morning. More Chronicle photos on Flickr: [link]