Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Act Now to Support Tyson Meatpacking Workers

Posted by MarkDilley on 2. February 2005

“More than 1,500 workers at the Tyson plant in Pasco, WA, most of them Latino, Bosnian, and Vietnamese immigrants, have been fighting to remain members of Teamsters Local 556 since early last year. In April 2004, Tyson management tried to get workers to vote out their union, but workers voted to remain union members and to enter into contract negotiations. Instead of respecting the vote, Tyson has frozen workers wages and tried to break the union again. February 9-11, the workers must vote again to stay members of their union. ”

via Jobs with Justice; Take Action

Stop the Space Elevator

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 2. February 2005


This blogger
(Maxe Clark), and Brooklyn denizen posted a snapshot of this flyer parody of a phenomenon not unique to New York City.


... I put up an image of a mysterious flyer being posted in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (where, in recent years, community activists have fought real estate developers’ plans to build luxury high-rises, and the city’s plans to site trash facilities and power plants on the waterfront). The flyer is a masterful parody of all this. It reads:

“WILLIAMSBURG DOESN’T NEED A SPACE ELEVATOR! The Space Elevator Will Mean: Less Parking, Weird Ribbon Thing, Constant Loud Whirring Noise, Increased Space Elevator Truck Traffic. Developers have submitted plans to build a massive space elevator in Williamsburg! This monstrosity, completely out of context with existing development in the neighborhood, will be accessible only to the wealthy, forcing thousands of average Williamsburgers from their homes and live-work spaces! Jobs the elevator will generate (operators, repairmen, astronauts) are certain to go to non-residents! Don’t sit idly by and let this elevator cast its impossibly long, cold, and very narrow shadow over our homes! CALL 311 AND TELL THEM ‘I JUST DON’T NEED THIS SPACE ELEVATOR!

The flyer is credited to F.E.T.S.E.o.t.N (Fight Extremely Tall Space Elevators on the Northside), and includes the URL of
an anti-space-elevator-in-Williamsburg Yahoo group.


> via BoingBoing

Comment [1]

Absolute Michigan advocates "think globally, surf locally"

Posted by Murph on 1. February 2005

On 1 January, Leelanau Communications, Inc. launched Absolute Michigan, intended to be “the most useful and entertaining guide to the State of Michigan on the Internet.” The front page is merely a domain-squatter style links directory, but the daily Five Things You Need to Know blog is interesting for its eclecticness.

Link from Ypsidixit, who found herself linked from said blog.

(Leelanau location guide for out-of-staters: make a mitten and look at the tip of your pinky finger.)

Comment [3]

Brother, Can You Spare $2 Million?

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 1. February 2005

The City of Ann Arbor, like most cities in the country, faces a serious budget problem in the coming year. To help tighten up the bottom line, the City went to the DDA (that’s Downtown Development Authority to the acronym-impaired) asking for $2 million to help cover its $3-4 million projected shortfall.

Numerous solutions to the crisis have been floated including a city-wide income tax or significant reductions in city services. To help “educate” the hoi polloi before the big budget battle begins, Councilmember Leigh “Ban the Porch Couches” Greden (D – 3rd Ward) sent a lengthy and detailed email to his constituents outlining the city’s budget; a helpful reference for when the City must choose between controversial solutions to its tight budget.

> Greden’s email budget overview
> AANews: Strapped, Ann Arbor asks DDA for $2 million

Ann Arbor Cool Cities Task Force accepting grant ideas

Posted by Murph on 31. January 2005

The State of Michigan has four Cool Cities-related grant programs accepting proposals this spring, and Ann Arbor has decided to use an open process to gather ideas for proposals and select one to flesh out for submission.

Attention Cool Cities Initiative Participants,

This is the first of our weekly e-mail updates that will be sent out to keep everyone informed on the progress of the Cool Cities Task Force and an overall summary of ideas that have been suggested. As you may already know, the Cool Cities Initiative is a state wide, government sponsored grant program that awards funding to qualifying Michigan Cities. The hope is that the money will be used towards programs and projects that are developed to attract and retain residents between the age of 22-35. Although, any age can benefit from projects that better the quality of life for all the citizens of our great town. Subsequently, the Ann Arbor City Council appointed a task force to help promote the initiative at the local level and provide the resources for the community to prepare quality grant proposals for submission to the state. Attached as a pdf document you will find the updated information on submitting a proposal/idea to the task force for review. Please remember, the deadline for submission is February 25, 2005.

So far we’ve heard the following suggestions:

  • Funding for art in public places: There are many ongoing art projects in different planning stages throughout the community. All are in need of funding and volunteers.
  • Funding for a pedestrian bridge concept: Connecting the North side of the 400 Block of West Huron with the South side. This could help increase the safety and exposure to the new Y building and surrounding public space projects being considered for the area.
  • Funding for the grounds of the new Y Site: The building is almost complete but there is still a lot of work to do on the green space that surrounds this brand new, and impressive, downtown athletic facility.
  • Funding for the various projects for the downtown merchant associations: Main Street, State Street, Kerry Town, South University, all of these associations continue to work diligently on beautify the already incredible downtown area that is one of our main distinctions as a “cool city”.
  • Funding for affordable downtown artist space: Currently there is a great need that isn’t being met.
  • Funding for increased Internet connectivity in the downtown area: A free or cheap wireless network that surrounds the downtown area
  • Funding for various cultural programs: There are numerous groups in need of funding that are involved in bringing everything from poetry to dance to the cultural community at large.

If you have an interest in getting involved with any of the above ideas or would like more information on them, please let us know. These are just a few of the many great ideas that are still out there to purpose. We hope that everybody in the community takes advantage of the great opportunity we’ve been given and submits their idea to the task force by the deadline. If you have any questions or would like further information about the Cool Cities Initiative or the task force, please contact:

Brandt Coultas
Ann Arbor Cool Cities Task Force
425 S. Main Street, Suite 103
Ann Arbor, MI
48104
ph:  734-214-0101
fax: 734-665-4191
brandt@annarborchamber.org

The Task Force doesn’t have a website per se; I’ve mirrored the RFP document (pdf) they e-mailed out.

County jail millage round-up

Posted by Murph on 31. January 2005

The Ann Arbor News today ran a massive story on the proposed Washtenaw County jail millage. The proposed 30 year 0.75 mill is predicted to raise $314 million dollars, $48.1 million of which is dedicated construction for increased jail capacity, and will be decided by County voters on 22 February.

The summary of the article is that almost everyone seems to like the idea of increasing alternative treatment programs and programs for mentally ill inmates; the disagreement is over whether the jail needs to be expanded by 200 beds (approximately a 60% capacity increase).

County officials and the Committee for Public Safety and Justice advocacy group have been spending a lot of time and energy pitching the idea that increased capacity is necessary for the alternative programs to work. Skeptics contend that the increased capacity will simply provide the temptation for County officials to use it, removing the pressure to find effective alternatives. A group formed by Scio Township trustee Chuck Ream in opposition to the millage, the No Giant Jail Committee, does not appear to have a website.

More information on the proposed jail millage:
> The County’s Criminal Justice Collaborative Council page includes the County’s case for the jail.
> The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce has adopted an official policy supporting the millage, which includes bullet lists of arguments for and against it.

Comment [5]

Monday: Palestinian Real World

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 30. January 2005

Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) are sponsoring an event dubbed the “Palestinian Real World” tomorrow:


EVER WONDER WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO WAIT 8 HOURS TO GET TO YOUR JOB?
TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE CONTROL YOUR LIFE, AND YOU NEVER HAVE A SAY?
TO BE KICKED OUT OF YOUR HOME AND TOLD IT WASN’T YOURS ANYMORE?

THEN COME ASK THOSE WITH FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE!!

6:30 PM Parker Room of the Michigan Union, Monday January 31st

Comment [28]

Control Room Screening by Green Youth

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 30. January 2005

Flyer with event information and illustration of donkey and elephant rears
The Green Youth (affiliated with the Green Party) will show the award winning documentary Control Room this Wednesday, 7pm in the Kuenzel Room at the Michigan Union at their mass meeting.

Ginsberg Center Award Nominations

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 30. January 2005

Once again the Ginsberg Center is sponsoring the Ginsberg Awards for Community Service & Social Action!

The Ginsberg Center is pleased to recognize members of our University community that have committed themselves to community service and social action. Recipients of the Ginsberg Awards will be recognized at a ceremony on Thursday, March 31st at 7:00.

Attached you will find a description of the awards and a nomination form. If you would like to nominate an individual or organization please use the attached form.

Note: If you would like to nominate an individual or organization for more than one award, please use an additional form, or make photocopies of this one.

Please submit completed nomination by mail to:

Anita Bohn, Director of Student Initiatives, Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning, 1024 Hill Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3310

or by email to abohn@umich.edu

by Friday, February 25 at 5:00 p.m.

The CIA's New Campus Spies:

Posted by MarkDilley on 30. January 2005

“Meet “PRISP”, it may be at work on a campus near you. Program doles out cash to train tomorrow’s spooks ; they say it’s like ROTC, only it’s all secret; a hundred spooklets on campus today; thousands down the road; pay back your loan by translating for torturers in tomorrow’s Abu Ghraibs; meet PRISP’s Frankenstein, Prof Felix Moos; anthropologists and the CIA, a deadly embrace by David Price”

via Counter Punch, America’s Best Political Newsletter.

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