Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Traditional vs. Online Community Organizing

Posted by Murph on 26. October 2004

Ann Arbor is Overrated has posted an intercepted missive from the Old Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association, in which the OFW discusses the “troubling” ability of technology to provide access to local politics.

The OFW piece questions whether local political decisions “should” be subject to technological influence—an interesting question to be raising on the e-mail newsletter of a neighborhood political group.

Comment [2]

Wireless Community Project Node Database

Posted by MarkDilley on 26. October 2004

With a whopping 1 in technologically savy Ann Arbor

This is a simple database for people operating or interested in operating wireless network nodes in Detroit/Ann Arbor

I am sure there are more, can we start adding them?

Comment [3]

EQMC show- enter off Church Street

Posted by MarkDilley on 26. October 2004

Comment [3]

Scio Trustees Challenged on Growth

Posted by Murph on 25. October 2004

Democrats are challenging Scio Township’s traditionally Republican Board of Trustees on the form that growth in that township has taken over the last 10 years and on the Trustee’s failure to provide parkland or public transportation for the increased population:

From the Ann Arbor News, Scio Democrats challenge GOP Board of Trustees:

The Democrats’ many criticisms of the board include the Harvest Valley housing development proposed for south of Dexter; that the township has no “freestanding” wetlands ordinance; that it does not require developers to get drainage plans approved by the county drain commissioner; that it has not created any township-owned parks; and that it has not required developers to connect subdivisions by sidewalks or provide non-motorized transportation paths.

. . .

Democratic trustee candidate James L. Dries said he shares the agenda on open space with his Democratic colleagues. He criticized the board for what he said was not facing the consequences of development when it cut the township’s subsidy to AATA for service to the township.

”(Development) has its consequences,” Dries said.

Ann Arbor News Endorses Lumm for Mayor

Posted by Brandon on 24. October 2004

In today’s paper, The Ann Arbor News endorses Republican challenger Jane Lumm for Mayor:

We endorse Jane Lumm for mayor. Lumm, a Republican, spent five years on the City Council ending in 1998 and understands the complex issues facing Ann Arbor, especially ones tied to spending, revenue and taxation. She knows that the city’s financial problems are as much about spending as they are about lost revenue.

And, Lumm most notably differs from Hieftje in her willingness to be forthright. She would work tirelessly for the good of the city, and has a profound commitment to public participation by residents. She knows how to lead, in part, because she values input.

Hieftje’s largest failure is not one of vision, but leadership.

And it stems from a reflexive defensiveness that too often pushes any dissenting or questioning voices from the table. Instead of building lasting coalitions, Hieftje opts for short-term wins that are relatively easy to accumulate because Democrats hold such an overwhelming majority on the City Council.

Hieftje’s ongoing reluctance to an open, public process was evident during the successful campaign for the Greenbelt. Given the opportunity to pull all sides together, Hieftje instead cast a complex issue in the simplest of terms and treated opponents with legitimate and substantive questions as villains.

Comment [9]

Online voting infodumps

Posted by Brian Kerr on 23. October 2004

Local users of “social bookmarking” service del.icio.us have been collecting online resources related to the Ann Arbor ballot and Michigan’s Proposal 2:

Watch these spaces for links up to and through election day. Since anyone can add links to either or both of these tags, this may develop into an interesting resource.

Additionally, over at Arbor Blogs, George is collecting voting guides by local bloggers, to be published on November 1.

Allegations of Extreme Hazing Plague Greek System

Posted by Brandon on 22. October 2004

Less than two weeks after the University announced it was dropping proposed changes to the Greek System designed, among other things, to curb such practices, officials are looking into allegations of recent hazing in several Greek houses:

Certain houses in the Greek system are facing allegations of extreme hazing practices on their pledges, and the University has begun looking into those claims.

Interim Dean of Students Susan Eklund, who took over for former dean Ed Willis in early August, said the University is investigating hazing claims from this month’s pledging activities that involve at least five fraternities and two sororities. She said resident advisors familiar with the Greek system had brought forward some of the reports from pledges living in residence halls.

Eklund said the Office of Student Conflict Resolution is investigating the incidents and police have been notified.

Although she declined to name the Greek houses included, she said incidents brought to her attention were confined to the Greek governing bodies Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association, with none in the councils that oversee minority fraternities and sororities.

Eklund described a variety of hazing abuses, all involving heavy drinking. Included among the incidents was one which Eklund described as “very disturbing,” in which members of a sorority were summoned to a fraternity chapter house and were “strongly recommended” to drink heavily. Clothes were allegedly torn off the women, who were then led into a cramped room with intoxicated members of the fraternity’s pledge class. Eklund said that what followed reportedly included widespread sexual activity.

Another incident involved 15 members of a fraternity pledge class forced to drink excessively and then wrestle with older members of the fraternity. Reports say the pledges were then forced to strip to their underwear and stand in a room with open windows on a cold evening. Eklund said that one pledge required medical treatment after the incident.

Other allegations Eklund mentioned included obscenities written on drunken pledges in permanent marker and drunken fraternity members paddling their pledges.

Links:

>Michigan Daily: ‘U’ looks into reports of hazing
>Michigan Daily: Binge drinking rampant in hazing allegations
>Michigan Daily: Greeks take tougher stand against hazing
>Ann Arbor News:Hazing charges investigated

SAPAC now?

Posted by MarkDilley on 22. October 2004

From an email:

“A pictures [sic] of a banner for Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) displayed in the Diag (you can see it if you are walking towards the Dana Building). The organization used “black face” to promote there [sic] Speak Out Event. This is offense [sic] to the African/African-American community and is clearly UNACCEPTABLE.”

For more info check out SAPAC Must STAY and Our Voices Count

Comment [20]

SPRING BREAK FALLUJAH 2005!

Posted by MarkDilley on 22. October 2004

EnjoyTheDraft.com

True to their family tradition of personal sacrifice, Jenna and Barbara Bush are the first to sign up for Spring Break Fallujah 2005. “Isn’t that an MTV thing?” asked party girl Jenna, “because I’m totally there.” How cute! It’s armed conflict in the Middle East, spring break style. And the twins will have plenty of company – all guys and girls from the age of 18-34, and medical personnel up to the age of 44! Awesome!

Memorial Planned for Magali Padilla

Posted by Dumi Lewis on 22. October 2004

A memorial for Magail Padilla (‘06) will be held on October 31st at 6pm in the Michigan League Ballroom. Gali had just completed her sophmore year at U of M in the program in the Environment when she passed away in a car accident while visiting family in Mexico. Magali, in her two years, made huge contributions to the U of M community around issues of environmental justice, budget cutbacks, and social justice at large. At the memorial there will be a public announcement of the formation of an endowment in Magali’s name. If you would like more information on the memorial or the endowment please email mpmemorial@umich.edu.

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