Arbor Update

The Great Lakes Myth Society: Thursday at the Blind Pig

Posted by Brandon on 6. October 2004

Rising Ann Arbor indie-rock band The Great Lakes Myth Society return to their home port of Tree Town this week after a year-long voyage in the distant waters of Detroit and Hamtramck. In anticipation of their upcoming album on Boston label Stop, Pop, and Roll, GLMS bring their unique brand of nautically-tinged pop and rock to the Blind Pig Thursday night. Featuring complex harmonies, tight instrumental interplay, nostalgic lyrics steeped in a strong sense of place, and the occasional accordion, The Great Lakes Myth Society just may be the best maritime-indie-folk-rock-pop-Michigania band around. High-powered, hard-drinking country-rockers Porchsleeper open, and The Javelins and Twilight Kings also play.

Thu 7
THE GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY
PORCHSLEEPER, THE JAVELINS,
and THE TWILIGHT KINGS
$5 / Under 21 $8. 19+ Doors 9:00 p.m.

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Campus

Two Lectures on Urbanism This Week

Posted by Brandon on 6. October 2004

There will be two public lectures dealing with issues of vibrant cities and smart growth this week at the Art and Architecture Building on North Campus, sponsored by the College of Architecture and Urban Planning:

1. Public Lecture: “Cool Cities, Smart Growth, and New Urbanism,” by John Norquist. This Thursday, October 7, 5:30 p.m., in the Art & Architecture auditorium. John Norquist is the former mayor of Milwaukee and the current president of the Congress for New Urbanism. Under his leadership, Milwaukee experienced a decline in poverty, saw a boom in new downtown housing and became a leading center of education and welfare reform. Norquist has overseen a revision of the city’s zoning code and reoriented development around walkable streets and public amenities such as the city’s 3.1-mile Riverwalk. He has drawn widespread recognition for championing the removal of a .8 mile stretch of elevated freeway, clearing the way for an anticipated $250 million in infill development in the heart of Milwaukee.

2. Public Lecture: “Using the Political Process to Create Magnet Cities,” by Marcy Kaptur. This Friday, October 8, 5:30 p.m. in the Art & Architecture auditorium. Marcy Kaptur is a U.S. Congress member from Ohio’s Ninth District and an alumna of the Urban and Regional Planning Program (M.U.P. 1974). She is being honored with this year’s Alumni Award of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Local

Another Shopping Center Planned For Washtenaw & Huron Parkway

Posted by Brandon on 6. October 2004

According to the Ann Arbor News, a developer is proposing a second large upscale suburban-style shopping center across the street from Huron Village, which houses large Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble stores. The new center would purportedly be designed along quasi-New Urbanist principles:

Ann Arbor-based McKinley Inc., which has been leasing out Huron Village, has been retained to try to gauge interest in a new center. Securing a number of retailers before the center is built would reduce the risk involved with the project and make it easier to borrow money.

Royal Caswell, a vice president at McKinley, said the company showed off plans at the International Council of Shopping Centers annual convention in Las Vegas in May.

“We’ve gotten a lot of good response” from potential tenants, Caswell said.

Without revealing details, he said McKinley is courting a few big box stores, but is focused mostly on higher-end retailers and chain restaurants found in the popular “lifestyle” centers – outdoor malls designed to be pedestrian-friendly and look similar to a Main Street shopping district.

These centers frequently have a contingent of clothing retailers like Banana Republic and Anne Taylor and ice cream parlors like Marble Slab Creamery.

The shoppers who frequent Huron Village, which houses the upscale Whole Foods grocery, are desirable for retailers because they tend to be wealthier.

Meanwhile City Councilwoman and Planning Commission member Jean Carlberg would like to see a truer approximation of New Urbanist design principles on an essentially auto-dependent site, including mixed-uses:

“It certainly is unattractive as it is,” she said.

But Carlberg said there likely would be discussions with the developer about the arrangement and design of the buildings, and whether it has components of New Urbanism design that includes mixed uses.

“My ideal development would be something that contains residential and retail,” she said.

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Events

"Voting in America" this Thursday

Posted by Ari Paul on 5. October 2004

Thursday, October 7th.
“Voting in America”
8pm. Pendleton Room, Michigan Union.

Why aren’t Americans voting? And what is the fate of our democracy if we can’t even convince a majority of citizens to participate in one of the most important, defining acts of a democratic society? Voting in America is a provocative collection of nine short films that aim to increase voter
participation in the 2004 elections – particularly among historically marginalized constituencies like communities of color, formerly incarcerated individuals, single mothers and youth.

Campus

DPS Boasts a Drop in On-campus Crime

Posted by Ari Paul on 5. October 2004

A U-M press release reports:

On-campus crime reported in 2003 at the University of Michigan dropped from 2002 in all but one major crime category, Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials announced today. Enhanced security measures implemented in the residence halls during 2003 were credited with much of the crime drop.

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Local

Plantiffs in Affirmative Action Case Demand Compensation

Posted by Ari Paul on 5. October 2004

The planitiffs in the case against the University of Michigan due to its admissions policies are now demanding that the University pay their legal fees, according to The Michigan Daily.

The Daily reports:

In a plaintiff’s motion, lawyers for Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher — who sued the University after being rejected from the College of Literature, Science and Arts — are asking for $2.1 million, which would cover the $1.74 million in legal fees and $334,000 in other costs they say have amassed since the lawsuit was filed in October 1997.

But, “University lawyers and officials said the requests are unreasonably high.”

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Regional

Women In Black

Posted by MarkDilley on 4. October 2004

You’re invited to the first Michigan regional WIB march, Saturday, October 9.

Please join WOMEN IN BLACK in silent protest against U.S.-sanctioned violence in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine.

EVENT STARTS AT NOON!

REGIONAL MARCH
Sat, Oct 9, Ann Arbor, 5th & Liberty, Federal Building

Please Wear Black, Everyone Welcome, Men Women and Children

About Women in Black: “We are women of varied ethnic and racial heritages who gather to oppose the use of violence and terror as a means to political ends.”

Contact debnajor-AT-yahoo-DOT-com or jherrada-AT-umich-DOT-edu

Culture

Islam Awareness Week

Posted by Dumi Lewis on 4. October 2004

Islam, one the world’s oldest, most practiced and misunderstood religions, will be showcased this week during Islam Awareness Week hosted by the Muslim Student Association. Find your way to one of these excellent events.

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Politics

Polls: Kerry Won First Debate

Posted by Ari Paul on 3. October 2004

The opinion is in. John Kerry won the first presidential debate, this on the topic of foreign policy, according to polls taken by Newsweek and the L.A. Times.

The vice presidential debate will take place on Tuesday, October 5 at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.

The second presidential debate will take place on Friday, October 8 at Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

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Campus

MI voter registration deadline Monday

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 3. October 2004

The last day to register to vote in the November 2 election is Monday, October 4. You have until the end of the day Monday to register with the state, or to clear up any problems with your registration.

The Michigan Student Assembly’s Voice Your Vote commission will be going door to door in Ann Arbor student neighborhoods on Sunday afternoon, and then maintaining a day-long presence on the Diag for Monday.

The group has been extremely active since fall classes began, gathering nearly 6000 new or changed registrations since August. Today, they worked with the Detroit area coalition MOSES to register new voters in targeted low turnout areas.

The Voice Your Vote organizing team includes students that have been active in MSA, SVA, the Detroit Project, and PIRGIM – to name a few. Information about registering in Michigan can be found at the VYV website: mgovote.com.