Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Police Scanner - Art Fair

Posted by dilleym on 23. July 2004

Ypsilanti weblog Seat of the Revolution reporting on the police scanner.

“Footchase…
Suspicious package…
Random head injury.
Officer wrecks…

Broadway Bridges Nearing Completion

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 23. July 2004

The Broadway Bridges, one of few Huron River crossing points in Ann Arbor, will re-open for traffic in all directions next week, according to this Ann Arbor News, In Brief article:

> Broadway Bridges to reopen next week

For more information, check out:

> The Broadway Bridges Reconstruction Project (source of the above image)

Thanks to Chris Herdt for the link at this LiveJournal post

Girl Scouts Getting Tough on Cookie Scammers

Posted by Ari Paul on 23. July 2004

The Girl Scouts of America are cracking down on everyone who has outstanding payments for Girl Scout cookies. They have hired Fidelity Information Corp., a Pacific Palisades, Calif., debt-collection company to track down the those who have yet to cough up the cookie money, the Washington Times reports.

Kelley's False Stories, Haddad's Sad Fate

Posted by Ari Paul on 23. July 2004

Was Rabih Haddad, the Ann Arbor imam deported on visa violations and allegations of terrorist connections, done in by the phoney reporting of a Jayson Blair wanna-be?

Metro Times reports:

Jack Kelley, former star foreign correspondent for USA Today, not only severely damaged the reputation of the nation’s largest daily by fabricating and plagiarizing stories for a dozen years, the disgraced reporter is also costing USA Today’s owner, Gannett, some cash.

Gannett Satellite Information Network Inc., a subsidiary of Gannett Co. Inc. (which also owns our beloved Detroit News), agreed to pay Global Relief Foundation $17,000 because of a bogus story Kelley wrote about the Islamic charity, according to foundation attorney Roger Simmons.

Among Kelley’s many fictitious clips was a January 2002 story in which he reported that the CIA and U.S. Special Forces searching caves and safe houses in Afghanistan found documents linking Global Relief Foundation (GRF) and another Chicago-based Islamic charity to al Qaeda.

GRF was co-founded by Rabih Haddad, an imam arrested in his Ann Arbor home shortly after 9/11 for a visa violation. Haddad was detained for 19 months before his deportation to Lebanon last year (“Haddad breaks his silence,” MT, March 17).

GRF was raided and shut down on Dec. 14, 2001, the day of Haddad’s arrest.

Kelley’s story alleging GRF links to al Qaeda hit the streets about six weeks later.

Comment [2]

Art Fair: Day 2, con't

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 23. July 2004

Ah yes, art fair. Observations:

> Teenage and tween-age girls pawing eagerly through the boxes of discounted merchandise put out in Urban Outfitter’s Street tent

> The banner advertising Arcadia’s new Berry Whitsun at the Ashley’s tent was almost totally washed away because of yesterday’s rain (woops!)

> Although I saw three people sporting Bush stickers, (including a girl on rollerblades promoting Bush stickers on her rear), they were outnumbered not by Kerry stickers (0), but by DNC canvassers seeking small donations (4). (“Hey, you want to give a dollar to get Bush out of office?”)

> At the corner of William and Maynard, Marc Sijan’s “ultra-realistic” human sculptures were attracting a crowd. (“It ain’t plastic, no, he could move” one man insisted to his friend)

Also Overheard:

“This is the art fair – we’re looking at all the art”—Mother to young girl

“Oh my gosh Laura, I’ve fallen in love like 10 times today.”—Man to his female friend while peoplewatching

“Hey Joe, you know what we can do? Jump into the truck and drive to the other end of the art fair instead of walking back!”—Someone feeling very clever

“Let’s go to the nonprofit area – that’s where my booth would be.”—A young woman to her friend

Woman to man: “Boy, you’re a people watcher, aren’t you?”
Man, gawking at two goth teens: “Huh?”

Art Fair: Day 2

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 22. July 2004

Wandering among the booths in the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair on Washington Street near the Rackham Building, my eye was caught by the work of Mississippi artist Steve Shepard. Many of his works were like this one, (titled “Savannah”) and were lush, hand-illustrated drawings of swamplands found in Southern U.S. states. However, many were hostile partisan attacks on Republicans and president Bush. His wife explained his artwork was mostly about environmental themes, and reflected a style he developed studying in Mexico, west Africa, and in some Asian art, however he “had become more political” in the past year.

His more recent, political works seemed to express a palpible hatred for anti-environmentalist policies he saw as draining the wetlands and decimating the rare and exotic species he had previously documented. (See “Republicans Kill Wetlands”) His painting “Stop the Earth Haters Bush & Cheney” features the slogans “REPUBLICANS PREFER GOLF TO ECOLOGY” and depicts a skeleton dancing among flames, labled “THE FATE OF EARTH-HATING REPUBLICANS”.

My favorite, at least the online paintings, is a portrait of Lincoln voting, wrapped by the text “LINCOLN IS SO DISGUSTED BY BUSH & CHENEY HE VOTES ALL DEMOCRAT IN ‘04”

Is his political work all partisan? Of course not, there’s always “CYCLOPS GIVEN PERMISSION BY ANGELS TO EAT REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS”

Comment [1]

Bush Protest in Detroit Tomorrow

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 22. July 2004

Calling all Detroit Area Peace Activists….

The Michigan Emergency Committee Against War in Iraq is organizing a public protest against the Iraq war and occupation of Iraq. George W. Bush will be addressing the Urban League convention. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

Friday July 23rd 9AM – 11AM
(he is speaking at 10 AM at the Urban League Convention)

Gather at Washington Blvd and Jefferson
(in front of Cobo Hall)

Bring SIGNS! Signs explain the reason for protest to passersby and TV audiences.

‘HONK’ signs remind passersby to register their reaction.


> From this livejournal post.

And this:

DETROIT (AP)—Democrats on Wednesday denounced a Republican lawmaker quoted in a newspaper as saying the GOP would fare poorly in this year’s elections if it failed to “suppress the Detroit vote.”

State Rep. John Pappageorge, R-Troy, acknowledged using “a bad choice of words” but said his remark shouldn’t be construed as racist.

Pappageorge, 73, was quoted in July 16 editions of the Detroit Free Press as saying, “If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we’re going to have a tough time in this election.”

“I’m extremely disappointed in my colleague,” state Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, told reporters Wednesday during a conference call. “That’s quite clearly code that they don’t want black people to vote in this election.” ...

(from the AP)

U-M and AATA to Launch "Unlimited Access" Program

Posted by Brian Kerr on 22. July 2004

On August 1, 2004, the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) will be launching a swell “Unlimited Access” program.

From a ‘facts sheet’ given to the Arbor Update Gaggle by an anonymous tipster:

Under this contract, AATA will provide no-charge rides on all of its regularly scheduled routes at any time of the day, any day of the week to all active U-M faculty, staff and students who show a valid Mcard ID. In addition, AATA will add at least 8,000 hours of service, tailored to the needs of the University, starting January 2005. These service improvements will be guided by student and employee residential demographics, and input from the University community.

It’s my understanding that this program will be officially announced on Monday, July 26, 2004. Accords to the facts sheet, “marketing and promotional efforts” are in the works, as is a “survey of participating and non-participating U-M students, staff and faculty during the fall semester to gauge customer acceptance.”

We’ll publish more details on this site as they become available. (Anonymous tipster: if you’re reading this, you have our thanks!)

Comment [6]

Art Fair, Day 1

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 22. July 2004

Overheard:

“Honey, isn’t this wonderful?”—Wife to male partner

“All these crazy people and their crazy ideas”—Random guy on nonprofit row on Liberty to nobody in particular

Child (whining): “I really want to go back to the Bus.”
Mother: “We’re going to do a couple more”
Child: “Mooooommm!”

“That’s kind of creepy – Now I’m really starting to get scared!”—Midwestern art patron checking out a booth

“I’m buying a water soon for sure.”—Thirsty woman

Spotted:

“There are more pressing issues, but none more fun”—Sign hanging on the booth of a SE Michigan Nudist Group on Liberty

Megiddido Peace Project booth staffed by Al Haber

Yuppies cooing over brightly painted pottery while nearby a stunning abstract artist sits in her empty tent reading a book.

Mongolian BBQ’s “Mongo Man” strolling main street

Booth with A/C Unit (jewelry seller on Liberty near Thompson)

> AANews: “After Day 1, artists say business looking good Crowds turn out for fairs
> AANews: “Art fairs win high marks”
> Links to all the Art Fairs:

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the original (45 yrs)
734.994.5260
www.artfair.org

State Street Area Art Fair (37 yrs)
734.663.6511
www.a2state.com

Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair (34 yrs)
734.662.3382
www.michiganguild.org

Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair (5 yrs)
734.663.5300
www.a2southu.com

The Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (AAACVB)
734.995.7281; 800.888.9487
www.annarbor.org

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA)
734.973.6500
www.theride.org

Main Street Area Association
734.668.7112
www.mainstreetannarbor.org

Comment [1]

U-M: Deans and Chairs being deceived!

Posted by on 22. July 2004

Family housing officials have informed the Deans and Department Chairs at UM that family housing has relocated all families from Northwood 1, 2 and 3 to Northwood 4 and 5. THIS IS UNTRUE. There were 150 open spaces to which residents can relocate, and approximately 600 families to be relocated. The math doesn’t add up.

Further, these changes are permanent. Melaku Mekonen, director of family housing, Archie Andrews, associate director of housing and Carole Henry, director of housing informed over 100 residents on July 20 that Northwood 1, 2 and 3 would no longer EVER house student families. They told residents that the area will no longer be referred to as family housing.

There is documentation of both of these points.

It is no accident that housing has told faculty and other administrators a different story than they have told residents.

Please let those in your area know, and you may contact me for additional information.

Lisa R. Jackson, Ph,D.
lrjackso AT umich DOT edu

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