Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Everything You Need to Know about Art Fair

Posted by Ari Paul on 20. July 2004


All the streets are clogged and the city’s bars are packed. Everything’s on sale and there’s a half million tourists in town. Here’s everything you need to know about Ann Arbor’s biggest tourist attraction happening this week.

Comment [1]

Council Votes to Postpone Reads on Couch Ban

Posted by Ari Paul on 19. July 2004

Jason S. Mironov, MSA president, has informed us:

For immediate release – Please fwd widely.
8:00pm, July 19th, 2004.

Based on MSA’s request and a lack of firm statistical evidence, city council has voted to postpone the first reads on the couch legislation for a period of four weeks until August 16th.

Until then, http://votejason.com will be a ‘blog’ and survey site to promote student input on this uniquely student issue. Please post comments and fill out the poll which will be submitted to city council.

Stay tuned to the A.U. for continuing coverage of the couch ban saga as it develops.

Comment [5]

U.N.: "10 Stories the World Should Hear More About"

Posted by Ari Paul on 19. July 2004

The corporate media likes to ignore the accomplishments of international organizations in order to convince the public that collaborative efforts are useless, thus preserving the common wisdom that submits to America’s go-it-alone, blood-thirsty war policies.

But the U.N. would like to change that. So here are 10 stories the world should hear more about.

MSA Opposes Couch Ban

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 19. July 2004

Michigan Student Assembly president Jason Mirinov has sent an open letter to the Ann Arbor City Council opposing the proposed ban on porch couches.

For immediate release.
7/19/04 – 2:15pm

MSA PRESIDENT OPPOSES COUCH BAN ON BEHALF OF MSA/STUDENT BODY & WILL ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING ON THE ISSUE IN THE FALL ONCE STUDENTS ARRIVE ON CAMPUS IN THE FALL.

Based on student input from various sources, the Michigan Student Assembly President, Jason Mironov has chosen to oppose the ban on couches and will attempt to convince Ann Arbor City Council at it’s weekly meeting, Monday, 7/19/04 @ 7pm, to delay the vote until Fall by holding a public meeting to elicit student input.

Mironov sent city council an Open Letter both attached in Word format and transcribed below. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ON MONDAY, JULY 19TH AT 7PM @ CITY HALL AND AUGUST 2ND, IF THE COUNCIL IS UNWILLING TO RECONSIDER.

Mironov can be reached via cellular phone at (734)945-8609 or e-mail at jmironov at umich.edu.
————————————————————————————
Open Letter to the
City Council of Ann Arbor
9/19/2004

To the Mayor of Ann Arbor & Members of the Ann Arbor City Council;

On behalf of the Michigan Student Assembly, and the student body of the University of Michigan, I formally request that you conduct a public hearing on the consideration of ordinance amendments that would prohibit ‘flammable couches’ on front porches within the City (C-1 on the 7/19/04 agenda.)

There is little doubt that this ordinance will pertain mainly to students who currently use their furniture outside. While there is a respect for the City Council’s need to create rules and regulations ensuring the safety of Ann Arbor’s residents, the timing that this resolution is to be voted on specifically neglects student voice. If no public hearing is scheduled then a large portion of the student body which leaves Ann Arbor for the summer WILL NOT have an opportunity to speak their mind.

Furthermore, the Michigan Student Assembly is compiling survey data and personal comments on the proposed ban that will be submitted to City Council pending its completion. Preliminary reports show that most students are against this proposal, however are unable to speak about it due to the geographic
constraints of their summer locations.

The City of Ann Arbor and the members of the student community have had a positive relationship in the past several years, and although no students have successfully been elected to City Council, there is a sentiment that accurate representation is present. However, by moving on this proposed ordinance without waiting for full student input and involvement in the fall will be
construed by many students as an offensive move.

Allow the Michigan Student Assembly to independently poll students, as well as research the health and safety concerns posed by the specific ordinance. Once this is completed, and students have the opportunity to arrive back on campus this fall and share their feelings with City Council, perhaps a compromise can be made. Please continue to keep up good relations with the students who bring so much to the community, and allow members of the University the opportunity to speak their mind and defend their rights by holding a Public Hearing this fall.

I will be present for the City Council meeting this evening to speak and receive questions on this matter.

Best,

JASON S. MIRONOV

Jason S. Mironov
President, Michigan Student Assembly

Comment [3]

Jews vs. Jews at Hillers

Posted by Ari Paul on 19. July 2004

The Ann Arbor News covers the boycott of Hillers by the Jewish Witnesses for Peace. The JWP and other groups are calling a boycott of the high-end, pro-union grocery store because it donates a portion of its profits to the state of Israel. In response, pro-Israel groups have urged their members to shop there.

Members of local Jewish congregations and their supporters answered picketers Sunday by buying oranges, matzos, cheeses and other groceries at Hiller’s Market.

Shoppers streamed into the Arborland store, and traffic backed up on Washtenaw Avenue after more than 2,000 e-mails went out from the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County last week, urging members to support Hiller’s by shopping Sunday.

They shopped as about a dozen members of Jewish Witnesses for Peace waved signs on the sidewalk next to Arborland saying such things as, “Hiller’s supports Israeli violence,” and “Hiller’s supports illegal settlements.”

Comment [12]

Briefly: Cops as Protestors and Pot Targetted

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 19. July 2004

A couple interesting, unrelated links via Reuters:

Cops will be joining protestors at the DNC in Boston:

> New Role for Boston Cops: Protests at Democrat Event

And the White House and NIH to refocus the drug war against marijuana:

> Stronger Pot May Make Reefer Madness Real, U.S. Fears

Grosse Pointe Librarian Contract update

Posted by dilleym on 19. July 2004


“Another union contract negotiating session inside the library; another picket out on the streets.”

via Windchime Walker

Its Only Teenage Wasteland

Posted by Ari Paul on 18. July 2004

Could the last venue for suburban teens turn its back on its best patrons?

The Ann Arbor Paper reports:

Malls in surrounding cities are beginning to enforce curfews: only grown folks allowed after 5 p.m. Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn was the first to implement the rule at the beginning of June, and Eastland Mall in Harper Woods followed suit in the middle of the month. The curfew stipulates that no one under 18 be admitted unless they are accompanied by an adult over 21. Some members of the Michigan ACLU are up in arms over ageism, but for now, the curfew remains.

Comment [5]

Walker Weighs in on Decision 2004

Posted by Ari Paul on 18. July 2004

Jesse Walker, a former staffer at the Michigan Daily, now a writer with the libertarian magazine Reason, gives the free markets/free minds angle on why Bush should be fired, and why Kerry won’t be much better.

To see reasons why Kerry might be better, please click here.

Notes on University Budget Cuts

Posted by Ari Paul on 18. July 2004

The University has released more information on the upcoming budget cuts.

A press release lists:

Examples of spending cuts in the FY05 budget include:

• A total of 122 regular staff positions and 40 faculty positions have been eliminated across campus, most through attrition but with some staff layoffs. These cuts are on top of 275 staff positions and 50 faculty positions eliminated last year.

• The University Library has reduced late-night reference hours and pared current journal holdings by 840 titles, and monograph purchases by 5,000 titles.

• Information Technology Campus Initiatives (ITCI), which developed and encouraged information technology to improve the learning environment, is being dissolved for a savings of $1 million.

• The 2004 Michigan Road Scholars Tour was suspended. The program was designed to educate the faculty to the unique characteristics of our state and its people, and to foster University-community partnerships around Michigan.

• Building Services personnel are being moved to the day shift, and offices will be cleaned less frequently—every other week rather than weekly—to reduce overtime and shift premiums, saving $881,000 in Plant Operations.

• The Business School reduced the number of sections of certain courses and raised enrollment caps on others. The result is 32 fewer sections of courses, 25 fewer adjunct supplemental faculty members, and a savings of $1.5 million. Similarly, other academic units across campus are reducing course sections, increasing course sizes, and reducing reliance on adjunct and visiting faculty.

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