Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Dearborn, Michigan

Posted by dilleym on 4. June 2004

“Iraqis protest the U.S. occupation of Iraq in Veterans’ Plaza at Dearborn City Hall Friday. The group of activists had favored the war in Iraq before it began.”


via Heritage Newspapers, photo by Millard Berry

Ann Arbor joins in "Run Against Bush"

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 3. June 2004

There is an e-mail circulating around the Ann Arbor and University communities advertising for an event this Saturday. The event will see people from all over the area gather to let off a little steam and voice their dissatisfaction about Bush by participating in a run as a part of “Run Against Bush”

According to the group’s website, Run Against Bush is “a grassroots volunteer organization focused on motivating people to run in road races and informal runs all across the country as a way to collectively voice their dissatisfaction with the Bush administration.”

Judging from the number of e-mails that have been sent, a good turnout is expected.

Tom Hayden Turned Down Michigamua

Posted by Rob Goodspeed on 3. June 2004

According to an article he penned for the progressive website AlterNet, former Michigan Daily editor and Students for a Democratic Society leader Tom Hayden turned down membership in Michigamua – in the 1960s. However, he admits joing the now-defunct LSA society called the Druids.

“When I was tapped in my senior year for the most prestigious secret society, Michigauma, I decided instead to hide out in a girlfriend’s apartment, becoming the first refusenik in Michigauma history. But I still felt like something was wrong with me, that I didn’t have the right stuff, that I was blowing my future. ... ”

> Tom Hayden: “When bonesmen fight”
> GoodspeedUpdate.com post

Jim Jeffords: "Worst Fears Have Come True"

Posted by jlnathan on 3. June 2004

Three years ago, U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT) defected from the Republican party because he felt that the Bush administration left no room for moderates. This week, though still an independent, he is pushing hard-core for a Democratic Senate in 2004. Here’s an excerpt from a letter he has drafted to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s e-mail list:

Three years ago this week, I left the Republican party. I felt the party had abandoned its fundamental principles of tolerance, moderation and fiscal responsibility—the party of George W. Bush clearly was no longer the party of Lincoln. And I differed with the GOP on issue after issue: the need to protect public health and the environment, the need to invest in education, our obligation to balance the federal budget. Looking back, I can honestly say my worst fears about the Bush administration have been confirmed, and then some.

Comment [3]

Minority Enrollment down at U of M

Posted by Dumi Lewis on 2. June 2004

Last week, U of M released “near final” number estimates of the class of 2008. The big news in the numbers is a drop in the pool of minority applicants of 21 percent and a drop in Black student deposits by 13 percent. So that we aren’t all confused, there was an overall drop in applicants to U of M, but near equal drops in the minority applicant poll are more noticable because of the small numbers. The most interesting thing is the size of the minority (I really hate this term) population at U of M is really small. Aren’t we “Diversity University?” So there aren’t that many minorities at U of M afterall, go figure.

Comment [39]

Ladies' Nights: Stirring up Cheap Drinks AND Controversy!

Posted by on 2. June 2004

According to the state of New Jersey, it is now illegal to offer promotional “Ladies’ Night” deals at bars and clubs, because of “discrimination against men.”

This from the Associated Press:
In his ruling Tuesday, J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the state Division on Civil Rights, rejected arguments by the nightclub that ladies nights were a legitimate promotion. Commercial interests do not override the ``important social policy objective of eradicating discrimination,’’ he ruled.

Other states have ruled otherwise in similar cases, saying that the concept of Ladies’ Night does not exclude men, it simply encourages women to attend the establishment.

Read the full text here, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press.

Comment [1]

Bowling for Canines

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 2. June 2004

Ann Arbor’s Canine Social Club is holding a bowl-a-thon fundraiser this Saturday from 7pm to 10pm at Colonial Lanes on South Industrial. Cost is $20 for unlimited bowling, including shoes.

The Canine Social Club was founded just over a year ago by dog owners from the Ann Arbor area to advocate for off-leash dog parks in the Ann Arbor area. Many area residents formerly used the field adjacent to Pall Life Sciences (formerly Gelman Sciences, infamous for polluting our groundwater with 1,4 Dioxane ) on Wagner Rd. to run dogs off-leash. Last year, Pall informed dog owners they were no longer welcome, resulting in the formation of Canine Social Club. Off-leash dog parks are increasingly common across the country. Ann Arbor is unique among more progressive cities for not having off-leash recreation areas.

> Canine Social Club web site
> Upcoming.org event entry
> More Information on Dog Parks

Mayor of Crawford, TX: "Kerry for President!"

Posted by on 2. June 2004

Ohhh, the irony…Here’s a headline from today’s Dallas Morning News:
“Crawford mayor is no fan of town’s best-known resident: Kerry supporter says Bush hasn’t delivered on promises”

Isn’t that beautiful? Here’s more, since you have to subscribe to the website in order to read it…

Mr. Campbell, a Democrat who has been mayor since 1999, said he’s met Mr. Bush once but doesn’t feel inclined to support the former Texas governor. He voted for Al Gore in 2000.

“I would say the city has a mix of Bush and Kerry supporters,” he said. “The Kerry supporters feel like Bush has not delivered on his promises.”

Some Texas Republicans took the endorsement in stride.

“You will find a few Kerry supporters in Texas,” said Victor Carrillo, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. “But the majority of Texans support President Bush.”

Mr. Campbell says he’s not worried about a backlash among constituents.

“I have the right to vote for who I want to be president,” he said. “If some people around here don’t like it, they can vote for someone else for mayor.”

Comment [1]

Fahrenheit 9/11 Opens June 25th

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 2. June 2004

According to this Reuters story , Michael Moore’s latest documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 will open June 25th in the US. Disney refused to distribute the film via its subsidiary Miramax. Michael Eisner said, ”... we just didn’t want to be in the middle of a politically-oriented film during an election year.” Bob and Harvey Weinstein negotiated a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and IFC Films to distribute the film.

> See also: MichaelMoore.com

UPDATE: The “nationwide” openining on the 25th will likely only be New York, LA and Chicago. Other markets (like Ann Arbor), will likely get it the following week, July 2.

Comment [3]

"Abolish the Penny," says Safire

Posted by on 2. June 2004

The time has come to abolish the outdated, almost worthless, bothersome and wasteful penny. Even President Lincoln, who distrusted the notion of paper money because he thought he would have to sign each greenback, would be ashamed to have his face on this specious specie.

Ah, another cost of Bush’s war…columnists like William Safire get so tired of writing about Iraq every day, they decide to take up causes like ridding the world of the one cent piece. He’s right…you can’t buy anything for a penny anymore. But going into the details of the zinc lobby versus the nickel lobby versus the copper lobby? I don’t know dudes, read the article for yourselves and let me know what you think…

“Abolish the Penny.”

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