Arbor Update

Local

RIP Shakin’ Jake (popularly known as “Shaky Jake”)

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 18. September 2007

Ann Arbor icon “Shaky Jake” Woods passed away on Sunday.

The Ann Arbor News has a nice writeup on him, and WEMU has been running memories of him from Peter Mad-Cat Ruth and Mr. B.

Comment [20]

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority

Ann Arbor to Metro Bus Service

Posted by Juliew on 15. September 2007

From an AATA press release sent today:

ANN ARBOR, MI – Low-cost connections to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Jackson and East Lansing will soon be available to local residents and visitors through the collaboration of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) and key local leaders with Michigan Flyer.

Michigan Flyer has announced that it will add an Ann Arbor stop to its Direct to Detroit Metro bus service beginning October 1, 2007. The bus will board passengers at the Four Points Sheraton, located at 3200 Boardwalk, with 11 daily round trips to and from Metro Airport and seven round trips to Jackson and East Lansing.

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Politics

Local residents petition Rep. Dingell to act on CAFE standards

Posted by Murph on 12. September 2007

After Representative John Dingell’s Town Hall meetings held a few weeks ago, a group of his constituents decided that Dingell might require a little more encouragement, particularly with regards to auto mileage standards currently under discussion. In order to balance out the auto industry’s pressure on Dingell against the increases, the group’s first action has been to set up a petition for constituents to show their support for the proposed increase. Their website, Think Global: Act Dingell includes links to relevant articles supporting their position. The petition has collected about 120 signatures in its first two weeks, though that number includes several “anonymous” signatures.

Comment [15]

Politics

Ann Arbor's new plan for municipal center

Posted by Josh Steichmann on 11. September 2007

Thirty-seven pages of piping-hot planning action right here (pdf— look to google cache once we get spidered for an HTML conversion).

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Local

City Events

Posted by Juliew on 11. September 2007

A few upcoming events:

Emergency Siren Testing Today (September 11)
The Emergency Siren test is the second Tuesday of every month from March to November at 1:00pm. This month’s test just happens to be today, September 11, a date which could make people a little jumpy. So don’t panic if you hear the sirens at 1:00, this is just a test.

Golf Course Meetings
The city is absolutely is not going to sell any golf courses so having a resolution preventing such a thing would be ridiculous. Oh wait …

The city will be having two public meetings this week to discuss the fates of the Leslie Park Golf Course and the Huron Hills Golf Course

• Wednesday, September 12 at 7 p.m. at Leslie Park Golf Course about Leslie Park Golf Course
• Thursday, September 13 at 7 p.m. at Cobblestone Farm regarding Huron Hills Golf Course.

East Stadium Bridge Replacement/South Main Improvements
The City is starting to plan for the replacement of the bridge on East Stadium Boulevard between White Street and South Main Street and bicycle and pedestrian improvements along South Main Street between East Stadium Boulevard and Ann Arbor–Saline Road. There are several workshops planned. The first two are coming up soon:

• Initial Workshop: September 18 at 6:00pm at Pioneer High School
• Priorities Workshop: October 2 at 6:00pm at Pioneer High School

For more information on the projects and the workshops (including detailed agendas), see the Project Web Site.

Comment [15]

Local

Jefferson Market to Close October 1

Posted by Juliew on 5. September 2007

The text of an e-mail sent by Jean Henry this morning:

Dear customers, neighbors and friends—
With equal measure heartache and relief, I must tell you that JEFFERSON MARKET WILL BE CLOSING ON OCTOBER 1st. While I appreciate that many of you will find this news a bit of a blow, I hope you will understand also that I would not take this step were there any other viable alternative.

We will continue our current schedule with coffee, pastries and full menu service for September, though blueplate dinner specials and catering are discontinued. I hope you will take time this month to say goodbye, celebrate community, have a few last meals and pastries, and take advantage of great savings on our remaining store stock.

For seven years, we have been graced to serve this intelligent, compassionate and vibrant community. In acknowledgment, throughout the month we will be filling our front windows with photographs, new and old, of our customers, employees, vendors and friends. Please feel free to post your own pictures, thoughts and wishes for the future.

The business will remain for sale as is for a few months. Realtor information will be available shortly. Rental inquiries for alternative businesses can be directed to the landlord, Issa Properties.

This market has served the neighborhood in various guises since at least 1924. I have no doubt that someone will step in shortly to continue that legacy. I hope you’ll welcome them into the community as you did us. Thanks so much for your patronage, support and understanding. I will keep you all posted of any further developments.

Yours, Jean Henry

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Michigan Food Stamp challenge: live on $3/day.

Posted by Murph on 4. September 2007

Today was the first day of the Michigan Food Stamp Challenge for 50 area families voluntarily limiting their food budgets to $3/day per person – the amount provided by the food stamp program. The Challenge is intended to draw attention to the fact that even this low rate is threatened with cuts. From the Challenge’s press release,

“This week living on an average food stamp budget won’t come close to recreating the worry and anxiety that millions of low-income people feel every day when they’re not sure where their next meal is coming from, but we do hope to shine a light on the importance of the program and the need for increased benefits,” said Chuck Warpehoski, Director of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, the organization organizing the Challenge. [Chuck is also an AU contributor.]
. . .
The Farm Bill, which includes funding for the Food Stamp Program, is due to be reauthorized in Congress this year.

“President Bush has called for cuts to food stamps, citing how the war in Iraq has put pressure on budget. Anyone who is considering cutting food stamps to pay for the war in Iraq should take the Food Stamp Challenge first, then let’s talk,” said Warpehoski.

The Challenge website hosts a blog for program participants to discuss the experience of shopping, cooking, and eating on $3/day, at http://www.michiganfoodstampchallenge.org/news.

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City Council

City Council: Labor Day

Posted by Juliew on 4. September 2007

Tuesday, September 4 at 7:00 pm (one day later due to Labor Day holiday)
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Edwards Brothers tax abatement
• Resolution Supporting HB 4616, 4617, and 4618 to Lift Criminal Restrictions against Embryonic Stem Cell Research
• Update on Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

Local

Labor Day Weekend Activities

Posted by Juliew on 31. August 2007

Watch students move in from now until classes start on Tuesday, September 4. Make sure to look both ways on one way streets!

On Friday, pay homage to New Orleans by listening to Dixieland jazz from the Easy Street Jazz Band at happy hour at the Firefly Club’s new South Main Street location. Rumor has it that the Firefly Club won’t get their liquor license until next week, but there is plenty of liquor in the neighborhood since you will only be a block from Leopold Brothers and their “world class liqueurs, flavored whiskeys, vodka and gin.”

On Saturday, go to UM Football’s home opener against Appalachian State. For the first time in ages, you’ll actually have to go to the game to see it. Local cable company Comcast won’t be carrying the game on TV.

Football not your thing? How about sustainable foods? The Sustainable Table’s Eat Well Guided Tour of America will be in Ann Arbor during the day Saturday and then head off to Ypsi for a Pie Lovers Unite pie festival at 7:00pm.

On Sunday, head downtown to learn a new dance or do some serious people-watching at Dancing in the Streets which starts promptly at 1:45pm.

The weather should be perfect for all events. Enjoy!

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Local

PFC boycott vote begins on Saturday

Posted by Murph on 30. August 2007

For the past few months, the People’s Food Co-op has been building up to a membership referendum on whether the Co-op should boycott products made in Israel. Today’s Ann Arbor News discusses some of the viewpoints that have been expressed:

[Boycott Israeli Goods] member Anne Remley said the campaign highlights the need to show resistance to Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land. “We are inviting the members of the co-op to stand up for Palestinian human rights and to send that message to the government of Israel from the well-informed, ethical, caring people who tend to be co-op members,’‘ said Remley, a co-op member for 36 years.

Robert Oppenheimer of Ann Arbor, a co-op member since 1986, is against the boycott. He said he has a photograph of Nazi storm troopers in 1933 boycotting his grandfather’s shoe store in Cologne, Germany, and doesn’t like the idea of boycotts in general. “As a Jewish peace activist, I think this is not a good approach,’‘ he said. “Engaging with Jewish and Palestinian peace activists is a better approach.’‘

Co-op Board member Linda Feldt, on her personal blog, reprints the article that ran in the PFC newsletter, which is more explicit in its discussion of the controversy:

In the process of debate and information sharing, swastikas have come to front doors of the co-op as well. The flyers and placards that include this inflammatory symbol have been decried by Members of the Boycott Israel Goods group, which coordinated the petition drive, as well as many other in the co-op community. Reverend Neimoller is famous for his words .. “but I didn’t speak up..” and the consequences of silence. For this short narrative it would be wrong to try and ignore this most negative consequence of a free debate.

So we must speak up to say that there is an ugly facet that has been introduced to this debate and democratic process. Yet it is the same motivation, to speak up, that has driven a group of co-op members to take the action to boycott Isreali goods.

Feldt also discusses the tone of discourse presented to the Board.

Comment [674]