Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Send SI students to recover NOLA archives

Posted by Murph on 7. October 2005

Kyle Conner & Rebecca Carter, MSI students at the University of Michigan School of Information, want to make a week-long trip to New Orleans over winter break to reclaim archival materials from the mud. They have secured $500 of grant funding from the Ginsberg Center for Service Learning, and classmates are now passing the hat for a match.

They’ve set up a Pledgebank entry asking 50 people to contribute $10 each.

I’m posting this largely in an effort to publicize Pledgebank, which seems like a great tool, but of which this looks like the first use in Michigan. The site seeks to ease group action by allowing people to seek enough helpers to make action meaningful – in Britain it appears to be in use for everything from “I pledge to dye my hair black if 50 other people will too” to “I’ll boycott a national id card system but only if 10,000 other people will too.”

CPC to review two developments on Plymouth

Posted by Murph on 5. October 2005

The A2 City Planning Commission, meeting on Thursday this week, has two public hearings on developments along Plymouth Road on their agenda (pdf). More info and links to previous AU discussion of each site behind the cut.

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Status of Katrina relief in Washtenaw

Posted by Murph on 4. October 2005

E-mail from Mike Scholl, Coordinator of Washtenaw’s Human Services Community Collaborative:

As of today, the American Red Cross has seen approximately 170 families in Washtenaw County. A good portion of those families either returned to the Gulf Coast or a planning to return shortly. We are anticipating and planning for a second wave of families that will be seeking longer term temporary housing as the families determine the condition of their homes and jobs down south.

Our case management team is currently working with approximately 100 families that were referred from the American Red Cross. In addition, we are starting to get additional referrals through informal community networks for families located in adjacent counties.

The case managers have indicated that our biggest needs currently are the following:

  1. Phone cards & cell phone minutes
  2. Gas cards
  3. Automobiles (please check with me prior to donation to ensure need and make arrangements)

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation is collecting cash donations for families relocated to Washtenaw County. We have had some very generous gifts from members of the community but we could still use cash donations.

In fact, the Jewish Federation has agreed to match the first $10,000 in community donations to the fund. More information on the fund and how to donate can be obtained by going to the following site, http://www.ewashtenaw.org/living/katrina/donations

Support Union Workers and Safer Airplanes

Posted by MarkDilley on 4. October 2005

Today – Tuesday – October 4
101 N. Main St.
2pm to 6pm

It seems that the University of Michigan Regent Chairwoman Andrea Fischer Newman is also the Senior Vice President-Government Affairs of Northwest Airlines, who’s whose mechanics are currently on strike, besides being a bankrupt company.

Come out to support the people who make flying safer – Union Mechanics

I met a bunch of good folks today . Hope you can make it out for a two hour shift.

Comment [3]

U-M Hillel Cancels the Olive Branch

Posted by Ari Paul on 3. October 2005

The decision by the U-M chapter of Hillel to invite Muslim students to pray at the campus Jewish center ignited an internal uproar, causing the organization to cancel its extension of the olive branch, the Detroit Jewish News reported in its September 29th issue (print edition only).

Hillel officers voted by a small margin to offer Muslim students a place to pray at its facilities. Treasurer of Hillel’s board of governors, sophomore Robert Weisenfeld, resigned in protest.

He said in a letter obtained by the DJN, “If Hillel wants to make Jewish students comfortable, it is certainly not a good idea to attempt a religious mixer with the Muslim students at a Jewish center…Interaction with all kinds of people is wonderful, but at a center for Jews the idea of bringing in a contentious element of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish perspective is generally off kilter.”

The paper reported that many of those who voted in favor of the invitation later apologized.

Hillel’s assistant director, Rabbi Jason Miller, is quoted saying that although this was a good idea “in theory,” it would not be in the center’s interest and that no invitation will ever be sent out.

Weisenfeld was more blunt, however.

“A Jewish center should be for Jews and Jewish prayer,” he said in his letter of resignation, “not a place of refuge for Muslim students to pray to their god [sic].”

Comment [60]

Friday: Free Casionauts Show at Michigan Union

Posted by Brandon on 29. September 2005

Did someone say infectious synth-rock? The Casionauts incited a frenzied danceparty when they closed-out Arbourfest during their last local appearance on Labor Day. A last-minute gig headlining at the Michigan Union tomorrow night has just been announced:

The show is at the Michigan Union. The address is: 530 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1308 The show starts at 9. The first band is called the Violent Tradition, second is called Otto Vector, third is the Casionauts.

Comment [1]

Clemency for BATTERED WOMEN!

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 29. September 2005

The Clemency Project supports incarcerated women who acted in self-defense against an abusive spouse, but were not allowed a fair trial at the time of their conviction. We draft petitions to the governor requesting Clemency for these women. Currently, there are 20 petitions on the desk of Governor Granholm that have been awaiting her decision, some for nearly two years.

Comment [18] • Read More »

Critical Mass Bike Ride this Friday

Posted by MarkDilley on 28. September 2005

Critical Mass ride this Friday, September 30th, starts at 5:30pm at the corner of State. St and North University.

It is not like the Ann Arbor police are going to arrest people like in New York last month.

More info at upcoming.org

Domestic partner benefits upheld

Posted by Matt Hollerbach on 28. September 2005

An Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that same-sex domestic partners of state employees are eligble for benefits which apply to spouses—if the agency or institution chooses to offer them. This includes the University, which has this website about the topic.

Previous AU posts:
> Same sex benefits suit filed against A2 schools
> 30,000 state of Michigan employees lose same sex benefits
> Urgent action needed

Comment [67]

Student Stabbed 9/27

Posted by MarkDilley on 28. September 2005

A 21-year-old University of Michigan student was stabbed early Tuesday morning in a robbery believed to be connected to other recent crimes in the area.

The student was returning to her apartment t about 1:10 a.m. in the 1000 block of East Ann Street when she was assaulted, according to Ann Arbor police.

We need one of those crime maps, like in Ypsilanti

via Ann Arbor is Overrated

Comment [8]

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