Urban Exile

by Erika McNamara In November, Hawaii will be the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This summit has been a long time in coming since the last time the event was in the United States was in 1993. This is good for…

by Erika McNamara A quick review of the menu for Memorial Day grill extravaganza left me wondering if hotdogs, short ribs, steak, and all of the side dishes that accompanied the main meat feast this year would all be enough. Well if it…

by Erika McNamara Once again panhandling has grabbed the attention of the Ann Arbor public and media. Recently, the Ann Arbor City Council decided to amend the city Panhandling Ordinance. This decision was based on the recommendation of…

There is a lot of advice in recent articles about the right and wrong way to help panhandlers. Many times this advice conflicts with the on-the-spot feelings of individuals who want to give to panhandlers. Some are adamantly against…

A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were…

A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were telling…