Leon Bryson Withdraws From Ward 5 City Council Race
IN A SHORT press release sent out on June 20, 2014, Leon Bryson announced that he would not campaign for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the Ward 5 City Council primary election scheduled to be held August 5. Bryson had collected and…
State Legislator Wants to Change Law to Classify Industrial Waste as Renewable Energy
by Andy Balaskovitz
Michigan Energy News—A MICHIGAN lawmaker wants to expand the state’s definition of renewable energy to include more fuel made from municipal and industrial solid waste.
State Rep. Aric Nesbitt, a Republican who…
A2POLITICO: AAATA Betrays Voters’ Trust (and The Ann Arbor News)
by P.D. Lesko
ONE OF THE first things the mayoral appointees on the Board of AAATA bus system did after spending millions of dollars to pass a $4.4 million annual millage was to raise AAATA CEO Michael Ford’s salary and pay him $174,836…
272 Assaults Reported by AAPD to Date in 2014— 11 Percent Involved Weapons, Including Guns
AN ANALYSIS OF data submitted by the AAPD reveals that an individual in Ann Arbor is most likely to be assaulted on Sunday and then Saturday. Monday has been, since January of this year, the day of the week on which the fewest assaults took…
Upcoming Natural Area Preservation (NAP) Volunteer Opportunities
THE CITY OF Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) works to protect and restore Ann Arbor’s natural areas. This involves conducting plant and animal inventories, ecological monitoring, and stewardship projects in Ann Arbor parks. These…
Ann Arbor Civic Band 2014 Summer Concert Series in West Park
THE ANN ARBOR Civic Band (AACB), founded in 1935 as an extension of the University of Michigan’s School of Music, is in its 79th year of providing residents of Ann Arbor with outdoor concerts during the summer months. The Ann Arbor Parks…
Council Member: After Vote, SPARK CEO Beckoned Mayoral Candidate Out of Chambers and “Screamed” At Her
by P.D. Lesko
Please note: Kai Petainen is a member of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board
ANN ARBOR SPARK CEO Paul Krutko was “angry” and “screaming,” according to a City Council member who heard an exchange between Krutko…
The Case for Abolishing Juvenile Prisons: How Isolating Minors Who Need Connection Endangers Us All
FROM THEIR VERY founding in America in 1825, juvenile prisons were designed to rip teenagers from their homes and communities and isolate them as punishment. Nearly two centuries later, they operate under the same design, despite research…
Thousands Attend Opening of $1.2 Million Ann Arbor Skatepark at Vets Park
by Donna Iadipaolo
Skaters—from Tony Hawk and Andy MacDonald to amateurs— jumped and twirled, food tents served delectables, and those in attendance just enjoyed a glorious start to summer.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE attended the official…
Upcoming Natural Area Preservation (NAP) Volunteer Opportunities in July
THE CITY OF Ann Arbor Natural Area Preservation (NAP) works to protect and restore Ann Arbor’s natural areas. This involves conducting plant and animal inventories, ecological monitoring, and stewardship projects in Ann Arbor parks. These…