OP-ED: Barriers Facing African-American Children Are a Community Issue
by La June Montgomery Tabron
RECENT FINDINGS FROM the Kids Count report have been hard to accept. The report titled, “Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children,” by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, indicates that…
Ann Arbor YMCA Youth Volunteer Corps Gets National Recognition
ANN ARBOR YMCA Youth Volunteer Corps was named a 2014 Gold Level YVC Affiliate, one of only nine throughout the U.S. and Canada. During 2013 this youth service program offered volunteer opportunities for 236 youth who served more than 6,000…
In Michigan Gender Pay Gap Persists. Right-to-Work Has Had Little Impact on the Gap
by Lisa Maatz
IN 2012 AFTER the Right-to-Work law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder went into effect, right-to-work supporters said the law would give workers freedom of association and promote job creation.
Critics of the legislation said…
A2POLITICO: AAPD Sources Dish on How Drug Crimes Might Get Classified as Trespass Violations
by P.D. Lesko
IN ANSWER TO how often the officers on Ann Arbor’s police department simply skip the step of filing official police reports, a source within the AAPD said: “Probably four times per month and all of the officers are doing…
CULTURE VULTURE: Cinetopia International Film Festival Scheduled for June 4-8 in Detroit, Ann Arbor
by Dave Marsh
THE CINETOPIA International Film Festival features feature-length dramas, comedies, and documentaries from the world’s best film festivals (e.g. Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca, etc.). The festival…
Ward 3 Council Member Wants Answers From AAPD Concerning Heroin Sales/Use at Downtown Library
WARD THREE CITY Council member Stephen Kunselman—who’s running for mayor—read aloud from The Ann Arbor Independent at that group’s April 7 meeting. Kunselman read to his Council colleagues and the public from the newspaper’s April 3 article…
Ann Arbor Officials Seek to Charge The Ann Arbor Independent Over $700 for Public Records Related to the Firing of City Staffer
IN ITS APRIL 3 issue, The Ann Arbor Independent reported on the firing of city staffer Terry Holman shortly after Holman’s partner, Leon Bryson, announced in January 2014 he intended to run for Ann Arbor City Council against incumbent Chuck…
The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Board Elects New Chair & Adds New Board Member
The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Megan Blackshear as our newest member. Ms. Blackshear, a local business owner who, along with husband Peter, owns the independent bookstore Bookbound,…
EDITORIAL: Schauer and Brown Must Show Voters Their Plan to Rebuild Michigan’s Economy
DEMOCRAT MARK SCHAUER’S choice of former state legislator Lisa Brown as his running mate serves notice that the Democrat’s 2014 gubernatorial strategy will focus on Michigan’s social fabric, which has become badly frayed over the past 36…
OP-ED: Did CBS Even Consider Hiring a Woman?
by Ophira Eisenberg
AS A CHILD, I would have told you that by 2014 we’d definitely have jet boots, pills for food and a woman hosting a late-night talk show. Instead we have selfies, Xanax and a bunch of white guys.
When it was…