Interview: Malik Yakini Is Changing the Face of the Food Landscape in Detroit
by Hannah Wallace
When he was seven-years-old, Malik Yakini, inspired by his grandfather, planted his own backyard garden in Detroit, seeding it with carrots and other vegetables. Should it come as any surprise that today, Yakini has…
I’m Raising an Addict…My Kid Is Strung Out on Video Games
By Tori Roshell
It’s early Saturday morning in the back room of a community center. Clusters of sleepy-eyed children sip chocolate milk from cheap paper coffee cups before taking their seats. The meeting begins. A 1st grader with bed…
Urban Exile: Food Gatherers’ CEO Eileen Spring Fights Hunger & Local Trend of Professional Entitlement
June 8th marked the 24th time Food Gatherers has put on its annual fundraiser Grillin'. According to Food Gatherers staffers at the event, this year's numbers topped last year's numbers, including number of attendees and amount raised.…
Crosswalk Ordinance Groups Take To Change.org To Try To Exert Influence
Editor’s Note: Kathy Griswold is the Chair of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
THE WASHTENAW BIKING and Walking Coalition, a small local alternative transportation advocacy group, recently launched an online petition drive to…
EDITORIAL: AAATA’s Urban Transit Plan
THE BOARD MEMBERS of the AAATA (formerly the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority) include individuals who live outside Ann Arbor. Most Board members have little experience in transportation policy. This is because rather than appoint members…
OP-ED: Will Michigan’s White, Independent Voters Fall For Gov. Rick Snyder’s Song & Dance Again in 2014?
by Rob Smith
CHAD SELEWSKI IS a good writer. He opines on politics for the Macomb Daily. The Macomb Daily is one of the few newspapers published in southeastern lower Michigan not decimated by the slash and burn newsroom strategy being…
Council Members Discover Pedestrian Crosswalk Ordinance Passed Without A Professional Engineering (PE) Report
Editor’s Note: Katherine Griswold is the Chair of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
WARD 1 COUNCIL member Sumi Kailasapathy conducted an email exchange this Fall with city staff, including the city’s transportation project…
EDITORIAL: Ethics Policy for City Council Members
WARD 2 COUNCIL member Sally Hart Petersen has shown promise as a leader who is scrupulous in conducting the people’s business openly and honestly. While we don’t always agree with Petersen’s positions on the issues, one issue Council member…
The Ann Arbor Independent 2013 Local Election Voter Guide
Click on the link to download The Ann Arbor Independent 2013 Local Election Voter Guide in PDF format:
ON NOVEMBER 5TH, Ann Arbor voters in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will go to the polls and choose from among candidates running for City…
Op-Ed: Why I Support Ward 2 Independent Candidate Jane Lumm
by Jack Eaton
MY NAME IS Jack Eaton. I am the Democratic Party candidate for City Council in the Fourth Ward. I am unchallenged on the November 5 ballot. Like many local Democrats, I support Ward 2 Council member Jane Lumm’s re-election.…