Mark Maynard | 2008 | March

did obama somehow stop the michigan primary do-over?

By Mark | March 25, 2008

David Brooks suggested in the “New York Times” yesterday that Obama’s lawyers are somehow to thank for the fact that there won’t be a do-over Democratic primary in Michigan. Here’s the clip:

…Obama’s lawyers successfully prevented re-votes in Florida and Michigan. That means it would be virtually impossible for Clinton to take a lead in either elected delegates or total primary votes…

I had, of course, heard that we wouldn’t be voting again, but I wasn’t aware that there was any role played by Obama’s attorneys. I thought, perhaps naively, that it just came down to time and money. I thought the cost of having a mail-in primary, or a caucus, was just too much… Has anyone else out there heard that Obama’s attorneys somehow played a part? Or is Brooks just making shit up?

I’m not terribly encouraged that the Pennsylvania primary will resolve anything. Word on the street is that Republicans are registering to vote in the Democratic primary there in record numbers. The consensus seems to be that most of them will vote for Clinton in order to prolong the battle and put McCain in a better position come November. Some are even suggesting that Hillary and Bill are encouraging this, seeing it as their last chance to get in front of Obama, who didn’t implode over the minister scandal the way some thought that he would. Like Brooks and others are saying, however, the math, even if Clinton wins the next few, doesn’t look terribly encouraging for her… As for Michigan and Florida, it’s looking more likely that our delgates will be split down the middle, which is probably what we should have done to begin with.

Posted in Politics | 14 Comments

the future of think local first

By Mark | March 25, 2008

Our friend Lisa Dugdale is leaving Think Local First, the Washtenaw County-based advocacy group for locally-owned and independent businesses that she founded, in order to pursue other opportunities. The good news is, the organization doesn’t have plans to fold. The Board of Directors has announced that it will be looking for a new part-time Executive Director to take over where Lisa left off. The job description can be found here. (Link launches a PDF.) Resumes, if you’re interested, need to be submitted by April 18.

I’d like to publicly thank Lisa for investing the past several years of her life in the noble cause of championing local business. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I appreciate the many hours she spent drawing people’s attention to the true costs of chain stores and big box retailers, articulating the importance of local ownership, and constructing a network of like-minded people who foresee the necessity of a tightly knit ecosystem of local businesses. [Sorry, but I don’t have the time tonight to put all of this into context. If you want to know more about why local economies are important, check out my post on Michael Shuman, one of the driving forces behind BALLE, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.] Anyway, thanks again, Lisa, for articulating the concept locally and helping to start the culture change here in SE Michigan. We need more people like you. Hopefully, someone good will come forward to pick up the baton where you’ve left it.

Posted in Other | 2 Comments

more on ypsi’s elbow room

By Mark | March 24, 2008

A little over a year ago, I posted a rant here about the “new” Elbow Room. Actually, it wasn’t really about the “new” Elbow Room so much as it was about those folks who felt it necessary, when talking about how great the “new” Elbow Room was, to go the extra step and heap shit on the memory of the “old” Elbow Room, a place where I saw many a damned good show. Here’s a clip from that post:

The “Ann Arbor News” has a feature today on Ypsi’s infamous Elbow Room, which is now under new management. The article essentially says that it’s now safe for University of Michigan students to come out and have a beer there. As someone who’s done his fair share of drinking at the old Elbow Room, I found it a bit offensive…

I wish the new owners all the luck in the world and I hope the Elbow Room stays a vibrant venue for live music (there aren’t many places for live, non-corporate music these days), but I wish they would stop framing the story in terms of how bad the old place was. If anything, I think they should be drawing on the colorful history of the place, not poking fun of it.

When I wrote that, I had no idea that I’d be coming back to the subject over a year later. But, just now I read on my friend Leighton’s site that the shit’s still bubbling. The most recent flair-up comes courtesy of Stewart Beal, the Ypsi developer working to rehab Depot Town’s Thompson block. Beal, who recently announced that an even “newer” iteration of the Elbow Room would be a tenant in his development, had the following to say about the fellow who oversaw the transition from “old” Elbow Room to “new”.

“What attracted me to him is he took over management of the Elbow Room, which was a rundown business with a lot of clientele you wouldn’t want to hang out with, and turned it into a hip and happening place,” Beal said of Garris. “He’s really brought the music scene to life, and I’m excited about this venue in Depot Town.”

By way of background, I should mention that the Elbow Room is being forced to leave their home on Washington Street due to structural issues with their building… Hence the move to Depot Town.

I like the “new” Elbow Room, and I wish them all the luck in the world when they make the move to Depot Town (assuming they can wait the year that it will take for the Thompson block to be rehabbed). We desperately need a good venue for loud music in this town. I have my doubts that Depot Town, with its antique shops and quiet sensibilities, would be the best place to see that happen, but I wish them luck. If they still take chances on weird local acts, and pull bands like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Captured by Robots, I’ll be there. With all due respect to them, however, the “new” Elbow Room is no more “hip and happening” than the “old” Elbow Room was. [And can we please put a moratorium on the use of “hip” when talking about things in Ypsi?]

I don’t have anything to else to say. I just think it’s stupid and shortsighted to tear down what came before instead of building on it. And, again, I don’t blame Garris or anyone else at the “new” Elbow Room. I realize this was said by a real estate developer who was trying to put a positive spin on his own long-stalled project, but still… It’s bad form. And, if it continues, it’ll kill the “newest” Elbow Room before it’s doors even open.

Posted in Ypsilanti | 44 Comments

freighthouse helper

By Mark | March 24, 2008

The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse have applied for a $15,000 grant through Hamburger Helper’s My Hometown Helper program. The funds, if they’re awarded, will be used to make repairs to the once vital Freighthouse, which has been closed for the past several years on account of safety issues. Since the inception of the My Hometown Helper program, Hamburger Helper has aided 53 communities, awarding over $232,000. In hopes that our project is among those selected this funding cycle, Ypsi residents are being encouraged to leave notes of support on the Hamburger Helper site. At last count, we had 233 comments. The deadline, in case you would like to leave one, is March 31.

Even if you don’t sign, I’d recommend that you go over and read what your fellow Ypsilantians have to say about the historic railroad building, and what it’s meant to them. The stories of attending dances and weddings there, going back several generations, are quite touching. If there was ever any question that the Freighthouse was an integral part of our local community, this should erase any doubt.

The $15,000, if we get it, is only a fraction of the $300,000 in repairs that have been estimated, but it would be a fantastic step in the right direction, and, hopefully, it would encourage all of us to do more. I know there are a lot of good people working on this, but it’s frustrating that we can’t seem to make any real headway. The last big fundraiser that I’m aware of was the Preservation Ball, which took place on February 19, 2005 — over three years ago. We can’t, as a community, allow this to go another three years. I know it might sound like hyperbole, but the success of our town hinges on this beautiful, old community gathering space. When it’s up and running, it illustrates all that’s good about our City, and we can’t afford to lose that now.

And, lest anyone worry, I’ve been assured that, in the event that we receive this money, we will not have to change the name of the building to the Hamburger Helper Freighthouse. We may, however, have to nail a smiling, white, four-fingered oven mitt to a rafter somewhere.

Posted in Ypsilanti | 39 Comments

“it’s raining mccain”

By Mark | March 24, 2008

I got a letter from the Obama campaign today, asking me to get together with my most talented friends to make a video about their candidate and why I was supporting him. I dismissed the suggestion pretty quickly, but, a few minutes later, I received a note from my friend Kerri pointing me toward this video by McCain supporters. It’s got be all inspired. Right now, it’s a toss up between “Hungry Like the Obama” and “Stairway to Obama.”