Category Archives: Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor/Ypsi Chamber of Commerce asks Ypsilanti citizens to keep the interests of business owners in mind when voting on May 8

By Mark | May 5, 2012

It wasn’t really much of a surprise, seeing as how the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce is currently being led by Michigan Ladder’s Tom Harrison, a vocal opponent of Ypsilanti’s income tax initiative, but the organization just issued a formal statement encouraging the people of Ypsilanti to vote against the proposed legislation. Here’s their argument. [...]

Also posted in Ypsilanti | Tagged Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, consolidation of services, hypocrisy, local income tax, Michigan Ladder, Stop City Income Tax, Tom Harrison, Water Street debt reduction millage | 43 Comments

Iggy Pop on the happiest days of his life, spent discovering music and working at Discount Records

By Mark | April 4, 2012

Iggy Pop, as some of you may know, is the honorary ambassador of Record Store Day this year. And, as such, he’s been pontificating these past few days on the importance of recorded music, visionary artists and independent retailers, in the run-up to the April 21 event. In a recent videotaped address to the nation, [...]

Also posted in Art and Culture, History, Local Business | Tagged Bentley Historical Library, Blues, consumerism, corporate co-opting, Discount Records, Elvis, Elvis impersonator, Iggy Pop, independent record stores, independent retail, Jeep Holland, music history, music industry, Record Store Day, soulless music | 19 Comments

The Ann Arbor Film Festival’s “50 Screens” initiative

By Mark | March 31, 2012

If you’ve walked around Ann Arbor these past few days, you likely encountered free film, video and moving image installations, in the windows of stores, projected onto buildings, etc. The initiative, called 50 Screens, was undertaken by our friends at the Ann Arbor Film Festival, in order to engage with members of the public who [...]

Also posted in Art and Culture, Uncategorized | Tagged 50 Screens, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Chris Sandon, Donald Harrison, Film, independent film, underground film | 8 Comments

$500 matching grant announced for contributions made to Ozone House by the end of the day today

By Mark | March 29, 2012

Last night, I mentioned here that a dozen or so friends and I, through the micro-philonthropic organization, A2Awesome, had contributed $1,000 to Ozone House, a local nonprofit that has been serving runaway, homeless and at-risk youth since the 1960s. The response, as you might expect, was overwhelmingly positive. There was, however, one dissenting voice. Our [...]

Also posted in Ypsilanti | Tagged A2Awesome, at-risk youth, call to action, charity, EOS, homeless, homophobia, John Coleman, Look in the Attic, make a donation, matching grants, Ozone House, Ozone House Youth and Family Services, philanthropy, runaway, youth programs | 94 Comments

A2Awesome gives $1,000 to Ozone House for the creation of an in-house workout facility for at-risk youth

By Mark | March 28, 2012

A2Awesome just made our second $1,000 award. This time, the paper bag full of cash went to Ozone House, for the purchase of exercise equipment to be used by the homeless, runaway and at-risk youth they counsel, house and otherwise support. Following is the transcript of a quick conversation with Quinn Phillips, the Ozone House [...]