By Mark | December 6, 2017
Last Friday, at about 1:30 PM, a train on Amtrak’s Wolverine line stopped on its way from Chicago to Detroit to pick up passengers in Ypsilanti. While it’s true that, back in late May of 2010, the President of Amtrak disembarked from a train in Depot Town and met with elected officials to discuss the […]
Posted in Ann Arbor, Rail, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged AAATA, Adam Zemke, Amtrak, Andy LaBarre, Ann Arbor - Detroit rail, Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Beth Bashert, Beth Ernat, Brenda Stumbo, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, Dearborn, Depot Town, Derrick James, Detroit Metro Airport, Eastern Michigan University, Golden Limousine, high-speed rail, Jennifer Granholm, Jewell Jones, Lois Richardson, Mary Kerr, mass transit, passenger rail, Pete Murdock, politicians, QLINE, Rail, railroad, Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, Ricky Jefferson, Ronnie Peterson, RTA, Sean Duval, SEMCOG, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Teen Vogue, train platform, trains, Washtenaw Community College, Yousef Rabhi |
By Mark | October 29, 2017
As those of you who follow this site know, while I occasionally come out against people running for local elected office, I rarely, if ever, come out and endorse candidates, at least during primary season, when we have multiple Democrats running against one another. Well, I’ve decided to make an exception… I’m endorsing former State […]
Posted in Ann Arbor, Politics, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged 18th District, AAATA, affordable housing, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, Augusta Township, Bona Sera, clean air, clean water, criminal justice reform, dioxin, economic segregation, Flint, Flint Water Advisory Task Force, Flint water crisis, friends who do cooler stuff that I do, gay rights, green tea coalition, Heat and Eat, Jeff Irwin, Jim Cherewick, job creation, Kate de Fuccio, Kathryn Loomis, marijuana, Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan State Senate, Milan, Partners for Transit, Pittsfield Township, political endorsements, pot, Salem Township, Saline, school funding, Superior Township, threats to public education, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, York Township, Ypsilanti |
By Mark | January 22, 2016
While I’d talked with Ypsi High art teacher Lynne Settles a few times over this past year, about the HP Jacobs mural that she and her students had created on the side of Currie’s barbershop, and other community art related things, I didn’t realize until a few weeks ago that she was actually a relatively […]
Posted in History, Special Projects, The Saturday Six Pack, Ypsilanti | Also tagged African American history, art, black lives matter, Currie's barbershop, diversity, Doug Jones, Great Migration, Howard University, HP Jacobs, Imani, Kate de Fuccio, Kwanzaa, Laura Bien, Lynne Settles, Matt Siegfried, Maulana Karenga, murals, Nia, public art, race, racism, teaching, teaching in public school, Westland, Ypsi immigration interview, Ypsilanti Community Schools, Ypsilanti high school |
By Mark | September 6, 2014
After nearly 25 years in Ypsi, the empowered little girl you see below will soon be breaking free. Please join me in wishing Christine Laughren safe travels as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, far away from the American midwest… Here’s her official exit interview. MARK: What first brought you to Ypsi? […]
Posted in Special Projects, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Africa, Agriculture, Andrew Cipolla, Back to Ypsilanti, Carpenter Road, Christine Laughren, Dan DuChene, Dom Bakery, Eastern Echo, ebola, Elbow Room, EMU, exit interviews, FLY Children's Art Center, Ford Lake, Frog Island, frogs, From Michigan to Ghana with Love, Ghana, Growing Hope, Heritage Media, Highland, iSPY, karaoke, Lincoln Consolidated, Mark Norris, Pakmode Media, Peace Corps, Pure Michigan, Ridgewood Apartments, Shadow Art Fair, sprawl, Visit Ypsilanti, water tower, Ypsi Citizen, Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interviews, Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ypsilanti Citizen, Ypsilanti Frog Killing Coalition |
You know I’m joking, right? As we’ve discussed in the past, the plan to expand AAATA service is good for everyone in the region. I’m just still a little miffed at the suggestion, made by the anti-tax folks, that buses only serve to bring undesirables into Ann Arbor from Ypsilanti. Whatever your motivation, whether it […]