Vote today

Gentle readers, I implore you to vote today. Even if you're not an Ann Arbor voter, please vote wherever your home district may be. I know it's an off-year election, but especially in low turnout years, one vote can make a huge difference in local elections.

If you are an Ann Arbor voter and would like to read up on some of the candidates, please take a look at our candidate interview series:

Sabra Briere: Ward 1
Jeff Hayner: Ward 1
Kirk Westphal: Ward 2
Stephen Kunselman: Ward 3
Jack Eaton: Ward 4
Twenty Pound Carp: Ward 4
Chip Smith: Ward 5

City Council Candidate Interviews--Ward 4: Twenty Pound Carp

Photo from Natural Areas Preservation.

Gentle Readers, here is the last in our series of city council candidate interviews. Here is our interview with election 2013's most notorious candidate, Ward 4 write-in candidate, Twenty Pound Carp.

DA: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? Why are you running for city council?

TPC: I am a common carp with an uncommon vision.

I draw my inspiration from the obvious sources: John Adolphus Etlzer, Vice President Adlai Stevenson (the elder), Henry Clay’s American System, the Provo movement, @MayorEmanuel, Don Marquis, and the outsized papier mâché head of Mayor John Hieftje.

(Might not this last stand also as our town’s latter-day brazen head? Ought we not to pay heed to its Delphic pronouncements? “Time is, time was, time to look at stepping up our regional transit options, yo.”)

I entered the race in part because not long after I started my Twitter account, right after my relocation from West Park to the mighty Huron River to escape persecution at the hands of Control Burn Jimmy of the NAP, the annarbor.com of blessed memory ran a light-hearted feature about the Twenty Pound Carp and my appearance on social media subsequent to my relocation, ha ha. And a number of the reader comments that were leveled against this innocuous squib were absolutely enraged. People were furious that in sharing, say, my free-style jams on mute swans and park millages, I somehow by implication condoned grass carp hemorrhagic virus or the wholesale relocation of invasive species to the Huron or indeed the integrity of the social fabric. And I read those comments and I thought, Awesome.

I mean, I can sit here and type something about turtles beatboxing at Gallup park or my plans to restore Lower Town to its rightful status as the glorious sawmill-ringed omphalos of Ann Arbor that Anson Brown had intended, and because of these dashed-off little tweets I might have provided somebody a moment of welcome diversion--for what is tooth-grinding, fist-typing Internet comment rage but that loveliest of all human actions, a shout into the uncaring void to claim that you once existed?

(I’m happy to have provided that opportunity.)

But besides the larger existential reasons for entering the Ann Arbor City Council race, have you seen this city council lately? They do not exactly dare to eat a peach, dude.

DA: According to Facebook, our prime demographic is 25-34. What do you have to offer for Ann Arborites in that age range?

TPC: Prime how? Like in sheer numbers? Or like the 25-34 demographic is the ripest of demographics?

I want to remove the quotation marks from around the life of a young adult in a Midwestern college town. See for instance cardigan sweaters, mustaches, picket fences, neighborhoods.

DA: There are allegations in the media that you are in fact an Asian carp. Would you care to respond to those rumors directly?

TPC: I do not care to, but I shall.

City Council Candidate Interviews--Ward 1: Jeff Hayner

Gentle Readers, today is election day. In an effort to help those of you who may still be undecided, Damn Arbor is publishing a series of interviews with City Council Candidates. Here is our interview with Ward 1 independent candidate, Jeff Hayner.

DA: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? Why are you running for city council?

JH: Links for the short versions -

http://arborwiki.org/Jeff_Hayner
http://www.firstforjeff.org/bio.html

I have lived in Ann Arbor since 1983, when I moved here to attend the University of Michigan. I worked to help pay for school - I was a lifeguard and swim instructor, did photography for the U of M Rec Sports department, and DJ'd at private parties and night clubs around the area (U-Club, Nectarine Ballroom, Blind Pig, etc.) Besides my studies in the School of Art, I played water polo for a few years, helped start the U of M cycling team, and in my senior year I was a Resident Advisor at Bursley Hall on North Campus. I graduated in 1987 with a BFA in Industrial Design. I had an electronic music show, Crush Collision, on WCBN 88.3 FM. I worked for a few years as a production manager for an exhibit house, then as a designer with Shaun Jackson Design. I got interested in electronic publishing around 1994 and worked in that field and then as a creative director for two local internet companies until 2004. I was the production manager for a local First Ward exhibit house, from 2004-2009, when I started my own business in environmental graphics and specialty trades.

I have been married to my beautiful wife Lea Abbott for 16 years. We have two children who attend the Ann Arbor Public Schools. We own our home on Pontiac Trail. We enjoy all of the natural features the Ann Arbor area has to offer, and all of the activities available for families. I am active in the schools, coaching Science Olympics and other volunteering, which is a must if you are able. It is so important to be a part of the school community. I serve on the executive board of the Ann Arbor PTO Thriftshop.

I decided to run for city council in order to give back to the city which my family and I love. I had been a vocal supporter of Prop B - The Greenbelt and Parks millage. It was the first time I ever spoke at public commentary before city council. It would not be the last. Although it is routinely ignored by many council members when it comes to voting (like paying for consultants and disregarding their advice, something my opponent claims she loves to do), public input and engagement is still to me the most essential part of the civic process. I am running to encourage, among other things, more robust public input. Friends, neighbors and customers have been encouraging me to run for years. I kept waiting, hoping that our neighborhood services and representation would improve, but it has not. And there were many small frustrations with our representation that added up... When I would apply for board and commissions for which I was qualified, I would receive no response. The one time I did receive a response, I was told that the members of the commission had been selected, BEFORE the board was formed by council. That's the kind of thing that makes one want to run for city council. It is an indicator that change is needed. That, and the nagging question myself and neighbors have had - six years and what do we have to show for it?

DA: According to Facebook, our prime demographic is 25-34. What do you have to offer for Ann Arborites in that age range?

Dear 2 Chainz, you missed my birthday

2 Chainz will be at Puffer Reds in Ypsi tonight. The benefit for SOS Food Pantry and Food Gathers is from 5 pm to 7 pm. The event is being billed as #2cansfor2chainz and if you want to meet Mr. Chainz, you MUST bring 2 non-perishable cans of food. From Sneaker Bar Detroit:

If you are interested in attending the event, we suggest early arrival for easy access to parking. If you are unable to attend, but want to see the event, they will be broadcasting a live Google+ Hangout on Youtube. The link will be posted on Puffer Reds social media channels on the day of the event. There will also be a live radio broadcast on HOT 107.5FM from 5:00PM-7:00PM.

Tragically, Mr. Chainz, you are arriving in Ypsi three days late. It would have been wonderful if you could have serenaded me for my Birthday:

Via AnnArbor.ComNews via MarkMaynard

City Council Candidate Interviews--Ward 2: Kirk Westphal

Gentle Readers, the Nov. 5th election is fast approaching. In an effort to help those of you who may still be undecided, Damn Arbor is publishing a series of interviews with City Council Candidates. Here is our interview with Ward 2 Democratic candidate, Kirk Westphal. If you are a City Council Candidate and would like to do an interview with us, please check your email inbox.

DA: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? Why are you running for city council?

KW: I'm 43 years old, and live with my wife, Cynthia, and two boys, August (7) and Harry (5) in the beautiful Glacier Area neighborhood. My wife and I moved here from New York City after having "short-listed" Ann Arbor as an exceptional mid-sized city. I did a mid-career switch out of the advertising and marketing research world in NYC into urban planning and received my Master of Urban Planning from UM in 2006. My wife comes from a Broadway music direction background and is now a faculty member of UM's Musical Theatre department. I run a small business, Westphal Associates LLC, on Main Street, which researches best practices in municipalities. Most of my volunteer hours are spent chairing the Ann Arbor Planning Commission (member since 2006) and serving on the Environmental Commission, as well as chairing my neighborhood association and serving on other civic committees.

Over these years, I've been so proud to see Ann Arbor attract awards, investment, and a reputation as an amazing place to live, work, and play. There's lot of credit to go around for those responsible for making our city special. I will do everything I can to keep this momentum going. There are many forces beyond our control that have conspired against us—statewide population loss, manufacturing job losses, Pfizer's departure, declining state support—but Ann Arbor as a city is running lean, with no new taxes, and levels of service better than the vast majority of Midwestern cities our size.

I'm running for city council because I'm extremely concerned about the imminent prospect of a city council majority that I believe will significantly harm the city in both the short and long term. My decision to run was made last year, when my opponent voted to turn down millions of dollars in federal grants to study Ann Arbor's opportunity for a new AMTRAK station. She has stated flat out that "We do not need a new train station."

Ann Arbor is the busiest AMTRAK stop in Michigan, with a 60% increase in rail ridership since the year 2000. Our station is over capacity and does not connect well with our successful bus system. The state is upgrading to higher-speed tracks to the tune of $400 million and has purchased rail cars for the purpose of starting commuter service in the near term. Cities that integrate well with their growing regional transportation network benefit financially many times over when it comes to economic development, not to mention the incredible environmental benefit of people being able to commute into Ann Arbor in anything but a single-occupancy automobile. Ann Arbor is projected to add thousands of jobs in the coming decade. We are not going to widen roads, and we are not building more parking structures. What is the solution? To say that we don't need a new station, and to vote against even studying the matter, runs afoul of every financial, environmental, and social equity calculus I can come up with.

Since that time, the situation on council has gotten even worse, with council nearly engaging in an incredibly expensive lawsuit (which could have stuck taxpayers with a judgement into the tens of millions of dollars) and an ill-advised development moratorium (which would have stifled our economy for years to come). These votes came within one vote of passing. Had this happened, it would have precipitated a financial crisis, and we'd likely have a recall election going on now. Our neighbors in Novi, MI had to sell off 75 acres of parkland to satisfy a legal judgement against them after their council "played chicken" with real estate developers (Google "Sandstone" and "Novi, MI"). I would not let that happen here.

DA: According to Facebook, our prime demographic is 25-34. What do you have to offer for Ann Arborites in that age range?

Ann Arbor Amish

Stop what you're doing and read Ann Arbor Amish. It's my favorite new blog. Wondering what Ann Arbor Amish is? From the blog:

What is Ann Arbor Amish Anyway?

C: Is it like, “No technology after 2013?”

D: It’s slow and measured regression.

C: Oh, you mean like, “I don’t watch TV, I only have Netflix?”

Basically Ann Arbor Amish combines local food culture, with DIY, home fermenting foods, and foraging.

This blog made me so happy.

H/T: @juliewbee

New mural

Spotted this in the alley next to Ah! Pretty nice. Anyone know the scuttlebutt on Ah!? It's a tapas place by Sava, right?

City Council Candidate Interviews--Chip Smith: Ward 5

Gentle Readers, the Nov. 5th election is fast approaching. In an effort to help those of you who may still be undecided, Damn Arbor is publishing a series of interviews with City Council Candidates. Here is our interview with Ward 5 write-in candidate, Chip Smith. If you are a City Council Candidate and would like to do an interview with us, please check your email inbox.

DA: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? Why are you running for city council?

CS: My name is Chip Smith, I’m a professional urban planner and an 18-year resident of the 5th ward. I’m running this write-in campaign because as I have been following council I’ve grown increasingly concerned about the quality of policy discussion, the tenor of the debate and some of the decisions that are being made. I’m concerned we are not ensuring that Ann Arbor remains a City my young daughters will want to live in when they’re through with college in 20 years. I’m extremely concerned we’re losing that focus on the future and instead channeling our resources only on the short term.

DA: According to Facebook, our prime demographic is 25-34. What do you have to offer for Ann Arborites in that age range?

CS: My focus is on planning for the future of the City. As we’re trying to grow our local and regional economy, we are, like most cities, trying to build a hub of technical innovation here in Ann Arbor. We’ve had a successful start, attracting google and barracuda and a lot of smaller start-ups. We’ve been successful because we’ve been able to create a place that the “creative class”, often younger, highly skilled knowledge workers want to be. In this new economy, companies choose to go where talent is, and we’ve been able to create the type of place in Ann Arbor that this group wants to be.

City Council Candidate Interviews--Ward 4: Jack Eaton

Gentle Readers, the Nov. 5th election is fast approaching. In an effort to help those of you who may still be undecided, Damn Arbor is publishing a series of interviews with City Council Candidates. Here is our interview with Ward 4 Democratic candidate, Jack Eaton. If you are a City Council Candidate and would like to do an interview with us, please check your email inbox.

DA: Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? Why are you running for city council?

JE: I am 61 years old. I am married and have two adult children. I have lived in the Ann Arbor area since January 1985. Before that I lived in Kalamazoo, where I had the pleasure of serving as Local President of a transit workers' union. I came to Ann Arbor to complete my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. After graduating from UM, I studied law at Wayne State University's Law School. I practice law in a small law office, where we represent public employee unions whose members work primarily in education and transit.

I became involved in local politics through my neighborhood organization. My neighbors and I found what many residents have experienced when seeking help from local elected officials. We found that Council members had little interest in the concerns of neighborhoods. My experience in my own neighborhood (www.southmaple.org) led me to work with other neighborhood activists to form the Neighborhood Alliance (www.a2na.org) an informal coalition of neighborhoods working together to stay informed and to offer assistance with neighborhood issues.

DA: According to Facebook, our prime demographic is 25-34. What do you have to offer for Ann Arborites in that age range?

JE: I look for what concerns and interests different groups have in common. For example, I am an enthusiastic advocate for improved safety services. Adults in the 25-34 age group are socially active and likely to be out and about in the evening and late night when crimes such as robbery and assault are more likely. Young adults in that age range also are likely to be pedestrians, bikers and users of mass transit. My desire for improved streets and bike lane markings should appeal to that group.

Mum theft on Division

Looks like some mums are missing from this planter on Division. Whodunnit?