DECEMBER 12, 2025 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR Denise Shearer, vendor No. 485 In one sentence, who are you? I love myself and my friends and family. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Each time I sell I pick a spot on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor. When and why did you start selling Groundcover? I started selling in 2019 because I wanted to help and support myself, and make new friends. If you could do anything for a day, what would it be? I would go to Frankenmuth! If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? I would eat BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs with plain iced black tea. What is your superpower? Seeing the good in everybody. What was your first job? A shampoo lady at a beauty shop in Ferndale. I think I was 24 years old. What are your hobbies? How did you get into them? My hobby is making artwork. I have been doing it since I was a kid and still like doing it. What change would you like to see in Washtenaw County? That low-income and poor people get treated better. And! People with special needs are treated better too. What would be the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery? I would buy a house. It would be a tiny dream home. Good wintertime foods on a budget There are a lot of delicious What would YOU ask? If you have a question or issue you would like Groundcover vendors to discuss, email us at contact@groundcovernews.com We will be featuring vendor responses in future issues. wintertime foods that soothe and comfort and do your body good in the winter. I’m going to talk about three casseroles that are delicious. One is tuna noodle casserole made of cream of mushroom soup, tuna, cooked macaroni, a little bit of salt and pepper (if you want it), and cheese from the macaroni package, mixed together. It’s called a tuna noodle macaroni and cheese casserole. You can eat it hot or cold. It is so comforting and soothing to eat. Another is a ham salad noodle it is very delicious! It is also soothing and comforting to your body. Another delicious comfortDENISE SHEARER Groundcover vendor No. 485 casserole. Combine ham, cooked macaroni noodles, mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper (if you want it), and pickle relish. Eat it hot or cold, ing casserole is turkey, stuffing, gravy and ham together. Mix stuffing, cream of mushroom soup, gravy, turkey and ham. You can eat it cold or warmed up. It is delicious and comforting to your body and it makes you feel warm and good. Those are the three comforting casseroles that are really good in the winter. Public debate?! Speakers Corner in Hyde Park in London, England, is a famous public debate space and the world’s oldest free speech platform. And I love it! I watch it every so often on Youtube. There is a saying I’ve heard: one must be under the hypnosis (that is, believe wholeheartedly in hypnosis) in order to hypnotize others. It makes me smile to see people who feel so passionate about their beliefs. The origins of Speakers Corner can be traced back to the Reform League riots of 1866 or the last speeches of the condemned at the Tyburn gallows. The space was originally a public place for executions, including the notorious Tyburn hanging tree. In 1872, the Royal and Garden Regulation Act was passed, allowing people to speak freely MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 make it so unique. American society is missing this element in its character. I feel we need to use our voices and be more passionate when expressing the way we feel. In the UK there is a religious and racial divide; whereas people in the United States are also racially divided, but we are more likely to want to debate about politics. I would like to see more debate spaces in our in a designated area of Hyde Park without police permission. The Reform League played a big part in passing this act. Historic figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, William Morris and George Orwell spoke at Speakers Corner, and Orwell described it as “one of the minor wonders of the world.” Speakers Corner is known for its tense face-to-face cultural and religious arguments that society where people can voice their opinions and differences without violence. Speakers Corner has a gang of notables like a Muslim woman turned Christian, Hatun Tash, and a funny Christian man named Orlando who is my favorite. In summary, Muslims and Christians have at it! Public debate style. Let's talk about it! GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3
4 Publizr Home