2 $ Surviving seven degrees. page 5 FEBRUARY 7, 2025 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 4 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. MEET YOUR VENDOR: SHELLEY DENEVE PAGE 3 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. Where I slept last night. Marie's tent, which will be displaced by Ypsilanti's Water Street remeadiation project. Read more on page 4. Photo submitted. THIS PAPER WAS BOUGHT FROM • Proposal: Housing-development accelerator • Charbonneau: Open your eyes to housing inequity. PAGE 4 @groundcovernews, include vendor name and vendor #
2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER GROUNDCOVER STAFF On February 3, the first day of Groundcover’s annual Vendor Appreciation Week, vendors, staff, volunteers and board members gathered in Ann Arbor’s Council Chambers for the City Council meeting. The first item on the agenda was a special proclamation. Mayor Christopher Taylor called the Groundcover representatives to the podium and read the following message: “WHEREAS, Groundcover News is a street newspaper that provides quality news and features to the Ann Arbor community since July 2010; and WHEREAS, Groundcover News, a 501(c)(3), empowers and supports low-income community members to make the transition from homeless to housed and from jobless to employed; and WHEREAS, Groundcover News is a member of the International Network of Street Papers that believes everyone, everywhere deserves freedom, community, home, dignity, and hope; and WHEREAS, Groundcover News provides training and support for vendors to increase their skills and ability to navigate challenges; and WHEREAS, Groundcover News and vendors provide an invitation to build meaningful relationships in the community; and WHEREAS, stories in Groundcover News have been inspiring and transformational to vendors and community members who read the paper; and WHEREAS, Groundcover News and vendors add to the quality of life in the Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County community; and WHEREAS, the week of February 2, 2025, is observed as Groundcover News Vendor Appreciation Week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Christopher Taylor, Mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, do hereby proclaim the week of February 2, 2025, as Groundcover Vendor Appreciation Week. I call upon Groundcover News, staff, volunteers, and the Ann Arbor community to join us in this celebration and to greet and support Groundcover Vendors!” After handshakes and remarks from vendors Joe Woods and Terri Demar, the Groundcover crew went on their way — some to continue paper sales downtown and others to get some rest to prepare for the festivities planned for the week. Thank you to Mayor Taylor and the Council for recognizing the vendors for their contributions to Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw County community. FEBRUARY 7, 2025 City of A2 proclaims Vendor Appreciation Week '25 PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-DETERMINED INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY POVERTY, PRODUCING A STREET NEWSPAPER THAT GIVES A PLATFORM TO UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN WASHTENAW COUNTY, PROMOTING AN ACTION TO BUILD A JUST, CARING AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY. Groundcover News, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in April 2010 as a means to empower lowincome persons to make the transitions from homeless to housed, and from jobless to employed. Vendors purchase each copy of our regular editions of Groundcover News at our office for 50 cents. This money goes towards production costs. Vendors work selling the paper on the street for $2, keeping all income and tips from each sale. Street papers like Groundcover News exist in cities all over the United States, as well as in more than 40 other countries, in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people and combat the increase in poverty. Our paper is a proud member of the International Network of Street Papers. STAFF Lindsay Calka — publisher Cynthia Price — editor Michelle Lardie-Guzek — intern ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS D.A. Elizabeth Bauman Pedro Campos Jim Clark Amanda Gale Heather Feather Roberto Isla Caballero Ken Parks Scoop Stevens PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit GROUNDCOVER NEWS ADVERTISING RATES Size 1/8 1/6 1/4 1/2 full page Black/White $110.00 $145.00 $200.00 $375.00 $650.00 Color $150.00 $200.00 $265.00 $500.00 $900.00 Dimensions (W x H in inches) 5 X 3 or 2.5 X 6.5 5 X 4 5 X 6.25 5 X 13 or 10.25 X 6.5 10.25 X 13 Zach Dortzbach Matthew Rohlman Steve Ross Dillon Schweers Anabel Sicko Allison Wei VOLUNTEERS Jane Atkins Jessi Averill Sim Bose Luiza Duarte Caetano Jacob Fallman Glenn Gates Jonathan Glass Bella Fernandez Robert Klingler Ari Ruczynski Harrison Slutzky Jack Weinberg Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Melanie Wenzel CONTACT US Story and photo submissions: submissions@groundcovernews.com Advertising and partnerships: contact@groundcovernews.com Office: 423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, LISTEN TO OLD ISSUES + LEARN MORE www.groundcovernews.org PACKAGE PRICING Three Months/Six Issues: 15% off Six Months/Twelve Issues: 25% off Full Year/Twenty-four Issues: 35% off Only run for two weeks/one issue: 40% off Additional 20% discount for money saving coupons
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR GROUNDCOVER NEWS The coyote charges you $10K to come to America The coyote charges you $10 thousand to come to America and later if you do something here, the police report you to ICE. The question is: what’s happening with the American Constitution? We Shelley DeNeve, vendor No. 22 In one sentence, who are you? Shelley Belly. I’m a compassionate, caring person. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Churches: Trinity Lutheran, Zion Lutheran, Church of the Good Shepherd, Northside St. Aiden’s. Argus Farm Stop on Packard on Friday afternoons! When and why did you start selling Groundcover? September 2010. I’m vendor No. 22 out of 650+ vendors. (Only about 40-50 are active). I was recruited to sell by the late Rissa Haynes. What is one place in A2 that feels like your own personal sanctuary? Lily Park. Or the pools of Ann Arbor! What’s your life motto? Open your eyes and ears to what’s going on. What advice would you give to your younger self? Go with your gut feeling. What is your comfort food? Just about any pasta dish. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be? Water, food, matches. If there was a theme song for your life, what would it be? “That’s the way love goes” If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Hawaiian islands! What is the weirdest food combo you swear by? Peanut butter and onions or radishes. What change would you like to see in Washtenaw County? More affordable housing. have Latino representatives in the high institutions of United States government, like the Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the members of Congress Bob Menendez, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Marion Diaz-Balart. What are these Latinos doing for the workers, the humble people, the poor people, who come to this country in search of the American dream? El coyote te cobra $10 mil por venir a Estados Unidos y luego si haces ROBERTO ISLA CABALLERO Groundcover vendor No. 347 algo aquí, la policía te denuncia ante ICE. Tenemos representantes latinos en las altas instituciones del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América, como La Jueza Sonia Sotomayor, y los miembros del Congreso, Bob Menendez, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, y Mario Díaz-Balart. Que hacen Los Latinos con las personas trabajadoras, las personas humildes, las personas pobres, que vienen a ese país en búsqueda del sueño americano? 3 12 steps of love and commitment HEATHER FEATHER Groundcover vendor No. 45 1. We admit we are two hearts united in love. Together we recognize that our love is the foundation of our relationship, and we embrace each other’s imperfections as we build a shared life. 2. We come to believe that our love is a powerful force. We trust in the strength of our bond, knowing that together, we can overcome anything life brings our way. 3. We make a decision to commit fully to each other. With open hearts, we choose to cherish one another in all circumstances, making love our priority. 4. We make a searching and fearless love assessment. We reflect on our past, the moments we’ve shared, and the lessons we’ve learned, always striving to grow together. 5. We admit to each other the truths of our hearts. We vow to be open, honest and vulnerable with each other, sharing our deepest thoughts and feelings without fear. 6. We are entirely ready to let go of the past and begin anew. With full hearts, we release any lingering doubts or regrets, embracing this fresh chapter of our shared story. 7. We humbly ask each other to be our best selves. We encourage each other to grow, to evolve and to become the best versions of ourselves, individually and as partners. 8. We make a list of promises to keep to each other. We promise to support, honor, and love each other, through every joy and challenge, forever. 9. We make amends whenever we faltered. When we stumble, we will forgive each other and ourselves, knowing that love is stronger than any mistake. 10. We continue to nurture our love, day by day. We pledge to nurture our love, with patience, understanding and gratitude for every day we share. 11. We seek to deepen our connection with each other. Together, we will grow spiritually and emotionally, never taking for granted the beauty of the bond we share. 12. Having experienced the joy of true love, we will share our light with the world. As we walk this journey together, we will spread kindness, compassion and joy to others, knowing that our love is a light that can illuminate the world.
4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOMELESSNESS FEBRUARY 7, 2025 City of Ypsilanti funds relocation of homeless residents displaced by Water Street remediation LINDSAY CALKA Publisher On January 17, Marie woke up with a letter taped to her car. The letter was from PATH (Washtenaw County's Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness) informing her that her tent was scheduled to be cleared from the Water Street property on Friday, January 31. In the letter PATH offered help moving her campsite if she wanted it. Does this sound familiar? In a January 26, 2024 article, Groundcover News reported on a threatened sweep of the same site, the same campers, for the same reason: remediation and redevelopment of Water Street in downtown Ypsilanti. Community response to this threatened sweep resulted in an indefinite delay. Council called off the scheduled work until a better approach could be formulated. A year passed with no intervention, and ironically the sweep was scheduled for the second time in the last week of January 2025 — the coldest week of the year. So the Tuesday after the letter was posted, January 21, 2025, concerned community members attended the Ypsilanti City Council meeting and participated in public comment to urge Council to call off the sweep, again. Councilmember Amber Fellows introduced a discussion regarding the “Water Street Fence Repair and Tree Removal.” In this discussion the City employees argued against further delays of the remediation work because of time-sensitive funding and potential ramifications from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Water Street property is mostly contaminated land that can not be formally occupied, developed or used until all the contaminated soil is removed and replaced. The first step to this process was removing trees and repairing fences, work that could not be scheduled until homeless residents were removed. Council decided to delay the work by two weeks and make an effort to problem-solve with Washtenaw Camp Outreach and the affected campers, get more information on the scheduled work, and research available City properties for relocation. What the public hears Three days later, on January 24, Ypsilanti’s communication department published a release titled, “The City of Ypsilanti is moving forward with the Water Street Redevelopment Area.” The press release outlined the funding source for this project, which is a combination of time-sensitive funds from MDEC and HUD’s Economic Development Initiative. The press release continued with a timeline for the work that would be done in 2025 and the funding sources for each of these steps. "This is a long-awaited project and one of the city's last pieces of undeveloped property. We are excited to leave it better than we found it, redevelop it, and return it to the city's tax rolls, making it profitable for the City of Ypsilanti and benefiting its residents," said Mayor Nicole Brown in the release. “This funding is crucial for the redevelopment of the Water Street project, as it provides us with the unprecedented opportunity to address the contamination on the property and prepare it for future development. By excavating and revitalizing this site, we are removing environmental hazards and paving the way for new opportunities,” said Andrew Hellenga, City Manager of the City of Ypsilanti. The press release contained no referto the potential ence delay or displacement, signalling the threat of the sweep was truly imminent. Negotiating compensation Friday, January 31, Councilmember Steve Wilcoxen, Councilmember Amber Fellows and City Manager Andrew Hellenga met with Washtenaw Camp Outreach members Jim Clark and Sheri Wander; Country who lives on Water Street; and KJ from Homelessness Solidarity Network. WCO presented demands from the campers — which, in sum, was compensation for the displacement from their homes. The City representatives claimed that they couldn’t do much themselves, but offered to reach out to PATH, Washtenaw County Commissioners and staff, and even donate personal items. After the close of the meeting Wander reflected, “They walked away with an acknowledgement that they need to take personal and institutional responsibility for the situation we’re in." Tuesday, February 4 — the scheduled follow-up discussion during the City Council meeting itself — arrived see WATER ST next page "Where I Slept Last Night" by Kaleaf
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 HOMELESSNESS Surviving seven degrees At the time of this writing, January 21, 2025, the outside temperature is seven degrees fahrenheit. People who have been sleeping outside are now seeking emergency shelter in the same way a drowning person would seek a life preserver. Sometimes that life preserver is a motel stay. Motels provide shelter for especially vulnerable people — elderly, differently-abled, ill, marginalized people or families. During seven degree weather, motels and overnight sheltering programs are critical to saving lives. Something people experience when unsheltered is being constantly in “fight or flight” mode because sleeping outside or in a homeless shelter is simply dangerous. Also the panic of not knowing where you’re going to sleep keeps you in a “highalert” state which can persist even after finding safe shelter. In order for “shelter” to be effective it must include safety and solitude so a person can enter “rest and digest” mode. Further, people experiencing homelessness who are using the sheltering system have very little solitude. This wears people down psychologically, making the collective homeless community environment stressful, hostile and physically unsafe. Spending money on alleviating the need for solitude translates to a higher survival rate beyond just shelter from the cold. In the coldest of winter months, members of Washtenaw Camp Outreach, the non-profit Mission, and other homeless solidarity organizations operate a program called Weather Amnesty, located in a house of hospitality in Ann Arbor. Because of the dangerously cold weather, people who had been sleeping in tents, in abandoned buildings or on the street started showing up in droves. Overcrowding in the county shelter, the Delonis Center, had been an issue for a few weeks now and the safety of the shelter system is failing. Furthermore, the Housing Access of Washtenaw County (HAWC) was Manager, who was able to secure ten more rooms for the next day. Hall said this about her role: “It is my JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 going to close on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd due to the extreme cold. HAWC is the organization that is charged with referring our unsheltered citizens to the agencies and information that can help. Vocal members of the Continuum of Care were able to overturn the decision and HAWC opened back up on Wednesday. Fortunately, amidst the weather emergency, a few people were in the right place, at the right time, and had the same idea. At about 3 p.m. on Monday Jan. 20, I was asked by the WCO team to reach out to Washtenaw County Commissioner Annie Sommerville to see if there was help available from the county. As she checked with her team, she mentioned that Dan Kelly, director of the Delonis Center, could help with sheltering as well. The Shelter Association did not have an option for immediate motel shelter, but Kelly was able to lift trespass notices so that people could access Delonis’s emergency overnight shelter services. (Clients at the Delonis Center who commit egregious violations of the rules are banned for a certain amount of time. Kelly temporarily exempted them from trespass in order to accommodate their survival.) Shortly after that, Commissioner Sommerville replied. With Washtenaw County funds, she secured ten motel rooms. She then put me in touch with Ashley Hall, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Operations and Communications responsibility to help with Commissioner properties, and the top priority for the Board of Commissioners is housing and homelessness. Commissioner Somerville believes it is critical that the most vulnerable members of our community have a safe, warm and secure place to stay throughout the year, but especially during weather emergencies. I am glad that I was able to work with you to help identify options for emergency sheltering.” In the late afternoon of the 20th, WCO and Weather Amnesty teams began picking people up from the daytime warming centers and from their tents and taking them to safety. To the county officials Commissioner Sommerville, Mr. Kelly and Manager Hall — thank you for stepping up! To the WCO/Weather Amnesty teams — make no mistake, you are heroes. Not just to me, but to all of us housed and unhoused members of our street community. Props to you all. Special thanks to KJ, Dax and CP for transportation support and food provision, to Sienna and Eric of Weather Amnesty who held down the fort at Purple House while we shuttled people to safety and to CL and AG for keeping track of it all! Also thank you to the staff at the Extended Stay America and Days Inn for their considerate and professional service. Barabara Laster-Bell, concierge at the Days Inn, mentioned that it was “heartening and encouraging to see a community of people come together to save their neighbors from the cold.” Finally a shout-out to the allied activist communities of Shelter Now and the Washtenaw General Defense Committee. Thank you for your continued work in housing and social justice and championing the mission to end homelessness at its source. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5 WATER ST from last page quickly. This time there was more community support; activists spoke and waited the long two hours through other items on the agenda. After disappointing repetition of the information shared at the January 21 and January 31 meetings, to the surprise of the attendees, Councilmember Patrick McClean moved to allocate $7,500 from unspent staff salaries for relocation assistance costs for the homeless residents of Water Street — and the motion unanimously passed after clarifying discussion. Funds will be spent at discretion of the City Manager, informed by the needs of the current residents of Water Street. Examples of possible relocation costs would be replacement camping supplies, hotel stays or storage fees. What remains unsettled can be summarized in the title of the previous Groundcover report on this story: “Go where?” It is illegal to camp without permission on private property, and it is illegal to sleep overnight in public parks and other public land. Especially during the spring, summer and fall seasons, when there are no shelter options in Ypsilanti — homeless residents have nowhere to go. The $7,500 is an emergency allocation. Considering the January 7 resolution towards establishing a permanent shelter in the City, and the February 4 motion tasking the planning commission to research public land for safe tenting, Council seems to be shifting its priorities towards housing and shelter and the well-being of its constituents.
6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS WHERE I SLEPT How did you sleep last night? When I was first homeless in Ann Arbor in 2018, I did not realize it because I had so many safe spots. I was a journeyman union painter in Ypsilanti, in the Ypsitucky world, from 1977 to 1981. I discovered the kagyu Tibetan Buddhist Center in January 1980 and quickly became a practitioner. The meditation on compassion became a life focus. The People’s Food Co-op in Ann Arbor was an important community from day one. I was still based in Detroit, sharing a home and helping raise four kids. I also shared a two bedroom in Ypsi with one of my painter friends. I soon had a room in the Buddhist Center so I had three homes at once. As I explored Ann Arbor in 2018, two garages and the YMCA quickly became kinds of homes. Mercy House, the Breakfast Church (St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church) and Delonis became backup spots. As Peggy at Mercy House put it, being homeless would not be so bad if you didn’t need to sleep.There is so much to do in Ann Arbor that homeless folk disappear during wakeful hours. If you need to sleep homeless you are in trouble; if you have no secure lodging your choice will be the park or the alley. You may search a wooded area for a spot. If you are handy you can put up a tent, build a lean-to or sleep in the open. Hopefully you have a sleeping bag or two. You learn to be a camper. In my experience, how well you sleep is more important than where you sleep. A good night’s sleep is a treasure of energy. The relationship of location and quality is complex. For over three years, I’ve had an “efficiency apartment” in a location where it’s difficult to make a home. Avalon Housing, who runs it, is lost in a bureaucratic quagmire and, in all honesty, I must say that I don’t get a great night’s sleep there. In my memory, the best sleep I experienced was in West Park and the KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 adjacent woods behind Miller and Fountain. I had a welcoming tree as a companion. Also excellent was most of the sleep on a futon in a garage loft on Third Street. It becomes obvious that housed or unhoused is not the decisive factor you might think. It's more like where are you at home in your body. Sleeping near the earth may be more important than a legal roof over your head. Sometimes homeless people sleep better than housed people. The best literature on this is an article by Christopher Ellis in the Nov. 15, 2022, Groundcover titled “Housed, unhoused or homeless?” Reality is never what you think it is, as most of us discover to our dismay when we realize that our expectations may have little to do with the outcomes of our actions. The socialization process creates many taboos and illusions that reside in our sub- and unconscious, as Freud and others have shown. I think Ernest Becker has done good anthropological science in looking at Homo sapiens' increasing propensity for evil and the cultural need to be or worship heroes who have defeated death in battle or mastered the key to eternal life. Shamans become priests as bureaucracy corrupts our natural power into opportunistic power. A culture which promotes belief in the seen world but ignores the unseen is not able to experience the completeness of reality. Data are helpful in the proper context, but without it they’re worthless. I recommend two of Becker’s books. “The Denial of Death” is a landmark book of the 1970s and his final book “Escape From Evil” is a great companion book to his search for a science of Homo sapiens. His quest to analyze and critique the large amount of anthropological and archaeological data is amazing. His intellectual work brings art and science together for a creative view of our evolution and history over the past estimated 300,000 years. Our awareness of death is largely repressed through cultural norms that feed on our desire to continue the experience of this body as if there is no end in sight. We are now struggling with the extremes of eternalism and nihilism; Buddhism proposes the Middle Path which avoids those extremes. The view of a permanent soul as a separate entity captures many Christians, Muslims and other theists. What is it separate from? If the answer is the highest and most powerful God, what does it mean to be a believer? If sin is separation, is this separate soul an illusion? Is there an all good expanse of primordial purity that is not separate but yet our true nature. These are the issues that mindfulness training may resolve. When you observe your breath you will come to the question: “Who is the observer?” When you observe your state of mind, what is the nature of the observer to the observed? We know from physics that Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle shows that the act of observation influences the experiment. Therefore you cannot know the precise location and velocity of a particle at the same time. You must choose one or the other. In meditation, resting at ease in the natural state is difficult largely due to our habit of self and other projections. Look for a teacher who is at ease with observing the observer and can help you reach a single-minded focus on the experience of a calm and clear mind. The karma kagyu Tibetan Buddhist meditation masters have been the most helpful for me. Christian believers like the Berrigan brothers,Thomas Merton and Martin Luther King are important examples of Jesus as a living presence and guide to a life of truth in love. As Dion Fortune from the Fraternity of Inner Light taught, “Love is the Law.” Facing reality is the task for every Homo sapien. Cultivate your inner confidence that we can do this together. You must do it yourself but you don’t do it alone. Tune in to earth, water and sky. You will sleep well surrounded by all the holy beings of your creative imagination which invites them into your dreams. FEBRUARY 7, 2025
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 WHERE I SLEPT Sleeping in the Lion's Den PEDRO CAMPOS Groundcover vendor No. 652 It was past 11 p.m., on January 23, 2025, at the Delonis Center on 312 E. Huron in Ann Arbor. After playing jokes trying to humiliate me, in public, she said, “You’re free to go…” Go outside in the cold, she meant, 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This was the manager known to harass honest people, targeting those who question her evident incompetence. She banned me for going outside to smoke weed, a medicine according to state law. In a place where everyone smokes everything, everywhere, at any time — even methamphetamine and crack on a daily basis, in the bathrooms and smoking rooms, she decided to leave her little cell and pretend she cares. So she kicked me out to discipline me for my behavior, trespassing me for three days. Disoriented, I left with no money or place to go, without a jacket or a blanket. And as I rumbled up on Huron Street, I stopped at the Fire Station, where they have an emergency button that should work 24/7. Nobody answered. I can’t say that the Police of Ann Arbor are friendly to the homeless. They are not. I can’t even say it’s safe there. I have been harassed by a couple of criminal police officers there once, and they can get violent. Everyone knows. But when I saw a kid inside the little room in between the doors that access the building, the Ann Arbor City Hall Police Department, I knew it would be safer than the streets, and warmer. Living my life in Brazil, I have not developed survival skills for this cold Michigan winter. The "kid" inside the vestibule, apparently a homeless man, agreed to share his refuge with me. We didn’t talk much. I checked the floor, it was warm. I was so sad and tired. Thank God I was able to rest protected from the cold, and with the police cameras watching us. You gotta make the most of it. Streets can get violent, and when you take violence from shelter staff members who you should be able to rely on; get no assistance from the fire department; nor the police who watch everything, you find comfort and shelter from an unknown man, a poor homeless person like me, rich in the heart. There, in the vestibule, I could lay my bones, stretch my legs and warm my soul, not like a sardine in a can surrounded by all that disrespectful noise, violence GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7 Pedro sitting in the Police Department vestibule, where he slept the first night he was kicked out of the Delonis Center. and thievery, people dealing and using drugs, with nasty smells and bad attitudes. In the silence I planned my next steps; I even read my book. Even if God didn't bless me with that night's sleep, which I did deserve because I work hard, and even if I had to spend all night, again, walking around lost in the cold, avoiding tweakers and criminals, cops and ambulances, like many times I did — it would be totally worth it. Because the fire that comes from inside of me, will always burn strong enough to warm myself and others. I keep my dignity, and tired as I get, I just sleep anywhere. As my uncle Gustavo once said, “The rest of an honest man.” That’s what keeps me going, walking wherever I want, with my head up, able to look people in the eyes.
8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS TRUMP Trump's second term as President SCOOP STEVENS Groundcover vendor No. 638 Now that I have had time to process the fact that Americans have elected Donald J. Trump as President again and what this might mean for homelessness in the United States, the conclusion that I came to is that everything will go wrong for Trump and by the end of his presidency he will wish that he had never run for office again. The racist real estate developer Donald Trump will witness our nation being fundamentally transformed and none of this will be to his liking. Martin Luther King said that the arc of history leans towards justice. The national reconstruction project that began in 1865 will come to its fruition during Trump’s second term as President because, I believe, circumstances will dictate a downsizing of our empire. We’ll therefore get more towards the republican form of government that our founders intended. Then we’ll concentrate on our own national character. The national reconstruction project that began with the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments got off to a slow start. After 50 years, in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson was showing a Ku Klux Klan film (The Birth of a Nation) in the White House. The film is about white people in the North and the South having a conflict but now they are reunited in the cause of white supremacy. Reconstruction’s early setbacks led the nation to become involved in World War I which was a prelude to World War II. Then came the Cold War with Russia with no end in sight for America’s entanglement in wars that it really doesn’t need to be involved in. Did Reconstruction’s early failure really lead to the United States becoming involved in all these wars? I believe that it did because these were national amendments that were meant to reconstruct the Nation. When this didn’t happen it resulted in a gilded age with great inequalities of wealth and many evils including endless wars to protect the interests of the monied class. This in turn caused increased homelessness. The elderly homeless problem was supposed to be solved by the Social Security Act of 1935. I have discovered that not having to pay rent was the solution for my homelessness. I don’t make that much money but I do not need that much money because I do not have to pay rent. Would rent-free living be a solution for homelessness on a larger scale? I believe that it would because we really do not need a parasitical landlord class oppressing us. Now that I am old enough to collect Social Security, I choose not to because if I collect Social Security I will have to give up my rent free HUDVash (veterans program) housing voucher and pay rent. When white Americans finally come to the realization that their fate is tied into the well-being of their Black neighbors, the final stage of national reconstruction will have arrived. I believe this will happen during Trump’s second term as President. FEBRUARY 7, 2025 exp. 06/31/2025
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 PUZZLES Go Fish Peter A. Collins GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed for a voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website. Thank you! ACROSS 1. Request for permission 5. Batter's posture 11. Keg attachment 14. Big name in heating and cooling 15. Add to the payroll 16. Author Tarbell 17. A loose one might cause an under-the-hood rattle 19. Fireplace fuel 20. Doofus 21. Surgical locations: Abbr. 22. Italian volcano 23. Noted Georgia memorial 26. "Come to My Window" singer Etheridge 28. Atomizer sprays 29. Apple debut of 1998 30. With pluck 33. Autumn mo. 34. Bar request 36. Itsy bitsy 39. Name typed in to log on 40. Mineral (and an anagram of 29-Across) 41. Hawaiian "Tiny Bubbles" singer 43. Nero, for one 46. Best Actress winner for "Still Alice" 49. Pinnacle 50. Family member 51. Moose or mouse 54. Rain-___: bubble gum brand 55. 2003 Disney film (and an activity done by looking inside 17-, 23-, 34-, and 55-Across) 57. "The Fresh Prince of ___-Air" 58. Give the cold shoulder 59. ___ buco (Italian entree) 60. Dismiss abruptly 61. Chewed like a beaver 62. Go to the mall DOWN 1. G.I. fare 2. Family member 3. One from Zagreb, until 1991 4. Asinine 5. Glossy surfaces 6 "Tiny" Dickens boy 7. "___ With a View" 8. Prefix with science or surgery 9. Advertiser's target 10. Tolkien tree creature 11. Attack a la Don Quixote 12. Handsome god 13. Nonbeliever 18. Many charitable groups, briefly 22. Online market for handmade crafts 24. Enthusiastic 25. Egyptian flower? 26. Opposite of max 27. Broody music genre 31. Friend in France 32. Internet connection device 34. Employee safety agcy. 35. Vegas light, maybe 36. Screen component 37. ___ -friendly 38. Hear here! 39. Widely used operating system 40. Some sheep 41. Two-unit home 42. Repetitive World Cup chant 44. Lamented 45. '70s video game 46. "Star Wars" villain 47. Italian granny 48. Create, as a scholarship 52. Recess retort 53. Figure-skating move 55. Newton filler 56. Rage
10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HEALTH Amanda's home remedies for a sore throat Recently encountering a sore throat SUFFERER while working on a project other than what became this article, gave me this idea. Why not share this information with as many people as possible via our Groundcover publication? So “Here Goes” ... “An apple a day keeps the doctor away …” Most of us in the United States have heard this old saying (let’s just hope it’s not the problem-bringing fruit Eve gave to Adam!) Obviously, the idea is that we can do something pro-active to stay healthy. Here we are, mid-winter according to our calendars, and we have sore throats — possibly from cold air exposure weakening our immunity, or perhaps more often from all the germs we likely encounter if we’re stuck indoors too long. So, what can we do? Are there natural remedies and obtainable over the counter items that ACTUALLY CAN PROVIDE RELIEF? Is it reasonable to think that just perhaps even some humble herbs or other simple ingestibles might have actual potency for health prevention and cures? Legend from North American Pioneers has it that boiled pine needles cure colds (and scurvy), while Romans paid taxes with anise and also made cough drops from it! Some cultures have indicated successful use of Duct Tape for wart removal; and old farmers were said to cure “sour humors” (and scorpion and spider bites — OUCH!) with oregano. While coconut oil is still useful for curing acne, not all herbal use requires the caution to not fall asleep under an Elderberry tree in mid-summer, if you wanted to avoid disrupting the fairies' travels to their Mid-Summer Feast and consequently have them carry-you-off with them — never to return!! And not all home remedies’ purposes must be as dramatic as warding-off vampires (and infections) with garlic, or as unusual as getting (the vitamins within) golden raisins drunk from juniper berries (used to make gin) to bring about the anti-inflammatory aspects that reduces swelling and eases pain for arthritis sufferers. Perhaps this journey for sore throat RELIEF might not be as entertaining; though ADVENTURE is yours FOR the FINDING! HOWEVER, I can and will herein seek to share what I have found, to be TRULY VERY! RELIEVING, for the pain of throat infection! Of course we realize that anything we can do to boost our overall immunity is excellent for preventing infection and disease for our whole body. Beyond just a healthy diet and any specifics per person for care for particular physical conditions one might have, our culture also has a general AMANDA GALE Groundcover vendor No. 573 Besides being a good preventive and curative against sore throats, elderberry also helps eliminate congestion and coughs and is helpful against infections in general. If you include vitamin C with elderberries, this is extra-helpful for health; just don’t allow those fairies to carry you off to their “place of no return!” Healthy foods: Eating foods that are awareness for getting sufficient rest and exercise, consuming appropriate vitamin intake and adequate daily light exposure per day. Beyond this however, what might we include to PREVENT sore throats and physical illnesses? What follows is my shared experience and awareness for prevention for throat infection. (I am placing a * by the ones I find MOST EFFECTIVE, RELIEVING or that I have used the most). BOOST IMMUNITY! Probiotics: kind of the opposite of antibiotics (which get your body to produce more of its defenses against the invading agent of illness, by introducing a little more of the inflicting agent — sometimes in another form). Probiotics are a gift to your body of a boost HEALTHY microorganisms. Unhealthy microorganisms don’t like to “hang around” the healthy ones; so this is a GOOD strategy. The higher the healthy microorganism count, the BETTER you are fortifying your body’s immunity. Billions and billions of healthy microorganisms are more helpful than even just millions! A barrier to probiotics can be the price; however, sometimes if you have a pre-existing medical condition, and you seek to coordinate with your healthcare provider, PERHAPS if a prescription is written for it, there might be a way to get it paid for other than out-of-pocket. Otherwise, some other ways to obtain at least some probiotic immune-boosting is via eating yogurt and drinking (usually herbal) teas that include probiotics. Of course even a lower-amount supplement of probiotics (which cost less) might be more helpful than not ever consuming any because of the prohibitive financial cost of the capsules that contain billions. *Elderberry, *echinacea and *green tea as brewed tea (or via supplement or other forms): These teas are used with success by everyday people with great success for boosting immunity, and herbalists concur these herbs have immune-boosting aspects. healthy in general is good; eating foods targeted to what each person needs to BUILD and KEEP their immunity, is BEST. *Walnuts: These are rich in Omega-3s and thus provide powerful antioxidant immune fortification. *Hibiscus tea, *beets, *baby spinach: Boost hemoglobin which helps iron, and thus red blood cells, to increase. Kale and *swiss chard and some particular mushrooms: Help increase platelet count. Green, leafy vegetables like romaine lettuce or celery: These are very HEALTHY and contain vitamins. *Powdered electrolyte mixes (to be added to water): Salts and sugars your body needs! When you feel your body feeling weaker, drinking this will energize you and improve your physical energy and how your body feels overall. This also can help relieve physical weakness and tiredness, and you will feel more hydrated and have more physical energy after consuming it. GARGLING Keeping your throat as clean as possible from infectious germs and other harmful agents is a great preventive measure. Though, as with other preventive measures, gargling is also a great curative for sore throats. • *Water or *saltwater: Water to rinse/cleanse throat and salt can help heal throat wounds and reduce swelling, though for sore throats it will be somewhat worse at first, but will bring RELIEF afterwards. • *Peroxide (three parts water, one part peroxide): Do NOT swallow the peroxide, and DON’T give this to young/unsupervised children. • *Listerine (or off brand): disinfects. Please note disinfecting agents shouldn’t be overused or can cause throat irritation. • Brushing teeth: Regular good oral hygiene rids the mouth of “bad stuff” that can infect. There are also even tongue scrapers available nowadays! • *Vinegar: This cleanses out germs and also changes PH (acid) in your throat, which aids against acid-consumption and/or acid reflux sore throats. Also, vinegar is a natural analgesic — i.e. it numbs pain! Caution: it does sting at first, however within seconds it brings RELIEF! • *Distilled water: In the microbiology lab, one learns distilled water is the PUREST water there is, being the ONLY water that can be included on a slide to not also view microorganisms that were simply within the water! Distilled water is SO GENTLE and REALLY FEELS SOOTHING for an IRRITATED THROAT; soup, bullion, Jello, and more can also be prepped with this water. (For drinking and/or gargling) • *Aloe Barbadensis juice prepared for consumption (NOT topical or other forms of aloe): This is another REALLY SOOTHING agent, for an irritated throat. (For drinking and/or gargling) CURATIVES TEAS: Any tea that is soothing for sore throat can be gargled and/or drunk warm (most preferably) or cold/ room temp, with great success to rinse the throat and also begin RELIEVING! sore throat symptoms. Though various herbal teas can qualify there is ONE PARTICULAR TEA I recommend: *Twinings (purple-box) black tea, grown in the altitude and climate of India’s Himalayas (its particular processing probably is what makes it particularly effective). I have not experienced any other tea — including ones specially formulated to ease sore throat — to be as effective! *STARCHY FOODS: Though a constant diet of only this probably ISN’T! healthy — i.e. lacking nutrients and being bad for diabetics! If you have a sore throat, starchy foods can be BEST tolerated by your throat, and also HELP TO RELIEVE symptoms and also helps to reduce acid: • Crackers with or without salt: Salt can help disinfect and begin to reduce swelling, though might not be tolerated by an extremely irritated sore throat. • Potatoes, bread, biscuits and pancakes: (Possibly without syrup if throat is REALLY IRRITATED; possibly butter use is OK.) • Pasta with butter only: This isn’t as soothing, however it isn’t irritating or acid-producing, either. • Chicken soup or bullion (with or without noodles): Chicken broth has an aspect that actually provides a light congealing function, which therefore coats your throat in a soothing way. Additionally, the warmth and nutrition from it also aids healing! • Tomato soup mix (added to water): Some of these can actually FEEL soothing for a sore throat. However, if the tomato aspect is TOO strong, it will burn instead of feeling relieving. see REMEDIES next page FEBRUARY 7, 2025
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 POETRY Slavery is not dead! D.A. Groundcover writer These poetic verses were not written because I’m against any human being. That’s what we are to me, human beings. Not a collection of races or economic brackets. I am a humanist. Slavery is not dead It still exists for people’s lives who are impoverished Equal rights is just nonsense when it comes to them Slavery is not dead And has never ended Slavery is not dead It’s just more elusive in the many forms and ways that it presently exists Slavery is not dead It comes in the form of policing systems, laws, federal policies, health and human services, Taxes, government, education, employment practices, and so-called fair-housing policies Slavery is not dead Cause they still take our babies and send them off, by paying strangers Rather then their family members to do as they please Yeah!!!!! Slavery is not dead As we continue to experience their horrific dread Breaking up siblings Slavery is not dead Look at what’s goin down in the White House The former candidates for presidency Slavery is not dead Democracy is a “LIE” Slavery is not dead Had that been me I’d been locked up in prison for the rest of my natural life “YOU SEE” Slavery is not dead Poor folk are still punished, fined, penalized by laws reflective of “PEONAGE and VAGRANCY” Slavery is not dead Don’t believe it, use common sense Hence, hence Trump, Vance … and many others get away just like them … Because of generational wealth, privilege built off of the backs and hands of slaves Slavery is not dead No matter how you try to chalk it up or look at it “SLAVERY IS NOT DEAD” !!!!!! REMEDIES from last page *Jello/gelatin NOT made into Jello: Simply with hot water added is VERY! coating and SOOTHING for sore throat. (I learned this years ago from a pharmacy-tech when working for a major drug store retailer!) Jello is fairly inexpensive, and the flavors to select from are YUMMY! Jello/gelatin with warm water can also be gargled. SORE THROAT SPRAY: Such as Chloraseptic or an off-brand. For $9.99 it has seven pre-prepped, helpful natural ingredients. These can really help RELIEVE throat and mouth pains. However, these need to be re-applied somewhat frequently. Can also be gargled. OTHER LOZENGES: • Sucrets: specially formulated for throat relief • Ricola: herbal, helpful, tasty and refreshing • Slippery Elm: soothes sore throat • Vitamin C drops and/or cherry or other flavored lozenges that DON’T have menthol (which greatly irritates throat) GOLDENSEAL HERB: In ANY form INSTANTLY relieves throat pain. Goldenseal can be taken directly from plants or a supplement, drunk as tea or can be gargled. If picked directly from “the wild” — be SURE you can somehow CORRECTLY IDENTIFY that it is this plant for sure. Goldenseal can be grown in your garden. *ICE CUBES: This might seem counterintuitive, however, many times COLD applied to sore throat, does actually RELIEVE the pain. Can also make aloe juice cubes, distilled water cubes, black tea cubes, melt Ricola lozenges and then freeze as cubes! GINGER: In tea or root form or crystallized drops. Ginger has anti-bacterial aspects and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Ginger RELIEVES ALL types of physical pains. However, it stings at first. Ginger in tea form can be gargled. *HEALING ENERGY VIBRATIONS/ PUZZLE SOLUTIONS SOUND FREQUENCIES: Such as 432 hz (a "general healing," relaxing one), 741 hz (which removes toxins from throat), or 192 hz (which offers almost INSTANT! RELIEF for sore throat). Additionally, some frequencies have been set to a pleasant background of classical music. Some also include "binaural beat" vibrations, and there are even some "spooky rife" frequencies — for those who might like to even SCARE! away their sore throats (HA HA!) This may seem weird, though it ACTUALLY WORKS! These can be found via YouTube and other places on the internet. All you have to do is LISTEN and these work to create conditions that create HEALTH and NOT ILLNESS for your throat. (There are other healing energy vibrations and GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 sound frequencies that WORK WELL for other prevention and curing for other maladies, also.) I believe this is part of “the future” of medicine. *PRAYER AND ANOINTING WITH OIL: The Book of James mentions this specifically (James 5.14-16). This is the TIMELESS, preventive and curative, for EVERYTHING sometimes GOD EXACTLY wants to bring our attention and approach, DIRECTLY to HIM for the HEALING. HOWEVER also, did you ever hear about the one guy who was praying to be RESCUED off an island, and he therefore refused a helicopter, a boat, and a long-rope to another island, saying, “I’m praying to GOD for HIS rescue of me,” and GOD answered back, “Son, then WHY!? did you REFUSE the helicopter, boat, and long-rope I sent you!” Not to worry GOD gives discernment to those who REALLY SEEK HIM! It is also HELPFUL to have a HEALING approach to our LIVES and for those around us. NSAIDS: I find *ALEVE (Naproxen Sodium) MOST HELPFUL for me, for MOST any type of physical pain — including sore throat. However, many people experience BEST RELIEF from Ibuprofen, Tylenol, willow bark (aspirin), Soledo and such. Some recent research suggests possible overuse of various NSAIDS can cause liver damage and other maladies; therefore use with caution and/or consult your medical provider. Returning to our “days of lore” from the introduction … Once there were some Vikings seeking to invade the Scots. The Vikings thought they’d outsmart the Scots by creeping-up on them barefoot, so as to be really quiet. However, the Vikings hadn’t counted-on the milk thistles that were growing in the fields surrounding the Scots, and one instantly SCREAMED! When he stepped-on one, thereby alerting the Scots, who immediately successfully fended-off the Vikings. We hope however, to NOT have to make a mistake such as the Vikings did. If none of these remedies help RELIEVE your sore throat and/or AREN’T ACCESSIBLE for you — perhaps you could be benefited from a NICE, SKILLFUL throat specialist. Surely, there are many around our Washtenaw County area. Those with persistent throat pains might wish for example to check for any possible other complications such as polyps or other cancers.
12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Valentine's peanut butter Kiss cookies ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup shortening ½ cup creamy peanut butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 Tablespoons milk 48 chocolate Hershey’s Kisses Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add remaining ingredients until well combined. Chill dough for one hour and then make into one inch balls. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place a chocolate Kiss in the middle of each cookie. Cool on a cooling rack and store in an airtight container. A perfect treat for your Valentine! FEBRUARY 7, 2025 $5 OFF NATURAL FOODS MARKET 216 N. FOURTH AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI PHONE (734) 994 - 9174 • PEOPLESFOOD.COOP ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE One coupon per transaction. Must present coupon at the time of purchase. Coupon good for in-store only. No other discounts or coop cards apply. Not valid for gift cards, case purchases, beer or wine. OFFER EXPIRES 3/6/2025
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