2

2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER letter to the EDITOR "CONTINUING ON THE COMMONS" Following last issue's article by Ken Parks on "Sharing the Commons," I thought an update on the Ann Arbor Community Commons would be appropriate. Several years ago I wrote a Groundcover report on the "Campaign for the Commons," its victory at the polls in 2018 and a City Task Force making recommendations to advance the commons — which the City Council accepted. In December 2019 they encouraged acceleration of development; funding came out of the parking revenue, still being collected since 2018, when the parking lot was repurposed from "Public Land-Parking" to "Public Land-Park." Since then, the Mayor has continued to oppose the commons, and seems to have aligned the current City Council and administration to ignore, or very slow-walk, the directions mandated by the People's vote and the democratic process. A "Council of the Commons" was set up to advise the City on what to do, and they refused actually to look at plans and talk about ideas and help the commons development; instead, they said the City should hire professional consultants to advise us on what to do, and that the private funds raised for physical development should instead be used to pay the professional consultants. This "out-sourcing of creativity" also limited attention to the "central park" only — ignoring both the "civic center" and the "commons” overall as the cooperative mode of development. The commons means "everyone is invited to use it, and to be responsible for it and to respect one another." The "it" is what we can get together, beginning with the Public Land, for which we People voted and won, and other things people can donate or lend or buy. "Commonly pooled resources self-managed by the users" is a definition of the commons. Needs include a stage and sound system, lights and shade and tables and chairs and signs, wi-fi, toilets and water … with some of this the City could easily have helped, and still could. On the Library Lane surface lot, the first need is to get the cars off, so the people can easily begin to use the space. The Civic Center Building element of the commons development is a longerrange plan, waiting for more local creativity, and depending on the building plans of other neighbors and further designing inspiration for connecting the Liberty Plaza with the Library Lane and providing terraces over the Library Lane Ramps and building the Civic Center Building over Library Lane. The Civic Center is imagined in many ways, where you can go to see what's happening and new, and it is a place of last resort when you have a problem that can't be solved anywhere else … including a multi-use mix of a local food conscious cafe, special events performance space, peace place, housing and service counseling, art galleries, local history and climate 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 Simone Masing — intern ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Bauman Pony Bush D.A Roberto Isla Caballero Lara Dendel Cindy Gere Mike Jones James Manning Ken Parks Ashley Powell Denise Shearer Felicia Wilbert 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 PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit Anabel Sicko VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Jane Atkins Luiza Duarte Caetano Zachary Dortzbach Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Robert Klingler Ruben Mauricio Emily Paras Holden Pizzolato Melanie Wenzel Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Emily Yao 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 linktr.ee/groundcovernews 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 classes. Lots of beautiful four-season ideas have been suggested, many partnering with the library and other possible developments including a warming place and continuing the gardens. If you want to put on a program on the commons, or are interested in helping, please contact the Ann Arbor Community Commons Initiating Committee: www.AnnArborCommunityCommons.org — Alan Haber, Commons Initiating Committee FEBRUARY 9, 2024

3 Publizr Home