2 $ JANUARY 26, 2024 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 3 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. "Go where?" Camps evicted on private and public land during winter storm. page 4 MEET YOUR VENDOR: HOSEA HILL PAGE 3 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. VENDOR APPRECIATION WEEK February 2-9, 2024 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 Selling Groundcover is legitimate work, but moreso it is a service to our community. Each day, Groundcover vendors work hard in all kinds of weather to deliver news and solutions from the ground up and maybe a smile or laugh along the way. This is why each year at the beginning of February we celebrate Vendor Appreciation Week to go out of our way to show our vendors how much they mean to us, and the community. There are many ways to get involved with this year's Vendor Appreciation Week festivities. 1. Kick off the week by having some fun with us at the Groundcover Live Happy Hour on Friday, February 2, from 6:30-9 p.m. More details listed on page 12. 2. Bring a treat, snack or hot beverages during office hours for vendors to enjoy while buying papers (Monday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) 3. Bring your vendor a hot chocolate, cup of coffee or pack of hand warmers if you see them selling. It's cold out there! 4. Tip your vendor when buying a copy of Groundcover News. 5. Catch up on back issues from last year by listening to Groundcover Speaks during your commute, exercise or downtime. You'll hear the wise words of Groundcover writers, read in their own voices! 6. Purchase a copy of our Vendor Voices 2023 Magazine, where you can read the unique and powerful stories of 15 Groundcover vendors. 7. Take a photo with your vendor or your copy of Groundcover News and share on social media. Tag us! @ groundcovernews on Instagram and @ groundcover on Facebook. We will be reposting all week. 8. Tell your Groundcover vendor how much you appreciate them and their steady presence in the community. 9. Talk to your friends and family about how selling Groundcover is legitimate work that changes lives. And post about it to start important conversations on social media! 10. Publicly show support for Groundcover News vendors by buying and displaying a sign on your front lawn or in the window of your home or JANUARY 26, 2024 february 2-9, 2024 VENDOR APPRECIATION WEEK business! Signs are $30 and can be pre-ordered by making a $30 donation on the Groundcover News website via PayPal. Signs can be picked up at the Groundcover News office during office hours. They are yellow and black and come with a metal post. (See image pictured below.) THANK YOU GROUNDCOVER VENDORS! I BUY AND READ GROUNDCOVER NEWS. PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELFDETERMINED 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 toward 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 Teresa Basham Jocelin Boyd Roberto Isla Caballero Jim Clark Cindy Gere Mike Jones Elizabeth "Lit" Kurtz Glen Page Ken Parks Philip Spink Shawn Swoffer 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 Jane Atkins Jessi Averill Zachary Dortzbach Luiza Duarte Caetano Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Robert Klingler Ruben Mauricio Emily Paras Liem Swanson 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, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, LISTEN TO A STORY + 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
JANUARY 26, 2024 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR Being a vendor Being a vendor selling GroundSHAWN SWOFFER Groundcover vendor No. 574 cover News can be easy sometimes and hard sometimes. It’s rewarding that you are making a difference in your life and the lives of others similar to yourself. It’s really teaching others what the homeless life is like, as well as giving people like me a way to earn income and someday not be homeless. Although there's no promise that being a vendor alone will end homelessness, through effort and hard work you can leave the streets. You can have regular customers who look for you and only buy from you. Also, it makes me proud to earn every dollar. I even came up with a selling speech. I work very hard, never staying on one corner or block. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3 Hosea Hill, Groundcover vendor No. 532 In one sentence, who are you? Productive and fun guy who has faith and walks with God’s plan. Where do you usually sell Groundcover News? Main and Liberty area in Ann Arbor or downtown and Depot Town in Ypsilanti. What is your favorite spot in Ann Arbor? Although I like going to football games at the Big House, eating at Detroit Pizza Pub, and shopping at Unique T-Shirt Shop, my favorite spot is my apartment. What words do you live by? Keep your nose clean. What is something about you that someone on the street wouldn’t know? My shoe size is 9.5. What motivates you to work selling Groundcover News? The social side and of course the money! What is the best or worst thing about selling Groundcover? Worst is freezing weather. What was your first job? I remember being five years old, working for my Grandpa at his Subway in Detroit on the west side; but legally my first job was McDonald’s. What are your hobbies? These are growing and changing. For example, I want to go ice skating. But my go-to has always been playing some hoops! Just saying hi Hi, I’m Glen vendor number 407. I’m the quiet friendly guy on the corner in front of Fleet Feet and Cinnaholic, or sometimes in front of the Ypsi Food Coop. For the most part folks are quiet, constantly polite and neighborly to me everytime I show up. This is my way of saying “Hi” and "thanks" in a way that I can cover everyone at the same time. I’m letting my newspaper sell itself. Hey, y'all! What’s up!? It's very impolite to walk up and not say something or ignore someone who has greeted you. I can remember when that sort of thing was unheard of! Anyway, my point is this: I don't panhandle! I sell the Groundcover News newspaper and magazine. I’m not trying to give you, my customers, a bunch of lies and B.S. No magic tricks, no aggressive panhandling, no guilt trips. Whether I have that behavior in anyone else on or near or around my post anytime. You see, coming to work the way I do, I don’t support any of the lies or stories. I just be myself. No fronts, no masks, no smoke, no mirrors! I will never approach anyone with GLEN PAGE Groundcover vendor No. 407 my vest on or not, my job is to stand out for just saying “hi” and selling just Groundcover News. Always being polite, always smiling. So, hey, what’s up!? How you doing? It’s all organic, simple and plain remembering of the rules. I will never come to a post high or drunk. I will never behave loudly or rudely. I will never be seen or caught doing anything illegal or supporting aggressive body language, intimidation or any disrespectful tones of any kind, at any time. Service with a genuine smile, always. I promise. If I’m having a bad day I will quit for the day, rather than take people through my personal whatevers. And that right there is what I call the “Glen Page No B.S. Policy.” With that being said, I think we got the ground completely covered. Remember my name: Glen Page Groundcover vendor No. 407. And feel free to ask, “Hi, how are you, Glen” — or better yet, my nickname, “Mr. Grundy!” What do we do now? Vote for West! A vote is earned, not given! As of now, President Joe Biden has potentially lost millions of votes in the upcoming election in November. His support and backing of Israel leave millions of Americans with no other option but independent candidate Professor Cornel West. Who is Cornel West? Dr. Cornel West is running for truth and justice as President of the United States in 2024. Dr. West was born on June 2, 1953, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up in Sacramento, Calif., where he graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. His mother, Irene Rayshell (Bias), was a teacher and principal. His father, Clilfton Louis West Jr., was a general contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense. “Democracy Matters” and his memoir, “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud.” In the academic world, Dr. West is MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 West received his bachelor’s degree in Eastern Languages and Civilization from Harvard, then attended Princeton where he earned his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Philosophy. He is best known for his classic writings, “Race Matters,” and simply a rock star. Well-known for oratory skills, he is an outspoken voice in left-wing politics in the United States. He has held professorships at Harvard University, Yale University, Union Theological Seminary, Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Pepperdine University and the University of Paris. Dr. West announced his presidential campaign on June 5, 2023 as a People’s Party candidate, via Twitter (X) where he called for “truth and justice” and pledged to use the presidency to accomplish that.
4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS SHELTER JANUARY 26, 2024 Ann Arbor District Library shuts its doors on the unhoused prior to the MLK holiday Far from closing its doors during the first storm of the season, one would have expected the Ann Arbor District Library to offer a respite, a warming center for those at risk of being exposed to the elements during the threatening weather. Instead, it displayed glaring unconcern and seemed oblivious to the crisis of the unhoused. Closing its doors during this critical time serves as a statement shedding light on the library's stance and role in the homeless crisis. While the library is not the only location that could have opened its doors, it is significant because, like many libraries across the country, it serves as an unofficial day center for those without housing. Without a doubt, libraries are on the frontlines of the unhoused. How they respond to their role varies. American Library Association president Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Ozado reminds us, “… library services and facilities are for everyone, the housed and unhoused ...” Without question, the unhoused person has come to rely on the libraries to escape the elements during the day safely. Official or not, it is a day center. So when the Ann Arbor District Library announced that it would close its doors where he would wait out the impending storm. It bore an eerie juxtaposition to the enlarged snapshot of Dr. King’s image hanging inside a library stairwell. In the Lego-created image donated LIT KURTZ Groundcover vendor No. 159 early at 3 p.m. on the day of the season’s first storm, it felt like a hoax. The decision resulted in many unhoused people being left on the street searching for a place to be, walking through the thick drops of falling snow during the intervening hours before the night warming center would open its doors at 5:30 p.m. Most could not use restaurants; purchasing food requires money that most unhoused individuals lack. Some people sat inside Starbucks where the water was free. But perhaps the most jarring image was of a man sitting just outside the locked doors of Ann Arbor District Library, legs outstretched, back serenely resting on a library column to the library by Eastern Michigan University biology professor Aaron Liepman, Dr. King is forever frozen in time, arms interlocked with other justice warriors in a perpetual march towards justice and freedom. It offers library-goers hope and a glimpse of history as they climb the library stairs between the first and second floors. The library website says that Liepman used over 16,000 handpainted Lego bricks to create the 90 x 40 image, inspired by a photo of the Selma to Montgomery March. It reveals how quickly one crisis is supplanted with another and how the dynamic of racial injustice is far from being the only fight of our times. It shows the timeless nature of persistence and that the struggle for humanitarian rights is as present in this generation as ever. The symbolism is also a powerful reminder that the march for freedom is not stagnant and that the spirit of Dr. King's fight to ensure freedom for all is eternal. However, the library closing during the winter storm cast a shadow over the planned events for the holiday celebrating Dr. King's legacy. While the scheduled events for MLK Day still transpired, it was clear that the library was out of sync, even oblivious to the injustices facing the unhoused. There were two live streams at the library on that day. One, the retelling of the Selma to Montgomery march. Another was hosted by Veterans for Peace, where veterans considered what Dr. King’s view on militarism would be today. There were several suggested videos on Dr. King’s life. But the journey to freedom is much more than a set of perfectly planned events for a holiday. Nor can it be confined to one time period and certainly not one set of people. It continues throughout the decades, challenging and overcoming all the injustices that seek to bind the human spirit. The Ann Arbor District Library may not be in step with the injustices of the unhoused, but like the image in its stairwell, Dr. King’s march towards freedom includes all people and will forever be in motion. “Go where?” Camps evicted on private and public land during winter storm Monday, January 8, a notice was stuck to Mikey’s tent. It read: “Important Notice: Your Property Manager/Landlord/Mortgage Company requested and was granted an ‘Order of Eviction’ by the District Court listed on the attached official order of eviction. Be advised that you and your possessions can be evicted (removed) from the rented/mortgaged space 24 hours after this posting/service…” 24 hours. 24 hours to relocate five campers, three dogs and all their belongings in the middle of winter and at the front end of a 10-day polar vortex. The added threat of a bulldozer coming early in the morning made the situation that much worse. Christie and Mooch were less than seven days away from moving into their housing. Krystal is still recovering from being hit by a car while biking not even 200 feet from this campsite in Ypsilanti. Mikey relocated his camp to a new area, but that was also tagged Public land gives no graces Friday, January 12, at a different camp — this time one that is located on Ypsilanti City property — a “No Trespassing” sign was erected. Five people arrived at Marie's tent (not her real name) to inform her she needed to move. “Nobody formally identified themLINDSAY CALKA Publisher midway through the move. Their camp was taken to court by property and business owner Joe Sesi. No matter how morally wrong the situation might seem, the campers were not granted permission to be there, and so the courts ordered their removal. Property rules. The bulldozers still haven't come; the only urgency was that Sesi wanted them gone. The property has been sitting vacant for 11 years. selves. It could have been people playing dress-up. It could have been anyone. A group of people just showed up at my tent door telling me I had to move; hours before the snowstorm hit,” Marie said. Two PATH [Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness] workers, one cop, and two city employees were there just to put up the sign. This was the first in-person contact Marie had with PATH since the first time she called HAWC in the last week of November. “Where were they when I needed them?” she wondered. “They came and said I was on City property and I needed to move the tent and that other people [neighbors] were also being asked to move. They asked see EVICTED page 11 "No Trespassing" signed erected at an encampment in Ypsilanti by City staff on January 12.
JANUARY 26, 2024 SHELTER 911! Weather Amnesty at Purple House needs volunteers There is a difference between being “unhoused” and “homeless.” Not having a house means not having a reliable, safe overnight place to sleep; it means that you are unsheltered. But the definition of “home” goes beyond “house.” Home is “a place where one is a member of a family or household.” In other words, a family of blood or bond. Ergo, to be homeless means that you have nowhere to belong; no one waiting for you to be there with them, no one wondering where you are. Homeless shelters and similar programs are able to meet the human need for food and overnight shelter, although unfortunately they do not always offer “safety.” They are also not able to, nor even designed to, provide a place where someone feels important to someone else. Having that need met, the need to love and be loved, is essential to survive and be healthy. The brain’s reliance on positive healthy relationships for proper functioning is an (emerging) neuroscientific fact. People need to have more than a house, they need a proper home environment in order to flourish, not just food and shelter. Weather Amnesty at Purple House strives to provide that home, even if it is for just one night. Weather Amnesty offers a safe, warm, loving place for up to ten individuals to sleep. The program runs from December 15 to the end of March. Guests who need the hospitality call in to reserve a cot and, JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 in general, may arrive between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Guests may take showers, share a meal, and use the washers and dryers before 10 p.m. Weather Amnesty needs volunteers! Food is available and guests and hosts (volunteer staff) are encouraged to share laughter, experience, hope and a culture of closeness. The experience comes from the volunteers who have helped Weather Amnesty prevent cold-exposure deaths for four years running now. Some of the volunteers have been homeless themselves and are able to offer their knowledge and support. There are no drugs or alcohol allowed on the property known as Jimmy Hill House, or colloquially, the Purple House. Both the Weather Amnesty program and the Purple House are owned and operated by the homelessness advocacy nonprofit known as MISSION (Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity). The most important feature of Weather Amnesty is its management style, focused on forging relationships. There are strict rules, as are necessary in intense situations, but what ultimately keeps things calm and orderly is the relationship that the hosts have with the guests. Hosts and guests watch TV together, talk, play games and keep each other company. Volunteer hosts are trained in administering Narcan and using de-escalation techniques, and new volunteers are paired with experienced ones. Many hosts help the guests with other problems, almost like case-workers. Many become close friends (guests and hosts alike) and remain so after the season ends in April. Currently, Weather Amnesty operates four days a week. They would love to be open seven days, but are short on volunteers. (At the time of this writing, a polar vortex is approaching Michigan.) Weather Amnesty is at capacity the four nights they are open and the skeleton crew of hosts is at capacity for volunteering. Given the impending weather, the need for shelter has become higher (some folks who are tent dwellers may not be outfitted for extreme cold). There will also be a potential shortage of the staff that are available due to the snow and ice. If you can spare a night to help Weather Amnesty keep the lights on, please contact Rose Marcum Raugh @ 734-945-7825. Even just one night of volunteering could literally save people’s lives! GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5 Alexandra Granberg (volunteer) and Patty (guest) share a cup of tea and company at Purple House. The temperature was 6 degrees that night.
6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VENDOR VOICES My story and struggles on the street ROBERTO ISLA CABALLERO Groundcover vendor No. 347 I have too many things in my head. I need to start writing them down. About a month ago, at 1:30 a.m., somebody tried to assault me at the corner of Washington and Main Street. They looked white, maybe 6 feet tall, maybe about 200 pounds. I took out my knife and they ran like crazy. I waited; I stayed up all night and couldn’t sleep anymore because I thought they might come back. Later, two weeks ago, I had forgotten about them and I fell asleep. That night, I forgot to put my things in my shopping cart. Somebody walked by and they took my things. They stole my tablet, my phone and many of my important belongings. Later, a guy came and tried to sell me my tablet for $20. I told him, “This is my tablet, why are you trying to sell me my tablet?” So he asked if I had the code to unlock the screen, and I said yes. He asked for the code and I refused to give it to him, I said, “This is my tablet.” Leon, Groundcover vendor No. 500, found the bag where I kept all my cables and my portable charger. I asked him if he had seen my tablet and my phone and he said he looked for it, but couldn’t find it. My case worker gave me another phone, but I still don’t have my tablet. I used it to listen to music. If a person needs something, they can just ask. If someone asks me: “Cuba, amigo, do you have a cigarette?” I usually give it to them. Sometimes I say no because I need to sell papers to buy my cigarettes. But it’s different when someone asks. You don’t need to steal, just ask. Some people say “Cuba, why are you not looking for real work?” I will explain. I went to Detroit one time and they gave me my I94 identification [that displays my photo and alien number]. I walked all the way there, it took me five days. Before COVID, I went to Chicago. The police caught me there and took me to ICE. ICE took me to a detention center in Kankakee, Illinois. They took all my papers: my green card, my social security card, everything. The police work with ICE. I stayed there for four months, from October 2018 to February 2019. Later, they took me to downtown Chicago for two or three days and tried to blackmail me. They said, “You need to sign your deportation.” I said OK, but they didn’t send me back to Cuba; they just told me to go home. Except that they took all my documents and then they froze my retirement, so now I can’t retire. If I apply for retirement now, I lose everything that I have. The social security administration works with the police and with ICE, so I can’t go back to them because I signed the deportation back in Chicago. So I came back to Ann Arbor to sell Groundcover. Now I’m on the streets and Groundcover News is my job. I can’t have another job because I don’t have any papers and can’t get my papers back. I see so much shit everyday on my corner. I don’t discriminate against any types of people. But I see lots of “PDA” all around downtown Ann Arbor. Kissing, hugging, holding hands, around kids and families. I tell people, if you want to do all that, please do that in private. If you’re hot, take a shower! I came to America in 1980. At the time, Fidel Castro told Cubans that they had the freedom to leave the country if they wanted to, and U.S. president Jimmy Carter said “Welcome!” 125,000 Cubans came to the United States then. In May, I will have been here for 44 years. In this country, there’s so many people with drug addictions, and so many homeless people. I asked my friend Lindsay, “When you went to Cuba, did you see anyone like this?” She said, “No.” So why are there so many people like this here? When Susan Beckett interviewed me and took my picture in 2016 for the cover of Groundcover News, no matter the weather, I worked 10 hours a day selling the paper. I have no family now. I’m waiting for housing, but it’s a long wait. Luiza and Lindsay try to help me, but in this country I have no papers and so I have no rights. Now, I’m 65 and have no retirement. I’ve worked my whole life. I want people to know that the police work with ICE, and I want everybody to think about the humans they see everyday. Finito. JANUARY 26, 2024 Caballero wearing a pin that states, "Groundcover News, this is my job!" It could happen to you I couldn't believe I was homeless. One minute I was in a home, next minute I was on the streets. Me and my girlfriend was on the streets for two years without assistance from anyone — including agencies. Without anyone trying to help us, people had made fun of us. We got sick being on the streets. We even had people say that we're monkeys in a zoo cage. It was hard to move at all; we were walking around looking homeless. I was disabled, using a walker, and I would have to pack all my things up and put them on my walker and push it everyday, all through the day and night, no rest. We had places like 7-Eleven and people from the streets giving us money; it was embarrassing but we had no choice. We were grateful for having 7-Eleven feed us. We had actually had a lot of people who offered their homes, but they always had bad intentions. When we were sleeping at a church they were homophobic. The church claimed they were open to all but they really weren't. It was all just for show and nothing else. We JOCELIN BOYD Groundcover vendor No. 85 were the only gay couple there; they treated single men as kings compared to us. Also, racism is real, no matter if you're homeless or poor. Never say never because you don't know when it's going to happen to you. I pray over all my people who are homeless, that they can get housing. I see a lot of abandoned houses just sitting there, thinking they can use these houses for the homeless. And what's really bad about it is we have elders on the streets who are homeless who need help and it's so sad to see them homeless. We try to all stick together. What’s even crazier was the homeless stealing from the homeless. That was a real big issue to me and I thought I should share this. It has to stop. We have to help our community to help these people. I finally got my apartment after two years on the streets and I live in a really nice apartment. The craziest thing about it is I had assistance — no bad credit, my credit was excellent. I had no felonies. But I was still on the streets. All these good things about me did not stop me from being unhoused. We had to wait for two years before we got housing. People that work for Section 8 need to take time out and start putting some people in front of other people who don't have housing — the elders out here, dying on the streets, getting robbed on the streets. If it wasn't for me and my partner being together I wouldn't know what to do all by myself. Well I hope you guys know that next time you see someone homeless, please help them, communicate with them. Because one day, you never know, it could happen to you.
JANUARY 26, 2024 VENDOR VOICES Undercover art intel: Rose Marcum Raugh Rose Marcum Raugh is one of the most influential homeless activists we have in Ann Arbor. When this powerhouse woman-warrior decides to do something she gets it done for everyone. The greatest teacher is personal experience, and Rose for many years was homeless as well. She came out of a military background with four years in the Navy. Military training sets many on a path to make a real difference for society. Being a vet helps out as well in helping other veterans get the connection to services and help they need. Rose discovered she had a real talent in art in an elective art class in high school. Art also became a therapy while she was going through homelessness. She told me it helped her focus on art instead of what she was dealing with at the time. I remember Rose sitting in the Delonis cafeteria and creating elaborate bead works for the public to buy. She told me, “I found rocks and wire, then I would wire wrap them to make jewelry. I would find rocks on the bank of the Huron River and in places like Crazy Wisdom. I used old telephone wire to create the art. It took days to make — that is why the price is so huge.” When Rose became housed, her art style changed and she started to make landscape paintings and landscape sculptures. My personal favorite is the fun gnome home she created with the relatively huge tree stump. Inside there is a small table, chair, bed and fireplace. She told me, “Miniatures are so fun to make. I get so many compliments on them.” Rose became homeless in 2011. She quickly saw many things that needed to change and set it upon herself to do so. She recounted, “It was in 2012 I started to get more involved with the Daytime Warming Center during the winter months. This gave me a foot in the door.” It was at the Journey of Faith Church CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 that Rose saw real potential as the church needed to do outreach work for the community. It all came together when the church asked Rose to do a six month internship in 2017 and 2018. Then in 2019 the Art on a Journey Gallery officially opened in April. The six participating artists all had different kinds of art forms to display: photographs to clay to paintings. Then the 2020 lockdown occurred and the Journey of Faith mission changed overnight from “come get a shower, clothes and meal” to “food pantry and donations bags for the public.” The new and improved Art on a Journey is going to be about the homeless community directly. The vision is about teaching art to homeless people and giving them real art space to make art for the public; opening it up for classes and providing a gallery in a public space for amazing shows and selling art to the public. There will even be an open cafe for the homeless and art gallery in the same space. This new idea is a place for quiet and a place to get off the street and feel safe. As an artist myself, I feel there is a hidden artist in each and every one of us wanting to break out and do art. Rose has come a long way from the first steps of homelessness to being the president of M.I.S.S.I.O.N. Rose became Vice President in 2020; this led her to being President today. She has been a true, fearless leader and activist for all GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7 Rose Marcum Raugh at her desk located in the Art on a Journey Gallery at Journey of Faith Church. of us to look up to. I say if one person can make such a huge difference in our small community so can each and every one of us. It only takes that one step and, like Rose, changes will happen. The art gallery is slowly becoming a new reality. I personally see this summer a new grand opening happening. As always, there is a limited amount of funding for large ideas. For the project Rose is making, she is writing grants proposals. Let’s all come together as the Ann Arbor community and lend support — if it be financial or donations of art supplies such as acrylics, oils, paint brushes, drawing paper, markers or pencils sets for artists. Canvases, tabletop vessels, brush holders, oil pastels, smoke tarps, glue, construction paper, old magazines, cartons, old bits of cloth, gesso paint and any other art supplies help, too. We are an artist community. From the Art Fair to the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow and U-M School of Art and Design, art is in Ann Arbor to stay. Let's not let 2020 rule us and shut us out and down. Let us break all the barriers and make our city even bigger, even better for each and every one of us here.
8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS THINK ABOUT IT Sharing the commons How to discover the commons and share your findings is the quest of a lifetime. Fortunately we have many mentors and comrades in this struggle. Rev. Lucius Walker is one of mine, even after his death on Labor Day in 2010. As one of the ancestors, his presence can be felt by all those who have a relationship with him. He and Martin Luther King are in my pantheon of spiritual friends who point the way to the greatest of all commons, the unconditional love which we sing about in such songs as “Solidarity Forever.” Lucius founded “Pastors For Peace” from a hospital bed in Nicaragua as part of his healing from a bullet wound he got from the contra terrorists, who got weapons and money from the Reagan administration. “I know exactly who paid for that bullet,” said Lucius, who then founded PFP. Right now they are promoting a webinar on the case South Africa is bringing to the International Criminal Court of Justice which charges Israel with genocide in Palestine. Their first projects were caravans of humanitarian aid to victims of U.S. foreign policy, beginning with Nicaraugua, El Salvador, Guatemala, then Cuba and Chiapas, Mexico. KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 Martin and Lucius knew about each other but never met because they were busy working on different fronts of the same struggle for peace and freedom. On MLK Day in both 2023 and 2024, folks met at the Ann Arbor Commons to share our dreams of freedom, peace and justice. Due to the cold this year we met in the library which is always kin to the commons. We share in the transformation of our lives as we learn who we are in our everyday lives as citizens of a challenging experiment in democracy. When we discover our natural flow, we will participate in creating the democracy that is life-friendly. When we hold the truth to be self-evident we take the leap of faith that makes reality a workable situation. We can promote the truth of unconditional love with mindfulness training. After my 40 years in this process I regularly start over, as masters of the path point out something such as distinguishing attention from awareness as we work with the breath as an object of meditation. Groundcover is working with Karuna Buddhist Center to do a mindfulness workshop which I hope grows into a regular event as people develop some ability to experience authenticity in everyday life. “Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free” is the song now playing in my mind. Look at the open house for Karuna and dance party for Groundcover, details in this issue on page 6 and 12, respectively. The world can easily be experienced as chaotic and overwhelming. A simple breath can make a big difference and I use this method many times everyday. Got writer’s block? Take a breath and see what arises. Learn discriminating awareness for the appearances in the theater of your mind. Some are to be cultivated, others composted on the spot. Practice makes perfect as Tom Stephens demonstrates in his karate classes and street smarts at the peace vigils on Fridays, 5:30 p.m. at Liberty and Fifth. The convergence we are in is heading for a critical mass as we stay focused on simple discipline and persevere. If you are in the Michigan Union, look for the MLK quote in the first floor lobby. “Students have a responsibility to participate in the movement.” Intellectual work is important. Scholar Timothy Snyder has specialized on the Holocaust and mass killings with a focus on Eastern Europe. His book, ”The Road To Unfreedom,” is worthy of critical reflection as we bring past, present and future into our experience of the history we are making. “All the world’s a stage.” My own local and global activity has moved from Cuba to Brazil. The Cuban diaspora includes family connections in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and an invitation to live there with Daniela and Santiago Alberto is the latest episode of my life adventure. Everything is a step at a time and subject to change with the next step as the dance of authenticity plays on. We practice breathing together from earth to sky wherever we are. Michigan is in our heart with Cuba and now Brazil as we make our home on this earth. May all beings benefit. JANUARY 26, 2024
JANUARY 26, 2024 PUZZLES 1 14 17 20 23 25 32 36 40 43 44 47 50 56 59 62 51 52 57 60 63 58 61 64 45 48 49 53 54 55 37 41 46 26 27 33 34 38 42 39 28 21 3 4 5 6 7 8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS CROSSWORD from the International Network of Street Papers 2 9 15 18 22 24 29 35 30 31 16 19 10 11 12 13 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 past monthly issues. • 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 please email contact@groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website. ACROSS 1. Netting 5. Beer quantity 9. Small part in a movie 14. Trade show 15. Killer whale 16. Eyeball benders 17. Appear 18. Back 19. Bullion unit 20. Suitability 23. Iranian coins 24. Floral necklace 25. "Peanuts" creator 28. Finely woven fabric used for sheets 32. Aussie "bear" 33. Sandler of "Big Daddy" 35. Escape 36. Policy favoring governmental interference in economic affairs 40. Six-sided game piece 41. Historic periods 42. Sheriff's gang 43. Unattractively thin 46. Adviser 47. Bleat 48. Cognizant 50. Style of coat with overlap at the front 56. Chip dip 57. Reclined 58. Fertilizer ingredient 59. Whines 60. On the open water 61. Grass stem 62. Embarrass 63. Geek 64. Shell competitor DOWN 1. ___ Verde National Park 2. Board member, for short 3. Blueprint detail, for short 4. Local self-government 5. Spanish conquistador 6. "He's ___ nowhere man" (Beatles lyric) 7. Picket line crossers 8. Nobleman 9. Word inventor 10. Experiencing a suspension of breathing 11. Periodicals, informally 12. Love god 13. His "4" was retired 21. Pertaining to hair 22. Fragrant resin 25. Tire marks 26. Shaped like a volcano 27. Bigot 28. Taps 29. Select group 30. Catch, in a way 31. Old Eurasian wheat with bearded ears 33. Ethereal, in poetry 34. Genetic material 37. Corrupt 38. "La Boheme," e.g. 39. Unrivaled 44. Violations 45. Ohio River tributary 46. Female follower of Bacchus 48. Belittle 49. Drier, as humor 50. Slap on 51. Spanish stewpot 52. Brio 53. Genuine 54. Congers 55. River barriers 56. Place to get a massage
10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VENDOR WEEK dear GROUNDCOVER VENDORS, Shoutout Gary Leverett, Mike Jones, and Joe Woods!! Appreciate your good energy and always so good seeing you on the street. Dear Shelley, your generosity and positivity, even when facing hardships and disease, are truly inspiring. You've got legions rooting for you! Love the artwork of James Manning. Big shoutout to Mike Jones! Always so good to see you walkin through the door at the Daytime Warming Center in between selling papers because I know we're going to have some great conversations. Much love to vendor No. 113. If I'm being completely honest, my favorite thing about the Old Town Tavern is the $5 cheap can and a well (I think it might be $6 now...). But my next favorite thing is getting a paper from Tony! Always good to see you and hear some wild stories from selling Groundcover. I love seeing Groundcover Vendors selling papers. I always look forward to the opportunity to talk with them. I'm grateful for the work that they do and I'm always better for having had the conversation. Keep up the good work! You guys are amazing and a valuable part of the Ann Arbor community!! It's always a pleasure to run into Teresa and her pup on my walks to class. She writes great poems, too! Terri — I’m rooting for you to get help with your health and continue to contribute to Groundcover! Ken Parks and Alexandra Granberg Amanda Gale - Wayne is the thespian we didn’t know we were missing at Groundcover! Thank you for being our spokesperson in front of the CTN camera! You have a great calming presence and shared from your heart — bravo! Hailu is a pillar to the Groundcover family. Your care PUZZLE SOLUTIONS M E S H C A S E C A M E O E X P O O R C A O P A R T S E E M R E A R I N G O T A C C E P T A B L E N E S S R I E L S L E I S C H U L Z K O A L A D I E A D A M S C R A W N Y B A A S A L S A P U L E S P E R C A L E L A M I N T E R V E N T I O N I S M E R A S P O S S E M E N T O R A W A R E D O U B L E B R E A S T E D L A I N U R E A A S E A C U L M A B A S H N E R D H E S S Lit, always hustling and sharing your endless insights, while making people feel included. Always happy when I get to see you! Best smile always goes to Derek! You warm up our hearts, especially in the bitter cold months. Gracias Roberto para compartir comida, regalos y tu creatividad con nosotros. Every time I talk with Denise she reminds me how hopeful and happy our outlook on life can be. Shout out to the time Amanda and Cindy sang for us all at Groundcover Speaks open mic. Appreciate how confident you both are! Ken, your wisdom as you conquer the problems presented by aging is an inspiration. Lit Kurtz and Joe Woods and attention to the paper and how you amplify it to the community is truly invaluable. Thank you for all your years of commitment and hard work. Glen, always grateful to have your honest perspective on things, in the office and paper. Knowing you’re getting more involved in peer support work outside of Groundcover is an affirmation of who you are. Like you say, you landed in the right place with the right people around you. Shout out to Shawn S. for finding your stride selling papers again. Your drive and patience to try out new sales spots is notable. Hang in there as you keep figuring it out. Glad to have you back! Appreciation to Tabitha & Sean. You both have come so far in the last couple of years. Excited for you to be raising your daughters together — the next generation of amazing kids in our community. Nichols Arcade wouldn’t be what it is if Juliano wasn’t selling there! Never stop sharing your philosophical insights with us. Miss you Hal. The office is quieter without your swoonful singing of oldies from the 50s and 60s. Miss you too Gary R. You had a bit of a jokester character about you — made me chuckle from time to time. What would Groundcover do if we didn’t have Will S. reminding us of the moments in history we should not forget. Your articles are informative and timely — thank you for always being a teacher to us. Pony, Pony, Pony! You’re one of the best-dressed sports fans there are! Appreciate all the times I’ve caught up with you outside the downtown library. Look forward to the next time we catch-up there! Pony Bush JANUARY 26, 2024 I appreciate how friendly and nice you all are. I have asked for the time or directions on occasion and you've gone beyond the call of duty to help me out. I also appreciate your pride in what you do and in what you write in your newspaper. Congratulations on doing something important for our community! love,YOUR CUSTOMERS!
JANUARY 26, 2024 POETRY Thee one TERESA BASHAM Groundcover vendor No. 570 You will alwayz be, My sweet love, You’ll alwayz have my heart, You’re thee perfect one for me, You’re thee one I think of, You’re thee one I depend on, I never want ta part, I know we’re not wrong, We belong together, My love for you, Izz so strong, I belong to you. GROUNDCOVER NEWS What many homeless people seem to know more than most others PHILIP SPINK Groundcover contributor If you want to be a spirit Of grace despite angers burning within, Of dignity despite attacks of oppressors Or slights of degredators; You should gather up Every seed, and blossom, and wingbeat of love That have ever given strength to your spirit, And with them turn yourself into a tower Of light above hate, To make hate small and withering. To rise kindly towards the true right Let your love become a power, But of a very gentle nature; By seeing no hater as your enemy, But rather hate itself. Thus you make the noble judgment, Contending against all horrors of profound violence, That if you in a fury take out an eye for any eye, This will never truly heal you, But rather cut out along with another’s hated eye Some gentle part of your own heart. EVICTED from page 4 me if I knew where any other camps were — asking me to tattle on other camps. “PATH told me they would help me move; they gave me their number and told me they would call. The police officer told me it would eventually come to bulldozing. I appreciate them not giving me an official ticket; the sign is ridiculous, though. “PATH came again to my tent the next Tuesday morning; they offered to give me a ride somewhere else. I couldn’t go with them at the time; I was uncomfortable with the idea of moving. I didn’t want to ride in the car of someone I didn’t know. And where else would they put me?” Truly, it's a catch-22. When it comes to land for survival camping in Washtenaw County, everything is spoken for. It's all either private or public. Earlier that same day, another camp on Ypsilanti City property was issued a verbal warning of a looming sweep in a similar fashion. It is home to three people who had occupied the space since June 2023. Mark, a resident there, met the police at his tent door. “He asked me for an ID and who was in my tent. They told me I had until Monday to move. My first thought was, ‘Are you crazy? Go where?’ Our spot is low-key. We’re way off the road, we’ve never seen anyone pass us. They wait until it's below zero, and tell us we have to move our spot. We don’t have anywhere to go.” Mixed signals Tuesday January 16, affected campers and members of Washtenaw Camp Outreach attended Ypsilanti City Council to speak out against the recent winter sweeps. More activists went to the Washtenaw Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, January 17 to convey the same message. “Stop the sweeps. People need a safe place to have their camp set up that's not going to be threatened with eviction. City property should be that place people can go …The city has a responsibility to do something. For the police, for PATH, for the city to spend their time evicting someone is inhumane. The tents are iced to the ground,” said LK, WCO organizer, addressing Council. Marie reminded Council, “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing to get rehoused. I’m working with all the agencies I can be.” The Ypsilanti Police Chief denied issuing these notices, and Ypsilanti City Council members claimed to not know anything about it. Washtenaw County Commissioner Annie Sommerville offered to mobilize funds to pay for hotel rooms for the displaced campers (and did). Marie recounted, “I talked to the Police Chief, I talked to Councilmembers, and they told me they weren’t going to sweep. It’s confusing ... I see flags, fences, tape everywhere. I don’t know what it means. “I dread the unknown. You just sit in your tent and wait for someone to come ... That’s traumatizing for me. Now I’m living in fear. “I think there is room for improvement in the way we interact. I don’t want to point fingers at anyone, I know there is tension. I think this is an opportunity to improve these interactions. I hope we can grow. That’s important to me.” More than just a warning The threat of a camp sweep still causes harm, even if not immediately enforced, as in the case of Marie, Mark and Mikey’s campsites. Unwelcome encounters with police or government officials can be traumatic, especially after experiencing homelessness for some time. “I’ve been attacked for no reason before. I’ve stayed in hotels, motels and lived in my car wrongfully attacked by law enforcement. In the last year and a half I’ve had so much law enforcement contact. Starting when I was ripped from my home. My stories aren’t that different from others. In fact, I’ve been fortunate,” said Marie. The campers affected by these sweeps choose not to enter into winter sheltering programs hosted by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County for a variety of legitimate reasons. Campsite locations are chosen based on proximity to employment, resources, water and other survival needs, bus routes and more. Campsite set-up involves tents, tarps, supplies, often natural materials and are arranged with care and intention. Threats of eviction — even if they are misinformed or premature — displace people even further. They are as deeply harmful as an eviction from an apartment or house. LK from Washtenaw Camp Outreach reflected in an interview that camps are swept on both private property and on City of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor [public] property throughout the year in this way. She recognizes that most campers do not want to fight back because it inevitably causes further exposure to police and the courts. The community fight for these campers’ right to shelter as they choose has been waged through survival programs, fundraising for emergency hotel stays and mutual aid efforts. The acute inhumanity of these recent sweeps during the January polar vortex motivated direct action from the community, ultimately winning their short term demand for the City of Ypsilanti to "Stop the sweeps." But the fight doesn't look like its stopping here. These campers understand their right to shelter and their right to housing. It's time for the County, the City and land owners to get on board. 11
12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Shakshuka ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingredients: 5 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 4 finely minced garlic cloves 2 t. paprika (I like smoked) 1 t. cumin ¼ t. cayenne 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes 6 large eggs Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro ½ cup fresh chopped parsley Crumbled feta cheese (optional) Directions: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add the chopped red pepper and onion and cook for six to seven minutes until the onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook for an additional minute. Pour tomatoes with the juice into the JANUARY 26, 2024 pan and break down tomatoes with a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Use the spoon to make wells in the sauce, crack one egg into each well. Cover the pan with lid and cook eggs for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped cilantro and parsley. Serve warm. with crumbled feta cheese. This easy, delicious North African and Middle Eastern dish takes less than 30 minutes to make and is perfect for any meal. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND 102 S. First Ave 6:30-9:00PM NO COVER Groundcover merchandise for purchase and art up for auction ALL PROCEEDS GO TO SUPPORTING GROUNDCOVER NEWS FUNDRAISER @ LIVE MUSIC BY
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