JULY 11, 2025 COMMUNITY People in the neighborhood: Goochie legal action and Goochie was evicted. He tried to fight it but it came down to the police’s word over his. When I asked him how long he was homeless after the eviction he said “a few years.” “Can you talk about that?” I asked. Goochie replied, “Yeah, it was JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 This is Goochie’s story. Goochie’s full name is Terril Tamon Cotton II. He is a Southside Ypsilanti native whose purlieu is the streets of downtown Ypsilanti. I asked Goochie how he got his nickname. “My cousins gave it to me when I was little; they used to tickle me and be like goochie goochie goo!” he reminisced. Goochie was born with Spina Bifida which is a hole in his spinal cord. They told his mother he would not live past three years and the doctors said he was supposed to die a long time ago. “But,” he declared, “I'm still here.” He was born in 1983 at the University of Michigan hospital. Goochie attended West Middle School, Estabrook Elementary and graduated from Ypsilanti High School in 2001. I asked him if he went to college. He replied that he went to Wayne Community College for a few classes but had a hard time writing long papers. “I felt like it wasn’t for me,” he said. “They did give me a job in the office. I answered the phone. It was my first job ever.” I asked him if he could learn anything from college without having to write papers, what would it be? Goochie answered, “I would like to study business management. I want to open something like a nightclub around here, something fun.” He is not sure what he would name it yet. Goochie became homeless in 2009 living in Sycamore Meadows apartments. Goochie had guests come to his apartment that ended up triggering an eviction. The man was staying with his girlfriend off the record. He was not supposed to be on the property, but Goochie didn’t know this. The apartment management took hard for me ‘cause I'm in a wheelchair and then when the winter comes I can’t get through snow so I have to wait for people to come bring me stuff, take me places, yeah it was horrible. The hotel places don’t give no deals on extended stays so you gotta pay night after night. The Harmony House doesn't give you deals. No week-to-week or month-tomonth breaks, nothing.” Goochie's popularity in the downtown sector of Ypsilanti has earned him the nickname of “the unofficial mayor of Ypsilanti.” In fact, when you see him on the streets he is surrounded by people and surrounded by love. It seems like he knows everyone. I asked him if he ever considered actually running officially. He said with a smile, “They want me to run for office, but I don't know how to start. I told everybody just show me the way and I’ll do it.” Then I said, “Great, so campaign speech time! What would you do for us as Mayor of Ypsilanti?” Goochie responded, “To be honest, there is so much to do around here. Like we need a building, a permanent building for a homeless shelter. Certain roads never get fixed, certain sidewalks never get fixed. The corner of Washtenaw and Washington, it seems like those streets never get fixed. We also need to figure out a way the community and police can combine together without being at each other’s throats. We need to figure out something for people to do during the day.” We’re at 16 S. Washington while conducting the interview. There are people attending a service in the building and Goochie and a few others are at a table under the awning. I asked him to describe the event. He replied, “The main reason everybody is here is for the FedUp Wednesday meal. So Care Based Safety comes to help out in case people need wound care or medical supplies; we’re like the medical team.” From the Care-Based Safety website: “Care-Based Safety is dedicated to acting with principle and intention. We are taking careful steps in building a community response program that brings loving, unarmed support to people directly impacted by structural violence — without police. In our planning, response, and practice we center the needs of people who are Black, Indigenous, undocumented, unhoused, LGBTQIA+, using drugs, and/or experiencing mental health struggles.” Care-Based Safety’s summer program runs June-August 2025 on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 16 S. Washington St., Ypsilanti. Goochie says that most of the community issues Care-Based Safety handles are due to drugs and alcohol. Arguing and fighting are common. He believes the answer is more community programming. After several interviews with people in the neighborhood, it became apparent that many of the area's homeless people are aware of these same problems. They admit that alcohol and drugs are a problem and that they could overcome them if they tried. But it is also known that the effort needed to get sober, get a job and get housing is tremendous and without community support, nearly hopeless. The street community is populated by adults who know what they need. The police do nothing to help. The city and county do nothing to help. The business owners, landlords, and “not-in-my-backyard” minded neighbors do absolutely nothing to help. People have been demanding a 24/7 low barrier shelter in Ypsilanti, but their voices are ignored. Meanwhile people congregate and do what they do. The business owners and landlords complain, saying they are ruining the “downtown experience.” The people who live in Ypsilanti but have no shelter are well aware of how their behavior affects things, but have no recourse. The street community would be more than happy to work with the city, the neighbors, the business owners and the cops if they would listen to what the community is asking for: to be heard, to be provided shelter, educational and recreational programming and to have police accountability. The people in the neighborhood live here too. They need a voice, they need a mayor, they need Goochie. People in the Neighborhood is a Groundcover News column that focuses on neighbors of the street community in Washtenaw County. GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Hang out in any of our five locations across town, browsing books, magazines, newspapers, and more, or check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, and home tools— you name it! Study and meeting rooms, fast and free WiFi, and plenty of places to sit and hang out Preschool Storytimes and Baby Playgroups Join our storytellers on weekdays inside the library for fun songs, stories, puppets, and movement! Visit aadl.org/storytimes to view a list of upcoming in-person storytimes and playgroups. You can also stream and download our recorded storytimes online at AADL.TV. Washtenaw Library for the Blind & Print Disabled at AADL This free service loans books, magazines, & videos in alternative formats (audiobooks, large print, braille books & magazines, and descriptive video) to individuals who are unable to read or use standard printed materials. Visit aadl.org/wlbpd/apply to apply. FEATURED EVENT 5 Saturday, July 26 • 1 PM • Veterans Memorial Park Join fellow Summer Game players and community members for a spectacular celebration of all things Summer Game! Circus performances, lawn games, ice cream, codes, and more await at our annual summer celebration.
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