2 $ JULY 26, 2024 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 16 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. MARK GIGAX #620 Who will be the new sheriff in town? Page 6. ASK YOUR VENDOR: WHAT ISSUE BRINGS YOU TO THE POLLS? GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. MICHIGAN PRIMARY IS AUGUST 6, 2024. voter information inside 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 voting INFORMATION NEXT ELECTION Tuesday, August 6: Primary election — Federal, state and local candidates, proposals Tuesday, November 5: General election VIEW PERSONALIZED VOTING INFORMATION www.vote411.org • See what's on your ballot • Check your voter registration • Find your polling place • Discover upcoming debates in your area EARLY VOTING INFORMATION Michigan voters now have the right to vote early in-person during nine (9) full days prior to every major election. To do so, voters must visit one of the Early Voting sites assigned to the city or township they live in. All sites are open from the second Saturday through the Sunday immediately prior to every major election, including on the weekends. Wondering where and when you can vote early? Look up your voter record and early voting site information at Michigan.gov/Vote WATCH CANDIDATE FORUMS League of Women Voters - Washtenaw County organized and recorded all-candidate forums for the August Primary races, including the Board of Commissioners. my.lwv.org/michigan/washtenaw-county SAFER COMMUNITIES START WITH SUPPORTING PEOPLE, NOT POLICING THEM. Kat Layton’s approach to public safety goes beyond traditional policing models. With 44% of jailed individuals reporting at least one mental health condition, and jails disproportionately affecting people of color, we need systems that don't criminalize people of color, the poor, unhoused, or mentally ill. By investing in community programs that address the root causes of crime, like mental health services, harm reduction, affordable housing, and education, we can create safer and more resilient communities without relying on police. ACTION ITEMS KAT INTENDS TO FULFILL Realign Millage Funding: Determine the true allocation of funds from the Mental Health & Public Safety Millage and redirect spending to support its original purpose, addressing underfunded programs focused on root issues. Work towards prioritizing support services over law enforcement funding. Unarmed & Non-Police Crisis Response: Leverage county funding for an data-driven, unarmed crisis response program without police involvement, while working towards providing pre-arrest diversion and deflection programs. 24/7 Shelter and Resource Center: Establish a year-round warming and cooling center for our unhoused neighbors in collaboration with the county and community organizations, with the long-term goal of developing an emergency overnight shelter. VOTE AUGUST 6 JULY 26, 2024 KAT LAYTON EQUITY-CENTERED DEMOCRAT FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER 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 Hanan Husein — intern ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Bauman Jim Clark Ramon Roberto Isla Caballero Mike Jones Jane Reilly Ken Parks Will Shakespeare Denise Shearer Wayne Sparks Philip Spink Buk'e Woyrm 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 CONTACT US PROOFREADERS Kendall Artz Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit Zachary Dortzbach Anabel Sicko VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Sim Bose Luiza Duarte Caetano Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Jacob Fallman Robert Klingler Simone Masing Anthony McCormick Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof 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 exp. 01/31/2025
JULY 26, 2024 ON MY CORNER ASK YOUR VENDOR What issue brings you to the polls? Affordable housing policy. — Mark Gigax, #620 Not issues but the elections themselves. Local elections — because local issues — are important to me. — Wayne Sparks, #615 Peace and freedom. — Ken Parks, #490 The border. — Tony Schohl, #9 People having good healthcare and housing and food and ending violence. — Denise Shearer, #485 Getting the first woman President! — Shawn Swoffer, #574 Defeating Donald Trump. — Cindy Gere, #279 Getting some sort of stability for people who have none. Not just people on the street, working families, everyone ...except the rich. — Michael Montagano, #640 While I don't think participating in America's governmental processes will yield any result that moves us towards a compassionate and evolved state, I will vote for my friends who are running because they are fighting the same fight just on a different front. — Jim Clark, #139 ICE is so racista RAMON ROBERTO ISLA CABALLERO Groundcover vendor No. 347 44 years ago, in the United States, a bastard in the state police in the state of Indiana in the county of Valparaíso used immigration control and an illegal immigrant lost all his rights when he signed a voluntary deportation. That immigrant was me. Since then, I spent many years working and now I don’t owe anything to anyone. Now I feel sick at 65 years, with no family, and the only thing I have is my job selling papers. I have no free time and own nothing; everything is given to me for free by the American government, thanks to the federal laws in this country. Still this is a racist country because of ICE. Now it’s even worse. I lost my Section 8 title because the waitlist closed and now have no more prospects for housing. If I was living in another state, and the police caught me sleeping outside, I would need to pay a $250 fine. Everyday, new, more discriminatory laws are passed. That’s why I don’t like this country anymore. Hace 44 años, en Estados Unidos, un desgraciado de la policía estatal en el estado de Indiana en el condado de Valparaíso usó el control de imigración y un ilegal perdió todos sus derechos al firmar una deportación voluntaria. Ese ilegal era yo. Después, he pasado muchos años trabajando y no tengo que darle cuenta a nadie. Ahora me siento enfermo con 65 años de edad, sin familia, y lo único que tengo es mi trabajo de vendedor de periódicos. No tengo un día libre y sin nada, todo me lo da grátis el gobierno americano. Gracias a las leyes federales de este país. Sin embargo, este es un país racista. Ahora es mucho peor. Ya no tengo mi vale de Sección 8 porque la lista de espera se cerró y así no tengo más vivienda. Si yo viviera en otro estado y la policía me atrapara durmiendo en la calle, tendría que pagar una multa de 250 dólares. A cada día, nueves leyes más discriminatorias son aprobadas. Por eso no me gusta más este país. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 3 I'll miss June and July June and July are two of my favorite months to celebrate holidays. In June, there’s Juneteenth celebrating how God and Jesus helped people be free. People also barbecue and have good food and get togethers for Juneteenth. I also like to celebrate Christmas any month I can, including the summer months. June and July are two good months to barbecue and have celebrations and have fun. I also like to send cards and get and give Christmas presents in June and July too. I like to go to places where my friends are, like Growing Hope and FedUp Ministries in Ypsilanti. I like to hang around downtown Ypsilanti and go to the church where my friends are. I like going to Bethlehem DENISE SHEARER Groundcover vendor No. 485 United Church of Christ where Groundcover is and a lot of my friends are there, too. I like to celebrate the holidays by doing artwork for my friends, too. The Ann Arbor Art Fair is in July So long, Joe! WAYNE S. Groundcover vendor No. 615 In this time of political turmoil, it is refreshing to see that there are still people around who will put their personal wants aside and will do what's best for the people! Yeah, remember us? Now with his example and heartfelt and every July I get happy and excited and try my best to make it there. The Art Fair has any type of artwork you want to see. I like the nonprofit booths where you can get things for free. I like to get food from the Art Fair and just walk around and look at the beautiful scenery and maybe see some of my friends, or maybe make some new friends if I can. One of my favorite things to do is get something cold to drink because most of the time it be so hot. The Art Fair is very fun and beautiful and relaxing. There’s a lot of interesting people and artwork. Those are the ways I like to celebrate June and July. decision we have a true patriot who showed us he didn't just talk the talk, but walked the walk. Now it is time for us to come together. We have a moment in time where we can change the narrative, where we can run political campaigns on our accomplishments, not on our opponents' failures. It's time for us to take a quick breath and take a good look at both candidates, not have them just attack one another. A time to find who has the integrity to have the light shine on them and not come up wanting. So we are saying goodbye to a person who has spent most of his adult life serving the people: Joe Biden. It would be so easy to take pot shots at both parties. I’ll follow the President of the United States — Joe Biden's — lead and see if this novel idea of doing what's best for the people resonates and catches on!
4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VOTING I remember the first time I voted and became a part of the democratic process … but why? Black Men here in the United States of America, a lot of us feel our vote doesn't matter or won’t have no-real effect on our situation here in America; in short, we are totally detached and have no faith in the democratic process. But it is projected that there will be 34.4 million eligible Black voters by election time in November 2024. Black voter turnout rates are projected to be higher than Hispanics and Asians. The first time I voted was when Barack Obama first won the presidency in 2008. The reason I voted for him was simply because of his skin color. Not because he was a Democrat or his ideas and values were in line with my own; I never thought about what type of policies he might administer. How naive I was then. Now, seventeen years later, I am much wiser. Still, I have to mention his skin color caught my attention and put me in the game of the democratic process. During Barack Obama’s presidency I started becoming detached and decided not to participate in the 2012 election.Then Trump came along in 2016 and swept the nation by storm, with it at times. This upcoming election I will be casting my vote and hope others will do the same. I met a brother in the downtown Ann Arbor area named Todd Wilson, the Michigan lead organizer and consultant of Black Men Vote. As we talked, he let me know that MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 catching everybody's attention. He turned ordinary news stations into political entertainment narcotics; people became hooked on Trump news. Now, I must mention that Trump news got me back into the game of the process of democracy again. Both Obama and Trump caught the attention of the masses, including those people who would have never paid attention to politics. Sometimes it takes extreme figures and/or situations to get people's attention and to get them involved. Ever since 2016, I have been back in the game, being a part of the democratic process, even though I struggle Frank White, known as former President Barack Obama’s top fundraiser, started BMV in January 2024. BMV is currently partnered with “Shop Talk,” the flagship of the campaign currently operating in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. The goal is to get 55-60 barbershops, beauty salons and barber schools involved with helping to get Black Men registered and participating in the democratic process.” As he continued, he informed why he decided to get involved and engage in Black Men voter mobilization and voter registration. “Because I noticed a voter deficit, if we look at the polls, our voter turnout rate was the lowest nationally; only 12 percent of Black registered voters came out to vote in the last Michigan Primary election. Shop Talk is geared towards changing that trajectory, by mobilizing Black Men to get them engaged or reengaged into the JULY 26, 2024 Black Men Vote mobilizes voters in barber shops democratic process. As men, we are looked-up to in the household and in our communities. People watch us; therefore, we can lead by example, and we can change the trajectory, when it comes to our vote as a whole, in our community. Black Men being involved allows for Black Men to be more informed on issues, and allows us as Black Men to have a voice in the political arena on issues that matter to us.” Then I asked him about the types of responses that have been received since the start of BMV. He said, “Voter mobilization; people are really getting behind it and getting involved. We also look to partner with various organizations and with state and local governments soon; things have been going well.” I had one last question for Todd: How can people register to vote and get involved with BMV? He said, “If you want to get more information on Black Men Vote, you can go to our website blackmenvote.org and you can register to vote on our website and also get valuable information needed for the upcoming election.” So, there you have it folks, exercise your right and vote! Three City of Ypsilanti ballot initiatives to look for during November election LINDSAY CALKA Publisher Ypsilanti Ballot Initiative Group (Ypsi BIG) is a newly formed group of organizers in Ypsilanti that has nearly collected 900 signatures on three separate ballot petitions aimed at amending the Ypsilanti City Charter. The group includes members from Ypsilanti Tenants Union, What’s Left Ypsi, Eastern Michigan University, and former members of Defend Affordable Ypsi. Ypsi BIG began planning for the petitioning process early in 2024, drawing inspiration from an unsuccessful effort by Defend Affordable Ypsi in 2020, which attempted to instate rent control through a ballot petition process. Ypsi BIG surveyed a number of local grassroots organizations, considering over 10 possible charter amendments before deciding on three. A ballot initiative is a proposed law — in this case, a change to the City Charter — initiated by the electorate instead of by those in elected office. In order to get the proposed legislation on the ballot, a certain number of signatures must be collected and approved by a deadline. In addition to the standard tactic of door knocking and street canvassing at public events such as Ypsi Pride, First Fridays and Juneteenth, Ypsi BIG marketed the ballot initiatives on social media and directed interested signers to show up at a central location — Vertex Cafe, Sundays 1-4 p.m. — throughout June and July. Due to their efforts, close to 900 Ypsilanti residents have signed in favor of these changes and if the remainder of the signatures are collected and approved by the City Clerk by July 30, the measures will be up for general vote in the November 5 election. Read up on what each of the initiatives aim to do so you can make an informed decision on election day. 1. Public Control of Police Budget: Requires that any changes to the Ypsilanti Police Department budget be voted on as a stand-alone issue by the general public during a regular November election. 2. Non-partisan Local Elections: Would eliminate partisan voting for Mayor and City Council positions, Show up to Vertex Cafe Sunday, July 28 1-4 p.m. to sign and support the initiatives! which would mean that straight-ticket voting would not apply to those seats. This would also eliminate City Council and mayoral primary elections, which would effectively create more competitive races in November. 3. Tenant Rights: Would result in three big changes: 1) A ban on rental application fees, 2) A requirement for landlords to follow a Right of First Refusal law, and 3) A requirement for landlords to register all of their properties with the City on an accessible online database. There would be substantial financial penalties for landlords should they not follow this, and holding them accountable will be the job of City Council. Right of First Refusal mandates that landlords, if selling their rental properties, first offer to sell the property at market rate to the tenant(s) who live there. If you are interested in supporting the campaign for these initiatives, contact Ypsi BIG by visiting their website www.linktr.ee/ypsibig or messaging on Instagram @ypsi.big
JULY 26, 2024 MAKING CHANGE Where is the revolution? KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 It is often said, “You can kill the revolutionary but you can’t kill the revolution.” On the 4th of July, independence is tainted with a military flavor that usually promotes the military-industrial-financial complex that Eisenhower warned us about. Freedom of expression is limited by the idolatry of flag worship. Fireworks are a magical display that distract from the bombs that are regularly falling on someone in the world. The aspiration for freedom is born with the first breath of every baby. The potential for love and creativity which we recognize in a newborn is the human heritage we all embody. The real question may be, “Where is your inner child?” NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) did a study on genius, creativity and imagination and discovered that nearly all fiveyear-olds scored high. The rate declined with age and was down to 2% for adults. Google can teach us a lot but it is up to us to work with what we have. This means recognizing the plight of our inner child and doing the healing so that inner child and adult learn to communicate. I proposed a workshop at Crazy Wisdom with Joya D’Cruz on this theme and hope to have an announcement soon. Joya was mentored by Eugene Gendlin who wrote “Focusing,” an important book on mental health. Facing reality is a revolutionary act and can inspire you to become an active participant in your life. The dialectic of theory and practice is a lively one as the rhythm of joy appears. Today, July 1, is the anniversary of the jazz standard “Take Five,” the 5/4 rhythm that brightens our life. Search that when you are ready for a treat! Maybe we will play it on October 8 as the theme of my 82nd birthday. I was born just before the baby boomers who once said “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” There is some form of youth rebellion with every generation and the Gray Panthers slogan “Youth and Age Together” is one to remember. We can empower each other to follow through until the job is done. We will know when peace and justice replace compliance with the chain of command. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas sang about it, “Dancing In The Street.” Another treat at your fingertips. We have a long history of victories that seem to crumble just as we want to rest on our laurels. After the war in Vietnam, the ruling class broke the so-called Vietnam Syndrome with Ken Parks at the Ann Arbor Coalition Against the War Art Fair Booth. war in Granada and then Panama. The School of the Americas became known as the School of the Assassins and renamed itself to continue the wars of counterinsurgency. Read soaw.org for updates as the popular struggles continue in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador in particular. The most recent victory in the global struggle for freedom is the release of Julian Assange. The popular movement in Australia gained enough momentum that politicians took notice and acted to release him after five years of prison which came on the heels of his controversial arrest at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he was in asylum for seven years. The bravery and persistence of Assange and his family and the struggle for freedom of the press is now legendary. Let’s follow through and support the whistleblowers in our midst. Water protectors — from Standing Rock in North Dakota to the Carrizo Comecrudo tribe of Texas, the original people of the Rio Grande — are active in exposing the extractive war on the environment. As Juan B. Mancias says, “Water is meant to unite, not divide.” I ordered a t-shirt with a striking photo of him and that quote. You can get one at the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas website. I am guilty of being active in both religion and politics, the two taboos of bourgeois culture. This French origin word refers to the capitalist class and sometimes middle class as people adjust to the geopolitical order of our time in history. The French and American Revolutions consolidated the end of feudalism and the deepening of the capitalist revolution which is ripening for the next step towards freedom. This is the responsibility we share as we learn that reality is a seamless whole, that awareness is the next step in our evolution to genuine revolution. James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs are legendary in Detroit and beyond for their life of theory and practice that you can visit in the book “Evolution and Revolution in the 20th Century.” When your life’s purpose becomes a shared purpose with others, the power that arises is formidable. If your intention is to benefit all beings without exception, countless world systems will arise. When inner space and outer space come together, infinity takes a dive into the Clear Light of the Void. This is the moment when masters of mindful awareness will be welcomed into your inner circle of significant beings. Suffering becomes a force to seek the cure. When we discover that reality is a workable situation, the revolution of unconditional love will erase all the conceptual prisons that have enslaved us from beginningless time. Unimpeded awareness becomes a victory celebration. Imagine that! I must mention that July 26 is celebrated in Cuba as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Although the attack on the Moncada barracks was a failure, it marked the beginning of open resistance to the Batista dictatorship. I regularly ask my Cuban family “Where is the revolution?” and the response is always “Where is it?” We have unfinished revolutions in many places. Awareness with dignity and confidence will help us weave many local fabrics into a beautiful global quilt. “The Invention of Wings” is a wonderful book on quilts and freedom. The historic friendship of a slavemaster’s daughter and a slave girl is the inspiration for this book by Sue Monk Kidd, who many know from “The Secret Life of Bees.” This world is an amazing place when your curiosity comes out of the closet. The revolution begins here. Since no one can do everything, it is good to tune in to whatever speaks to you and know that anything you do is interrelated and that everyday life is the main stage. Daily mindful awareness practice is my recommendation on where to start. Your inner child is ready to play the game of life. Just as the sun rises everyday, raise yourself to a daily practice of engaged living. The revolution lives in your heart. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5
6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AUGUST PRIMARY Who will be the new sheriff in town? JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 County Sheriff’s Departments are charged with the same things police officers are — investigating crimes and arresting criminals. Little regard is given by law enforcement for the circumstances under which crimes are committed or the state-of-life the “criminals” are in. Law is blind. So it doesn’t care if your parents abused you and now you perpetuate crimes of abuse. It doesn’t care if you fell to peer pressure and now are addicted to something. Law doesn’t care if you have mental illness or are simply a person built to live outside of norms. The point of the law does not seem to be to protect and serve as much as it is to arrest and punish. Washtenaw County is about to elect a new sheriff. This means almost nothing to abolitionists and anti-capitalists; however, it is worth paying attention to who will be holding this position of power. As a young activist, I was told that I could work within the system to change it from the inside. I have tried this and have seen others try it. It rarely works. Real change is not going to come from within this system; it will only come from complete deconstruction of the system. However, there is some sentiment within the ranks of law enforcement towards abolition. I interviewed each candidate to learn where they stand on abolition, reallocating public funds to mental health care, and on community-led actions to solve homelessness. Here are the takes from the candidates: What Interested You in Police Work? Alyshia Dyer: “I grew up extremely low-income in Ypsilanti, raised by a single parent, and had a lot of childhood trauma. I ran away from home a lot and at one point was falsely arrested and treated badly by the police. These experiences motivated me to get into law enforcement to be a more compassionate officer who really cared about people in our community. I also wanted to change things in law enforcement that I knew were harming people I cared about.” After completing her bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University, Dyer earned advanced degrees from Gerald R. Ford School of Policy and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. She served as a road patrol deputy and a marine deputy at the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s office for nearly a decade. Derrick Jackson: “Originally I was JULY 26, 2024 Alyshia Dyer: Ypsilanti native who wants to end over-policing. just interested in systems work, like doing things in my neighborhood that could make the lives of people who were living in the community better. I left direct service social work because every day I would help a young person but there was always another family coming back who needed more help.” Jackson took on a job at the County Clerk's office where he met Jerry Clayton, Washtenaw County Sheriff. As Jackson tells the story, “I went into work at the Clerk's office where I met this guy [Jerry Clayton] who had this crazy idea about doing social work through a police agency. Honestly that's what pulled me into it. I didn't grow up wanting to be a police officer. It was literally this idea of doing social work and police work together.” Ken Magee: “I was a young and rambunctious person who had a good family but was running the neighborhood being mischievous, always pushing the envelope. I was never a bully. Instead, I stuck up for the kids who were getting bullied. In high school, my mentors encouraged me to channel my rambunctiousness into police work.” Two of Magee's mentors were Keith Hafner and Ed Sells, owners of Keith Hafner’s Karate in downtown Ann Arbor. There he met FBI agents. “This led to exploring a career in police work,” Ken recalled. “Numerous cops have the same story as me.” Magee graduated first in his police academy and was class president. Being very competitive, his chief challenger is always himself. He excels in all he does — martial arts, police work and writing. Magee has written four books about University of Michigan football. His law enforcement tenure includes involvement with the Drug Enforcement Administration and, as Magee puts it, “facing down some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet.” Derrick Jackson: Bringing social work to police work by restoring communities. On Abolition Dyer: “I’m never going to call myself an abolitionist because it’s hypocritical to do that and run for a position like sheriff. I will say I have read about this extensively, and what it means to me is recognizing that many of our systems were originally designed around harmful practices. Sheriffs, for example, historically were born out of slave patrols in the South and helped promote mass incarceration. Present-day, we try to push back on these roots, but there are still realities in the design of law enforcement that cause harm, even when the people working inside the system don’t intentionally mean to cause harm. I believe in reducing harm in this space as sheriff so that we are working towards new strategies to create safer communities. We also have to be more honest from a police administration standpoint about how over-policing has contributed to violence. I know so many young people who got zero support until they got into trouble. Then the support was very punitive. It didn’t help. “Abolitionists I know and have talked to, at the end of the day, believe in a Ken Magee: Former DEA agent who "thinks outside the badge." better world where everyday people aren’t being extorted, oppressed and harmed by systems that are supposed to protect us. Some of the principles, including investing more upstream and investing more in solutions for safety, hit home for me as someone who grew up in an area where opportunity is defined by zip code. My goal as sheriff is to make sure we are responding adequately to calls for service but also doing so in the least harmful way possible and ensuring we are doing our part to invest in root-cause solutions to better public safety. We need more deflection and diversion, and we need more restorative justice to offer healing for when victims of crime want to go a different route.” Jackson: “I think …” He paused and then started again. “Listen, we're all trying to work towards abolition. How do we actually get there? It would be great if we didn't have deaths or homicides or serious assaults, right? There's a lot of social ills out there. And I think as a social worker, I have these ideals of what we would be like as a society if kids weren't picking up guns and see SHERIFF next page
JULY 26, 2024 ARTS CONTEST GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7 Vote for your favorite mixed media piece and view submissions to the other three categories online at linktr.ee/groundcovernews Voting closes August 5! Terri Demar Scan to watch gif submission Norma Jean Cisneros Robbie February Hosea Hill SHERIFF from last page shooting at each other. That's literally what I work for. I work so that those mothers don't have to wake up and hear me telling them that their son had been murdered. So I would love to see that stuff [abolition] in the future. I think it's just about how we get there.” Magee: “The prison system is not the responsibility of the sheriff, as the sheriff is in charge of the jail. I believe a jail and a prison both have their own respective purpose. However, any incarceration system can be improved to facilitate the ultimate goal of rehabilitation. Example, literacy, teaching the trades, advancing education, all part of the rehabilitation process. The abolition of the incarceration system is not something I believe in, but continually assessing the desired outcomes and what research and analysis presents.” On Alternatives to Policing Dyer: “Beyond policing, we need to address the root causes of crime and focus on creating safe, supportive and stable communities. We also have to admit the effect over-policing has had on our community, disproportionately affecting Black residents in Washtenaw County. We must tackle the high racial disparities in our legal system, particularly involving youth. Investments at the neighborhood level, providing better support for young people, and addressing social determinants of health are crucial for building safe communities in addition to minimizing the harm caused by our local legal system. Criminalizing low-level offenses by using heavy-handed traffic enforcement tactics only exacerbates problems, especially for young people, and we must adopt more supportive and restorative approaches. “We will do our job as law enforcement to tackle more serious crimes but what we won’t do is criminalize whole neighborhoods by stopping people for petty reasons that aren’t related to safety concerns. We also need to make more evidence-based investments at the neighborhood level to increase safety, especially to reduce traffic fatalities. This is why I also heavily support traffic calming infrastructure.” (Author's note: I’m including the second paragraph because while I believe in a non-police society, there will still be a need for people to pay attention to safety issues. Like kittens, humans are frequently guilty of petty stupidity. As a result, we will need fire departments when a candle gets knocked over by a cat, or air lifts for the hiker who slipped and fell down a hole. We don’t need police, but we all need a little help from time to time.) Jackson: “I think we're trying to eliminate social ills in unhealthy communities, in general. I think that's what social work is about, right? It's about helping people not just deal with the crisis, but help them move from crisis to self-sustainability, to live healthy and thriving lives. Any neighborhood that is safe, is also well. And so police and social work go together because you can't have safe communities unless you have well communities. So that's literally how I think these two things really go together. “But I also think, if we were serious, even abolitionists, if we were really serious, we would be investing in communities that have been disinvested in for generations. Where I grew up, where I raised my family, those communities intentionally have been disinvested from. So if we're serious about it, it isn't only about these policy tweaks to policing. We've got to invest in our communities in very different ways.” Magee: “Great question! Outside of policing [there are] literacy projects.” Magee explains there is a connection between criminal behavior and literacy. “Opportunities can be provided for people who are returning citizens, such as housing, and employment, but these are outside of [the sheriff’s] function. “What would it take to abolish the police and have a society that polices itself should have happened two centuries ago. I don't see it. I believe that there will always be predators. Individuals violate the law for their own benefit.” Magee's approach to improving policing is by “thinking outside the badge,” not the box. Magee says this means “maintaining your true values to law enforcement. To protect and serve. It’s not just about reducing crime, it’s about the police force voicing our concerns about what we feel would make us safe and protected.” On Community-led Emergency Shelter Dyer: “I am committed to being a strong advocate for self-led community emergency shelters. As sheriff, I will work to ensure these shelters are safe and that we prevent over-policing in these spaces. My experience as a deputy has shown me the harsh reality of people turning themselves in on old warrants during winter months just to stay warm. We must do better by supporting investments in shelter and providing the necessary resources to keep people safe and housed. We also need to do better in our jail so when see SHERIFF page 11
8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS ACCEPTANCE An attitude, "only my life matters," is popular among bullies. In terms of behavior as opposed to legislation, equal rights means allowing others to live, believe and disagree, even if it is different from your personal or religious beliefs. Two people were fatally shot, including the shooter, two critically injured, and former president Donald Trump wounded July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pa. Police visually scrutinized every pedestrian crossing the University of Michigan Diag during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, April 22-May 21. It wasn't harassment. It was to prevent violence against the Gaza and antiwar protestors. There were no mass shootings of protestors nationwide. Why would we ever consider these ideas, mass shootings and assassination attempts? As a country, what are we becoming? "It was very American to think that to be willing to use violence was to show seriousness and to be effective but that was not what I had learned in Vietnam," Daniel Ellsberg wrote in his book, "Secrets." Ellsberg, a former government official and Marine, helped end the Vietnam War by exposing the lies of five presidents. He gave the top-secret Pentagon Papers to the JANE REILLY Groundcover vendor No. 611 New York Times and 18 other newspapers. He was tried for espionage, the charges dismissed. Whether the gunman meant to kill or help, Donald Trump has the right to exist. The life of murdered bystander Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pa. mattered. (Information from Thomson Reuters News Service.) At a Groundcover News vendor meeting on July 2, a newcomer was met with hostility simply for existing. The vendor said they cannot tell their Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer friends they are homeless. They cannot tell their homeless friends they are nonbinary; nonbinary means someone who does not exclusively identify as male or female. "It can be easy to ask, 'Why are events like this important?’" Joe Halsch, Director of Ann Arbor Pride and President of the Jim Toy Community Center, wrote via email, "and I think the experience involving your coworker stresses the importance of building safe, inclusive, welcoming communities. "Pride is more than just a party," Halsch added. "Pride is a connection point to others in our community. Pride is a protest and a statement. Pride is still needed in 2024." The Jim Toy Community Center is presenting its 29th annual free Ann Arbor Pride celebration August 3 from noon to 9-10 p.m. at Liberty and Main Streets in downtown Ann Arbor. The Jim Toy Community Center is the LBGTQ support and advocacy group in Washtenaw County. Artists Gilbert Baker and Lynn Segerblom created the original rainbow Pride flag in 1978 at the request of Harvey Milk. Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California as San Francisco City Supervisor, was assassinated for writing a law banning discrimination in public accommodations, housing and employment based on sexual orientation. (Inforsee PRIDE page 11 JULY 26, 2024 A2 Pride reminds us that all lives have the right to exist Rainbow Groundcover News sign at Ypsi Pride, June 7. Each of the eight colors was assigned a specific meaning by artist Gilbert Baker: Hot pink: Sex; Red: Life; Orange: Healing; Yellow: Sunlight; Green: Nature; Turquoise: Magic and Art; Indigo: Serenity; Violet: Spirit. The brown and black are inspired by the Philadelphia Pride Flag of 2017 to honor queer People of Color.
JULY 26, 2024 PUZZLES PLAY TIME 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 a voluntary purchase. 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. ___ pit (rock concert area) 5. Schooner feature 9. Roughly 13. Magazine filler? 14. French twist, for one 15. "Nonsense!" 16. Authoritative order 17. Long heroic tale 18. 2024 NCAA men's basketball champions 19. * "I really don't mind" 22. Pale 23. * "My deepest condolences" 27. Vast quantities 29. Singsong syllables 30. Makes a plea 33. Pickleball court divider 35. Spud 36. Actress Issa ___ 37. Lead-up to checkmate (and a hint to the last word in the answers to the starred clues) 40. Form 1040 no. 41. Catherine of "Schitt's Creek" 43. "Big Blue" on Wall Street 44. Cornhole delivery 45. Quartz or feldspar 48. Rectangle part 50. *1998 Pixar film 52. Ill-tempered 56. * "No idea" 58. 1836 battle site 61. Make an engraving 62. Witches 63. West Pointer 64. ___-do-well (rascal) 65. James Bond's school 66. First place? 67. The Aztecs of the Mountain West Conf. 68. Nevada casino city DOWN 1. Organized crime group 2. Leaves off 3. Sensation 4. Sex appeal 5. Bird feeder food 6. Notified 7. "Shoot the breeze," for instance 8. Part of a biblical plague 9. Noted Seminole chief 10. Letter after pi 11. Part of 67-Across 12. Possess 15. Throb 20. Binary digit 21. Manhattan, for one: Abbr. 24. Dustin's "Midnight Cowboy" role 25. Like May through August, letterwise 26. Long stories 28. ___ Arbor 30. Bakery output 31. Hindu title 32. "Matrix" star Reeves 34. ___ Friday's (restaurant chain) 37. Audible range 38. Attendance book notations 39. 2001 to Augustus 42. Systematic routine 44. One concerned with class struggles? 46. Chicken ___ king 47. Animates 49. Genetic code carrier 51. Celebrated 53. Bluish-gray color 54. Pull at 55. Kind of question with only two answers 57. By way of, for short 58. Blackjack half 59. Chap 60. Ending with Gator or orange
10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS POETRY “Kidnapped from her West African home in 1762 and sold into slavery, Phillis Wheatley grew up to become the first popular African American poet. She was also the first African American and the first slave to publish a book of poems.” — Britannica Kids website The story of Phillis Wheatley is one which appeals to both the younger and the older generation. She was a trailblazer. When we talk about early Black literary achievements, her contributions and her excellence loom large. This is our fourth and last article about early Black writers and poets of America. The author plans to encourage more discussion and dialogues on this topic at some bookstores and coffee houses in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Stay tuned for some announcements and community invitations. Biography of Phillis Wheatley Historians do not have the exact birthday for Phillis Wheatley. Many have suggested that she was seven or eight when she was abducted and sold into slavery in 1761. She was a young girl when the slave ship brought her to the shores of Boston. A wealthy tailor, John Wheatley, purchased the little girl to be a servant to his wife, Suzanna. Soon, Suzanna and John noticed Phillis had reading and writing abilities. Suzanna and her young daughter, Mary, started to teach young Phillis English, grammar, religion, Greek, Latin and English literature. Within two years, Phillis could read and write clearly in English. She also demonstrated proficiency in Latin. She mastered the styles and techniques of popular poets by the time she turned 14. A Britannica Kids online article said that as a teenager of 14, Phillis had a poem published in the Newport Mercury Newspaper of Rhode Island. Later, other poems by Phillis appeared in Boston publications. Phillis’s poems were influenced by the words of poets John Milton, Thomas Gray and Alexander Pope. Britannica Kids observes that in 1770, her “An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of the Celebrated Divine … George Whitefield’ was published first in a locally-produced pamphlet and then in newspapers throughout British America and England.” Britannica kids continued, “...the poem’s wide distribution brought her recognition as the ‘extraordinary poetical genius of New England.’ Selina Hastings, countess of Huntingdon and a WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 friend of Whitefield, invited the young poet to England and sought a publisher for her works.” According to Poets.org, Phillis traveled to London, England, in 1771, accompanied by Nathaniel Wheatley, son of John and Suzanna Wheatley. She had put together a collection of her poems into a book, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.” In London, she was well-received. The book of 39 poems was published in London and she dedicated it to Countess Selina Hastings. While in London, she met with some dignitaries, including William Legge, second earl of Dartmouth, the abolitionist Granville Sharpe and Benjamin Franklin. She was unable to meet the countess who invited her to England, because when Suzanna became ill in 1773, Phillis hurried back to Boston to help her recover. Poets.org noted: “In 1776, Wheatley wrote a letter and a poem in support of George Washington, who replied with an invitation to visit him ...” Phillis was freed from slavery before Suzanna’s death in 1774. After John Wheatley died, Phillis tried to support herself as a seamstress and a poet. Phillis married a free Black man known as John Peters in 1778. He was a grocer and a lawyer. The couple had three children. Mr. Peters abandoned Phillis and her children. To provide for her kids, Phillis became a maid in a boardinghouse. Two of her children died while she experienced poverty. Britannica kids noted, “On December 5, 1784, Wheatley and her third child died within hours of each other. They were buried together in an unmarked grave.” A very sad tragedy! Historians tell us that Phillis continued to write poems until her last day on earth. However, she was unable to find publishers for her books of poems. About 50 years after her death, in 1834, “Memoirs of Phillis Wheatley” was published. Another book, titled “Letters of Phillis Wheatley, the Negro-slave of Boston,” was published in 1864. Britannica Kids noted that abolitionists refer to Phillis Wheatley’s On Being Brought from Africa to America 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. writing as a refutation of society’s claim in the 18th and 19th centuries that “African Americans were intellectually inferior to Whites.” Many legacies Wheatley left an impressive legacy of brave and thoughtful African American women writers. It took several decades in the 1800s before Frances Ellen Watkins Harper became the first African American woman to publish a short story. Harper was both an abolitionist and a suffragette. Other Black women writers and women rights activists displayed their talents in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Women writers who were inspired by Wheatley’s sense of empowerment and excellence include Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Zora Neale-Hurston, Shirley Graham DuBois, Lorraine Hansberry, Toni Morrison, Audrey Lorde, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Amanda Garman, Nikole Hannah Jones and Isabel Wilkerson, to mention a few. Harvard scholar and historian Henry Louis Gates paid tribute to Phillis Wheatley in his recent books, “The Black Box” and “The Trial of Phillis Wheatley.” In the latter book, Dr. Gates said, “In 1773, the slave Phillis Wheatley literally wrote her way to freedom. The first person of African descent to publish a book of poems in English, she was emancipated by her owners in recognition of her literary achievement. For a time, Wheatley was the most famous Black person in the West. But Thomas Jefferson, unlike his contemporaries Ben Franklin and George Washignton, refused to acknowledge her gift as a writer — a repudiation that eventually inspired generations of Black writers to build an extraordinary body of literature in their efforts to prove him wrong.” JULY 26, 2024 Phillis Wheately: a pioneer of Black literary excellence PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
JULY 26, 2024 POETRY Of poets poor, of poets richer PHILIP SPINK Groundcover vendor No. 630 I like the poetry of the poor, Often the most. This is because the poor, Perhaps because having the most need to speak truth, Seem to speak truths the most; While more well heeled poets As if wanting to be as high and enigmatic as the Gods, Seem often interested in speaking in ways Full of mind powers and mazes Struggling to tower More than to speak. intent cares "a poem" BUK'E WYRM Groundcover contributor The Values we share are there . Must mean something To care . The relative, the states we make ourselves to be demonstrating. Behaviors in assertion to attain With how we value. With our value, One values to just pen this in the Space allotted we may become as We are with how we are. And a major phase of changing seems to allow meaning full experiential transactions of exchange of self with the other the referencing the the values we’re Embodying the vantage and this happens with our values. this is a way. "another poem" BUK'E WYRM True to how we sense with Self The same old same old same old day in and day out. still we seek to change with self for what it’s worth and all that works out for all we could achieve these themes still remembering the same self purpose has been writing the place these dreams on their own ways just to re turn with self again. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 PRIDE from page 8 "It would take commitment and mation from Wikipedia.) Baker, who died in 2017, wrote on gilbertbaker.com that he chose the six rainbow colors for hope. The pink triangle was Adolf Hitler's way to mark the LGBTQ community. Hitler’s ideas still flourish today in the form of Hezbollah and Hamas, who murder LGBTQ and Jews for existing. Hitler’s ideas flourish today when non-conforming vendors have to hide from everyone at Groundcover. Or when there are mass shootings. courage and tenacity to end this [Vietnam] war, but not an imitation of the government’s own destructive tactics," wrote Ellsberg, who died in 2023. That is what will win the war against "only my life matters," too. On Dexter Ave. in Ann Arbor in June, there was an Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag planted in the lawn next to a Little Free Library box. An American flag flies from the house. "It's showing support of all different types of people," resident Bridget O'Connor-Ranta explained. "I want to give credit to the artist. It's flying at the Smithsonian." Designed in 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag incorporates the elements of five other flags: the Intersex flag designed in 2013 by Morgan Carpenter; the Pride Progress flag created by queer, nonbinary artist Daniel Quasar in 2018; the Transgender Pride flag designed by Monica Helms in 1999; the Philadelphia Pride Flag of 2017 and the original rainbow Pride flag. On June 11, 2023, the Smithsonian Institution of Washington D.C. flew the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag for the first time in history, according to cooperhewitt.org. James Smithson founded the Smithsonian in 1846 for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge," according to si.edu. Knowledge shows seriousness and effectiveness, not violence and bullying. Ann Arbor Pride is an opportunity for everyone to connect, learn and have fun. Editor's note: This essay reflects the opinion of the author. SHERIFF from page 7 people do find themselves there, they are leaving with better support. This will reduce recidivism. “In addition to all this, as sheriff, I will work with local and statewide partners to support enacting rent control to keep rent affordable, and will support more housing investments especially for people leaving our jail. My whole platform can be found at Dyer2024.com.” Jackson: (was unavailable to answer) Magee: “Being homeless is not a crime. Law enforcement is asked to respond to the issues the unhoused are victimized by — such as getting mugged or committing crime / being victim of a crime due to mental health concerns. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. But the Sheriff's Office wouldn’t [oversee it], but if [a community-led shelter] would reduce police calls, victimization and actual crime, then I agree to that.” On Defunding Law Enforcement Dyer: “Yes, I believe that diverting some funding from policing to community mental health care is essential. The Sheriff's Office currently receives $6-7 million annually from the Community Mental Health and Public Safety Millage, in addition to their already large budget. They used some of this money to buy rifles and upgrade their infrastructure. My goal is to use flexible funding to prioritize investments in mental health services, substance use treatment, housing and preventive measures. As a therapist, licensed social worker, and former police officer, I understand the importance of increasing access to mental health treatment. Police officers are not equipped to handle mental health crises, and expanding community mental health support and alternative responder programs will better serve our community's needs. This also allows law enforcement to focus on emergency 911 calls for service that need immediate attention for safety reasons. It shouldn’t be the case that in Wash-tenaw County people can’t get preventative mental health support. These gaps have real consequences on families and our whole community.” Jackson: (was not available to reply) Ken: [Long pause] "I do not believe we should divert [police] funding to community mental health, but should provide training to officers to respond to mental health emergencies.” Magee believes that after taking away crime (that is caused by mental illness and acts of survival) there are still predators. “I believe we need a strong police presence to prevent crime,” Magee said. Magee is an advocate of restorative justice — with principles and limitations. He believes restorative justice should not apply to sex crimes and domestic violence.
12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Danish Pickles ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingriedients: 10-12 small pickling cucumbers 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 Tablespoons sugar 1/3 cup white vinegar Directions: Peel and slice cucumbers (thin slices). Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Pour the vinegar over the cucumbers and press slices with the back of a spoon until "juicy." Refrigerate and chill for at least 12 hours. So simple, yet so very good. JULY 26, 2024 $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 8/23/2024
1 Publizr