2 $ JUNE 13, 2025 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 13 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. Ypsilanti residents are organizing to "Stop the Data Center." page 10 MEET YOUR VENDOR: TYGAR MOORE PAGE 3 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. Undercover art intel: Ypsi Art Supply, the best art store! page 3 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 COMMUNITY EVENTS Join vendors for a clean-up at West Park Groundcover's Collaboration Crew, a vendor problem-solving committee, invites community members to join together and beautify the neighborhood. Along with enjoying a moment in nature, the gathering will include a park cleanup by Groundcover vendors and friends. “I’ve always seen Groundcover vendors as stewards of the Ann Arbor streets, and this activity is perfectly aligned with that,” said Publisher Lindsay Calka. “Whether it’s a friendly smile, an interesting conversation or a cleaner park.” Vendors, neighbors and volunteers are invited to gather on Saturday, June 21 at 10 a.m. at West Park (Chapin St. entrance). Park enjoyment activities like barbecuing and playing music are encouraged. — Wayne S., vendor No. 615 JUNE 13, 2025 Ypsi's first Frog Island community football game After a long winter of struggling to survive the cold, the summer heat is now upon us. With no physical center of community, people gather around the bus station, outside the library and on the street corners. Without support, many homeless folks resort to drugs and alcohol, which ultimately ends up attracting police attention. Chandra wants to do something about that. Chandra and her daughter Ney are organizing the first, and what intends to be an annual, community football game. It will be on Sunday, June 29 at 4 p.m. at Frog Island Park. This event is for the people in the downtown neighborhood who make up our street community. “This will be a sober event for people who are poor and/or unsheltered. Everyone is angry and stressed. People have nothing to do, so I want to bring something to make the community smile,” said Chandra. In fact, Chandra is the founder of “Make Ypsilanti Laugh Again” (MYLA) which is her community organizing project, intended to be a theater troupe. Chandra has expanded her vision to include creating fun events for people who ordinarily do not have the means or capacity to find engaging activity around town. There are plenty of things to do if you have money, but when you’re so broke you can’t even buy shelter, things can get pretty hopeless. And frustration is a common emotion on the street. An emotion with nowhere to go but aggression. A community football game will not only help people let off Chandra (left) and Ney (right), organizers of the community game some steam, it will bring structure and motivation to people who are desperately seeking it. How do you get involved? Ask at Hospitality House, 169 N. Washington St. or chat up Chandra and Ney when you see them out and about the downtown Ypsilanti area. — Jim Clark, vendor No. 139 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 ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS John Brooks Jr. Jim Clark Cindy Gere Roberto Isla Caballero Mike Jones Bryan Kiser Jr. Ken Parks David L. Puttman Taryn Ryan Wayne S. Denise Shearer Steven Shawn Swoffer PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett June Miller Steve Ross Anabel Sicko VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Sim Bose Jud Branam Libby Chambers Yumna Dagher Luiza Duarte Caetano Regina Duerst Jacob Fallman Glenn Gates Bella Martinez Anthony McCormick Robert Klingler Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Emilie Ziebarth 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 Story and photo submissions: submissions@groundcovernews.com Advertising and partnerships: contact@groundcovernews.com Office: 423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, LISTEN TO OLD ISSUES + LEARN MORE www.groundcovernews.org PACKAGE PRICING Three Months/Six Issues: 15% off Six Months/Twelve Issues: 25% off Full Year/Twenty-four Issues: 35% off Only run for two weeks/one issue: 40% off Additional 20% discount for money saving coupons
JUNE 13, 2025 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR GROUNDCOVER NEWS Undercover art intel: Ypsi Art Supply, the best art store! As I came into the wonderful Tygar Moore, vendor No. 664 In one sentence, who are you? Tygar Moore Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Where’s Waldo? When and why did you start selling Groundcover? Back in January; I had to get better with people skills. What is one place in Ann Arbor that feels like your own personal sanctuary? Anywhere I’m at peace, really. What’s your life motto? “I’ll do it myself” – Little Red Hen. What advice would you give to your younger self? Live life like a movie. What is your comfort food? Cheesecake. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three things, what would they be? Fishing rod, scuba gear, skillet. If there was a theme song for your life, what would it be? “Harder Than You Think” by Public Enemy. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Madagascar to see a Baobab tree. What is the weirdest food combo you swear by? Ramen noodle, hot sauce, pickle juice, ranch. What change would you like to see in Washtenaw County? Teamwork: we can’t win unless we all try. What’s one question you wish you were asked more often? Hey, do you need a lift? Ypsi Art Supply, I was so surprised at the warm atmosphere and the nice music playing in the background. The owner, Megan Foldenauer, is truly attentive to each customer, assisting them in their artistic endeavors. She gets into detail with each individual’s needs with the art projects and gives out good advice for the art supplies needed. Megan shared her story with me: “I first came up with this idea of an art supply store back in 2015. I just wrote out the idea. I was frustrated because all the best art stores were shutting down. For example, the university bookstore closed. This made me upset — so much lost and truly hard for the art students on campus. “Then we lost Art Attack, the EMU art store in 2013. Ulrich’s moved some time ago but when we lost Hollanders, I threw up my hands and declared, ‘I'm doing the art store." My great supporter and friend, Jen Estridge, had proudly announced I was the first artist in Stone and Spoons Gallery, but it was Jen who encouraged me to go for it. “I first started out in Riverside Art Center from April to December of 2023. After that I moved to the spot I am in now, 42 North Huron Street. What I love about this location is the storefront to show off all the art supplies people could buy. This is a huge deal for me.” Megan has a three year contract and her idea has become a dream • Speedball ink for printmaking • Japanese paper and pens • Liquitex acrylic and varnish • Gamblin paint supplies • Large paper and watercolor CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 realized into action that will benefit all the local artists of Washtenaw County. “I am now doing this full time and it’s a work in progress,” Megan told me. “My dream is to sell happy art supplies.” She continued, “My main job was as a multimedia specialist. I worked for 23 years at the University of Michigan. I am now a freelancer. One project I am hoping to do is to teach classical art classes in watercolor and natural arts as well as drawing and anatomy." Her store has many supplies: • Beam watercolor and acrylic paints • Watercolor paints • Handmade paints • Winsor & Newton ink and paints large paper • Additional paints • Paintbrushes • Oil pastels and chalk pastels • Mod Podge • Wood sets for carving • Markers • Posca pencil, paint and pastel markers • Professional markers and pens • Basic wood supplies • Air dry clay DAS • Kids Corner fabric markers • Crayola • Bookmaking supplies Megan added, “My motto is: I will order anything for anyone from anywhere — give me a website and we will work to help you. "All of my inventory is on my website ypsiartsupply.com/ Order ahead for pick up.” For more on Megan’s impressive credentials and background, visit the "Who We Are" section of the website. ypsiartsupply.com/about 3 The front door of Ypsi Art Supply is adorned with community flyers! Juneteenth is about being free I love Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a very special holiday for me; it is a very special holiday for a lot of other people in the world, too. Juneteenth is a holiday about celebrating being free. I think everybody needs someone to help them and take care of them sometimes, but being free is very important too. It is perfect that Juneteenth is in June. It is special because June is a summer month; it is a perfect time to have a special holiday. Juneteenth is very fun. Juneteenth is very colorful, too. Juneteenth is a day you can barpicnics; becue and have times with family and friends. Everybody can celebrate Juneteenth no matter how different they may look and act. Juneteenth is a very special holiday. Juneteenth is comfortable and colorful. I hope we all have a very good Juneteenth! DENISE SHEARER Groundcover vendor No. 485 Juneteenth is a time you can just relax and have your favorite foods and enjoy friends. It is a time where you can play fun games and activities. It is a time to remember good
4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS YPSILANTI People in the neighborhood: Casey This is Casey’s story. Casey was born in Ann Arbor in 1985. She grew up in the Village of Manchester and was raised by her Great Aunt Alta. Her fondest memory of childhood is her confirmation at the Emmanuel Church of Christ. She was asked to memorize a chapter from the Bible. She chose Ecclesiastes 3 from the Old Testament. Her church elders suggested she become a preacher because, they told her, she had what she called testimony before I had a “a testimony.” When I asked her about her childhood in Manchester she said she was bullied a lot in school. Jim: Why? Casey: Well, I guess I would say because I was the “ngr*” in town. Looking back, I was the only minority. What’s great is that it's illegal now, it’s a crime. That doesn’t change anything for me, but I’m glad that people are seeing that it’s bad for kids. [While racial bullying is not actually a hate crime, it is still traumatic and evidence of systemic racism. From an article by Cheryl Chapman, a licensed psychotherapist: “Bullying is a broad phenomenon and experience; however, racial bullying is very distinct and has unique outcomes for individuals of color — especially adolescents. What are the impacts of racial trauma? Racism, discrimination, microaggressions and other forms of hate (physical and non-physical) are linked to negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additionally, these experiences may lead to feelings of isolation and invisibility for students of color.” The current administration is attempting to eradicate the discourse on systemic racism in the public school curriculum. See Executive Order 14190.] Jim: What was your family life like? Casey: My mom is alive but not well. She’s 60 and has cancer. She wants to make amends but won’t friend me on Facebook. I want to see her before she dies. Jim: What is keeping you from seeing her? Casey: Space (distance) and opportunity. Jim: Where does she live? Casey: She lives in West Virginia on the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. Jim: Do you have any other family? Casey: I have one younger sister who is happily married. I also have a brother, Shane, who goes by Shorty, and an older brother, Brandon, who eyes and retinal detachment. I have holes in my retinas so they zapped them in both eyes, it hurt like hell. [In addition to retinal detachment and Type 2 diabetes, Casey has several mental illness diagnoses. I asked if she would share about her illnesses.] Casey: Yes, I’ve been diagnosed with JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 goes by Loki. My daddy was Raymond Bishop, aka “Cadillac Ray.” I never knew him but I knew of him. I’ve never seen his face. All anyone could tell me was he played cards. My Auntie raised me, she was actually my great aunt. RIP, she was 92 when she died. [Casey feels an incredible amount of guilt about her great aunt and believes that becoming homeless is a price she is paying. “Because I ran away,” she said, “and because of how I made her feel everyday for no reason and why I take so much pain from this world is because I let her die alone. I was stupid but the wages of sin is death. I’m so ashamed because of how I made her feel. And it wasn't even her I ran away from, it was the Village Manchester.” Casey moved to Ypsilanti at 13 to stay with her mother in a trailer park on Michigan Ave. which is now an abandoned lot.] Casey: I had to get out of Manchester, but then things didn’t map out. Jim: What was your plan? Casey: That my mom would love me. [She did not say much more about her life since then. We talked about her current situation.] Jim: Are you homeless now? Casey: Correct. [Casey lives on the streets and in the parks in Ypsilanti. Sometimes she stays on a friend's couch, but most of the time in a tent which is frequently disrupted by what she calls “domestic situations.”] Casey: It’s like no matter who I’m with, white, black, male, female, it doesn’t matter which direction I go, I find myself in these domestic situations. This has been happening my whole life. Jim: Do you have a plan for finding housing? Casey: I’m trying to get into rapid rehousing. Here’s my plan: I have an eye appointment today, so once I get my eyesight restored, I’m thinking about gainful employment. I could do a minimum wage job, you know, like the coffee shop up the street, something like that. Jim: What’s going on with your eyesight? Casey: I had astigmatism in both bipolar type 2, borderline personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, PTSD and basically issues of trust, mom issues, dad issues, God issues. [She laughs out loud at the last part. While the eye surgery is in progress, her mental health care is not. Community Mental Health of Washtenaw County dropped her case after she missed three medication reviews in a row. She is in the process of appealing that decision.] Casey: Some people need their of medication, I’m one of them, 100%. Like I've got no control over my emotions at this point. The medication I take at night is all out of my system (by the morning) so in my situation I don't have a stable place where I can get back on my medication. I'm seriously considering the possibility of a “9th floor” stay at U-M because at least then I would have a safe place to be back on my medicine. I don’t know, it's just in the back of my mind. [The 9th floor at the University of Michigan hospital is the psych ward.] Jim: If you could go to college, what would you want to study? Casey: Law. I want to know my rights. To know your rights is to be able to defend your rights. I’m treated like I don't have any, but I also don't know them. Knowledge is power. I could use that to my advantage. Jim: Tell me something you enjoy about life. Casey: I pray for sunshine. It just does something for my soul. The sun shining always gives everybody a reason to go on. I pray for it, God does it. It’s the power of prayer and manifestation. “Go outside and look skyward,” God tells me all the time. That's enough for me. Like today, it was a cloudy sky until I prayed about it. [Casey has a calling. According to her and her relationship with God, she is a “Chosen One” destined for greatness on the order of Moses leading the Israelites through the desert or Noah building the Ark. An awakening, she calls it.] Casey: Yeah, it’s happening. I’m getting bits and pieces here and there. Casey points to a cloud and says, “You watch, that cloud is going to disappear.” Indeed, within moments, it did. People in the Neighborhood is a column about the unhoused community in Ypsilanti. 6/30/2025 JUNE 13, 2025 For her confirmation, Casey chose to memorize Ecclesiastes 3. Verse seven states, "a time to tear, and a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.” Casey’s time is approaching.
JUNE 13, 2025 MEDIA Reading between the lines The amount of information flooding our senses will drown you unless you sharpen the sword of discriminating awareness. This article was first inspired by a Reddit news flash on my iPhone. “500,000 Syrian refugees return home after the fall of Bashar alAssad.” The compliance narrative assumption is that they fled because Assad is a bad guy. Those who study history remember President George W. Bush and his “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003. Plan for a New American Century was quickly formed. The list of countries to be targeted for regime change included Syria. As the war in Syria progressed it became a complex civil war with U.S.-supported ISIS creating many refugees. The masters of war blame others for the suffering they plan and execute. Divide and conquer has a long history and is a common modus operandi. So Assad is blamed for all the refugees that the war against him caused. Today the Cuban government is blamed by the standard narrative for all the refugees fleeing Cuba. You can name one country after the other, with Venezuela included on the list. Every country hit with U.S. sanctions will have a refugee situation. You might well believe the media unless you have learned to read between the lines! Mind training is available for developing the sword of spiritual awareness. Manjushri of the Buddhist tradition is a spiritual hero who wields this sword well. A sizable, local community of mind training practitioners is alive and open. You may already know Khenpo Choephel from the Karuna Buddhist Center at the Upper Room of Bethlehem United Church of Christ. Look around and marvel at the choices. Chuck Barbieri gave me a tour of White Lotus, a living village farm that is Buddhist-centered. I was amazed at the scope of that community. If you are a beginner at handling this sword you at least know that a natural breath is the beginning of your learning. Breathing with your core takes practice and instruction hand-in-hand. Those who are willing to take refuge in the reality we share to the deepest truth can go to the heart of the matter with Shakyamuni Buddha. (Shakya in his name refers to his clan heritage from indigenous times and muni is sage.) Foremost among the sages of this world, he was some 500 years before Jesus. KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 There are enough stories from yoga masters about “Jesus in India” that a documentary was made. It brings Jesus to life as a master of mind training and the unity of body, speech and mind. Life is school and advanced students can learn how to graduate from this life to more fully awakened awareness in Pure Lands, the allgood expanse of primordial purity! The words we use to understand reality bring us to the theater of the mind. We learn that reality is more than a word and that definitions do not define reality. Those who master words, even word artists, may not have a clue about the meanings of the words that flow so eloquently from their mouth or keyboard. The best story of this reality is found in the biography of Naropa who is a lineage holder in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. To learn more, reading the book is best but Google is pretty good. If you only enter Naropa it will take you to the university in Boulder, Colo., which is named for him. Look for him as a lineage holder. The story of the old hag who confronts his mastery of words but not the meanings of the words is legendary. It is possible to learn discriminating awareness and wield that sword well. Once you begin to understand the meanings of the words, your ability to read between the lines will accelerate. Appearances are deceptive and we will learn that reality is more complete than the appearances of reality. Sunyata, usually translated as Emptiness, is the all-embracing nature of appearances. The Middle Path embraces Emptiness by avoiding the extremes of nihilism and eternalism. Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche spoke eloquently on this. Many books are written about Emptiness but the practice of mind training is the key to experiencing the truth of the matter. Both Marxists and Buddhists talk about dialectics and the unity of opposites. Every truth seeker will discover the resonance that concepts can play in pointing to the truth. The Zen saying “The finger that points at the moon is not the moon” illustrates how concepts are simply pointers and empty by their nature. When I was a science guy, having abandoned religion for science, I thought I was some kind of master of reality. If you study atoms and molecules you will learn about electron rings around the nucleus. Each ring has a valence, an energy charge that interacts with the electron rings of neighboring atoms as they interact to form molecules, which are collections of atoms. You may have some awareness that the gap between rings and between molecules is pure space, which you sense is the main characteristic of the universe. Empty space becomes profoundly interesting, even magical. The mystery deepens with quantum mechanics. When you understand Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle you will know that reality cannot be measured decisively and all matter is a vibration in an energy field of emptiness. If you discover the Clear Light of the Void (see my previous articles) you are near to fully-awakened awareness. Every truth seeker will discover the resonance that concepts can play in pointing to the truth. The mahamudra prayer points at this in one line. “Unwavering attention is the body of meditation, as is taught. To the meditator who observes the play of the mind without changing anything, grant your blessings that samsara and nirvana be realized inseparably.” This understanding of concepts and experience will be a great help in coming to full and complete awakening. Compassion and lovingkindness thrive here. We may discover that Jesus and Buddha are brothers and that Marx is some kind of prophet, as Martin Luther King taught us that the arc of history bends towards justice. We are preparing ourselves to engage in the struggle for freedom. Hasta la victoria siempre is commonly said in Cuba along with la lucha sigue! Always towards victory — and the struggle continues. 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 Public Computers The AADL has public-access Internet computers available for use by both cardholders and noncardholders at all five locations. Each station has USB ports, headphone jacks, and some of the fastest wifi speeds in town! Byte Club An exclusive club for AADL SUPER FANS and library people like you! Byte Club will help you connect deeper with the Library you know and love, and share special sneak peeks of new things coming soon. The first rule of Byte Club is that you tell everyone about Byte Club! Ready to join? Visit aadl.org/ byteclub to get started. FEATURED EVENT 5 Saturday, June 21 • All day Around Ann Arbor Make Music Day is an annual, live music celebration that invites musicians to pour onto streets, parks, and plazas and share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. Look for free concerts all around town and enjoy music programming at the Downtown Library & Westgate Branch! "
6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HEALTHCARE JUNE 13, 2025 Advocacy, empathy, equity, justice: Wolverine Street Medicine is filling healthcare gaps In my youth, I wanted to be a medical doctor because my grandmother used to work in the emergency room as a transporter, where she used to moved patients around the University of Michigan Hospital. Now that I have met some of the members of Wolverine Street Medicine, and have become aware of their practice I believe I would have made a good street medicine physician. Wolverine Street Medicine was founded in 2017 by medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School who were inspired by other local street medicine organizations and understood the health injustices faced by unhoused individuals in our community. Today, they are a student-run organization focused on caring for the health of those experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County and Detroit. Their mission is to partner with individuals experiencing homelessness to meet their medical and social needs and to cultivate compassion and relevant knowledge in the future health professional workforce. They accomplish this mission through organizing street runs, foot care clinics and harm reduction events across Southeast Michigan.They also educate healthcare providers and trainees through our volunteer events, educational sessions, hands-on training and a rotation for senior medical students. They aim to conduct all of the activities in partnership with community organizations and people with lived experience in order to develop programs that clients desire and appreciate. These are their committments: 1. Unconditional positive regard 2. Continuous improvement and sustainability 3. Community-driven programs 4. Meet people where they are 5. Develop human connections Dr. Brent C. Williams MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 Meet Brent C. Williams, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Willliams, a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, has been on faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School since 1989, and is set to retire at the end of this month. In 2010, one of his jobs was to engage the Medical School with the community and to connect students to communities in Detroit, other parts of Michigan, low income communities and impoverished counties nationwide. Students would have to do projects in these communities. A doctor named Stephen T. Liechtenstein (then a student at U-M Medical School) went to Detroit on his own and got connected to the Wayne State Street Outreach Program. He started working in the Detroit area for a short period of time but soon faded out. In 2015, a group of medical students came to Dr. Williams and said they wanted to be involved with street medicine. He replied, “You guys don't know anything about street medicine and what do you guys want to do?” So, he asked them to do their homework and for the first two years they did their research, finding out what resources were already available, and where medical services were most needed. After the medical students did their research and assessments they came back to Dr. Williams with their findings.The students were convinced that they wanted to do the work and that there is a need; they believed they could fulfill that need. Then Dr. Williams told them that students come and go; we need to make sure that this endeavor is sustainable. He asked them to make a commitment to be in it for the long haul. Then he asked them how they were going to do that. So, the students went about building relationships in the community by connecting with Wayne State Street Outreach Program and Federal Qualified Health Centers in the Washtenaw County area and Detroit, and from there they started their program, Jim Bastian providing footcare, a common practice of Wolverine Street Medicine's outreach. Wolverine Street Medicine. The students set a system in place so when one group of students graduates another group of students will be ready and on board to take over; this is what Dr. Williams meant when using the word “sustainable.” This was truly a student-led initiative and year after year the students have been building this program with the backing and support of the U-M Medical School. Meet Jim Bastian, RN, Community Liaison Jim Bastian is a registered nurse, a graduate of Washtenaw Community College, and has nearly two decades of experience working with the homeless population in southeast Michigan. He helped found Wolverine Street Medicine, serving as an advisor and mentor to students and faculty. He recently retired from Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (PATH), where he led their street outreach efforts and helped community members experiencing homelessness find housing. Bastian has been with Wolverine Street Medicine since 2017. He told me that he wanted our readers to know the incredible work ethic of all the WSM students over the years. These students come from all different backgrounds, but they all share the passion to help and serve others. Meet Meera Bhagat, U-M Medical Student Meera Bhagat did her undergrad at University of California, Los Angeles, and now is a first year medical student at the U-M Medical School. She wanted to get involved with street medicine because being from the Los Angeles area, she sees the unhoused everywhere. In her medical career she Amanda Casetti wants to give back and she sees an immediate need in the unhoused community. While she attended UCLA,she joined a project called Mobile Clinc Project. Mobile Clinic Project is a student run medical group that is involved in street medicine in the Los Angeles area. Bhagat wants to go into Family Medicine as a Primary Care Physician and work for a Federal Qualified Health Center where she would work in the clinic and in street medicine. Meet Amanda Casetti, U-M Medical Student Amanda Casetti did their undergrad at the University of Michigan and is now in the U-M School of Medicine. This is their third year in medical school and they will do their residency to become an Emergency Room Doctor when they graduate. Casetti got into street medicine because they lived in the Detroit area during the pandemic and was doing a lot of volunteer work serving the unhoused, so when they came back to Ann Arbor to see MEDICINE page 11
JUNE 13, 2025 POETRY Go the distance BRYAN KISER JR. Groundcover vendor No. 670 Eyes will tell you everything is far away If you walk you'll never make it Fear says that it takes a long time to be successful yapping at the mouth, no need for complaining Society questions your inner identity How long before a person's strengths show The sun beams but clouds cover it Does that mean the sun’s still smiling even though We are born destined to fail That doesn't mean we have to Luck comes and it goes What will be on my side today Never try and you'll never know Life is a race you’re the only contestant The mind and body challenges, do you accept it Sprint … go the distance Heralds of Spring STEVEN Groundcover vendor No. 668 Elfen blue flowers harbingers of spring, Conjuring visions of Shakespeare's fancy. What will the summer bring? What's life have in store? What adventures will be transpiring for those with fools' whimsy? Elfen blue flowers exploding on winter's grave. Battling morning's frost as fierce as any brave. eyes SHAWN SWOFFER Groundcover vendor No. 574 as I look into your eyes I get lost. – eyes. with every beat of your heart we are destined to be together forever. – eyes. my mind races with images of us being old and time together. – eyes. gray and aging your eyes are pools glistening. – eyes. our minds are One; our souls are together – eyes. in your eyes we are one the same; together we are complete. – eyes. I never want to have our eyes shut, always looking forever. – eyes stay wide awake not tearing eyes. In today’s world, People look down on the homeless community We walk day and night, Some mostly out of sight, Groundcover is a place Of peace, uniqueness and bliss. We are ones who shouldn’t be forgotten. The world should give us a kiss. To each his own if you don’t like, We keep moving and don’t put up a fight, One thing for sure, We gon be alright. JOHN BROOKS JR. Groundcover vendor No. 673 What will the summer bring? How many babies this spring? Where are the faeries of Titania going? Whose adventures will result of Oberon's doing? Elfen blue flowers, welcome and be merry. Rouse the bees from their torpor remind us there are Faeries. Universal Struggle DAVID L. PUTMAN Groundcover contributor You and I is us unites us Universal Struggle is U.S. United States we grow and change United States of mind which arranges Daily needs: Health, Security, Hygiene, Nutrition, and Love Even for the disenfranchised Whose security is public And “protected” But not actually Groundcover We’ve allowed our people To become publicly inconvenient And many of us are looking for a second chance How many chances do we get Jesus Christ loves us And we have a chance to go to Heaven Every night A third of our lives in wandering Rest, protected by angels who never falter and return if blessed God Bless the Homeless GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7
8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS CARTOON JUNE 13, 2025
JUNE 13, 2025 PUZZLES GROUNDCOVER NEWS CROSSWORD International Network of Street Papers 9 Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed for a voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private property when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website. ACROSS 1. Area 7. Falling flakes 11. Software program, briefly 14. Irritate 15. Great Plains nation 17. Downright 18. Misers' sins 19. Deception 20. Breakup 22. Soft throw 23. Greek god of love 24. Campaigner, for short 25. Words on a Grecian urn 26. Romanian money 27. Saliva 31. Cunning 33. Circumference 34. Where all must go? 40. Dweeb 41. Marry a woman 43. Opposed toa 46. Put in stitches 49. "Geez!" 50. Baby seal 51. Creole vegetable 52. Appear 53. Some cosmetic surgeries 58. Agcy. 59. Kind of mapping 60. Pierre's boat 62. Oily fish in the Atlantic 63. Depth charge targets during WWII 64. Rotten 65. Chuck 66. Seal DOWN 1. Gulp 2. Regular 3. Delicate blue perennial 4. Victorian, for one 5. Lyrical poem 6. Whole 7. Picket line crossers 8. ___ Scotia 9. Arab League member 10. Charge 11. Honor 12. Carbolic acid 13. Mortar and ___ 16. Takeaway game 21. Former French coin 27. Editor's "It wasn't me!" 28. "Before," when before 29. "___ alive!" 30. Become friendlier 32. Abominable Snowman 33. Meas. of a country's economy 35. Plant bristle 36. Legal thing 37. Skill 38. Legume in many soups 39. Get out of 42. Hand over with confidence 43. Poise 44. Kind of hen or pig 45. Add 46. Hit the slopes 47. Greek god of darkness 48. Sushi condiment 51. "Good ___" (Pratchett and Gaiman novel) 54. Anglo-Saxon letter 55. Checked item 56. ___ list 57. Aces, sometimes 61. Deck (out)
10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS ENVIRONMENT JUNE 13, 2025 Ypsilanti residents are organizing to "Stop the Data Center" What do you think of when you think of “AI?” Five years ago most people would still have been imagining dystopian humanoid robot takeovers or self-driving cars. Nowadays some think of sending goofy prompts into ChatGPT, while others remember time saved when writing college finals or even grant applications. What we should think of instead is facial recognition surveillance, personal data algorithms and automated weapons — because it is these types of projects that provide the funding and political force behind the development of artificial intelligence. On December 5, 2024, Ann Arbor SPARK (local economic accelerator) and University of Michigan Research announced in similar releases that U-M and Los Alamos National Laboratory are co-developing a $1.2 billion AI research facility “focused on science, energy and national security.” Los Alamos National Laboratory is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is the creator of the atomic bomb. The partnering institutions call this data center “a catalyst for Southeast Michigan,” and “a significant investment in Ypsilanti Township,” as tech investments are all-too-often described. The facility will have two parts: one for collaborative research between U-M faculty, students and Los Alamos, and another for Los Alamos scientists and engineers to address “national security challenges using AI and high-performance computing.” When you look at computing power (in other words, the resources needed to run the data center), the first part of the project focused on education and training is only using 9%, while the second part that is exclusive to military County is not green, nor reliable. The water used to cool the plant needs to be dealt with one way or another — whether using closed loop cooling, natural evaporation, or neither, substantial resources are necessary to keep the machine running. In online forums, community memLINDSAY CALKA Publisher bers have stated other reasons for purposes takes 91%. The project is planned to be located on South Hydro Park in Ypsilanti Township (20-acre property at 10221 Textile Road), near the West Willow neighborhood. Residents in this area have read between the lines on this facility and are organizing to stop it before the ground breaks. Reasons to stop The facility will be all-electric, but substantial amounts of water are needed to cool down the machinery to prevent it from overheating or breaking down. According to research. umich.edu, “All water used by the facility will come from municipal water sources. The Ypsilanti Community Utility Authority has confirmed adequate water and wastewater capacity.” Although Ypsilanti Township is not experiencing a fresh water shortage at this moment, NPR’s Steven Starr reported May 20 that nearly one in four data centers are located in the Great Lakes states and warns that at the current large, but unknown rate of water usage in the Great Lakes region is charting towards unsustainable. Further, electricity in Washtenaw opposing the research facility, including surrendering large plots of land to non taxable entities, the pattern of gentrification in neighborhoods with U-M and/or tech investment, foreseeable noise pollution, lack of jobs for existing residents, and the purpose of the research itself. Local resistance In March 2025, seemingly overnight, stickers with the simple messages of “Stop the Data Center,” “Stop the Quantum War Machine” and “U-M out of Ypsi” covered downtown Ypsilanti street and park signs, light poles and walls. The guerilla information campaign was organized by Stop the Data Center, which can be followed on Instagram at @stopthedata. Although the data center was publicly announced last year, construction will not begin until 2026 and is projected to be fully completed by 2030. Stop the Data Center is organizing to stop it as early as possible — and a look at similar campaigns around the country support Stop the Data Center’s strategy. Data Center Watch (www.datacenterwatch.org/report) reports that across the United States alone “$18 billion worth of data center projects were blocked, and another $46 billion of projects were delayed over the last two years in the face of opposition from residents and activist groups.” Further, the study shows that data center opposition not only unites environmentalists, the anti war and anti gentrification movements, but also has bipartisan support. In April, activists began canvassing West Willow. In these initial conversations canvassers reported, “People in the neighborhoods surrounding the data center are deeply opposed to the data center! Of the 50 people who opened their door on our last Saturday out, 45 people gave us their contact information and were eager to get involved. People were just so grateful for the opportunity to fight against this project.” May 24, Stop the Data Center held their first assembly at North Hydro Park, which was attended by more than 80 people expressing anger and frustration over the project. The afternoon of May 29, 15 activists were forcibly removed from the #SciFM25: Scientific Discovery in the Age of AI conference at the Rackham Building. Of those 15, three were grabbed, detained and issued trespass citations and banned from University of Michigan property. Take action Are you willing to give up clean water and reliable energy for faster, more direct Google searches? What minor conveniences and natural resources are you willing to trade for prolonged wars globally and stronger surveillance locally? Stop the Data Center is Hosting monthly info sessions in North Hydro Park. The next one is Saturday July 14 at noon. Future dates will be announced on the instagram and via their email newsletter you can get at substack.com/@stopthedatacenter ?invite Stop the Data Center Campaign is calling on concerned Washtenaw County residents, particularly those in Ypsilanti Township, to attend the upcoming Ypsi Township Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday June 17, 5:30 p.m. located at 7200 S. Huron River Drive. PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
JUNE 13, 2025 THINK ABOUT IT The unknown reality Q: When did Puerto Rico become a United States territory? A: 1952 Q: Does Spain permit U.S. military bases on its land? A: Yes, Spain allows the United States to use certain military installations. Through bilateral accords, they authorize U.S. presence in some Spanish military bases, like Morón de la Frontera and Rota. The U.S. utilizes these installations for military means and to provide logistical support, in other words, necessary resources to carry out an operation. Q: Why do the islands (Puerto Rico, Cuba) produce what the United States doesn’t have? A: In the United States, when the winter season arrives, or when there are storms and tornadoes, they don’t produce a lot of things. The islands like Puerto Rico and Cuba, then, produce a lot of what the United States cannot produce. Cuba for example has for years produced tobacco, coffee, sugar and enough livestock to provide for all of the United States. The blockade prevents it from coming here. Some of the soil in the United States is very dry due to so much snow and salt. Q: Where do such obscenities come from that people throw in the trash and say that it’s recycling? A: People throw away ugly things in the trash, but they don’t contaminate recycled products like that. Q: What is the difference between recycling and compost? A: Compost doesn’t contaminate food or the plants that are fertilized MEDICINE from page 6 attend medical school, they decided to join WSM and do what they love to do, and also providing medical assistance for those who need it. Casetti expressed their passion for making connections and relationships in the unhoused community and wants to give a big thank you to Fleet Feet Running Shoe Store on the corner of Fourth and Library for helping WSM help the unhoused community by donating hundreds of pairs of shoes. When it comes to foot care, a comfortable pair of shoes that fit is half the battle. Many interviewees gave a shoutout to Molly Fessler, a Wolverine Street Medicine alumna, and current resident in psychiatry at Duke University for her concern and understanding of ROBERTO ISLA CABALLERO Groundcover vendor No. 347 with contaminated compost material. Q: Why do humans have so much depression? A: Because life is difficult. We work, pay, take care of homes, that sometimes turns into trauma. Other ponderings: Where do human beings stand if they don’t know what to do with so many astronauts, with so much conspiracy in our world, when we don’t have anything to eat and we do have millions of recycling and our ancestors taught us to work and to not speak nastily? What is each visit to the moon going to do, what are they looking for on the moon still? All of that money that they’re going to spend on going to the moon, why don’t they spend it here on earth, on ensuring that people have homes, and that everyone that sells Groundcover in the street has a real job? Why do people sell newspapers for so many years, yet people think they don’t work? Why are there so many bombs under the sea in the United States? It’s contamination, throwing so many bombs into the sea; one day there won’t be any fish to eat! They’ll die. They also throw trains that they don’t use anymore into the sea. So much contamination in the waters! Luis Gutiérrez used to protest against the United States because they commit such pure stupidities. Springs are what is produced by rivers and wells. Wells are like water that has been taken out of the ground, such as water from the sea, coconut water. [Where does coconut come from? Cocotera, or the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera), has an uncertain origin, but it is believed that it originated on the tropical coasts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, specifically in the south of Asia. The evidence suggests that it was dispersed to other tropical regions of the world, including Oceania, through human migration and the abilities of the coconuts to float in marine currents.] Why is coffee bitter? When you mix in sugar it is so sweet that you have to drink water! Why does it produce this astringent sensation in the mouth? Springs sprout through the earth like a flower to a woman without a mother. A flower that is planted breaks through the earth alone. There are women that cannot have children, so they adopt them from a foster house. Why are there so many questions and sometimes there are no answers? Like when a journalist from the press goes to pose a question to a president and the president doesn’t respond to them, like a person without schooling? Who knows more, the journalist or the president? If your country has millions and millions of things to export to other worlds, why is there so much poverty? The Bay of Pigs invasion was a the importance of foot care. Just like the military during war time, foot care is paramount because you are always on the move under harsh conditions and circumstances, this is true for those facing homelessness. We need to take care of our feet because our feet are the window into a lot of aspects of our bodily health overall. I would like to say thank you to all the U-M Medical Students past, present, and going into the future for your needed medical services in our community. Wolverine Street Medicine Clinic schedule Detroit: First and third Saturdays at Manna Meal Soup Kitchen (located at Saint Peter's Episcopal Church, 1950 Trumbull, Detroit). Washtenaw County: Ypsilanti District Library-downtown branch (229 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti): Mondays 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. Liberty Plaza (310 S. Division St., Ann Arbor): Mondays 4 p.m.- 5 p.m. St. Andrew’s Breakfast Program (306 N. Division St. Ann Arbor): Every other Friday 7:30 a.m-8 a.m. (foot care only) Phone: 734-436-1172, leave voicemail or text Wolverine Street Medicine relies on donations to provide the free services they offer to the unhoused community. Donations go directly to purchasing medications, supplies and necessities for their clients. If you would like to purchase something on their Amazon wishlist, donate online, directly by mail or discuss other ways to donate, please email at wolverinestreetmedicine@ gmail.com for more information. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 betrayal by the United States. Why in years past did humans not think the way they think now? Human beings in earlier times used to work the land, they lived in the fields without thinking about the light, they lived as shepherds. If they were thirsty, they drank from the river. They were more in step with nature. In what year did Facebook start? Why did they say that the world was going to end in 2000? Why are human beings so tired now? Because of the same depression? The same capitalism, the government, communism? When they give you a humanitarian stroke for exhaustion, traitorship doesn’t make sense. When the police nab someone for the number of infractions … It is an act of traitorship to work and not to have anything to eat afterwards. Why do the federal police use the state police and then make deportations? Why do the federal police order the state police to do things. They do it with a stroke of a pen and they betray us. This essay was originally written in Spanish and was translated by Regina Duerst and Luiza Duarte Caetano. Este ensayo fue escrito originalmente en español y traducido por Regina Duerst y Luiza Duarte Caetano. Para leer el ensayo original en español escanee el código QR a continuación. Casetti takes Mike Jones's blood pressure at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library.
12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Sweet strawberry mango popsicles TARYN RYAN U-M student contributor Ingredients: 1 cup of frozen strawberries 1 cup of frozen mangoes 1 cup of milk 1 Tablespoon of honey Optional: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt Directions: Add all ingredients into a blender. Optional: For thickness and flavor add greek yogurt as you see fit. Blend until smooth. Place in molds, then freeze. After 24-48 hours, pop out of the molds and enjoy! JUNE 13, 2025 Are you done with your electronics? Don’t let your well-loved electronics end up in a landfill! Kiwanis will resell electronics in good working order for reuse in our community! kitchen appliances home appliances personal care tools lamps and lighting entertainment equipment TV’s & stereos ...and more! for information on how to donate, scan this code! Shopping Hours Friday 9am-1pm Saturday 9am-3pm Donation Hours Nov-Apr 9am-12pm May-Oct 9am-1:30pm call us at 734-665-0450 for FREE large item/large quantity local pick-up’s 100 N Staebler Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 $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 6/26/2025
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