OCTOBER 17, 2025 ON MY CORNER MEET YOUR VENDOR Shawn Swoffer, vendor No. 574 In one sentence, who are you? Crazy. Where do you usually sell Groundcover? Kerrytown (everywhere!) and the corner of Main and Liberty. Why did you start selling Groundcover? I was getting calls to the police for panhandling; selling Groundcover is legal. What words do you live by? Be your best, have fun, give everything your all. If you could do anything for a day, what would it be? Skydiving. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Seafood. What is something about you that someone on the street wouldn't know? I love metal music. What do you wish you knew more about? Creatures of the sea and psychology. What's a small thing that makes your day better? Being with who I love. What was your first job? Maid. What change would you like to see in Washtenaw County? Better bus transportation for myself — it needs another stop for me to catch. What's your pet peeve? Bad parenting. What's your superpower? I'm determined. What are your hobbies? Art and music. 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 GROUNDCOVER NEWS Undercover art intel: Twisted Things Boutique Twisted Things Boutique is a wonderful curiosity shop. This amazing art and fun shop has 130 local artists showing their talents from painting to jewelry to mixed media. The store is on 40 North Huron St. in Ypsilanti and was the first of its kind in this area. The store opened October 13, 2016. Twisted Things features many amazing artworks made from nature and found objects, as well as organic, Magazine and the Marquis Who’s Who in America Publications Board for 2023-2024. Twisted Things has amazCINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 recycled objects. Much of the artwork from the great outdoors are butterfly wings, bones, deer antlers and animal skulls. There are carvings and ceramics as well as paintings and leather works. There is Native American artwork such as dream catchers and medicine bags with single chokers and baby moccasins with paintings. There is a huge apothecary with every plant one needs for tinctures, incense burning or an herbal bath. The apothecary has many herbs and traditional earth medicines as well as spices, berries and floral essences. They have herbs such as mugwort, mullen, sage and devil’s claw. There is an artist that only works in animal parts and has bone artworks with taxidermy animal images and deer antlers. My favorite is the baby chicks; they look so cute and fun. There are snake parts and many kinds of bones sold individually. There is a huge sticker section 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 full of many popular images such as rainbows and figures, fairies and animals — fun fun fun. Each artist has a designated area for their artwork, but they can also display pieces scattered throughout the shop. Twisted Things is also a shop for activities such as art classes, herbal round table and homesteading informative classes and the ever-popular prepping classes including canning. The shop is unique in that Morgana Grimm is not only the owner, but one of the artists as well. She manages the store, and all the works of art support the store as well as the artists themselves. Morgana told me, “I’m just like you. I manage the store only — I take no profit other than selling my own artwork. I want to see you all succeed. All the money goes back into keeping the doors open.” I was absolutely amazed by this statement. This is truly an artist collective shop run by one amazing woman. She has won several awards from the Current 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 ing jewelry made of bones, feather and bugs as well as bat wings and beads. Halloween is present throughout the store in different ways such as popular scary movie characters (think Chuckie, Jason), paintings, earrings and clothes. There is a huge candle area of animals and rainbow colors. There are many esoteric supplies such as leather books, wonderful wands and peacock feathers and useful handcarved knives. There is a gothic teen clothing section as well with a fun black skirt and wild tees for every age. If you love Japan as I do, there are kimonos with floral images woven in. There are also common house plants and kitchen items as well as fresh eggs from Morgana’s own farm. My personal favorite is the painting on the walls throughout the shop and on the shelves. Artists from across Washtenaw show off their best fun works on a variety of images from mixed media to prints and acrylics; much of the work reflects the store decor. So, come bring the family and experience something new and fun for all! 3 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.
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