BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF AND SHANNON STOCKING
October 25, 2021
HAPPY MONDAY and welcome back to A2 Outlook after we were off last week for U-M’s Fall Break. Things are getting spooky with Halloween less than a week away, and we’re looking forward to seeing all the decorations and costumes throughout the week!
Michigan football beat Northwestern 33-7 on Saturday, remaining undefeated and holding onto their No. 6 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. The teams played for the George Jewett trophy for the first time. Michigan will face Michigan State, ranked No. 8 by AP, in East Lansing this Saturday.
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Students and community members marched across campus in support of additional action, both locally and federally, to mitigate climate change on Friday. Jeremy Weine/Daily. Buy this photo.
OVERPASS OVERHAUL: City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday to rehabilitate and widen the deteriorating E. Medical Center Drive bridge near Michigan Medicine. U-M will cover the cost of widening the bridge and half of the restoration costs.
Councilmember Kathy Griswold, D-Ward 2, said the extra lane will help decrease congestion and help emergency vehicles travel to the hospital. Some community members, however, voiced concerns that adding an extra lane will make the intersection more dangerous and less pedestrian- and bike-friendly.
SHELLING OUT: Ann Arbor’s Park Advisory Commission met last week to discuss the future of the historic West Park bandshell, according to MLive. The city is currently faced with the options of destroying the bandshell or spending up to $2 million on repairs or relocation. Currently, the bandshell is closed down after the brick foundation showed signs of deterioration.
SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGE: Forsyth Middle School, Huron High School and Skyline High School held asynchronous learning days on Friday, according to a Thursday email to parents from Superintendent Jeanice Swift.
“This is an emergency measure made necessary due to numerous unfilled positions across the district and an inability to fully staff our schools for tomorrow,” Swift wrote in the email. “Taking this step to remote learning with these three schools that were most critically impacted by staffing challenges, will allow the AAPS to redeploy substitute personnel to assist with the shortage of staff across other buildings and stretch the resources to staff the remaining schools.”
Superintendent Swift spent time away from her normal duties and instead was substitute teaching on Friday, according to WXYZ.
EQUITY EQUATION: Ann Arbor School Parents Intent on Racial Equity (AASPIRE) met with the Ann Arbor Board of Education (BOE) Tuesday to discuss AAPS’s equity plan. The meeting follows allegations of racial hostility at Pioneer High School last year.
AASPIRE listed a series of what they believed to be flaws with the equity plan, saying that it was a performative act for racial equity. AASPIRE member Stacy Ebron said that she hopes the BOE brings their concerns to leadership members to implement change in a timely manner.
CENSURED: The Ann Arbor Board of Education voted 6-1 at their Oct. 13 meeting to censure Trustee Jeff Gaynor for his social media use, with Gaynor as the only dissenting vote. The resolution alleges that Gaynor publicly disclosed details of closed sessions of the BOE on social media.
Board President Brian Johnson informed Gaynor he would be removed from his committee assignments on Wednesday, in line with the recommendations in the resolution, according to MLive.
“I don’t think I’m breaking board policy. I’m breaking the board culture of following the company line of doing always positive PR for the district,” Gaynor told MLive. “What I’m hearing is that the board as a whole doesn’t like that I’m communicating with everybody in the community — with people I agree with and people I don’t.”
ELECTION EDITION: Ann Arbor’s special election is set to take place on Nov. 2 with four proposals on the ballot. The Daily has put together a voter guide breaking down each measure.
VAXXED UP: Washtenaw County will begin offering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shoots to eligible residents on Tuesday. Shots will be offered at local pharmacies and the health department’s drive-through clinic in Ypsilanti.
RENTAL RESOLUTION: U-M Central Student Government passed a resolution Tuesday condemning landlords who have signed onto a lawsuit against the city of Ann Arbor regarding the city’s Early Leasing Ordinance.
The resolution asks that the University remove listings from landlords who are involved in the lawsuit against the city from its off-campus housing website.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE: May Mobility launched A2GO, a free autonomous shuttle service, earlier this month. The service consists of four self-driving Lexus SUVs and one wheelchair-accessible vehicle that will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
We value your opinion! Each week we will pose a question and share reader responses in the following edition.
This week’s prompt: What is your favorite memory or fact about the rivalry between U-M and MSU?
“Michigan Medicine responds to President Biden’s healthcare vaccine mandate” … The Michigan Daily
“Illi’s Auto Service: A mom-and-pop shop near the heart of Ann Arbor” … The Michigan Daily
“Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners expresses support for permanent unit for wrongful conviction and expungement” … The Michigan Daily
“Ypsilanti community members gather to repaint defaced Black Lives Matter street mural” … The Michigan Daily
“5 bills to watch in Michigan state legislature: October 22, 2021” … The Michigan Daily
“Schlissel responds to Anderson survivors at Regents meeting, protestors frustrated with lack of acknowledgement” … The Michigan Daily
“Anderson survivors rally outside Schlissel’s house, demand University accountability” … The Michigan Daily
“Ann Arbor design startup, DO:BETTER, named in 2021 Forbes Next 1000 list” … The Michigan Daily
“‘I felt disposable’: UMich faculty experience difficulties obtaining approval for remote instruction this semester” … The Michigan Daily
“Arts Runs a Marathon: Ann Arbor running trails” … The Michigan Daily
“Daily Arts Runs a Marathon: The perfect running playlist” … The Michigan Daily
“Halloween Trick-or-Treat Times, Safety and Tips” … City of Ann Arbor
Washtenaw County reported 70 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours and 1,147 cases in the past two weeks. 73.8% of Washtenaw County residents aged 16 and over have received at least one vaccine dose.
News tips? Comments? Questions?
A2 Outlook editors Dominick Sokotoff and Shannon Stocking can be reached at sokotoff@umich.edu and sstockin@umich.edu, respectively.
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