Posts filed under 'City'
Johnson & Johnson purchases ‘U’ start-up company
By Chris Herring, written on Oct. 28, 2008
HealthMedia Inc., a University of Michigan start-up company, has been purchased by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, the University announced in a press release.
The company, which provides Web-based health advice by joining advanced technology with behavioral science, has about 140 employees. They all will stay in Ann Arbor despite the transaction.
Though details of the transaction were not disclosed, the release said the sale should net the University about $1.7 million of money that will later be reinvested into research initiatives at the University.
“This success is a good example of how the University of Michigan can be an engine for economic change and growth in the state,” said Stephen Forrest, the University’s vice president for research, in the release.
HealthMedia, founded in 1998, is a product of the University’s Tech Transfer Office. Prior to purchasing the company, Johnson & Johnson served as its customer.
University President Mary Sue Coleman has served on Johnson & Johnson’s board of directors since 2003.
Freon spill at Main St. and Huron St.
By Julie Rowe, written on Sep. 11, 2008
Both lanes of eastbound Huron St. between Fifth Ave. and Main St. were closed for a few hours this afternoon while the Ann Arbor Fire Department and Hazardous Materials team contained a spill of the refrigerant Freon an alley.
At 12:00, three women called 911 after walking past an alley behind National City Bank because they were experiencing difficulty breathing. They were treated by paramedics and released at the scene.
When firefighters and police arrived on the scene, the cordoned off a full city block to contain the spill, which AAFD Battalion Chief Robert Vogel said originated from a damaged refrigerator. The refrigerator, he said, was a prop used by the Performance Network Theater.
The spill was contained within an hour and 15 minutes, Vogel said.
Obama overnights in city
By Kelly Fraser, written on Sep. 2, 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama stayed overnight in Ann Arbor Sunday night, The Ann Arbor News reported.
Obama stayed in the Courtyard by Mariott in the 3200 block of Boardwalk Street, near the Briarwood Mall, and also briefly worked out at a nearby Bally Total Fitness Monday morning, before leaving the city for campaign stops in other parts of the state.
Security during the senator’s stay was high and his stay was kept a secret, except for a few surprised residents on treadmills.
Hieftje and friends sweep Ann Arbor primary
By thesara, written on Aug. 6, 2008
Along with scoring 70 percent of the vote in yesterday’s Democratic primaries, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje saw four city council seats filled to his liking.
Sandi Smith, who opposed write-in candidate Patricia Lesko, is in Hieftje’s corner. Her website displays this glowing endorsement from Hieftje:
“I’ve known Sandi for many years. She has great experience. She will be a tireless advocate for the First Ward.”
Smith’s ward covers West Quad, Towers Plaza, the Law Quad, Martha Cook, Betsey Barbour, Helen Newberry, University Towers and Bursley.
In Ward 2, former Michigan senator Tony Derezinski, also endorsed by Hieftje, beat Ann Arbor resident Stewart Nelson for the region that includes many privately managed student homes and all of the dorms on the Hill.
During his campaign, Nelson was vocal in his opposition to the current council climate, calling the budgetary process “horrible” and comparing the retrieval of public information to “pulling teeth.”
Christopher Taylor, a 2006 Democratic party precinct delegate, will be the new representative for Ward 3, which covers East Quad and the neighborhoods between Washtenaw and Packard.
Stephen Kunselman, the Ward 3 incumbent and a critic of Hieftje, expressed regret and pessimism to the Ann Arbor News concerning future transparency on Council.
Kunselman, who attributed his loss to a $10,000 lag in campaign funds, said he expects the new Council to make many of its decisions behind closed doors.
Ward 4 incumbent Marggie Teall was unopposed and will rejoin Marcia Higgins in overseeing the region including neighborhoods around the Athletic campus, Elbel Field and West of Packard.
Ann Arbor attorney Carsten Hohnke won over Ward 5 with a platform including support for the hotly debated, $47-million police-courts facility and another endorsement from Hieftje.
Vivienne Armentrout, Hohnke’s opponent, spoke out against Council business “being conducted in secret” and the plans for the police-courts facility, which are, in her words, “a disaster.”
The Main street area and the Northwestern corner of the city are covered by Ward 5.
During a primary celebration in Ann Arbor last night, Hohnke recognized the similarities of the winners’ platforms and predicted that the new Council will be progressive.
Unless Libertarian mayoral candidate and LSA junior Eric Plourde manages to break the current mayor’s stride in the November elections, things are looking up for Hieftje.
Ann Arbor city tensions; the live mini-feed
By thesara, written on Jul. 22, 2008
“The thing is, John at first said he was against it, and then he changed his mind,” says Tom Wall, referring to Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje’s alleged waffling on the new $47-million police-court facility proposal. “That doesn’t settle right in my stomach.”
Hieftje doesn’t miss a beat. “Well, I hope Tom gets some antacid or something,” he replies with a charismatic smile. “It took me over a year to change my mind.”
We’re off. Tonight at 7 p.m. a debate between Hieftje and his opponent, Ann Arbor resident Tom Wall, begins a live broadcast of Ann Arbor politicians sounding off–and facing off–over platforms for the August 5th city elections.
Hieftje, who has won the past five consecutive 2-year terms as Ann Arbor’s mayor, is comfortable and personable at the podium. Wall, a former special education teacher who runs a driver’s education business, got 9,000 votes when he ran as an independent two years ago. He speaks less smoothly, but remains confident.
Included on Hieftje and Wall’s plates tonight were transportation, parking, local green space and the said county courthouse contreversy.
Wall closes his statement talking about his plans to fix “any frustrations” the city has had in the past eight years. “I’m not in the mayor’s office, I don’t have access to the books (about the budget),” he said. “A mayor that I produce is the kind of person who gets out, shakes hands and talks to people,” he said.
Hieftje remarks that Wall could have studied and learned about books that are available in his weekly office hours. “I’m available if they want to come in and talk to me,” he said, adding that anyone who wants to be mayor should learn about the budget.
A lively, patriotic march plays through the closing credits. Up next: city councilmember Stephen Kunselman.
9:43 p.m–Kunselman (D-Ward 3) says he wants to increase the supply of smaller housing units. That means that students are being consolidated near campus. Stay tuned for any zoning changes in your neighborhood.
City council and mayoral candidates will be profiled in The Michigan Daily the week of August 4th.
Everyday Cook approved for developmental liquor license
By admin, written on Jul. 8, 2008
Mary Campbell, owner of Everyday Cook, held her head between her hands as the sound of the fallen gavel reverberated throughout City Council chambers. Then, raising her head, she quietly clapped her hands together and smiled to those around her. She had just received the news that she probably wasn’t going to have to shut down her business.
Ann Arbor City Council met Monday night and unanimously voted to approve liquor licenses for two Ann Arbor businesses, Everyday Cook and Salsarita’s, sending them to their final step in acquiring a license. After receiving approval from City Council, the state of Michigan will then decide whether or not to issue licenses for both companies.
Ever since failing to obtain a class-c liquor license back in February, Campbell has had trouble sustaining her business because she could not serve alcohol to her customers.
“As many of you know,” Campbell posted on the restaurant’s website, “Everyday Cook is at a crossroads and may be closing toward the end of this month.”
In May, however, the city of Ann Arbor was awarded 807 new developmental liquor licenses, as issued by the state of Michigan to encourage downtown economic growth and help small businesses like Everyday Cook compete with larger companies.
The state set requirements for a business to have 50 or more seats, be open five days a week for at least 10 hours and have invested at least $75,000 into its property in recent years in order to obtain one of the new licenses.
City Council then met regularly to decide what they were going to do with these new licenses.
Campbell said back in May that having one of the new licenses would help her business. But for her, the question was when would they be made available.
“If it looks as though that they’re not going to put this through within the next few weeks, then I’m just going to start making plans (to close),” she said. “I can’t lose any more money.”
Councilmember Mike Anglin (D-Ward 5), who serves on the liquor committee, said the city is going to look at every application for a developmental liquor license on a case-by-case basis.
“The State requirements are pretty clear,” he said. “But we’re establishing what would work here (in Ann Arbor).”
City Council did not award any liquor licenses Monday night, but for Campbell, who currently meets every requirement set by the state, they might as well have.
Marijuana found at Matthaei Botanical Gardens
By admin, written on Jul. 6, 2008
The University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens claim to be about “connecting people with nature.” It appears that someone took their claim a little too seriously.
Volunteers at the gardens, located off Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor Township, found 5 plants suspected to be marijuana growing on the grounds Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
University of Michigan police responded around 11 a.m. and confiscated the suspicious plants, each measuring about a foot tall, and plan to dispose of them.
In February, U-M police confiscated 11 plants believed to be cannabis from inside the greenhouse. The plants, found by an employee monitoring a biology course’s research, turned out not to be marijuana.
Police currently have no leads on the case but plan on questioning those who have access to the grounds to find suspects.
Plans for Ann Arbor commuter rail to progress despite quadrupled price
By thesara, written on Jul. 1, 2008
When it’s completed, the Howell-Ann Arbor commuter rail should cost a passenger around $150 a month, said Ann Arbor transportation program manager Eli Cooper. This seems like a good deal for a daily commuter, considering the 60-mile trek and current gas prices (side note: Ann Arbor and Traverse City hold the highest gas prices in the state at 4.22 a gallon, according to Michigan AAA).
R.L. Banks & Associates Inc. of Arlington, Va. recently dropped an seemingly worse deal into the laps of city officials who have been planning the rail line since 2006: a study projecting a $25.2-million hike in project’s startup price.
Cooper said that R.L. Banks study included a review of past plans for the project, revisions and the aforementioned price projection. During past meetings about the rail line–which is part of a larger 2006 transportation plan called “Model for Mobility”–planners discussed and prepared for the possibility of larger figures than the original $7.2 million, he said.
Jacking up the price are gates for 47 road crossings and a new maximum speed of 60 mph rather than the previous 40 mph, measures that R.L. Banks cited as “crucial to success” and efficiency of the rail line.
The Howell line, as well as the prospective Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter line (set to be finished in 2010) will be unprecedented developments for Michigan, which has no commuter rail lines besides Amtrak.
In a phone interview, Cooper said he was “very pleased” with the R.L. Banks report, and that city planners are not discouraged by the price of the revisions. Rather, he seemed optimistic enough about the project to put forth a pun-laden statement, perhaps accidentally:
“Simply stated, we were looking for a professional to come in and tell us from their perspective and their national experience whether we were on the right track, and I think what they’ve said is we’re moving in the right direction, but not fast enough.”
According to the Ann Arbor News, ridership is projected at 1,300, down from the previous 1,688. City officials say the decrease does not make the project unfeasible.
As another part of Model for Mobility, which aims to reduce single vehicular transportation, Ann Arbor Mayor Hieftje and the Dowtown Development Authority have been seriously considering a trolley car system for the city. Cooper said a contractor will come to Ann Arbor by the end of the summer to assess the city’s need for a local connector service.
To read about the Model for Mobility, go to http://www.a2gov.org/government/publicservices/systems_planning/Transportation/Pages/PublicTransit.aspx
Ann Arbor bars receive mixed marks on latest health inspections
By Andy Kroll, written on Jun. 29, 2008
A number of popular campus bars throughout Ann Arbor have had their 2008 health inspections from Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health department and the results for these campus haunts have been mixed.
BTB Cantina, Conor O’Neill’s pub, Necto and Rush Street were among the most cited of the more than 10 local bars that had undergone inspections by the county so far this year.
Conor O’Neill’s, Necto and Rush Street were all cited for having facilities that were in disrepair, such as floor tiling in need of immediate replacement. For Necto and Rush Street, citations for disrepair have become as recurring theme, as Necto was cited by the county in November of 2006 and October of 2007 for subpar facilities. Rush Street was previously cited in August of 2007.
Health inspection reports listed pest problems at both Conor O’Neill’s (dead cockroaches in the kitchen) and Necto (flies in several bars, restrooms and in bottles of opened liquor). Necto was also cited for pest control problems in the club’s previous inspection report in October of 2007.
Health inspectors also cited the relatively new BTB Cantina for unsanitary dishwashing practices in the kitchen and by the Cantina’s cooks. The bar’s latest report also stated there were uncovered and exposed containers of food in storage, among other citations.
For access to Washtenaw County’s public health inspection database for restaurants, click here.
Fingerle Lumber up for sale
By admin, written on Jun. 27, 2008
The land owned by Fingerle Lumber Co. – after 77 years and three generations in the Fingerle name – is now on the market. Located along South Fifth Avenue, south of Madison Street, the 7.2-acre site is in a prime location for redevelopment, private investors, or the University. It’s close to Main Street and rests just north of the University’s athletic complex.
University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham said the University has no plans to acquire the Fingerle property, priced at $21.925 million, at the moment.
“The University’s Master Plan for campus development does not contemplate use of that property,” Cunningham said.