Ann Arbor City Council's empty blather and capitulation

The Ann Arbor City Council last night expressed frustration, anger, invictives and consternation.....then rolled over like trained pets as they capitualted to the closing of one lane of Main Street outside Michigan Stadium to construction crews who have been driving city residents batty with noise. Since the University is under state law, allowing them to work on Michigan Stadium from 6am-10pm SEVEN days a week, the city council could do nothing about the noise or work schedule. But when U-M showed up hat in hand to close the lane on Main Street, the City Council yowled and pewled and then did what the University wanted with assurances from the U that they'd TRY to keep it down.

NICE, well played City Council. Way to back your residents up on that. The University never even alerted the city they'd need the lane closed when the project started. They just simply assumed that the City Council would capitulate......and they did.

And because the University simply decided to go ahead and screw over their neighbors, the city now cannot start work on a planned $7 million city project to replace water and sewer mains and rebuild Pauline Boulevard.

ALL so U-M can have their precious football stadium done in time. They've said as much. University of Michigan talking head Jim Kosteva said the intensive construction is NEEDED to have no interruption in the football schedule. YOU suffer so U-M can make money.

The lane will be closed on Main Street from May of this year to July of 2009. The city council did require U-M to pick up costs related to fixing the strip of road that will bear the brunt of heavy traffic from trucks.

Attention you teenage hoodlums, nere-do-wells and slackers, your days in Ypsilanti are numbered

The City of Ypsilanti is looking to pass a truancy ordinance (we didn't already have one? Why the hell not?) to ensure kids under 16 are in school from 9-3:30 each school day or they and their parents would have a not-so-fun-day-in-court. Are you FOR this ordinance? Are you AGAINST this ordinance? Make your voice heard, April 15th 7:30 at City Hall.

Ya know who hated truants? This guy

Don't forget, EMU softball at home today at 3pm

Varsity Field in the softball HOME OPENER! The Eastern Michigan club will be playing Cleveland State's Vikings.

Dear people who put up the yard signs for this past weekend's Pow Wow at Crisler

You can now go around and pick up the signs you posted all over town. Please do not simply put placards in the ground around town and walk away from them. Please help keep OUR positive image of YOUR event.

Late night open thread

Time is the justice that examines all offenders.
--William Shakespeare

Time for Ypsilanti, After Dark

BREAKING NEWS: Orange Taylor III GUILTY

Orange Taylor III has been found guilty of murdering EMU student Laura Dickinson in December of 2006 in room 519 of Hill Hall. In fact, Taylor was found guilty of EVERY COUNT against him.

Justice for Laura Dickinson has come and we here at YCD couldn't be happier.

See ya all in comments

Uh oh, we've got a floater......

Police in Ann Arbor are fishing a floating body out of the Huron River near Main and Depot Street. Police are roping off the area and awaiting the Medical Examiner.

Roundabouts as intersections, who chose this newfangled idea?

Recently, Washtenaw County has decided to put in 'roundabouts' instead of traditional intersections. A new one is going on at Geddes Rd and Superior (more on that later). Just WHO decided roundabouts were where WE as a county were at? Is this being based on studies of how badly midwesterers handle these things? Is it because the enviro-crowd is screeching like barn owls over the oil and gas wasted waiting at stop signs? For one, Johnny is not really plussed by these east coast intersections. So WHOM is the person or persons who decided this is what WE WANTED?

If we get one or two more proposed we're gonna need to change out some county road commission jobs. That's OUR opinion, what's YOURS?

Should the Orange Taylor III jury come back with a verdict today we'll be all over it

We'll have post trial discussion and analysis of this very important case. The jury will begin deliberations in a few minutes and if and when they come back with a verdict, your voice will matter here.

A couple traffic notes this morning

If you read YCD before heading out, you'll appreciate us telling you there are accidents this morning at I-94 at Freer Road and one at Westbound I-94 west of US 23.

Let's be careful out there