It has come to our attention not every YCD reader has adopted a cat yet

Per yesterday we asked NICELY if you could help the Humane Society of Huron Valley by adopting one of their wonderful soft and fluffy kitty cats. Well Johnny sees ALL, and SOME of you haven't yet gone to pick up your new pet yet.

Yes high atop Mt. Ypsilanti, Johnny keeps watch over Washtenaw County. Now, go get your kittens...

Just in time---new 'Bear Blimps' helping patrol Washtenaw County for man eating bears

You may have seen the blimps around town and overhead this week in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Those were not for show. YCD has learned form the office of Disaster Preparedness that these are 'Bear Blimps' flying overhead looking for the man eating ferocious black bears that have invaded Washtenaw County. They wanted to use the YCD Traffic Copter too but we said no, our readership would go through the roof if we were writing about residents being mauled by these perfect killing machines.

Ann Arbor News has a handy dandy voter guide for YOU

And with the local primaries coming up--and some real good important races--this will help you be prepared for the voting.

You can find the Ann Arbor News voter guide HERE

Washtenaw County agrees to pay 4 million to family of deceased man involved in struggle with Washtenaw County Sheriffs deputies

Washtenaw County has agreed to pay $4 million to the family of Clifton "Pete" Lee Jr., who died after a struggle with Washtenaw County deputies June 1, 1996. Clifton Lee died from "asphyxiation by respiratory restriction", but the manner of death remains unknown.

The family filed suit in Detroit claiming that Lee's civil rights were violated because unnecessary force was used.

A criminal case over the death is still ongoing.

YCD has not followed this case as closely as some but two things jump to mind; Isn't excessive force simply excessive force? Why bring a racial/civil rights aspect into it unless something was said along those lines, in which case bring the hammer down on whomever said it. Second, it's kinda tough for the County to claim it was ever in the right by settling. They either knew something stunk to high heaven OR they threw some cops under the bus on this.

Yesterday's Washtenaw County primary results

From Washtenaw County:

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY - TOTAL

Sam Brownback 14 0.05%
Rudy Giuliani 835 3.00%
Mike Huckabee 3572 12.85%
Duncan Hunter 79 0.28%
John McCain 9318 33.52%
Ron Paul 2262 8.14%
Mitt Romney 10223 36.78%
Tom Tancredo 18 0.06%
Fred Thompson 1059 3.81%
Uncommitted 405 1.46%
Write-In 10 0.04%

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY - TOTAL

Hillary Clinton 12284 43.01%
Chris Dodd 125 0.44%
Mike Gravel 96 0.34%
D. Kucinich 2455 8.60%
Uncommitted 12992 45.49%
Write-In 607 2.13%

Kudos to EMU for stepping up with $300,000 for Ypsilanti 'business incubator'

Yes, while EMU has long been absent in helping take a leadership role in the city of Ypsilanti, they really helped win some goodwill, and really helped the community at large. EMU has GENEROUSLY donated 300 large to the City of Ypsilanti to help foster a 'business incubator' fund. The funding was approved last week by the EMU Board of Regents. Ypsilanti is ALSO getting $50,000 from the Washtenaw County Government. Also a very nice gesture in these financially tight times.

It's been a long time since the ciy and university have worked together on something bigger than local policing and the Ypsi City Desk would like to commend all involved.

Ypsi Township needs to be smarter with tax money

On a tip from a reader, YCD has found, and a judge has ruled that Ypsi Township, along with Augusta and Salem Townships are NOT entitled to $240,000 from Washtenaw County for extra policing.

The townships complained in court the county's four-year contract offer in 2005 reneged on a prior commitment to maintain a higher level of county funding for police patrols. So they sued the county and lost. They've lost all procedural points in this case thusfar (sans one, a open meetings possible violation) and still continue the legal fight, costing township residents more and more and more. There's an old phrase turned many ways that says 'fish or cut bait' and it certainly appears that Ypsi Township continues to fish with NO BAIT. No bait is not a good place to be if you're in court.

Perhaps Township attorney Doug Winters would like to let the taxpayers in on how much it's costing the Township.

All three townships have again appealed Monroe County Circuit Judge Joseph Costello's decision, meaning more money will be spent on attorney fees.

Who cares, right Townships? It's not YOUR money after all, it's the taxpayers who supply the cash you spend...

Let's try this--Ypsi flavored Haikus

Or Ann Arbor haikus or Washtenaw County haikus or whatever you'd like to make a haiku poem out of.

Now, a haiku is a poem with three lines, not two, not four and five is right out. The number of the counting shall be three. The FIRST line will have 5 syllables, the SECOND line will have a generous 7 syllables, the THIRD line will be back to five syllables.

Example:

Ypsilanti cool
Cooler than Ann Arbor cool
Ypsi just plain cool


There, see how it works?

GO!

Here now, the Ypsi City Desk College Football Rankings

For Washtenaw County

1) Michigan
2) Eastern Michigan

WOW, amazing. #1 AND #2 will play this October 6 in Ann Arbor. You KNOW ESPN will be all over this matchup of the titans. When games of this importance are played, and a #1 vs #2 matchup IS important, the ESPN Game Day crew shows up early and fans flock to the set. Will Lee Corso put on the Eagles head? Will he put on the a Michigan hat?

All we know is that this game WILL be a huge matchup with incredible implications for the US23 Bowl

Ypsi’s Unofficial Official Band Releases “Basement Tapes;”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 29, 2007

YPSITUCKY, MI -- The Ypsitucky Colonels, the unofficial Official Beat Combo of eastern Washtenaw County, invites you to visit its newly renovated myspace page to sample some of its newly recorded, extra-crispy musical offerings, recorded in the basement of the Sugar Shack, deep in the heart of Ypsitucky.

Thrill to three brand-spankin’-new tunes minted just this week on a four-track recorder and under the influence of PBR and happy cigarettes.

The Ypsitucky Colonels combine members of two of Washtenaw County’s most beloved bands – alt-country stalwarts, Corndaddy, and the late, great garage stylists, The Boomerangs -- to create a powerful, bar-band tour de force that asks the musical question: Crispy or fried?

Fresh off a headlining tour of downtown Ann Arbor, the Crossroads Music Festival and the Elbow Room, look for the Colonels at a shot-and-a-beer happy hour or student-ghetto kegger near you!