׉?ׁB!בCטFFu׉׉ 7cassandra://KWRyhSFj-Yw04IZgoH1cW_jdZ4ArRaavMKYimpKGL2g`׉ 7cassandra://feWlbhGpu7eC3qNKtI1N23zLHwvBBswfsj__6W_gblkz`h׉ 7cassandra://2vf4Np8j9tqCT793L9U2CHAQRoDQjXz0jZLyxbSIRQQ*`h:Yb ^"טFu׈];׈Eh:Yb ^׉E2 $ SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 19 PONY BUSH #305 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. Cities for people not profit: municipalities fight against AirBnB. page 13 ASK YOUR VENDOR: WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY LOOK-ALIKE? 15 YEARS OF NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. • Sad but true. page 3 • Harm reduction and crisis response in Washtenaw. page 4 • People in the neighborhood: Vanessa. page 8 • Reimagining Walden, part 3: not all ponds are created equal. page 10 THIS PAPER WAS BOUGHT FROM • Proposal: Housing-development accelerator • Charbonneau: Open your eyes to housing inequity. PAGE 4 @groundcovernews, include vendor name and vendor # ׉ 7cassandra://2vf4Np8j9tqCT793L9U2CHAQRoDQjXz0jZLyxbSIRQQ*`h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://zV0a_xuYLta_KFc4sWbYqozhx4OGYEbTkc3uzUKQVPc3`I׉ 7cassandra://Gh1ytKwEmEdINzKExIgXNPtcrq3MsghD_Q9k62zySog`׉ 7cassandra://oUUzforOQaI7EhCI2kXnSoDbg1sSS8r5XDzGeTruPHUU`h:Zb ^&נh:Yb ^%Ё9׉Hhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgGׁ ׁ rנh:Zb ^+ԁ9ׁHhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgׁ ׁ Јנh:Zb ^*ā 9ׁH"mailto:contact@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Јנh:Zb ^)!9ׁH&mailto:submissions@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E 2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER15 SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 PROVIDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELFDETERMINED INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY POVERTY, PRODUCING A STREET NEWSPAPER THAT GIVES A PLATFORM TO UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN WASHTENAW COUNTY, PROMOTING AN ACTION TO BUILD A JUST, CARING AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETY. Groundcover News, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in April 2010 as a means to empower lowincome persons to make the transitions from homeless to housed, and from jobless to employed. Vendors purchase each copy of our regular editions of Groundcover News at our office for 50 cents. This money goes towards production costs. Vendors work selling the paper on the street for $2, keeping all income and tips from each sale. Vendors are the main contributors to the paper, and are compensated to write and report. Street papers like Groundcover News exist in cities all over the United States, as well as in more than 40 other countries, in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people and combat the increase in poverty. Our paper is a proud member of the International Network of Street Papers. STAFF Lindsay Calka — publisher Cynthia Price — editor Steve Ross June Miller ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Bauman Monique Caldwell Jim Clark La Shawn Courtwright Shelley DeNeve Cindy Gere Beth Hamilton Mike Jones Chad Naugle Ken Parks Noemi Pohl Anthony Smith Scoop Stevens Rose Strickland Shawn Swoffer Joe Woods PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Jane Atkins Sim Bose Jud Branam Libby Chambers Stephanie Dong Glenn Gates Robert Klingler Margaret Patston Angeline Tran Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Emilie Ziebarth BOARD of DIRECTORS Anna Gersh Greg Hoffman Jessi Averill Jacob Fallman Jack Edelstein Glenn Gates GROUNDCOVER NEWS ADVERTISING RATES Size 1/8 1/6 1/4 1/2 full page Black/White $110.00 $145.00 $200.00 $375.00 $650.00 Color $150.00 $200.00 $265.00 $500.00 $900.00 Dimensions (W x H in inches) 5 X 3 or 2.5 X 6.5 5 X 4 5 X 6.25 5 X 13 or 10.25 X 6.5 10.25 X 13 Mike Jones Hailu Shitaye Shelley DeNeve Steve Borgsdorf CONTACT US Story and photo submissions: submissions@groundcovernews.com Advertising and partnerships: contact@groundcovernews.com Office: 423 S. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor Mon-Sat, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 734-263-2098 @groundcover @groundcovernews DONATE, LISTEN TO OLD ISSUES + LEARN MORE www.groundcovernews.org WAYS TO SUPPORT 1. Buy the paper, read the paper. 2. Get the word out — We rely on grassroots marketing. Talk to people about Groundcover and share us with your network. 3. Volunteer — You'll learn a lot about our vendors, the newspaper and your community. Interested in volunteering regularly? Fill out the form on our website. 4. Advertise your company, organization, event or resource — see rates below. 5. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram — promote our posts and share your favorite articles and vendor interactions. 6. Donate items — A seasonally appropiate list of items most needed at our office and on the street is available on our website. Drop off anytime we're open. PACKAGE PRICING Three Months/Six Issues: 15% off Six Months/Twelve Issues: 25% off Full Year/Twenty-four Issues: 35% off Only run for two weeks/one issue: 40% off Additional 20% discount for money saving coupons ׉ 7cassandra://oUUzforOQaI7EhCI2kXnSoDbg1sSS8r5XDzGeTruPHUU`h:Yb ^׉ESEPTEMBER 5, 2025 ON MY CORNER ASK YOUR VENDOR Who is your celebrity look-alike? No idea. — Pony Bush, #305 George Carlin. — Ken Parks, #490 (see photo page 11) Tone Loc or LL Cool J. — Mike Jones, #113 (see photo page 4) Ben Kingsley. — Jim Clark, #139 (see photo page 8) Sissy Spacek. — Rose Strickland, #25 (see photo below) Bette Midler. — Terri Demar, #322 Have you ever wondered why you don't see name brand products at food banks? I have wondered that myself. Let me tell you about some facts that I've come across. Some of the reasons I found were (let me put it this way) the companies are too cheap to donate food. They have much more control over their supply chain, meaning fewer leftovers to donate. Another reason is that retailers don't want to undercut their own brands. Retailers are often selective about donations and they don't want excess product showing up in food banks regularly. Retailers see that this can devalue their brand or lead to perceptions of being cheap and low end. You may see a name brand or a private label (Kirkland, Great Value) in food banks occasionally. That’s because retailers and manufacturers donate surplus, overstocked or near expiration items. Food Banks try to stretch Tupac. — Joe Woods, #103 every dollar when it comes to purchasing food. They tend to be very cost efficient. They often purchase food in bulk from wholesalers or food bank networks like Feeding America. This is where the generic or unbranded products are significantly cheaper to buy than brand names. Many food banks Sad but true Hi, I’m Rose, Groundcover News vendor No. 25! That means I was the 25th person to become a Groundcover News vendor in 2010 when Groundcover News was born! Happy 15th anniversary! My life sucks and it shows, but as a matter of grace and dignity I always dress nice no matter if I’m homeless or not (which I really am — sad but true). My heart hurts and I am sick of being manipulated. I feel the anger of the Mama Bear! I’m already tired of life. Sad but true. Some of us will die alone, but are we ever alone? I don’t believe that we are. I believe it so much even though I have lived a hard life. I have never stopped talking and having friendships with everyone in my life I loved to love. I have three baby daddies of my six beautiful children and three grandbabies. Except for one child who I lost after taking the COVID vaccine, I gave ROSE STRICKLAND Groundcover vendor No. 25 birth to them all naturally. All thanks to God. He is the best of us! I hurt because of things men have done to destroy the love in me. Somehow they never leave me, but I still get left by every one of them. They start making my life hard for amusement. They gang up on lil’ ole me everyday in one shape or form. They all become one and crap on me a lot, too much for my heart. They kicked me out when they chose and took me back knowing I had no choice except the street life. They used me for sexual favors while they still had my babies because I’m the mother on the streets that's on SSI and can't afford a life. Sad but true. There was one who loved me more than the rest but hurt me more than most. A soulmate is something special that some folks just can’t find in life or it takes them a lifetime to find. Sad but true. I know I am a fool, a stupid fool in love with my soulmate. Why, oh why, does my soul and my heart crave him? It feels like a big part of me has gone away, vanished. Why does he always run around in my mind? I don’t want to think about him anymore. My heart has forgiven the worst parts of him! How magical God works: I praise Him for my strength and peace of mind, but, oh, how my heart hurts. GROUNDCOVER NEWS Brand names at food banks? product that is a staple with food banks is oats. It’s off SHELLEY DENEVE Groundcover vendor No. 22 brand, but I haven't had a problem with taste. This past Wednesday I went to a food bank. I got a name brand item, Hostess cupcakes. They were the strawberry kind. I’m judging that they were amongst other products because they were near their expiration date. Plus I think the strawget products from USDA programs like The Emergency Food Assistance Program and bulk surplus from food distributors. The items purchased are beans, rice, pasta and canned goods that are not tied to consumer branding. On occasion you may catch a name brand product because of packaging redesign (old packaging must go), limited time promotions and product recalls (non-safety-related like labeling errors). I have experienced this going to different food banks. One particular product I can recall receiving is cereal. There are Rice Krispy and Corn Flakes off-brands that are not very good. They significantly don't have the same taste as the name brands. I would get them at first, but after trying them and then wasting the product I would simply just choose not to get any cereal. Another berry cupcakes sell less than the chocolate cupcakes. They did seem kind of stale. However I did not check the expiration date on the box they came in. So, why don't you see name brand products in food banks? I feel that this information has satisfied my curiosity. I hope this article has helped others who have had the same question come to mind. 3 h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://KGL0aEUCE-G8NAHDkswbYnaRjca12EBOSjheh-pybPs )`I׉ 7cassandra://fQBqqTyrOeVE1GHlsDpZpmnRTm9tfsVERfgKdZWuJLA*`׉ 7cassandra://palZc--MRxT7N8vjK3FJgYCgacGd50FTgNlssvUZGPQPJ`h:Zb ^,נh:[b ^/nA9ׁHhttp://side.Thׁ ׁ Ј׉E4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HARM REDUCTION Harm reduction refers to policies, programs and practices that aim to minimize the negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. Harm reduction is grounded in social justice and human rights. Crisis response refers to the immediate actions and strategies implemented to address and mitigate the impacts of a critical event or emergency. It involves planning, mobilizing resources, providing assistance and communicating effectively to minimize harm and facilitate recovery. Before I go further, I would like to highlight a few things in the executive order signed by President Donald J. Trump called “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” The order says (paraphrasing): the unhoused have made the streets unsafe and that most are on drugs or mentally ill or both; mandates shift unhoused individuals to long-term institutions for humane (but involuntary) treatment including ails, mental institutions and so-called drug treatment programs. The executive order also goes on to say: "Do not fund programs that fail to achieve adequate outcomes, including so-called 'harm reduction' or 'safe consumption' efforts.” As a direct result, harm reduction and crisis response organizations nationwide are facing major federal grant funding cuts. Here in Washtenaw County are two harm reduction and crisis response organizations that work together to keep the unhoused community safe. LEAF and Care Based Safety are nonprofit organizations that provide free services for the unhoused in our community. LEAF — Liberation Empathy Advocacy for the Future LEAF harm reduction is dedicated to enhancing public health and safety through comprehensive harm reduction programs including drug checking services and community engagement efforts. By reducing infections, preventing overdoses, and providing critical health education, they strive to create a healthier, safer community for all. Through a compassionate and innovative approach, LEAF not only supports individuals who use drugs but also fosters a more informed and engaged community by improving quality of life through dignity, autonomy, and compassion. It’s the missing link that can be applied to all levels of care. I recently talked to Corn Williams, the lead organizer at LEAF, who gave Care-Based Safety crisis response Care Based Safety is an unarmed response community established in September, 2023 in Ypsilanti. Their main objective and purpose is to keep safe people of color, Indigenous, undocumented, unhoused and LGBTQIA+ individuals using drugs, and/or experiencing mental health struggles through means of: • Conflict resolution (of arguments, dsagreements) • Basic first aid (wound care, wellness checks) • Overdose prevention, reversal and aftercare • Noise complaints and neighbor MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 me a tour of the new location on 211 East Michigan Ave. LEAF has been a non-profit organization since April 2024 and was first located in the downtown Ypsi-area on Pearl Street in Centennial Plaza. Corn let me know how he got into harm reduction. He is an ex-addict who overdosed several times and got into legal trouble. During his legal troubles he realized jails and treatment programs didn’t offer a true path to recovery for him. Corn came to learn about a new form of recovery called “Harm Reduction.” From this realization he started to give back to the community and to push back on a penal system that punishes people who use drugs by advocating for harm reduction and informing others of its benefits. Now he is a full-time harm reductionist serving the unhoused community by providing life saving drug checking technologies such as FTIR which enable users to know whether or not fentanyl is present in drugs they are about to use. FTIR, which stands for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, is a powerful analytical technique used to identify and quantify materials by analyzing how they absorb infrared light. It's widely used in various industries and academic research for applications like material characterization, quality control and chemical analysis. SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Harm reduction and crisis response in Washtenaw Wander and Williams co-leading an overdose reversal workshop in Ypsi. concerns • Distress related to mental health and other stressors Care Based Safety is building a community response program that brings loving, unarmed support to people directly impacted by structural violence. From June to September 2024, CBS hosted a pilot space at the Growing Hope location in downtown Ypsilanti for games, activities, connection and care two nights a week. During that time, they successfully: planned/delivered wellness and community building activities that averaged around 28 participants per event over eight weeks; distributed resources and supplies; and provided rapid response crisis management including court and jail support, shelter need support, conflict de-escalation and mental health support. Winter 2025 CBS transitioned this place-based pilot to a new location and expanded it to include an on-call component. Sheri Wander from Care Based Safety let me know that CBS is in a challenging space due to the lack of funding but is moving in a capacity of trust in the unhoused community. She said, “We know that we want a phone number 24/7 to respond to the unhoused community without the police, without guns and without fear of being punished. We were limited in the last couple of years because we didn’t want to put a phone number out to the public and two months later the phone number gets cut off because of the lack of funds. All that said, CBS partners with other organizations like LEAF, Fed-Up Ministries and Growing Hope to engage effectively to meet the needs of those in our community. But now CBS has a non-emergency phone number where people can leave a voicemail or text message. Someone will return your phone call within 48 hours. Call 734-219-2318 for court, medical support, and to navigate resources.” Why harm reduction and crisis response? Kat Layton is a community organizer, social worker at the Ypsilanti District Library, harm reductionist and licensed clinical social worker. I talked to Kat, and I had one question for her: why is harm reduction and crisis response needed? She showed me a chart explaining Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is a psychological theory proposing that humans are motivated by a series of needs arranged in a pyramid, from basic physiological needs like food and shelter to higher-level needs like self-esteem and self-actualization. The theory suggests that individuals must satisfy lower-level needs before focusing on higher-level ones. Key Components of Maslow's Hierarchy: 1. Physiological Needs: These are the most basic needs for survival, including food, water, sleep and shelter. 2. Safety Needs: Once physiological needs are met, individuals seek safety and security, including personal security, financial security and health. 3. Love and Belonging Needs: These involve feeling connected to others, including having friendships, family relationships and a sense of belonging. 4. Esteem Needs: This level includes the need for self-esteem, confidence, achievement and respect from others. 5. Self-Actualization Needs: This is the highest level, representing the desire to reach one's full potential and become the best version of oneself. She continued to say that the first two of the five steps in the pyramid are the most important because if these essential needs are not met — like food, water, shelter and personal security — that individual is in crisis and in need of immediate help. Homelessness is a national crisis. LEAF, Care Based Safety and people like Kat try to meet the needs of those see CRISIS next page  ׉ 7cassandra://palZc--MRxT7N8vjK3FJgYCgacGd50FTgNlssvUZGPQPJ`h:Yb ^׉ESEPTEMBER 5, 2025 HARM REDUCTION GROUNDCOVER NEWS Washtenaw County awards opioid settlement funding to community-based programs BETH HAMILTON Washtenaw County The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has approved funding awards for multiple community organizations to address harm from the opioid crisis using County opioid settlement funds. Funding awards are for a three-year grant period from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. “We are thrilled to see these critical dollars getting out the door and into the hands of the organizations doing lifesaving work every day in our community,” said Katie Scott, Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and Commissioner for District 9. "These funds represent Washtenaw County’s commitment to healing, to prevention, and to creating pathways to recovery for those most impacted by the opioid crisis," Scott said. "I’m proud of the collaborative and equity-driven process that brought us to this moment, and I look forward to the real and lasting impact this funding will have across Washtenaw County.” The Health Department is leading Washtenaw County’s planning to leverage local opioid settlement funds. The County will receive more than $16 million total over the next 18 years to  CRISIS from last page in crisis. “There are a lot of low-income and unhoused people that utilize the library, and some who are in need of harm reduction and crisis response services. I refer and partner with LEAF and CBS along with other partners like Wolverine Street Medicine (U-M medical students) and Fed-Up Ministries (food truck, showers and laundry) to attempt to meet the needs of individuals in crisis. These services fill in the gaps in the low-income and unhoused community of Washtenaw County. We need more funding for services like these instead of police and jails, which have become institutions of choice for those with mental illness.” Note: now that local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have been assigned to remove the homeless involuntarily without care and compassion there is a pressing need for these services in our community. Harm reduction and crisis response is all about community. Ordinary, everyday people come together to help and render aid to those who are unhoused, address harm from the ongoing opioid crisis. “Increasing access to harm reduction tools, treatment and recovery support saves lives here in Washtenaw County,” said Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer with the Washtenaw County Health Department. “We are grateful to our local partners who lead this critical work and we look forward to seeing how these opioid settlement funds build on the encouraging progress that has been made so far.” A committee facilitated by the Health Department reviewed and scored the funding proposals. The committee evaluated submissions based on responsiveness, qualifications, relevance of experience and alignment with the 2024 Community Assessment Report and the Washtenaw County Opioid Settlement Steering Committee’s identified funding categories. The Washtenaw County Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee will provide ongoing oversight, ensure transparency, and monitor use of settlement funds. “The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee will be essential in ensuring our opioid settlement dollars are having a real impact in those with mental illness, emotional issues and those who struggle with drug addiction. These non-profit support organizations are priceless resources for the unhoused community in Washtenaw County because they meet the unhoused where they are in their current situations and in their stages of recovery by building essential support relationships. Law agencies have been assigned to remove the homeless to full, unsafe, and under-staffed shelters, and then ticket and fine them for sleeping outside.The unhoused don’t have money to pay tickets and fines, so the unhoused end up going to jail because they often cannot pay these tickets - furthering the problem of homelessness. The unhoused are victims of displacement and forced into an unfortunate situation by a money-based capitalist system and then further victimized; punished for having nowhere to go. There are few effective mental health services in America. The mentally ill suffer on the streets or in the penal system. And the so-called drug treatment programs the ‘system’ wants to put people into aren’t for everyone. In my opinion, the 12 step system of substance abuse recovery is a good place to start but 12 steps are only the beginning of the journey to recovery. Individuals must imagine their own recovery (life without drugs or alcohol) and pursue the intimate details of that vision to make it a reality. I’m a lifetime resident of Washtenaw County and have been involved with the unhoused community for more than 20 years. I'm a believer in this methodology of recovery and response because I was once addicted to drugs and alcohol and unhoused in need of care. I see the care and compassion these organizations provide. I say: thank you to these wonderful people who go that extra mile to help their fellow humans. Shout out to LEAF, Care Based Safety, Fed-up Ministries, Wolverine Street Medicine, Growing Hope and the Mercy, Peace and Hospitality Houses. Want to be involved with helping the unhoused community? Be on the lookout for harm reduction and crisis response workshops put on by LEAF and Care Based Safety! LEAF's new office at 211 E Michigan Ave our community,” said Loveluck. “Community members with lived experience and local substance use, health, public safety, and academic professionals are encouraged to apply.” This committee will meet virtually Summary of FY2026-28 Funding for 1 to 2 hours every other month with additional meetings scheduled as needed. See the full resolution from the Board of Commissioners for additional details. 5 h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://Cf-9RiwrF1rdJhTv6p5mZtKqvGG414vqD4QFwMt2FJ0{`I׉ 7cassandra://izuMnXW2npIGF6A0RziMi2tua6lV-HFmuTuZjOT2_6U`׉ 7cassandra://JKdoWms2VtEFTFeS5VSIn9lgVdC6BCowz_2xPPZqEDEM&`h:[b ^0נh:[b ^4̕9ׁHhttp://a2gov.org/greenfairׁ ׁ Јנh:[b ^3 ̦9ׁHhttps://lu.ma/sfte5x8tׁ ׁ Јנh:[b ^2̮9ׁHhttp://tinyurl.com/YW091725ׁ ׁ Ј׉E6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS COMMUNITY ARTS One of my favorite galleries is Luna because of the many transformations it has gone through and the fact it's owned by an amazing woman named Luna. Over the past five years Ypsilanti has gone through a massive transformation in the arts from festivals and gatherings to art galleries and new art stores opening. This has changed the atmosphere of the city and brought in new buyers from around Washtenaw County. Many businesses that opened in the early 2010s and up through 2020 subsequently closed due to the massive lock down and unintended consequences of COVID-19 that utterly destroyed the economy and real estate. COVID-19 was a huge hit to these struggling business owners and landed many in massive debt. Luna took on the daunting task of creating a new gallery business in the aftermath of COVID-19. Luna has created a gallery where is multi-cultural, much of the art Lifetime SHAWN SWOFFER Groundcover vendor No. 574 As I look into your eyes I feel all the love that Could last me a lifetime And all the love I would Give you for a lifetime of incense sticks, cones and ropes to bath products including bath balls, scented soups, aromatherapy salt crystals and many varieties of scented candles. Luna has an extensive jewelry secCINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 spiritual and metaphysical. She has created a space for independent artists like me from around Washtenaw County to show our works to the public. I personally am a creator of art but selling is very hard for me. I am like the many artists who would rather focus on making art and avoid the commercial side. She also has international artworks from many different nations. On her walls Luna also has many metaphysical offerings — from smudge bundles Galaxies between us MONIQUE CALDWELL Groundcover contributor You and I, we’re stardust-bound, Whispers of light where love is found. The moon takes notes from how you smile And time slows down for us awhile. Each kiss—a comet in the night, Each touch—a flare, a burst of light. I chose you not by chance or fate, But by the stars I helped create. Our souls entwined, a cosmic thread, A tapestry where dreams are spread. You’re my orbit, calm and true, A universe in shades of you. So hold me close, and we’ll explore— Infinity, forevermore. A Nation of Workers Not Thinkers SCOOP STEVENS Groundcover vendor No. 638 LA SHAWN COURTWRIGHT Groundcover writer It's time to go back to school So for all of the sleepy heads Be prepared to rise early from bed Get to your classes before the bell rings Try your best not to be tardy Now you students job is to get all of your assignments in on time Even if you don't make the honor roll Keep pursuing your educational goals Never give up! You're on the right road! It sometimes doesn't feel like it Believe me, I've been there Yet, knowledge is a great treasure With a willing and informed mind You can go beyond the measure!! Once upon a time there was a man named Rockefeller. He wanted a nation of workers not thinkers. He had a friend named Dewey. Dewey was an education philosopher with a below average intellect. His theories on educating children didn’t make any sense. Rockefeller established an education fund to influence public education in America. He made Dewey his education advisor. When teachers in America’s state supervised school systems began teaching children how to read using Dewey’s teaching methods, there was a spike in cases of children reported to have had dyslexia. Rockefeller got what he wanted, a nation of workers not thinkers. tion with many different kinds of jewelry: precise stones like rose quartz to amethyst and amber, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Luna also has key chain stickers and small knickknacks for happy fun. On Saturdays Luna even has a space for an independent local tarot card reader. Last but not least, Luna also offers Native American artwork and smudge bundles and sage for expelling negative energies and clearing one’s space with new positive intentions. For the new fall scenes and experiences, come one, come all to this amazing and illuminating gallery at 50 N Huron Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan. SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Undercover art intel: Illuminating Luna Gallery School Time Treasure ׉ 7cassandra://JKdoWms2VtEFTFeS5VSIn9lgVdC6BCowz_2xPPZqEDEM&`h:Yb ^׉ESEPTEMBER 5, 2025 EVENTS community EVENTS "OUR STREETS" GALLERY OPENING Friday, Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m. Dzanc House, 402 S Huron, Ypsi Exhibit of photography from Emily Mills. This show will feature decades worth of photography documenting protests in Southeast Michigan. Gallery hours are Saturdays September 6, 13 and 20, 4-6 p.m. Closing reception Friday, September 26, 6-9 p.m. Emily Mills is also a Groundcover News volunteer photographer! BROADWAY PARK WEST OPENING WEEKEND Saturday, Sept. 11, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 841 Broadway St., Ann Arbor Join for a full weekend of joy and celebration as they officially open Broadway Park West — Ann Arbor’s newest riverfront destination in Lower Town! The project comprises seven acres of land formerly owned by Michigan Consolidated Gas Company and operated as a coal gasification facility in the early 20th Century. STORIES OF HOME WITH YPSIWRITES Wednesday, Sept. 17, 6:30-8 p.m. YDL-Superior, 1900 N Harris Road, Ypsilanti Join us in person to reflect on what makes your neighborhood and community special. We're so excited to write with you! Sign up at tinyurl.com/YW091725 ANN ARBOR GALLERY NIGHTS IN KERRYTOWN Thursday, Sept. 18, 5-8 p.m. Kerrytown, Ann Arbor Six galleries and gallery spaces in Kerrytown District, Ann Arbor, welcome the public for special activities on the third Thursday of the month from May 15 - September 18, 2025. All participants are within walking distance of each other. On Gallery Nights, each participant will host a rotating roster of artist talks, demonstrations, artist pop-ups and special appearances, welcoming the public to celebrate Ann Arbor’s vibrant art scene. Chris Nordin Studios Gallery: 117 E Ann Street Gutman Gallery: 118 N 4th Avenue Kerrytown Concert House: 415 N 4th Avenue TeaHaus: 204 N 4th Avenue Thistle & Bess: 222 N 4th Avenue WSG Gallery: 111 E Ann Street GREEN FAIR: CIRCULARITY STREET AND CLOTHING SWAP FESTIVAL Friday, Sept. 19, 5- 8 p.m. Main Street, downtown Ann Arbor Join us for Ann Arbor's annual street fair celebrating sustainability, community, and climate action! Visit our five theme areas to explore how you can be part of a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. This year at Green Fair, we will be hosting a Clothing Swap Festival! Swap participants can take clothing without bringing anything or bring clothing without taking anything. Bring up to five items of clothing if you are donating at Green Fair — or donate at our pre-event drop off on September 17 for a chance to receive a prize. Please only bring clean clothing in good to great wearable condition. This is a completely free event. Accessories welcome! RSVP: https://lu.ma/sfte5x8t For more information about Green Fair, visit a2gov.org/greenfair INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE Sunday, September 21, all day Library Lane, downtown Ann Arbor Annual gathering of music, talks, conversation with the peace community. More detailed schedule to be announced. A2 JAZZFEST Saturday and Sunday September 27 and 28, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor, 608 E William St. until 8:30 p.m., Ravens Club after 8 p.m. Weekend-long jazz music festival featuring live performances and student workshops. FREE! Submit an event to be featured in the next edition: submissions@groundcovernews. com GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Hang out in any of our five locations across town, browsing books, magazines, newspapers, and more, or check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, and home tools— you name it! Study and meeting rooms, fast and free WiFi, and plenty of places to sit and hang out Unusual Stuff to Borrow There’s more to borrow at AADL than books, music, and movies. To name a few, there are games, telescopes, stories-to-go kits, and home tools. Check out these unusual yet handy items during your next library visit. Exhibitions at AADL AADL’s exhibition program features local, regional, and national artists as well as traveling exhibitions. Potential exhibitors can submit an exhibit application to be considered for review, which will be examined by the Library Exhibits Committee. A beacon in the quiet hours CHAD NAUGLE Groundcover contributor In the quiet hours when the world slows to a hush, there lies a space inside you where possibility gathers like starlight. It is small, often unassuming, but it is unyielding in its glow — a stubborn ember that refuses to be extinguished by doubt or fatigue. Remember: you are not the sum of your failures, but the convergence of your choices to rise again. Remember: every breath you take is a tiny rebellion against the ordinary, a vote for becoming more than you were yesterday. Remember: even the longest night is only a moment when held against the dawn. There is no grand map that guarantees safety or certainty, only a path that you carve with each courageous step. The soul does not demand flawless leaps; it asks for consistent, honest movement toward what you care about most. In that movement, you shape meaning not just for yourself, but for the world you touch — even in small, almost invisible ways. Let your curiosity be the compass and your compassion the fuel. When you stumble, tend to your wounds with patience; when you rise, reach back to lift another. Growth isn’t a sprint but a river: it flows around obstacles, wearing them down until they become part of the landscape you’ve become. Small acts of courage compound into unshakeable resolve. Persistent hope softens rough seas into navigable routes. Authentic care transforms lonely hours into shared moments of grace. You carry a history you didn't choose and a future you can still craft. The present moment is a doorway; step through it with deliberate intention. You are larger than your fears, deeper than your doubts, and brighter than your worst critics imagine. If you listen closely, you can hear the quiet insistence of your better self: I will endure. I will grow. I will choose love — again and again. And that is enough to begin a new chapter that only you could author. May your days be brave, your nights be hopeful, and your heart be unbreakable. Saturday, October 11 • 11 AM - 5 PM • Downtown Library Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival (A2CAF): Small + Indie Press is a one-day venture into the world of small press comics publishing. Presented in partnership with Athenaeum Comic Art, this event gives attendees the chance to meet comic artists and learn about the art of creating comics outside of a traditional publisher. Visit aadl. org/a2cafsip for more! FEATURED EVENT 7 h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://xzekmpMilK4qnz_mfq_pyuwMPhpaE_o7F8fNMM-UCP0`I׉ 7cassandra://squOWuoEeSqpbhQToxFaAdFk4BxbZ1_twHrNbxOw7p8`׉ 7cassandra://GszpQ2BNyhSeDYMCCB7eZ0V1yRxuWBneayZmGJ0gdRYNV`h:[b ^5נh:[b ^7'7̜9ׁHhttp://TrashTalkTour.Orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD People in the neighborhood: Vanessa This is Vanessa’s story. Glencoe Hills is a large apartment complex located in Pittsfield Township, Michigan. The complex sits on 65 acres. About 1/4 of the property is undeveloped due to three ponds. The shore of one of those ponds backs up to a strip mall. On that property-line-isthmus is a tent sheltering a woman and her daughter. Vanessa is a middle-aged woman. Her daughter Miracle is a high school student at Ypsilanti Community Schools. Vanessa came to Washtenaw County from Detroit in January 2025 and has been living in the tent since February. Vanessa was living with an older daughter when she was asked to leave in mid January. She introduces herself: “My name is Vanessa King. I'm a single mother with a special needs teenager and I'm homeless.” “What have you been doing to get housing for you and Miracle?” I asked. Vanessa replied, “I have tried with PATH, I have tried with Avalon and HAWC (Housing Access for Washtenaw County). I tried with Alpha House, I did their lottery, but nothing came of it. I don't know who to talk to or who to bypass. I don't know how to get a case manager to get these things I need. I'm not on any wait list, but I have been calling PATH for the whole month of July, and they have not I found a black and white card from Pittsfield Township police officer, Jessica Welker. Written on the card, it says, “Can't camp here. Private Property of Glencoe.” Shockingly neutral and indifferent. JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 Vanessa has been earnestly asking the system for help, instead she gets the bum rush to nowhere. “So, how are you feeling right now?” I wanted to know. Vanessa responded, “I'm a little gotten back to me. I left them voice messages. I gave them my cell phone number. I told them where I live. I don't know if they have Section 8 available since I hear they're cutting back on it. So now I'm back to, what, square one. I’m literally busted with no help up, you hear me? No help!” Vanessa’s complaint is a common one. Many of the people experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County are desperately trying to improve their situation. There are many resources, however they are all at capacity. There is more homelessness than the system can handle. So even if someone is doing everything possible to get help, there just isn’t any help available. And then on August 3rd, Vanessa found a message on her tent. It was a business card. Vanessa recalled, “It was a Sunday, worried. I just don't want them to, you know, damage the tent and throw all my belongings in the dumpster. That's happened before, in Pittsfield Township. I don't want that to happen. So, yeah, I feel kind of worried.” When Vanessa set camp behind the strip mall, the grounds were covered in trash. In the spring she and a friend spent hours cleaning the litter. She had this to say about the clean up, “They [Glencoe] did not take care of this property. They didn't even care about it enough to put up private property signs. We took care of it. There was poison ivy down in the bushes and stuff, my friend cut all that down. You could say that since we moved in, we have improved its value. They probably did see me coming back and forth during the cold, but they didn't call the police then. So why see VANESSA page 11  October 5th Learn about zero waste in Ann Arbor at these free, family-friendly events! Zero Waste Fall Festival Tour Recycle Ann Arbor 12:00-3:00pm 9:30am & 11:00am See how your recycling gets a second life and get answers to all your questions Michigan Stadium Tour 8:30-9:30am Get a behind-the-scenes look at Big House zero waste operations Bike Tour 7:45am-1:00pm Ride from Common Cycle to Recycle Ann Arbor and back with stops along the way Learn More and Sign Up: TrashTalkTour.Org Made Possible By: Games, doughnuts, prizes, shopping, and live music at Kiwanis Thrift Sale SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Thank you to all who came to our 15th anniversary celebration, donated to the organization and participated in the festivities! We are commemorating this milestone all year long — continue to read the paper and follow us on social media to see what we have planned next. We look forward to the next 15 years, and the 15 after that, and hope you will be a part of it! ׉ 7cassandra://GszpQ2BNyhSeDYMCCB7eZ0V1yRxuWBneayZmGJ0gdRYNV`h:Yb ^׉E4SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 ADVERTISEMENTS GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://yKKwMzEw__J1APmam1-_VoZY6Bv3J383Ga-9lG-jJXo e`I׉ 7cassandra://0C8YjVXBaqEUhqP1xzryUGtE8ItmMvcyjONyPbiRgK0.B`׉ 7cassandra://NmWAzni4bE0Ay-ozLDcse6xrq7ryYr_2PNmLW3o-n6wP!`h:\b ^8׉E#10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS STORIES FROM BEFORE SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 Reimagining Walden, part three: not all ponds are created equal Continued from “Reimagining Walden Part 2, This Time It’s Personal,” Groundcover Aug. 8, 2025 In Hartland there is a lovely place named Waldenwoods. I would pass it on my way deliberately that summer. I had special knowledge. I knew the special places where the creeks flowed fast enough to have a sandy bottom; there I would take my “bird baths” and beat the hottest parts of the day. Many of the special places I once knew as a child had fallen victim to progress and yuppy cul-de-sacs. There were still some wild places with hidden rings of stone where I would build fires to cook various meats on large roasting forks bought at my favorite store at that time, The Rural King. On other days I would cheat the raccoons out of the freshest hot and ready pizzas the local Little Caesars had to offer. With a stack of those five dollar pizzas I would make my way down the backroads towards “my office” at the Cromaine Library to try to find the next thing. The library in Hartland is reasonably attractive and situated on the woody edge of the old downtown — as a kid it always seemed like the frontier edge of the wilderness. I would go there frequently to research employment and recharge my devices. In some ways it was different than the downtown library in Ann Arbor from my perspective. I like NEVER having someone follow me into the restroom at times; personally it was uncomfortable. There was a much different user base than I was used to at this library. One could step out for a smoke and not have to worry about anything walking away. There were no halfhour-long impassioned pleas broadcast to all in the proximity of the computer stations; patrons there were much more discreet. When it comes to the types of difficult people one might encounter, there is a difference between the urban and the rural possibilities which may include sometimes an angry skunk or other enraged rogue beast. Mosquitos? A short distance on the highway changed things. The ancient cemetery across the street was a fine place to stretch my legs in between drafts of my work. Ever mindful of my finitude and the death that awaits us all, on those halcyon days I'd contemplate “authentic Dasein” and “the fallen” over beer, pizza and fatty dank. On Clyde Road, Hartland Road, to pop back over for a visit. I grabbed some beers and a hunk of meat and headed on over. The next day was supposed to be ANTHONY SMITH Groundcover contributor Bullard Road, and U.S. 23, I knew afternoons of cool tree leaf tunnels and golden bucolic splendor. Bordered by a great orchard, some of the area had fresh apples. I have enjoyed them many times over the years. I knew the frogs peeping from the shaded streams along the way, the scream of blue jays, and the agitation of fat stupid red squirrels. I would the squirrel warning calls signaled from some tree in sight of the road at times, and then not much else on a walk that could be expanded greatly depending on the challenge level desired. My mostly loud-ish muffler would be the ultimate issue for my jeep. I was bound to get caught sometimes with all the curvy turns around there. I could pay a muffler ticket or some shit, but getting the vehicle taken for lack of insurance meant automatic towing and associated yard fees, C.O.D. mostly. This sucked because in order to keep a place to live, I had to stay lucky in the trap or elsewhere. I wouldn't get the eviction moratorium that others got during the pandemic. I had to pay to play or get off the pot. Robert E. Howard imagined a world where one might “eat quickly, sleep lightly, and linger not over anything — those are the first rules of the wild, and his life is not long who fails to observe them” (Howard, “Almuric” page 13, 1939) — or die in the jungle baby, yeah! It was the most beautiful time of the year, the timeless bucolic cornucopia season was at hand. Even now I can hear the peeps and croaks from my amphibian friends from along the way. Peaceful contemplation, unhurried, I remember not thinking about time and simply doing all things I enjoy very much. I had no master save for the rain and my belly. I was blessed with a part time job cleaning pots for one of the good old boys and so I was in several weeks of serious scissoring. About this time the old Indian hollered at me and wanted me to move a few of my things around so he could do some work. I was glad sweet because I was just around the corner from the pot gig; sadly I would not make it far. Just as I turned out of the neighborhood I was pulled over by a cop because of my dang loud muffler. This wouldn't be a big deal except I had no insurance and no registration. I had worked ALL summer and had nothing to pay the pigs. I used the Jedi mind trick, but I wasn't able to save the jeep. And so they took my ride to jail. I was in the space where the coercive violence of the state is used to compel individuals to engage in commerce with insurance companies and their ilk. What choice did I have? I tried to be polite about not having any money. What choice I had in the matter was to carry off what I could. This was during the eviction moratorium. I was too poor for that nationwide bailout and so I was robbed at gun point by a wellfed instrument of state oppression. I set off with a few things and found a folding chair along a nearby dirt road. A concrete park outhouse would be my headquarters for a brief period. In the evening I'd lock myself in there till the next day when I'd split. It was kind of gross and I kept getting woken by frustrated sexual degenerates in the middle of the night. I would silently chuckle as their nights were ruined, “Why is the door always locked?!” When the sun came up I'd mosey on down to the now-defunct Ericson ranch and cut the grass. Once it had been a working horse ranch. I had stayed there for a summer back in 2000. That summer I learned the kind of lesson only a mighty stallion can teach a young man. It was an afternoon when I was there all alone. A powerful racing stallion kicked open a weak gate and was chewing on the better grass of the yard. He was a $25,000 racing horse. There and then I knew I had to put a rope on him and set things right. On the way out the door I grabbed a nice length of rope and fashioned a quick slip knot. With absolutely zero fear I closed on the great beast slowly. With one fluid motion I raised the lasso and in the next moment I'd caught him and led him to a more secure corral. A few weeks of cleaning weed there was a walk down memory lane and helped me get the resources I needed to head to Hartland where I would go to live deliberately in nature for a while. - Ironically, there was the aforementioned place called Waldenwoods towards the direction I was heading. It was in honor of Thoreau, I assume. Unlike the book it has a complement of modern things like golf courses, a rustic and attractive main building (a place I've been for Xmas party stuff) and RVs to party in beside a bit of a lake. Going east into town, one moves away from the idyllic Americana and into the semi-dystopian postmodern American dream. There had been a great truckstop there east of US-23. No one could tell now that it had been demolished and the land reused for new buildings. It had been a place that reminded me of in real life Smokey and the Bandit subversive weird stuff. There were "lot lizards," and the infamous Oklahoma City bomber had eaten there or something? I had been around the area growing up as a kid and when I had a few bucks from working during summer vacation, my buddies and I used to head up there late at night because “The Oasis” was 24 hours! It was maybe a 25 minute walk from where I grew up. This was a place that I knew well. Behind the old pharmacy, a place once called "Buckey's” was the place I felt I'd find a good spot. It was remote enough and yet still close to electricity and a few stores like my favorite, The Rural King. There were none of the pristine ponds of Thoreau's Walden; these ponds had decades-old shopping carts partially submerged along their mucky banks. The brown of those waters could keep a secret — it wasn't hard to imagine just what or who could be hidden in those gross things. Guns, old lot lizards, unlucky drifters? I saw milk-carton people. It was grim. In the trees along the trails there were the severed limbs, torsos and mutilated heads of many dolls, their eyes cruelly plucked from their sockets or alternately painted black. These would move about if there was a breeze. I would want to steer clear of these sinister doll people. I found a large tree that had fallen and would hide my approach as I walked up its trunk. The spot was nearly invisible before I camouflaged it, afterward it was even more invisible. I would stay at this site till the 26th of December when I would head to our nation's capital after being promised a job selling weed. On that day, by Zeus, I would neatly pack up my tent and other things. TO BE CONTINUED ... ׉ 7cassandra://NmWAzni4bE0Ay-ozLDcse6xrq7ryYr_2PNmLW3o-n6wP!`h:Yb ^׉ESEPTEMBER 5, 2025 MAKING CHANGE Work for peace My last article on labor power is the mother of this article. Working for peace is the most important job before us. Once we understand the responsibility we share in the use of our labor power we can begin the shift from compliance to love. Compliance is based on a social norm we have inherited as a treasure of sins and blessings, as my article “The Healing of our ancestors” attempts to clarify. Our heritage needs the awareness of mindfulness in all its forms as we honor the blessings and atone for our sins. The main sin of the colonial and now imperialist epoch is supremacism. The belief in sex or race as markers for supremacism has morphed into fascism. We now see power and wealth as the final phase of supremacism. It is expressed in the corporate state as the exclusive tool of wealth and power and its innate right to concentrate wealth and power into an ever smaller minority. The dominant ideology presents the ruling class as the most important  VANESSA from page 11 are they calling the police now? How does that make sense? It’s like why can't you just look the other way? I'm not barbecuing you know? I'm not making a scene.” I questioned Vanessa about finding employment. She told me “I'm working with Corn Williams and Kat Layton at the LEAF (Liberation Empathy Advocacy for the Future) headquarters. I help a team make sure that the homeless in the area have support. They come in looking for something to eat or someone to talk to. I sit with them and keep them company or maybe help people find clothing or other things.” “So are they employing you?” I queried. “Well, they're not giving me money." She replied. “It’s mutual aid. You help take care of people, they help take care of you. When you're doing your part in the community; when you're helping take care of everybody, that’s work. “But it doesn’t stop there,” Vanessa added, "Motherhood is work too, with Miracle, it's a full-time job.” Finding work when you’re already homeless is challenging. No address to put on paperwork, no shower or laundry to be presentable during an interview, the unstable environment of being transient makes it hard to schedule appointments or find transportation. Vanessa’s barrier to employment also includes finding affordable childcare. Being expected to get back at the Gutenberg Project for the best written translations of this oral work. The Great Law of Peace, an agreeKEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 player which also presents wage slavery and debt slavery as inevitable. It will take study and meditation to understand who we are in our quest for freedom and take the next step in the right direction. This is the work of peace. Homo sapiens have used violence to bolster the different kinds of supremacism from the time of written history. Preliterate violence existed but at a much smaller scale. The book “Tales of the Mabinogian” tells stories of this shift from the Welsh perspective. Look on your feet by “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” while taking care of a child is insane. Vanessa is trying to support the community that is helping her, but the community where she keeps her tent, that she also helps take care of, is telling her to move on down the road. What if instead of writing on the card “can’t camp here, private property” the card said “call us, we have a job and an apartment for you.” Pittsfield Township could hire Vanessa to work in park maintenance. Glencoe could offer her a job and provide an apartment. These agencies are so close to doing the right thing, but all they can come up with is “can’t camp here, private property”. Not even enough decency to write in complete sentences. Last question: “If you could get a free ride to Eastern Michigan University, what would you study?” “I would study criminal justice,” she replied without hesitating. “Why's that?” I inquired. “Man," she said with emphasis, “to lock up all the politicians.” “And why is that?” I pressed. Vanessa opened up, “I just feel like they are being corrupt, the damn city of Ypsilanti is being corrupt, It's like they only give certain people Section 8. Like they are doing favoritism with housing. And it needs to be cleaned up, just like the city of Detroit. I see them, but do they see me? We'll see if anyone is gonna help.” ment to end warfare and begin the Iroquois confederacy, gives us a sense of preliterate homo sapiens. We can choose what kind of humans we want to be. This is a lifelong journey that begins with intention. Are you ready for the whole truth or just enough to feel special? The temptation of American exceptionalism is strong as people want an undisturbed comfort zone. Impermanence inevitably breaks through and new forms of suffering arise. We all know love is the answer but are watching a genocide in progress. There is sociological research that indicates 3.5 percent awareness on any issue results in a tipping point of social change. “The Emperor has no clothes” moment is coming. The show cannot go on. The stage will open for the era of peace on a broader scale than we could have imagined during the age of genocide which is still playing out. The shift to peace was present at the Makeshift Gallery Art Gallery on 407 Liberty on Sunday, August 24, 2025. The Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice is coming alive at a new level. Some of us went to the Labor Day march in Detroit on September 1. If you went you probably got a flyer on the call for a national anti-fascist conference. Every Friday there is a peace vigil by the post office at Fifth and Liberty from 6 to 7 p.m. On Thursday there is a Palestine vigil. International Day of Peace is September 21. Ann Arbor Community Commons is active with that “Dancing in the Street” celebration. Veterans for Peace annual celebration at the Ark is on Veterans Day, November 11, 2025. Keep your eyes and mind open and help the shift to peace as a way of life. Breathe with the all good expanse of primordial purity and come more fully alive. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 One day after returning home to camp, King found a Pittsfield Police business card on her tent. It said, "Can't camp here. Private Property of Glencoe.” h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://n7OqiGrOXTgE-BDGsONps8aiZVM5VyQ0pe7OwItML9E 3K`I׉ 7cassandra://JQnkXkzD9YAfGHd4X-_V1ggjvCVfjtMURjOcGsZ6fTY$`׉ 7cassandra://B-PhVk1kPYWXlUrFUyBPdqyVorbDTkj3_MPSCCw3IAgS/`h:\b ^;נh:]b ^? ,9ׁHhttp://groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Јנh:\b ^> G9ׁHhttp://INSP.ngׁ ׁ Ј׉E12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS LIVING ARCHIVES SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 From homelessness in Ann Arbor to the Homeless World Cup in Brazil GREG HOFFMAN Groundcover board member Playing on the U.S. national team for the Homeless World Cup left David Altherr with some special memories and a mission. His journey began in Washtenaw County through the Project Outreach Team (PORT) and its street soccer program (SSPORT). He first heard about the local SSPORT soccer team nearly three years ago at the PORT offices in Ann Arbor. Before his first practice, David, now in his fifties, had never played organized soccer. He gave it a try after continued encouragement from the sport coaches. Since then, David says he hasn't missed more than three or four practices. As a younger man, David was an avid baseball player, and he says that soccer really helped to fill the void created when he stopped playing baseball. Not only has it provided a means of promoting physical health through the exercise of playing, but has also been a driving force and helping David stay sober and turn his life around. The weekly practices give David something to look forward to each week and encourages others to share in the mental and physical benefits soccer provides. “There's no pressure. It's lots of fun. Just come out and join us,” David tells them. To be eligible to travel to tournaments with the SSPORT team, players must first commit to sobriety for at least thirty days. David's first travel opportunity with the sport team came in the summer of 2010, when he and the team traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete for the USA Homeless Cup. David says that this first experience felt like being a superstar. Participants in the tournament were outfitted with special tournament clothing equipment and new shoes. Although the SSPORT team did not win the 2010 Street Soccer USA Cup, the team was awarded the tournament's Fair Play Award for demonstrating sportsmanship and positive attitudes on and off the field. While in D.C., David was interviewed by representatives from street soccer USA about what soccer meant to him but he had little idea at the time that he had been identified as a candidate for the U.S. Men's National Team. As the USA Cup came to a close, there was a parade and award ceremony, which culminated with the selection of the U.S. National Team, and David was chosen to represent the United States in the 2010 Homeless World Cup in Brazil. The Homeless World Cup trip began with the three-day stop in New York. While there, David began practicing with the other players who had been selected for the U.S. team. The highlight in New York was a four-on-four scrimmage with players from the Major League Soccer New York Red Bulls, the professional soccer team in New York. After New York, the team boarded a plane and headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 55 teams participated in the 2010 Homeless World Cup; 43 men's teams and 12 women's teams. In all, more than 40 countries are represented. The games were held on the edge of the white sand of the Copacabana Beach September 19-26. The U.S. Men's team performed admirably, finishing in 20th place, and the U.S. Women's team earned 11th place finish. David recollects two experiences that really stick out from the trip, aside from the action on the field. The first was the breathtaking views from the 100-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer statue that looks over the city of Rio. “You're up there in the foggy mists from the mountains, and you can see all the way down to the white sandy beaches,” David recalled. The other experience that had a lasting impression on David was the opportunity to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with other players, including members of the Swedish and Finnish National teams. The meeting was facilitated by translators and when it closed, the participants each said their closing prayers in their native languages. “It was really a joy to be able to experience something like that,” David said. According to David, when someone Netflix original movie "The Beautiful Game" is based on the true story of the Homless World Cup, which was founded by INSP members and is deeply connected with the global street paper movement. is selected to go to the Homeless World Cup they become an ambassador not only of the U.S. team, but also of the mission and goals of the Homeless Soccer efforts worldwide. He lives up to this charge through his daily efforts to share the benefits of soccer with everyone he meets. “It doesn't matter who wins, because we all win because we were on the same team. The whole idea is to fight homelessness,” David concluded. Originally published in the June 2012 edition of Groundcover News. At the time, Greg Hoffman was U-M Masters of Social Work intern. He is now the longest-serving board member. ׉ 7cassandra://B-PhVk1kPYWXlUrFUyBPdqyVorbDTkj3_MPSCCw3IAgS/`h:Yb ^׉ESEPTEMBER 5, 2025 INSP GROUNDCOVER NEWS Cities for people, not for profit: municipalities fight against Airbnb NOEMI POHL FiftyFifty It all began quite harmlessly: in 2008, two men from San Francisco rented out air mattresses in their flat in order to pay their rent. “Air Bed and Breakfast” was intended to provide travellers with affordable accommodation — a charming idea that quickly spread around the world thanks to the internet. Today, Airbnb offers accommodation in over 150,000 cities worldwide. But little remains of the original vision of sharing. Instead of occasionally sharing empty rooms, investors now buy up entire blocks of buildings, just to rent them out to tourists for profit. The result is a veritable “commodification” of housing: flats are being used less and less by permanent residents of the city; instead, every little room is being offered for short-term lets. As a result, Airbnb causes a removal of rental flats from the market and encourages property speculation, rents are driven ever higher, and locals pay the price. The figures are alarming: in Barcelona, for instance, rents have risen by a whopping 68 per cent in the last decade, and in Lisbon, they have tripled. These are prices that many residents simply cannot afford. People who used to live in the centre of the city are now being pushed into the outer suburbs. Elderly people who have lived on the same street for decades have no choice but to move out because they can no longer afford the rent. Families can no longer find affordable housing close to 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 school and work. Young people are finding themselves unable to move out in the first place, and have no choice but to live with their parents. But there’s more to it than just rising rents. Where once there was a neighbourhood, there is now the rattling of suitcases being wheeled. Where a small bakery once stood, there is now a souvenir shop. Bookshops and greengrocers are disappearing because their customers are staying away and rents are exploding – all that remains are large chains. Residents complain about constant noise and a revolving door of neighbours with no sense of responsibility. The city becomes a mere backdrop, while real life is pushed to the margins. People in precarious situations are particularly affected: older people, low-income families and people with a migratory background hardly stand a chance on the overheated housing market. The risk of homelessness is rising. Housing displacement can also have a major impact on the social fabric of the city. When locals are forced to leave their neighbourhood because they can no longer afford rent, people of varying incomes and social backgrounds come into less contact with each other. Increasing isolation increases social tensions and jeopardises social cohesion. The consequences have long since become part of everyday life, and many people are fed up. Thousands regularly demonstrate in affected cities. Most recently, activists in Barcelona tried to draw attention to the consequences of mass tourism by spraying for a voluntary donation. I agree not 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 Photo courtesy of INFOE Studio tourists with water pistols. Some local authorities are reacting: Munich and Paris are taking legal action against the corporation and demanding transparency regarding rental data. Amsterdam limits rentals to a maximum of 30 days per year. Barcelona is going to go one step further: by the end of 2028, there is going to be a complete ban on renting out holiday flats throughout the city, and existing licences will not be renewed. But Airbnb now relies on aggressive lobbying and attempts to undermine all regulatory approaches. With its enormous market and capital power, the company has privileged access and exerts influence with other players in the tourism sector. This shows that the existing rules and potential sanctions are not sufficient. Tough measures, consistent bans on sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially 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 propmisappropriation and platform responsibility are needed. It is crucial to pool legal powers at the local and EU level in order to be able to cope with the multi-billion corporation. The debate about housing displacement by corporations such as Airbnb is part of a larger struggle over the right to the city; should urban spaces serve the thirst for profit of a few investors or the needs of the many residents? Perhaps it begins with a simple question: Who owns the city? And perhaps it ends with a demand that has long been written on many a building wall: “A city for people, not for profit.” Translated from German via Translators Without Borders Courtesy of FiftyFifty / INSP.ngo 13 erty when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from 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. h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://KOY6jyBxXuMUFbMK24CdWNkrugPECIbY8OXYBs87AhE `I׉ 7cassandra://vuHtAEZMgkbpu8-MV9QirDUkEuqbDgXbeh38I6uZMLQ`׉ 7cassandra://bZJ-bjD0vuN9oFvSVDloqGFi1pOvAX_PPmLMJ55A0IQS`h:]b ^@נh:]b ^B|̪9ׁHhttp://www.jimtoycenter.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E14 GROUNDCOVER NEWS PUZZLES CROSSWORD International Network of Street Papers 1 14 17 20 23 26 27 28 29 32 34 41 43 44 48 50 58 61 64 51 52 49 53 59 62 65 60 63 66 54 55 56 57 45 46 47 35 36 33 37 42 38 39 40 18 21 24 30 31 2 3 4 5 6 15 7 8 9 16 19 22 25 10 11 12 13 SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 by Kaleaf Warnya ACROSS 1. Coffee order 6. Priestly garb 9. Qur'an chapter 14. "La Bohème," e.g. 15. "___ bad!" 16. Clear, as a disk 17. As a rule 19. Cross threads 20. "La Scala di ___" (Rossini opera) 21. Flock member 22. Hotel amenities 23. Flock leader 25. Anger 26. Senior politician 32. Crystal-lined rock 33. Very small 34. Ova, e.g. 37. Traffic jam 41. Friar 42. Hungarian joke 43. Eton or Hogwarts 48. Absorb, with "up" 49. Peanut butter choice 50. ___ Rica 53. Game on horseback 54. Edge 58. Dislike, and then some 59. Theorist 61. Fowl place 62. Shade provider 63. Edmonton hockey player 64. Former frosh 65. Legal thing 66. Light refractor DOWN 1. Feet, slangily 2. Blunted blade 3. Penny 4. Length x width, for a rectangle 5. A ways away 6. Famous Etta James song 7. Nabokov novel 8. Refuses to shop at 9. Puts in stitches 10. Compound in fertilizer 11. Basket material 12. Back, to a sailor 13. "Siddhartha" author 18. "Ah, me!" 23. Ancient Roman magistrate (Var.) 24. Curb, with "in" 26. ___ roll 27. Grassland 28. ___ Perignon 29. Swelling 30. Grab 31. Biblical gift 35. Aims 36. More revealing 38. "Seinfeld" uncle 39. Amateur video subject, maybe 40. Amigo 43. Owie 44. Thrift store (Aus.) 45. Noggin 46. Robots in Jewish folklore 47. Greek portico 48. Traumatizes 51. Brit's "Baloney!" 52. Song and dance, e.g. 54. Coconut fiber 55. Wrinkly fruit 56. Petitions 57. Popular hairstyle in the 80s 60. Chop (off) PUZZLE SOLUTIONS August 22, 2025 edition ׉ 7cassandra://bZJ-bjD0vuN9oFvSVDloqGFi1pOvAX_PPmLMJ55A0IQS`h:Yb ^׉E SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 YOUTH + SENIORS youth RESOURCE CORNER OZONE WELCOME CENTER 1600 N. Huron River Dr, Ypsilanti Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Crisis line and service line: 734-6622222 Open 24/7; ages 10-17 If you are safe and in no immediate danger, the Welcome Center is a great place to receive emergency services or just hang out in a safe place. — Phone counseling and individual on-site intervention will be provided as needed — Text and chat services available Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Fri 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Individual (10-14 years need guardian approval) and family counseling — 2-3 weeks of housing — Opportunity to go to school — Attempt at repairing the relationship between family and the youth — Paid internship program for homeless or at-risk youth — Families of these youth — Youth who wish to be there (voluntary entry) OZONE DROP-IN CENTER 102 N. Hamilton St.,Ypsilanti (one block from the Ypsilanti Transit Center) Monday - Thursday, 3-6 p.m. If you are 13-21 years old, you are welcome here if you want or need to: hang out at a safe place, eat a hot meal, meet people, talk to someone, get food from the pantry, do laundry, take a shower, use computers & phones, play games, get toiletries, get more info or help, talk to a job coach, just drop in when we’re open. PrideZone is a social and support group for LGBTQ youth. PrideZone meets every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at the drop-in center. NEUTRAL ZONE 310 E Washington St., Ann Arbor 734-214-9995 Monday - Friday 2:30 - 6:00 p.m. All teens are welcome to come in every day after school to hang out, grab a snack and connect with friends. Neutral Zone offers more than 20 programs for high school teens in the areas of visual and media arts, education, music technology, literary arts and community leadership. Drop-In opens on August 25 this year. Check out social media and event calendar for concerts, events, workshops, art shows and special projects. Stop by any program that looks interesting to check it out. CORNER HEALTH CENTER 47 N. Huron Street, Ypsilanti (two blocks from the bus station) There is a free two-hour parking lot next door to The Corner and meter parking on the street. Monday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday - Sunday: Closed The Corner only accepts patients 12-25 years old (and their children). If you're aged 12-25 years: • Call us at 734.484.3600. • Come speak with the Patient Service Representatives at the front desk. • Same day appointments may be available. Please call. • Walk-in urgent visits are based on availability. Please call. JIM TOY COMMUNITY CENTER 734-995-9867 560 S. Main St. Ann Arbor Information, education, social events, and advocacy by and for the Queer and Ally community in the Washtenaw County area. Check website for groups, meetings, and events www.jimtoycenter.org GROUNDCOVER NEWS 15 12/31/2025 h:Yb ^h:Yb ^ בCטFu׉׉ 7cassandra://d0e_DySYH7xOn1S9iITuxlrIioz3eRNbmU64bq37PqA`׉ 7cassandra://k4nfY9ibwZRodp-qMSJHDG2JFvWwybckHfCa8BrGg_g͎`h׉ 7cassandra://Qd1IaQrsb2BGyvdpipxHjw0gR05f6bdR29TeF2kqfRA/`h:]b ^Cנh:]b ^F#9ׁHhttp://bit.ly/visitׁ ׁ Јנh:]b ^Etd 9ׁHhttp://PEOPLESFOOD.COOPׁ ׁ Ј׉E16 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Sautéed blanched green beans ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingredients: ½ pound green beans, trimmed 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 1/8 tsp salt 1 pinch black pepper Directions: Blanch beans: Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add beans, cook for four minutes (they will turn bright green), drain, then rinse under cold tap water to cool. Shake off excess water. Sauté: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green beans and garlic. Toss (or stir) for two minutes until the garlic is golden and crispy. Add salt and pepper, then toss. Transfer beans to a serving dish. Serve warm. Variation: Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds for a great side dish. SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 $5 OFF NATURAL FOODS MARKET 216 N. FOURTH AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI PHONE (734) 994 - 9174 • PEOPLESFOOD.COOP ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE One coupon per transaction. Must present coupon at the time of purchase. Coupon good for in-store only. No other discounts or coop cards apply. Not valid for gift cards, case purchases, beer or wine. OFFER EXPIRES 8/22/2025 10/03/25 HAVE A DAY FULL OF DISCOVERY AT THE ANN ARBOR HANDS-ON MUSEUM! ACCESS FOR ALL $3 ADMISSION PER PERSON WITH PROOF OF EBT/SNAP. *Up to 6 people per card. Ages 23 months & under are free. Show your EBT card in person —out-of-state cards accepted. (734) 995-5439 220 E Ann St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 LEARN MORE: bit.ly/visit-aahom ׉ 7cassandra://Qd1IaQrsb2BGyvdpipxHjw0gR05f6bdR29TeF2kqfRA/`h:Yb ^ ׈Eh:Yb ^!h:Yb ^  ,September 5, 2025h:X];