׉?ׁB!בCטFFu׉׉ 7cassandra://1483TrtsyYpNs8Vyv_8bO_P6d_Ep-3qW56BF-1D6NqQ|`׉ 7cassandra://ScdI3MZSn171zcHb6iHJ6-zf4HznPaPT4kAR6aOYKGQ͆`h׉ 7cassandra://KsO6JjYqy-4O3qUp9C0TxlzRo-axZChHUM0LvUHBHSM/`׉ 7cassandra://OJcTG1RcnFq__Q49vAXM0kNbOwRUeGiB8SBnze8iDmk.;V͠4e10fK7gטFu׈*<׈Ee10fK7g׉E2 $ OCTOBER 20, 2023 | VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 22 YOUR PURCHASE BENEFITS THE VENDORS. PLEASE BUY ONLY FROM BADGED VENDORS. PAULA Ypsilanti Police Chief responds that Gordie's case "wasn't handled correctly." Page 7 ANDERSON #157 ASK YOUR VENDOR: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD? GROUNDCOVER NEWS AND SOLUTIONS FROM THE GROUND UP | WASHTENAW COUNTY, MICH. 41-year-old St. Andrew’s Breakfast Program models nonviolent crisis response. page 4 THIS PAPER WAS BOUGHT FROM • Proposal: Housing-development accelerator Breakfast program volunteer serves Halloween donuts to a guest in the basement of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. • Charbonneau: Open your eyes to housing inequity. PAGE 4 @groundcovernews, include vendor name and vendor # ׉ 7cassandra://KsO6JjYqy-4O3qUp9C0TxlzRo-axZChHUM0LvUHBHSM/`e10fK7ge10fK7g בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://hBbVdJtBRwhcMv7sN-dm4h_EhIk4bVsDy-fEV0l7Aao`I׉ 7cassandra://tp77C6wakm9f7Wjn9BoeSAR_bcOFa6iAYN3vyowPjoct`׉ 7cassandra://fzStpDldnJHjTCkyPOFckUVn2iHpcryEAimmMYTrF5IN`׉ 7cassandra://3E2GolFCzDpmnH0Kcks-tTaTmQ_TuvvFkoouKIh9a1g]̐͠ ie10fK7g$נe10fK7g"9׉Hhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgGׁ ׁ rנe10fK7g#9׉H http://linktr.ee/groundcovernewsGׁ ׁ rנe10fK7g*9ׁH http://linktr.ee/groundcovernewsׁ ׁ Јנe10fK7g)9ׁHhttp://www.groundcovernews.orgׁ ׁ Јנe10fK7g( 9ׁH"mailto:contact@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Јנe10fK7g'F!9ׁH&mailto:submissions@groundcovernews.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E ~2 GROUNDCOVER NEWS GROUNDCOVER handmade GROUNDCOVER JEWELERY OCTOBER 20, 2023 Roberto Isla Caballero, vendor No. 347, is a dedicated seller of Groundcover News. You have undoubtedly seen him selling on the corner of Washington and Main Streets, but many people are just finding out that he is also a seller of his own handmade jewelry. Each bracelet or earring he creates helps promote the paper! Bracelets are colorful beads with wooden block letters spelling “Groundcover News” and the dangling earrings are made with smaller beads great to give someone who “hearts” GCN. Whenever you see and talk to Roberto, ask to check out his bracelets and earrings for sale or call him at 734-686-0518. CREATING OPPORTUNITY AND A VOICE FOR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WHILE TAKING ACTION TO END HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY. 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. 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 Simone Masing — intern Hunter Johnstone — intern ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Bauman Teresa Basham Beverly Boss Jamie Cameron Jim Clark Cindy Gere Alexandra Granberg Shannon French Tabitha Ludwig Ken Parks Earl Pullen Jane Reilly 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 Will Shakespeare Denise Shearer PROOFREADERS Susan Beckett Elliot Cubit James Evans Anabel Sicko Sandra Smith VOLUNTEERS Jessi Averill Luiza Duarte Caetano Zachary Dortzbach Glenn Gates Alexandra Granberg Robert Klingler Ruben Mauricio Holden Pizzolato Melanie Wenzel Mary Wisgerhof Max Wisgerhof Emily Yao 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 linktr.ee/groundcovernews 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://fzStpDldnJHjTCkyPOFckUVn2iHpcryEAimmMYTrF5IN`e10fK7g׉EGOCTOBER 20, 2023 ON MY CORNER ASK YOUR VENDOR What is your favorite comfort food? Spaghetti. — Paula Anderson, #157 Goat’s milk and goat cheese. — Ken Parks, #490 Reese's Cup ice cream, microwaved for 30 seconds. — James Manning, #16 A big, barbecue rib. — Pony Bush, #305 I call it “Almost Egg Foo Young.” Seven poached eggs with fried rice, onions, peppers, garlic and brown gravy. — Glen Page, #407 Warm milk. — Jane Reilly, #611 Mexican food. — Roberto Isla Caballero, #347 Actually, I never eat for comfort, I usually just have a cigarette. — Teresa Basham, #570 Garlic salads. Lentil soup, pinto soup. — Juliano Sanchez, #174 Calder's chocolate milk. I could live off it. — Terri Demar, #322 Chili and cornbread. My favorite, favorite though is Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream. — Jamie Cameron, #612 Asking a chef what he likes to eat ... tough call ... but crab legs and butter. — Justen White, #543 Twizzlers. — Joe Woods, #103 Cookies and milk. — Mike Jones, #113 Hot dogs. — Denise Shearer, #485 Apple cider with apple pie. — Cindy Gere, #279 Ceaser salad. — Derek Allen, #177 BEVERLY BOSS Groundcover vendor No. 583 Groundcover News has been there for me since I’ve been homeless — to hold my head high, to feel These are some of the songs that I love to listen to because they soothe me. I like the song “Make Someone Happy” by Della Reese because it is a true song — when we make someone else happy, we are happy, too. And it feels good to be a blessing to someone else. Another song I like is “Mystery Lady” by Billy Ocean. It’s a fun song and it has a good sound to it and he tells her she's a mystery but a good woman at the same time. I also like the song “Lady You Are” by One Way because he tells her he appreciates the lady she is and all the good things about her. I like the song “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle, too. GROUNDCOVER NEWS Music that is soothing to me I also like the song “What the World Needs Now Is Love” by Jackie DeShannon because it is a true song no matter what year we’re in. I like “I Like To Live The Love” by CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 B.B. King because its a fun and good song. I like the song “Baby Face” by Little Richard because it's a fun, loving, cute song. I like the Christmas song called I like it because it is good to imagine heaven right here on earth. I like both versions of “Joy to the World” — the Christmas version and the “Joy to the World” that is a rock song because they both talk about happiness and good times. “Santa Baby” because I like to imagine getting everything I want all year-round from Santa and Secret Santa parties. I like the song “It’s A Miracle” by Culture Club because I like it when miracles happen. 3 Why I love Groundcover better about myself, to be able to provide food and help with the costs to just live. I was struggling and I still struggle. While homeless it feels good to work and make money — not begging others for food. Groundcover has given me a job to support myself. I don’t have to steal and I can pick my hours to work. Groundcover helps veterans, who I love. They need our support the most. They fought for us. Groundcover has not given up on any of us, no matter our background. Groundcover has taught us to be consistent and it gives us hope back into our lives. Groundcover gives us a way and place to warm up, help others, get new friends and work on helping others who feel helpless. We make a way to eat and put a roof over our heads! I appreciate my customers; people need people! We reach out and they reach out which is awesome. Reaching out is a beautiful thing! Lindsay, Ben and others are truly angels. That’s why vendor 583 is happy to be a Groundcover vendor! Love, Beverly Boss From the desk of Panda: Let the peace flow When I was a little girl back in the 1970s, war was still raging. I remember hearing “war is war,” and asking adults at the time, “What is war?” Being so young I did not understand. I looked around me; there was no war going on. The person told me war is fighting from two separate sides and when lots of people die. Right then, I chose to seek peace forever. I decided to find a way to be peaceful, whether it was doing karate or walking in the Arboretum, following a butterfly. Drawing nature CINDY GERE Groundcover vendor No. 279 images. Meditation. Or dancing to my favorite song. I decided to create peace, wherever I went, to now, today. What I discerned about life is: that peace is a way of the mind, heart and soul. Peace is a state of mind. One must choose to be at peace and nothing else. In this, you create peace in the soul. You won’t even want to let go. Peace becomes a true way of life. One human at a time, we let go of hate, rage and anger. Let the peace flow to help end all wars, for it truly starts with one person at a time. e10fK7ge10fK7g בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://XZrhhju8N-bxdyBbmfyjXT04km28hHES5NjHxpii9Hg`I׉ 7cassandra://b2sNRimmWF1im8dqgmnAwIj1gE3xXqxUGk3e5AOc1X0B`׉ 7cassandra://EKJgWL_Uro1l0cz4jF50Nr8y1Mq7hDusqgXndidGZ7IF`׉ 7cassandra://ab4jqZQ19n-VbmbA8p2s3ClqRjAlCLU7YVkey-HlWwQ8͠ ie10fK7g+׉E4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS CRISIS RESPONSE OCTOBER 20, 2023 41-year-old St. Andrew’s Breakfast Program models nonviolent crisis response There is a commotion outside the Breakfast at St. Andrew’s. It's 7:15 a.m. on Reverend Paul Frolick's first day as the new Rector for historic St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 306 N. Division St., in Ann Arbor. Frolick goes outside and immediately starts shaking hands with everyone. It's nine a.m. Someone is waiting at the locked front door of the dining room. The kitchen is closed. The volunteers and guests have left. The new program director, Sue Nishi, goes back inside to pack a double-sized "to-go bag," putting in two meals instead of one, just in case. "We like to meet people where they are," said Nishi, who started September 15 after training for two weeks with former Breakfast Program Director Shannon Floyd and volunteering since February. Frolick's first day was September 5. He took over from Interim Rector E. JANE REILLY Groundcover vendor No. 611 Breakfast Program, a six-year member of the St. Andrew's Board of Directors and was instrumental in the hiring process for Nishi. "They're both coming in with this wonderful injection of energy," Halloran said. "We're so impressed by both of them. Everybody is." With 195 years of operations, includWayne Rollins and retired Rector Alan Gibson. There are other newcomers but it is Nishi and Frolick who work directly with the homeless community. "He comes around," said Colby Halloran about Frolick. "You see him, don't you? That's never happened since I've been here. He's very keen on this program." Halloran is a volunteer for the ing 41 years with the Breakfast Program, St. Andrew's ministries may be the longest-enduring social justice, community outreach organization in the County. St. Andrew's and the Interfaith Council of Congregations contributing in forming the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County in 1982, the same year as the start of the Breakfast Program. Various social justice groups in Washtenaw County, including Groundcover News, Community Mental Health, the Sheriff's Department, along with the City of Ann Arbor and its police force, are working for more community building and proactive crisis response instead of the current nationwide reactive police response. But St. Andrew's has already been modeling this for a while. While there are occasional disruptions by guests and even staff at the breakfast program, it's never daily and violence is rare. Nishi said problems are dealt with on "a case-to-case basis." "I am so grateful for the St. Andrew's Breakfast Program, which has been providing nutrition, structure and togetherness for community members for decades," wrote Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor via email. Ann Arbor Municipal Safety Officer Dave Monroe, a 35-year retired veteran of the police force, said while he couldn't speak on behalf of the entire police department, he thinks "the see BREAKFAST page 9  Beyond Walls screening and panel discussion calls for community connection On the evening of September 26, the Neutral Zone hosted a Beyond Walls event. Beyond Walls is an organizing initiative featuring documentary films that define and amplify what prison industrial complex abolition means, while inspiring people to imagine and take action toward a world without policing. The first film, “What These Walls Cannot Hold” was about the COVID-19 crisis in San Quentin State Prison in California and how the harsh, dehumanizing measures put in place due to the crisis are still active. The second film, "Defund the Police,” was a primer on how policing is shaped by race, gender, class and the dominant culture. The panel included Alejo Stark (GEO Abolition Caucus); Liz Kennedy and Luna NH (Care Based Safety); and Lindsay Calka (Groundcover News). The Graduate Employees’ Organization Local 3550 is a union of graduate students at the University of Michigan. The Abolition Caucus has a specific goal to defund and demilitarize campus police and cut university ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Care Based Safety is a grassroots organization that tasks itself with responding to conflict and crisis with life-affirming care, preventing destructive conflict and crisis through skill-building and social JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 • Often we're offered a flattened version that only portrays the negative when talking about abolition or defunding the police. But abolition is also about building and growing things. Could you share something that you've learned about the meaning of abolition?" The panelists' answers reflected their different perspectives but often centered around the role of Community Connection. In my time, both as a person who survived homelessness and as an activist and advocate, I have come across many support, collaborating with community partners in addressing the root causes of violence, crisis and neglect in Washtenaw County and building a culture and system of care-based safety for all. Groundcover News is the street newspaper you're reading — sold and written by those experiencing homelessness or who have experienced homelessness. The questions asked of the panel were: • For those of us questioning the idea that prisons and police keep us safe, or who want to build alternatives, what does building connections look like in your work? • The first film illustrated the importance of coalitions in abolitionist organizing. Can you talk about the role that coalition building plays in your work? people whose lives were made worse by policing and prison in a society where people are expected to take care of themselves. Many of these people are unable to get jobs due to their criminal records. People who have been incarcerated for a long time often struggle with housing and employment due to a lack of skills and the handicap that comes from being institutionalized. Some of them were arrested and jailed as a result of mental health breakdowns. Instead of being punished, they needed compassion and treatment. One individual I know was tased because he waved a spoon in “a threatening manner.” The person told me at the time of their illness they believed it was a magic wand. I was held in jail once. I had an apartment and a job that I found while trying to recover from homelessness at the Delonis Center. Fortunately, I was only held for the weekend, both of which were days I had off work. Had I missed work because of the detainment, I would have lost the job and probably, as a result, the apartment. This happens to people daily. Not only does this system work against people who are trying to live peacefully, it can destroy someone's livelihood and self-esteem. People do things for many reasons. They do harmful things because the system allows it or even propagates it rather than solving the underlying problem. The marginalization of both houseless people and the formerly incarcerated contributes to a cycle of crime and homelessness. Rather than abandoning them, the community should offer them a welcoming, healing and encouraging place. For every homelessness episode, there is a reason. For every crime, there is a reason. The reasons are often the same. Beyond Walls, the GEO Abolitionist Caucus, Care-Based Safety and Groundcover News all believe in a social system in which empowerment and relationships can take the place of control and imprisonment as a way to live together. ׉ 7cassandra://EKJgWL_Uro1l0cz4jF50Nr8y1Mq7hDusqgXndidGZ7IF`e10fK7g׉E5OCOTBER 20, 2023 POETRY Pain SHANNON FRENCH Groundcover contributor My pain is my pain to share my pain is to share my brain So many windowless memories locked inside my brain, How can I explain the endless rain, you can’t contain what you can’t sustain Sooner or later you have to find a drain to let out the pouring rain, But every drain ain’t a good drain, some people use triggers to ease their pain While others use knifes to slice their veins, I wonder what they saw to make their life change, life is so complex that it’s beyond strange, Others use coke, X, and other amphetamines, I never wanted to hurt myself, I just wanted to forget the pain, So I chose drugs instead of triggers and veins, smokin’ weed and snorting cane I thought I was ahead of the game but it was all the same, I was still killin my brain, So now I use this pen to express my pain, this pain that is so heavy on my brain, If one sleeps the others are left to weep, but if we all sleep, nobody is left to weep, So many lives have been claimed from pain, so please brothers and sisters if you feel the same, find a better way to release your pain…. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5 Love game TERESA BASHAM Groundcover vendor No. 570 I alwayz told myself, I wouldn’t play this game, I never wanted ta open my heart, Now itz to late for myself, That love game, Called my name, Waitin for it, Ta tear me apart, Like it alwayz do, Callin out for me, Callin out for you, For now this will be, But will it last, Or izz it gonna pass, Only time will tell. Lord forgive me TABITHA LUDWIG Groundcover vendor No. 360 Lord forgive me For all the sins I've made Please Help me Take the Desire away Cause I don't want it No more I don't A day in the life of Earl EARL PULLEN Groundcover contributor It’s a phantom of a Dream who speaks now And then And it's love From above That tells you what to do And how to mend The dreams you have and The memories you hold Are all in one’s life To mend and mold It’s all in life And the story is told Of how you live life And how you hold And lord forgive me For all the mistakes I've made e10fK7ge10fK7g בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://Veu9MZYsRos0qhO1pEAbuV1UdHFE0bTTtkLhWDAiiIo5`I׉ 7cassandra://pEZ0QvDcDIAAkSSvQDVXcTD4E2Nz7ZlBiLZXt5Ujqrws`׉ 7cassandra://p5jFNLJ0676vLh5kG4xSBZvGcVqOrgC4CBb9FLlJJZwR`׉ 7cassandra://axZ4TtT-nEAmCz6tAPYWhmAIaA021c2MrdzV5rkdQMoRT͠ ie10fK7g-׉EA6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS DISABILITY JUSTICE My "un"-disability I was an epileptic at birth and still have grand mal seizures frequently. However, when it comes to disability, I’m deemed as “undisabled.” My disabilities are considered a “minor inconvenience” to those determining my Social Security Disability Insurance status, by those who do not know me at all. I take medication to prevent seizures and I have many mental illness diagnoses. I’m controlled, but by whom? Society expects — nay, demands — that I cannot be disabled. Despite being able to work 15 years in Information Technology and ten years in retail and food service in the past, I am now generalized anxiety disorder and degenerative disk disease. Yet, all these controlled conditions by medication does not mean I’m JAMIE CAMERON Groundcover vendor No. 612 disabled. My disabilities include epilepsy, schizotypal personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, major depressive disorder, social/ “cured,” it simply prevents episodes or seizures, and it does not mean that I am not disabled. At times the side effects worsen my disabilities. For example, Abilify causes tremors as a side effect. True, I am not by definition a paralyzed veteran (despite trying the major four military branches only to be denied due to epilepsy). I’m one of those who “slipped through the cracks.” In other words, because I am on medication, the government says I am okay. I am not okay. Now, when I mention schizotypal or schizoaffective, I only mean to say that occasionally I will hear male or female voices calling out my name, and see shadow beings full frontal or through peripheral vision. When I apply for a federal or professional job, there’s a list of disabilities to check off, some of which I can check. Having any one of these should qualify me to get SSDI. I take prescriptions, and I am still homeless, and have been since 2015. But, I am not determined to be eligible to get disability. OCTOBER 20, 2023 American disability rights movement: from public policy to advocacy The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the cornerstone of the basic civil rights protection for individuals with physical and mental disabilities. The 2009 Amendment Act strengthened the non-discrimination component of the Disability Act. Some people had wondered why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 non-discrimination provisions did not include Americans with disabilities. One reason is that society for a long time took for granted the disability rights movement and their constant struggles for respect, acceptance and basic human dignity. A Brief History of the American Disability Rights Movement The disability rights movement has faced generations and centuries of struggle. They have won many court cases, they have triumphed over many obstacles and they have managed to get the support of U.S. Presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The movement has succeeded in getting several laws passed for the benefit of disabled Americans. But there is no legislative triumph bigger than the Americans with Disabilities Act. A more detailed explanation about the ADA comes from writer Jennifer Govan of Columbia University. She noted, “The Americans with Disabilities Act is a comprehensive civil rights law that was signed into law on July 26, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. ADA covers a wide range of mental and physical medical conditions, including those that [are] not WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 necessarily severe or permanent in nature. ” As part of Columbia University’s celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ms. Govan expanded the concept definition of ADA. She wrote, “It requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees, while imposing accessibility requirements in public areas, such as educational institutions, museums, stores, restaurants, governments and other service establishments. Prohibiting discrimination based on disability in a broad spectrum, the ADA was later amended, becoming the ADA Amendment Act, effective January 1, 2009.” We urge our readers who want to get more detailed information on the legislative history of the Americans with Disabilities Act to watch a video titled, “Who are the Heroes? A History of Disability Rights Movement,” presented by Barry Whaley of Burton Blatt Institute — a disability law policy center at Syracuse University Law School. The presentation was made at San Diego Law Library on Friday, July 22, 2022, to help celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the ADA. A lot of valuable information was shared with the audience, including a chronology of legislation and events that shaped the disability movement before and after the 1990 ADA. Mr. Whaley said that the first Vocational Rehabilitation Act was passed by Congress in 1917. It was designed for veterans who were returning from World War I. The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1920 extended the benefits and privileges to civilians. Mr. Whaley noted that in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President with an obvious disability. It was widely assumed that FDR was elected President in 1932 to help end the “Great Depression.” However, disability rights advocates said that it was ironic that the disabled President excluded people with disabilities in the largest recovery program of the 1930s, known as the “Works Progress Administration.” Congress passed the Fair Labor Standard Act of 1938. It prohibited child labor and established minimum wage laws. It also established Section 14 (c) which allows employers to pay people with disabilities minimum wages. It also provides sub-minimum wage certificates to employers who choose to pay below the minimum wage. Sadly, Section 14, which still exists today, allows low wages which continue to keep disabled people in lives of poverty. In 1940, the American Federation of the Physically Handicapped was created. The American Mental Health Federation was created in 1946. Their organizing and mobilizing efforts led to the passage of the National Mental see DISABILITY page 8  ׉ 7cassandra://p5jFNLJ0676vLh5kG4xSBZvGcVqOrgC4CBb9FLlJJZwR`e10fK7g׉E OCTOBER 20, 2023 FOLLOW-UP GROUNDCOVER NEWS Ypsilanti Police Chief responds that Gordie’s case “wasn’t handled correctly” ALEXANDRA GRANBERG Groundcover contributor On September 8, Groundcover News reported that a driver in Ypsilanti — seemingly without legal consequences — ran over and severely injured Gordie, who is homeless and was on his bike. According to Gordie and another witness, the cops did not gather sufficient evidence at the scene or after. Groundcover has since watched the body camera footage supporting this. In the footage, the cops quickly conclude that Gordie is at fault, listing “no chain on the bike” and “biking on the sidewalk” as reasons, neither of which are expressly illegal — sidewalk biking is only prohibited in the downtown area between Huron and Hamilton. Gordie is sitting by the road with arms wrapped around his torso in pain while a cop, Justin Taite, talks to Gordie’s wife Jill. “Did you not see the car?” he asks. Taite asks Jill for Gordie’s personal and contact information. The driver seems unfazed as he stands by his car, a silver Sebring. “You say you didn't see him when you were coming up?” Taite asks him. “No, not at all,” he replies. Taite asks the driver whether his car has been damaged. Another cop separately confides in the driver that “he shouldn’t be on the sidewalk,” referring to Gordie. Toward the end, Taite walks up to three of his colleagues standing to the side. “Kinda sounds like they met at the same time. She was behind him, says he couldn't stop, she was coming down the sidewalk,” Taite summarizes. “The bike’s at fault,” one cop suggests. “Just asking for it,” a third cop, Scott Donley, says, failing to hide a grin. Taite is also smiling. “Issue has been addressed” The case report provides a less-than bare bones account of the incident, almost completely devoid of details. When Groundcover News spoke to the Police Department’s communication manager in August he said the case will be closed. But Police Chief Kirk Moore has later said the case was not properly investigated, that Justin Taite did not follow procedure and consequently has been written up. To Groundcover, Moore admits the case “was not handled correctly.” What does this mean for Taite? “I can’t elaborate on all the details at this point. The issue has been addressed formally with the employee.” What will happen with the case, and the driver and cyclist involved? “All I can say is it’s been handled and since corrected. The case will take its natural cause from there.” Justin Taite did not give a statement as per advice from his supervisor. Screenshots from police body camera footage, obtained via FOIA. Donley is pictured left; Taite is pictured right. 7 e10fK7ge10fK7g בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://zJ-zqbGQXaJJXnVXO1Gv9b3znGI20N3WqPfq7yTuo3E J`I׉ 7cassandra://B026kPdwEmhEwS5BOwKX8wWrs1d5UexrPsIrrdo65x41`׉ 7cassandra://ny1gDis-lywOAXWj3jPhxBbDF5EnzA0llb1y23v0kkYO$`׉ 7cassandra://fCYIN2H6u_SQ4aw68Nc_sQ5eUjjvkbv1y6b92cxv-pUN4͠ ie10fK7g/נe10fK7g2 f̿9ׁHhttp://groundcovernews.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E"a8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS VENDOR VOICES Hasta la victoria siempre! Spanish is a growing language in the United States. It may be your best choice to be bilingual and promote brain and mental health. The English for the title of this article is “towards victory always.” It is a basic slogan of the Cuban Revolution. Even setbacks and outright defeats can be turned towards victory. The July 26 Movement in Cuba was born from the defeat of the attempt to seize weapons from the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953. It is similar to the memory of John Brown and Harpers Ferry. Most of the revolutionaries were killed in battle or captured and murdered. Fidel was captured, but even as a prisoner, observed his situation closely and saw one of Batista’s officers was a man of some integrity. Fidel spoke to him and told him who he was. The officer then disobeyed his orders to take prisoners to an execution site and drove through town to the police station. It became known that Fidel was Nhat Hanh, whom King met, and Thomas Merton, the soul brother he did not meet in person, are the basis for a deeper revelation on what needs to be done to maximize the number of survivors of climate change and war. Above all, take notice of the plans for KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 still alive and the Batista dictatorship decided to put him on trial. Fidel got to speak and delivered the now famous “History Will Absolve Me” speech. We are in a different period of history now. The armed struggle is not the focus. The ideological struggle around which ideas work has become central. The impact of Martin Luther King on theory and practice and faith in reality has changed our understanding of who we are. His relationship with Thich nuclear war and the march of the war machine for first strike “shock and awe” by the end of this decade. OREPA, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, has been organizing demonstrations and civil disobedience to stop nuclear weapons research. They have done vigils every Sunday for 22 years. The writing has been on the wall for decades and we are at the now or never moment. It is time for mind training as the first step as we learn to "compost war and grow peace." We are fortunate to have excellent meditation teachers in our midst. Khenpo Choephel is a new Tibetan meditation master who I met through the Karuna Buddhist Center. I am going back to the basics of following the breath as the gateway for taming the mind and developing some ability to benefit beings. Fortunately the vastness of the task before us begins with simple things. We can do it. When Sakyamuni Buddha was challenged that his awakening was not valid and he was harshly questioned, ”Who is your witness?” He responded by touching the earth. Mother Earth responded decisively. We have the famous statue of Buddha in the earth touching gesture, the inspiration for countless practitioners who are progressing on the path of enlightenment. Many of us begin the day with some focus on the holiness within. Search for the spiritual friends who can help you. Everyone you meet can be a teacher. Choose those who match your stage of development so we can move forward together. If you look you will find enough compañeros to move towards victory. Freedom is calling you! OCTOBER 20, 2023  DISABILITY from page 6 Disability Act of 1946, which was signed by President Harry Truman. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark legislation which was designed to protect racial minorities and women who were often victims of discrimination and prejudice. We have noted earlier that the 1964 law did not include Americans with disabilities. In 1972, two court cases regarding including people with disabilities in educational classrooms were addressed. They were Mill v. D.C. and Park v. Pennsylvania. Congress passed the 1973 Rehabilitation Act which prohibited discrimination based on disability for Federal government programs and any organization receiving monetary assistance from the Federal government. In 1975, Congress passed the “Education for All Children with Disability Act," originally known as "Education for All Handicapped Children Act." In 1978, the nation witnessed a widespread protest known as the “ADAPT Bus Crisis.” Protesters aimed to shut down bus transit services, especially in Denver, to bring attention to the issues of accessibility for the disabled community. In 1986, Congress passed the “Air Carrier Access Act” which would provide equal access and equality of opportunity for air travel. In 1988, major headline news in print and TV noted that Mr. I. King Jordan had been appointed the President of Gallaudet University for the hearing impaired. Gallaudet was founded in 1864, and it took more than 100 years for the school to find a leader who was deaf. In 1999, Title II of the ADA Act was tested in Olmstead v. L.C. The Supreme Court validated the primacy of the ADA. Mr. Whatley described Olmstead as “The most important disability rights case, perhaps, in our lifetime." The High Court has set the precedent for the enforcement of ADA. The most recent congressional action on ADA is the 2017 ADA Education and Reform Act. Helen Keller and Disability Rights Heroes PBS Learning Media presented an important story titled, “Advocacy for People with Disabilities — Becoming Helen Keller.” Keller was generally concerned about employment discrimination against people with disabilities, especially educated women. She also wanted to help address the issues of blindness in babies due to sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea. Helen Keller was blind and deaf but was educated. She became an advocate for job opportunities for women with disabilities who wanted to work in Massachusetts. With the help of friend Charlie Campbell, she appealed to the Massachusetts legislature to expand the civil rights of the blind and to help find employment for the blind. In Helen Keller’s time, more than 100 years ago, women were not allowed to talk about sex or venereal diseases (STDs). A cure was finally found for blindness in babies due to sexually transmitted diseases — a few drops of Silver Nitrate into the eyes of newlyborn babies. Keller was gratified when she visited the Children's Hospital in Boston’s Nursery Ward and found that there were very few babies in the crib who were considered blind. She said, “I think it was the happiest day of my life when I was told that the Day Nursery in Boston — once full — was then almost empty.” Keller and a few friends were invited by the highly circulated “Ladies Home Journal” to write articles about how the gonorrhea STD was unknowingly passed from the mom to the baby. Keller and friends were given very tough writing assignments because sex and STDs were considered taboo in 1903. The Massachusetts Association for the Blind and the Visually Impaired was formed by Helen Keller and Charlie Campbell. Keller expanded her work on disability issues and job opportunities for the blind. She lobbied steadfastly, and the Massachusetts legislature urged the necessity for employment of the blind. Helen Keller said, “It's terrible to be Blind and to be uneducated; but it's worse for the Blind who have finished their education to be idle.” The state legislature accepted Keller’s suggestion to form a commission to reduce blindness in babies. She was asked to be a member of the commission. There was no accommodation for Helen’s deafness while on the commission, so she brought in her own interpreters. She was not able to acquire all the relevant information she needed while serving in the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. Predictably, she resigned. Conclusion Syracuse University legal scholarFranklin A. Carcamo wrote a March 2020 article in the Syracuse Law Review. The title is “The Past, Present, and Future: ADA and Thirty Years of Progress in Access, Inclusion and Opportunity.” There is no doubt about the challenges and successes of the disability rights movement. The people with disabilities and their advocates will be eternally vigilant. The victories are hard-won, and as battle-tested soldiers for freedom, justice and dignity. The movie documentary “Crip Camp” depicts a youth camp described by Barry Whaler as the “epicenter” of the disability rights movement in the 1960s. Find time to watch the documentary if you missed the screening at Groundcover News. There have been millions of heroes in the American Disability Movement. Barry Whaley of Syracuse BBI mentioned the School of Education Dean, Burton Blatt and a Disability Advocate Fred Kaplan. He also mentioned Ed Roberts of Berkeley, Marc Gold of alternative teaching modules, Fannie Lou Hamer, etc. There are plenty of stories of heroes in every community. ׉ 7cassandra://ny1gDis-lywOAXWj3jPhxBbDF5EnzA0llb1y23v0kkYO$`e10fK7g׉E OCTOBER 20, 2023 VENDOR VOICES Truth or lies: Amelia's birthday wish It was Amelia‘s 91st birthday. She was born in 1901 and reared in New York and New Jersey. She was the youngest of four children — two brothers and one sister. She was still residing at the family estate to be passed to her daughter, Maria. Her body often shook uncontrollably due to Parkinson’s disease. It had plagued her for the last 30 years. She was reminiscing on her 60th birthday when she last saw all her children alive and family together. Amelia had outlived two sons and three daughters. The only one left was her youngest daughter, Maria, who presented her mother with a birthday cake with flashing candles, a nine and a number one. They were special candles that did not require a fire. "Happy Birthday Mama, now make a wish." Amelia puckered her lips together to blow out the flashing candles. Amelia wished that she did not have Parkinson’s and could see her family again. Later that evening, while her daughter tucked her in bed, she said, “You know those candles were made at the flea market. The woman said ‘remember all wishes come true, and yours, can, too.’” Amelia smiled and nodded her head. The very next morning she woke up with no pain or shaking. She could move very gracefully and she could FELICIA WILBERT Groundcover vendor No. 234 her mind. It had been nearly a year. She still was feeling young. It was one month before her 92nd birthday — Amelia kept going to the flea market to try and find the candles. However, she never found the lady with the candles. She asked Maria to help her find the remember back to her childhood. Her sight and hearing improved also. She did not tell anyone about the change she felt the whole day, thinking that it would go away. Amelia quickly made plans to go to the museum the next day with her grandchildren. She was standing upright and walking as though she had never been sick. She stayed at the museum all day with the children until after six p.m. Her daughter was amazed and concerned that her mother was overdoing herself. After returning home with her daughter, Amelia waited to tell her before bed. Amelia explained to her daughter how great she felt. She felt like a 40-year-old woman. As the days and months passed, Amelia enjoyed her new health and youthful body. However, the thought of the return of the Parkinson’s was always on lady with the candles. Unfortunately, they never found her. During the last two weeks before her birthday, she started to feel a slow decline in her health. The last week before her birthday, she started seeing the children that preceded her. She never told Maria what was going on or what she was seeing. When Maria asked her what she wanted to do for her 92nd birthday, Amelia answered her saying she just wanted to love on her while she could. Three days before her 92nd birthday, the Parkinson’s symptoms returned. She asked her daughter Maria to make sure that everything was in order with her affairs. Maria did not want to accept the fact that her mother’s health had taken such a drastic turn. She went to the flea market one more time in hopes of finding the lady with the candles. No one at the flea market remembered the lady with the candles, or even heard of her. Maria felt desperate and that evening when she went to bed; she had a dream about the lady with the candles. The lady explained to her that you only have one wish per lifetime. The next morning when she awakened, she rushed to her mother's side and hugged her, letting her know how much she loved her and appreciated her. Amelia’s 92nd birthday was on a Sunday morning. At breakfast, Amelia explained to her daughter that she understood about the candles. Later that evening she was lying in her bed with all her children surrounding her, ushering her to the light. Amelia told Maria how grateful she was to see her children who were surrounding her bedside. She passed away that evening, happy and satisfied with the joy and love that she received in life. Is "Amelia's Birthday Wish" TRUTH or LIES? Go online at groundcovernews.org to cast your vote! The Quest, published September 22, was FALSE. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9  BREAKFAST from page 4 problems that arise there are the same that arise everywhere else. " In 2021, Ann Arbor City Council passed a resolution for an unarmed safety response program, possibly similar to the existing Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office pairing an officer with a community mental health expert. Currently, there are several ways the general public can positively engage with the Ann Arbor police and multiple programs for engagement with the Sheriff's Department. Some homeless guests now offer friendly greetings and introductions to those they recognize by sight and homeless group leaders discuss, offer and implement non-violent and first responder solutions among themselves, with social workers and even the police. The Breakfast Program is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization and separate from the Church, which enables Nishi to work with Food Gatherers and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federal program that helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. TEFAP is part of the United States Department of Agriculture which requires a separation of Church and State. Religion is never mentioned unless conversation is initiated by the guest or someone reads the biblical phrase, “Jesus said, ‘Come and have breakfast,’ - John 21:21,” painted on the wall over the kitchen. Ethics of various religions, the driving force behind the Breakfast Program, are shown through the behavior of Frolick, Nishi and the volunteers. "Our connection to the church is fragile but important," Halloran said. "I can't picture the Church or the Breakfast Program one without the other," Frolick added. The Parish Profile states, "We are well-positioned to take on new and expanded ministries and to reach out of our established zone. There are opportunities here that haven’t been dreamed of yet, and we hope to grow together as a community into realizing those new opportunities. " According to information from a congregational survey and small group meetings, the parishioners and 12-member Board of Directors want the Breakfast Program to improve. Not because it doesn't have a stellar reputation but because as a team, the parishioners believe in continuous improvement. In 2022, a donation allowed air scrubbers, machines to clean up to 99.99% of 0.3-micron-sized particles, mold and bacteria from the air and surrounding surfaces, to be added when indoor service resumed following COVID-19. The air scrubber information is courtesy of Hepacart. St. Andrew's did not miss a day of service during the pandemic. This is one reason why Nishi and Frolick take time to speak with each guest and Nishi has changed the menu to bring in more nutritious foods while minimizing food waste. Nishi added items to the menu such as different types and sizes of sausage (pork, chicken or turkey), cheese, meat sticks, yogurt, nuts, dried and seasonal fresh fruit, in addition to the staples of milk, eggs, cold cereal, grits, oatmeal, peanut butter, jelly, pastries, toast, different juices, coffee, tea and water. There is also a cart for guests to make their own "To Go Bag." Some items, like sugar-free apple sauce, are free through Food Gatherers while other normally expensive items like nutritional drinks are purchased wholesale. Nishi has a photo of her Mom, sister and herself in her car with 180 pounds of blueberries for the Breakfast Program. "Sue gets paid because the responsibilities have increased," Halloran said of the only part-time paid position. "It's a hard job." Nishi works with volunteer coordinator Susette Jaquette and about seven to ten volunteers at a time, easily over 100 for the year. The Breakfast is advertised as free daily for anyone in need, 365 days a year, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in a room that fits up to 80 people with 14 tables and 55 chairs currently in use. Nishi is paid for five days a week, overseeing the program, planning the menu, budgeting, ordering food and fundraising. The expenses for 2020, according to Cause IQ, a website that provides information on non-profit see BREAKFAST page 11  e10fK7ge10fK7g בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://-HcFJ3dZ4oF-Lnapfhy-mLeN4ORZ-JQOokdoP8hPoZE5`I׉ 7cassandra://LoLhjsbonqOPuD5NSSZCFcOsLJQUkciYJ_QsXvMrqZc N`׉ 7cassandra://kiGtTbPenDhJ_g8G7bKN4l9b76xpS9zcTS6PQjlK17MN`׉ 7cassandra://9-WGt2OuXiV5foGzITNSiYzxbY3Y0rECIr9SKbHP_EAl͠ ie10fK7g3׉E }10 GROUNDCOVER NEWS THINK ABOUT IT MUSINGS buk’e wyrmouis Sometimes it seems so self-evident that there is much more to all of this than what gets in through the census. There are parts of self we create through volition. The dismal shady parts of us we keep to the side lines that seek re-cognition on account that there is so much more than surface tensions. The varied membrane of what we once clung to to fertilize what was set apart to colace, through an echo of timespace. There are things here in the soul of a sentient being which aspire to the eternal. Whilst the surface remains of how much we accumulate as citizens of our local areas THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SELF Sum Goi The tell tale signs of what has come at last to help our countenance relax into some casual time past. The removing of the debris of the day to another locale. The sense of acc-omplishment that comes with the satisf-action of performing good works of a day well done. To recollect the mind in ways that make sense still and cont-inue to do so(.) Many are the graces of life. Gratitude as a side-effect of who you are. collect psychic debris in the annals of history the dream life of beings tells another story… We seem to relate tales of purpose that goes beyond beyond words. The varied refracting spectrum of coloured shades of personality has allowed a diversity of expression that shapes the forms we make. There is some suchness as us. However potent. THE RATHER OPEN-ENDED FRIENDSHIP (HAIKU SPOTS) Tadd Weathers The all in all truth. We seek out for its own sake. Those designs with this. The purpose to life. Is the purpose of our life. the way these thing happen Thus spake the righteous. The ever-present logic. Comes back with the Thus. Therefore goes by God. The light of awares, we. So interesting. OCTOBER 20, 2023 CASUAL Mr. Chad Chealsea III, “a local writer” If’n i had an opportunity to give back with gratitude the resonating appeal with other being seems natural. The enthusiasm generating with joy for being a part of an higher truth what embodies the small details, to build up to a greater whole. To recognize the value we communicate allows the free flow of meaningfulness it’s full cycle by participating with this. There is much we share in everyday existing that allows the purposes inherent to grow from within the space we sow. There are ways to state the terms of things for these days. And so we make. ׉ 7cassandra://kiGtTbPenDhJ_g8G7bKN4l9b76xpS9zcTS6PQjlK17MN`e10fK7g׉EOCOTBER 2O, 2023 PUZZLES GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 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 a voluntary purchase. 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 past monthly issues. • 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 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 property 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 please email contact@groundcovernews. com or fill out the contact form on our website.  BREAKFAST from page 9 organizations, were $153,764 or about $421 a day which includes rent, heat, electricity, maintenance and janitorial besides food. "I think we're very frugal, actually in the long run," Halloran said. Nishi said determining the proper amount of food used daily is a balancing act. A former lawyer who has volunteered at Food Gatherers, Nishi also has 13 years of volunteer experience cooking all the food for The Young People's Theater of Ann Arbor, which she described as "an eight-day marathon." "That's just Sue,” said Peggy Lynch, Mercy House owner and MISSION Board Member. "I think it's amazing that she made it part of her mission to be out networking. We have the opportunity to share resources and information. I'm grateful she reached out." Mercy House shared donated sleeping bags with the Breakfast Program. Many guests to the Breakfast Program have additional needs, physical, financial and emotional. Nishi is working on filling the clothing donation rack with necessary outdoor gear as well as dress clothes for employment. And, of course, continuing to speak with guests as often as wanted or needed. "I like to err on the side of giving chances," Nishi said. "I'm trying to treat every person as a human being, with respect and honoring their dignity. When you look around the room and see people who are having challenges and don't have resources or don't have shelter, I don't believe that is a direct result only of their personal choices. It is not. The playing field is not level. We don't all start in the same place, we don't all have the same privileges, we don't all have the same upbringing and adults who nurture us in the same way. You know that phrase, ‘There but for the grace of God, go I?’ You look at the blessings you have in your own life. We can't judge. We don't know why people are where they are and who they are. We need to meet them where they are, we need to call them by name and look them in the eye and say how are you this morning and welcome and I'm glad you came in. And I believe that deep in my soul." e10fK7ge10fK7g בCטFu׉׉ 7cassandra://ODq6Z7clVncUnwPxnVABi8RMxig93NEwdy63MJ_mxlE`׉ 7cassandra://TfFnzB-ybVD4_fSJBerf_qog45VrHnm9FV4PAoch9DQ̈́`h׉ 7cassandra://kPjx9mtgpI5E_8ujFzSiDfPhDj22Te_uf-M0wO9WiNo+c`׉ 7cassandra://3I-i5wymMY2pv7cKo1YkToynnF27rbO9rjrMaoc8YmwQ0͠4e10fK7g6נe10fK7g8d 9ׁHhttp://PEOPLESFOOD.COOPׁ ׁ Ј׉E12 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Applesauce ELIZABETH BAUMAN Groundcover contributor Ingredients: 3 pounds cooking apples (about 9) 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions: Peel, core, and quarter apples. In a large pot combine apples, water, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes or until the apples are tender (add more water if necessary). Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher to the desired consistency. Serve warm or chilled. Be sure to stir before serving. I love the applesauce chilled and you can omit the cinnamon if desired. So perfect with fresh apples from the farmers' market. Makes eight servings. OCTOBER 20, 2023 PUZZLE SOLUTIONS FOCUSED ON LOCAL! People’s Food Co-op is committed to increasing access to local foods and products! Through a variety of new and extended partnerships, we offer more opportunities to Ann Arbor. $2 OFF NATURAL FOODS MARKET & DELI 216 N. FOURTH AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI PHONE (734) 994 - 9174 • PEOPLESFOOD.COOP ANY PURCHASE OF $15 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 11/5/2023 ׉ 7cassandra://kPjx9mtgpI5E_8ujFzSiDfPhDj22Te_uf-M0wO9WiNo+c`e10fK7g׈Ee10fK7ge10fK7g ,GCN October20.23e10*<2