Every Monday morning, the executive director of the CivCity Initiative joins WEMU's David Fair for a conversation on topics pertinent to Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor. Mary Morgan will provide news, analysis, commentary and explain the various ways residents can become more engaged.
Mary Morgan brings a wealth of experience to the airwaves. While heading up the CivCity Initiative now, Mary was previously co-founder and publisher of the Ann Arbor Chronicle. Prior to that she served as a reporter and editor for the Ann Arbor News when it was a daily, print-edition newspaper.
Topics included in this weeks discussion:
- A reminder that absentee ballots are available for the Aug. 8 primary. Although some states allow for "no reason" absentee voting, in Michigan you must indicate one of six reasons. You can vote absentee if you're over 60, for example, or if you know you'll be out of town.
- There's only a little over two weeks to prep for the Aug. 8 election, so we're pointing people toward voter resources like AnnArborVotes.org and Vote411.org.
- With a statewide ballot initiative underway to create an independent redistricting commission – CountMIVote – we highlight a talk by Washtenaw County clerk Larry Kestenbaum on July 26: "Gerrymandering: History, Consequences and Future."
- On Tuesday, July 25th, the Washtenaw County Parks & Rec Commission meets to discuss the process of hiring a replacement for Bob Tetens, the long-time WCPARC director who retired this month. It's an influential position. WCPARC projects range from the Border-to-Border Trail, recreation facilities, nature preserves, the Ann Arbor skatepark and more. Tetens has served as director for the past 16 years.
- It's often easy to talk directly with local representatives, and this week there are a couple of opportunities. Jeff Gaynor, an Ann Arbor Public Schools trustee, is holding a community forum on July 27 to get feedback from the public on the teacher evaluation system, student testing, how to increase communication between the public and the school board, and any other issues that people want to raise.
- We're highlighting the free bus rides that residents with an Ann Arbor District Library card can take every Saturday this summer. It's part of the AADL's Summer Game.
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— David Fair is the WEMU News Director, and host of Morning Edition Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email him at dfair@wemu.org
