CivCity EXTRA! News & information about the Ann Arbor area community Issue 1 Winter 2016 Welcome to CivCity EXTRA! Mary Morgan, CivCity Executive Director We hope you enjoy the first issue of CivCity EXTRA! This newsletter is about Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. You ll get helpful information about your community. You ll learn about local events and news. You ll find out about places to shop and play and much more. Thanks for reading! Mary Morgan, CivCity Executive Director Election News: Are You Ready To Vote? On March 8, Republicans and Democrats will vote in primary elections. They will pick each party s candidate for president. Also, all voters in Washtenaw County will vote to approve or reject a tax proposal. If approved, the tax will pay for a local emergency communications system. You can vote if you are registered. You must register to vote before Feb. 8, 2016. Voters must be over 18 years old and a U.S. citizen. Can t get to the polls on Election Day? You can vote by absentee ballot. Get more information at www.michigan.gov/vote. Or call the Washtenaw County election office at 734-222-6730. Be sure to vote on March 8! Page 1 Welcome to CivCity EXTRA! Page 1 Election News Page 2 Washtenaw ID Card Page 3 Bus Station Art CONTENTS Page 3.Free Birthday Deals Page 3.Community Kitchen Page 4.Deer Cull in Ann Arbor Parks Page 4.Games at the Library CivCity EXTRA is published by The CivCity Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Ann Arbor, in partnership with Washtenaw Literacy and Eastern Michigan University. Find out more at civcity.org. 1
Washtenaw ID Card: It Might Help You! Do you need an official photo ID, but do not have one? Washtenaw County government has a new service. Washtenaw County residents who are older than 14 can get an official photo ID. You can use it to show your identity and residency. You can use the ID for many purposes. You can use it to apply for a driver s license or library card. You can use it as proof of identity to rent an apartment or open a bank account. You can use it to get certain government services that are offered to residents. The Washtenaw County clerk s vital records office issues these IDs. It costs $25. You must apply in person. You must also bring several documents to show the clerk. The Washtenaw County clerk s office is located in downtown Ann Arbor at 200 N. Main St. The building is at the corner of Main Street and Ann Street. The office is open from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Map to the Washtenaw County clerk s office. Entrance to the building at 200 N. Main. More information is online at washtenawid.com. Or call the Washtenaw County clerk s office at 734-222-6720. Did You Know? Ann Arbor is the largest city in Washtenaw County. About 117,000 residents live in Ann Arbor. In addition, more than 43,000 University of Michigan students live here. Washtenaw County is located about 50 miles west of Detroit. 2
Art at the Bus Station The Ann Arbor bus system s main building is decorated with public art! Roberto Delgado is the artist who made this art. He lives in Los Angeles. His art at the bus station is named Ann Arbor History and Culture. You can see this art at 328 South Fifth Avenue, near the Ann Arbor downtown library. It shows large pictures of people who ride the bus. The project cost $50,000. The federal government helped pay for the art. Take a look what do you think? More information about Blake Transit Center is online at www.theride.org. Get Free Stuff On Your Birthday! Several local restaurants and shops give birthday discounts. Here are some examples: Argus Farm Stop: Free drink on your birthday The Bomber: Free Cap n Crunch French toast treat Cupcake Station: Free mini-cupcake Denny s: Free Grand Slam breakfast Northside Grill: Free breakfast or lunch entrée Zingerman s Deli: 15% discount Find a list of all discounts and freebies online at LocalWiki: localwiki.org/ann-arbor/birthday_deals Be sure to bring your ID to verify your date of birth! Food Gatherers Community Kitchen The Food Gatherers Community Kitchen offers hot, healthy meals to those in need. Each person gets 20 meals a week. The meals are served at the Delonis Center at 312 West Huron Street in Ann Arbor. Lunch: Monday-Friday, 12-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Friday, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 3-4 p.m. Call 734-761-2796 for more information. 3
Deer Cull in Ann Arbor Parks The City of Ann Arbor is hiring marksmen for a deer cull. The marksmen will shoot and remove up to 100 deer in the city s parks this year. The Ann Arbor City Council approved the cull. Twenty-four parks and nature areas will be closed on weekdays from Jan. 2 until March 1, 2016. The parks will be closed Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 a.m. These parks and nature areas will be closed during those times: 1. Arbor Hills Nature Area 13. Kuebler Langford Nature Area 2. Barton Nature Area 14. Leslie Park Golf Course 3. Bird Hills Nature Area 15. Leslie Woods Nature Area 4. Black Pond Woods 16. Narrow Gauge Nature Area 5. Bluffs Nature Area 17. Oakridge Nature Area 6. Braun Nature Area 18. Oakwoods Nature Area 7. Cedar Bend Nature Area 19. Olson Park (dog park stays open) 8. Dhu Varren Woods 20. Onder Nature Area 9. Foxfire South Nature Area 21. Ruthven Nature Area 10. Foxfire West Nature Area 22. South Pond Nature Area 11. Furstenberg Nature Area 23. Stapp Nature Area 12. Huron Parkway Nature Area 24. Traver Creek Nature Area The city s deer cull is part of a deer management program. City officials and supporters of the deer cull think there are too many deer. They say the deer damage the environment. More information from the city is online at www.a2gov.org. Other people do not want the city to kill deer. The Humane Society of Huron Valley wants to stop the shoot. Their anti-cull website is stoptheshoot.org. Another group called Ann Arbor Residents for Public Safety filed a lawsuit against the city. They also hope to stop the shoot. ===================================================================== Games at the Library! You can check out games at the Ann Arbor District Library. The library has a mini ping pong table. The library has a disc golf game and giant dominoes. You need a library card to check out the games. The library card is free to Ann Arbor area residents! Get more information at aadl.org or call 734-327-4200. CivCity EXTRA is published in partnership with Washtenaw Literacy and The CivCity Initiative. Questions or comments about the newsletter? Contact Mary Morgan at a2marymorgan@gmail.com. For more information about Washtenaw Literacy programs, visit washtenawliteracy.org/get-help or call 734.879.1320. 4
Washtenaw Literacy helps adults 16 and older improve reading, writing, math or speaking in English. The CivCity Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit that s building a more informed, engaged community. To get help visit washtenawliteracy.org/gethelp or call 734.879.1320. Get more information at CivCity.org or call Mary Morgan at 734.645.5368. 5577 Whittaker Road Ypsilanti, MI 48197 118 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Special thanks to Professor Zuzana Tomas and her students at Eastern Michigan University for their help with this newsletter! 5