In the News

U-M study shows chubby kids endure more bullying

USA Today Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Anyone who has spent time on a playground as a child knows that chubby kids got more than their fair share unwelcome attention. A University of Michigan study is showing that what was true then is still true today.

Excerpt:

The danger of bullying has been making headlines recently, and now a new study shows heavy kids are more likely to be picked on than their normal-weight peers.

The study confirms other research that chubby children are more likely to be the victims of bullying. About one-third of kids in the USA weigh too much.

Researchers at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor analyzed the bullying incidents of 821 children ages 8 to 11.

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor's response to Pfizer's exit provides lessons for others

AnnArbor.com Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A lot of other Pfizer towns are sweating the possibility of becoming ex-Pfizer towns, and they're looking to Ann Arbor for answers on what to do if the worst happens.

Excerpt:

Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant that slugged Ann Arbor's economy in 2007 by announcing that it would shutter its 174-acre campus here, is still slashing jobs.

Pfizer said Tuesday that it would cut another 6,000 workers, part of a continuous restructuring initiative attributable to changes in the drug industry and to Pfizer's January 2009 acquisition of fellow giant Wyeth.

Read the rest of the story here.

EMU sets competitive tone with tuition freeze

The Associated Press Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Keeping the cost of higher education frozen in place has done more than grab headlines. It has made the rest of Michigan's universities take notice and start to find new ways to compete for the state's best students.

Excerpt:

Billboards, radio, TV and Internet ads are blaring news about Eastern Michigan University's freeze on tuition, fees and dorm rates for the fall.

The $320,000 paid media blitz and a coordinated publicity campaign are part of the school's effort to make the gamble pay off, that increased enrollment can cover the cost of its "0-0-0" program.

Other schools are watching the Ypsilanti school's effort with a mix of admiration and anxiety. Squeezed between rising operating costs and falling state aid, the state's 15 public universities and 28 community colleges are fighting to attract and keep students whose own families are feeling the same economic pains.

"We watch what happens at our sister institutions," said Western Michigan University spokeswoman Cheryl Roland. She said Eastern Michigan's campaign was hard to miss when she recently visited the Detroit area.

"I did see Eastern's billboards in several locations," Roland said. "They're pretty plentiful � zero-zero-zero."

Read the rest of the story here.

Pres Obama wows crowds at U-M commencement

The Detroit News Wednesday, May 05, 2010

President Obama is used to wowing big crowds but he wowed tens of thousands at one of the country's biggest venues in Ann Arbor. Here is a round up of coverage on the event.

Excerpt:

Ann Arbor--President Barack Obama took aim at the mean-spirited political rhetoric circulating the country during his commencement address Saturday to graduates of the University of Michigan.

"We can't expect to solve our problems by tearing each other down," Obama said, using his speech to respond to some of his critics who depict the U.S. government as repressive. "It may grab headlines but it puts us on a level of murderous regimes."

Obama appealed to the 80,000 in attendance at Michigan Stadium to hear him speak, calling for more civil discourse even though history suggests politics have never been a "nice business ... even during times of great change."

"Despite all its flaws, our democracy has worked better than any form of government on earth," he said.

Read the rest of the story here, more here, a whole lot more here and how the President lunched on a special order from Zingerman's here.

What U-M grads want to hear from Pres Obama

Detroit Free Press Wednesday, April 28, 2010

President Obama is known for his inspiring words. Here is a sampling of what his audience at Michigan Stadium wants to hear this Saturday.

Excerpt:

Last year, when President Barack Obama's commencement addresses drew protests at the University of Notre Dame and Arizona State University, Rebekah Sharpe was spurred to action. She figured if Obama was invited to the 2010 commencement at the University of Michigan, the reception would be different.

"I thought, 'He will be welcomed with open arms,' " said Sharpe, who is graduating with a degree in communications.

It's an idea others at U-M had. Sharpe, 22, of Southfield was among many students and staff members who spent months working on a campaign to get Obama to Ann Arbor to address the graduates on Saturday.

During a meeting with reporters several weeks ago, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman jokingly referred to the quest to secure Obama as the commencement speaker "as my obsession."

"Everyone who had a connection with the White House, we told about our desire and they were putting in a good word for us," Coleman said. Obama, Coleman said, was a natural choice. "Ever since he was elected and I saw the outpouring of enthusiasm from our students, I thought this would be terrific."

We asked some members of the Class of 2010 to share what they want to hear from Obama. Their responses:

Read the rest of the story here.

EMU Pres Martin sets precedent with tuition freeze

AnnArbor.com Wednesday, April 28, 2010

College tuition hikes, sizable double-digit ones at that, have become a sad fact of life at Michigan's institutions of higher learning over the last decade. That is until Eastern Michigan University President Susan Martin stepped into the leadership vacuum by stepping up for students and their families.

Excerpt:

Eastern Michigan University, long haunted by a lack of coherent leadership, is rebranding itself.

EMU President Susan Martin, driven by a vision for revitalizing the university's image, is championing the university�s hallmark asset: its affordability and the role it plays in boosting southeast Michigan�s distressed economy.

And the EMU Board of Regents is endorsing the university�s rebranding. Regents opted to keep tuition and fees flat for 2010-11 -- an exceptional move on Tuesday in light of continuous higher education funding cuts from Lansing.

This is a classic example of a moment in which a business - or in this case, a university - recognizes that by cutting prices, its product will get enough additional buyers to make up for it.

Emphasizing EMU's affordability -- and how the education it provides students will play a part in revitalizing Michigan -- was part of Martin's vision for the university from the day she took office.

"Our graduates stay in Michigan, particularly in this region," Martin told me in an interview when she took the job in 2008. "And if there's anything the state needs right now, it's a more educated workforce, getting jobs and staying in Michigan. Eastern is a critical player in that."

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor asks: Are bicycles safer on street or sidewalk?

AnnArbor.com Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Novice bicyclists are often seen weaving between pedestrians on sidewalks while regular riders dodge automobiles on the road. People in Ann Arbor are beginning to wonder which way is safer.

Excerpt:

Chris Marble rarely feels unsafe on his bike, but a recent Sunday was an exception.

Marble, a 71-year-old retired schoolteacher, was riding his bike on North Main Street in Ann Arbor. Suddenly, he was in heavy traffic from a University of Michigan basketball game.

"It wasn�t that bad, but I wouldn�t want to do it over and over again,� Marble said. "The drivers were nice. ... I don�t remember anybody cutting me close or blasting their horn or giving me the one finger peace sign.�

Read the rest of the story here.

White House, Ann Arbor, U-M continue to intersect

The Michigan Daily Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The words Ann Arbor, University of Michigan and the White House continue to be said in the same sentence as President Obama gets ready to give the commencement speech at U-M. One of Ann Arbor's famed entrepreneurs, Menlo Innovations Rich Sheridan, talks to the White House about creating workplace flexibility.

Excerpt:

Though it was only announced last month that President Barack Obama would be the speaker at this spring's commencement, University officials have been communicating with the White House since last April to try to get the president to speak at the Big House.

According to documents obtained by The Michigan Daily through a Freedom of Information Act request, University President Mary Sue Coleman first contacted Alyssa Mastromonaco, White House director of scheduling and advance, on April 30, 2009.

Following the initial letter, Coleman sent a formal invitation directly to Obama last September. In her letter to Obama, Coleman highlighted the University�s history as one of the premier public universities in the country.

Coleman also encouraged the president to come to Ann Arbor by referencing the University�s commitment to topics important to his administration like economic expansion, developing alternative energy sources, sustainability and health care.

"The University of Michigan vigorously pursues the many issues our nation faces and that you are tackling as president," Coleman wrote to Obama in her September letter. "Your visit would inspire and motivate continued progress in these areas."

Read the rest of the story here and how Menlo Innovations' Rich Sheridan is consulting with the White House here.

Ann Arbor's push for Google Fiber gains national headlines

The New York Times Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The A in A2Fiber was on proud display in picture after picture in major media outlets across the U.S. last week.

Excerpt:

Minutes ago, a small plane flew over the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif., trailing a banner that read "Will Google Play in Peoria, IL?"

It was the latest in a series of stunts by cities across the country to get the attention of Google. The Internet giant is promising to build an ultra-high speed network to serve, free, 50,000 to 500,000 people in one or more communities.

The stunts, which I first wrote about on Monday, accompany more serious applications by cities and communities making the case why Google should pick them. Google says that more than 1,100 communities expressed interest in the Google Fiber project by the Friday deadline.

The stunts included the mayor of Duluth, Minn., jumping into Lake Michigan; the mayor of Sarasota, Fla., swimming with sharks; manatees voting with their snouts; and Senator Al Franken playing his old comedian self. They�ve been joined by the Peoria plane; hundreds of students in Ann Arbor, Mich., singing the �A2 Fiber Anthem�; the waving of a flag on Alaska�s Mount McKinley; a people-powered light display in Greenville, S.C.; and a video by Senator Tom Udall, of New Mexico, poking good-natured fun at Mr. Franken�s clip.

Read the rest of the story here, more about it here and how telephone poles could play a critical role in Google's decision here.

Ann Arbor, U-M serve as examples of home-buyer tax credit success

USA Today Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ann Arbor was one of the real estate hot spots in Michigan before the housing crash. After the housing crash and after the home-buyer tax credit takes effect, Ann Arbor is one of the first places to rebound.

Excerpt:

The Michigan cities of Ann Arbor and Detroit are only about 40 miles apart, but the distance is enough to present starkly different housing markets.

The Ann Arbor market saw the boom and bust in recent years. But first-time home buyer tax credits in 2009 helped change fortunes.

"It's almost like we started fresh this year," says Alex Milshteyn, president of the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors. "For the first time, I have buyers who are in the market (who) can't find what they are looking for."

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor mayor's green vision for a sustainable city

The Michigan Daily Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje's campaign signs often featured a mature, green tree. It's easy to see why he choose that look after examining his vision for making Ann Arbor a model for sustainable cities.

Excerpt:

Four years ago, Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje built a fully functioning house entirely off the electric grid. Hieftje designed and built the house, which runs on a solar energy system, on Lake Superior with his father-in-law. It includes all the fundamentals of a normal home � a refrigerator, washer, dryer and dishwasher � and is completely self-contained. And according to Hieftje, he�s never had a single problem with it.

Hieftje�s effort to reduce his carbon footprint is just a small step compared to the enormous strides he has made for the city of Ann Arbor. In 2005, the mayor challenged the city to, by the end of 2010, obtain 30 percent of its energy from renewable sources and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

His plan was inspired by the windmill farms in Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, just north of the Upper Peninsula. Unfortunately, Hieftje said, Michigan doesn�t have strong enough winds to power farms of its own, but it does have two hydro-dams and a landfill gas energy system, both of which have enabled cities across the state to increase alternative energy usage.

By the end of 2009, 16 percent of the total energy used by the city of Ann Arbor � including fuel, heating, lighting and electricity � was generated from renewable sources � the equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road last year.

The number is still far from the mayor�s goal of 30 percent, though he maintains the city will still make up the 14 percent by the end of this year. �We�re going to do it,� he says when asked about making the target.

Read the rest of the story here.

Terumo capitalizes on MEDC tax credits in Ann Arbor

Detroit Free Press Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Many Ann Arbor-based companies receive state tax breaks to create jobs, but few are taking advantage of them as effectively as the rapidly growing, Tree Town-based Terumo.

Excerpt:

To those searching for snippets of some of the good things going on out there, I offer up Terumo.

You may not have heard of Terumo, but lots of surgical patients have. Terumo products are used in cardiac and vascular surgeries in more than 1,000 cases a day worldwide.

Capitalizing on the growth in the medical device market, the Ann Arbor company, which includes Terumo Cardiovascular Systems and Terumo Heart, won a $1-million tax credit from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority almost two years ago to keep operations here and bring in more jobs -- which it has done. The two firms together employ 500 people in Ann Arbor and are the 24th-largest company in Washtenaw County.

Read the rest of the story here.

Michigan announces Pure Michigan Living winners

State of Michigan Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Is it any wonder that the two winners of the Pure Michigan Living contest come from places in the heart of the state?

Excerpt:

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) today announced the winners of the "Why I Choose Michigan" essay contest. The contest helped kick off the recent launch of PureMichiganLiving.com, a new Web site featuring the people, places and things that make Michigan a great place to live, work and play.

The recipients are:

Gerry Callison of Jackson, who chose to relocate in Michigan last year after his job was eliminated in Wisconsin and now works at Commonwealth Associates in Jackson, an engineering and consulting firm that specializes in electrical transmission and distribution projects; and,
Rita Noel, of Howell, was born and raised in Michigan and has chosen to raise her family in Howell because she believes Michigan is one of the nation's most attractive places to enjoy cultural and recreational opportunities.

"The essays submitted by Rita and Gerry exemplify the reasons why Michigan is retaining and attracting the people our state will need to succeed in the new knowledge-based economy," said Joe Borgstrom, a Division Director with MSHDA. "We are delighted to reward their efforts with free weekend getaway packages to two of Michigan's most outstanding resorts."

Read the rest of the story here.

Former Ann Arborite now plays critical role in Detroit

Detroit Free Press Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The woman who honed her skills at Ann Arbor's city government is now putting them to use as the new director of Detroit's Buildings and Safety Engineering Department.

Excerpt:

Karla Henderson decided to spend her first week on the job figuring out what her employees actually do.

So the then-new director of Detroit's Buildings and Safety Engineering Department had one-on-one meetings with supervisors to compare the job descriptions of employees with their actual jobs.

Few matched. And some employees had never seen their job specifications.
One meeting was with a woman who said she was a special events coordinator.

"Here, I'm thinking she's talking about coordinating the vendor licenses (for big events) at Hart Plaza," Henderson said. "But when I talked to her, she said, 'No, I coordinate the employee picnic and the party and office stuff.' That was a job responsibility."

Henderson needed fewer parties and more help, so she transferred the employee. The woman, whose salary was $60,000 a year, soon retired.

Welcome to change.

Henderson, who joined Mayor Dave Bing's team last July after years of city service experience in Highland Park and Ann Arbor, is bringing Bing's no-nonsense approach to the department that deals with everyday business: inspections, permits, licenses, zoning questions and demolitions. She and her deputy director, Kimberly James, an attorney with institutional memory and a keen sense of savings, form a dynamic duo who want to change the conversation in Detroit about buildings, property maintenance and beauty.

Read the rest of the story here.

President Obama to speak at U-M commencement

USA Today Wednesday, February 17, 2010

For those who missed the news... Ann Arbor's connections to President Obama's administration (via U-M alum Eugene Kang and Valerie Jarret) are paying off inow that the leader of the free world will give the commencement speech at the University of Michigan this spring.

Excerpt:

Yes, it's cold now, but soon comes the warmth of spring with fresh flowers, thoughts of love, and college commencements -- and presidential college commencement speeches as well.

President Obama will address graduates of the University of Michigan on May 1, school president Mary Sue Coleman announced.

"President Obama has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of many students with his inspiring words of hope and change," Coleman said.

In addition to being a fine school, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has seen its fair share of presidential history

Read the rest of the story here, how former Ann Arborites helped lobby for it here and the top local firms Obama should visit while in Ann Arbor here.

Government : In the News