Too much work.....Too Soon!

Sorry to my half-dozen fans, but this early season construction rush is unreal-- My first two full weeks back on the job, and I've put in over sixty hours, for both weeks! Leaving not much time for blogging, let alone much else except for some sleep.

I also lament that I must take more of a sidelines approach insofar as "KeepYpsiRollin" is concerned-- my community activist streak has to take a back seat against the realities of my time constraints. However, I will follow KYR's actions on the excellent local blog "Ypsi~dixit" whose author is spearheading the drive. So even from afar, I will continue to cheer on their efforts, which I've become to see more and more as a battle of what this city is and what some people want it to become.

To me, the KYR people have it right: The bus system is a VITAL service-- Like trash pickup, or police and fire and should be considered thus. In other words, money must always be found/set aside for it. This city has around sixteen percent of its population at or below the poverty line. Sixteen percent. For many of these folks, the AATA bus is their only source of transportation, better describe as a life line, I'd say.

I've come to the conclusion that the current city council is to 'dreamy' and I feel not all that well connected to the people that they supposedly serve-- with the possible exception of Lois Richardson of Ward 1. With ever-shrinking revenue sharing aside, this council has managed to piddle and dribble the limited dollars available away on such things as silly lightpost banners seemingly for every occasion, to the current 150,000 being spent for a couple of dumpster enclosures. Besides being to 'dreamy' I also fault them for being less then open-- if not downright secretive.

Further griping along this theme, I peg the current council (for the most part) as what I call "Ann Arboristas". Or, those that want or at least think that by pushing a few 'cutsie' beautification projects, Ypsilanti will be magically transformed into Ann Arbor East, or some such. God, I hope not...... I was just working on Main street, A-squared, featuring a soon to open 'Chocolate Lounge'... Gawwwwwd. Thankfully, that's unlikely around here.

So what to do now? My feeling is that Ypsilanti can't afford more dreamy 'wine and Brie' types, who when pressed about the bus issue grasps a such straws as county-wide millages (yeah, right! I'm from Manchester on the county's west side.... Not much love for Ypsi there, believe me!), millages that are years into the future... At least the KYR people have a plan, imperfect perhaps, but something put to paper at least.

So again, what to do now? For my two cents, I'm supporting Steve Pierce for Mayor. In two brief conversations with the man, I've found him to be extremely intelligent, and perhaps more importantly, knowledgeable about Ypsi's problems-- He's a business man with a few ideas about fixing said problems. Besides, he's crazy enough to want the job in these tough times.... So why not give the 'dude' a shot? Also, his political side-kick Brian Robb is looking to gain Barry LaRues vacating seat on council, so I urge citizens of ward 3 to consider giving him a chance as well..

Ypsi's slap-dash road project

My neighborhood was the first to benefit (approx. 5 years ago) from the recent street reconstruction project now more or less completed. I freely admit that I was among those that voted for this program in the special election held, though I had some reservations about the cost-- which has come back to haunt us somewhat when viewed through the less than rosy lenses of today's financial crunch in Ypsilanti.

As the construction project progressed to the actual paving, my "alarm flags" went up. For you see, I am not a novice in the area of "bituminous asphalt paving" as I have worked in the field for 15 years.... So I know whats what in regards to the ol' blacktop. I saw what I must term short cuts taken in regards to the work done in my 'hood. The main culprit is the top layer was paved over the existing concrete gutter pan-- where it had been exposed before. Now, this is often done, but only if the existing streetscape hasn't any issues with drainage or 'fall' to functional catch basins (storm drains). But I still don't like it as asphalt and concrete are dissimilar and expand/contract at different rates eventually crumbling the thin asphalt veneer that is usually applied over the gutter pan. Here is a photo from in front of my home:

As you can see, there are issues with drainage-- this after the repaving job has been "completed" in my area. Yes, this is a personal bitch/gripe, but I am tired of scooping up a trash can's worth of heavy silt after every heavy rain-- silt which is often loaded with glass, nails and other debris, deposited right in front of my drive approach. Mainly what irks me is that one only has to use their 'mark 1' type eyeballs to see that the street rises in both directions away from my drive, so one wonders what the surveyors where seeing when they peered through their transit levels. My ire is further raised when I recall that during the reconstruction my lawn extension served as a dumping/storage site for soil pipe, fire hydrants as well as enough manhole block and brick to construct the catch basin that should have been emplaced there to begin with, grrrr!

Great, this post has become something of a rant-- oh well, so be it! Since I'm venting I might as well post this next pic of the condition the streets are fast becoming like in my area:

Yup! Deeply cracked. This, despite promises that funding is/was set aside for such a little thing as maintenance within the scope of the repave project in the first place. Oh sure there was some half-hearted attempt at filling cracks last summer around here-- but let's just say if a crew of mine left the job (at best half finished, or half-assed, your choice) I'd have sent them out the following day-- or sent them packing, as this was a weak-kneed effort, really.

Then you follow all this up with all the post paving patching around here. Though there was good coordinating with YCUA for water/sewer upgrades-- Where was the coordination with Michcon/DTE? It seems that as soon as a road is redone, it just gets recut and a patch placed in the pristine asphalt by that entity. To wit: First Avenue was completed last fall, and already Michcon/DTE have two cuts in the road. This is the case all over town, Monroe and Congress foremost in my mind. These are not emergency service cuts, just general service cuts, at least for the most part-- Things that can be allowed/planned for (Admission: My company is a sub-contractor to Michcon, so I know a bit about the above).

To conclude my rave, I am starting to wonder if this street repave was necessary-- or at least the scope of it. Perhaps we should of only allotted funding for the absolute worst of the streets (memories of bumpy S. Grove and Summit comes to mind). Sure I'm using the all-seeing hindsight here, but considering the budget crunch the city is facing now, and the additional tax burden this project is, and then throwing in my own observations on what I perceive as the shortcuts taken or are being taken with some aspects of the resurfacing job, well I just have to wonder.....

Roads NOT working......

The troubles Ypsilanti is facing with bussing is just a microcosm of southeast Michigan overall, and Detroit's very own Metro Times has been running a wonderful group of articles under "Roads not Working" where they have been covering everything from bussing problems to thoughtful discussions on light rail transit-- granted this is mainly from a Detroit perspective, but these newsbits have weight and merit to this region of our state, and thus have meaning to us all. Anyway, check out one of the stories here. Also, do yourself a favor and use their search tool and find the additional articles on this topic, as there is a wealth of material there.

Why I like this city....

Ypsilanti is my home. It hasn't always been so. The small hamlet of Manchester, MI. Has to be considered my original hometown; and youthful, happy memories from my past there will always bring a smile to my face. Yet, I've never been able to resist the siren song of a big town, and Ypsi, or Ann Arbor, for that matter seemed to fit the bill when I was a restless teenager. In the late '70's Manchester calm, idyllic country charm was rather boring to the more energetic 'me' of that time. That restless energy is still there-- but more as a quietly smoldering ember I must admit. In fact, if I didn't feel somewhat tied to my Ann Arbor based job, I'd have no problem joining in the rebirth of downtown Detroit, as some friends of mine are currently doing. This former country-born mouse has become quite urban over the years.

The thing that I think I like most about Ypsilanti is it's people-- This small city is so diverse, so many people of color, ethnicity and foreign birth live here, I find that it a personal joy to bump up against these different people and cultures at various public functions and whatnot, that it's truly amazing. I even think this humble town is even more diverse than the 'international' city to our west; I mean take away the diversity centered around the UofM and ol' A-squared loses a lot of color and flavor-- I truly believe that.

The recently adopted city motto of Pride, Diversity, Heritage-- gets it in a nutshell. Take pride, for instance-- Ypsilantians are fiercely proud of their town, and gladly fire back at all perceived attacks or insults heaped upon them. Some might say this is born of an inferiority complex, but I disagree. The citizens here know the problems-- the blight, the poverty, etc... It's more a case of look to your own house before you sling mud on mine.

Now, what of that last bit? Heritage. This is an old town. Yes, Ann Arbor, even older than you-- at least going by early white settlement. The armchair architect inside me thrills at all the lovely turn-of-the-last century buildings that crowd into this small city, and laments the condition of some of them, yet I'll put up our row of Victorian-Italinate 'bling' on Huron street against any like stretch in Ann Arbor...... This goes back to that 'pride' thing, :)

Lastly, I turn back to the people around here. As I mentioned in my previous and all to brief posting the pride I have in our citizens, most recently best manifested in Ypsi~dixit's and the "Keep Ypsi Rollin' " save-the-buss campaign-- grass roots stuff at it's best. Their efforts are another reason/part of why I like this city of mine.

Life, getting in the way of blogging...

I've been a little busy with the realities of life lately-- so no posts. Also sorry to have missed Ypsi's most recent city council meeting where the noble and valiant Ypsi~dixit and her bussing friends rocked the house! Slide over to her web site and see the latest . Nice job, to all those involved with "Keep Ypsi Rollin' "....... It's wonderful to see that at least on the local level, the People's voice and WILL can still have an effect on elected officials. Kudo's all around.