Working for Writing

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that I took part in the Leadership Ann Arbor program. This was a year-long monthly gathering of a group of 50+ people to learn more about the city we live in and to discover how we can act as leaders in our community. Our class graduated back in June of last year, but many of us have chosen to continue to meet to share the ups and downs of our lives and to find ways to help each other out.

My good friend, Angela De Smet, is one of many cool people whom I met through Leadership. She really took the idea of leadership to heart. She serves as the Treasurer for 826michigan, an organization dedicated to supporting kids in developing their writing skills. As a writer myself, I applaud their efforts. After all, writing is the basis of all wealth.

Right now, 826michigan is working on a couple of fund-raising efforts. The first is an online auction. It's pretty straight-forward. They are asking members of the community to donate items which will be auctioned off. They will be accepting donations through May 20 with the auction closing down on May 28. Their site has more details.

The other event is kind of odd, fun, and intriguing. They are having a Mustache-A-Thon. They are looking for people who are willing to be a mustache farmer from March 24 through April 28. They'll take pictures each week and folks are supposed to donate to support their favorite 'stache. It will be interesting to see how this one goes. If you are interested in joining in the fun, be sure to check out the details over at 826michigan. They even mentioned something about "free beer".

So, what's the oddest thing you've done for charity?

Artrain Goes Offrail

Today we had our monthly meeting of the graduates of the Leadership Ann Arbor class of 2007. One of the members of this group is my buddy, Brian Tolle. Brian is not only the President of the Tolle Group, an organizational leadership consulting firm in Ann Arbor, but also a board member for Artrain. Today he had some sad news for us.

Artrain is leaving the tracks.

For many years now, the cars which house the Artrain exhibit have been transported to far-flung communities by attaching them to the ends of freight trains. Unfortunately for the exhibit, the railroad tracks in the United States are over capacity and, as a result, it's become more and more difficult to travel to distant areas reliably.

That being the case, the board finally made the difficult decision to stop the train. Artrain will finish up the year and then the cars will be sold off. An era will end.

Don't worry too much, though, as Artrain will be reborn as a fleet of specially designed semi-trucks. This will not only allow the exhibit to carry on, but will also give it access to the 60% of the country which doesn't have rail service.

So, if you find that Artrain will be showing up in a town near you, I recommend you stop in and see it. If you can't, be sure to catch it the next time it rolls into town in its new incarnation.

I guess that just like any other business, even a mobile art museum has to roll with the times and adjust to the changing scenery.

So, when was the last time you had to adjust your business because the world had changed?

Impact 2007

Bhushan Kulkarni and Andy LaBarre listen
while Trenda Rusher leads our discussion

I spent the first part of my day today at the Impact 2007 conference put on by the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce. This is a meeting of minds of those who are interested and concerned about the state of Michigan in general and about the Ann Arbor area in specific. This is the second year I've attended the event. Last year I was there because it is also the kick off for the Leadership Ann Arbor class.

First off, Impact is just a great networking event in a great venue. A lot of local business people show up to hear what's going on and Kensington Court does a great job making sure everyone is comfortable and well-fed. Beyond that, though, as with last year, the organizing committee sets up some interesting speakers. Of course, Michigan is going through some hard times right now, so not all of the news was positive. Still, we all tried to look for the best and, further, tried to look for ways that we could help to solve some of the area's problems.

To that end, this year we broke out into several groups to examine some of the bigger issues going on right now. The group I was with looked at the "Talent Wars" -- the fact that many of our most talented workers are leaving the state -- and what we can do to turn that tide. We had about forty of us in the room, so we actually came up with many actions which might help in a variety of areas, including attracting and retaining talent, developing career paths which keep talent in the area, and developing leadership to oversee all of this activity.

Of all the solutions, though, the biggest one -- and the biggest challenge -- was communication. Many of the root problems we uncovered already have solutions in place. Unfortunately, the population whom we need to address regarding the problem seems not to know about the solution, whatever it is.

I'm not sure there is a silver bullet for this one. I'd love to say that all we need to do is build a great website, but there are already a ton of websites out there with this information. What it may require is actual personal coordination between industry, education, and community organizations and I'm not sure what the mechanism is to make that all work.

Ah, well, I guess the first step to wisdom is admitting you don't know.

So, what forms of community communication do you have in your area?

Run, Angela, Run!

Angela De Smet,
Running Fiend

I got a message tonight from Angela De Smet, one of my dear friends from Leadership Ann Arbor. Angela works for Vintage Financial Services as a Senior Financial Planner here in town.

The point of her message was to tell her family and friends about running in a charity fundraising run called the Big House Big Heart 5K Run (so-called because it ends up on the 50-yard line of the Michigan Stadium - the "Big House"). She's representing a great charity, 826 Michigan, an organization which tutors school-age children in creative and expository writing. If, as my friend Scott Ginsberg is wont to say, "writing is the source of all wealth", then you can see how valuable this group is.

The challenging aspect of this activity for those of us who know Angela is that, well, she doesn't much "appreciate" the act of running. OK, she pretty much hates the idea. Still, from challenges great things do arise and her love for the 826 Michigan organization is her inspiration.

She's decided to blog about her odyssey to becoming a running fiend. She's just started, so be sure to cheer her on in the comments area. As someone who just returned to running this year, I can appreciate some of the challenges which she is facing.

And, should you decide that 826 Michigan is a worthy organization, be sure to click through to give whatever you can.

So, what challenges have you overcome recently for a good cause?

Facebook and the Newest Ezine Issue

By the time you read this I will have sent out my most recent ezine issue. That's number 12 for those who are counting. This time I wrote a bit about my first experiences with Facebook and how I intend to use it for our Leadership Ann Arbor Roundtable group.

If you are interested in reading any of the issues, or would like to subscribe to the ezine, you can do so on the Cyber Data Solutions website.

Graduation Day

Lindsay laughs as I receive my diploma

In the midst of my hustle and bustle last week, our Leadership Ann Arbor class had its final gathering. On Wednesday, June 13, we graduated.

Unlike the rest of the year, when we ran from location to location throughout the area, this time we spent our time together in one place -- Zanzibar, a restaurant down on State Street in Ann Arbor. Terry McGinn, our facilitator from back when we first started this whole thing, was there again to help us review our experiences and synthesize a larger viewpoint from everything we'd learned. Some of the surprising things that we had discovered, individually or in groups:

• The jail overcrowding situation and why we should be concerned.
• The presence of the African American financial community and the events that it promotes.
• The strain placed on law enforcement agencies due to those with mental health issues in the community.
• The length of time it takes for anything to change despite Ann Arbor having a diverse and talented populace.
• How many facets go into making Ann Arbor the city that it is -- and how the loss of any one of them would diminish the town more than you would think.

We spent some time in groups discussing possible changes for next year. While we did come up with a few suggestions, by and large we found that Lindsay McCarthy, our glorious and long-suffering leader, had really done an exceptional job with the program.

After a delicious lunch, we heard from Marianne Clauw, our classmate and an advisor to the BoardConnect program at the NEW Center. Now that we have seen a little more about how things work in this town, she wanted us to be aware of the opportunities for us to help one of the many organizations which help make this place a good place to live.

Then it was time for us to "walk the stage".

No, we didn't have a boombox playing "Pomp and Circumstance" over and over, just Lindsay calling out our names and us walking up to receive our certificates from Pat Davenport or Greg Bazick, the two co-Chairs for our class. Still it was a pretty significant time for us -- the capstone of nine months of shared discovery, education, and more than a few laughs.

What the future holds for our class is yet to be seen. We have had some movement toward working together on some sort of shared community service, but that is still in the planning phase. Until then, I guess school's out for summer. Time to sit back, relax, and maybe reflect on all I've gained from the experience.

So, what was your latest great achievement?

Beyond the Job, Part 4: Arts and Crafts

Brian Tolle gets crafty

This is the final part to my report on the Leadership Ann Arbor Quality of Life Day. You might want to read part 1, part 2, and part 3 first.

In the final part of our whirlwind tour of the vast cultural and entertainment possibilities in the Ann Arbor area, we first stopped in at The Ark. The Ark is a music venue right on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. It specializes in acoustical presentations and, as such, is a haven for traditional and folk music in the area.

According to our host, Barb Chaffer-Authier, back in 1965, a group of churches decided to set up a haven for students in the community free of drugs and alcohol which would expose the youth to music poetry and art. Over the ensuing forty years, the Ark has gone through many incarnations, but has remained true to the ideal of presenting great music to the Ann Arbor community. The 400 seat venue has performances almost 300 nights a year. Remarkably tickets range between $11 and $30. Some shows are even free.

Check out their website for more information about upcoming acts and opportunities to volunteer your time. What? Yes, I said "volunteer". After all, the Ark is a nonprofit organization and much of what they accomplish is partially due to the over 200 volunteers who help with everything from concessions to sound production.

After we left the Ark, we headed around the corner to the Ann Arbor Arts Center. I had probably walked past this place a thousand times without it coming to my notice. I'm glad Russ and Ron finally led me through the door!

The Center, around since 1909, has as it's mission "to engage the community in education, exhibition, and exploration of the visual arts." It houses an exhibition space, an art store, and, upstairs, a series of classrooms where students of all ages get to learn about the visual arts and to explore their own creativity. In our case, we were given the opportunity to express ourselves through glazing ceramics.

What a lot of fun!

Bree Jacobs, our teacher

I haven't had an art class since high school. Sitting there with the other Leadership folks and chatting as we worked on our personal masterpieces, I was, for a time, transported back to my childhood. Our teacher at the Center, Bree Jacobs, gave us some brief instruction on the technical issues involved with adding color to plain, white ceramic, but otherwise stepped back to let us do our thing.

I'm not going to tell you what I did. I'll receive the finished piece in June when I graduate from Leadership. Then I'll present it as it should be presented -- visually.

So, that was it for our final full day of Leadership. We will still get together next month for our graduation, but this session is basically done. After that I will have to take some time to look back at the process to see how I've changed. For now, though, I'd have to say that the whole thing was definitely worth it. If you have the opportunity (and you do) I'd highly recommend you check it out.

So, when was the last time you had "art class"?

Beyond the Job, Part 3: Arts and Sports

Christen McArdle

This is the second part to my report on the Leadership Ann Arbor Quality of Life Day. You might want to read part 1 and part 2 first.

After a very busy morning, we stopped at the Metro Cafe at the corner of Detroit and Catherine. As we tucked into our lunches (a very tasty black bean burger for me), Christen McArdle, the Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Film Festival gave us a great presentation on that annual event.

I had heard of the Festival, of course. It's kind of hard for even the most hermit-like computer programmer to miss any mention of the annual week-long event. What I didn't realize, though, is that the Ann Arbor festival is the second oldest experimental film festival in North America! They just celebrated their 45th anniversary this year and they are already planning for number 46 (set for March 25-30, 2008).

Unfortunately, not all is joyful in the world of experimental film. Apparently, state politicians, playing to their conservative constituencies have cut funding to the Festival, including $20,000 which had already been allocated for this year. Apparently they relied on a vaguely-worded statute which allowed them to label some of the films as "pornographic" and therefore deny the funding. Now, I guess that they have a right to do that (though the Festival organization is fighting the statute), what I find alarming is that the legislators in question didn't even see the films.

So, this state of affairs has left the Festival in a hard place. They are now having to dedicate much more of their time to raising funding from other sources. Still, they are pressing onward, determined that they will make it to their 50th anniversary and beyond.

After lunch we headed over to the athletic campus where we learned about the various developments with the University sporting events. In Ann Arbor, you might say that there are one or two people who are interested in Wolverine football or basketball. Michigan has a veritable plethora of other teams, though, which many people don't pay as much attention to.

Maybe they should.

According to our host, Michigan softball now ranks 3rd and Michigan baseball is number one in the Big 10. In fact, I would be surprised if anyone guessed that the winningest coach in Michigan history is the softball coach, Carol Hutchins (though she maintains that it's just because she's played a lot of games).

The next time you are in the mood for watching some live sporting action, you might want to check out some of the "other" teams around Ann Arbor. Have fun!

Tomorrow: Music and creativity.

So, have you seen any of the "other" sporting events available through the University?

Beyond the Job, Part 2: Arts and Sciences

This is the second part to my report on the Leadership Ann Arbor Quality of Life Day. You might want to read part 1 first.

After getting mildly damp in our abortive attempt at a nature hike, we all boarded a bus and headed out to the University of Michigan's North Campus. There we went in for a tour of the Arthur Miller Theatre.

Let me take this short moment to tell you that I actually went to classes on North Campus. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up in the parking lot where I used to park. Half of the lot was gone, to be taken up by this huge building. Heck, I was on that campus only a few months ago and I hadn't seen the construction. Sometimes I think I've got to get out more.

Oh, well, back to the story.

The theatre is the only one named for Arthur Miller, who was an alumni of U of M. It hosts a variety of performance venues as well as instructional and training facilities. We also learned that most of the performance venues in town are actually owned and run by the University. According to our host, Russ Collins, the unusual thing about this setup is that the U allows other theatrical groups to to use the space. The next time you come out to attend a play at the Power Center, or a concert at Hill Auditorium, give a nod in the general direction of the administration building.

Once again dashing through the rain, we all hopped back on the bus and headed downtown. Our next stop: The Hands-on Museum.

What a blast.

My only disappointment was that we were only allowed to stay for about 30 minutes. I found so many displays which captivated my attention. I wanted to play with them all. Of course, I had to play nice and not knock any small children out of my way. I think I managed nicely, thank you.

According to, Pam Smith, the Director of Public Affairs & Marketing, over its 25 year existence, the HoM has hosted about 3.2 million visitors. Currently the annual total is over 210,000 (and half of them are from outside Washtenaw county)!

On top of the too-numerous-to-mention science exhibits, I loved the pieces of antique fire-fighting equipment which dotted the building. Apparently the HoM's home is a former firehouse and when the designers built the HoM, they took great pains to maintain the bones of the old structure. One of the rooms evenhad an old firepole in it (which several kids we attempting to scale).

After our hosts dragged us from the fun-filled halls of the Hands-on Museum, we took a quick tour of the local farmers' market and then headed off to lunch.

Which was good because I was very hungry!

Tomorrow, the woes of the Film Festival.

So, have you ever been to the Hands-on Museum?

Beyond the Job: Quality of Life

I know I just finished writing about the make up day for our Leadership Ann Arbor Education Day, but here I am again with my next report. Sadly, this report is about our final full class day, Quality of Life.

Today was all about the things that Ann Arbor offers which make life here worth living. Very few of us find our motivation solely through our jobs or even our home life. Both are, of course, vital, but we can experience those aspects of our lives anywhere. Why Ann Arbor?

Our hosts for the day, Ron Olson, the Chief of the Parks and Recreation Division of the State of Michigan (and one of the only living people for whom a park has been named) and Russ Collins, the Executive Director of the Michigan Theater, posited that "quality of life" had much to do with our opportunities for growth. From its parks and nature areas, to its museums and theaters, to the U of M athletic offerings and the plethora of musical venues, Ann Arbor possesses opportunity in abundance.

Somewhat reminiscent of our very first class, Economic Development Day, our hosts had jam-packed so much into one day that by the end many of us felt as if our heads would explode. How can you contain all that a community like this holds in a single day? Obviously you can't, so we had to make do with a tantalizing overview.

Our day started with a visit to Gallup Park, up on the north side of town. I had been there once or twice in the past, but never with a knowledgeable guide. Our hosts started by telling us about some statistics about our city which we might not have known. For example, one aspect of QoL is simply how safe people feel. In this survey, a full 75% of people felt secure in their homes and neighborhoods. Not a bad score at all. Ironically, that number goes up to 80% of people who felt safe visiting downtown Ann Arbor!

We then heard from David Borneman, the Natural Area Preservation Coordinator. He told us of the efforts of his department to restore indigenous plant species to the area and to clear away invasive species. We learned what makes a site a good candidate for restoration (relatively low incidence of invasive species, a variety of native species, undisturbed soil, among other factors). We also heard about his department's re-introduction of prescribed burns to support continued dominance of local species -- apparently local species are fire-tolerant, while foreign invasive species tend not to be.

Lara Treemore-Spears

After all this lecturing, we were all raring to go out on our nature hike. We divided ourselves into four groups and, ignoring the gentle Spring rain, off we went into the green. Our group's guide, Lara Treemore-Spears, answered our questions as we hiked. She told us more about site restoration, about interdependence issues in the nature areas (that ugly clump of "weeds" is actually vital to support local bird species), and about the problems which arise from home landscaping (fertilizers, invasive species such as honeysuckle and crabapple).

Then the lightning struck.

Oh, not too close. We managed an orderly retreat back to the nature center (no trampling of the elderly or anything) and hid out under an awning, continuing to listen to our knowledgeable guide while we watched the "gentle Spring rain" turn into a "torrential Spring thunderstorm".

Then the lightning struck again...

... much closer.

When your guide ducks and heads for cover, it would be the height of foolishness to ignore her wisdom and experience.

So ended the first two hours of QoL Day. Despite being a trifle damp, the experience was well worth the price of admission. As a gardener I might even start looking at more native flora the next time I start planning a garden design. Now, what am I going to do about that honeysuckle that we planted last year?

Tomorrow, the theatre and science fun!

So, do you have enough sense to come in out of the rain?

Back to School, Part 2: Public and Private

The Clonlara School

Continuing my two-part series on the Leadership Ann Arbor Education Day. You might want to read part 1 first.

After hearing about the state of the district, we divided up into three teams to hop on bright yellow-orange school buses and head out to visit several schools around the area. I had to cut my day short, unfortunately, so I had to follow along behind my group in my car. To their credit, none of them made faces at me through the back window.

Our first stop was at a small private school located not far from my own home. The Clonlara School (named after the town in Ireland from which the founder's ancestors came) reminded me of nothing so much as a modern interpretation of the one-room schoolhouse. They cater to students from K to 12, but only have about 50 students at the school (pop quiz: On average, how many students per grade level?) The school divides the students into three groups, youngers, middles, and olders, and teach subject matter based upon the specific needs of the individual students.

Standing in a central common room, surrounded by computers on one side and the trees and shrubs of a large terrarium on the other, you could really feel that this place was a little different. Unfortunately, our time was a bit limited, so we didn't really get to see any classes in action. I would have liked to have seen how the teachers dealt with a classroom with ages ranging from 5 to 10 with all sorts of specific needs. After having taught martial arts for a few years, I know that this can be quite a challenge.

After we left Clonlara, we headed up to the north end of town to the Logan Elementary School. There, the principal, Arlene Barnes, took us on a forty-five minute tour. We met several teachers and even got to watch one class in action. The teacher, Mr. Parks, was praising his class for coping well with a last-minute change in schedule that morning. In general, the teachers, students and Ms. Barnes all seemed pretty happy and excited about their work.

The only real example of any problems that we noticed was when Ms. Barnes referred to some difficulties getting an inclined walkway renovated. Apparently at one time, the walkway had been carpeted, but, over the years, that carpeting had become worn and tattered. It wasn't until Ms. Barnes described the situation as a "safety hazard" that she was able to get someone to come in, strip away the damaged carpeting and have the floor resurfaced.

In reflection, I think the scariest part of the fact that the schools are having to make due with less and less money, is that it means more than just the loss of good teachers or the elimination of arts, music, or sports. It means that, inch by inch, the students, teachers, and the members of the community accept a lower and lower level of performance -- performance dictated by funds available. Where once the goal was to be the leaders and best, now we're satisfied to be in the middle of the pack. How long before we accept just not being last?

And with that decline how long before our best and brightest move on to greener pastures?

So, is this a real problem or am I just blowing it way out of proportion?

Back to School

Dr. Todd Roberts, Superintendent of AAPS

Back in February, our Leadership Ann Arbor class had our Education Day. Lindsay McCarthy, our fearless leader, had scheduled us to visit a variety of local schools, both public and private, K-12 and post-secondary. Then we got a real taste of being in school.

We had a Snow Day!

Thankfully, Lindsay, and the associated educational leaders, were able to reschedule the portion of the day that we missed. So, yesterday, bright and early at 8am, we assembled at the Chamber of Commerce offices for our make-up exam, er, I mean, presentations.

We started out with an hour-long talk from Dr. Todd Roberts, the Superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

This is not a happy guy.

Oh, sure. He has a lot to be proud of. AAPS has been #1 in receiving National Merit Scholarships for two years now. Various schools within his jurisdiction have received awards for their music and arts programs. Students in our schools tend to score much higher than the national average on standardized tests. Heck, AAPS is even the second largest employer in Ann Arbor (with over 3000 full and part time employees), behind only the University of Michigan.

So, what's his problem?

The problem is that, as with many public institutions in the great state of Michigan, his funding is getting cut.

And things don't look to be getting any better in the upcoming years.

At the beginning of this school year, the state government gave him a budget of $9619 per student. Now, close to the end of the year (with little to no time to make changes) he has to cut the district's expenses by $122 per student. This is the third time in five years that Lansing has cut his funding.

Fortunately, according to Dr. Roberts, AAPS is better off than 90% of the districts in Michigan. We have funds saved up for a rainy day that can go to help offset these difficulties. Unfortunately, the forecast is for a long string of stormy weather.

This is all just a bunch of numbers, though. What really brought the situation home was when one of the high school students in Leadership asked whether the music program was going to be cut. You could tell that this was important to her on a personal level.

Dr. Roberts didn't come right out and say that the music program would have to go (and art, drama, and anything else not directly related to state-mandated academic requirements). After all, no one wants to crush a young woman's dreams. He did, however, make it pretty clear that things are looking grim for anything not included in the "three R's".

I wish I could write about the light at the end of the tunnel. To be sure, the school district has many talented and dedicated individuals who are constantly looking for ways to make dwindling resources stretch a little farther. We do have funds put away to support the schools during tough economic times. We do have a vibrant, active community which values education on every level. We have a lot going for us.

Let's hope it's enough.

Tomorrow I'll write about a couple of the schools which we visited.

So, what are your fondest memories of your early school days?

Truth, Part 4: The Rest of the Story

Judge Julie Creal

This is the final part of my report on the Leadership Ann Arbor Law Enforcement Day. You may wish to read part 1, part 2, and part 3 first.

After our morning of visiting the jail and juvenile detention center, we spent the afternoon at the courthouse. Surprisingly, though, we didn't sit through a court case or hear about the everyday ins and outs of the courtroom setting. Instead, for the first part of the afternoon, we heard about a non-adversarial judicial program called "Sobriety Court".

Judge Julie Creal told us about this alternative system which addresses the needs of those who have broken the drunk driving laws for the first or second time. In return for no or greatly reduced jail time, the offender can take part in the Sobriety Court program. The goal of the program is to help people get clean and sober. Unlike normal court proceedings, however, this is done in a non-adversarial way, the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement, and just about anyone else associated with the court (including the bailiff) are working together to help people break out of the dangerous lifestyle they've gotten themselves into.

Is it easy? Not on your life.

For approximately the first three months, the participant has to have daily preliminary breath tests. Up to three times a week, they may have random urine tests. They must attend a 12-step program, etc, etc. And who pays for it? They do. On top of that, since they've been found guilty of drunk driving, they won't have a license, so they have to find some other way (friend or family member) to get themselves to the testing locations.

And that's just the first three months. This process takes at least 18 months and can take two years or longer! Still, given the overcrowding in the jail and the ultimate benefit in the participant's life, this path certainly beats the alternative.

Sheriff Dan Minzey

After a short break, we spent the second half of the afternoon in an enjoyable and informative discussion/question and answer session with the two Ann Arbor City Police Deputy Chiefs, Greg Bazick and Greg O'Dell, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff, Dan Minzey.

I think the best part of the whole discussion was just the forthrightness with which the three presented their situations. The Gregs told us quite clearly the challenges that they are having right now with budgetary issues. This is going to lead to the loss of several civilian positions and the demotions of 8 police leaders (3 lieutenants will be reduced to sergeants and 5 sergeants will be demoted to officers). The demotions are not for any lack of performance, but are based simply on seniority. It's a bad situation and there are going to be a lot of unhappy people.

At the same time, our forces, which a few years ago were close to the top of the technological scale have started to fall back to the middle of the pack. Without adequate funding, they can't even consider upgrading their existing infrastructure to include such systems as digital video systems, in-car ticketing and reports (integrated with a centralized police data repository), and voice-activated computer support. In my ride-along with Officer Dye, I could see how that last feature alone would make their task so much easier. For some reason, driving at top speeds to come to someone's rescue and typing on the laptop to find out the details of the situation are mutually exclusive activities (or should be).

We talked about a number of other issues, but one of the big questions they had for us was how they could better tell their own story to the public. Unfortunately, the local media doesn't always talk about the areas where law enforcement is meeting with success. Often the focus is only on the much more rare situations where things don't go well, or when an individual falters and falls short of the high standards we hold for those in positions of authority. Of course, those stories must be told. To be fair, though, shouldn't we also get to hear about the other 999 times when these heroes live up to those high standards?

My idea? Most businesses have scores of testimonials on their websites (mine included). Maybe the police should have a few of those on their site. I'm sure that there are more than a few people around town who have had positive experiences with our law enforcement agencies who would be willing to tell their stories.

So, how do you think the Police and Sheriff's office could better get the (good) word out?

Truth, Part 3: Teach the Children Well

This is part 3 of my report on Leadership Ann Arbor's Law Enforcement Day. If you haven't already, you might want to read part 1 and part 2, first.

This afternoon, while grocery shopping I actually witnessed a crime. I had just rounded the corner and I saw a young man grabbing bags of candy from the shelf and stuffing them in his coat. Seeing me, he started heading toward the exit. I followed behind and notified the cashier of the situation. Unfortunately, they were unable to catch up to him before he hopped into a car driven by an accomplice and sped off.

He got away with it this time, but, eventually, he might just get caught. If he's young enough , if there's enough evidence, if he's been caught enough times, and the judge in question takes it seriously enough, then he might end up in Washtenaw County's Juvenile Detention Center.

After visiting the Washtenaw County Jail, right across the parking lot, our tour continued on to the Juvenile Detention Center. What a difference!

Where the jail was almost forty years old, the juvenile facilities were only a little more than four. Where the jail was staffed (at the best of times) by one Washtenaw County Correction Officer per twenty inmates, the juvenile center had one counselor for every ten residents. Where the jail was all hard floors, gray walls, and antiquated equipment, the juvenile center had carpeting, bright colors, and the most modern computer-based control facilities.

Obviously, the detention center is not just a jail for kids.

This facility is designed to educate, foster accountability and responsibility, and, in general, try to turn the residents away from the dark path that they've started down. The counselors help the kids (most ranging from 12 to 17) to deal with anger and hostility. They provide all of the residents with a personalized educational curriculum. They even have an internal economy based on good behavior and meeting their personal goals.

So, what's the biggest problem they have?

Getting the local justice system to actually sentence kids to spend time there. The Center actually has excess capacity. Somehow I think many troubled young people, like my young shoplifter today, would do better with 90 days at the detention center than they would being sent home with Mom and Dad.

But that's just my two cents.

So, have you ever witnessed a crime being committed?

Read the final part.

Truth, Part 2: Jailhouse Blues

Continuing my report on the Leadership Ann Arbor Law Enforcement Day (you might want to read part 1 first).

As I mentioned yesterday, my group toured the Washtenaw County Jail. Our guide, Lt. Gary Greenfield took us all through the complex. Of course, we couldn't actually enter the cell blocks, but we could often see into them from the hallway.

As we toured, Lt. Greenfield told us that the inmates were ostensibly housed in different section under different conditions based on their rating, a score from one to ten, basically from those who were least to most able to get along with others. Due to overcrowding, there weren't very many who scored higher than a six. The score was based on a combination of factors including the crime committed, recent behavior, and extenuating circumstances, including the inmates mental faculties and whether he was going through withdrawal from substance abuse.

Incidentally, the latter was a factor in the only signs of actual violence we witnessed. When someone is first admitted to the facility, the staff processes them through four holding cells. Two of these are reserved for those who are going through withdrawal. While we were there, a young man in his twenties was pacing back and forth in one of those cells. He would periodically slam himself into the plexiglass divider and scream for his drugs. Even being that close to someone so clearly out of control left me a bit unsettled.

Other than that one exception, though, the few inmates we saw were uniformly polite. They would excuse themselves if they had to walk through our group and would respond to any questions the Lieutenant asked them.

This was something that I noticed while there and was underscored by Lt. Greenfield. The officers at the institution go out of their way to interact with the inmates. Apparently this has reduced the incidence of violence. In fact, we stopped by J-Block, which is a dormitory style area housing up to fifty inmates. Looking through the window, we saw that there was only one female guard, Officer Carla Wilson, on duty. When a number of our group expressed concern for her, she came out to tell us about how successful and rewarding her job is, helping these men deal with their problems. She should know -- she's been doing it for 16 years!

Overall, from the people I met, the impression I received from our visit was one of watchful compassion. Despite lack of funding and overcrowded conditions, the goal is to house the inmates without forgetting that they are human.

Officer Wilson put it best when she said, "I'm not just here to watch them. I'm here to ask them how I can help."

More tomorrow.

So, could you handle a job like Officer Wilson's?

Truth, Justice, and the American Way

"You get all the justice you are willing to pay for"

Last Wednesday was our most recent Leadership Ann Arbor day, Justice and Law Enforcement Day. I had a two-part series a couple of weeks ago about my homework for this day, my ride-along with Officer Dye.

This was, arguably, the most interesting day of the series for me thus far. And I couldn't even tell you exactly why.

We met at the Chamber offices first thing in the morning for a quick overview of the day. We then split into three groups, each with its own tour destination. One group went to Cassidy Lake, a boot camp-like alternative minimum security facility primarily focused on young men and women from 18 through their mid-twenties. The second attended Dawn Farm, a facility which helps those with chemical dependencies in a farm-like setting.

I was in the third group. We actually got to see two different locations, the Washtenaw County Jail and the Juvenile Detention facilities, right across the parking lot from each other.

I don't know what I expected when I walked into the jail. We as a society have so many images of jails as places of violence and cruelty. What I saw when we visited had only one incident of what could be loosely described as violence. For the most part, I got the impression of people just doing the best they could.

But let me start at the beginning.

When we arrived, Lieutenant Gary Greenfield greeted us and led us on a tour of the facilities. He told us that the jail had been built almost forty years ago. The archaic analog and mechanical controls bore silent proof of that. At its opening, it had capacity for around 200 inmates. As years passed by, the county "upgraded" that to its current level of 332. One aspect of those upgrades included turning the gymnasium into dorm-like facilities with rows of bunks. Despite this increase, though, the jail still suffers from overcrowding, regularly holding between 350 and 400 inmates.

And here is where the quote at the beginning of this post comes in.

According to Michigan's Jail Emergency Overcrowding Act, if a state of overcrowding exists for more than 30 days, local judges review the existing inmates in order to recommend those who should receive a 30% reduction in sentence. If that doesn't relieve the overcrowding, Sheriff Dan Minzey is required to reduce all sentences by 30%. So, an inmate who had served nine months of a one-year sentence would be released. If this still didn't solve the problem, then the jail would go into a lock-down situation. Lock-down means that only those committing certain capital crimes could be given jail time.

I don't recall any specific ballot issues which I voted against, but I know I probably had the mindset of "Why spend anything on them? They're criminals". Now I have a clearer picture of the consequences of that attitude. No one thinks they want a jail in their community and they rarely want to pay to house those nasty people near them.

Guess what? If we don't pay, if we don't show support for our corrections department, then we don't have to worry about an institution full of criminals in our midst.

Those criminals will be walking the streets.

Makes you think, right?

More tomorrow on my visit and the rest of Law Enforcement Day.

So, have you ever gone on a tour of a correctional facility? What did you think?

Ride Along with Officer Dye, Part 2

Continuing the story of my ride-along with Ann Arbor Police Officer Steve Dye.

So, Steve and I headed out to "serve and protect" - ever vigilant for the call over the radio for "2-David-1". Within 30 minutes, only a mile away from my own home, we chased down our first law-breaker.

OK, so it was just a woman who was using the bicycle lane to make an illegal right turn. I'm not saying that I've never done that same maneuver in the past. I'm also not saying that I have. I am saying that I definitely won't ever do it in the future!

This led to a theme for the day. As Officer Dye put it, "Impatience will lead you into trouble." Almost without exception, the various tickets that he issued while I was with him were because people were trying to take shortcuts to save time -- usually only a matter of seconds. People would speed, make illegal turns, and cross into the oncoming lane -- all because they were in a hurry -- and it ended up taking more time than if they had just slowed down and followed the rules.

There's probably some sort of life lesson in that.

Officer Dye was always smiling and friendly when he walked up to chat with the offending motorist. He believes that they already know that they've done the wrong thing, so no need to make them any more unhappy than necessary. He's not there to punish people, just make it safe for everyone. Some people just need a little reminder.

This was something that really struck me about Steve. He was always friendly to everyone. He would joke with his fellow officers. He smiled at the motorists. When we stopped at Briarwood Mall to pick up a security tape, he would stop occasionally just to say hello to some of the store clerks. Some of them obviously knew him, but others had no clue who this grinning, 6'3", uniformed giant was entering there store. He said that he thought it was important to let everyone know that it was a person who drove around the cars with the flashing lights, not some nameless, faceless authority figure.

When he was younger, he first wanted to be a doctor, then thought that being a Navy pilot would be a great experience (unfortunately, being 6'3" and needing glasses put the kibosh on that plan). He then decided to follow in his dad's footsteps and join the police force. After almost ten years now he still counts himself as fortunate.

"I have a job that I look forward to every day and it pays my mortgage. What more can I ask for?"

So, can you say the same thing about your job?

Ride Along with Officer Dye, Part 1

Yesterday I worked on some homework. No, I didn't crack open my math book, or write an essay comparing the works of Dante to Homer's Iliad.

I rode in a police car.

For our next Leadership Ann Arbor class (Law Enforcement day), my homework was to do a ride-along with an Ann Arbor police officer as he or she made his daily rounds. So, at 2pm I found myself sitting in on the briefing for the afternoon shift, hearing about subpoenas which needed to be served and UDAA's (Unlawful Driving Away of an Automobile -- a stolen car) which had been recovered. For those who are wondering, it really is a lot like they show on TV, with the sergeant running the show over a respectful undercurrent of jokes and teasing. At one point, the sergeant was talking about a home invasion and he asked the room in general, "Guess what was taken?" One of the officers replied (correctly) "Laptop and iPod!"

I guess they've heard that one before.

Within 20 minutes, Officer Steve Dye and I were in car 66 heading out to "serve and protect". I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that I had signed up for a four hour tour. Those who know me know that the idea of four hours in a car is the stuff of nightmares for me. I couldn't imagine doing this job for an eight hour shift every day.

Steve, on the other hand, obviously loved his job. He always had a grin on his face and a story to tell about his experiences both as an Ann Arbor police office and as a member of the MSU campus police (from which he graduated with a degree in criminal justice). Fortunately for me, he was willing to explain all of the specialized jargon and protocols used on the job (otherwise I never would have known what a UDAA was).

One of the first things he explained was the radio call signs that we used. We were in car 66, but that is pretty much the luck of the draw. You get the car that shows up when you show up. Our call sign was Two-David-One. This breaks down to:

Two - We were the second, or afternoon, shift.
David - We were covering the south side of town. "Adam" covers downtown, "Baker" the West Side, "Charlie" is to the north. There are a few others, but that's the big chunk.
One - Even numbers indicate two officers, odd indicate one.

I'd only been on the ride-along for a half-hour and already I had learned so much!

Tune in next time when I write about chasing down law-breakers!

So, when was the last tmie you rode in a police car? Voluntarily?

Clockwork, Part 3: Helping the Homeless

This is the last in my series about the Leadership Ann Arbor Local Government Day. Be sure to read parts 1 and 2.

Our final stop of the day was at the Delonis Center (the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County). This building was built as a part of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance's "A Home For Everyone" program. Since it opened three years ago, it has served over 1200 clients per year and has been able to achieve a 60% success rate of getting those clients into sustainable housing (the national average is closer to 35%). According to their Director of Development, Jared Collins (pictured at right with Volunteer Coordinator, Laura Rayburn), their program has become an international model on how to deal with homelessness. People from as far away as Japan have come here to Ann Arbor to observe the center's success.

The center brings together as many services as possible in order to address any possible barriers that the client might have. Forty full-time and part-time employees, 400 volunteers, doctors, nurses, and representatives of other community services are all available on site. Their goal is to meet the client's basic needs and help them to find employment. This, in turn helps to defeat the root cause of homelessness: poverty.

If you have a few moments, you might want to visit their website. They have a great FAQ there which addresses many of the concerns that were raised in the planning of the center. While you are there, you might check out their wish list, or, if you have the time for a worthy cause, fill out the form to help out as a volunteer.

So, what steps has your community taken to end homelessness?

Clockwork, Part 2: Mountains

Yesterday I gave a brief overview of our most recent Leadership Ann Arbor class. Of course, we learned about some of the goals, challenges, and jobs of the various levels of government (state, county, and city), and that was interesting. OK, maybe I dozed a little bit during the talk about the city budget. That wasn't the fault of the speaker. It was right after lunch in a room that must have been around 80 degrees -- the same reason I had problems in my computer theory course in grad school.

While that information was interesting, I think I was most engaged when we actually visited the sites of some of these services for which the government has responsibility.

In the morning, we all piled on a bus and drove to the southeast edge of town to see the new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). As a gardener, driving past the acres and acres of compost just warmed my heart. From my seat on the bus, I could see the rich, black soil that resulted from all their work -- soil that really wanted to come home with me to give my flower beds a boost in the coming year!

We then moved on to the recycling building. This structure really had one purpose: To sort and bail the tons of recyclable materials collected each week. Huge front-loaders would push mountains of plastic, paper, metal, and glass onto conveyor belts. That garbage would pass through a variety of sorting stations, some mechanical, but many staffed by hard-working human beings. Eventually, that trash would leave the building on the front of a fork lift to be place on trucks and carried off to processors that would recycle the refuse into new products.

As I recall, our tour guide told us that Ann Arbor currently recycles about 60% of the possible residential garbage -- not too shabby. Now we need to work on the corporate recycling which is only at around 20%.

More tomorrow!

So, do you recycle at your business?