oneway

Attention Tree Town drivers: Ann Street between N. Fifth Avenue and Division is going one way. And for a change of pace, they DO want you to back in to the new angle parking on the south side of the street. The conversion, weather depending, is slated to take effect November 9, 2008. Questions? Call 734.994.6095 or email pcawley@a2gov.org

Interested in raising your own chickens? If you live in Ann Arbor you can keep up to four hens...with the consent of your adjacent neighbors.

Check out these library materials for more information about raising chickens...
How to Raise Chickens
The Complete Handbook of Poultry Keeping
and for the kids,
From Chick to Chicken
and The Joy of Chickens

Check out the cool chicken coops at Back Yard Chickens and My Pet Chicken.

debates

Want to watch the local candidate debates on your time? Head over to the CTN Video on Demand page and watch the debates you want when you want them. The new service runs 24/7 and will be expanded to include much of the Channel 19 programming.

gonzalez

Today provides us with two newsworthy examples of how much has changed in the world of "government documents". The Attorney General of the United States released the long-awaited Investigation into the Removal of Nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006 and the full report was instantly available online. The draft of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was also posted immediately this morning. Most media like the New York Times will embed a link to the report in their articles. Media or your favorite search engine are usually a safer bet than the government's own web search, us.gov which can lag by a day or more.

With all the hullabaloo about the bailout plan in the news, you may have missed what Michigan’s own Senator Carl Levin released to the New York Times yesterday. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee investigating the abuse of detainees in American custody, Levin released a list of answers provided by Condoleezza Rice and John B. Bellinger III, the former top lawyer at the National Security Council, to detailed questions by that committee about “harsh interrogation techniques.”

Mr. Levin said the new documents showed that top Bush administration officials were more actively engaged in the debate about the limits of lawful interrogation than the White House had previously acknowledged.

"So far, there has been little accountability at higher levels,” Mr. Levin said. “Here you’ve got some evidence that there was discussion about those harsh techniques in the White House.”

sidewalk

You've probably seen those "o" marks on the sidewalks of Tree Town lately. The marks signify that the sidewalks are in need of repair. The City of Ann Arbor has posted procedures for property owners to follow and a very useful 2008 Contractor Pre-Qualified List For Sidewalk Repairs. If you have any questions, phone the Planning Dept. at 734.994.2674.

house

The Housing and Human Services Advisory Board will hold a Public Meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 6 - 8:30 p.m. to discuss recommendations on the replacement of the 100-affordable housing units at the former YMCA. The meeting will be held at the Washtenaw County Building, 200 N. Main, Lower Level Conference Room. Following a 15-minute presentation, the public is invited to comment. CTN will replay the meeting throughout the week.

45

Following a traffic study by the Michigan State Police, there are some new Speed Limit Changes in Ann Arbor. Washtenaw Avenue speed limits will increase slightly and the City will have new signs up by mid-April. Questions about the changes should be sent to Project Manager Homayoon Pirooz at hpirooz@a2gov.org.

hearye

Participate in democracy. Attend the annual State of the City meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 7-9 p.m. at City Hall. City officials will discuss budget and financial forecasts, government operations and take questions from citizens. CTN will air the taped meeting throughout the week.

barrel

Huron River Drive road improvements begin May, 2008, and the City is hosting a Public Information Meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Forsythe Middle School. During the construction, HRD from Main Street to Bird Road will be closed to traffic. The detour route for eastbound HRD traffic will be Maple-Dexter-Huron-Main. The detour route for westbound HRD traffic will be Main-Miller-Maple.