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Post No 1: So, How's The River

Posted By: Laura Rubin, 8/20/2008

During the dog days of summer, I get a lot of people asking me if they can swim in the river, eat the fish, or simply the most popular, "So, how’s the river?"

Well, despite some serious challenges, nearly every indicator of the river's health is good—and getting better.

As director of the Huron River Watershed Council, I've spent ten years studying and protecting the Huron. HRWC's research data goes back more than 40 years, making the Huron one of the Midwest's most-studied rivers. We understand the Huron's problems and challenges as well as anyone. We know there's a lot to fix.

The Huron River is cleaner than it's been in decades—it's the cleanest urban river in Michigan. It provides safe drinking water to Ann Arbor and other communities. It is home to thriving populations of fish and wildlife. It bolsters our economy and home values. It's beautiful, and it's safe to enjoy.

But there are challenges…….

Its primary threat is excess phosphorous, the active ingredient in many farm and lawn fertilizers, a result of soil erosion, and a product of sewage. Phosphorous runs off of fields and yards during rain storms, then flows into creeks and the river. There, under the right conditions, it causes rampant plant growth and algae blooms that deplete the water's oxygen, killing the creatures that live there and creating an ugly muck.

The Huron's high number of dams make things worse, slowing the current and letting phosphorus accumulate in weed-ravaged ponds.

But local governments—and you—can help. One easy step is to reduce phosphorous at the source by replacing phosphorous-based fertilizers with other kinds, and support regulations that restrict its use.

Another problem: stuff we eat and drink. The river literally flows through many of us: we drink it from our taps, and as it passes through our bodies, that water soaks up compounds like ibuprofen, caffeine, cholesterol, and birth-control hormones. Then, after we flush, it makes its way to the river. This is troubling, to say the least, but one bit of good news is that the Ann Arbor water treatment plant has only found trace amounts of these chemicals, does a good job of removing these chemicals from our drinking water, and now that we know about it we are able to monitor it.

The next important step is to make sure that our waste-water plants keep these compounds from getting into the river in the first place. You can help by safely and properly disposing of excess prescription drug and over-the-counter personal care products instead of flushing them.

A third problem—E. coli—is the most immediate threat to anyone swimming in the river. No one should drink untreated water from the Huron—or any natural body of water. And there are some smaller streams where E. coli concentrations are dangerous. But the Huron River is certainly safe for contact and for boating.

With common-sense precautions, it's even safe to swim in. Last year, Liz Elling inspired the state by swimming 100 miles down the Huron to raise awareness and funds for clean water. I personally have swum in upstream stretches and lakes of the Huron, and I've waded down many of its tributaries.

If you do plan to swim in the river, or any natural body of water, take some basic precautions.

Don't swim within 48 hours after a rain. Storms wash fecal matter into the water (most of it from wildlife), and you don't want to be swimming among—ahem—fresh deposits. But after a couple days, the river flushes the contaminants away.
Be aware of hazards. Dams can kill you. So can fast-moving currents and rocks, logs, and other objects that are in the water.

The Huron's problems aren't unique. Virtually every body of water in the country faces something similar. The challenges are serious, but they're no cause to fear the water.

Meanwhile, good news abounds.

This summer, Dexter Dam is being removed, freeing Mill Creek. That's a huge boost for water quality, fishing, and ecological diversity, plus it will create new park land near downtown Dexter.

Phosphorous levels in the middle Huron dropped over the past five years, thanks to ambitious, innovative new programs.

In many stretches, critical fish and insect populations are up or holding steady, signaling an improvement in water quality.

An astounding number of people care enough about Huron to make protecting it part of their lives. Just last month, more than 200 volunteers with HRWC's Adopt-a-Stream program came out on a rainy Saturday to get their hands wet collecting data about the river.

The Huron continues to nourish our economy and quality of life. More than 100,000 people will paddle the Huron this year, not to mention the thousands of anglers, walkers, runners, bikers, and birders who come down to the Huron because they know what a treasure it is.

So the answer to those questions about the Huron River is good news. Cleaning up the river doesn't happen quickly or easily, but together, we're doing it. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the Huron and restoring its natural splendor.

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Post No 3: Washtenaw County’s "Deep Green" Talent

Posted By: Jason Bing, 8/12/2008

As Recycle Ann Arbor’s Environmental House manager, I provide green building outreach and educational services (primarily funded by Recycle Ann Arbor’s other service programs) to folks in our community. This can vary from a one-on-one consultation with a homeowner or business owner to a tour of the Environmental House for third graders (grade school teachers - I don’t know how you do it). Offering something of value to each of these constituents requires continuous research, organization, and enthusiasm.

It is hard to keep up, but the way I’ve continued to learn and develop a knowledge base to share with others is through the incredible network of professionals, community officials, educators and students that are dedicated to greening this community. It’s truly amazing. They have provided expertise, guidance, direction, and LOTS of assistance.

I’m (thankfully) involved in many projects with our dedicated greenies, but I want to mention three projects that really demonstrate what a unique community this is - and offer opportunities for you to get involved.

THE ANN ARBOR ENERGY COMMISSION

Have you ever flipped through your TV stations and seen some random meeting taking place on Tuesday evenings on CTN? Welcome to the Ann Arbor Energy Commission! Engineers, architects, organizers, educators, utility representatives, consultants, IT gurus and the Mayor are working towards a more secure energy future in Ann Arbor. I know it’s no American Idol, but I think the other commissioners might be interested in voting me off unless I stop writing blogs and start doing my share of the work before meetings.

But I digress…this commission is actually doing some very important work - in particular, developing a comprehensive energy plan for the City - identifying strategies for reducing energy consumption and utilizing renewable energy in the transportation and commercial/residential building sectors. The plan will identify community goals and provide tools and solutions for members in the community.

Did I mention all of these folks are doing this in their spare time for free?

Come down to the meeting at City Hall and share your thoughts in the “public comments” section. If you can’t attend, tune in and visit us next month. Same time, same place! (Still no Simon, Paula or Randy).

REMODEL GREEN 08

What do you get when you combine the mission statements of two area nonprofits and a local trade association? Answer: A two-day green remodeling conference and exhibition on Oct.31 and Nov. 1at Eastern Michigan University’s new student center!

Recycle Ann Arbor, the Clean Energy Coalition, and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) of Southeast Michigan are working together to offer a best practices conference for area remodeling professionals and an exhibition filled with sustainable products and technologies for area residents and community members interested in green.

The organizing committee is filled with architects, builders, remodelers, building performance specialists, and educators. Did I mention all these folks are doing this in their spare time for free?

Register today!

THE URBANWOOD PROJECT

What typically happens to those dead and dying trees that are cut down from backyards, parks, and streets? How about trees removed for easements and development? Most are chipped, used for firewood, or landfilled. Using this "waste" wood as an alternative energy source can be a reasonable way to reduce our dependence on fossil-fuel. But some of these trees are HUGE. And any tree with a trunk or log eight feet long and approximately 18 inches in diameter can be used to create value-added products, reducing our need for trees cut from managed forests. In fact, an entire network of local sawmills now exists that is dedicated to capturing the highest and best use for our neighborhood trees.

This project, now gaining regional and national attention has been made possible through the US Forest Service, the Michigan DNR, and the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council.

But it has been the tireless efforts of the folks in this community - local sawyers, natural resource specialists, and ReUse Center managers - that has made this project a reality.

THINK LOCAL FIRST

Washtenaw County boasts one of the only Energy Commissions (or groups of appointed officials dedicated to energy) in the country, the first dedicated green remodeling conference (that I’m aware of), and a network of local entrepreneurs dedicated to producing green building products right in our community - the first of its kind.

If you are considering going green, you don’t have to look very far. Come to an Energy Commission meeting, attend the Remodel Green Conference, or check out the urbanwood in the ReUse Center.

And always think local first.

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Post No 2: Very Different Messengers, One Message

Posted By: Jason Bing, 8/7/2008

Last week while I was dreaming up energy-related blog topics for this post, I received another forward from a friend with excerpts from Lee Iacocca's new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" The first excerpt basically sums up all the rest:

"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'"

Go Lee! I am seriously outraged. Are you?

If you are, you should be aware of two other Americans who share your rage: T. Boone Pickens and former Vice President Al Gore. Talk about a unique moment in history. Is this officially the first time that a Texas oilman and a Nobel Peace Prize winner have shared a common viewpoint on our nation's energy situation? I'll take a shot in the dark and say "Yeah." These strange bedfellows agree on one very distinct fact: America is in the midst of an energy crisis never seen before and decisive action is required within the NEXT TEN YEARS.

So much so that they have both recently presented plans for eliminating US dependence on foreign oil in order to protect our long-term security. Both men are sincere and passionate, while advocating a bold plan for our country, and we REALLY need to pay attention to what they are proposing.

The interesting thing to note is the crossover in substance. Pickens' plan is purely an economic initiative and Gore's is a sustainability initiative (economy, ecology, community). While I favor the sustainability initiative, the plans show some considerable overlap, which is REALLY exciting. I mean, James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is backing the Pickens Plan (Inhofe is the wacko who claimed climate change is "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people")

THE PICKENS PLAN

"The United States is the Saudi Arabia of Wind Power"

This is directly from the Pickens Plan and a major reason why I am listening to what this man has to say.

In the Plan, he calls for a massive investment in wind power - replacing 20% of our current electrical needs with wind energy in the corridor from the Texas panhandle to North Dakota. This percentage would offset our current natural gas-powered electrical production, freeing up the natural gas to power our transportation needs.

He believes the Plan would require 1 trillion dollars of investment in wind energy, with an additional 200 million or so in added transmission capacity. This is no small amount of money - but if 700 million dollars A YEAR is leaving the country to pay for foreign oil - I think we could make the numbers work (and don't get me started on the cost of this "war").

Using natural gas as a transportation fuel alternative would mean a 25-30% reduction in greenhouse gases, which I personally don't think is enough. But if the Pickens Plan prevents the construction of additional "clean coal" and nuclear power plants, I would have to believe it may be a bridge to a cleaner, sustainable energy future.

GORE'S CHALLENGE

What could have been…?

I'm not sure what a "man crush" is, but I think I have one when it comes to Al Gore. I'm renovating my house (green!) and I'll pop An Inconvenient Truth into the DVD player and crank the volume as I work to just hear his message while I'm working in another room.

Gore's Plan, which was presented in the last week or so, is everything we need. Gore calls for a massive investment in solar, wind, and geothermal energy with an even greater investment in energy efficiency. Within ten years, he believes it is possible to be generating 100% of our electricity with clean, renewable energy.

And I believe this man!

With a clean, electrical infrastructure in place, plug-in hybrids and battery powered electric cars become a transportation solution - free from foreign oil.

Gore consistently references John F. Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the moon within ten years. I believe the ingenuity and capacity exists in this country to meet this challenge. Furthermore, in a world currently driven by finite fossil-fuel based resources - solar, wind, and other clean technologies are going to be the key to global development. Developing nations will desperately need access to renewable technologies in the coming years. The cost and availability of fossil-fuel based resources will be prohibitive.

Should we let the Germans or Danes corner this global market? (Answer: NO). The only way the United States could ever hope to maintain global relevance (let alone "dominance") would be to adopt a plan like Gore's and leapfrog to the forefront of all these clean technologies. If we let other countries blaze this trail, our economy will continue to suffer and things are going to get pretty bad around here…

DEEP THOUGHTS

T. Boone Pickens's Plan offers a scary projection. With current oil production rates and US oil consumption projections; in the next ten years (if nothing changes) the US will send 10 trillion dollars overseas - which will be "the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind."

Gore offers a different (albeit scary) perspective: scientists with access to data from Navy submarines have warned that there is now a 75 percent chance that within five years the entire North polar ice cap will completely disappear during the summer months. This puts pressure on Greenland and the feedback loops exponentially increase.

The message is clear: we need action now. Take action, vote and be heard.

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Post No 1: A Municipal Energy Bond for A2?

Posted By: Jason Bing, 8/6/2008

Tax and Save: A Municipal Energy Bond for A2?

About a year ago, I was helping some Ypsilanti activists on a campaign to "Stop the City Income Tax!" City of Ypsilanti officials, in all of their infinite wisdom, decided that residents needed to shoulder an even larger burden in our small "shrinking city" in order to maintain City services.

I don't need to recount all the details of this poorly conceived "solution." But I wanted to start by making a point: I don't like the idea of increasing taxes on residents in Southeast Michigan to generate revenue for area cities.

That said, I propose a tax on Southeast Michigan residents. And for the sake of this discussion, let's start in Ann Arbor.

GREEN FROM THE GROUND UP

Before I go much further with my fantasy "energy bond," I want to make another point: This community has a track record for exceptional environmental leadership. There are so many exciting green initiatives being driven by grassroots community organizing in Washtenaw County, they're honestly hard to keep track of. From the Ecology Center, protecting our health and advocating for eliminating toxins from our environment, to Recycle Ann Arbor, serving as a regional and national model for private nonprofit recycling and resource conservation organizations, to Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, helping people improve their lives through gardening - we have an amazing group of organizations serving our community.

There are way too many to list, but these organizations are guided by their members and constituents, and funded in large part by those same people. In some ways this is how it has to be. In other parts of the state (let's use the Grand Rapids area), green initiatives have been largely driven by corporate leaders (Steelcase, Herman Miller, etc). Their commitment inspired the political will and corporate competitiveness to push a green agenda.

So how do we really ramp things up, given our grassroots paradigm?

SAVING GREEN BY GOING GREEN

What if we could find a way for each household in the City of Ann Arbor to increase the energy efficiency of their home by just five percent? A typical home in this area, which is most likely inefficient (thanks to a lack of a Michigan Energy Code with any substance), pays, with today's energy prices, just over one dollar per square foot in energy costs. Ann Arbor has approximately 20,000 single-family homes and 47,000 total households.

If each of those homes (with an average of 2,000 sf per home) reduced their energy bills by five percent, we would keep $2,000,000 in the pockets of Ann Arbor homeowners each year.

Now, what if I told you I thought we could realistically reduce energy costs (on average) by 20 percent in every home and household? If we started with the single family homes, we are somewhere near $8-10 million staying in homeowners pockets PER YEAR after energy improvements are made.

Meanwhile, these are based on TODAY’' energy prices. Our household energy costs have more than doubled in the last six years. Do you expect your energy costs to be the same five years from now? And in ten years?

ADDITIONAL "COST" OF ENERGY

A (not so small) note to readers: because Michigan relies almost entirely on fossil fuels for its energy generation - and these fuels almost entirely from places outside of this state, we are exporting nearly $20 billion dollars a year out of the state to pay for our energy needs.

According to testimony from Martin Kushler before the Michigan Public Service Commission in May of last year, our total dollars shipped out of state to pay for energy was closer to $30 billion.

In a state that needs all the money it can get, this HAS to change.

A2 MUNICIPAL ENERGY BOND

So how do we pay for the energy assessments and energy improvements needed to take action? We could consider financing these improvements ourselves. The reality is that raising funds through a bond could save residents and the community money over the short and long term.

If we build an infrastructure for energy improvements with bonded dollars, we will be well positioned to maximize the impact of any additional help from the federal government. (Let’s be honest - no help is coming from the state).

In the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Congress and the President allocated funds for municipalities to develop energy efficiency programs across the country. Not a single dollar of this allocation has been approved or distributed to date.

If we were to take action now, we could expand and qualitatively improve any program that we get started when that money actually comes to town (the "when" is a big "if" - does our federal government really have any more money to spend, anyway?)

THE MILLAGE

I will save all the gory details of my thoughts on how much money we'd need to raise and how it would be distributed for future posts. But I figured I could get the conversation started and get some feedback from the readers before elaborating.

Would you be in favor of a bond that would reduce the energy costs and the related impacts of energy consumption of Ann Arbor households (or wherever you might live?)

I think we should "walk the walk" at the local level. There is no time to wait for the federal and state government to catch up.

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Post No 3: Rethinking Customer Services In The Public Or Private Sector

Posted By: Trenda Rusher, 8/5/2008

Is 24-7 a good idea for most businesses? The 21st century and technology is moving toward making us all think that accessing every service 24-7 is more convenient and just tends to makes a lot of sense.

We want everything, and we want it now! And why can’t we have it? And why can’t we have it now? We can access our bank accounts, pay bills, and apply for various licenses. Fire and Police and Hospitals are the longstanding tradition services opened 24-7. When it comes to food, MacDonald’s DRIVE THRUs have been open 24-7 for several years. And whaddyaknow, Diddy just said Burger King will stay open ‘til midnight nationwide! That’s creeping close to 24-7.

But is 24-7 creeping into other fields, and should it?

Good customer service would say YES. Good services meet customer’s needs and demands. Customer needs exceeded the traditional "9-5" work day years ago. Then we saw office hours change to as early as 8:00 am or 8:30am with extended hours to 6pm.

In my own County Department, ETCS, the County’s Workforce Development and Community Services Agency, we responded to customer demand several years ago with extended hours on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at our Michigan Works Service Center until 7pm to accommodate those who need to visit us after they got off of work at 5pm.

At a time when most municipalities across the nation are moving to a four (4) day work week, customer demand is moving toward a need for more and greater access- ironic isn’t it. The futurists are telling us that our customers’ will need to access our services even more as time goes on, and not necessarily through brick and mortar but through call centers and online access. We have been assured that if we do not make our business services available to our customers, foreign competitors will. Our customers work around the clock. So why shouldn’t we have services around the clock, both public and private.

Hmmmmm…….how do you spell G L O B A L C O M P E T I T I V E N E S S?

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Post No 2: Washtenaw County’s Katrina

Posted By: Trenda Rusher, 7/31/2008

Poverty is ugly. It doesn't matter how you describe it. It doesn't matter where you sit to observe it or live in it. Whether it is Jamaica, Belize, Africa, Europe, anytown USA, Detroit, or right here in Washtenaw County.

For the last two days, I've been participating in/chairing meetings as Directors Council President of the Michigan Community Action Agencies Association. We've spent a whole lot of our time trying to get our hands around how we are going to solve the problem of poverty in Michigan. Right now nearly 33% of our State's families and children live in poverty. Is this PURE MICHIGAN? The Governor is planning a huge Voices for Action Poverty Reduction Summit on November 13th at Cobo Hall. I am coordinating the effort with Livingston and Oakland County. (We will have more info on our website soon for you to sign up to go and learn about this crisis in our State.)

In Washtenaw County, almost 12% (~30,000 individuals) of our population live at or below of the poverty level. If we walk through certain neighborhoods in our county we don't see the blight or "slums" that we might see in other areas of the state, but we know that beyond the walls, people are suffering. We know that people are a house note away from foreclosure, a rent payment away from homelessness, a utility payment away from shutoffs. An ill senior citizen is in our county somewhere not knowing how they are going to pay for their next bottle of pills to stay healthy.

Eleanor Josaitis, Co-Founder, Focus-Hope, and a dear colleague of mine, told my group yesterday that she ran into a 4-star general who found out his mother had only popsicles in her refrigerator to eat. And he called her regularly. He had no idea she was hungry. Sometimes, many hide their poverty. They are too proud, and ashamed.

Let me put it another way. My vision of how many people are living in poverty in Washtenaw County, the second most affluent county in Michigan, is this: Think of the Big House. We could fill the Big House from the End Zone to the 33 Yard Zone with those who need assistance from our County's Human Services Departments and community based and faith based organizations.

Imagine that! That's a lot of people. And that is just the children and adults we count and know of.

So where does Katrina fit in on all this? I recently toured the aftermath of Katrina. I saw firsthand the miles and miles of lost New Orleans neighborhoods and too much poverty afforded to one city. It reminded too much of the aftermath of the riots of '67 in Detroit. Neighborhoods that weren't up to speed BEFORE the devastation looked beyond repair afterwards. So, indeed, poverty was accelerated after Katrina hit.

Then I was reminded again that 900 people lost their lives, that 6000 business owners lost their business, and that thousands of people waited out on the I-90 Bridge with one bottled water and 2 sandwiches in 101 degree scorching heat from Tuesday – Friday waiting for RESCUE. And it hurt through my tears.

So, where does Katrina fit in with Washtenaw? As a government worker and humble servant I ask myself where did the government go wrong with Katrina? Why did government go wrong with Katrina? How did government go wrong with Katrina?

As we work together in Washtenaw County every day to serve the most in need we should ask ourselves are we doing things correctly? Are we operating programs in the best interest of those needing services? Are we serving those in need with the utmost dignity and respect? As I walk around viewing our impoverished neighborhoods in Washtenaw County, where children play, I wonder why we cannot redevelop certain housing projects any quicker than a Katrina redevelopment project and move these individuals out of poverty.

I know it's not that easy. We all have a lot of work to do. I am convinced that people are not poor because they want to be.

Tell me what you think?

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Post No 1: Access Points

Posted By: Trenda Rusher, 7/30/2008

ACCESS POINTS: the community helping the community

It might be a little secret to some in Washtenaw County, but we’re famous across the country!

I am one of the founding "sisters", (or at this stage of my life, I should say founding "mamas",- it’s been 25 years) of the National Workforce Development Council of the United States Conference of Mayors- the council of professionals who advise the Mayors of this Country on issues impacting job seekers and employers in their communities. At their annual meeting with the Mayors in Miami, not too many days ago, Senator Obama graced us with his presence at a special VIP luncheon. Even though I thought I was VIP enough, the ONLY reason I got in to the luncheon with OBAMA, was because my daughter, Captain Terica Rusher -- 275th Military Police, National Guard Headquarters, Washington DC, who is on leave from a just very recent tour from Iraq, and had flown down to Miami to be with me during these working meetings-- had charmed several mayors with her war stories and gained a luncheon seat. Mom got to tag along…. Ha!… So it worked out for me.

The rest of my colleagues ate in the overflow room.

So, there I was sitting front and center listening to Senator Obama, who could possibly be the next President of our United States of America, and one of the first sentences out of his mouth put all of us in government on notice (and helped me start my intended blog)…. He appeared to look each and every one of us directly in the eye and pointed his hand and said vehemently…"GOVERNMENT must be the SOLUTION to the NEEDS of communities, and NOT THE PROBLEM".

Those words resonated within my head for the rest of our meetings in Miami, and all of the colleagues and elected officials I ran into were into the buzz. We must be the solution.

Well, I am so proud to let our community know, that in a HUGE WAY, Washtenaw County and ETCS has implemented ACCESS POINTS, as a solution; as a way of doing more with less, as a way of letting the community help itself, by reaching out to many who we would never have reached out to in traditional ways, and therefore making a difference in the way government does business.

So what are ACCESS POINTS? They are volunteer sites in the community where Faith-based and community-based organization get trained by ETCS staff.

These sites are extensions of the Michigan Works Services Center and help job seekers access job leads and services that they would ordinarily learn about by physically travelling to our Center (located at Hamilton and Harriet Streets in Ypsilanti).

Now, instead of spending gas to access the service and sit face to face with a real person, they can go to their area church or to a place of worship or community organization in their own neighborhood. And what’s more- Access Points don’t hold traditional 8:30am – 5:00pm office hours. Some are open on Saturdays and Sundays – some as early as 9am and others as late as 8pm.

How about that for access?

The other good news about these Access Points is that there are 29 of them all over the County. (Each of the nation's 629 designated work areas were required to have two (2)... which is why WASHTENAW COUNTY IS FAMOUS!)

Our ACCESS POINTS are at all of our Libraries. The Ypsilanti Public Library leads the pack. USDOL (United States Department Of Labor) came and visited their site and was AWESTRUCK!

You will see the signage throughout the County in Milan, Manchester, Chelsea, Ypsilanti, and Ann Arbor. You will see signs at area churches and places of Churches, SOS, Catholic Churches Services, Jewish Family Services, and Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

In addition to job seeker services, there is counseling, self-taught literacy software, job fairs, field trips, career exploration, job development (one site developed 100 jobs from Toyota), outreach and referral, and much more.

And there are other remarkable things about this initiative… I didn’t hire one person to make this happen!

My staff readjusted their workload to make it happen. They are a truly committed team. We didn’t buy one single new computer. Washtenaw County IT department donated computers from their "technology graveyard". We learned to do more with less.

The volunteers are so great at the Access Points we dub them Ambassadors. USDOL came out for a visit, and gave them and the County Commissioners recognitions and awards as well as a small Performance for Excellence Grant as being an outstanding leader in the field.

We are now taking this to the B-side --getting "business" involved and committed. The Ambassadors meet bi-monthly to review and evaluate its goals and get technical assistance from community specialists. Diane Keller, CEO, Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce visited the Ambassadors to talk about business involvement in the community. Jesse Bernstein, CEO from the Ann Arbor Area Chamber is scheduled soon. The Christian Business Coalition will meet with them in September and hopefully will "adopt" the Access Points and provide additional resources to the sites.

My only regret about this is we didn’t discover Access Points years ago. What a way to go!!! I am so grateful and proud of everyone who makes this all works.

Let me know your ideas, what you think, and how we can make things even better.

Concentrate