2009 – Page 25 of 98

Ann Arbor govt pushes further into techworld

By Newsroom

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September 23, 2009

Ann Arbor city government is pushing further into the tech world these days, sometimes by choice and sometimes by necessity.The city recently offered a call-in service for its public meeting, similar to how a radio show takes questions on air. Normally, people who want to express opinions have to come to the meeting in person and state their case. This newest service let them do it from their cell phone.The city is also looking to move its public notification system into the 21st Century by posting public notices online. This came up when The Ann Arbor News closed this summer leaving the city without a daily newspaper, the normal vehicle for posting public notices like upcoming council votes and informational sessions.Now that the paper is gone, the city is maneuvering to see if it can just post these sort of notices online to satisfy the city's ordinance governing this practice. If so, it would be one of the first local municipalities to rely on this method. Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M crosses $100M mark in stimulus funding, expects more

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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September 23, 2009

A lot of federal stimulus money is starting to roll into the University of Michigan, and more is on the horizon.The university just passed the $100 million mark last week for federal stimulus money, which is up nearly $40 million in a little over a month. And a lot more federal stimulus research grants are expected to migrate into university coffers."They just keep rolling in," says Jim Erickson, senior public relations officer for the University of Michigan. "Every couple days they come in.Most of this money is coming from the stimulus money cache of the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. One of the bigger grants is $19.5 million for a new U-M research center to explore new materials for solar cells. More money is expected to come in throughout the rest of the year. Just how much is possible is unknown at the time, but Erickson guesses it will be a lot. "We had a lot of faculty aggressively pursuing these [funds] Erickson says.Source: Jim Erickson, senior public relations officer for the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Dexter’s MediaOnion hires 3, prepares for expansion

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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September 23, 2009

Susan Hardin and her new employees are just starting to peel back the layers of Media Onion.The Dexter-based company provides online conference management services, and is in the midst of a product redesign. That has forced Hardin to change from a one-person consulting firm to employing three people, with plans to add interns this fall. More hires are likely as the 6-year-old start-up prepares to launch its new product in January."I'd like to keep it small but there is a lot of room for development," Hardin says.The Dexter resident was inspired to start the company when she was working for the University of Michigan and couldn't find a program to help her manage conferences. She created her own program and has since turned it into her full-time job."The excel spreadsheet method just wasn't working," Hardin says.She now provides these services to the university and other customers. That client list is expected to grow next year with the debut of the new product. Hardin also expects to add some support and marketing staff, along with other personnel, within the next year, too.Source: Susan Hardin, CEO and owner of Media OnionWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M President Coleman laughs off report linking her to NCAA president job

By Newsroom

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In The News

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September 23, 2009

U-M might be launching its second search for a new president this decade if the NCAA scoops up Mary Sue Coleman, as is rumored.Excerpt:University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman responded today to a published report naming her as a possible successor to NCAA President Myles Brand, who died Wednesday of cancer.But Coleman declined to say whether she would consider taking the NCAA president job if it were offered to her.A story in USA Today linked Coleman to the job, also citing Graham Spanier of Penn State and Walt Harrison of Hartford as potential successors to Brand."They just must be scanning university presidents," Coleman said, laughing off the report.Read the rest of the story here and the original story linking Coleman to the NCAA president position here.

Michigan’s economic recovery hinges on new entrepreneurial culture

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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September 23, 2009

Does Michigan's recovery hinge on Ann Arbor's emerging entrepreneurial culture? One local writer thinks so.Excerpt:Manufacturing an entrepreneurial economy is about more than just creating a healthy venture capital community and establishing various startup resources.Attitude and culture are just as critical.Entrepreneurial executives and economic development officials said Friday in Ann Arbor that Michigan’s economic revitalization hinges partly on its ability to cultivate a new entrepreneurial workforce."It's probably happening a little bit slower than we would like to see, but I think we’re seeing a tipping point here," said Kapila Viges, director of entrepreneurship activities for the Michigan Economic Development Corp. "We aren’t going to stay in this entitlement mode. We’re shifting from entitlement to empowerment."Read the rest of the story here.

Adorable gay-friendly Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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General

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September 23, 2009

Does one of the A's in A2 stand for adorable? Only if you're gay.Excerpt:Thirty-five years ago, Kathy Kozachenko was elected to the Ann Arbor City Council, becoming the first openly gay elected official in the US. It was a historic moment for the nation but for the residents of Ann Arbor - it was just business as usual.Today, Matt and Rene Greff are a perfect example of Ann Arbor's progressive nature. Owners of Arbor Brewing Co., a brewpub in downtown Ann Arbor, and Corner Brewery, a microbrewery in neighboring Ypsilanti, the straight couple has never thought twice about being advocates for gay rights. Visitors to their establishments are greeted by rainbow flag stickers prominently displayed to let all patrons know that their businesses are welcoming.Read the rest of the story here.

Big food companies want to snatch up local organic label

By Newsroom

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Healthy Communities

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September 23, 2009

Eden Foods is popular these days, and not just with its Ann Arbor customer base.Excerpt:Chicago — For years, Michael Potter has gotten regular offers to buy his organic foods company near Ann Arbor, Mich., although now, he said, he gets three or four every week."Every food company you have ever heard of has tried to buy this company," said the founder, chairman and president of Eden Foods, Inc. "Not most of them. Every one of them."Read the rest of the story here.

Detroit ‘amazed’ by service that lets drivers borrow a car whenever they want

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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September 23, 2009

Even Detroit is starting to discover the magical community car called Zipcar in Ann Arbor.Excerpt:Drivers like Al McWilliams increasingly concern the auto industry.McWilliams is part of a growing community of people who don't own a car and don't want to. He has no monthly car payment. He doesn't pay for insurance or gas or parking fees.But for $125 a year and less than $10 an hour, McWilliams still has all the wheels he needs and the gas to fuel them. He just whips out his ZipCard and heads for one of two lots in downtown Ann Arbor to use a Toyota Matrix or Scion xD."I'm saving $5,000 a year easy, plus gas," said the single 29-year-old founder of Quack Media, a multimedia marketing service based in the college town.Read the rest of the story here.

Inventing a better burger

By Newsroom

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Healthy Communities

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September 23, 2009

Zingerman's makes big news again, this time for its bionic hamburger technology.Excerpt:Five hundred miles to the west in Ann Arbor, Mich., though, chef Alex Young at Zingerman's Roadhouse cooks his burgers on a grill fueled with oak. And the wood comes through in the taste. He salts and peppers his meat the night before it goes into the grinder, which it does fresh every morning. And he uses a 3/16 inch grind, coarser than most. Young is persnickety about his meat and uses only beef from California's Niman Ranch. It is grass fed, finished for a short time on corn, and the steers are allowed to get older-15 to 24 months-than most big beef suppliers. But he is looking to use local Michigan grass fed beef in the next couple of years if he can nail down adequate supply. Young says he toured dozens of so-called famous burger places before opening the Roadhouse a few years ago. To him, the innovation in the burger, if there is any, is in the core ingredients, and taking stuff away rather than piling it on. "I have an idea of serving a burger on a plate with nothing else, no bun and no condiments, but that may be a little extreme," he says. Zingerman's has an advantage over many burger purveyors in that it has total control over its own bun, as the Zingerman's group of businesses includes one of the most highly acclaimed bakeries in the country. After experimenting, Young settled on an onion roll. The texture, about halfway between a soft potato roll and a Kaiser roll, started out as a "New York" roll served at Zingerman's Deli with minced onion in the dough and a pocket of minced onion inside. He took out the pocket of onion and it has proved to be the perfect carrier for the $9.95 Roadhouse burger. Read the rest of the story here.

Video A2Success

By Keith Jefferies

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Community Development

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September 16, 2009

Entrepreneurship. Education. Mass Transit. Regional Cooperation. A2Success has gathered together more than 70 community leaders to help secure smart and successful growth for the Ann Arbor region. See what they're planning and how you can get involved.