News

While there was much more conversation than usual on 89.1 from the 8th through the 11th of April during the spring on-air pledge drive, we did play some good music. We are pleased to report that the most played new recording for the week ending April 14th was the excellent regional Latin jazz CD Elemental by Aguankó. We hold the leader of Aguankó, conga-player Alberto Nacif in the highest regard. As the original host of Cuban Fantasy, Alberto established WEMU’s Latin jazz credibility, now sustained by Marc Taras every Saturday evening from 7 to 9PM.

Area residents are being encouraged to give the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle a try for a week next week. 

The organization Compassion over Killing is sponsoring a number of Veg Week events around the country, including Ann Arbor Veg Week next week. 

Event co-chair Dana Gramprie says there are three great reasons to give up meat: One, it's good for your health, and two, it's better for the environment.  Gramprie says going vegetarian or vegan is also better for animals, who she says are often bred in horrible conditions on industrial farms. 

The interview process for internal Ypsilanti and Willow Run teacher candidates who want to continue their work with Ypsilanti Community Schools next year is just about over. 

Ypsilanti Education Association President Krista Boyer says Ypsilanti teachers have been notified that all but three of their internal candidates have been interviewed, with the last interviews taking place next week. 

Mr. B's Joybox Express is getting ready to bike the length of the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to New Orleans this fall, and WEMU is getting ready to follow the ride.   Mark Braun, aka Mr. B., spoke with WEMU's David Fair about the project and what the Joybox entourage plans to do along the way.

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman has announced that she'll retire when her contract is up at the end of the 2014 school year. 

Her announcement came at today's meeting of the university's Board of Regents.

Congressman John Dingell issued a statement thanking Coleman for her service to the community and her contributions to the university and the people of the state of Michigan.

Ypsilanti City Council may face some tough decisions on developing Water Street, as the process of updating the city's Master Plan clashes with plans for a county recreation center on the northwest corner of the property. 

The design team that's taking public input and converting it into recommendations for council recommends locating the proposed recreation center further south on the parcel, mostly due to the building's large size and parking requirements.

Less than a week after Ann Arbor Schools Superintendent Pat Green announced her retirement, the school board has begun planning how it will find the next superintendent.  WEMU's Andrew Cluley has more on the board's developing search strategy.

Star Wars galore!  Michigan premieres!  Lights, cameras, action!  It's Cinema Chat from WEMU.

A Jazz Appreciation Month celebration should honor both the originators of the music and the new, emerging original voices. Our 89.1 Jazz premiere this morning achieved that goal. Breakthrough is the new CD by pianist Eldar Djangirov and his trio for a new label: Motéma Music. 

With sequestration grounding the U-S Air Force Thunderbirds, the Yankee Air Museum has had to change the dates for its "Thunder over Michigan" air show from Fathers Day weekend to August 10th and 11th. 

Show Director Kevin Walsh says it would have been tough to compete with other events happening that weekend - including a race at Michigan International Speedway without the Thunderbirds. 

He says most of the performers were able to accommodate the date change. 

Ypsilanti residents have been taking advantage of the opportunity to let the design team handling the city's master plan update know what's on their minds.  WEMU's Bob Eccles stopped by a downtown studio where the team has been talking with residents about the process.

Eastern Michigan University officials congratulated and said goodbye to outgoing Athletic Director Derrick Gragg on Tuesday.  Hear more from WEMU's Andrew Cluley.

Eastern Michigan University President Susan Martin assesses the past academic year at EMU, and her expectations for the school's future with WEMU's David Fair.

At a time of a national tragedy such as the Boston Marathon bombing, this music host’s first inclination is to present a program of supportive music to soothe you. But – life and new music goes on! Thus, I proceeded with my plan to premiere From Here On Out by the excellent Detroit quintet co-led by saxophonist James Hughes and trumpeter Jimmy Smith.

After a pair of lengthy public hearings, Ann Arbor's city council postponed votes on a majority of action items at Monday night's meeting.  Council made the unusual move  after it was unable to get a six vote majority on several votes relating to ordinance amendments impacting the Downtown Development Authority.  Hear more from WEMU's Andrew Cluley.

Ann Arbor City Administrator Steve Powers has given city council a preview of his proposed budgets for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.  Hear more on the spending plans from WEMU's Andrew Cluley.

One Ypsilanti city council member thinks it would be wise for the city to be ready to add some charter amendment issues to the ballot in the event the state puts a road construction funding issue up for a vote. 

Council member Pete Murdock has four charter amendments in mind, most of which have been previously recommended by the city’s Charter Commission. 

Ypsilanti residents have a chance to help design the city's future at a series of meetings this week.  It's part of the process for updating the city's master plan. Hear more from WEMU's Bob Eccles.

  Shape Ypsi

Now that the spring pledge drive is over, I can start the daily premieres again. This morning's premiere: "Louie's Dream: For Our Jazz Heroes" was appropriate for April which is Jazz Appreciation Month.

The new unified Ypsilanti and Willow Run school district is expected to hire nine principals, and six of those jobs have now been filled by internal candidates from both districts. 

Nearly two dozen internal candidates applied for the jobs, and some may find other positions with Ypsilanti Community Schools. 

Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent Scott Menzel says there are three principal positions yet to fill, and those will likely go to external candidates.