Help Shape Michigan's Transportation Future, Part II

Sat, 12/30/2006 - 12:17pm by lunchgroup

The Michigan Department of Transportation and the State Library of Michigan, in conjunction with public libraries around the state, are giving you the opportunity to help MDOT set its priorities for transportation infrastructure development through 2030. You can take the MI Transportation Plan's short, one-page survey from January 3 through January 31. MDOT is hoping to gather thousands of opinions from the public to plan a future transportation system that is responsive to the needs of all transportation users, especially those who walk, bike and ride buses. This is your opportunity to let MDOT know what you think about road improvements, expansion, mass transit, safety, and more.

The on-line questionnaire and additional information will be available through any Internet connection, 24-hours a day on the MI Transportation Plan Web site. This is the second of three, four-week sessions that MDOT will conduct during the next 10 months to involve the public in its planning process; the first survey session took place in June 2006.

Please note that your personal information is not required to participate in the survey, and be sure to tell them how you usually get to the library. Thanks for your participation!

President Gerald Ford 1913-2006

Wed, 12/27/2006 - 10:24am by Debbie G.

Former President Gerald Ford, the only non-elected chief executive, died Tuesday, December 26, 2006. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor provide exhibits, history and papers of Michigan’s only president and his family. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press have extensive coverage of the President's life.

Make it a Michigan Holiday

Wed, 11/29/2006 - 2:21pm by Debbie G.

Planning on getting a tree, wreath or roping this holiday season? The Michigan Department of Agriculture has tips for selecting and caring for Michigan-grown greenery. You can cut your own at a Michigan Christmas tree farm. To get in the holiday mood, visit the Michigan Historical Center. They’ve decked the halls with holiday trimmings and added special winter and holiday displays throughout the galleries. The kids can make decorations for your Michigan tree at the Center’s WinterFest Arts & Crafts Extravaganza this Saturday, Dec. 2nd.

Famously Passionate and Moderate

Fri, 10/06/2006 - 12:49pm by annevm

William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate, by Dave Dempsey, will be discussed when the Sierra Club Book Club meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 10) at Nicola’s Books in the Westgate Shopping Center in Ann Arbor. The book is a portrait of Michigan’s longest-serving governor, a Republican who was born in Traverse City and fought in World War II. Milliken was lieutenant governor from 1965 to 1969, and was then voted into four-year terms in 1970, 1974, and 1978. The author is policy advisor for the Michigan Environmental Council. His other books include Ruin and Recovery: Michigan’s Rise as a Conservation Leader and On the Brink.

Dexter Michigan Central Railroad Viaduct

Fri, 01/20/2006 - 3:31pm by Van

Reference Questions of Local Interest:

Who Designed the Viaduct (Bridge, Tunnel) and When Was It Built?

Frederick Blackburn Pelham (Fred Pelham), according to an Ann Arbor News article on February 22, 2000 (page D-1), "designed 18 to 20 bridges for the Michigan Central line between Detroit and Chicago."

"Amtrak passengers whiz over two of them in Dexter. One over Dexter-Pinckney Road at the village edge is familiar to drivers who must slow down to pass under it. The narrow opening creates a bottleneck for today's heavy auto traffic and has sparked debate about possible traffic rerouting." The bridge was built in 1890.