Today on Stateside, a Saginaw case led to a federal appeals court ruling that chalking tires to track how long a car has been parked is unconstitutional. Plus, we talk to the high school student who will be representing Michigan at the national Poetry Out Loud competition in D.C.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
Saginaw attorney explains his winning argument in “tire chalking” case
- We all know that parking enforcement officer who marks your tire with chalk to keep track of how long you’ve parked. Now, thanks to Monday’s opinion from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, that practice has been deemed unconstitutional. Philip Ellison is with the Saginaw-based Outside Legal Counsel, and he’s the lead attorney on this case. He explains what prompted him to pursue this case and how he expects the court's decision to affect cities who use chalking to enforce parking restrictions.
- We know the nicknames the Internet created for white people who call 911 to report black people who are doing nothing wrong: BBQ Becky, Permit Patty, Coupon Carl, Cornerstone Caroline. There’s a proposal in the works in Grand Rapids that would make it illegal to call police on people of color who are just going about their daily lives.
- The chief author of this proposal is Lyonel LaGrone. He joined Stateside to discuss what, if adopted into law, the proposal would do for the Grand Rapids community and what the consequences would be for those who misuse 911.
Bridges, brass and baritones: Making music across the Michigan-Canadian border
- One of the many ways that Michigan connects with Ontario is through The International Symphony Orchestra, a semi-professional group of Canadian and American instrumentalists and singers whose music has been reaching across the border since 1957. Douglas Bianchi is the Orchestra’s music director and conductor, and he’s also Director of Bands at Wayne State University. He shares what inspired him to take on his role with the International Symphony Orchestra, what it means for amateur players to play alongside professionals, and what to expect from the upcoming season finale.
Theater Talk: A beloved musical, a commentary on gun violence, and “The Marvelous Wonderettes”
- Time for an update from Encore Michigan’s David Kiley on the latest professional productions taking the stage at a theater near you. Kiley tells us about the musical “Brigadoon” at the Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter, “On the Exhale” at the Slipstream Initiative in Ferndale, and “The Marvelous Wonderettes” at Oakland University’s Meadow Brook Theatre.
Support for arts and culture coverage is supported in part by an award from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
From the U.P. to D.C., Poetry Out Loud state champ is ready for nationals
- April is National Poetry Month, and what better way to mark it than by talking with the high school student who is Michigan’s champion in the Poetry Out Loud competition. Tajah-Rayne Davise — the first Poetry Out Loud champion from the Upper Peninsula — will soon head to Washington to represent Michigan at the National Competition. She joined us to talk about her passion for poetry and what led her to choose the poem she read for Poetry Out Loud.
- Poetry Out Loud is coordinated by Michigan Humanities through a partnership with the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Shakespeare may have died 403 years ago today, but he lives on in the English language
- On this day 403 years ago in 1616, William Shakespeare died. University of Michigan medical historian and PBS contributor Howard Markel weighs in on the circumstances leading up to Shakespeare’s death and shares modern medicine’s best guess as to what caused one of the world’s most famous playwrights to pass on at the age of 52.
Checking in on a Michigan non-profit that helps children in Sri Lanka
- The death toll from the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka has risen to above 300. Ann Arbor-based physician Naresh Gunaratnam is originally from Sri Lanka, and he works with a non-profit orphanage in that country called Grace Girls’ Home. He tells us about this history of conflict in Sri Lanka — which would have celebrated 10 years of peace this year if not for the recent attacks — and the projects led by volunteer groups that have helped support the orphanage and the girls who call it home.
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