Browsing Category
Columns
Ann Arbor Neighborhood Network Launches Petition to Ask City Officials to Suspend Work on Master Plan Until There’s More Robust Citizen Input
by Bruce Laidlaw
Michigan law requires zoning ordinances to be based on master plans adopted by planning commissions and the municipal governing bodies. Ann Arbor's Planning Commission is working on a revision of the City's master plan…
A2Politico: The Sheriff’s Poor Judgement Leads to a Legal Trainwreck
by P.D. Lesko
Former Sheriff's Office Dir. of Community Engagement Derrick Jackson had the money, the endorsements, the backing of the incumbent Sheriff and the fix was in: he was supposed to ease into former Sheriff Jerry L. Clayton's…
Think Gluten-Free Foods are More Healthy? Think Again, Some Are High Calorie, High Sugar, Low Fiber and Protein, and More Expensive
by Sachin Rustgi
U.S. consumers often pay more for gluten-free products, yet these items typically provide less protein and more sugar and calories compared with gluten-containing alternatives. That is the key finding of my new…
The Foodist: Parsnip Pathways
by Ari LeVaux
Parsnip Power
One of my son’s first tastes of solid food was dirt licked from a freshly dug parsnip. He didn’t yet have the teeth to chew into the ivory taproot itself, but his attempts to do so sure got it clean.
It…
County Homeowners May Be Entitled to 25-100 Percent Property Tax Abatements
by P.D. Lesko
In October 2024, Michigan had a foreclosure rate of one in every 3,918 housing units. The counties with the highest foreclosure activity were Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, and Kent. In 2024, Washtenaw County's Treasurer…
The Foodist: Make Plov, Not War
by Ari LeVaux
Plov is a hearty and meaty rice-based meal from Central Asia. The dish is widely considered the progenitor of rice pilaf and a cousin to paella. Native to present-day Uzbekistan, plov has spread throughout the former…
A2Politico: County Leaders Threw DEI Under the Bus With Hire of Derrick Jackson as Racial Equity Officer
by P.D. Lesko
Washtenaw County recently hired former Sheriff's Dept. employee Derrick Jackson as the County's Racial Equity Officer. He began the job on Dec. 16. Jackson's hire is proof positive that cronyism is still a very serious…
The Foodist: Crème Brûlée Flambè
by Ari LeVaux
The dark days of winter solstice have a way of making human beings hunger for light. That is probably why, whatever your creed or culture, you have a tradition that involves casting some kind of glow during the period we…
To Control Holiday Spending, Stick With Cash
by Jay Zagorsky
The holiday shopping season is now here, and Americans are ready to splurge. The average U.S. shopper expects to spend more than US$1,000 on gifts for Christmas and other winter holidays this year, surveys…
Tip Pressure Might Work in the Moment, but Customers are Less Likely to Return: Tip Fatigue
by Sara Hansen and Nathan B. Warren
Have you ever hesitated at the register, uncomfortable as an employee watched you choose a tip? It’s not just you. The rise of digital tipping systems – from point-of-sale devices held by employees to…