Large Crowd, Gary Peters & Debbie Dingell Turn Out to Celebrate Ann Arbor African American Downtown Festival
by David Alexander
DURING THE MIDDLE of the last century, the intersection of Ann Street and North Fourth Avenue, in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, was the crossroads of the African American business district. Saturday, it played host…
Ann Arbor Skatepark Grand Opening Celebration Scheduled for June 21
ON JUNE 21 between the hours of 10 a.m.–6 p.m. the city will host the Ann Arbor Skatepark Grand Opening Celebration. Festivities will take place at Veterans Memorial Park, 2150 Jackson Road.
This event will feature a special…
In Two Separate Rulings U.S. District Judges Blast City Attorneys’ Legal Arguments
by P.D. Lesko
ANN ARBOR City Attorney Stephen Postema was dressed down in a 17-page opinion penned by U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Zatkoff in May. The judge concluded city officials had no legal justification to keep Bob Dascola…
In Michigan, Lyme Disease is an Emerging Summer Health Danger
AS THE WEATHER warms, it is important to take precautions against mosquito and tick bites. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) recommends that people, especially those spending time outdoors and children at camps, take…
City Administrator Once Again Refuses to Turn Over Records to a Council Member
CITY ADMINISTRATOR Steve Powers answers directly to City Council. The city’s Charter requires the 11-member group to annually review the City Administrator’s performance. Council sets his pay and has the ultimate authority to fire him. …
EDITORIAL: Michigan’s Minimum Wage Hike is Penny Wise & Pound Foolish
LANSING REPUBLICANS DODGED what their leaders believe was a bullet in raising the state’s minimum wage from the current $7.40 to $9.25 by 2018 and indexing it to inflation thereafter. The minimum wage for tipped employees rose from $2.65 to…
New Report: Healthiest Cities in the U.S. Budget Higher Per Capita Spending on Parks—DC Budgets $400/Resident, Ann Arbor Allocates $47/Resident in 2015
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE of Sports Medicine (ACSM) unveiled its seventh annual American Fitness Index™ (AFI) data report. The 2014 AFI data report, “Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas,” reflects a composite…
Recycling Drop-Off Station Provides Five Additional Summer Hours Through August
Recycle Ann Arbor recently announced that during summer 2014, the Drop-Off Station (DOS) will expand its operation days to also be open on Mondays, 8:30am-1:30pm. The Drop-Off Station is regularly open Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30am – 6:30pm,…
Over 1,000 Potholes Reported to City—Residents Can Seek Reimbursement for Damage to Vehicles
IN THE JUNE 2014 issue of The Ann Arbor Observer, writer Jan Schlain reports, “So drivers will be hitting this year’s bumper crop of potholes for a while. They just shouldn’t expect any compensation from the city when they do so.” Ward 2…
CULTURE VULTURE: An Interview With Kodi Scheer—The Fragile Nature of Life
Kodi Scheer is a talented storyteller with a gift for writing untraditionally about the fragile nature of life. The stories in her debut collection, Incendiary Girls, are shocking, heartbreaking, humorous, and delicate. None of them is…