Ann Arbor’s Blues Festival Returns Saturday Aug. 19
by James Patridge
The 2017 Ann Arbor Blues Festival will return on Saturday, August 19th from 1 p.m. – 11 p.m. First held in 1969 and considered history’s first electric blues festival, this iconic event will be held at the Washtenaw Farm…
2017 City Council Aug. 8 Primary Election Coverage Round-up
On Tuesday August 8 Ann Arbor voters will go to the polls to vote in the City Council Democratic primary elections. The Ann Arbor Independent does not endorse in political races. We think our readers are informed enough to use the…
Ward 4 Council Candidates Go Head-to-Head: Magiera vs. Eaton
by Dave Alexander
This year, Ann Arbor CTN has produced short (2-3 minute) videos in which all the candidates running in the Aug. 8 Democratic primary election have a chance to introduce themselves and their campaigns to Ann Arbor…
Updated: Council Candidates Taking Credit for the Work of Others (Including Their Opponents)
Updated: On Aug. 3, the Mayor sent out an email to residents in which he endorses Council candidates. Portions of Taylor's email have been added to this article.
by Patricia Lesko
"To lie about an issue is to be a politician. To lie…
2017 Lower Town River Hop Includes Neighborhood Picnic, History, and Music at Island Park
by Patricia Lesko
Friday-Sunday July 28-30 marks the 6th annual Historic Lower Town district River Hop. The event includes a variety of family friendly activities, including a neighborhood potluck picnic.
The weekend of events kicks…
Meal-Kit Freezer Packs Are Rapidly Accumulating at a Landfill Near You
by Kiera Butler
People love to complain about the wastefulness of meal-kit delivery companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. The baggies that hold a single scallion! The thousands of miles of shipping! The endless cardboard boxes!…
Film Review: “Detroit”
by Todd McCarthey
Kathryn Bigelow's latest effort is a docudrama about the 1967 Detroit riots, focusing on a specific incident of police violence against a group of black men at a hotel.
Rated R, 143 minutes
A particularly…
Ann Arbor Observer’s Coverage of Local Politics Criticized Sharply By Its Readers
Update: In its Aug. 2017 City Council candidate article written by James Leonard, the Observer states a married candidate's "girlfriend" donated thousands to the candidate's campaign. The woman named as David Silkworth's "girlfriend" is,…
OP-ED: A Society of Wimps
by T.R. Shaw, Jr.
Before the 2016 election cycle, I enjoyed discussing politics. I remember animated discussions about policy, elections and candidates with friends and colleagues. It wasn’t much different than debating the Michigan-Ohio…
That Toum: Lebanese Garlic Sauce
by Ari LeVaux
Garlic season is upon us, which means that last year's garlic will be on sale alongside the new crop. Don't be fooled by a sale price; squeeze each head you buy. It should be as hard as a baseball. If not, there is probably…
