Hi everyone! My name is Miles Anderson and this is my final week as the a2view’s summer intern so they gave me this space to say thanks and goodbye. I’m a rising junior at U-M studying English and sociology who was born and raised just outside Kalamazoo. I was brought up as a die-hard Michigan State fan, but I fell in love with the campus and Ann Arbor when I toured U-M.

This summer, I got the chance to live here in town. While I loved it during the school year, it has been even more amazing this summer with the phenomenal parks, events, and weather. It seemed like there was always something going on in and around the city, and it was a great opportunity to get to write about it for you all!

It has been a wonderful opportunity to write for the Observer this summer and I hope you all have enjoyed the newsletter, I will miss it.

As Steve likes to say, your news is here for your perusal. Enjoy!

– Miles Anderson
with sage guidance from Steve Friess.

P.S. Steve here. Notice he didn’t really say he became a Wolverines fan. Hmm. Well, he’s a very good kid either way, and I will miss his help and good cheer!

Alyshia Dyer to be first female sheriff: The thirty-four-year-old former patrol officer and Ypsi native who promised “true systemic change” eked past Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office community engagement director Derrick Jackson in the Democratic primary by 384 votes, according to the county’s election results website. She received 43.5 percent of the vote to Jackson’s 42.9 percent and Ken Magee’s 13.5 percent. There are no Republican candidates, so her win makes her a lock to be the next sheriff. Jackson, who was endorsed by outgoing sheriff Jerry Clayton, conceded on Facebook early Wednesday, congratulating Dyer and writing, “Tomorrow is a new day for the Sheriff’s Office, the people of Washtenaw County, and for me.” Dyer wrote on Facebook: “I could not be more excited to hit the ground running when I officially take office in the new year. Let this also be a symbol to women everywhere that we absolutely can break through barriers.” 

Other upsets and surprises mark primary day: In Ypsi, councilmember Evan Sweet lost his Ward 3 seat by eight votes to challenger Amber Fellows, who declared victory on Instagram. Sweet was first appointed to the seat in 2022; Fellows ran unsuccessfully for mayor that year. Scio Twp. voters overwhelmingly chose trustee Jillian Kerry to replace outgoing supervisor Will Hathaway, despite Kerry facing computer-related charges involving Hathaway, MLive writes. In Saline, an effort to amend the city charter to shorten the residency requirement to serve in public office or on appointed boards failed by fourteen votes. The least surprising result was in Ann Arbor, where councilmember Jen Eyer again defeated perennial candidate Mozhgan Savabieasfahani, winning 79 percent of the vote.

Legislative staffer on track to succeed her boss: Morgan Foreman, constituents services director for outgoing state rep Felicia Brabec, easily defeated AAPS trustee Rima Mohammad to win the Democratic nomination The winner garnered 66 percent of the vote to Mohammad’s 33 percent in the race to represent District 33, which encompasses the southern half of Ann Arbor, Saline, and other parts of southwest Washtenaw County. She faces Republican Jason Rogers in November; the district is heavily Democratic.

Election “switcheroo” still angers Democrats: Gretchen Driskell is a shoo-in to be the county’s next water resources commissioner and Latitia Lamelle Sharp the county treasurer after both won party primaries – but how they did so rankled many, Steve Friess reports in this month’s Observer. Longtime incumbents Evan Pratt and Catherine McClary personally chose their successors by making it appear that they were running for reelection themselves to block other potential candidates. “These folks made sure voters wouldn’t have a say,” county commissioner Andy LaBarre told the Observer. “They can say it’s technically legal, but doing the wrong thing is always a bad move.”

Nonpartisan elections question to appear the November ballot: The Coalition for Ann Arbor’s Future submitted 5,843 valid signatures to put the proposed city charter amendment before voters, MLive writes, and 5,868 for another to establish public campaign financing. Candidates who take public funding couldn’t also get money from political action committees, effectively neutering the PAC recently formed by mayor Christopher Taylor. Taylor, who previously vetoed a council vote calling for nonpartisan elections, says he’ll oppose both measures. 

AAPS budget crisis impact continues with larger classes, forced reassignments: A report from the district shows the eighty-eight layoffs brought on by the $20.4 million belt-tightening plan include fifty-five teachers and disproportionately impact Title I schools, MLive reports (paywall). Mitchell Elementary, which lost seven staffers, is expecting a rise in class sizes for five grade levels. MLive also reports (paywall) that ten teachers are being reassigned to other schools because they have special education training needed to fill gaps. That’s prompted outrage from both teachers who don’t want to change schools and parents who want to keep them in place.

Jeanice Swift named interim superintendent of Kansas district: The former AAPS leader, fired last fall amid controversy over her administration’s handling of a bus assault on a boy with autism, has been a consultant for Lawrence Public Schools, the Lawrence Times reports. Lawrence, like Ann Arbor, is a college town – the University of Kansas is there – and the district serves about 11,000 students. (AAPS has about 17,000.) Swift was hired to oversee the district for the 2024-25 school year while a search for a permanent superintendent takes place. Swift said she looks forward “to opening and continuing conversations with our parents of students with special needs, to listen, to assure of the excellent work in place to serve students, and to address any questions or concerns as they arise.”

Manchester rejoices over Paul Whelan’s release: That’s the home of Edward and Rosemary Whelan, the parents of the ex-Marine held by Russia on trumped up espionage charges for nearly six years before a blockbuster multinational deal freed him last week, the Detroit Free Press reports. Whelan is an alum of Huron High and a one-time cop in Chelsea. Locals in Manchester tied yellow ribbons on trees to keep their concerns for Whelan’s well-being in mind during his ordeal. 

Washtenaw Dairy finds a way onto the GMA set: The venerable treats shop was not originally expected to get exposure when the ABC morning show broadcast from downtown A2 in June, but a fan responding to an appeal on social media helped them get some maize-and-blue donuts into the anchors’ hands back in New York, former a2view editor Micheline Maynard reports in this month’s Observer. The cost of making the specialty items and FedExing them to Manhattan was about $500, well worth it for the national exposure.

Harbaugh suspended by NCAA, Moore could be next: U-M’s former football head coach, now overseeing the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, cannot be hired by an NCAA team in the next four years without triggering a one-year suspension, Yahoo! Sports reports. The punishment concludes a probe into recruiting violations and “unethical conduct” during the pandemic. An investigation into the elaborate sign-stealing scandal is still on-going; ClickOnDetroit reports Harbaugh continues to maintain he did not know about that scheme, but his successor, former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, is under renewed scrutiny in that drama, according to a draft of the NCAA’s notice of allegations obtained by ESPN. The document suggests Moore could be facing a coaching suspension of his own for allegedly deleting a thread of fifty-two text messages with Connor Stalions, the now-former team staffer, on the same day that news of Stalions’ scheme was breaking in the media.

Thirty-four cats rescued in Manchester: The Humane Society of Huron Valley received a tip about the Washtenaw County home in mid-July from Michigan State Police, ClickonDetroit reports. The owner, an elderly woman who became “overwhelmed” after she was hospitalized, had felines ranging from newborns to six-year old cats living in unsanitary conditions. HSHV is looking for homes for the cats and kittens after they have been given medical treatment and rehabilitation. Anyone interested can click here for more information.

Councilmember reveals she was target of racist doorbell incident: Cynthia Harrison told CBS News Detroit that her heart was “beating literally out of my chest” when two young males knocked loudly at the door of her Foxfire home, rang the bell, and pointed a phone showing a photo of an ape at the doorbell’s camera. Harrison, who is Black, was elected to represent Ward 1 in 2022; just a day earlier, council had approved a motion she co-sponsored to beef up AAPD training on handling hate crimes. The AAPD says it has identified one of the individuals, but no charges have yet been filed and no suspect names been published.

Tiny-home residents ordered out in Webster Twp.: They have two months to leave the Firesign Family Farm after a court agreed with the township that the buildings violated local codes, MLive writes, including wastewater disposal, zoning, and building violations. On Tuesday, co-owner Peter Stevens lost a Democratic primary for township supervisor.

Company wants to use Washtenaw manure to make biogas: Vanguard Renewables hopes to run waste from Horning Farms through a co-digester that would produce gas to be used as renewable energy, MLive reports. This would replace the current method of manure disposal using a large open pit, but neighbors have concerns about the concept.

Longstanding automotive business officially annexed into Saline: Gerry’s Tire & Alignment has been in business since 1972 as a part of Pittsfield Twp., until Monday when the Saline City Council annexed the property, the Saline Post reports. Over the years, the business came to be surrounded by Saline businesses but remained a township “island.” The large sign out front is not compliant with city codes, but will be grandfathered in.

Medal count in Paris for Wolverines up to eight: Swimmer Charlie Swanson, who graduated in 2020, took home the gold for Team USA in the 4×100-meter relay on Friday and won silver in the 4×100-meter medley on Sunday. Abigail Dent, a rising senior, won silver with Canada’s women’s rowing on Saturday, adding to to the five bronze medals we reported last week. Community High grad Hobbs Kessler, meanwhile, ran a personal best in the 1,500-meter finals but placed fifth; he is due to run in the semifinals of the 800-meter on Friday. 

Moon Winks adds tavern, dinner service in time for Dixboro bicentennial: Co-owner Kevin Cox and his best friend, Nate McCardell, personally built out the cafe’s adjacent space into a a twelve-seat bar planed from live edge slabs of honey locust, Algase reports in this month’s Observer. With the added space, the business offers full dinner service, which Cox says is needed because aside from the upscale Dixboro Project, “there’s not much here in this immediate area that the community can come to and have drinks.”

Molly’s Cupcakes debuts downtown: The shop at 617 E. Liberty is the fifteenth location (and first in Michigan) of the chain that started in Chicago in 2007, MLive reports (paywall). The menu features sixteen flavors of center-filled cupcakes at any time, or customers can pick which cake, frosting and toppings they want and build their own cupcakes. Molly’s won the first season of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in 2009 and was named by USA Today in 2021 to a list of America’s ten best cupcakes.

Vietnamese fare served again at Courtyard Shops: Sunny Chapel opened Banh Mi Street Food last year, but had to put it on hold when her pharmaceutical consulting business took off, Dave Algase writes in this month’s Observer. Now it’s reopened under the management of Te Phan, who also makes the hybrid Vietnamese-French sandwiches downtown at Ginger Deli.

Donors help Ypsi Meals on Wheels recover from van damage: Fox2Detroit writes that someone destroyed four of the nonprofit’s seven vehicles during two vandalism sprees, one Friday and the other Saturday. The incidents, which are expected to cost $17,000 in insurance deductibles and other expenses, impeded the group’s ability to deliver the roughly 300 meals a day. YMoW CEO Barbara Niess-May says the organization has received a surge of donations to help pay that expense and, she hopes, eventually build a garage for the vans. To give, click here. 

Rappelling event returns to benefit Friends In Deed: The Ypsi-based anti-poverty charity heralds another set of brave souls willing to rope (securely!) eleven stories down the side of the EMU’s Hill Hall on Aug. 17 in the annual Over The Edge event. Rappellers have to raise at least $1,000 to do it, so go here to back one hopeful who hasn’t reached that threshold yet. Last year, they raised $70,000. So far this year, they’ve cleared $60,000 and counting. Click here to see my daughter cheering on her nanny, Jenna Dawson, who will be rappelling again this year, this time for Circles.

Ypsi seminars to explain how to qualify for affordable condos: Three sessions are planned for prospective owners in Dorsey Estates, the forty-six-unit complex being built at 220 N. Park, the city announced. The seminars, which will discuss financial literacy, education, and credit repair, are scheduled for from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 at the Ypsi Freighthouse; 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 in Ypsi’s City Council Chambers; and 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Freighthouse. Click here for more information.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Join Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission Naturalist Kelsey Dehring at a “Stargazing and Perseids” event, where she points out “shooting stars” from the Perseid Meteor Shower and the constellations in the summer sky. Bring blankets. Cloudy or rainy weather cancels. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Independence Lake County Park, 3200 Jennings Rd., Whitmore Lake. Free. $6 vehicle entry fee (noncounty residents, $10). Space limited. Preregistration required here. For more info, contact [email protected]. 

Saturday: See the premiere of U-M grad David Nettleman’s original musical “Gearheads”. Written in the style of a 1950s musical and performed with a live pit orchestra, the plot involves a crew of auto mechanics who prefer partying to work left to run a repair shop while its owner is away. For mature audiences. 7 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.) and 2 p.m. (Sun.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Tickets $20 to $25 in advance here and at the door. (734) 763–8587. 

Sunday: Invite all the princesses in your life to see an interactive screening of “Frozen,” the 2013 animated Disney adventure fantasy loosely adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” Audience members are encouraged to act out scenes from the movie as it plays. Scripts and props provided. 2 p.m., Ann Arbor District Library Pittsfield, 2359 Oak Valley. Free. (734) 327–4200. 

See the Observer’s online calendar for many more local events. 

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