After dusk on Sunday, we drove around Burns Park to see holiday decorations. I must admit, I was a little disappointed. The folks on Granger who go all out over Halloween opted instead for tasteful and restrained for Christmas. It’s elegant and beautiful, but not as exciting to the kids.

Next week is our final a2view for 2024, so I’m asking now: Where are the wild Christmas houses or neighborhoods in these parts? The more garish, the better! And, hey, if you know of any Hanukkah houses, too, by all means send that intel. Email me! This is about as good as we could be bothered to do at our house.

Your news is here, of course. Some are serious – an attack like the one at regent Jordan Acker’s house would probably make us consider moving – and some are a little odd, such as the city inviting people to compost their Christmas tree starting (checks notes) nine days before Christmas. Also, I’ve not seen anyone take note of this, but it struck me reading this James Leonard piece in the Observer that journalists and their editors will need to be super careful when they quote or mention the newly elected AAPS board members – Wilks, Wilkerson, and Wilkins! – to avoid misattribution. Ditto to whoever must keep the meeting minutes!

– Steve Friess, editor

Regent Jordan Acker’s house vandalized: A mason jar filled with urine was thrown through his front window in Huntington Woods and his wife’s car tagged with an inverted red triangle and the words “DIVEST” and “FREE PALESTINE” early Monday, the Detroit Free Press reports (paywall). It’s the third time the Democrat has been targeted by demonstrators angry with the regents for refusing to divest U-M’s endowment from companies they say profit from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza; on May 15, a masked protester personally delivered a list of demands and on June 3, Acker’s law firm office in Southfield was vandalized. Acker is Jewish, and the university issued a statement calling Monday’s incident “a clear act of antisemitic intimidation.” 

DOE, U-M to build $1.25B AI research centers: The Los Alamos National Laboratory, best known for developing the atomic bomb in the 1940s, plans to build two centers on twenty acres in Ypsilanti Twp. in partnership with U-M, the University Record writes. One, staffed by federal employees, will undertake classified national security research on artificial intelligence, while the other will explore non-classified elements in collaboration with U-M faculty and students as well as “university partners from throughout the state.” Funding includes $100 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, $300 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, and $850 million from the state, according to the MEDC. It’s expected to be fully operational by 2030.

Dusty May leaps to top of salary pack: The new head basketball coach is pulling in $3.6 million, with second place going to Michigan Medicine CEO Marschall Runge at $2.4 million, according to data published this week. Sherrone Moore, U-M’s head football coach, had a $500,000 salary this year, although he has a contract full of additional compensation and bonuses potentially worth more than $30 million over five years. Wink Martindale, Moore’s defensive coordinator, makes $2.3 million; offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell, who was fired last week after U-M’s disappointing 7-5 season, made $950,000.

Two athletic directors extend contracts: At last week’s regents meeting, Michigan AD Warde Manuel received a five-year extension keeping him in his job until 2030, MGoBlue reports. At EMU, Scott Wetherbee, hired in 2017, is getting another four years at a base pay of $355,000 for the first year, according to the Detroit News (paywall). 

U-M buys property from MGM Grand Detroit for $9.5M: The 2.3-acre site at 2201 W. Grand Rover Ave. is across the street from the U-M Center for Innovation and will be used for parking, the University Record writes. The UMCI is a 200,000-square-foot, six-story research and academic center now under construction and due to be completed in 2027. 

Regents approve $6.2M for Ypsi youth mental health program: The funds will be used to build out an Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program in the building at 300 W. Michigan Ave. that previously was home to EMU’s business school. The 8,000-square-foot unit will expand Michigan Medicine’s Ypsilanti Health Center to 52,000 square feet, according to board documents. Construction is expected to be done by spring.

Will three new members make for a better AAPS board?: Many believe the turnover effected by the Nov. 5 election could pave the way for less divisive governance of the region’s largest school district, James Leonard writes in this month’s Observer. All three are newcomers who weren’t involved in pandemic or budget-crisis response, so they arrive without “personal agendas” that made recent meetings contentious and lengthy, trustee Susan Ward Schmidt says. President Torchio Feaster says voters “want to see someone on the board who’s got great financial expertise, and that’s why I think they elected Don [Wilkerson]. I think they want to see someone who has had children in the district and who has seen them go on to be successful, and I think that’s why they elected Glynda [Wilks]. And I think they want to see someone who is passionate about teachers, and I think that’s why they elected Leslie” Wilkins.

Observer readers enrich Ann Arbor’s bicentennial history: We put out a call for locals to share intriguing relics of the city’s past in honor of its 200th birthday year, and the result was a stunning array of items, as Tim Athan writes in this month’s Observer. There’s a book of pioneer memories by Mary Lathrop Crane, born in 1832 just four years after her father came to Washtenaw County; a photo taken downtown in the late 1800s featuring a millinery shop and a firewood dealer; and a picture from the 1974 city council swearing-in ceremony that included Kathy Kozachenko, the first openly LGBTQ person to be elected to public office in the U.S. Many of the items collected will be documented by the Ann Arbor District Library as part of its digital archive of the city’s history. The bicentennial celebration concludes Friday with a party at Skyline High; details can be found here.

Saline Area Schools superintendent to retire: Steve Laatsch said Tuesday he’ll step down July 1 after twenty-seven years at the district including the past four in the top spot, the Saline Post writes. Laatsch, who makes about $190,000 a year, was hired for a five-year contract in 2021 that would have ended in 2026, and he received an increase in his annual raise for this year, according to the Post.

Ohio lawmaker files bill to make flag-planting a felony: State representative Josh Williams wants to make the act that spawned the tussle after Michigan beat Ohio State last month punishable with a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in prison, SI.com reports. His O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act would criminalize only attempts to plant another school’s flag on the field at Ohio Stadium, leaving it lawful at other stadiums across the Buckeye State. The proposal was roundly mocked on social media, with Barstool Sports founder and U-M alum Dave Portnoy tweeting, “Woody Hayes is rolling around in his grave!”

Council to weigh banning on-street parking during snowstorms: An ordinance coming up for debate on Monday would give the city administrator the ability to impose a ban when weather warrants, according to city records. It would eliminate the current odd-even parking ban that prohibits parking during a snow emergency on the side of the street with odd addresses on odd numbered days and the even side on even numbered days. That approach is “complicated, difficult to enforce, and does not provide the operational flexibility needed to effectively respond to various snow and ice events,” according to a staff memorandum. There would be a minimum twelve-hour notice and exemptions for vehicles with disability license plates or placards.

City interim CFO projects $1.1M surplus: Kim Buselmeier told council property tax revenues are expected to rise by $5.5 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year thanks to rising property values and new development, MLive reports (paywall). The city’s latest projections show $143.7 million in recurring revenue and $142.6 million in recurring expenses in the general fund. The following year, Buselmeier said, the city can expect to run about even rather than the previous projection for 2026-27 of a $2 million deficit. The city also has about $26 million in reserves.

New county treasurer gets an early start: Latitia LaMelle Sharp, whose term was due to start Jan. 1, was sworn in on Dec. 5 following the sudden and unexpected death of Catherine McClary on Dec. 2, according to a press release. McClary was due to retire at the end of the year after serving in the role since 1998; she handpicked Sharp as her successor. 

Sheriff also-ran appointed county’s racial equity officer: Derrick Jackson, the longtime spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office who finished second in the Democratic primary in August, is “a true public servant,” commission chair Justin Hodge said in a press release. The post has been vacant since the August resignation of Alize Asberry Payne, who had been under fire over questionable travel expenses.

Developers seek $500K from Saline for “town square” venue: Tyler Kinley and his father Bill Kinley’s firm Praxis Properties unveiled a proposal last week that would create a space for public events behind Murphy’s Crossing at the southeast corner of Ann Arbor St. and Michigan Ave., the Saline Post writes. Praxis had already been planning a small gathering space behind its retail and restaurant complex, but is asking the city to add an adjoining lot it owns and help fund a larger project that could include playground equipment, a farmers market, and a live performance venue. Kinley says it could cost the city as much as $500,000, but that if council acts quickly, it could win a “placemaking” grant from the state.

Free Christmas tree compost drop-offs start Monday: The city provides four sites to leave undecorated trees from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Jan. 20, according to a press release. They are north of the basketball courts at Bicentennial Park on Ellsworth Rd. at Platt Rd; the parking lot of West Park off Chapin St. near W. Huron St.; the parking lot of the Gallup Park boat launch on the south side of Geddes Rd. east of Huron Pkwy.; and the parking lot of Olson Park, 1515 Dhu Varren Rd. near Pontiac Tr. The trees will be chipped into mulch or composted.

City puts out call for “climate friendly” recipes: The office of sustainability is compiling a free, online A2Zero Community Cookbook, according to a press release. Preference “will be given to recipes that (a) are plant based or plant forward, (b) use strategies to prevent wasted food, such as using parts of food that are typically discarded, or (c) feature local, seasonal ingredients. Especially encouraged are recipes that are nourishing, affordable and accessible to beginner cooks — in both cooking technique and equipment.” Submissions are welcome here.

Manga Spot opens at Briarwood: The bookstore is geared toward those who have such titles as Solo Leveling, Chainsaw Man, Oshi no Ko, and One Piece on their reading or holiday shopping lists, Dave Algase writes in this month’s Observer. Located near Von Maur, it specializes in the Japanese comic books and their Korean counterpart, manhwa. Japanese parent company Kadokawa World Entertainment chose Ann Arbor for their fourth U.S. retail outlet, following New York, Baltimore, and Chicago.

“Christmas Vacation” pop-up bar takes over Pretzel Bell basement: The space usually known as Down Bar is now festooned with the motif honoring the classic 1989 Chevy Chase flick, MLive writes. The decor, including an inflatable figure of film patriarch Clark Griswold, TVs showing scenes of the movie on loops, and signs with catch-phrases from the movie, will remain up until Jan. 4.

A NYC theme for a halal eatery: The decor at Brothers Street Food, which opened on Carpenter near the Target in space previously occupied by Pita Express, is an homage by Big Apple superfan and co-owner Eyad Alrefaie, Algase reports in this month’s Observer. The Jordanian emigree who “used to go to New York every possible chance I get … to find, like, food carts and small places to eat” opened the Ypsilanti restaurant with his brother, Ahmed. The space is adorned with a huge mural of Times Square, and the counter is fronted with corrugated aluminum to resemble a food truck, Algase writes.

Toy drive runs through Dec. 21: The Michigan Foster Care Closet is accepting unwrapped gifts at its office at 37 Enterprise Dr. to provide holiday presents for children in the system. Gifts can also be ordered through the nonprofit’s Amazon wish list.

Docents sought for Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum: MBGNA is looking for volunteers to undergo a six-week training that starts in February and commit to working one three-hour weekday shift, among other obligations. Docents primarily assist in K-12 youth field trips. Click here to read the requirements or email here with questions.

PBS profiles Chelsea’s Barn Sanctuary: The eight-year-old nonprofit is the only one in Michigan to provide care for ailing farm animals, hosting some 140 cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, chickens, ducks and turkeys, according to the report. “Over time the sanctuary became my dream too, so I am all in on this and this is what I do,” co-founder Tom McKernan, a pharmacist, tells PBS Detroit. “This is my life now.” 

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Take in a U-M ice hockey game against Wisconsin, the first of two this weekend. Last season, nine-time NCAA champion Michigan went 23–15–3. 6 p.m. (Fri.) and 7 p.m. (Sat.), Yost Ice Arena, 1016 S. State. Tickets from $24 in advance only here. (734) 764–0247. 

Saturday: Buy something unique at Ann Arbor District Library’s Tiny Expo, an annual show and sale of holiday gifts by more than fifty local artists and crafters. Also, in the Secret Lab, craft activities (noon to 5 p.m.) for all ages include making screen prints, pop-up cards, gift tags, and more. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., AADL Downtown, 1st and 2nd fl. Free admission. (734) 327–4200. 

Sunday: See U-M dance students and young local dancers in The Nutcracker(ish), Kara Roseborough’s retelling of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas ballet. Set in the present day with added plot elements from The Wizard of Oz, Roseborough’s adaptation showcases a range of dance styles with music that jumps between Tchaikovsky’s original score, Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite, and hip-hop remixes of holiday favorites. 7 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.) and 2 p.m. (Sat. and Sun.), Dance Performance Studio Theatre, 1000 Baits Dr., North Campus. Free. Tickets required; available in advance at smtd.umich.edu/events or (if available) at the door. (734) 764–0583. 

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

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