Greetings from the mammoth indoor playground at the 2/42 Community Center which stayed open this afternoon to give wandering souls like my family a cool place to hang while we wait for DTE to restore our power for the fifth time this year. At this point, I don’t even know why I buy perishable food. And we all know the day we spring for that backup generator is the day the power company figures out how to plan for bad weather. You can’t count on ‘em for electricity, but there’s a 100 percent chance we’ll be getting another sorry-well-do-better letter.

Those mighty winds blew out my plan to crow about what a great time Nevada and I had at the art fair. See all about it on my Instagram post. I took both kids to Washtenaw Dairy for the first time this week, too, and posted some photos from that delicious outing. My Insta these days is basically dedicated to documenting fun, iconic regional adventures. And why not?

Anyhow, you’ll be happy to read that this was a week without much newsworthy crime. So feel free to relax and catch up on what your city leaders are up to – un-zigzagging sidewalks, approving a drive-thru, building out a park – and check in on a variety of ongoing U-M sagas.

As I cheer myself up with memories of that cup of S’mores ice cream, I wish you all good shelter and yummy desserts in the week ahead.

– Steve Friess, editor

Storm slams area, leaves blackouts that prompt water restrictions: The hum of generators filled the air and tree limbs protruded from homes and cars across the county on Wednesday and Thursday as more than 150,000 DTE customers lost power across southeast Michigan, the Detroit Free Press and WXYZ report. By Thursday afternoon, the city implemented nonessential water-use restrictions “until further notice” because the power outages were “impacting” the water system.  The water remains safe to use and drink, but residents are not permitted to fill swimming pools, wash cars, or irrigate lawns. As the mercury soared past 80 degrees on Thursday afternoon, DTE, which says it aims to restore all power by Saturday, sent “community ambassadors” to giving out water and ice at the Meijer on Carpenter Rd., according to an email to powerless customers.

Unrelated outage costs State Theater on “Barbenheimer” weekend: The movie house went dark from 3 p.m. Saturday until 7 p.m. Sunday, which was one of the most lucrative box office stretches across the nation since before Covid thanks to the twin openings of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” MLive reports. The outage, caused by a cable failure on a power line, cost the business about $30,000 in ticket refunds and lost concessions sales. DTE apologized “for any inconvenience.”

Campus gun ban upheld: The state Court of Appeals gave U-M the greenlight to continue barring people from carrying firearms on its property, but the ruling is likely to head to the Michigan Supreme Court, Bridge Michigan reports. A local gun enthusiast, Joshua Wade, sued in 2015 to challenge U-M’s prohibition as unconstitutional. The case was dismissed on grounds the state constitution grants the university the “autonomy to promulgate its own firearms regulation.” 

Fraternities tagged with homophobic, anti-Semitic vandalism: A swastika was among the images spray-painted onto the exterior of Delta Tau Delta and Sigma Alpha Mu at some point late on July 17 or early July 18, according to a A2 Police post on Facebook. Anyone with information should call (734) 794-6939 or email the tip line. The houses are vacant during the summer, according to a statement by U-M president Santa Ono, who condemned the incidents.

U-M, GEO present cases to fact-finder: Attorneys for both sides of the contentious dispute made arguments last week to Mark Glazer, who was appointed by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission to offer non-binding recommendations for resolving the conflict. Glazer asked for briefs by August 22; the University Record writes that U-M hopes for Glazer’s recommendations by September. The graduate students have been on strike since March, the longest such work action in the union’s history.

Harbaugh reportedly could get four-game suspension: NCAA sources told Yahoo! Sports that the U-M football head coach is negotiating the punishment as a resolution to allegations he made false statements during an investigation into his recruiting practices. If true, that would keep Harbaugh off the sidelines for three non-conference games and one home conference game against Rutgers. Two assistant coaches could be in line for sanctions as well.

Swing-state college towns like A2 scare the GOP: Washtenaw County is a key example in a Politico Magazine report about how an increased voter turnout and progressive activism among university students is propelling Democrats to statewide victory. U-M and Ann Arbor are seen as a roadmap, given that Joe Biden won the county by 101,000 votes in 2020; Al Gore won it by just 34,000 votes in 2000. Democratic operatives are looking at college towns in Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, and elsewhere to see how to replicate that success.

Michigan Medicine to spend $5.7M on new birthing rooms: Some 3,350 square feet of office space will be redesigned as three labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum patient rooms under a plan approved unanimously by U-M regents last week. The new spaces are expected to be completed by spring. 

Tooling around town in an almost-autonomous taxi: May Mobility, the Ann Arbor start-up that landed $18 million in new investment to expand its local footprint and 200-person staff, has operated the A2Go shuttle since October 2021. Trilby MacDonald hopped aboard one of their Lexus SUVs for this month’s Observer, only to learn that a sensor was down and it was actually being driven by a human being. Most days, the machine’s sentient minder says, “it’s mind-blowing … how smoothly everything can operate without me.” If you’d like to sign up for your own ride, a list of stops and download links for May’s mobile app are here.

Zig-zag sidewalks straightened after outcry: The strange configuration at intersections along Arborview Blvd. are mostly gone and the cost of undoing the experiment rang in at about $96,000, MLive reports (paywall). Pedestrians found the zig-zags irksome and often ignored them. The one at Doty Ave. remains; it’s unclear if it, too, will be removed. 

Planning commission OKs drive-thru for long-vacant building: The Schwarcz family, which owns the property behind the Jimmy John’s on S. State St. just north of the traffic circle with Ellsworth Rd., insists it is impossible to rent without this permit, MLive reports. The family says they will reduce the size of the building, which has been empty for five years, by lopping off the north end to allow for a single-lane drive-thru.

Council to debate use of facial recognition software:  The contentious issue, fraught with concerns that such artificial intelligence tends to misidentify people of color in police work, could see a vote this fall, MLive reports.  Councilwoman Linh Song says she’s working on a resolution, and critics of facial recognition software say a ban should also include its use in workplaces and apartment complexes. Song is unsure the measure should or can go that far.

New features coming to Allmendinger Park: The playground off Pauline Blvd. will add a second, three-slide structure, a boulder mountain, a timber dome, four picnic tables and a bench, the city says. The work begins on Monday and should be done by September.

Chelsea plant lands tax break, plans expansion: Gestamp Washtenaw, which makes chassis components, says it will add 35,000 square feet and sixty-two positions after the city council unanimously approved an incentive, MLive reports (paywall). The Spain-based firm says the expansion will cost $8.2 million. The Michigan State Tax Commission still has to sign off on the deal.

Art fair crowds abounded: Angela Kline, the event’s executive director, told MLive (paywall) the turnout “seemed better honestly than pre-Covid,” although actual estimates of attendees have yet to be disclosed. It also was peaceful; police say there were no arrests at the sprawling event.

Two mosquito-borne viruses detected in Washtenaw: West Nile and Jamestown Canyon were found in the critters this month, the health department says. Most people don’t get ill from them, but some infections can become serious. There have been no human cases reported yet, but the public is advised to use bug spray.

$2M lottery ticket sold at Ypsi party store: A thirty-eight-year-old man from Wayne County bought his Scorching Hot 7’s instant game winner at the Grove Mini Mart, MLive reports. The man, who chose to remain anonymous, says he took the $1.4 million lump sum payout. 

A2 volleyball star gets sponsorship deal at Nebraska: Harper Murray, the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, signed on as a spokesperson for the athletic apparel start-up Avoli, MLive reports (paywall). The new Skyline High grad is heading to Lincoln to be a Cornhusker this fall. 

Wetlands fit for a turkey’s dinner: Peter Huntley’s property west of town includes a  marsh of “optimal hydrology, resulting in an abundance of wild botanicals, including the colorful, dominant joe-pye weeds, beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies,” he writes in this month’s Observer. All that has drawn a family of wild turkeys, a point of pride for their human observers: “We experience the satisfaction of a restaurateur whose appreciative clientele keeps coming back.”

Two Paneras move to add drive-thrus: The chain relocated its Plymouth Rd. location into the former Big Boy site near U.S. 23 to accommodate demand for online ordering and window pickup, Dave Algase reports for this month’s Observer. A similar shift occurred on the west side, where the Panera at 5340 Jackson Rd.closed in June and was replaced by one less than a mile away in a Meijer outlot on Zeeb. 

Cafe reopens at People’s Food Co-op: The three-year pandemic-induced closure ended this month with the seating area reopening, according to the co-op’s Facebook page. It marks the last piece of the operation to return to pre-Covid activities – the hot bar reopened in November. 

Pot shop opens in 101-year-old Ypsi landmark: Quality Roots spent $2 million to restore the much-decayed former Farm Bureau Grain Feed building at 2 W. Forest Ave., according to a press release. The location is the brand’s seventh dispensary across Michigan. Aric Klar, the company’s CEO and an EMU alum, says he plans to commission a local artist to paint a mural on the structure’s tower to “pay tribute to the history of the city.”

KeyBank to give $175,000 to Michigan Ability Partners: The Cleveland-based financial institution plans to announce the gift at a news conference Monday at the offices of the Ann Arbor-based nonprofit, according to a press release. MAP helps provide services and guidance to veterans and people with disabilities; KeyBank says the donation is intended to “connect chronically homeless to permanent solutions” by subsidizing rent and long-term case management.

Friends of AADL donate $25,000: In honor of the nonprofit’s seventieth anniversary this year, the group gave the money to the Ann Arbor District Library and launched a new membership campaign. The Friends of AADL raise money to support library activities through dues, donations, and book sales, including their online bookshop.

Ypsi farm program for former convicts takes root: We the People Opportunity Farm provides nine-month internships for recently incarcerated people in which they grow and harvest a variety of food plants, including collard greens, kale, and peanuts in a half-acre lot at Grace Fellowship Church of Solutions, MLive reports. This year saw its biggest crop, six interns who earn $21 an hour.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Join in the Washtenaw Audubon Society’s “Moth Night at South Pond Nature Area,” where local experts Susan Kielb and Heidi Trudell lead an exercise in attracting and identifying some of the planet’s most diverse organisms. Bring a headlamp or flashlight if you have one, a camp chair if you want one, and please wear black. 9 to 11 p.m., meet at the Natural Area Preservation parking lot, 3875 E. Huron River Dr. Free. 

Saturday: Hear Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma Quartet at Rancho Tranquilico. World-renowned local harmonica wiz Ruth leads an all-star ensemble in an eclectic mix of traditional and improvisational music. With tabla player John Churchville, bassist Brennan Andes, and guitarist Dan Ripke. 8 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.). Rancho Tranquilico barn, 11300 Island Lake Rd., Dexter.  Park in neighboring Ruhlig’s Country Market driveway. $25 payable via Venmo: @Peter-Madcat-Ruth or by PayPal @paypal.me/PeterMadcatRuth.  Preregistration required, space limited.  [email protected]. 223–2321. 

Sunday: Dance in the river at KissME, the Ann Arbor dance community’s annual three-day swing and blues dance fest that culminates today in a dance at Island Park in and out of the river to recorded music spun by DJs and to the music of a new local band, the River Skippers. Bring a towel, water shoes, and swim attire. July 28–30 (different programs and locations; whole weekend, $60; students & members $55).1 to 4 p.m., Island Park, Island Drive. $30, register here.

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

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