Given my recent shout-out to the value of libraries, it feels of a piece this week to take note of how remarkable it is that so many independent bookstores thrive in our region despite the dominance of Amazon. Bookstores are in the news, between Kamala Harris’ surprise visit at Blackstone in Ypsi bringing the Black-owned shop some national attention and announcements this week about Schuler’s expansion and Booksweet’s new owners.

I’m personally quite fond of Literati and the Dawn Treader in downtown A2, but it’s not really the books so much as the people who work in these spaces and love the books. Any others I need to take a wander through? Email me.

There’s also a related but tragic story this week, the discovery of the body of the owner of Cross Street Book Shop at the store. The cause of his death remains unclear, but from what I read in the lovely tribute on MLive, Sheridan Settler was a devoted bibliophile I wish I had met.

There’s more news below, including misappropriations of Covid relief money, a plan to replace Braun Court, hype around a would-be U-M quarterback who doesn’t graduate high school until 2026, and how the Maize and Blue represented at the Tony awards. Also, in case you didn’t hear, it’s hot out. Stay cool!

– Steve Friess, editor
with assistance from Miles Anderson.

City to study reparations: Council unanimously directed city administrator Milton Dohoney to report no later than December about possible programs to compensate the descendants of Black people for historical discrimination, according to the resolution. The resolution acknowledges that slavery was banned in Michigan’s first constitution, decades before the Emancipation Proclamation, but notes that discrimination in housing and voting rights persisted. Washtenaw County is also weighing reparations.

U-M to reassess harassment policies amid federal critique: Michigan and the City University of New York are the first schools to strike an agreement with the Department of Education to reform their approaches to alleged antisemitic and anti-Palestinian incidents, the University Record writes. The department’s Office of Civil Rights investigated seventy-five instances of alleged discrimination and harassment at U-M based on Jewish, Palestinian, or Muslim ancestry since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and found the school’s responses did not meet its Title VI requirements to remedy the hostile environment, according to the Associated Press. Dozens of similar complaints to the OCR are under review regarding other universities. President Santa Ono said the school will take “the affirmative measures necessary to provide a safe and supportive educational environment for all.”

Seven-story condo pitched to replace Braun Court: Wickfield Properties has asked the design review board to consider its plans for a thirty-seven-unit development across from the Farmers Market, MLive reports (paywall). The seven small homes on the court, converted to commercial use in the 1980s, would be demolished.

Arbor South is a ‘litmus test’ for future redevelopment: Jeff Hauptmann, CEO of Oxford companies, plans to replace swaths of parking around the 777 Building with 1,000 apartments and condos, a hotel, shops, and parking garages, he tells John Hilton in this month’s Observer. If the ambitious project works, he says he has other sites in the area where similar transformations could create some 10,000 new residences in a city in desperate need of additional housing.

State issues $1M grants to two affordable housing projects: The developers of Dorsey Estates in Ypsi and Dunbar Towers at 121 E. Catherine St. in A2 each received that sum from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to mitigate contamination on the sites, according to a press release. The Catherine St. project – which is next door to the proposed Braun Ct. redevelopment – will include sixty-three apartments and is expected to be finished next spring. Dorsey Estates will include forty-six units and is due to be completed in 2026.

Amazon to build “last-mile” facility in Pittsfield Twp.: The online retail giant plans to start construction this summer on a 143,000-square-foot warehouse at 4700 Carpenter Rd., MLive reports. Originally approved in 2021, the project was delayed as the company retrenched from its pandemic expansion, but now is back on track.The facility will be a hub for deliveries from larger distribution centers to speed local dropoffs.

Scio Twp. boosts water, sewer rates by 22.7 percent: The new rates kick in next month and are expected to be followed by 4 percent increases per year over the following four years, MLive reports. At the behest of an outside auditor, the board unanimously approved the move to cover rising costs and needed capital improvements after years of modest increases.

Group seeks to make city elections nonpartisan: A signature-collection effort is underway to create a ballot question in November that would amend the city charter, James Leonard writes in this month’s Observer. The move by the Coalition for Ann Arbor’s Future comes as just one councilmember faces a Democratic primary in August; winning the Democratic nomination is tantamount to winning the election in a city without any serious Republican presence. John Godfrey, a retired assistant dean at the U-M’s Rackham grad school, is among those who believe the lack of competition is a problem and hopes to change that with nonpartisan primaries that require a candidate to win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid competing in the general election. The group also wants public campaign funding to make it easier for challengers. Mayor Christopher Taylor says he’ll oppose these efforts should they make it to the ballot; he sees the lack of primary competition as evidence of public support for the current council’s pro-growth agenda.

County voters to weigh renewal of special education millage: Property tax rates would remain the same should the twelve-year, 2.3826-mill proposal succeed on the November ballot. The millage provides 61 percent of the money for special education services from infancy through age 26 in the nine districts and thirteen public school academies in the county, according to a press release from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District board. More than 6,000 students receive school services and another 900 receive services between birth and three years old.

Y offers teachers free summer memberships: The Ann Arbor YMCA is giving K-12 teachers in Washtenaw and Livingston counties free access to its facilities until Aug. 31 “as a token of our gratitude for your hard work and dedication throughout the school year,” according to its website. Anyone who taught between Jan. 1 and June 17 this year is eligible; to sign up, click here and use the code K12EDU. Come fall, teachers can convert to a paid membership at an ongoing 20 percent discount.

Concordia abandoning sports to shore up finances: The fiscally troubled Lutheran university announced it would disband twenty-eight varsity teams at its Ann Arbor campus after the 2024-25 school year. The Cardinals compete as a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Players on athletic scholarships will continue to receive their scholarships until graduation and will be allowed to transfer to Concordia’s Wisconsin campus if they want to continue playing.

QB rejects Ohio State scholarship, commits to U-M for 2026: Brady Hart, a high school junior from Cocoa, FL, delighted Michigan fans with his rejection of their hated rivals, ClickOnDetroit writes. Hart posted his U-M commitment on X less than a day after announcing he felt “blessed” to receive the OSU offer. Clemson and LSU also pursued Hart, a heavily hyped four-star recruit. 

Libraries serve as cooling centers amid heat wave: This week’s swelter is dangerous, so the county has urged the public to seek shelter indoors when the heat is overwhelming. In addition to seeking refuge at the county’s libraries, folks can also cool down at the Washtenaw County Human Services Building at 555 Towner St. in Ypsi.

U-M awards President’s Medal of Excellence to Stabenow, three others: The inaugural honors celebrate achievements at Michigan and beyond of the retiring U.S. senator, retired softball coach Carol Hutchins, developer and megadonor alum Stephen M. Ross, and professor and author Earl Lewis. The University Record says the quartet were feted at a lunch at the President’s Residence last week.

Mani Osteria owner to pay $196,531 in back wages to employees: Adam Baru settled a federal lawsuit last week after the Department of Labor sued over pay workers did not receive despite the restaurateur getting nearly $950,000 in federal aid during the pandemic, according to a press release. Baru’s company, Cascabel Ventures LLC, operates Mani Osteria & Bar and Isalita Cantina Mexicana, and moved workers between the two during the pandemic to avoid paying overtime. The settlement money will go to twenty employees.

VA employee charged with Covid loan fraud: Yulonda Eckel, fifty-six, faces five felony counts related to accepting $41,000 in pandemic relief loans for an nonexistent small business, according to a press release from the state attorney general’s office. MLive reports that Eckel was an employee of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. 

Couple charged in man’s death sentenced for animal cruelty: Karen Wibbeler-Nelson and Robert Nelson let his father, seventy-six-year-old Andrew Nelson of Pittsfield Twp., die in 2020 while suffering multiple bedsores and surrounded in filth as well as forty-five dogs and cats, MLive reports (paywall). The couple were originally charged with murder after the medical examiner ruled Nelson’s death a homicide by neglect, but those charges were dropped when the couple pled no contest to the animal cruelty charges. Both are banned from owning any new pets, and Wibbeler-Nelson was sentenced to fifty hours of community service and 216 days of time served in jail. 

Man accused of threatening Biden, judge held on $1M bond: Thirty-five-year-old Zachary Michael Degeorge is alleged to have written social media posts about wanting to “slit the throat” of the president and Washtenaw County judge Julia Owdziej, according to MLive. Since 2017, Owdziej has presided over three mental illness proceedings involving Degeorge.

Construction crew may have found human remains: MLive reports that workers on a site at S. Fifth Ave. and John St. came across bones that Michigan State Police have sent to the state’s forensics lab. Construction was halted for about eight hours on Monday as MSP investigated. 

Bookstore owner found dead in shop: Authorities have not released a cause of death for Sheridan Settler of Cross Street Book Shop, MLive reports. He owned the store, beloved for its eclectic, cluttered collection, since the 1990s. 

Pioneer High grad’s body recovered five days after drowning: Twenty-one-year-old Aleksei Makovik went missing in Lake Michigan off of Pere Marquette Park on June 8, WWMT-TV reports. According to his obituary, Makovik, who is survived by his mother and sister, dreamed of a career in the theater. He attended WCC and hoped to transfer to U-M.

Bacteria spike shuts down beach: The Washtenaw County Health Department says the E. coli levels at Independence Lake Beach in Whitmore Lake is too high, so swimming is off-limits there until further notice. Fishing is still permitted. For updates, keep an eye on this WCHD website or the agency’s social media posts. 

Police urge precautions amid increase in bike thefts, car break-ins: The AAPD posted a warning on social media for residents to lock their vehicles, hide valuable items, and close garage doors at night. The post also suggests that bike owners personalize their bikes and note of the serial number to help recover it if stolen.

Security logjams prompt bollards at Big House: Weapons detectors installed at the end of last season will slow entrance to the stadium during football games, creating crowds outside the stadium, MLive reports. The bollards are a precaution against a secondary threat: vehicles jumping the curb to harm the waiting crowds. Crews began installing the bollards this week and are expected to be done by Aug. 8.

Joy Rd. bridge closed after US-23 crash: MDOT is assessing its condition after the boom of a backhoe being hauled by a southbound semi truck struck it on Tuesday night in Northfield Twp., according to a press release. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved in the accident. The Mississippi-based driver was cited. 

Man caught driving during hearing gets learner’s permit: Corey Harris found himself both an unwitting social media star and in legal trouble when judge Cedric Simpson castigated him for being behind the wheel during a Zoom appearance on a charge of driving without a license. The forty-four-year-old, whose troubles began with a traffic stop in Pittsfield Twp. in October 2022, now has a permit, his attorney tells People magazine. “This is going to be a feel-good story,” she told the magazine.

County says whooping cough is on the rise: Also known as pertussis, twenty-one cases of the malady were reported so far this year, a sharp uptick from the past three years, according to an alert from the Washtenaw County Health Department. The last time the numbers were high enough to issue such an alert was 2019, when the total number of cases for the year was eighty-two. No hospitalizations have been reported. Diagnosed individuals should stay away from others until they have completed at least 5 days of antibiotics, the WCHD says.

Ann Arbor Skatepark celebrates tenth anniversary on Saturday: The city and the Friends of Ann Arbor Skatepark, a non-profit that supports the facility at Vet’s Park, will host a daylong party of music, skateboarding events, food trucks, and vendors as well as speeches from mayor Christopher Taylor and other dignitaries. In addition, the Blind Pig is hosting a concert fundraiser Friday for the Friends at 8 p.m.

Thirteen U-M alums involved in Tony-winning shows: Four performers (Maggie Kuntz, R.J. Higton, Wonza Johnson, and Josh Strobl) and three producers (Matthew Rego, Tamlyn Shusterman and Y. Jamie Mistry) are associated with Best Musical winner “The Outsiders,” according to a press release from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Others were involved in Best Play winner “Stereophonic,” Best Revival of a Musical “Merrily We Roll Along,” and Best Revival of a Play “Appropriate.” Nine other alums were involved in other nominated shows. 

Skyline High junior joins National Youth Orchestra this summer: Violinist Minji Kim is one of 103 teens from thirty-four states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. selected for the Carnegie Hall-run program, according to an Ann Arbor Public Schools press release. The seventeen-year-old is the only Michigander in the orchestra, which will practice for two weeks at the State University of New York at Purchase before going on tour through South America. 

Schuler Books to celebrate expansion: The store in the Westgate Shopping Center reopens on June 29 after completing its expansion into the former restaurant next door. It houses a new kids and young-adult space, a used books section, and new bathrooms, according to their website and social media posts. The all-day celebration will include treats, activities, and giveaways.

New owners to take over at Booksweet: The Rhoden-Thacker family – spouses Darcy Rhoden and Casey Thacker along with Darcy’s sibling Louis and father Del – are buying the store at 1729 Plymouth Rd., current owners Truly Render and Shaun Manning announced on their website. The price was not disclosed. Manning wrote that the couple was “blown away by the response of so many interested buyers” when they put the store up for sale in May. The Rhoden-Thackers were longtime customers; they will take over in July.

Mexican eatery replaces onetime Big Boy: Gran Maya is the brainchild of the family of co-owner Nancy Castro, a native of Jalisco, Mexico, who emigrated to the U.S. at age six, Dave Algase writes in this month’s Observer. . Castro is one of five partners, all relatives, in the remodeled restaurant off I-94 on Zeeb Rd. in Scio Twp. Partner Leopoldo Cobian, Castro’s uncle, is also a principal at Mi Zarape in Saline and El Tapatio Taqueria & Restaurante on Carpenter Rd.

Arbor Brewing Co. returns to A2: The pioneering brewpub, which closed its original location downtown in 2020 during the pandemic, opened earlier this month at 3685 Jackson Rd., ClickonDetroit reports. Arbor’s owners bought the Session Room, known for offering seventy beer tap handles, and plan to add as many as twenty Arbor Brewing beers.

Nine tons of would-be waste goes to charity during student move-out: A collaboration between U-M and the city resulted in thousands of viable items going to various causes rather than the landfill, including bed frames, clothes, and perishable foods, the Michigan Daily writes. The Student Move-In/Move-Out program benefited HouseN2Home, Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop, Goodwill, and Maize & Blue Cupboard among others. 

New faith-based anti-violence coalition launches Saturday: Love Washtenaw is an alliance between groups that include Hope Clinic, 242 Community Center, WISD, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, the city of Ypsilanti, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department. It aims to prevent summertime crime through outreach events, according to executive director Rev. Daniel Jackson. It kicks off with a festival and resource fair at Mount Olive Church of God in Christ, 436 Hawkins St., in Ypsi from noon to 6 p.m. that will feature live music, free food, a bounce house, and other family-friendly activities.

Meals available for kids all summer through Food Gatherers: The Summer Food Service Program, an effort to nourish kids under eighteen who typically get free lunch at school, runs until Aug. 16. Anyone up to age 26 who is enrolled in a state-recognized education program or local public educational agency can also pick up meals. A map of hours, locations, and offerings is here. For more information, call (734) 761-2796 or text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Make some noise at Ann Arbor District Library’s “Make Music Ann Arbor,” a day of workshops and demonstrations at the downtown branch to celebrate the longest day of the year. It kicks off with the “Musical Petting Zoo” (10:30 a.m. to noon) in which visitors can play a wide range of instruments, followed from noon to 4 p.m. with instrument making workshops, and a DJ workshop at 4 p.m. Also, performances by various local musicians at the AADL Westgate branch. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., AADL Downtown and noon to 6 p.m., AADL Westgate, 2503 Jackson Ave. Free. (734) 327-4200.

Saturday: Celebrate at Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s “Top of the Park,” which runs every Tues. to Sun. through June 30. This beloved summer tradition features live music on two stages followed at 10 p.m. (Tues. to Thurs.) by free movies. Tonight’s highlights include Cuban jazz quintet Tumbao Bravo and the Michigan-based eleven-piece salsa orchestra Orquesta Ritmo. 5 to 10 p.m. (Fri. through Sun.) & 5 p.m. to midnight (Tues. to Thurs.), Ingalls Mall at Washington. Free. (734) 994–5999.

Sunday: Enjoy U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum’s Big Play Day Arb Takeover withfamily-friendly activities such as nature artmaking and walks. Also, giant Jenga, a drum circle, yoga, and fairy house construction. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nichols Arboretum, 1610 Washington Heights. Free. (734) 647–7600.

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

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