Here we are again, recalling the week Covid ground our world to a halt. It’s hard to believe it was only five years ago, perhaps because the ordeal of shutdowns, masking, and social distancing felt like it dragged on forever. One low point came when the Omicron variant scared everyone back into their hiding places and my lonely, widowed mother in Florida asked on our weekly family Zoom, “Will this ever end?”

My husband and I felt grateful, watching friends’ children losing valuable education time and social experiences, that our son was an infant. We figured none of this would affect him; we were wrong. It actually still affects everyone, even those unborn in March 2020.

The politicizing of vaccine science already has kids encountering more avoidable childhood illnesses than my generation did. Economic and social trauma, distrust in government, and online misinformation led us back to a Trump White House, and that will affect school and research funding along with so many other areas of life. And in the case of our son, his autism certainly would have been detected and interventions started sooner if he hadn’t been cloistered for two years.

Just writing about this triggers PTSD in me, so close to the surface remains the anxiety, grief, and fear of that era. Yet as much as we all want to move on from it, we probably never will, really. What’s worse is the nagging feeling that our nation has learned the wrong lessons from the experience and is somehow less prepared than we were then if anything similar erupts again.

– Steve Friess

P.S. On a brighter note, if you’re interested in joining my low stakes, super fun NCAA March Madness pool, email me. Tipoff will be next Thursday before a2view goes out.

USDA cuts endanger food pantry supplies: Food Gatherers says it has already lost a $50,000 grant to buy vegetables from socially disadvantaged farmers and $60,000 for baby formula, MLive writes (paywall). Aid from USDA accounted for about 15 percent of Food Gatherers’ food distribution last year, CEO Eileen Spring says. A USDA spokesperson says the programs were cut because they “no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.”

Community Action Network feeling Trump agita: The social-services nonprofit is dealing with “an insane amount of mental health issues and anxiety from our residents” as well as funding cuts, executive director Derrick Miller tells John Hilton in this month’s Observer. The president’s executive orders have forced one layoff and a freeze in part-time positions; they’ve also scrubbed hiring proposals of any reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion. CAN was supposed to help the city implement a $10 million grant to build a geothermal system in the Bryant neighborhood, but Miller says they’ve seen “zero” dollars from the new administration.

Anti-Trump protests Friday on four pedestrian bridges: A2Resist is staging “Stop the Coup” demonstrations from 3 to 6 p.m. “to remind folks to stay aware and stay engaged, and to assure them that they are not alone in their anger” over actions of the new administration, according to the event website. Protesters will gather on the bridges on Newport Rd. over M-14, Scio Church Rd. and Stone School Rd. over I-94, and the pedestrian bridge over I-94 from Mary Beth Doyle Park. Instructions on where to park and walk are on the site.

U-M among schools warned to protect Jewish students: New education secretary Linda McMahon sent letters to sixty “elite” universities already under investigation related to alleged incidents of anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination, according to a press release. McMahon warned the schools “of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus,” and threatening to cut off federal funding.

Crowding plagues area homeless shelters: “We’re bursting at the seams,” Alpha House director Shonagh Taruza tells MLive of the overwhelming demand seen this winter. “I expected three or four families,” a night in the basement, Taruza says. “At the peak, we had eleven.” At Delonis Center, unhoused people have slept on mats in hallways and in interview rooms. The need for sheltering went up 15 percent this winter, and more than 40 percent of guests at Delonis were over fifty, says Dan Kelly, director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County.

Stimson Apartments to get $690K upgrade: The six-building affordable housing complex run by Avalon Housing will be transitioned to electric heat pumps for heating and cooling, MLive reports (paywall). They will replace forced-air gas furnaces for heating and window AC units for cooling; other improvements include better access for people with disabilities and new roofs. The cost is covered by a $590,000 state grant and $100,000 from the city.

Chronic Wasting Syndrome detected in deer: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says an adult buck in Salem Twp. tested positive for the fatal neurological disease. Washtenaw is the fifteenth county in Michigan to find a case among wild deer. While there are no cases of humans contracting the disease from wildlife, the DNR recommends hunters have their kills tested before eating them.

Rookie pitches perfect game in first start: Kat Meyers of Waterville, OH, launched her U-M softball career with a spotless 8-0 victory over North Carolina Central, MGoBlue writes. The five-inning victory was the ninth perfect game – a game in which a pitcher allows no base runners – in program history. The win came in the first game of a doubleheader sweep for the Wolverines, who were finishing up a spring break road trip during which they went 10-2. 

Tee times available at the Big House: Upper Deck Golf is partnering with U-M Athletics to allow people to hit golf balls inside Michigan Stadium from May 30 to June 1. With three levels of access starting at $79.99, players will be able to hit balls from various points around the stadium, as well as visit a bar area with music, food, and drinks. Tickets go on sale on April 16, and a website is already gathering email addresses for a waitlist. The company has held similar events in other stadiums, including Comerica Park in Detroit, Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Fenway Park in Boston. 

Two pedestrians killed in accidents: A sixty-year-old Illinois woman was struck by a car while crossing Plymouth Rd. between Green Rd. and US-23 on Tuesday night by a thirty-nine-year-old motorist, according to an AAPD press release. The accident came days after a forty-two-year-old man died after being hit by a Ford Escape while crossing Carpenter Rd. near Packard Rd., Pittsfield Twp. police wrote on Facebook. Police said the forty-four-year-old driver had a green light and that the pedestrian was dressed in dark clothes. MLive notes this is the second pedestrian fatality at that intersection this year.

Newly elected Scio Twp. trustee quits, citing “organizational brokenness”: Democrat Judy DeVooght Moenck, who won her seat in November, apologized in her resignation letter for becoming “what I had committed not to be” after a meeting about employee pay took a “strong divisive tone.” DeVooght Moenck was replaced this week by David Read, a former trustee who failed to advance in the Democratic primary last year.

Ypsi OK’s mixed-use project despite affordability concerns: The sixty-unit, six-story development at 136 N. Washington St. got unanimous approval last week even as councilmembers chafed at the expected rent rates, MLive writes. Ypsi-based developer J29:7 expects the 400- to 500-square-foot studios to cost $1,392 and the one-bedroom units to go for $1,419. Thirty percent of the units will be available for discounts to people making up to 80 percent of the area median income. The ground floor is intended for retail space, according to plans submitted to the city. There will also be a rooftop greenspace and fitness center.

U-M DPSS celebrates two years for therapy dog: Nico, a three-year-old, thirty-pound shih tzu, Australian cattle, and Australian shepherd mix, has his own Mcard and business card, the Michigan Daily writes. He and handler AnnMarie Vaquera support survivors of violence and domestic assault and make appearances at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and local elementary schools. Nico is a graduate of Paws & Stripes College, a twelve-week program run by Florida prison inmates.

A2 collector donates rare cookbooks to New York Public Library collection: Daniel Freidus, a retired U-M academic adviser, has given Dorot Jewish Division more than 250 items that he acquired online, at book fairs around the country, and by browsing specialized bookstores, according to an NYPL blog post. Among the books he’s gifted are “Like Mama Used to Make: a Collection of Favorite and Traditional Jewish Dishes,” which was published by the Women of the Ann Arbor Chapter of Hadassah in 1952.

Registration opens March 15 for free trees: The city plans to give away 1,000 saplings including white flowering dogwood, northern hackberry, shagbark hickory, bur oak, eastern white oak, pawpaw, eastern redbud, and serviceberry. To make an appointment to pick one up on April 19 at Allen Elementary School, click here.

Molly Rowan-Deckart takes helm of storied theaters: The new executive director of Marquee Arts, the nonprofit that operates the State Theatre and Michigan Theater, takes over just three years shy of the Michigan’s 100th birthday, Jan Schlain writes in this month’s Observer. Her predecessor of more then four decades, Russ Collins, had expected to stick around to the centennial but after the pandemic decided that “it really was time for the next generation to take over.” Enter Rowan-Deckart, a forty-five-year-old New Jersey native, who came from the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, FL, and is currently renting a condo with her son while looking for a house. She says making the theater more accessible, the website more user-friendly, and the summer film camp more affordable are three items topping her to-do list.

Echelon Kitchen + Bar reaches for top tier: The latest entry to downtown’s fine dining scene took over two years from lease to launch after unexpected renovation challenges including five layers of asbestos under the kitchen of the hundred-year-old building, managing director Emily Habib tells Dave Algase in this month’s Observer. The upside: it gave them time to recruit a leadership team, build a supportive employee culture, gain experience cooking with wood in their Level Up food truck, and cultivate relationships with more fifty local and regional suppliers. “I’ve been looking for this opportunity my whole life,” says executive chef Joe VanWagner, whose career includes stops in Paris, New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and most recently the Dixboro Project. “The draw of wood-fired, vegetable-forward, hyper-local – I think a lot of culinarians, a lot of hospitality professionals, that’s something they really want to get behind. A lot of people talk about it, but I don’t think a lot of people really do it.”

Brewpub closes after fifteen years: Wolverine State Brewing Co. served its final pints last week at its W. Stadium Blvd. location after CEO Matt Roy announced his retirement in an online letter. Roy writes that the brewery’s assets have been sold to “a buyer who has known us for years and shares all our passion for great craft beer and spirits. And trust me when I say they have some amazing plans in store.”

Consignment shop expanding at Kerrytown: Nuuyuu Collective owner Mackenzie Schuch says on Instagram her store will relocate by mid-May into a “much bigger space.” MLive reports (paywall) that that berth is the one that is to be vacated by 16 Hands, which is closing in mid-April. Nuuyuu opened last March.

GoFundMe supports PTOs at Title I schools: The Ann Arbor PTO Council seeks donations to help the parent groups at “less-resourced” schools. The “$20 for $30K” fundraiser aims to address inequities in a district where the average per-student PTO income ranges from $40 to $238 by persuading “1500 individuals to contribute $20 (or more) to show our community’s commitment to creating a better system for all.” Title I schools, characterized by the high level of students who qualify for the federal free school lunch program, include Abbot, Allen, Bryant, Carpenter, Haisley, Lakewood, Mitchell, Pattengill, and Pittsfield elementaries, and Scarlett Middle School. To give, go to the GoFundMe page or mail a check written to “Ann Arbor PTO Council” to 2555 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104. As of Thursday morning, the campaign had raised more than $11,000.

United Way expands free tax prep program: Individuals making $67,000 or less can make an appointment to have their returns done through the nonprofit’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, WEMU reports. Last year, the program helped 750 people in Washtenaw County file for refunds that totaled $1.6 million; this year, they’ve paired up with Wayne County-based Accounting Aid Society and aim to assist 1,000 people, the United Way of Southeastern Michigan’s Megan Thibos says. Appointments, which take place at the United Way’s office at 2305 Platt Rd., can be scheduled online here or by dialing 211. 

Applications open for free summer “camperships”: The Washtenaw Camp Placement program is a partnership with six Michigan YMCA camps to help kids aged nine to sixteen go to one- or two-week sleepaway sessions, Concentrate writes. WCP, founded in 1962, serves around 120 local families per year, and more than 80 percent of the campers are people of color. To apply, click here. WCP relies on contributions from other nonprofits including the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation as well as from members of the public giving money or buying items on its Amazon wish list. 

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Hear U-M AI Lab faculty and students in “Listening to the Wild: Can AI Help Us Understand Animal Communication?” 6 to 7:30 p.m., U-M Artificial Intelligence Lab, AADL Downtown, 4th floor. Free. (734) 327–4200. Preregistration encouraged here. 

Saturday: See “Black Hole: Trilogy and Triathlon,” an Afrofuturism-inspired dance performance by the Shamel Pitts Tribe, a trio of NYC dancers who move against a background of video projections to an evocative soundscape of sci-fi–inspired music mixed with sound samples and spoken word. University Musical Society. Fri. and Sat.. 8 p.m., Power Center. Tickets $30 to $54 (students, $15 to $20) in advance here, by phone, and (if available) at the door. (734) 764–2538. 

Sunday: Take in the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra pops program “The Music of Studio Ghibli.” It features music composed by Joe Hisaishi for director Hayao Miyazaki’s anime studio, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. 8 p.m. (Sat.) and 3 p.m. (Sun.), Michigan Theater. Tickets $25 to $75 (youths and students, $13 to $39) in advance here and (if available) at the door. (734) 994–4801. 

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

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