I want to send a shoutout to the Ann Arbor police and fire departments for Saturday’s fabulous open house. They blocked off Fifth Ave. outside the downtown fire station, loaded it with incredibly cool emergency equipment and vehicles, and let the kids climb all over them while handing out lots of nifty AAPD and AAFD swag. My children mounted and revved motorcycles, knocked out the wooden windows on a board with a fire hose, and petted a beautiful therapy dog. Plus hot dogs and chips! It was just a lot of fun!

Speaking of fun, free things to do, the Nichols Arboretum is expecting peak peony blooming next week and, for the first time, will try to mitigate the traffic with shuttle services. Buses will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays for the next three weekends from Mitchell Field at 1900 Fuller Road to the Peony Garden. See you there!

The news, as usual, is here. Ann Arbor’s proposed comprehensive plan is taking incoming fire from multiple directions, a major autonomous car initiative isn’t working out as planned, and the city just spent the $1 million they set aside in December to respond to possible Trump cuts. It’s going to be a long four years, isn’t it?

– Steve Friess, editor
…with help from Anna McLean

A2 comprehensive plan drawing skeptics, opponents: Smart Growth Ann Arbor, an alliance of developers and property owners, sent a letter to the city challenging the draft plan’s assumption that the city needs 30,000 to 45,000 additional residential units by 2050 and concern about who will pay for the required infrastructure. Meanwhile, more than 2,500 people have signed a petition created by the newly formed Ann Arbor Neighborhood Network calling on the city “”o restart the process with broader, more direct, and active involvement from residents across all neighborhoods.” The draft plan was unveiled last month and a revised version is due in June, with council action expected in December. 

Washtenaw’s smaller communities grow, big ones don’t: Census Bureau population estimates released last week show Saline Twp. up 5.6 percent and Scio Twp. up 5 percent between 2023 and 2024, good for the fourth- and fifth-fasted growing municipalities in Michigan, Bridge Michigan reports. Pittsfield Twp.’s estimate rose 3.3 percent, or more than 1,300 residents, and the City of Ypsilanti’s by 3.1 percent. In contrast, the county’s most populous communities, the City of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Township, were essentially flat. All the numbers were boosted by new methods of counting migrants, who remain the state’s population driver; Michigan saw more deaths than births last year, and more people moving out than moving in.

City spends $1M Trump contingency fund: Council allocated the money, set aside in December in anticipation of the president’s return to the White House, to support substance use treatment, food access, and housing stability initiatives, according to city records. Of the $1 million, $300,000 will go to the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan, $300,000 to Food Gatherers, $140,000 each to the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and SOS Community Services, $100,000 to Community Action Network, and $160,000 to the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation.

American Center for Mobility looking like a lemon: The $67 million self-driving car test track at Willow Run is teetering on bankruptcy, Bridge Michigan reports. Nine years after it opened with fanfare, the state has forgiven a $15 million loan and another $35 million one is in forbearance, the publication reports based on documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests. According to an audit completed in March, the center lost money for the past two years and might need to consider bankruptcy if the loan is not forgiven. The project was shepherded by the economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK, which initially estimated it could create 7,800 jobs. But progress has been disappointing, and grant funding has dried up.

Surveillance of Diag, Law Quad raise civil liberties concerns: The U-M Law School’s ACLU chapter has called for the removal of cameras, citing privacy and free speech concerns, the Michigan Daily reports. In an open letter, the group says the university failed to provide notice, justify placement, or follow its own oversight policy. U-M says the cameras comply with laws and are part of a broader security update. The cameras were installed after pro-Palestine protests in 2024. 

CSG launches scholarship for refugees: U-M’s student government is offering up to $5,000 in aid for eligible students, the Daily reports. It’s unclear how many scholarships will be awarded, but students from conflict zones or with refugee status are encouraged to apply by July 19. CSG leaders hope to increase the amount and make the fund permanent. Organizers call it a “symbol of inclusion and opposition to tolerance.” 

Council shifts $500K to “quick build” road safety efforts: The money previously budgeted for preventative road maintenance will instead become available for critical improvements on major streets in the 2026 budget, according to city records. Ann Arbor failed to meet its “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries among pedestrians and bicyclists by this year and safety activists have been demanding stepped-up efforts, holding a demonstration outside city hall before Monday’s meeting. “Quick build” projects will include new pavement markings aimed at making bicycle routes and pedestrian crossings safer.

Virtual forum on former Y development set for June 4: The housing commission and developer Related Midwest will discuss plans for a twenty-story, 330-unit affordable apartment building at 350 S. Fifth Ave. next to Blake Transit Center, according to a public notice. It would also have about 6,000 square feet of retail and commercial space at ground level. The one-hour Zoom event starts at 6 p.m.

Council accepts $200K grant for transit project: The money from MDOT will support the reconstruction of S. Fourth Ave. between William and Liberty streets to add wider sidewalks, new lighting, and better transit access, according to city records. A few street parking spaces will be removed but no bike lanes are planned. Construction is expected to start next year.

Music teachers push back on new schools’ lack of auditoriums: The replacement buildings for Dicken, Lawton, Mitchell, and Thurston will have performance spaces with pop-up stages instead of traditional proscenium configurations, WEMU reports. Eberwhite voice teacher Jeffrey Willets says this setup “isn’t adequate for performances.” The teachers are urging the school board to reconsider the plans.

U-M-born Courage Therapeutics lands $7.8M investment: The company, which is developing medications for eating disorders and obesity, is being capitalized by Austin, Texas-based Arsenal Bridge Ventures, the University Record writes. Its two drug-development programs are overseen by Roger Cone, a U-M molecular and integrative physiology professor. The drug candidates target neural circuits in the brain to curb anorexia and other eating disorders.

Argus Farm Stop gets NYT close-up: The newspaper of record describes how the grocery store and cafe specializing in locally grown goods bustled during the pandemic in part because farmers markets were closed. Argus, which is “part of a burgeoning movement to make it easier to shop locally,” took advantage of the growth and had $7 million in sales last year at three locations. It’s been a lifeline and boost for local farmers: the Times reports that Washtenaw County has bucked the national trend of small farms closing, growing from about 1,000 in 1999 to 1,255 in 2022.

Man allegedly shot by father in Ypsilanti identified: Thirty-four-year-old Patrick Clayton Petiprin was killed during a family dispute in Ypsilanti Twp. on May 7, MLive reports (paywall). Police say the shooter was his seventy-four-year-old father, but no arrests have been made. In his obituary, Petiprin was remembered as an enthusiastic and creative cook who counted a homemade steak sauce “he developed alongside his father” among his “proudest culinary collaborations.” Both his mother and father are referenced in the obit as “his loving parents.” 

Suspect in 1989 slaying bound over for trial: A judge set bail at $5 million for Buster Robbins, sixty-nine, who is charged in the abduction, sexual assault and murder of Beverly Wivell, who was found dead on a Superior Twp. roadside more than thirty-five years ago, ClickOnDetroit reports. Prosecutors arrested Robbins after DNA on Wivell, who died at thirty-one, was sent to the MSP lab for forensic genealogy testing in 2024 that implicated the suspect. Investigators say they later matched Robbins’ DNA to the sample on a straw collected from the trash at his home in Altmont. Robbins is now under investigation in connection with other cases.

Ex-coach seen in video choking student pleads no contest: A felony assault charge against thirty-year-old Joshua Smith was dropped in exchange for the plea on a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault, MLive reports. Surveillance video showed Smith, a former Ypsilanti Middle School employee, using a shirt to grab a fourteen-year-old student around the neck when the boy refused to do pushups, citing a hand injury. Smith faces up to one in prison and a $1,000 fine when sentenced next month.

Ypsi interim is new police chief: Timothy Anderson will take over permanently, according to a city press release. His predecessor, Kirk Moore, resigned after less than two years on the job amid widespread disaffection from rank-and-file officers. Anderson joined the department in 2013 and was promoted to captain last year.

Gym teacher quits after reprimand over interaction with students: Katherine Kuzma, who worked at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter, was placed on paid leave in November when the administration raised concern about personal emails she’d sent to high school students, MLive reports. Kuzma says she would attend sports events and then send notes of encouragement to older students who attended other schools. The separation agreement she accepted last month supported that characterization, noting: “The district did not uncover evidence of inappropriate physical contact with students, and a vast majority of the emails appeared to be for the purpose of encouraging and supporting students and student athletes.” Superintendent Chris Timmis said the district stands by “every action in removing anyone who threatens the safety of our students from a classroom and employment at DCS.”

Salem Twp. seeking deal for wastewater pipeline: Superior Twp. refused to permit its neighbor to run the line across its boundaries, so Salem is trying to negotiate deals with Plymouth and Canton townships, Hometown Life reports. Salem, in northeastern Washtenaw, wants to build a wastewater treatment plant to support development of some 1,400 acres near M-14 and Gotfredson Road, but can’t do so until it finds a way to connect to the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority near Willow Run Airport.

Warde Manuel wishes NIL existed when he played: The U-M athletic director and one-time Wolverine football player recruited by Bo Schembechler tells the Observer’s Micheline Maynard that the huge amount of money sloshing around in big-time college sports hasn’t changed his approach to supporting and nurturing student-athletes. It has, however, created a budgeting problem for him, which is one reason why the Big House will host its first-ever concert this fall headlined by country star Zach Bryan. Maynard tracks Manuel’s path from his youth in Louisiana to arriving in Ann Arbor to replace controversial predecessor Dave Brandon.

A2’s iconic eateries face family transitions, uncertain futures: Several storied local restaurants are approaching pivotal moments in leadership transitions, MLive reports. Among them, Metzger’s German Restaurant looks likely to be passed along to the owner’s nephew, but the owners of Mr. Spots have no obvious heirs. Knight’s, Weber’s, and Mediterrano all have seen successful intrafamily transitions.

Property tax assistance program keeps foreclosures low: The effort is a legacy of the late, longtime county clerk Catherine McClary, Cynthia Furlong Reynolds writes in this month’s Observer. Now led by her handpicked successor, treasurer Latitia Lamelle Sharp, the office’s small team provides hands-on support to help residents avoid foreclosure; the county has foreclosed on just eleven properties – ten vacant lots and one vacant house – despite sending out more than 2,000 delinquency notices in January. “We’re by no means just bankers,” Sharp says. “We have a heart for our residents.”

Light installation coming to Nichols Arboretum: “Inhabiting Light,” created by U-M architecture professor Catie Newell and Bowling Green State glass artist Alli Hoag, will be unveiled this summer in the Arb’s Magnolia Glade, according to the University Record. The installation will feature stackable, hollow glass blocks called “Light Forms” that reflect and refract natural light throughout the day. Glass walls, alcoves, and a shared bench will provide visitors space to take in the effect. The installation will remain for at least two years.

Miss Kim chef-owner to open new vegetarian restaurant in Kerrytown: Five-time James Beard Award semifinalist Ji Hye Kim will debut a vegetarian and vegan restaurant called “Little Kim” next month, Crains Detroit reports (paywall). Inspired by the food served in Korea’s Buddhist temples, the fast-casual spot across from Kim’s original omnivore destination will offer veggie-forward rice bowls, sandwiches, and shareable sides.

Stonefruit Social rebrands as 1824 Cocktails & Coffee: The business, which opened in Foundry Lofts last spring, also added locally themed decor, Dave Algase writes in this month’s Observer. The new name and some new interior decor are nods to the year of the city’s founding.

New kids’ gym opens on Washtenaw: Dinoland Ann Arbor, part of a chain that also has locations in Dearborn Heights and Madison Heights, had its soft opening Saturday, according to a Facebook post. The indoor playground features prehistoric-themed slides, ziplines, an indoor soccer field, and climbing walls.

A Brighter Way buys Ypsi home for transitional housing: The nonprofit focused on helping formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society will use the house, currently rented out to EMU students, as a long-term residence for clients, Concentrate reports. When student leases expire, the group will renovate it and expects to have space for as many as fourteen residents. According to public records, the organization paid $445,000 for the eight-bedroom, four-bath Victorian on Hamilton St. built in 1898. Concentrate says it was financed with help from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation’s Impact Investing program.

Volunteer, charitable opportunities abound during A2Zero Week: The activities kick off on June 1 with the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, a half-marathon, 10K or 5K that benefits a range of nonprofits including Hope Clinic and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County. The week ends with volunteers with The Cleanup Club cleaning up Gallup Park and the riverbanks of the Huron River from 10 a.m. to noon on June 7. Click here to learn more and RSVP. Check out the full schedule of events here.

Tickets available for Big Hearts for Seniors gala: The June 5 event hosted by Michigan Medicine raises money for an array of causes that assist older residents including Meals on Wheels and the Housing Bureau for Seniors. Tickets are $125 per attendee and the soiree starts at 5:30 p.m. at WCC’s Morris Lawrence Building. An online silent auction opens May 29. Click here for more information.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: See Ypsi native Christian Royce return to his home comedy club. The EMU alum, now based in Chicago, bills himself as “an eternal outsider” and is known for his friendly, nerdy persona and off-kilter perspective. Alcohol served. 7:15 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.) and 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 212 S. Fourth Ave. $20 online and (if available) at the door. 

Saturday: Check out kids activities, craft vendors, and live music at “Dixboro Summer Days,” highlighted by a performance by NBC’s The Voice finalist Laith Al-Saadi at 7:30 p.m. Al-Saadi, who offers an eclectic mix of roots Americana, classic rock, and blues, performs with a full band. 1 to 9:30 p.m., Moonwinks Café and Tavern, 5151 Plymouth Rd. Free. 

Sunday: Stock up at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market’s “Flower Day.” Also, kids activities, expert gardening advice, food for sale, and more. Runs concurrently with the Artisan Market. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Farmers Market, Kerrytown. Free.

Monday (Memorial Day): Take the kids to Glacier Highlands Neighborhood Association’s Memorial Day Parade, a six-block jaunt beginning at Greenbrier Park. Kids are encouraged to decorate bikes and wagons to ride in the parade. Followed by a memorial service in Glacier Highlands Park and a chance for kids to play at the playground. Food trucks. 10 a.m., Frederick to Middleton to Bardstown to Windemere to Barrister. Free.

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

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