Ann Arbor outdid itself providing my family fun and free activities this past weekend. On Saturday, the city’s public works open house sounded a little strange but turned out to be amazing. Our three-year-old, Claire, bounded up and down stacked hay bales to sit in the cabs and honk horns on all kinds of really cool big trucks. She also put her painted hand print on a snow plow, danced with a person in a life-sized water-drop costume (not as scary as it sounds) and collected cool swag. Oh, and she did it all wearing a full-length mermaid costume she received from her aunt for her birthday. Check out the photos here.

Then, on Sunday, my son and I explored the trails at Eberwhite Woods. Just when I think we’ve hit all the beautiful spots, we find a new one! Bonus: After the walk, there was a terrific playground right there at Eberwhite Elementary, too. 

Your news is here. Happily, there are a number of upbeat items including a cats-and-dogs-get-along political piece from Sylvan Twp., a 103-year-old’s birthday party, and a local woman landing on Time’s 100 Most Influential list.

One last thing: Thanks to everyone who offered support last week amid our school district drama involving our son. We feel we’re getting a better response and some important action, so I’m lowering the heat for now. Yet it needed to be said, and the responses from other parents with autistic children and some adults with autism meant so much to us; it can be a very lonely challenge.

– Steve Friess, editor

Settlement may cost U-M Athletics $50M a year: So writes athletic director Warde Manuel in a missive addressing an agreement in a class-action lawsuit in which former student-athletes sought back pay for use of their name, image, and likeness. The agreement, once finalized in April, will create a nearly $3 billion fund that the court will divide among student-athletes who played between 2016 and 2021. U-M will get $1.5 million less from the NCAA per year for a decade as its contribution to the fund. Much more consequentially, the settlement will also allow the university to pay players, at an estimated first-year cost of $22 to 23 million. Between that and changes to the number of scholarships each team can offer, Manuel estimates the settlement will cost U-M Athletics about $50 million a year; he’s asking for increased support via the department’s Champions Circle.

Oct. 7 protests turn into police confrontations: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators walked out of class onto the Diag on Monday, the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel that kicked off a deadly year of war in Gaza and Lebanon, the Michigan Daily writes. One person was arrested amid an “altercation” between more than 450 protesters and officers, who pepper-sprayed individuals who refused to move out of the way of a patrol car carrying the arrested person. Also that afternoon, more than 400 people gathered on Ingalls Mall for a memorial service following an exhibition about the attack and the hostages still missing, the Daily reports.

U-M officials’ homes vandalized with pro-Palestinian slogans: Taggers sprayed “coward” and “intifada” on president Santa Ono’s house and sidewalk in Bloomfield Hills, the New York Times reports. The home of Erik Lundberg, the university’s chief investment officer, also was vandalized. Demonstrators have been frustrated by U-M’s refusal to divest from companies they say are profiting from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Lodi Twp. to OK mosque after lawsuit: The Michigan chapter of the Council on American Relations sued in federal court on behalf of Masjid Al-Farook, which in 2021 was denied a request to rezone property for a house of worship, the Detroit News reports (paywall). “This settlement with the township signals that they are willing to work with the Muslim community to protect and enforce their right to have a place of worship in their own hometown,” CAIR-MI executive director Dawud Walid wrote in a statement. “We are hopeful that it will bring forth a strong partnership between the Muslim community and Lodi township.”

Environmentalists build political clout: The Michigan League of Conservation Voters is “the strongest organization that works on protecting our air, land, and water and democracy in the state,” executive director Lisa Wozniak tells Antonio Cooper in this month’s Observer. Founded in 1999, the Ann Arbor–based nonprofit counts more than 15,000 contributing members and has thirty-five employees. This year, the MLCV has endorsed nearly 100 state and local candidates and its political action committees have raised about $4 million to support eco-friendly candidates.

City lands $483,000 grant to pilot unarmed emergency response: The funds from the Michigan State Police will be used to develop a plan for an alternative approach to dealing with calls regarding non-violent mental health crises, according to state records. Ann Arbor must pony up a 25 percent match, or about $120,000. It’s the latest move in a long-running effort to develop such a plan; in July, council reallocated $3.5 million in federal funding intended for such an initiative because it came from Covid relief funds that had to be used by the end of this year. Last December, city administrator Milton Dohoney rejected the only proposal to create an unarmed emergency response program as inadequate, the Daily writes.

New Depot St. train station could have housing, too: After many years of pursuing building a stop on Fuller Rd. near U-M Hospital, city leaders now are considering rebuilding at Amtrak’s current location, MLive reports. Dohoney says they’re thinking bigger than a mere train station, though: “We believe that we need to explore the possibility of potentially housing on top of a reimagined ticket center, and vertical development at that site is certainly physically possible.”

Most U-M students are out-of-staters: Data released by the university shows that non-Michiganders have outnumbered in-staters since the 2021-22 year. This year, 26,778 students come from other states or countries versus 26,077 who are Michigan residents, the document says. Out-of-state graduate students account for much of that; first-year and transfer students are still mostly from Michigan.

Washtenaw condemns Livingston for treatment of immigrants: County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution attacking its neighbor for a plan to have police record all interactions with undocumented residents. “Washtenaw County is committed to promoting inclusivity, fairness, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their immigration status,” the commissioners declared. 

GOP candidate quits, endorses Dem opponent: Republican Scott Cooper, who is ending his campaign for Sylvan Twp. supervisor to care for his ailing wife, writes on Facebook that he met with Democrat Amanda Nimke and found her “very capable, and a person I trust and want to support. … Her goals mirror so many of my own including returning to a better means of serving the public, being transparent, and creating a more civil climate among the people.”

Two notable road closures coming: E. Ann St. between N. Main St. and N. Fourth Ave. will be closed from 7 a.m. tomorrow until 5 p.m. Monday to place a crane. Also, W. Liberty St. between Scio Ridge and S. Maple roads closes Monday until Nov. 1 for the installation of a natural gas main under I-94.

Ypsi library postpones reopening again: The Michigan Ave. branch has been closed since it suffered catastrophic flooding more than a year ago. YDL director Lisa Hoenig has announced reopening plans twice – for August and October – but last week she posted a letter blaming a further postponement on supply delays and the discovery that some lead paint removal had not been completed. “I wish I had different news to share,” she wrote. “We miss our downtown community so much.”

Hot Pot Chen offers backdrops for social media posts: The six-year-old restaurant’s owners, Ivy Huang and Chen Xu believe photo “sets” like a British telephone booth, a park bench, and signposts with Chinese and English flags will appeal to U-M students from China and elsewhere looking for fun and original online content, Anita LeBlanc writes in this month’s Observer. The sets are an eye-popping pink because it’s their daughter’s favorite color. 

Union leader faces up thirty years for $58,000 embezzlement: The former president of Steelworkers Local 2513 in Ypsi, Dilanjan Miller, pleaded guilty to a count of bank fraud and will be sentenced in February, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office. Among other things, Miller used union funds for flights to Florida, Las Vegas, and Atlanta, rental cars, and purchases of jewelry and shoes.

Gunman steals bag, flees with U-M students’ Rosh Hashanah dinner: A rabbi in Southfield was hosting a meal commemorating the Jewish new year last week when an “armed individual” entered through an open door, the Times of Israel reports. University president Ono issued a statement saying the incident is not believed to have been intended as an anti-Semitic. Police took a woman into custody and continued to look for a male suspect. The Detroit News reports twenty U-M students attended the dinner and most ran out the front door as the gunman pointed his weapon at them and demanded they “give me everything.”

A2 shooting survivor eyes Supreme Court ghost gun case: An Associated Press report in advance of this week’s hearing on whether the Biden administration can ban DIY gun kits centers on Guy Boyd, who as a teen was accidentally shot in the face by his best friend in 2021. The friend bought the kit online and assembled the gun; the White House in 2022 issued a rule blocking teens and people who can’t pass background checks from buying such kits. According to NPR, a majority of the court seemed inclined to allow the ban.

EMU hires prof convicted of lying to FBI: Yifei Chu, fifty-nine, a visiting assistant professor in the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology, was hired to teach this fall at EMU’s partner in China, Beibu Gulf University, the Detroit News reports (paywall). The school says its background check failed to uncover that Chu had pleaded guilty last year to lying about working on a classified naval project for the Taiwanese military when he applied for a U.S. military job years ago. An EMU spokesperson called Chu “a short-term probationary employee” and noted he is not teaching on the university’s main campus or for U.S.-based students.

Saline High to appeal football forfeitures: The team, which started the season 5-0, had to give up three of those wins because a senior player failed to establish residency, the Saline Post reports. In response, the school board has directed the superintendent to file an appeal to the state’s high school sports governing body after a special meeting attended by dozens of football players and parents. 

103-year-old Ypsi woman recalls Model Ts, Great Depression: MLive visits Jackson-born Mary Kennard on her birthday at the Gilbert Residence, an assisted living facility she moved into just last year. The great-great-grandmother didn’t quit driving until she was in her late nineties, and she’s still doing crosswords to keep her mind sharp. She’s eager, she says, to see the U.S. elect its first woman president.

Mattel celebrates launch of art therapist Barbie at Mott: She’s the first iteration of the classic doll to be a mental health professional, prompting delight from the children’s hospital’s art therapy team in the Jones Family Center, CBS Detroit reports. The celebration featured Barbie bingo, a photo booth, a therapy dog – and a Barbie for every child, courtesy of Mattel Children’s Foundation.

Mothfire Brewing co-owner catches Tigers ball in beer cup: The ball landed and splashed David Becker’s half-full suds everywhere at the Sept. 26 Tigers-Rays game at Comerica Park, MLive reports. An Ann Arborite and lifelong Detroit fan, Becker planned to attend last night’s triumphant playoff victory to eliminate Cleveland.

Pioneer High grad among Time 100: Tina Fey writes in the newsmagazine’s annual issue that thirty-three-year-old actress Ashley Park, also a U-M alum, is an “ultramodern woman – smart, kind, relatable and uniquely beautiful.” Park earned a Tony nomination as the lead in the Fey-written Broadway musical “Mean Girls” and has appeared on TV in several shows including “Only Murders In The Building” and “Emily in Paris.” 

U-M issues hammock policy: To promote their “safe, appropriate and temporary use” while also “considering the health and preservation of trees on the Ann Arbor campus,” the university has issued rules about “location, time and maximum occupancy,” the University Record writes. U-M also clarified its policy on where posters are allowed – on round kiosks, not sidewalks or sides of buildings.

Haymaker Pub closes: The downtown bar shut down last week after seven years with a vague and gracious statement on its website but little explanation. “Haymaker was always about bringing people together, and it has been our privilege to serve this wonderful community over the years,” the statement says. “Thank you for being part of our story.” 

Photo-video shop opens A2 location: PROCAM, a chain with three other stores, is focused on having just about anything in stock so customers won’t shop online, Dave Algase writes in this month’s Observer. In addition to checking out often-expensive gear in person and consulting with experienced staff, customers can rent items for one-time or trial purposes. Manager Frank Padyjasek reports that old-school film photography is hip again: “A lot of the kids that never grew up with it are now wanting to kind of check it out. A lot of the schools still teach it, just to kind of slow everybody down.”

Cold Comfort to scoop from downtown Ypsi alley: After closing The Bar at 327 Braun Ct. in Ann Arbor earlier this year, Eric Farrell wanted to build a business focused on the frozen treats they served there, MLive writes (paywall). Farrell and Danielle Berridge now sell their bespoke novelty flavors wholesale to places like Zingerman’s and Side Biscuit, with a plan to start selling from a walk-up window at 10 N. Washington St. in Ypsi, where Go! Ice Cream operated until it closed last year. 

Fiftieth A2-area CROP Hunger Walk raises $45,000: About 250 walkers from sixteen local congregations and organizations participated on the West Side on Sunday, co-chair Bryan Weinert writes to a2view. Most of the money will go to international hunger relief and development efforts, with one-quarter dedicated to local anti-hunger programs, including the St. Andrew’s Breakfast Program, Hope Clinic, FedUp Ministries, Packard Health, and Avalon Housing.

Volunteers pull 2,661 pounds of trash from Huron: That haul is a record for this summer’s city-run river cleanup program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes, and the Environment. Helpers canoe the river in teams throughout the summer to fish out refuse. Scheduling for 2025 begins in March; spots are limited and events are first-come first-serve when the schedule opens. ​Email [email protected] for more information.

Local fundraiser presents perils for Haitian educator: Hilda Alcindor plans to attend an Oct. 18 gala at the Kensington Hotel to benefit the Ann Arbor–based Haiti Nursing Foundation, but she must travel carefully “to avoid being kidnapped,” the organization’s development associate Vanessa Chaddic-Hess tells Jan Schlain in this month’s Observer. Alcindor, dean of Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti, is safe inside the school’s walled campus in Léogâne, Haiti, but the country is rife with political violence and unrest that makes travel risky. The group hopes to raise $50,000 at the event to train nurses in the western hemisphere’s poorest nation.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: Catch Cirque Italia’s Paranormal Cirque, a racy circus/cabaret show of international contortionists, aerialists, jugglers, and acrobats who perform under a big tent. Age thirteen and up admitted; under age seventeen requires an accompanying adult. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 7:30 and 9:30 (Fri.), 3:30, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. (Sat.), and 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. (Sun.), Briarwood Mall parking lot, 100 Briarwood Circle. Tickets $35 to $80 in advance online or at the gate. 

Saturday: Pick up some originals at A2 Artoberfest, an art fair featuring works by about 100 regional artists that include paintings, jewelry, ceramics, and fiber. Also, family-friendly crafts (noon to 4 p.m., 118 N. Fourth Ave.). 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sat.) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sun.), on N. Fourth (between Huron and Catherine) and Ann St. (between Main St. and Fifth Ave.). Free.

Sunday: Boat Gallup Pond to enjoy the fall colors and gather candy from costumed characters at stops along the way at “Trick or Treat on the River,” an annual event put on by Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation. Paddlers are encouraged to come in costume and bring a candy collection bag. Kids must be at least one and accompanied by an adult. Also, lawn games in the park. Last boat leaves dock at 3 p.m. Noon to p.m., Gallup Park canoe livery, 3000 Fuller. $25 per boat. No preregistration required. (734) 794–6240. 

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

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