From the U.S. House of Representatives to the Ann Arbor School District to the police department, we’re in a weird, unexpected, possibly prolonged moment of leadership transition. In these uncertain times, then, you need a steady hand to keep you updated and informed.

That’s me! This week, we have a glut of news, including record enrollment at U-M, anger over a fence to protect people from themselves around the railroad tracks, a murder in Saline, a truly bizarre and disturbing road rage incident, and fancy new digs for Santa Ono.

The item I’m watching with most interest, though, is the possible Sports Illustrated hotel downtown. As someone who has covered the many themed resorts in Las Vegas, I do wonder if SI is the best fit for a place as erudite and cultured as this. If we’re going this route, doesn’t a Bon Appetit hotel sound delicious? Or maybe a New Yorker hotel where every room is adorned with a wry but knowing cartoon involving a thinking animal!

As I daydream about what other periodicals would work better for Tree Town, I wish you all a well-read week ahead.
– Steve Friess, editor

Record U-M enrollment surpasses MSU, boosts diversity: The Ann Arbor campus boasts more than 52,000 students, including nearly 32,700 undergraduates, which makes it the largest post-secondary student body in the state, the University Record writes. That’s an overall 2 percent increase from 2022 and a 3 percent increase in undergrads. The 93,745 applications received was also a record. People of color comprise 44 percent of the 8,880 first-year students, up 16 points from 2022. Students hail from every state and sixty-five countries.

School board hopes to fill vacancy quickly: The eleven candidates include a Washtenaw County assistant public defender, more than one retired educator, the father of a fifth-grader, and the former chair of the Ann Arbor PTO Council. The names and applications are available for review here. Members of the public have until noon on Monday to weigh in by email about any of the applicants. The vacancy was created by last month’s resignation of Jacinda Townsend Gides soon after she cast the deciding vote to remove superintendent Jeanice Swift. The board is supposed to select a replacement on Wednesday, but that won’t be easy; it’s evenly split between Swift’s opponents and defenders, and whoever’s selected could be the swing vote in selecting her successor.

But slows superintendent’s departure: The board moved Swift’s last day as superintendent to Nov. 16 from Oct. 31 so a financial audit can be completed and an interim leader selected, MLive reports (paywall). One possible search firm told the board they ought to go slowly on seeking a permanent replacement because “people would be afraid to apply right now” given how abruptly the previous majority sent Swift packing.

MDOT gets earful over railroad fence: Dozens of residents turned out at a public forum on Tuesday to object to a proposal to create barriers to prevent accidental or intentional collisions with trains, MLive reports (paywall). Many said the fences would be unsightly, impede wildlife movement, and would bisect the city with a “wall,” urging MDOT to provide pedestrian crossings or underpasses. An online petition against the project has garnered more than 3,500 signatures since July 30.

City in talks about Sports illustrated hotel downtown: The magazine’s resorts subsidiary is considering a high-rise with a conference center on the city-owned parking lot at Ashley and William streets, according to a statement posted on SI.com and reporting from MLive. The effort would be a joint venture between Sports Illustrated Resorts, Travel + Leisure Co., and Sports Hospitality Ventures LLC., which last month announced “the first of its new line of college town resorts” for Tuscaloosa, Ala. 

Speed humps coming to Baldwin Ave., Manchester Rd.: Both are often used by motorists to circumvent traffic on nearby main roads, so neighbors there petitioned for the traffic-calming measures, MLive reports (paywall). Council approved $35,000 for both efforts, which include two speed humps on Baldwin and one hump plus a raised crosswalk on Manchester. The work is expected to be completed next year.

Tennis, pickleball courts must be moved: The facilities at South Maple Park were built on a water reservoir, which is no longer allowed, so the city has a survey online for residents to vote on options for their relocation. One allows space for one tennis court and up to six pickleball courts, the other would only allow for two pickleball courts.

Extreme weather cost city $1.9M: Downed trees and power lines from three major events – the Feb. 22 ice storm, the March 3 snowfall, and the June 25 and July 26 thunderstorms – proved expensive, according to a new city report presented to council this week. The bulk of that came from the $1.6 million spent in the aftermath of the February and March winter storms, when some 1,800 street trees were damaged.

New Gallup Park bridge to cost $4.2 million: Council approved a contract this week to start work on a span next year that will replace the wooden one built in 1976, according to city documents. The current bridge will remain in use until the new one is completed with some occasional closures. Grand Haven-based Anlaan Corp. was hired as the builder.

Interim police chief retires, heads to Michigan Medicine: Aimee Metzer, who has been running the AAPD since former chief Michael Cox left in 2022 to be commissioner in Boston, will depart on Oct. 19, MLive reports. That’ll be twenty-five years and one day after she started with the department, and she’ll transition immediately into a new job as the U-M’s Division of Public Safety & Security’s director of support services for Michigan Medicine. The city has struggled to find a new permanent chief, opting to reopen the search rather than select any of four finalists who interviewed this summer for the post.

New Ypsilanti Twp. fire chief starts: Steven Densmore, previously assistant fire chief in Dearborn, replaced chief Eric Copeland, who retired after fourteen years at the helm, MLive reports. His new position, which began on Sept. 25,  pays $98,000 plus benefits. Densmore is also a Melvindale city council member.

Mexican journalist settling in after receiving asylum: Emilio Gutierrez Soto, who fled his country in 2009 to escape threats from military figures angry about articles exposing corruption, learned last month that his asylum claim had been accepted and he can remain in the U.S. indefinitely, Michigan Alumnus magazine writes. After years in and out of immigration detention centers with his son, Oscar, he came to Ann Arbor on a Knight-Wallace journalism fellowship, the Observer’s James Militzer wrote in the January 2019 issue. Now, he says, this is his new hometown.

New Car & Driver editor living boyhood dream: Tony Quiroga was on the brink of medical school when he landed a gofer gig at Automobile magazine that swerved him into a career in auto journalism, he tells Jan Schlain in this month’s Observer. The West Bloomfield native moved to C&D in 2004 and, last year, ascended to the top of its masthead. 

Saline woman found shot to death, suspect in custody: Officers discovered the body of Cindy Gochis, forty-nine, last week after she was reported missing, according to a Facebook post from the Saline Police Department. The suspect, a fifty-five-year-old man, drove Gochis’s car to Indiana, where police found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He remains hospitalized and has been charged with open murder and felony firearm. Police say the homicide, the sixteenth in the county this year, is  “domestic related.” 

Milan biker killed in crash with car in Ypsilanti Twp.: Motorcyclist Mark Riley, sixty, was heading west on Michigan Ave. on Saturday night when an eastbound car turned onto Harris Rd. in front of him, MLive reports. Riley’s bike struck the car, which was driven by an eighty-six-year-old Ypsi man, police said. No arrest was made.

Driver threatened with drill, pipe in road rage incident: A sixty-eight-year-old woman told Ann Arbor police the driver of a black SUV got out near Yost Blvd. and Parkwood Ave., to get the items from his trunk and then menace her with them, MLive reports. The SUV had been following her and sideswiped her driver’s side before the confrontation. He drove off before police arrived. Anyone with information about the incident, which occurred around 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 26, should call (734) 294-6939 or email here. 

Police ID two U-M students as Jewish Resource Center vandals: The duo, a man and woman, are not being publicly named because the JRC is choosing not to press charges, according to a Facebook post from the Ann Arbor Police Department. The man drew a penis and a homophobic slur in blue spray paint on the sidewalk; the woman wrote her initials. 

Dateline NBC revisits half-century-old cold case: Sandra Horwath, then thirty-three, went missing from her A2 home on Oct. 1, 1973, and was never found. One of her three daughters spoke to NBC News about her last day with her mother before she vanished, and the report recounts the suspicion placed on Gary Taylor of Onsted, who knew Horwath and is now serving a life sentence in Washington State for the murder of another young woman. Taylor has admitted to other murders but has said he did not kill Horwath.

Misty Farm owner defends events barns amid efforts to sell: The Scio Twp. venue, which includes two restored historic barns, has drawn ire from neighbors who complain about the noise and traffic, MLive reports. Owner Kelly Frutig, who has listed Misty Farm for sale at $2.85 million but intends to keep the sister venue, The Valley, says she’s taken several steps to minimize the noise.

Judge rules against animals on Webster Twp. farm: District court judge Anna Frushour declined to overrule township authorities who determined that Cottonwood Farm is too small to host livestock, Catholic World Report writes. The historic property ten miles northwest of Ann Arbor is occupied by a community of about twenty devout Catholics, and an attorney for organizer Inshal Chenet characterized the restriction as “persecution.”  Organizers assert that the state’s Right to Farm Act supersedes the local zoning ordinance, but Judge Frushour rejected that argument. 

Local legislators aim to undo ban on plastic bans: Democrat state rep Felicia Brabec and state senator Sue Shink want to undo a 2016 law that prohibited Washtenaw County from enforcing a measure restricting the use of single-use plastic bags and containers, Bridge Michigan writes. The state law, passed by a GOP-dominated legislature, targeted the county’s requirement of a 10-cent fee on plastic or paper grocery bags. Brabec and Shink, both former county commissioners, hope to reverse it now that their party controls Lansing. 

U-M med school grads’ start-up offers test to guide oncologists on treatment: Strata Oncology’s test can detect more than 500 DNA genetic variants and proteins in a single cancer that the firm says can help doctors decide how to fight it, Ken Garber writes in this month’s Observer. The prospect has helped Dan Rhodes and Scott Tomlins land $128 million in venture capital, including a $90 million funding round in 2021 that set a record for a Michigan biotech company. Working with a tiny sample of a patient’s tumor, Strata aspires to give oncologists much more certainty that a given drug will or won’t work for a given patient.

Upgrades to rural water treatment plants funded in new state budget: The new fiscal year that began Sunday brings $5 million to Saline and $3.6 million to Milan to renovate existing facilities and improve their technology, according to a press release from Michigan House Democrats. The Saline grant is a small piece of a $62 million plan, but the work to the Milan plant is not as extensive.

Weekend closures coming to Michigan Ave. in downtown Ypsi: The shutdowns will run from 6 p.m. on Friday through 7 a.m. Monday and then the same hours from October 13 to 16, according to a city notice. MDOT crews will be repaving the road and repainting pedestrian crosswalks. The road closures won’t cancel various community events scheduled for each weekend, but motorists should be alert to detours.

City, county, townships, courts closed Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day: In addition to local observances, the day also known as Columbus Day is a federal holiday so there won’t be any mail delivery. However Ann Arbor’s curbside trash, recycling, and compost collection will continue, the city says.

$11.5M renovation of U-M president’s mansion complete: The 183-year-old, three-story, twenty-room house is the oldest building on campus, and the Michigan Daily got a tour of its sleek new interior. Bright red tile installed in 1920 on the first floor has been covered over by hardwood and most of the furniture is new, though a 1880 Steinway Model C piano is a holdover. New president Santa Ono, who has been waiting for more than a year to move in, notably asked for three cherry blossom trees to be planted on the grounds as an homage to his Japanese heritage. 

Bodega Bros opens on North University Ave.: The sandwich and sundries shop is an Ann Arbor outpost of a chain with locations around New York City, the Daily reports. Owner Esam Almulaiki, who grew up in Hamtramck, says they aim to be open 24/7, but for now the hours are 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.  In addition to drinks and groceries, Bodega Bros also offers a range of sandwiches, omelets, and smoothies.

Go! Ice Cream in Ypsi to close Oct. 15: In a lengthy, emotional Facebook post, owner Rob Hess said he’s some $100,000 in debt and that “while so much in me wants to just keep going and keep spreading the gospel of deliciousness, I just simply can’t put myself at risk.” The shop will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays for its remaining days.

Madras Masala finds new location after fire: The Indian restaurant, which closed in January after a blaze destroyed its building on Maynard St., plans to be back up and running next month in the former Chia Shiang at 2016 Packard St., MLive reports. Owner Gopal Ramanujam says the new edition of the restaurant will lean into fast-casual takeout but will have some seating.

Murder Mystery party on Wednesday to benefit Mott, Trinity Health patient families: The event at Weber’s Restaurant raises funds for the Howard Hanna Children’s Free Care Fund to help families who are struggling financially while their children are facing an illness. Tickets are $100 and can be bought here. The 1980s-themed party runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and features hors d’oeuvres, music, a cash bar, a silent auction, and a raffle.

Help needed for Trick or Treat on the River: Costumes are provided by the city’s GIVE 365 for the event on Sunday, Oct. 15, in which volunteers hand out candy along the Huron River at Gallup Park. To sign up for a station or learn more, click here. The popular city-sponsored event runs from noon to 4 p.m. and involves trick-or-treating via canoe or kayak at ten candy stations.

Small Business Growth Activator offers mentoring, grants for microbusinesses: The collaboration between the county and five business-oriented nonprofits offers $5,000 to companies that were open prior to the Covid pandemic and which have five or fewer employees and meet certain income thresholds, Concentrate writes. Each will receive guidance and counseling on how to use the money from one of the participating groups. To apply, click here.

By Jennifer Taylor

Friday: “Name That Tune” at the Ann Arbor District Library. Teens and adults are invited to join forces with up to seven friends (or strangers) to compete in four rounds to name the artist and title of songs in different genres. Prizes. 6–7:30 p.m., AADL Downtown, 4th floor. Free. (734) 327-4200. 

Saturday:  Join Washtenaw Audubon Society’s “The Big Sit,” an international competition to see as many bird species as possible while remaining in a circle 17 feet in diameter. It’s a chance for novices to learn how to identify birds by eye and ear. If you plan to stay any length of time, bring food, a beverage, and a folding chair, along with your binoculars. 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Independence Lake County Park, the grassy knoll just past the boat launch, a quarter-mile after entering the park on the left, 3200 Jennings Rd., Whitmore Lake. Free; $6 vehicle entry fee required. For more information, click here.

Sunday: See The Crossroads Project: “Rising Tide,” a “science storytelling”  performance by Utah State University physics professor Robert Davies and USU’s Fry Street Quartet. They use music by composer Laura Kaminsky, visual images based on scientific research projected on a large screen, and the spoken word to communicate society’s sustainability challenges. 4 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1432 Washtenaw Ave. Free. 

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

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