Today is Veteran’s Day, or Remembrance Day as it is known elsewhere. My family has a long history of military service, going back to the Civil War. My grandfathers fought in World War I, and my dad and uncles in World War II. My cousins were the most recent to serve, doing tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

This week, Concordia University has held a series of events honoring veterans. Through Sunday, it is hosting the Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial In Washington, D.C. I’ve visited the original many times, and it’s always a touching experience. Thank you to all our veterans, past and present.

Micki Maynard, editor 

U-M Covid cases spike. On Tuesday, U-M reported a “significant rise” in Covid-19 cases among students over the past week. “Social gatherings without masks continue to be the primary identified route of transmission among students,” the university said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the Washtenaw County Health Department on Wednesday reported sixty-three cases, one hospitalization and one death in the previous twenty-four hours. Infections connected to U-M and EMU comprised 14 percent of overall cases from October 21 to November 3, up from 8 percent two weeks earlier. 

AAPS retention bonus. School district employees will receive a 2 percent, onetime retention bonus, MLive reported (subscription required). The payments, totalling $4.9 million, will go to all salaried full-time staff, and will come from federal elementary and secondary school relief funds. They will be paid in December.

Mask requirement lifted for athletes and performers. The Ann Arbor Public Schools are no longer requiring masks for student-athletes and coaches at games and practices, as well as performing arts groups, as long as high levels of vaccination are confirmed, the school district said.

Carbon monoxide scare. The Ann Arbor Fire Department responded to a carbon monoxide alarm early Saturday at Pioneer, the department said on Facebook. Too many overnight trailers parked for the football game had their generators running. The fire department spaced out the equipment before any injuries took place.

Season high ejections. That night, twenty fans were ejected from the game against Indiana, a season high, MLive reported. Nine people were ejected for disorderly conduct, seven for intoxication, and four for refusing to follow stadium rules. One person was arrested. That was double the season’s previous high of ten ejections at the Rutgers game in September.

Kerrytown-area development: A five-story condo development is proposed on Detroit St., behind the Detroit Street Filling Station, MLive reported. The building could have as many as 15 units, plus ground floor commercial space.

Student voting jumps: Nearly 80 percent of U-M students voted in 2020, up 18 percentage points from 2016, according to the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts. Nationally, 66 percent of students voted, said the survey, which looked at more than 1,000 universities.

Purple Rose resignation: Guy Sanville, artistic director of the Purple Rose Theatre, has stepped aside, the theater told donors last week. Read the letter from board chair Steve Hamp at EncoreMichigan. Sanville has been with the theater twenty-six years, acting in and directing productions. He and other staffers faced complaints of harassment and creating a hostile work environment, posted on Instagram @the_purplestories.

Schlissel reaction: In the weeks since U-M president Mark Schlissel announced plans to leave by June 2023, the reaction has not exactly been warm, Eve Silberman reports in the November Observer. Author and sports commentator John U. Bacon says Schlissel never seemed to take to Ann Arbor, but he can rectify that impression before he leaves town.

Hyperion’s new shop: Ypsilanti’s Hyperion Coffee will hold its grand opening on Friday on W. Liberty, where it has held a soft opening this week. Co-owner Eric Mullins says he nabbed the spot after Thrive Juicery, one of its customers, vacated in August (Thrive is still open on E. Stadium). You’ll find a full menu of coffee drinks, bagged coffees, and pastries from local bakers.

Kitchen Loft is open. Upstairs in Kerrytown, Gretchen Gill Woods has opened Kitchen Loft in the location that Spun vacated when it moved downstairs. The store is bursting with equipment ranging from pots and pans to gadgets. Woods, who managed Spice Tea & Merchants, wanted to revive the tradition of a Kerrytown kitchen store. 

Guest chef at Dolores: Local pop-up notable Lucha Puerco - real name John Moors - is beginning a weekly indoor residency at Dolores in Ypsi on Fridays, running through the winter. Lucha Puerco promises a variety of tacos, fries, bowls, and burritos. Reservations are advised. Read more about pop-ups in the Observer’s story from May.

By Ella Bourland

11 Thursday: Read and discuss poems on various themes at One Pause Poetry’s “Poetry Salon” (every Thursday). Followed by collaborative writing games and exercises. Snacks & socializing. 7:30 p.m., Argus Farm Stop greenhouse, 325 W. Liberty. $5 suggested donation. 213-2200

12 Friday: Watch the Michigan Irish Repertory Theatre in "Mam and Me" (November 12-14), Dolores Mannion's one-act comedy about the ups and downs of a mother-daughter relationship. The play received its world premiere in Cork, Ireland, earlier this year. Preceded by music and Irish storytelling by MIRT artistic director Kiley and Mind the Gap Theatre founder Adrian Diffey. Distanced seating. 7:30 p.m. (Friday & Saturday) & 3 p.m. (Sunday), Theatre Nova, 410 W. Huron. Tickets $25 in advance and at the door. Masks & proof of vaccination (or negative Covid test) required. 276-7183.

13 Saturday: Ages six & up invited to learn how to make “magical wands” at Unicorn Feed & Supply’s hands-on workshop led by Bill Pemberton and Amy Balzer-Pemberton, husband-wife owners of Professor Pemberton's Wands. 1-2 p.m., Stone & Spoon, 110 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. $25, includes materials; preregistration available. Masks required. 961-8610.

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

Tell a friend about a2view

For Sponsorship and Advertising information 
Email:  a2view@aaobserver.com

Did this email get forwarded to you? 
Sign up to receive a2view direct to your inbox.