My mother Bonny Maynard died six years ago this Sunday. She had a full, interesting life, leaving just two months shy of her 102nd birthday. We call the anniversary “Bonny Day,” and share memories and laughter (those who knew her will remember her quirky sense of humor). In the weeks after she died, I went for daily walks in Burns Park, where the trees were ablaze with vibrant color, as if they were bidding her farewell. 

This year, I’ve noticed that while many trees have turned golden, there do not seem to be as many vivid reds and oranges as in the past. Local 4 News meteorologist Paul Gross explains that our weather this year—a drought, alternating with deluges—has dampened those hues. If you have brightly colored trees, we’d love to see them. Send your photos to a2view@aaobserver.com and we’ll feature some soon.

Micki Maynard, editor 
 

Covid cases: On Wednesday the Washtenaw County Health Dept. reported 127 new cases of Covid-19, three hospitalizations, and one death in the past twenty-four hours. The CDC transmission rate is high, at 180 weekly cases per 100,000 county residents. The weekly positivity rate is 5 percent. Nine percent of cases are connected to U-M and EMU.

Meanwhile, Ann Arbor Public Schools are limiting spectators at indoor high school matches to only two spectators per student or staff member, due to high transmission rates in Washtenaw County. The limits apply to games played at Pioneer, Skyline, and Huron, MLive reports. According to AAPS’ Covid dashboard, there were 50 Covid cases among students and staff last week.
 

Fire at U-M Hospital: On Tuesday, firefighters from seven area companies battled a three-alarm fire at U-M Hospital, according to a Facebook post from the Ann Arbor Fire Dept. The blaze took place on the third floor, which houses mechanical equipment, but no patients. Sprinklers were unable to extinguish the fire, so firefighters stretched 250 feet of high-rise hose line to put it out. Fire Chief Mike Kennedy said his crew had trained for high-rise fires the past 18 months “and today, all that effort paid off. Our firefighters performed effortlessly.” 

Go Blue Flu: Students at U-M are coming down with a dry cough and runny nose that has been nicknamed the “Go Blue Flu,” according to the Michigan Daily. There’s no evidence that it’s influenza, however; it’s most likely a virus unrelated to Covid-19, says epidemiologist Joseph Eisenberg. It’s possible quarantine and isolation have weakened some students’ immune systems, and they’re catching the virus now that they’re back in classrooms, dorms, and apartments. 
 

Pioneer football coach quits: Jimmy Williams quit Tuesday as Pioneer’s football coach, MLive reported. He spent less than a year in the job. Williams was placed on leave last week and did not coach in Friday’s game against Ypsilanti Lincoln.

Bright Sheng steps away: U-M music professor and composer Bright Sheng gave up teaching an undergraduate composition class last week, the Michigan Daily reported. He was criticized for showing Stuart Burge’s 1965 film adaptation of Othello, starring Laurence Olivier in blackface. Sheng, who apologized, will continue to teach other courses and retains his faculty position. Sheng received a MacArthur genius grant in 2001 and his works are performed widely in the classical music world.

A new job for Becky Blank. Rebecca Blank, the former dean of U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy, and a former acting Commerce Secretary, is leaving the University of Wisconsin system to become president of Northwestern. Blank’s name had been floated as a possible successor for Mark Schlissel, who will be leaving U-M a year early.

The A2Go shuttle is up and running. You might have noticed four Lexus RX crossovers, as well as a wheelchair-accessible Polaris GEM electric minibus navigating the city. They are a free autonomous shuttle service that runs from Kerrytown with stops downtown, on U-M’s central and south campuses, and the State St. corridor. Rides are available weekdays and must be booked on the May Mobility app. Find more details and a map here.

Jean King dies: Nationally known feminist and Ann Arbor attorney Jean King died last weekend. King’s 1970 lawsuit against U-M is seen as a ground-breaking case in opportunities and salary equity for women, and her other efforts helped win recognition for female athletes. U-M softball coach Carol Hutchins, former congresswoman Lynn Rivers, and former state lawmaker Alma Wheeler Smith shared memories of her with Michigan Radio.
 

Q.  Ann Arbor is currently carpeted with black walnuts (as you can see in our banner). What’s going on?

A.  When conditions are good, black walnut trees produce larger quantities of nuts every other year. A tree mostly allocates resources to flower production the first good year, and the following year turns the flowers into nuts.

Particularly productive “mast years” occur every few years, and this appears to be a mast year. These longer cycles are strategic: the occasional extravagant production guarantees that squirrels won’t consume all of the nuts, so that some nuts will produce trees.

Conditions vary yard-to-yard and so the more productive years are not necessarily shared by all trees in an area. However, scientists suspect that trees have a yet-to-be-identified means of synchronizing their mast years, probably with an exchange of chemicals through the air, soil, or shared fungi. This synchronization can extend hundreds of miles.

—Tim Athan

The Grange Kitchen has closed. Ann Arbor has lost its second downtown farm-to-table restaurant since the pandemic began. The Grange, which operated for twelve years, shut down for good this week, owner-chef Brandon Johns announced in an eloquent Instagram post. The closing comes on the heels of Logan’s departure last year (its space has been taken by Frita Batidos). More in the November Observer.
 

By Ella Bourland

14 Thursday: Hear U-M Bentley Historical Library archivists Brian Williams and Greg Kinney describe the making of “Michigan Football Game Films, 1930-1986: Digitalizing Game-Day History.” The work included adding annotations with time codes for scoring and other significant plays, links to team rosters, box scores, and Michigan Daily game stories to enhance viewers’ experience in watching the mostly silent films,. 7 p.m., for URL preregister here. Free. 

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

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