December 2024 Home Sales
U-M football legend Desmond Howard, now an ESPN sportscaster based in Miami, plunked down $800,000 for a 2-bed, 2-bath, 1,459-square-foot Liberty Lofts unit at 315 Second St.
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Canine Civilization
Swift Run—I love the image the name conjures. I love the dusty parking lot, never empty, and the crabapple tree along the fence line of the little-dog park. I once saw an old woman gathering the sour fruit; I wondered what she was going to do with them but was too shy to ask.
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Thriving Thrift
Founded in the midst of the Great Depression to help mothers and children in need, the nonprofit shop’s mission and territory have expanded greatly since then. Once confined to residents of the city of Ann Arbor, its outreach now encompasses the entire county and all neighbors facing crises, whether they are unemployed, underemployed, struggling with substance or physical abuse, or confronting health-related challenges.
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Life Lessons from Being a Line Cook
Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw opened Zingerman’s Delicatessen in 1982. It became the cornerstone of a Community of Businesses that today has a staff of 700 and annual sales of more than $80,000,000. Along the way, Weinzweig has published more than two dozen books on food, business, and leadership. This article is excerpted from his latest, a hand-bound chapbook that connects his early life to his work today.
Read MoreQuestion Corner | January 2025
What is the tall tower structure next to the U-M Transportation Facility near the corner of Baxter Rd. and Dean Rd.?
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Moni Strouss
Born Mary Margaret Lauth, she’s “always been called Moni.” At ninety-nine she still cooks her own breakfast and lunch, keeps up with numerous family members and acquaintances, writes letters, discusses politics and social trends, and reads voraciously. The books stacked on the coffee table in her All Seasons apartment are topped by Timothy Snyder’s On Freedom and Barbara McQuade’s Attack from Within.
Read MoreNovember 2024 Home Sales
The cottage at 538 N. Main St. is overshadowed by its neighbors, but it has an adorable scalloped façade, a charming little courtyard, and for $590,000, the buyers got a 3-bedroom, 2-bath just two blocks from downtown.
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Keeping Warm
By the time the first snowflakes fell in mid-November, 1,537 local children were wearing new winter clothes provided by Warm the Children. “We’re clothing more children than we have in many years,” says program manager Mary Stewart. “The children we serve are from all over Washtenaw County—Ann Arbor, Milan, Dexter, Saline, Chelsea, and Ypsilanti, as well as the townships—and the need is growing.”
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Scarves at St. Andrew’s
Seeing guests leave the warmth of St. Andrew’s on a cold winter morning, Maureen had an inspiration: An experienced knitter, she could make scarves for them! She invited us, her sisters in PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization, a women’s service group) to a knitting bee at her home. “This was over 20 years ago,” recalls her daughter Kate Martin.
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Tree Mural at 421 E. Liberty
“Weren’t these paintings designed to cover up graffiti?” asks Dan Romanchik. “If so, they’ve done a pretty good job.”
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Holiday Guide 2024
Warm holiday wishes from the Ann Arbor Observer! Shop local this year, and support our downtown and around town businesses and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Enjoy the variety of events, live shows, and...
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Question Corner | December 2024
The sign for Bell’s Diner on W. Stadium is mounted on a chimney. Old-fashioned lettering can be seen behind the sign. Only the first two (of the five) letters can be read: “Wo.” What is written there?
Read MoreOctober 2024 Home Sales
A few good deals: It’s not easy—but also not impossible—to find single-family homes for under $300,000. Typically they need tons of work, but there are exceptions.
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Angry Neptune, Salacia, and Strider
“The large cast bronze trio [is] by Michele Oka Doner, [who] described them as ‘fossilized totems,’” writes Barb Tester. “When I first saw the sculpture, I thought it was a tree stump weathered by the elements,” writes David Karl.
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Minding the Poll Book
Why did you sign up to be a poll worker on Election Day? I did it to see another side of our process and to make sure that every citizen got to vote in the manner of their choosing.
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The Agean Golden Helmet
We received 177 entries correctly identifying the Fake Ad on page 71 of the November issue. “Finally!” writes the very clever Linda Etter. “An ad made just for me (and all those other gray/white-haired seniors)!”
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Discoveries!
The Observer’s call for historical artifacts earlier this year yielded an interesting range of items. Many will be documented by the Ann Arbor District Library as part of its digital archive of the city’s history.
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Gifts of Life
Dorrie Dils became president and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan in 2016. At the time, she says, the Ann Arbor–based agency was “averaging about 280 organ donors a year.” The number has since more than doubled, to 578 last year.
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Jim Toy Center Is Back
This month, the Rainbow Readers Book Club will hold its first meeting at the center’s new home at 560 S. Main St. The blue house across from the Union Rec restaurant is owned by Greyfort Development, Wickfield’s real estate holding company.
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