“You thought you could skate this one by the readers, didn’t you?” quips Mary Adams about January’s feature. “I believe the ‘cathedral’ is Yost Ice Arena on S. State,” writes David Cooke, referring to the clue. “I admit that I don’t get the clue,” writes Mike McGraw, “but I recognize Yost.” “One of the best sports environments anywhere,” says Jane Thurston.
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Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1930, the retired U-M professor remembers a wonderful childhood—until 1937, when the Nazis confiscated her father’s bank and gave it to “non-Jews.” Ever resourceful, her father managed to find a job with American Express and moved the family to Amsterdam. “But we had not moved far enough,” Butter says. The Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940 and instituted the same anti-Semitic policies the Hasenbergs had fled three years earlier.
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Recently, a book appeared among the Nepali handicrafts in the window of Himalayan Bazaar on Main St. Beyond Everest traces the path that took the store’s co-owner from grinding poverty to the top of the world’s highest mountain. He and his wife and co-owner, Moni Mulepati, were married there, drawing international coverage.
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“‘We’re going back’ can be taken a couple ways but add in the 1600 Penn Street address I know what it means to me 😢”
Read MoreCould congestion pricing be used in Ann Arbor to reduce traffic congestion?
Read MoreU-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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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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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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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 MoreWhat 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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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 MoreThe 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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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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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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“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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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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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 MoreA 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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“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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