Roman Stolyar
Jazz has had a long and complicated history in Russia and the Soviet Union. Beloved in the ’20s, practically banned in the ’40s, it continued to go in and out of official favor until the end of Soviet power. Stalin...
Read More2012 February
Detour to Cooperstown
“Nobody comes to the University of Michigan to play baseball.” That’s how Bo Schembechler used to tease Barry Larkin. In January Larkin became the first Wolverine since the Tigers’ Charlie Gehringer,...
Read MoreTrio of Closings
“I love chocolate, but chocolate doesn’t love me.” That sentiment could apply to everyone who’s tried to run a chocolate shop at 330 South Main. In the last three years, it has changed ownership, and...
Read MoreSkunks in Love
In addition to odiferous and nocturnal, who knew skunks were romantic?Yet skunk mating season “starts on Valentine’s Day,” according to Scott Purr, owner of the local Critter Control franchise. “Skunks...
Read MoreBackstage at the Museum
I confess I did not expect the fish tour to be very exciting, but I was amazed when we were led down steep cement stairs deep into the basement and found ourselves surrounded by one of the largest fish collections in the...
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LGBTQQA Pressure Cooker
For most young people, navigating the uncharted waters of high school isn’t easy. But for members of Spectrum, the queer-straight alliance at Saline High School, the task is doubly hard. Not only do they have to contend...
Read MoreWhimsical Cocktails
The Village, the cozy neighborhood of affordable condos just behind Falsetta’s Market on Washtenaw across from Arborland, seems tailor-made for a neighborhood gathering spot or pub. But it’s never really had...
Read MoreSwim for a Cure
Six local women plan to swim the Channel this summer.The “A2A3 Relay Team” is the brainchild of local attorney Amanda Mercer, a board member of Ann Arbor Active Against ALS. Local residents Kristin McGuire and Dave...
Read MoreSex on campus
Considering all the media coverage about college students “hooking up”–having sex without a relationship–their lack of basic knowledge surprises Terri Conley, U-M assistant professor of psychology and...
Read MoreBetter late than never
According to the list of street closings on the city’s website, Fifth Ave. between Liberty and William reopened the day after Halloween. The Downtown Development Authority website has it carrying traffic in December. So...
Read MoreCooking Show at Sigma Nu Alpha
We received 155 entries correctly identifying the January Fake Ad for someone to host a cooking show at the Sigma Nu Alpha fraternity (page 38).”I liked this one a lot,” wrote Dan Jarrell. “It had the...
Read MoreObservatory Lodge
January’s I Spy showed Observatory Lodge, at the corner of Observatory and Washington Heights. Louisa Griffes explained our clue: “Built in 1930,” she writes, it “was the last of eight … multistory...
Read MoreChanging Hands
Two of Ann Arbor’s increasingly rare venues for live music quickly changed hands and closed on January 1. Bartender Amanda Leavitt, who worked both Live at PJ’s and Goodnite Gracie on New Year’s Eve, found out...
Read MoreHit the Road, Jack
I attended college twice. The first time was at the University of Michigan. The second time was also at the University of Michigan–when my son Jack went there.I got better value the second time, I think. I was in Ann Arbor...
Read MoreBlue Tractor and Cafe Habana
The Blue Tractor is taking over the former Cafe Habana, but what everyone really wants to know is the future location of Cafe Habana. Habana temporarily closed in January, to reopen sometime this summer. Blue Tractor managing...
Read MoreCunningham’s on Main
Q. I am looking for information and photos of Cunningham Drug on Main Street. When was it opened, and how long was it there?Also, did that location house another business before the Parthenon restaurant?A. Here’s a great...
Read MoreThe Legacy of Renden Lemasters
In the early hours of June 15, 2004, a couch caught fire on the porch of a house on Oakland Avenue. Fed by the sofa’s stuffing, the blaze quickly engulfed the structure, putting two of the U-M football players who lived...
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