Hearth and Heart
Fifteen years ago Andrew Kyte, then a teenager, walked into the workshop of Mike Wolfe, a blacksmith on Ann Arbor’s west side, and wrote his name on the wall above the door. “I wanted to leave my mark,” he...
Read More2015 February
Super Blogger
In October, someone called “Wolverine Devotee” posted an email message on mgoblog.com. Supposedly sent by U-M athletic director Dave Brandon to a fan, it ended curtly: “I suggest you find a new team to support....
Read More“Our Deer Are Mostly Ann Arborites”
Maurita Holland says the last straw was when the deer ate her rain garden. The retired School of Information prof replaced a patch of turf with a sunken garden of native plants–only to discover that the deer that roam her...
Read MoreTraffic at Maple and Miller
Q. One year after spending $6.5 million to reconstruct Miller Ave., traffic buildups at the intersection of Miller and Maple are atrocious, especially on outbound Miller. It’s maddening, causing cars to detour through the...
Read MoreNatalie Diaz
One of the most interesting poetry debuts of the last few years has been that of Natalie Diaz. Part of the interest in her is certainly because of a compelling personal story. Diaz grew up on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation...
Read More
Finches in Love
February weather does nothing toward conjuring up images of cute little pink-skinned cupids and rosy red Valentine hearts. However, there are real live romances going on outside.The accompanying photo was taken in our backyard...
Read MoreMiss Dean’s new trees
When Elizabeth Dean, the only heir of a prosperous Main St. merchant, died in 1964, the city was stunned to find that she had left all her money–$1.7 million–to create a fund “to be used to repair, maintain and...
Read MoreThe Ann Arbor Daily
“I like to read it for the city council coverage,” says Washtenaw Dairy co-owner Doug Raab. He’s talking about the Michigan Daily, which since September has been available free at the Dairy. It’s one of...
Read MoreAlbert Lee
You might be surprised to learn that Eric Clapton called his fellow English guitarist Albert Lee the greatest guitarist in the world. Lee is hardly a household name, has recorded just a few solo albums, and isn’t...
Read MoreDetroit Vegan Soul
With so many restaurants in Ann Arbor, you don’t have to leave town for good meals of most varieties. But if you seek a change of urban scenery as days get longer, there’s an unusual new option near Detroit’s...
Read MoreTrigger Talk
Some Ann Arborites might be surprised to learn that their famously liberal town is home to a weekly radio talk show devoted to firearms. But Cupka, who hosts “Trigger Talk Radio” on WAAM Talk 1600, says guns...
Read MoreFix-It Friday
What if there were an enchanted place where you could meet magical people, the Wizard of Wood among them, who would expertly and enthusiastically repair your household goods, small appliances, and clothing for free? Fix-It...
Read MoreHands off my email
Google’s decision last year to quickly resolve concerns about its Apps for Education (AFE) is looking smarter all the time. As wariness grows about the trove of data collected by the search engine giant, half a dozen...
Read MoreOwn winter!
AAATA promotes non-automotive commutes year round, but it’s a harder sell this time of year. So in January, its getDowntown program was running its third annual “Conquer the Cold” contest. Director Nancy Shore...
Read MoreFarewell to Dancing Dog and Vellum
Bill Knudstrup, a painter and one of five remaining partners of the Dancing Dog Gallery, talked regretfully about its closing. Just a year and a half ago it seemed a suitably art-focused repurposing of the old Herb David Guitar...
Read MoreCentsible Eats
Whoa! Once I toted up the numbers, I realized the holidays had seriously thrown our household food budget out of whack. The new year demanded financial restraint. Polling acquaintances brought me a boatload of cheap eats...
Read MoreNew Owners for a Venerable Motorcycle Shop
“We’ll be cleaning up, doing some renovations, and will open in the spring,” says Robert Mechigian, who with partner Scott Meterko bought the assets of Nicholson’s motorcycles. Nicholson’s sold...
Read MoreHenrik Karapetyan & Francis Yun
You expect a lot of strings at a violin and harpsichord concert–four on the violin and at least 120 on the harpsichord (harpsichords are not uniform, so the number of strings varies from instrument to instrument). But,...
Read MoreMendelssohn’s Elijah
Composer Felix Mendelssohn was also a skilled graphic artist who painted landscapes in watercolor and oils. In 1829, while touring with his sketchbook through Scotland’s Hebrides archipelago, he visited the isle of Staffa...
Read MoreSalads UP on Liberty
Salads UP is the brainchild of two recent Michigan grads, Max Steir (business) and Robert Mayer (history and econ), who met as roommates on North Campus. Mayer says, “We saw an opening here for something like this. We took...
Read More- 1
- 2
