2018 January Archives - Ann Arbor Observer

The Raw Strength and Courage Club

Jan 31, 2018 | Community, Featured |

You may have seen them some freezing afternoon: dipping in and out of the frigid waters, their...

The Battle of Geddes Ridge

Jan 30, 2018 | Featured, News |

“Raising the Flag” In September, a colorful banner appeared on the side of a trophy...

Janai Brugger

Jan 29, 2018 | Event Reviews, Uncategorized |

On January 31, lyric soprano Janai Brugger will step away from her busy schedule as ascendant...

Ruth B.

Jan 28, 2018 | Event Reviews, Uncategorized |

I saw Carly Simon in a solo concert in 1972, sitting at a piano and singing in a mid-sized hall....

After fifty years in Lamp Post Plaza, Breneman Optical will close its doors on December 30. Husband and wife Jay and Cindy Breneman say they’re ready for retirement after forty years of running the business they inherited...

It’s Ekphrastic!

Jan 25, 2018 | Uncategorized |

An “ekphrasis” is a literary work on a piece of visual piece of art–think John...

Jane Hirshfield

Jan 23, 2018 | Event Reviews, Uncategorized |

In Jane Hirshfield’s poetry there is an unmistakable conjunction of precision and mystery....

Manna Closes

Jan 22, 2018 | Marketplace |

An observant reader noticed the closed sign on Manna International Food & Gifts at the foot of Broadway. An early November post on Yelp indicated that the store was closing for good. At that time, most of the inventory was...

Cafe Mystery

Jan 21, 2018 | Marketplace |

On September 15, the Sweetwaters cafe in Plymouth Green Crossings posted notices online and on-site that it was closing temporarily due to equipment maintenance and road construction. Three months later, regulars were still...

Ann Arbor’s Coldest Day?

Jan 20, 2018 | Community |

Q. What was the coldest day ever in Ann Arbor?A. February 11, 1885, when the temperature fell to -23 Fahrenheit. It was one of a series of tough winters–“The Little Ice Age” of the 1880s–which set many...

Michael Leech

Jan 19, 2018 | Community, Profiles |

As the sun streams through the windows at By the Pound, Michael Leech pours fresh coffee beans...

Ann Arbor Fish & Chicken

Jan 18, 2018 | Marketplace |

A bright dessert case lines the checkout stand at Ann Arbor Fish & Chicken on Washtenaw near Golfside–diners can choose from caramel cake, pudding, pie and cheesecake. But the focus here is on deep-fried seafood and...

Persian Immersion

Jan 17, 2018 | Dine, Marketplace, Restaurant Reviews |

You can learn a lot about food from various cultures in the Ann Arbor-Ypsi-Detroit continuum. For...

“Daily to the D”

Jan 16, 2018 | Marketplace |

That’s what the maize letters on the blue-painted bus promise. In October, the Detroit...

Comcast Tries Retail

Jan 15, 2018 | Marketplace |

“This store is the opposite of what you think of when you think of a cable company store,” promises Comcast spokesperson Rob Ponto. The store he refers to is the recently opened 4,000-square-foot Xfinity Store by...