2019 July Archives - Ann Arbor Observer

The Last Junkyard

Jul 30, 2019 | Featured, Marketplace |

Tessa, liberally tattooed with multiple piercings and wearing black Capri leggings and a short...

Q. How thick is the paint on the Rock at Hill and Washtenaw? What did the original rock look like, and why was it placed there? A. This Canadian limestone glacial deposit was moved from a gravel pit near Pontiac Trail by parks...

Making the Art Fair Happen

Jul 29, 2019 | Featured |

Greg Lawler has been tracking art fairs since 1993, but there are still things about Ann Arbor’s that puzzle him. “It’s usually held on the hottest week of the summer,” he writes on ArtFairSourcebook.com....

Spelunker’s Nightmare

Jul 28, 2019 | Community, My Town |

One morning recently, a passerby came across a group of city workers gathered around a manhole at the intersection of W. Washington and Seventh. Two men were chatting near their truck as two other men turned a hand crank to...

Marnee Thai Is Sold

Jul 27, 2019 | Marketplace |

Marnee Thai, a fixture on the ground floor of the 414 S. Main high-rise for thirteen years, closed its doors in June. Owner Wichai Cheva closed his Oak Valley Centre restaurant, Lotus Thai, in 2017. At the time, Cheva told the...

Support Circles

Jul 26, 2019 | Community |

That way, she’s not tempted to spend money she doesn’t have. Overspending caused her...

North Face in Arbor Hills Closes

Jul 25, 2019 | Marketplace |

The Arbor Hills North Face store closed in May. Despite recent controversy over a covert marketing strategy–uploading photos prominently featuring North Face’s gear and logo to the Wikipedia pages of popular tourist...

Aldi Aims for the East Side

Jul 25, 2019 | Marketplace |

Ann Arbor is getting a second Aldi discount grocery. With the first on Maple Rd. covering the west side, the new one will be on Carpenter Rd. The site is across the street from a Kroger store and less than a mile from the...

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley

Jul 25, 2019 | Event Reviews, Uncategorized |

It doesn’t happen often, but it’s choice when it does: a veteran musician who seems to...

Smithsonian Surprise

Jul 24, 2019 | Community |

A visitor to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History this spring was surprised...

Deputies Wanted

Jul 24, 2019 | News |

The biggest problem we have is staffing,” exclaims sheriff Jerry Clayton. “We have to...

What’s Up by Westgate?

Jul 22, 2019 | Marketplace |

Many readers have emailed to ask about the new building under construction on Jackson Rd. next to Westgate. According to city records, the building will house both a Smoothie King and a new west-side Mattress...

Pedicabs and Pedal Trolleys

Jul 21, 2019 | Community |

A pedicab cruises along Main St. or around the Diag, the driver engaged in animated conversation...

Alpha Koney Closes

Jul 20, 2019 | Marketplace |

Marwan Al-Rabie closed Alpha Koney Island in the Oak Valley Centre at the end of May. A note on the door thanked employees and loyal customers for their support of the thirty-year-old eatery, adding “Please watch for our...