Morning Edition: Robots, Cupcakes and More

If you went to Wednesday’s Morning Edition breakfast, here’s what you’d know now: A shop on East Liberty sells bouncing eyeballs; there’s a chance you could get a cupcake named after you; wind turbines are expensive but not that noisy; it’s not too far-fetched to link Nepal with UM’s business outreach; and Washtenaw Community College doesn’t really want a football team.

The monthly event was emceed by Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, who revealed that she views cupcakes as diet food “because, of course, it’s portion control.” Here’s what other speakers had to say:

Larry Whitworth, president of Washtenaw Community College, talked about the November ballot proposal to request a 1 mill renewal for WCC funding, which would raise about $15 million annually. It’s Proposition H, he said, “and I don’t have to tell you it comes right after A,B,C,D,E,F and G – we’re way down on the ballot.” Though the ballot language states that it’s an increase, Whitworth describes it as a renewal because it was originally approved 10 years ago at 1 mill, but has been rolled back in subsequent years because of the Headlee Amendment, and now stands at .948 mills. He said WCC has no plans to ask for additional taxpayer funding in the foreseeable future. And in response to a question from Pollay, Whitworth said they’re not looking for a football team, either: “Well, what can I say? Did you see the game on Saturday? We certainly do not want to take that kind of abuse. We can’t afford it.”

Amanda Uhle, executive director of 826michigan, described the work of the nonprofit writing center, which provides tutoring, workshops and other programs for students between 6 and 18 years old. The local chapter was started by Ann Arbor writer Steven Gillis and is part of a national organization that evolved from a similar group in San Francisco founded by writer Dave Eggers. All of their programs are free, Uhle said, and they serve about 1,600 students each year. Their quirky shop at 115 E. Liberty – the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair – sells all manner of oddball items, including the bouncing eyeballs that Uhle had placed on every table at Morning Edition. She also mentioned a partnership with AATA, which has posted poetry by 826michigan writers on every bus.

Pollay asked Daryl Weinert, executive director of the UM Business Engagement Center, if he saw any connection between his current job and his work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal during the late 1980s. People laughed at that, but he was actually able to make a link: Both jobs involve connecting people to resources that help them, he said. In Nepal, he worked on developing “appropriate technology,” such as hydropower to provide electricity in rural villages. At UM, the Business Engagement Center aims to help businesses that are looking for university expertise – trying to hook up with researchers or license technology, for example. The center helps them navigate the UM labyrinth to find what they need. Pollay likened it to a kind of eHarmony matchmaking for business types – Weinert allowed that it was an apt analogy.

Kerry Johnson recently opened The Cupcake Station on East Liberty, and described how he started the business by coming up with cupcake recipes in the basement of his home, using fresh ingredients and making everything from scratch. He wanted to create a product that was inexpensive in part so that he could use it to help nonprofits raise money – all of their advertising is geared to charity fundraisers. He said the carrot cake cupcake and the Michigan bumpy cake (with buttercream dots dipped in chocolate) are among the most popular of their 25 varieties. They also started something new: Customers can create their own cupcake on the shop’s website, then once a month Johnson and his staff will pick their favorite, make it and name it after the creator. (In the “Cupcakes” drop-down menu, select “Submit Your Flavor.”)

Jay Mehta was the final speaker, and described his experience installing a wind turbine at his Scio Township home. Bottom line: The electricity it generates won’t offset the $15,000 cost. Regulations are another obstacle – he wanted to mount it on a higher pole, but township code limited the height to 15 feet. But Mehta, who owns Case Handyman & Remodeling, sees it as an experiment to prove that a wind turbine could work inland, not just near a body of water. He also dispelled concerns that it’s too noisy (it’s not) and that it chops up birds (it doesn’t – and he’s actually seen birds use it as a perch when the blades aren’t turning). The turbine was on a recent solar tour, and about two dozen people dropped by during that weekend to check it out. And windy days are gratifying: “Yesterday morning it was spinning like crazy and my meter was running backward.”

Other tidbits: Sharon McRill announced that as of Nov. 1, the Betty Brigade will have a location at Briarwood Mall for the holiday season, offering concierge shopping – including a service that would deliver packages to your home or office.

Morning Edition is an event of the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce. The next meeting is Nov. 19 – all are held at Weber’s Inn, 3050 Jackson Ave.