Via its automated email web-update alert service, the city of Ann Arbor clerk’s office notes that changes to the website include information about the May 5 school board election and primary election filing deadlines: “The filing deadline to run as a City Council candidate in 2009 is June 22, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Those candidates who wish to run without party affiliation (independent) have until August 5, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. to file petitions” [Source]
Two Buck Tuesday at the Cupcake Station. Michigan Bumpy Cake…mmmm.
The New York Times reports on sluggish U.S. auto sales, and notes its impact on the expansion by foreign automakers in the U.S. market. Says David E. Cole, chairman of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research: ”So many foreign transplants came so quickly because they had visions of grandeur in their eyes. Now they’re saying, ‘Oh my, what have we done?’ ” [Source]
Writing on his blog There Is No Gap, Karl Pohrt of Shaman Drum Bookshop shares his thoughts about two books of poetry he’s reading, as well as the translation of a 15th century book, “Murmured Conversations: A Treatise on Poetry and Buddhism by the Poet-Monk Shinkei.” Commenting on the work of 18th century poet Baisao, Pohrt writes: “Baisao’s life and his poems are fine examples of how to deal with the double adversities of old age and poverty – welcome help in this difficult historical moment. Given the collapse of Supercapitalism we need new models, and The Old Tea Seller is filled with bracing advice. It would make a fine gift to those folks stiffed by Bernard Madoff.” [Source]
Scott Munzel, attorney for Alex de Parry on the City Place PUD application, discusses the signatures on the petition with Jayne Miller, director of community services with city of Ann Arbor.
The City Place PUD application failed on an 0-10 vote (councilmember Sandi Smith was unable to attend the meeting due to family illness).
This, after neighbors had successfully petitioned to force the PUD proposal to achieve an 8-vote majority (instead of a simple 6-vote majority).
The late-hour petition resulted in a motion by coucilmember Stephen Rapundalo to postpone for two weeks, but that motion was supported only by the two councilmembers seated to Rapundalo’s left – Leigh Greden and Christopher Taylor. [Full Story]
The New York Times reports that the incoming Obama administration will take a tougher regulatory stance on the tobacco industry. Among other things, legislation is expected to pass which would enable the FDA to regulate tobacco. Says Clifford Douglas, executive director of UM’s Tobacco Research Network: ”They’re anticipating it going through reasonably soon, after many years of battle.” [Source]
Éric Fu, a former UM student now living in Chapel Hill, N.C., writes on his blog about how he misses Ann Arbor: ”Of course, how could I not miss those favorite restaurants of mine in Ann Arbor – Sadako, University Cafe, China Gate (depending on my mood), Buffalo Wild Wings, Potbelly, Shalimar, Angelo’s, The Real Seafood Company etc. I miss, too, promenading across the campus, through the Diag, accompanied by chubby and friendly squirrels on the ground. I miss, too, the brutal winter that occasionally overwhelms Ann Arbor. I miss, too, pure snow that carpets the entire town so beautifully.” [Source]
The Freep reports that Nissan dealers are also pulling out of the 2009 North American International Auto Show. The article quotes Doug Fox, auto show co-chairman and owner of Ann Arbor Nissan: ”The dealers were going to support a presence and had all stepped forward. But the week before Christmas we received a request from Nissan to please respect their decision to not have a presence at the North American International Auto Show.” [Source]
Traffic signals finally fixed.
On The Huffington Post, UM professor Peter Ubel writes a column that disputes a Wall Street Journal editorial on the virtues of the free market: “As a physician, I have spent my clinical time caring for patients -smokers, overeaters, under-exercisers – who have been harmed by many of the products that these kind of libertarians would want us to free from regulation. As a behavioral scientist, I have studied how easy it can be to unconsciously influence people’s behavior. As the father of 8 and 10 year-old boys, I have yearned for a government that is willing to step in, when necessary, to protect my kids from the harmfulness of our excessive consumerism.” [Source]
On my bike, hauling trailer load, a pedestrian directs “Hi, Mary!” to me. Weird. We don’t look alike. Much. One block later, I do the math. I probably misheard. She musta meant this guy.
Ann Arbor City Council Sunday caucus (Jan. 4, 2009): Sunday night’s regular caucus focused on development issues: (i) a proposed PUD, City Place, to be built along Fifth Avenue, and (ii) redevelopment proposals for the city-owned property at 415 W. Washington. The caucus was bookended by remarks from representatives from two of the design teams for the 415 W. Washington, Peter Allen and Peter Pollack. [Full Story]
9:45 a.m. Sign hoisted to roof of Ann Arbor State Bank. [photo]
The Bookslut website posts a long interview with Clayton Eshleman, a poet, translator, essayist – and Ypsilanti resident: ”The year 2008 saw many massive tomes with Clayton Eshleman’s name emblazoned on the front…With such a hectic production schedule, Eshleman nonetheless found time to talk to Bookslut, inviting me to hop on a train for the quick trip from Chicago to Ann Arbor. I met him in his Ypsilanti home and was received warmly, and we settled in for a chat.” [Source]
The Earth Times posts a press release from Borders Group that announces a new CEO and other management changes at the beleaguered Ann Arbor-based bookstore chain. Ron Marshall, founder of the private equity firm Wildridge Capital Management, has replaced George Jones as president and CEO. Jones had been in that job since July 2006. In a statement, Borders board chairman Larry Pollock says: “Progress has been made by Borders Group over recent quarters within the challenging economy to reduce debt, improve cash flow, cut expenses, enhance inventory productivity and improve margins, but it is imperative that the company more aggressively attack these initiatives to address its long-term future.” Borders also reported a double-digit sales decline for the holiday period ending … [Full Story]
Traffic signals not working for the third day running.
Spam is still spam, even when it's wrapped with a bow.
We take this occasion to address some technical issues related to commenting on Chronicle articles, prompted by a bad outcome this past weekend. In general, everyone’s very first comment is held in a moderation queue – this helps cut down on spam. Time lag for approval of a first comment ranges from instantaneous (if it’s seen “live” as it comes through) to a few hours. After logging one successful comment, subsequent comments should appear with no editorial intervention. [Full Story]
Bee, owner of Beezy’s Cafe in Ypsilanti, writes about backed-up toilets, creative cooking and “a rippin’ delicious vegan mushroom veggie barley,” among many other things: “that day also started with the first-ish guest walking in and immediately informing us that this was her first and last visit; before she even talked to us or tried anything. Like Bob Keedy used to say: ‘at least you don’t have to be her.’” [Source]
Both arms of the traffic control barrier on the north side of the building have been broken off, as if someone drove through them.
5:12 p.m. Broadway & Maiden Lane lights flashing red all directions (still), and according to police desk nobody had reported it until now, so they will now “check into it.”
On his Random Camera Blog, Mark O’Brien of Ann Arbor posts a photo he took in Chelsea with a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, and some musings on what it means to be connected: “Nope, the Internet, hasn’t isolated us at all, but it has shown how interconnected things really are. We can share our lives via blogs, social networking sites, email, and via Flickr. We can publish books online and have them delivered to whomever wants to see our work. We can create art and sell it without having a real store. We can buy and sell on eBay, buying from and selling to people anywhere in the world. We can do our taxes, apartment searches, car buying, news reading, mate-matching, poker-playing, movie-watching, and so on, … [Full Story]
Traffic signals still not working – blinking red all the way ’round
The Freep starts a five-part series examining abuses against female inmates in Michigan’s prisons. The article quotes Deborah LaBelle, an Ann Arbor civil rights attorney and leader of the group that sued on behalf of the female prisoners: ”A prison is not supposed to turn you back out to society with more harm than when you came in. No one, no one in this country, no one in a civilized society is sentenced to be raped and assaulted in prison.” [Source]
The New York Times’ Laugh Lines column picks up an Onion article with an Ann Arbor dateline: ”After calling the device ‘the item single-handedly responsible for the erosion of our nation’s social and cultural foundation’ for close to a decade, Jason Whiting gave in to social pressures this weekend and bought a cell phone. The 34-year-old purchased the Motorola 6620 at the Maple Village Shopping Center.” Curiously, the link to the original Onion article indicates it was first published in 2005. [Source]
In an a photo caption included in an article about an exhibition at the Gallery Project, we spelled the name of a family of artists incorrectly. It’s Lou, Susan and Matt Krueger. We note the mistake here and have corrected it in the original piece.
5:20 p.m. A hawk perched on the corner roof ornament of the 20/20 building
5:25pm. Amazingly beautiful sunset. Ran past a crazy house on Carolina Ave. All wood shingles, chopped wood out front, latticework concrete driveway. Wonder who lives there?
The Boston Globe reports on research showing the detrimental effects of city life on the brain, and includes a recent UM study measuring cognitive processes during an urban stroll compared to walking in a park. Says Marc Berman, a UM psychologist and lead author of the study: “The mind is a limited machine. And we’re beginning to understand the different ways that a city can exceed those limitations.” [Source]
Joel Goldberg
Maybe you’d like to unwind with some friends after work over a glass of wine and bowlful of mussels. Perhaps you want to grab a quick bite before – or after – the evening show at The Ark. Or you may simply need to escape an onrushing case of midwinter cabin fever.
Whatever the reason, a good wine bar can scratch the itch. Compared with a brewpub or bar, people expect wine bars to offer a quieter ambience and more sophisticated level of food, along with a selection of interesting wines available by the glass.
But the four downtown Ann Arbor wine bars we visited quickly demonstrated that this generic definition of “wine bar” is infinitely bendable and expandable. Local wine bars range from a complete wine-centric focus to a simple rechristening of a restaurant’s lounge area.
So I decided to head out to the wine bars, and take them on their own terms. What does each one set out to do, and how well does it succeed? [Full Story]
