Archive for January, 2010

The Detroit Free Press reports that gas prices are down 6.4 cents this week to a statewide average of $2.70, according to AAA Michigan. The Ann Arbor area has the highest average, at $2.76 per gallon of self-serve regular. [Source]

On Sunday, Jim and Connie Johnston drove from Hanover, just south of Jackson, Mich., to Ann Arbor.

Bill Bynum & Co. Sunday night at the Old Town Tavern. Left to right: Mary Seelhorst on fiddle, Chuck Anderson on bass, Dave Keeney on guitar, Bill Bynum on guitar and vocals. (Photos by the writer.)

They’d come specifically to hear Bill Bynum & Co. play the Old Town Tavern – a neighborhood bar offering free live music every Sunday night. Yes, the Johnstons are fans – they buy a CD every time they see Bill play, says Jim, so they’ll have one to give away to another friend as an introduction to Bynum’s songs.

What kind of songs are those? Bynum announced his Old Town set by saying, “Howdy, folks, we’re here to play some hillbilly music!” And that’s what they did for two 45-minute sets, with a break in between.

The Chronicle didn’t have to drive nearly an hour to get to the Old Town like the Johnstons did – the Old Town is right down the street from us.

But we were there to see Bynum, too, because we wanted to check out one of the acts playing BreakFest 2010 at The Ark on Feb. 26. That’s when Bynum will be joined by Bonnie Rideout, Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. and Duck Baker in a benefit concert at The Ark for The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s, a nonprofit that provides a hot breakfast every day of the year to anyone who shows up at the doorstep of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church on North Division. [Full Story]

Larry Krieg, on the Wake Up, Washtenaw! blog, provides several updates on various transportation news in the county, including work by Washtenaw Community College, the Washtenaw Avenue corridor team, and the 208 Group. Krieg also gives a roundup of commuter rail initiatives in the region. [Source]

The entrance to Mack Pool, located in the Ann Arbor Open @ Mack school at the corner of Miller and Brooks.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Ann Arbor Park Advisory Commission will consider recommendations that would cut costs and raise revenue for Mack Pool and the Ann Arbor Senior Center, with the goal of keeping both operations open. If approved by PAC, the recommendations would be forwarded to city council.

Last spring, city administrator Roger Fraser proposed closing both the pool and the senior center, as part of a larger effort to address the city’s general fund budget deficit. Both entities cost more to operate than they generate in revenues, and are subsidized by the general fund.

Council subsequently created task forces to look at how more revenues could be raised and expenses cut from those operations. City staff held public meetings in December to present the initial recommendations from the task forces. [See Chronicle coverage: "More Options for Ann Arbor's Mack Pool" and "Task Force Tries to Save Senior Center"]

At its Tuesday meeting – which begins at 4 p.m. and includes time for public commentary – park commissioners will discuss and possibly revise those recommendations, before voting on whether to send them on to city council. The meeting is held at the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. After the jump, we provide a summary of the proposals. [Full Story]

Ann Arbor City Council Sunday caucus (Jan. 17, 2010): Conversation among councilmembers and residents on Sunday night yielded some additional historical insight into development plans for the Library Lot above the underground parking garage, which is currently beginning construction.

Stephen Rapundalo (Ward 2) revealed that when city administrator Roger Fraser mentioned an unsolicited development proposal at the city council budget retreat in January 2009, he had acted against the advice of members of the council’s budget and labor committee. The committee had become aware of the proposal’s existence prior to the retreat, Rapundalo reported, and when they did, “We said that should be put away on a shelf somewhere. … (but) Roger chose to mention it at the retreat.” Rapundalo also added that while some councilmembers had seen the unsolicited proposal, he had not.

Sabra Briere (Ward 1) recalled a phase in the community conversation about the future of the city-owned Library Lot that predated the January 2009 budget retreat. It was a time when the discussion centered on leaving the top of the parking structure as a temporary surface parking lot while its eventual, more permanent fate was considered – still a possibility, based on Sunday’s caucus discussion.

Besides the Library Lot, residents who attended caucus touched on other issues – the city council’s role in city governance, and the capital improvements plan for the year, which is on the council’s Tuesday night meeting agenda. Council is meeting on Tuesday, rather than its usual Monday schedule, because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. [Full Story]

In the Lansing State Journal, writer Kate O’Neill recalls a 1961 incident at the Jacobson’s department store in Ann Arbor, and reflects on how society has changed since the civil rights movement. [Source]

The Chicaloo Photography & More blog has a post about a close encounter with some deer: “One of my favorite places in town to take photos is the Forest Hills cemetery. I love the feeling of serenity when I go there. Usually it is just me wandering through the rows of headstones. Today was a bit different because I had a little company for part of my trek.” [Source]

The Detroit Free Press reviews President Obama’s first year in office. The article quotes Ypsilanti resident Jan Foster, who’d like to see Obama return to his inspiring campaign style: “I think he could be a bit more passionate. He’s being a little too quiet about it.” [Source]

The Washtenaw County chapter of the American Red Cross gives an update on its website about relief efforts for Haiti: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our area, the phone calls, and in person visits we have received to give time and money. We estimate that as of today [Sunday, Jan. 17] we are over $20,000 worth of donations that have come through the chapter door – this does not include online donations or cell phone donations.” The site lists a variety of ways to contribute or volunteer. [Source]

The Traverse City Record-Eagle gives an update on Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder’s campaign for governor: “During an early February swing of northern Michigan, Snyder, a snowmobile enthusiast who owns two machines, will ride for about 100 miles in Marquette and Delta counties with assorted supporters, including former Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob. Snyder also is one of the sponsors of the I-500 snowmobile event in Chippewa County, which gets him in the program and other exposure.” [Source]

Editor’s note: “In the Archives” is a biweekly series on local area history. In the coming week, on Jan. 19-20, the city of Ann Arbor will interview proposers of different projects for the top of a new underground parking garage at the Library Lot – including some developers who would like to build a hotel there. In this installment of her historical look back, Laura Bien offers a vignette of life just east of Ann Arbor, in Ypsilanti’s Huron Hotel, just after it had opened.

Eula Beardsley and Gladys Huston exited the front door of their Ypsilanti rooming house at Adams and Pearl one late December day in 1924.

The hotel opened in 1923, the year that residents celebrated the city's centennial. At left is the Washington Street entrance to the coffee shop and at right is the main Pearl Street entrance. (Image links to higher resolution file.)

“Colder than I thought,” said Gladys. Eula pulled shut the front door. “You’ll warm up at that big lunch today.” The pair walked one block east on Pearl Street, passing shiny rows of black cars in the Wiedman auto dealership to their left.

They crossed Washington, headed towards the door of the elegant new Huron Hotel on the northeast corner of Pearl and Washington.

Two years earlier, the only accommodations the city could offer guests were at the old-fashioned Hawkins House on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Adams. Built in the 19th century, the place had a worn-out and rustic atmosphere. The Ypsilanti Board of Commerce decided the city needed a modern, attractive hotel. It sold shares of stock to city residents, raised $200,000, and built the hotel in eight months, adding two additional floors two years later. [Full Story]

The University of Michigan Health System released a summary of its participation in earthquake relief efforts for Haiti. Resources include medical supplies, volunteers and access to the UMHS Survival Flight air medical service. [Source]

The Detroit Free Press reports that more people are starting to take advantage of the Making Home Affordable program, a federal initiative designed to adjust mortgages, enabling homeowners to keep their houses. Nicole McCoubrey of Chelsea is interviewed for the article, and said the program reduced her payments by more than $400 a month. But she doesn’t yet know if the adjustment is permanent: “I have absolutely no clue if they deny this, what happens from this point on.” [Source]

Writing on Eclectablog, Chris Savage reviews an exhibition by the Crappy Camera Club at the Ann Arbor Recycle/Reuse Center: “Denied the ability to adjust colors and hues and saturation in Photoshop and other digital imaging software, their photos rely on a blend of smart composition and clever photographic techniques with a dash of luck and serendipity thrown in.” [Source]

“How about a round of applause for beets?!” Kim Bayer asked the group gathered for dinner on Thursday night.

The table was filled at the potluck for Slow Food Huron Valley, held at Hathaway's Hideaway on South Ashley. To make it a zero-waste event, people brought their own dishware. (Photos by the writer.)

When a room of people cheers for root vegetables – and later, for pie – there’s probably a theme at hand. On Thursday, the theme was locally grown food, fêted at a potluck hosted by Slow Food Huron Valley. The 30 or so people at Hathaway’s Hideaway on South Ashley heard an update on the nonprofit’s activities over the past year, and got a preview of what’s to come in 2010.

There was also plenty to eat and drink: Derby sandwiches (with pickles, bacon and mayo), parmigiano pumpkin soup with prosciutto, spinach walnut pesto, vegan “slop,” sweet potato pie – most of these and other dishes made from locally grown or produced food.

The connection between the meal and the mission of Slow Food Huron Valley was clear, as Bayer – a member of the group’s leadership team – told the diners: “Good food needs to be a basic human right.” [Full Story]

Writing on Hell Yes Sprints blog, Dennis Bean-Larsen announces the date for this year’s indoor bicycle roller sprints at Ann Arbor’s Blind Pig: Jan. 19, starting at 9 p.m. Chronicle coverage from last year’s event: “Pedaling at the Pig”

The Associated Press reports on census data showing an increase in stay-at-home dads and in working moms who are the sole income earners for their families. The article quotes UM sociology professor Pamela J. Smock: “The economic crisis is heavily affecting families, and what the latest data show is that gender roles are flexible and are going in the direction of egalitarian roles.” [Source]

The Washington Post profiles Terry Sullivan, UM’s provost who was recently appointed president at the University of Virginia: “Now, at 60, Sullivan is about to assume her first college presidency, and colleagues say she is more than ready. But this is no ordinary job. Mr. Jefferson’s University, as many call it, is perhaps the preeminent public institution of higher learning on the East Coast, a place brimming with history, and consistently ranks second only to Berkeley in academic prestige among public universities. She replaces John T. Casteen III, who is concluding one of the most successful college presidencies in recent memory. She starts Aug. 1, amid a statewide economic crisis.” [Source]

Jose Canseco’s name was misspelled in a Jan. 15, 2010 column about Mark McGwire’s use of steroids. We note the error here, and have corrected it in the original column.

John U. Bacon

On Monday, former home run hitter Mark McGwire talked to sports broadcaster Bob Costas in an attempt to restore his good name.

He had a lot of restoring to do.

McGwire was one of those super-sized sluggers who were knocking out home runs at a record rate in the ’90s. And, like his peers – Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa – McGwire was widely rumored to be taking steroids.

In fact, the FBI gave the commissioner of baseball a list of 70 players they discovered were taking steroids, including McGwire – two decades ago. The commissioner, of course, promptly did absolutely nothing, because he was too hooked on the home runs that were saving baseball from itself after he had canceled the 1994 World Series.

And the hits just kept on coming. In 1998, McGwire broke one of the game’s most revered records when he shattered Roger Maris’s old mark of 61 home runs in a season by smashing 70. He was a national hero. [Full Story]

On the Point of the Game blog, Patrick Dobel writes about UM’s decision to hire Domino’s Pizza CEO David Brandon as its new athletic director: “At most universities the academic hue (leaving aside Business and Engineering schools) leans liberal and open, as one would expect for institutions dedicated to experimentation and expanding the bounds of knowledge. Brandon’s hard right political views and putative political ambitions simply highlight this divide, after all this is the school where Bo Schlembechler coached and presided, but this cultural divide represents one more of the many divides across this shot gun wedding of academics and athletics. I must admit I’m flummoxed by having a supporter of teaching creationism as a senior administrator at a major … [Full Story]

Editor’s note: David Cole, who heads the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, agreed to let veteran journalist Howard Lovy shadow him during the lead-up to this year’s Detroit auto show.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and David Cole, chairman of Ann Arbor's Center for Automotive Research, talk batteries and electric cars during a press preview day for the Detroit auto show. (Photos by the writer.)

It is the first day of the press preview for the 2010 North American International Auto Show and Ann Arbor’s David Cole is strolling down “Electric Avenue.”

The “Avenue” is an actual strip of Cobo Center real estate where electric-vehicle makers show off their wares. But it is also a branch of a metaphorical road, paved with “green technology,” that is supposed to lead to Michigan’s future.

Cole is skeptical. Not that he doesn’t think that the auto industry is getting cleaner and greener – he and his Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have been instrumental in steering Detroit down this path. But he is skeptical that it is happening as quickly as many in politics and the media have hyped it. And the hyperbole has been flying fast and furious so far at this year’s Detroit auto show. [Full Story]

Videos of the most recent Ignite Ann Arbor event are posted on the group’s blog. Talks included “Why Geeks Love Wood” by Aaron Worsham and Devon Persing’s “Ambient Librarianship, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Job.” [Source]