A video posted on YouTube highlights the annual football tailgate party hosted by Ted Spencer, the University of Michigan’s associate vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions. This year, he sent out over 350 invitations to the event, which features his “authentic Memphis barbeque.” [Source]
On a day with high winds, as of 3:07 p.m. DTE’s online outage maps are showing several large areas of Ann Arbor without power. Much of the area north of Plymouth Road but inside of M-14 and US-23 is without power (6,175 customers are affected). Another large area without power lies to the south, along Stone School Road stretching southward from Eisenhower Parkway (1,043 customers are affected). [.jpg screen shot of map]
Update as of 3:21 p.m. In the north, significant areas outside the M-14 and US-23 boundary are now shown without power, bringing the total number of customers without power in the northern part of the city to 8,431.
Starting Nov. 28, 2011 the East Stadium bridges over State Street and the Ann Arbor railroad tracks will be closed in order to start the reconstruction of the bridges. The city of Ann Arbor has set up a website for the project: annarborbridges.org, which contains information about detour routes. State Street will be also be closed for about two weeks starting Nov. 28. The East Stadium Boulevard bridges are not expected to be open for traffic again until mid-November 2012. [Source]
A video posted on YouTube features Dave Strenski talking about the SolarYpsi.org project, which has installed solar panels on the Ypsilanti Food Coop, the Riverstreet Bakery, Ypsilanti City Hall, and an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus stop. Strenski says his dream is to have a hundred solar installations throughout the city. [Source]
Dan Smith of Whitmore Lake, who serves as Washtenaw County commissioner for District 2, is one of three inventors listed for U.S. Patent 8,024,745, awarded on Sept. 20: “Communication mechanism between disconnected applications in a web browser.” The patent is assigned to Autodesk Inc., where Smith is employed. [Source] On the same day, Kevin O’Dea of Ann Arbor was one of two inventors awarded U.S. Patent 8,024,098: “System and method for determining the engagement point of a clutch.” That patent is assigned to GM Global Technology Operations. [Source]
The city of Ann Arbor has issued a missing person alert for Matthew Eric Varnum, who’s been missing since the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 21. Varnum is a 33-year-old white male, 6-feet tall, 200 lbs. with sandy hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, jeans, black shoes, and a Medic Alert necklace. The alert notes that he suffers from a closed head injury and concussion, which could cause him to faint. He “likes to walk considerable distances and may seek a peaceful wooded area.” Anyone with information about Varnum is asked to call the Ann Arbor police at 734-794-6930, ext. 49319, or 734-994-2911. [Source]
Writing on MGoBlog, Brian Cook comments on John U. Bacon’s new book, “Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football,” due out Oct. 25. Cook writes: ”Amongst the many deeply bizarre things that Rich Rodriguez did was allowing John Bacon virtually unfettered access to his program for three years. He didn’t know it at the time, but these happened to be the only three years of his program. I received an advanced copy of the book that resulted and… man. If you are a Michigan fan the result is a must read.” Cook is collecting questions from readers to ask Bacon, and plans to publish the answers along with a book excerpt in October. [... [Full Story]
The city of Ann Arbor announced plans to hold an Oct. 4 dedication ceremony for the Herbert Dreiseitl water sculpture being installed in front of the new municipal center at the corner of Huron and Division streets. Dreiseitl is expected to attend the event, which begins at 7 p.m. Plans for the dedication were discussed at the Ann Arbor public art commission’s Aug. 24 meeting. The sculpture – which cost more than $750,000 – was commissioned and paid for out of the city’s Percent for Art program. The program has received recent scrutiny from city council, but at their Sept. 19 meeting, councilmembers voted to postpone a resolution on changes to the program. They plan to revisit the issue … [Full Story]
A crime alert has been issued following an off-campus sexual assault at 400 S. First St. near William Street. Around midnight on Sept. 13, a 20-year-old female reported being grabbed and fondled before she was able to break away. It’s not clear if this incident is related to the series of sexual assaults that occurred this summer. The suspect is described as “male, possibly darker-skinned white or Hispanic, medium build and height, baseball cap pulled down in front, lighter-colored hair coming out of back of cap, unshaven/stubble.” Anyone with information should contact the Ann Arbor Police Department’s tip line at 734-794-6939, the University of Michigan Dept. of Public Safety at 734-763-1131 or tips@a2gov.org. [Source]
In this 8-minute video, Al Gallup talks about the genesis of “The Rock” at Hill and Washtenaw, which his father Eli Gallup – Ann Arbor’s superintendent of parks from the 1919 through the early 1960s – found in a gravel pit at what’s now Olson Park. The video includes footage from 1932 of WPA workers removing the rock from the pit, loading into a truckbed, then transporting it down Main Street and over to its current location. Gallup notes that his father collected metal for the plaque from local dumps – the metals were used by University High School students, including Al Gallup’s brother, to cast the plaque. [Source]
In a video posted on YouTube, Ann Arbor musician Dick Siegel performs his song “Tumbling Down” about the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, with a montage of images from that day 10 years ago. [Source]
In a post on his blog, University of Michigan athletics director Dave Brandon writes about his expectations and hopes for Saturday’s “Under the Lights” event – the university’s first night football game, to be played against Notre Dame: ”We are on national stage and that is why we are working to make this weekend a showcase for the future. A great weekend will allow us to have more of these ‘wow’ events. This type of high-profile event at the Big House will not only help promote U-M, but it helps our local economy in a very measurable way.” [Source]
A post on the Mae Travels blog reflects on a recent Ann Arbor Chronicle column about whether downtown Ann Arbor can sustain a full-service bookstore, and offers a reader’s perspective. An excerpt: “I’m a reader. I need new reading material all the time. These days, I read a lot on my Kindle. Eventually I’ll join the other members of my family who have moved on to reading on the iPad. I also read plenty of books. Almost all the magazines and newspapers I read are online, so I read on the computer as well. But the format in which I read has really made less difference to me than the way that I find what I want to read. … [Full Story]
On her Relish blog, Myra Klarman posts photos and a Q&A with Emma Hamstra, an Ann Arbor teen who was featured in an episode of MTV’s MADE series. The episode followed Hamstra as she was transformed into the rapper persona Feminemma and created an anti-bullying rap. From the interview: “The response to the show has been mainly positive. I get emails from people telling me how they were bullied and that it was so inspiring to see me speak out about my experiences. … I think the most meaningful responses for me are the ones that manage to look past the racial issues and see that I had a lot of fun being MADE into a rapper and that I was actually … [Full Story]
The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has released the final version of its State of the Downtown Report, which is available for download as a .pdf file from its website. It features a raft of statistical information about the district, ranging from acreage, to building square footage by category, to population trends, to real estate occupancy rates, to crime trends, and the like. Interspersed through the text are photos, including a cover photo by Seth McCubbin. [Source]
A post on Ann Arbor Schools Musings highlights two upcoming events on Thursday, Sept. 8: Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, will be part of a panel discussion at the University of Michigan School of Education’s Prechter Laboratory (Room 2202) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The same day, Duncan’s senior advisor, Greg Darnieder, will visit Ypsilanti’s New Tech High School, located in the former Ardis Elementary building. The UM panel discussion is open to the public, and readers who attend either of these events are urged to share their thoughts in the blog’s comment section. [Source]
This note updates a previous brief from Sept. 3, 2011. As of Sept. 4, 11 a.m., DTE’s power outage maps indicate that around 3,000 customers are still without power within Ann Arbor. In addition, DTE’s map shows roughly 2,300 customers are without power immediately to the east of Ann Arbor, with most outages centered in Ypsilanti.
Restoration of power in Ypsilanti is indicated for Sunday, Sept. 4, between 9 and 11 p.m. Restoration of power in Ann Arbor is estimated for different areas on: Sunday, Sept. 4, (9-11 p.m); Monday, Sept. 5 (9-11 p.m); and Wednesday, Sept. 7 (9-11 p.m.).
Based on DTE online outage maps, at around 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2011 about 7,500 customers were without electrical power, due to storms that moved through the Ann Arbor area. No estimated time of return to service was indicated.
Earlier in the day, inclement weather had led to the premature end of the University of Michigan football game against Western Michigan University, which UM won 34-10. [screen capture of DTE outage map] [DTE dynamic outage map]
The University of Michigan athletic department announced a new set of rules and policies for football home games – the first game is on Saturday, Sept. 3, against Western Michigan University. The changes include: 1) Anyone wearing a jacket will be asked to open it or lift up a pullover jacket before admittance into the stadium. 2) Vehicles are prohibited from lining up on the streets prior to the parking lots opening around the city and UM campus. Fans will be asked to keep moving and will not be allowed to form lines. 3) There no longer will be the Victors Walk approximately two hours prior to the game, when the football team walked through the parking lot up to the … [Full Story]
The city of Ann Arbor has issued a press release reminding football fans and city residents to expect longer than usual football game day traffic delays for the Saturday, Sept. 3 game featuring Western Michigan University against the University of Michigan. The game starts at 3:30 p.m.
Before the game, police will manually manage traffic at the Stadium Boulevard & Main Street intersection starting two hours before game time. But all other intersections along Ann Arbor-Saline Road will operate by traffic timed according to the normal weekend schedule. The State Street corridor will also be managed with traffic signals timed according to the normal schedule.
After the game, Ann Arbor-Saline Road will be one way, heading south to I-94 … [Full Story]
The No Depression website posts a review of Ann Arbor musician Chris Bathgate’s new album, “Salt Year”: ”Salt Year is Bathgate’s fifth album and his best effort to date. Inspired by a dark and tumultuous time in his life, this is a record full of wistful songs about lost love, heartbreak and time’s effect on love. And despite the album’s heavy theme, it never comes off as oppressive or tiresome, but, rather, captivating and loose. Every song is a richly complex and brilliant arrangement with common threads evenly moving the album from beginning to end. Musically, the album is transcendental. But, its Bathgate’s vivid lyrical snapshots combined with his confident yet vulnerable vocals that make Salt Year a masterpiece.” [... [Full Story]
StaySafeOnline.org, hosted by the National Cyber Security Alliance, posts a Q&A with Washtenaw County commissioner Kristin Judge about the Washtenaw County Cyber Citizenship Coalition, which Judge spearheaded. Judge is asked about plans for National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October: ”As the host of the National Kick-off Event, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight a program that is successful because of local, state and federal public and private partners all working together. It allows us an opportunity to highlight the education and awareness efforts we have been working on during the year.” [Source]
A post on The Hoover Street Rag is all about music: ”Today, I’ll be breaking down the songs that I put on this year’s MGoMix, the ‘mix tape’ that I make for driving to Michigan football games. As I noted last year, it should be noted that this is not a hype mix, these are songs which reflect where I am right now as a Michigan football fan. As is the rule, until Michigan wins a Big Ten title, no repeat non-Michigan songs from the previous year’s MGoMix.” Some of the 24 selections include ”Out of Control” by U2 and “The Yellow and Blue” by the Michigan Marching Band. [Source]
Jeff Masters of Ann Arbor-based Weather Underground posts another blog entry about Hurricane Irene, with updated information, maps and photos: “Hurricane Irene roared ashore over Cape Lookout, North Carolina at 7:30 am this morning. The Cedar Island Ferry Terminal measured sustained winds of 90 mph, gusting to 110 mph at 7:19am, and a trained spotter on Atlantic Beach measured sustained winds of 85 mph, gusting to 101 mph at 10:35 am. The Hurricane Hunters measured 80 mph winds over water at the time of landfall.” [Source]
The University of Michigan Dept. of Public Safety has issued a crime alert, following a 2 a.m. fight on Saturday, Aug. 27 in the 600 block of Church Street. From the report: ”As told to the Ann Arbor Police, a large group of people were gathered around a fight between 2 people outside of a bar. As the group began to disperse there was an unconfirmed report of a possible gunshot coming from the crowd. 1 person was injured in the fight (injury was not from gunshot). Several conflicting descriptions of the suspect with the gun were given by witnesses at the scene. Suspect: Black male, possibly bald or with dread locks, wearing an orange, black or red t-shirt, with gray … [Full Story]
Dug and Linh Song of Ann Arbor have donated $25,000 toward the fundraising for an Ann Arbor skatepark, according to a press release by the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark. Dug Song is a founding member of that group. At a July 2011 Ann Arbor park advisory commission meeting, Scott Rosencrans – an FAAS board member – told commissioners that the group hoped to raise $1 million by January 2012. As of July, organizers had raised about $515,000 – an amount that includes $400,000 in contingent matching funds from Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation. [Source]
On his Weather Underground blog, Jeff Masters describes the magnitude of Hurricane Irene, a storm that he says could rival the great New England hurricane of 1938. ”Since 1938, there have been a number of significant hurricanes in the Northeast – the Great Atlantic hurricane of 1944, Hazel of 1954, Diane of 1955, Donna of 1960, Gloria of 1985, Bob of 1991, and Floyd of 1999 – but none of these were as formidable as the great 1938 storm. Today, we have a hurricane over the Bahamas – Hurricane Irene – that threatens to be the Northeast’s most dangerous storm since the 1938 hurricane.” Masters is co-founder of Weather Underground, which is based in Ann Arbor. [Source]
MGoBlog provides an extensive guide for University of Michigan football fans looking for food before and after the game. A photo accompanying the piece features a burger from Angelo’s with cheese in the shape of a Block M. There’s also a handy abbreviated version of the recommendations: “If you need something to eat after you hit town and want quick takeout for tailgating, go to Frita Batidos or Satchel’s. If you want to watch football go to Bar Louie. If you want to drink, go to Ashley’s. Dinner is harder. Right now I’d say The Ravens Club is the most versatile.” [Source]
USGS website shows a 5.9 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia took place at 1:51 p.m. local Ann Arbor time. Reports across southeast Michigan of people feeling it. [Source]
A video posted on YouTube highlights the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities, and the spring 2011 seminar it hosted with poet Linda Gregerson. Spotted among the seminar participants: Margaret Parker, a local artist and member of the Ann Arbor public art commission. [Source]
