05.21.08
Posted in Sports, Michigan, Great Outdoors at 9:54 am by Tim
For some time now, I’ve been thinking about competing in a triathlon. I see there are plenty of such events this spring and summer throughout Michigan, and if anyone has advice on this matter, please let me know, because I’m sure it’s a challenge that requires serious preparation. Specifically, I’m looking for ideas on where a rookie like me could/should first test their mettle, i.e which of the triathlons (or duathlons), if any, on the page to which I link here might make for a good starting point. I’d rather not embarrass myself. Thanks for any insight.
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05.05.08
Posted in Michigan, News, Environment, Volunteering, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Great Outdoors at 10:53 pm by Tim
My wife, Mary Potts, (who took these lovely photos – click on any of the thumbnails for larger versions) and I attended the groundbreaking ceremony last Friday, May 2, for the new Growing Hope Center, located at 922 West Michigan Avenue in magnificent Ypsilanti, Michigan. Note: Three of the above images are bonus shots from Growing Hope’s Frog Island Community Garden.
Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber addressed the crowd, as did Andy LaBarre from U.S. Representative John Dingell’s office. Growing Hope Executive Director Amanda Edmonds and her staff have taken the next step in a program that continues to blossom in the community.
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04.29.08
Posted in Education, Michigan, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Great Outdoors at 1:50 pm by Tim
Congratulations and bon voyage to the roughly five thousand of University of Michigan students from the graduating class of 2008 who participated in the school’s first-ever Spring Commencement on the venerable Diag, featuring keynote speaker Bob Woodruff. I wasn’t at the event last Saturday, but wandered through the area briefly on Friday, and enjoyed seeing the impressive setup and backdrop. It brought back memories of my own graduation at Crisler Arena many years earlier — won’t reveal exactly when that was, but the date was April 29, and let’s just say this is one of those “spike” anniversaries — and the untold number of times I dashed through the Diag on the way to class, sometimes barely looking up to enjoy the setting. Caught up recently with a U-M classmate of mine, Julie Yolles, and we both found it hard to believe how long it’s been since we donned cap and gown ourselves.
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Posted in Michigan, Great Outdoors at 1:32 pm by Tim
Since 1988, they’re the folks who have “…worked tirelessly to protect the places that you love and the character that makes the Leelanau Peninsula so unique.” Happy 20th anniversary to the Leelanau Conservancy, which has a full calendar of spring and summer events in 2008, including the Cherry Blossom Tour on May 10. Truly one of the most beautiful parts of the state, perhaps the entire country.
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04.22.08
Posted in Politics, Environment at 3:51 pm by Tim
Happy Earth Day. Search for events, call your representative or senator, get involved. I’m trying to stay off the grid — and off the road — as much as possible today, although I needed to be online to write this, now didn’t I? A bike ride sounds great right about now.
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04.21.08
Posted in Sports, Education, Games, Michigan, Environment, Great Outdoors, Family at 9:48 pm by Tim
Kudos to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for their “No Child Left Inside” campaign to get kids out of the house this spring and summer, and throughout the year, especially in light of studies that indicate children spend less than 30 minutes per week outside, one-ninth the time current adults spent outside when they were of the same age. On that note, I encourage you to check out GoCityKids, filled with a range of activities for you and your brood, and searchable by major city.
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04.17.08
Posted in Michigan, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Great Outdoors at 2:18 pm by Tim
They’re “a group of local cyclists who like riding bikes and engaging in bike-related activities.” Bike Ypsi began last summer, and connects Ypsilanti residents who enjoy two-wheeling. The group meets for weekly rides on Sunday afternoons, and is hosting its 2008 spring ride and festival on Sunday, May 4. By the way, May is “Curb Your Car Month,” a splendid idea.
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03.27.08
Posted in Business, Technology, Michigan, Environment, Transportation, Detroit, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti at 7:44 pm by Tim
A friend and I used to joke about how you could get arrested in Michigan for saying ‘mass’ and ‘transit’ in the same sentence. But it’s an issue that, no pun intended, is gaining momentum in this state. Nettie Boivin of Mi Life Mi Times offers an insightful article on the topic, one deserving not only of further discussion but, more importantly, immediate action. In January, Metromode tendered a piece on an aspect near and dear to me: The Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. I’ve been banging that drum for some time, as the days when Detroit is separated from Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, both physically and psychologically, are long gone, no matter what certain residents of either region may think. Let’s get moving on this, folks. Do it for the planet and for your kids.
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03.21.08
Posted in The Web, Michigan, News, Environment at 6:33 am by Tim
No matter how much I think I know about the Great Lakes, I always learn something new when perusing the pages of the Great Lakes Information Network. I remember coming across the site many years ago, I believe 1997, and being amazed at the sheer number of links and resources that GLIN highlights and points to, whether centered on the environment, the economy, tourism, and more. Be sure to check out its comprehensive Site of the Month section, which has an archive that goes back more than a decade.
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03.13.08
Posted in Education, Michigan, Environment, Volunteering at 1:16 am by Tim
For those who possess any of the following: 1) a green thumb, 2) time, or 3) money, consider helping out Amanda Maria Edmonds and her expert team at Growing Hope, dedicated to “improving lives and communities through gardening.” Here are the group’s many current programs, with which you easily can get involved. It’s almost spring, there’s no better time! Learn more about the organization in this guest piece I wrote for the terrific Quicken Loans blog, What’s the DIFF?
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