07.16.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Michigan, Transportation, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Great Outdoors, Art at 11:19 am by Tim
My daughter loves taking public transportation. If she can get on a train or a bus, it’s a great day. Yesterday was one of those great days. I picked her up from preschool late in the afternoon and, although it was rush hour, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority buses did a great job getting us around town, and we made our connections with relative ease. AATA, aka “The Ride,” will be especially busy this week, with the Ann Arbor Art Fairs running full blast now through Saturday. AATA is running shuttle service to the event, so please take advantage, as you’ll save gas, and save yourself plenty of parking headaches. I plan to do just that not only during the fairs, but have made a promise to myself and to my daughter that, from now on, we’ll use this splendid bus service regularly.
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07.07.08
Posted in Business, The Web, Michigan, News, Detroit, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Economy, Grand Rapids at 10:43 am by Tim
Featuring “daily reports on job growth and development in Southeast Michigan, from Detroit to Ann Arbor,” metromode remains one of the most compelling Michigan-focused Web sites going. As such, I’ve selected it as my “Arresting Site of the Month” for July. Packed with resources for those living in or doing business in Michigan, and/or for those thinking of moving here and doing the same, the site is updated with daily reports on job growth and development in the region, and a free weekly e-magazine goes out to subscribers every Thursday. Detroit-based Issue Media Group publishers Brian J. Boyle and Paul Schutt and their fine staff offer a slate of enticing articles and features, such as this recent piece on a green project involving 22 students from Cass Technical High School, and they spotlight growth areas and companies that merit your attention. Also check out its video section, where you’ll find nuggets like the piece about Moo Moo’s healthy food.
All in all, it’s a pleasure to read hopeful news about our state. There is a bonus with this month’s “Arresting” award, as Issue Media Group also publishes — among others — Model D, which zeroes in on the city of Detroit, in addition to Rapid Growth, which showcases Grand Rapids, and Capital Gains, a look at developments in and around Lansing.
Note: Nominations for August are due on Monday, July 28, and I’ll announce the winner on Monday, August 4. Thanks for your participation.
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06.02.08
Posted in Michigan, News, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti at 11:38 am by Tim
I’ve written about her in the past, and with good reason. Chronicling the “Great People, Great Stories” of our state, Celeste Whiting pens the marvelous Our Michigan, which I’ve chosen as June’s “Arresting Blog of the Month.” In recent posts, Whiting, a self-described small business owner, educator, writer, and photographer based in Ann Arbor, has discussed such far-flung topics as political life in Michigan, LGBT life in Michigan, how and why to take a “media holiday,” and the Dalai Lama. In addition to her insightful commentary, Whiting offers a trove of links to organizations across the state and to Michigan news online, the rich ”Signs of Hope” and “Blogs, Michigan” sections, and more.
It’s comforting to know that Whiting is carefully watching developments — both good and bad — throughout the state. She’s a perfect example of the creative, keen-eyed talent I keep saying lives here, and it’s my hope she’ll continue writing Our Michigan long into the future, and contributing to the ongoing conversation of how, together, we can right the Michigan ship.
Note: Nominations for the July “Arresting Site or Blog of the Month” award are due on Monday, June 30. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, July 7. Please learn more about the nominating guidelines. Thanks.
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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.
Quite a well attended event, too. 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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04.24.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Michigan, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Writing at 11:48 am by Tim
Are you an artist? Do you live in Washtenaw County and/or ply your craft there? Visit ArtsCount.org and be counted now, whether your specialty falls into the literary, performing, or visual categories, whether you’re 8 or 80, etc. A terrific project from Ann Arbor’s Arts Alliance, so make sure to add your name by May 17.
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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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04.15.08
Posted in Technology, The Web, Michigan, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti at 3:54 pm by Tim
What’s this, free Internet service and stronger community? Sounds like a winning combination. Steve Pierce and Brian Robb are working diligently to make this a reality in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and I had the pleasure of hearing them speak recently at my neighborhood association meeting. Wireless Ypsi is calling on businesses and citizens to participate, and they’ve made great strides in recent months. Learn more about the organization, and the Meraki technology it uses.
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04.01.08
Posted in Sports, Michigan, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti at 8:46 pm by Tim
Belated kudos to the University of Michigan women’s gymnastics team for a resounding victory last Saturday at the Big Ten Championships, its 16th conference title. I took my 4-year-old daughter to the event, and she loved it, as did so many other kids and (mostly) young women. We sat in a section filled with Iowa fans — two of whom (men) were in black & gold face and body paint! — and the enthusiasm for all seven competing teams was terrific to experience first-hand. I’m a huge sports fan, but I’m used to hearing terms like “screen pass” and “icing.” Here it was “fly-aways” and “back walk-overs.” Good stuff, and I hope to take in this event again. Check out these photos.
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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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