AnnArbor.com News

That Tre Brown was yelling in frustration after a being edged out at the finish line of Friday's Division 1 track and field regional is a testament to just how far he’s come.

Continue reading Saline takes boys and girls track regional titles, Pioneer finishes runner-up...

Saline senior Mary Hanna, pictured above during a tournament in April, won a regional title at No. 1 singles on Friday, May 17.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file photo

CANTON - Saline senior Mary Hanna flashed a brief smile after wrapping up her an individual regional title on Friday at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park, but her smile was soon replaced by tears.

Continue reading Huron girls and Saline's Mary Hanna win regional tennis titles...

University of Michigan Police are investigating four larcenies reported this week, including a smash-and-grab in a university carport Friday morning.

Continue reading University of Michigan Police investigating 4 larcenies reported this week...

The fix-it stand that was installed outside of the city Municipal Center

Fix-it stand at 301 E. Huron

The city of Ann Arbor is showing downtown cyclists some love on this year's Bike to Work Day, an annual event sponsored by The League of American Bicyclists.

The city installed a bicycle “fix-it' stand Friday morning in front of the Ann Arbor Municipal Center at 301 E. Huron St., according to a press release.

The stand, which is located next to the Justice Center's bike racks, contains a variety of tools including an air pump and a hanger arm which gives commuting cyclists the ability to repair and maintain their bikes.

Continue reading Ann Arbor installs bike 'fix-it' stand for downtown cyclists...

State Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor, has introduced a bill that would reverse the state's ban on extending health benefits to domestic partners of public employees.

The legislation, House Bill 4742, would repeal Public Act 297 of 2011, which enacted the ban. The bill has been referred to the House Government Operations Committee.

Continue reading Zemke introduces legislation to repeal ban on domestic partner benefits in Michigan...

It's time for a town-wide ice cream social on the front lawn of Pioneer High School this Saturday, May 18, when Picnic Pops offers live music, presented by student bands and orchestras from the AAPS system.

Continue reading Picnic Pops to offer music and family fun on Saturday...

Police confirmed Friday they are investigating an alleged assault and break-in at a home in Whitmore Lake in which intruders, one of whom was masked, struck a woman in the forehead.

Continue reading Police: Intruder hit woman during Whitmore Lake home invasion...

2012 U-M film and English grad Perry Janes has won a Student Academy Award for the film he wrote/directed, "Zug."

Photo by Connie Huang

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected a University of Michigan graduate’s undergrad thesis film (Perry Janes’ “Zug”) as one of 15 winners in this year’s Student Academy Awards competition. This is the first time in the history of the Student Academy Awards (which began in 1972) that a film by a U-M student has won.

With three winners in each category (alternative, animation, documentary, narrative, foreign film), the competition culminates with all the winners convening for a week of industry activities in Los Angeles and an awards ceremony (hosted by Bob Saget) on Saturday, June 8, when each filmmaker will learn whether he/she has earned a gold, silver, or bronze medal in his/her category.

Janes, who grew up in different parts of metro Detroit (most recently Royal Oak), based “Zug” on a short story he’d written about two young men who are dared by classmates to visit mysterious Zug Island.

Continue reading U-M grad Perry Janes wins Student Academy Award for 'Zug'...

Some Michigan football fans might be doing some double takes around Ann Arbor this weekend as some familiar faces may be walking around town. The seventh annual Brian Griese/Steve Hutchinson/Charles Woodson Champions for Children's Hearts Weekend is being held Friday-Sunday and some prestigious Michigan football alumni are rallying behind the cause of raising money for The Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund to benefit the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the U-M Congenital Heart Center.

Continue reading Michigan football alumni take to airwaves to raise money for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital...

Voting blew up on in the final 48 hours of the final AnnArbor.com Team of the Week poll and good old fashioned comeback was the result.

Midway through the day on Wednesday, the Saline High School girls soccer team was beating the Skyline High School soccer team 148-50. Both teams and their fan bases weren't even close to finished voting and between them cast 875 votes in two days. The results have the Eagles flying high with 636 (51.9 percent) of the votes, compared to Saline's 437 (35.7 percent).

Continue reading Skyline girls soccer comes back to win final AnnArbor.com Team of the Week vote...

Indiana resident Andrew Milliman explains a type of firework to Dexter residents William Derksen, 13, and his sister Claire, 10, as they look over fireworks recently at a tent on the corner of South Maple and West Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor. They were looking just for fun. While aerial explosives such as bottle rockets, mortars and roman candles are now legal, brother and sister Derksen will have to wait until they're 18 to buy them.

Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com

Michigan's Fireworks Safety Act led to several noise complaints around the state last summer and possibly could be modified to allow some municipalities to ban overnight usage, MLive reported.

Continue reading Michigan Fireworks Act being revisited to allow cities to ban overnight usage...

The Real Seafood Company restaurant on Ann Arbor's South Main Street will be closed starting May 21 for renovations.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

Real Seafood Company is getting a facelift after 37 years in downtown Ann Arbor.

Continue reading Downtown Ann Arbor's Real Seafood Company to close for remodel starting May 21...

Ypsilanti P.R.I.D.E. Day is expected to draw almost 700 volunteers to help beautify the community on Saturday.

Volunteers will work at more than 40 sites in the city of Ypsilanti and in Ypsilanti Township, doing everything from cleaning up to planting flowers, with the goal of beautifying the area and boosting community pride, according to Julie Kedroske, Ypsilanti P.R.I.D.E. Day coordinator, who works at the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber.

According to the organizers, there is still time for people to sign up to volunteer.

Continue reading Ypsilanti P.R.I.D.E. Day expected to draw 700 volunteers to help beautify community...

Previous coverage:

• Ypsilanti schools superintendent is finalist for St. Johns position
• Ypsilanti's Dedrick Martin is finalist in 2nd superintendent search -- this time Kalamazoo

Ypsilanti Public Schools Superintendent Dedrick Martin will be leaving the new Ypsilanti Community Schools district and consolidation effort to take a position with St. Johns Public Schools.

Continue reading Ypsilanti Superintendent Dedrick Martin accepts position in St. Johns...

Vegetarian Thali at Cardamom.

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

Frugal Floozie Friday is a feature that seeks out dishes — appetizers, drinks, snacks, desserts, sandwiches, whatever — for $5 or less per person. Sometimes I split generously-sized items with loved ones, saving both money and calories; sometimes I find a great deal on a single serving that fits perfectly within the mandatory budget. I try to showcase several options to choose from, and you never know where I'll find them. Check out the column every Friday!

My dear friend Marcie joined Jeremy and me at Cardamom recently; Marcie and I had been counting down 'til it opened, and Jeremy was happy to share in the adventure of trying a brand spankin' new restaurant.

Marcie, unfortunately, suffers from numerous food allergies and intolerances; so Cardamom's menu — which provides a code indicating which items are vegetarian or vegan, which can be made gluten-free or vegan, which ones contain nuts or gluten — makes ordering much easier for those who need to be careful with their diets. Our waitress, Grace, was wonderfully helpful, too, in answering questions and checking with the kitchen to find out information about ingredients.

We ended up ordering an array of items from the lunch menu (available Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) to try numerous dishes. The dinner menu is more extensive and costs a bit extra because of larger servings; the lunch menu offers some sandwiches and other quick items, as it is designed to facilitate a fast meal — but not typical "fast food" — for busy folks who need to get back to work for the afternoon.

The vegetarian thali (pictured above) costs only $10 and is absolutely generous enough for two, to meet our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 per person. I ate a huge lunch from this platter, shared tastes, and still had enough food to bring home for another meal the next day. There were dishes of chickpeas, cauliflower, spinach, and lentils; rice and naan; chutney and pickles; and even dessert, the creamy and fragrant rice pudding.

Vegetable Pakora and Onion Bhaji.

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

All but one of the appetizers comes in under budget, so we ordered the Vegetable Pakora (left; potatoes, onions, spinach, and cauliflower) and Onion Bhaji (right) for $4 each.  I could happily have made a lunch from either of these, or divvied them up to enjoy a plate of half-and-half. The fried fritters, dipped in a chickpea flour batter, come with both tamarind and mint chutneys for dipping, and were excellent.

A full serving of the cardamom-infused rice pudding costs $3.50. Jeremy ordered the Gulab Jamun — fried balls of dough in a sweet, rose-scented syrup — which also costs $3.50, and which he enjoyed immensely; I was fortunate to be given a small taste, to see how good they were.

Rice Pudding and Gulab Jamun.

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

You could also order a cup of soup for $3, a generously-portioned side salad for $4 (the lime vinaigrette, one of three choices for a dressing, was lovely and bright), one of the numerous beverages (the mango lassi for $3.50 was rich and creamy), or one of the luscious desserts (most of which come in under budget, or could easily be shared with a loved one).

Continue reading Frugal Friday at Cardamom - menu and staff help those with diet restrictions find delicious deals...

The Ann Arbor Public Schools launched a community-wide survey Thursday to learn what parents, teachers, administrators, students, support staff and the general, tax-paying public would like to see in its next superintendent.

Continue reading Ann Arbor school district launches survey on qualities wanted in next superintendent...

Time can fade our looks and make us less spry, but don't let it take your memories. The physical ones, that is. Get advice on saving your important documents, photographs and other valuable items at the Preservation Clinic at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library.

Continue reading Preservation Clinic to help you save your precious mementos and important items...

• For complete Thursday night prep results, visit Mlive's High School Sports Network

Continue reading Skyline boys lacrosse wins playoff opener over Huron and more Thursday results...

Volkswagens certainly have a style. The buses are practically a necessity in any movie about the 1960s. Jack Torrance and family drove one to the Overlook Hotel. Certainly, no other make of car could have made Herbie the Love Bug as adorable as he was.

Continue reading Vintage car show to feature the many variations of the Volkswagen...

Living with a cat is different than with a dog. Having done it somewhat successfully for more than 15 years myself, I can tell you that my furry friend, Silver, has kept things interesting and lively.

He's not unlike many members of his species; he can be a lot of things, but dull is not one of them. We have definitely had our difficulties over the years, with his habit of letting out his wailing meows just before the crack of dawn, destroying things in the house and plenty of other things.

Let's just say that we've come to understand each other over time and learned to compromise (in the latter case, I mean me). It's like any relationship, right?

Continue reading 'Sad Cat Diary' pokes fun at the secret life of felines...