Ann Arbor News - Thursday, April 20

Morning Ann Arbor! Oddly a lot of running news this morning. 3 things:

• Puma has partnered with Epic Races to sponsor 4 local races

• A Saline English teacher got 29th in the Boston Marathon

• A 20-year-old Ann Arbor native ran a 4 minute, 7.91 second mile

And if you missed last weekend's Big House 5K, there's a mini-marathon (2.62 miles) on Saturday.

Read Time: 3 minutes

Reader Count: 273 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 0.228%

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ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🎨 New Park Art: The City of Ann Arbor is seeking local input on what public art it should add to the new pedestrian and vehicle bridge in Gallup Park and the pedestrian tunnel between Bandemer Park and Barton Nature Area. The city’s 2 question survey is open now until May 2.

🛝 Bicentennial Park: In honor of Ann Arbor's 200th birthday next year, City Administrator Milton Dohoney has proposed renaming Fuller Park to Bicentennial Park. In addition to the rename, Dohoney is proposing adding a sculpture garden, community garden plots, a universal-access splash pad, sensory trails, and a new, geothermal-powered shelter.

📵 Dexter Joins Social Media Lawsuit: Along with 11 other Michigan school districts, the Dexter Community School District is joining a nationwide lawsuit against Meta, Snap, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media companies. The lawsuit seeks to hold social media companies accountable for their content algorithm that “addicts” young users and to pressure Congress into putting “guardrails” in place to protect students.

🚨 Murder Arrest Made: Ricky McCain was charged for last week's murder of Jude Walton, a former police oversight commissioner. The 54-year-old was charged with open murder, first-degree home invasion, and assault with intent to commit sexual penetration. McCain stayed mute during his arraignment.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

♻️ State Recycling Rate: Last year Michigan’s recycling rate improved to 21%. While 21% is an all-time high and a 2% increase from 2021’s 19%, it still falls short of the national average of 32% and Michigan’s long-term goal of 45%. Michigan legislature has turned to grants to improve state-wide recycling programs and proposed bills to curb landfill usage.

🏡 March’s Housing Market: RealComp, a Michigan real estate data company, released a report on the state’s housing market. March’s year-over-year (YoY) highlights:

• Median Sale Price: +3% YoY

• New Listings: -19.4% YoY

• Avg Days on Market: +13 (31 to 44) YoY

• Closed Sales: -9% YoY

🪑 Pity City: Andi Owen, CEO of MillerKnoll (the Michigan-based office furniture giant previously known as Herman Miller), has come under fire for telling employees to work harder and “leave pity city” instead of worrying if they’ll receive annual bonuses. The frustrations further highlight the struggling office furniture industry - an industry deeply embedded in the West Michigan economy.

🪴 Michigan Gardening: Experts are reminding Michiganders to hold off outdoor gardening for a few weeks until the last frost of the year passes. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the last frost will be April 27 for Detroit, May 11 for Ann Arbor, May 14 for Grand Rapids, and May 17 for Sault Ste. Marie.

ON THE MARKET

3 Bed | 1 Bath | 864 Sqft | $248,000

4 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,621 Sqft | $765,000

3 Bed | 3 Bath | 3,127 Sqft | $1,650,000

That's all for now! See ya on Monday

- Andrew

P. S. - Unfortunately, it's tick season - here's a refresher on staying safe

P. S. S. - Ann Arbor's Earth Day Festival will be this Sunday at Leslie Science & Nature Center