Ann Arbor News - Thursday, March 23

Morning Ann Arbor! Not to freak out but on Monday we had 23 readers. Today we have 34 readers. With 48% growth in 3 days, I think we're officially the fastest-growing Ann Arbor newsletter. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

Word Count: 614 words

Reader Count: 34 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 0.0276%

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🛏 Vanguard Hotel: You know that weird empty lot next to Angelo's that's been vacant for almost a decade? Well, it's the future site of Ann Arbor's next luxury hotel, the Vanguard Hotel. Part of the Marriott's Autograph Collection, work on the Vanguard Hotel began in 2013, was approved by the city in 2017, was redesigned and reapproved in 2019, was stopped for a pandemic in 2020, but is now targeting a 2024 opening.

♻️ In Our Composting Era: To expedite the storm-related cleanup, Ann Arbor is resuming its regular curbside compost collection early. Starting next week, city services will begin picking up bins, paper yard bags, and bundled branches. This is in addition to the city's ongoing efforts to pick up the larger branches around town.

〽️ The Return of Schlissel: Ex-UMich president Mark Schlissel is returning to campus to teach an immunology course in the fall. Despite being removed as president in January 2022, Schlissel remains a tenured faculty member. Schlissel’s current faculty contract requires him to teach one course a year to receive his $185,000 salary.

🥗 Second Sweetgreen Location: After opening a State Street location in January, Sweetgreen has opened a second AA location - this time in Arbor Hills. The high-end salad restaurant will be next door to Lululemon. Name a more iconic duo - I'll wait.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

💧 Flint Water Crisis Settlement: 9 years after a state-appointed emergency manager caused a public health crisis by switching Flint's drinking water from Lake Huron to the Flint River to save money, Flint residents may finally receive compensation. A state judge has approved a $626 million settlement to pay residents affected by the lead-contaminated water. As the water was most harmful to those under the age of 6, 80% of the funds have been allocated to go to children.

🗞 Right-to-Work: Two weeks after the House introduced and passed a bill to repeal the 2012 law that made Michigan a Right-to-Work state, the Democrat-controlled Senate has followed suit. In repealing the Republican-pushed 2012 law that prohibited mandatory union dues, Democrats will have appeased their pro-worker base. Republicans argue repealing the law makes Michigan less competitive for employers. The bill now heads to Governor Whitmer's desk to be signed into law.

📱 Michigan GOP Compares Gun Control to Holocaust: In a tweet responding to recently introduced state legislature, the Michigan Republican Party's official account compared new gun control measures to the Holocaust. The tweet has been criticized by Republicans and Democrats.

🐻 Bear Cuddlers: Because the above stories were heavier, here's a lighter story about the DNR hiring bear cub cuddlers.

ON THE MARKET

1 Bed | 1 Bath | 688 Sqft | $395,000

3 Bed | 3 Bath | 1,115 Sqft | $459,900

3 Bed | 4 Bath | 2,781 Sqft | $1,365,000

That's all for now! See ya on Monday. Don't forget to put your compost out.

- Andrew

P. S. - If you like what you read, refer a friend.

P. S. S. - A UMich student made an app for tracking The Ride around town.

P. S. S. S. - This Ann Arbor house made it on Zillow Gone Wild. Goals.