The "Drawing Dad" Brings Joy To Cancer Patient's Windows at Mott Children's Hospital

Morning, Ann Arbor! Oddly, a lot of restaurant news to share. Four things to know:

• Madras Masala is planning to open a second location at 1143 Broadway Street (the old Foods of India location)

• Maya (a new Mexican restaurant) plans to open at 497 N. Zeeb Road (the old Kathy’s House of Pancakes location)

• ORAM (formerly known as Of Rice and Men) has reopened under new ownership

• Tous Les Jours (a new French-Korean bakery) has opened at 330 S. Maple Road

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Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 1.34%

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🎨 Mott’s Drawing Dad: Thanks to Greg Martin Jr., the windows of patient rooms on floor 7 East at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital (a pediatric cancer unit) are covered with uplifting cartoon drawings. What started as a drawing of Bart Simpson on his son Owen’s window has become a floor-wide art exhibit that has earned Martin the nickname the “Drawing Dad”.

The “Drawing Dad” has begun taking requests from patients and staff, spending 1-5 hours on each drawing. The unit has fully embraced the artwork, even referring to different rooms as “the penguin room” or “the dinosaur room”.

This 6-minute video is a tearjerker but well worth the watch. And you can keep up with the Drawing Dad on TikTok @Cartoons4Cancer.

🚗 UMich Parking Availability: U of M has launched a “Parking Space Availability” tool for Blue permit tier parking spots on their website. The new feature offers real-time occupancy levels for various lots and structures across U of M and Michigan Medicine campuses.

☕️ Sweetwaters Union: Employees at four Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea locations in Ann Arbor have filed to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board. The workers from the Michigan Union, West Washington Street, Westgate Library, and Meijer Ann Arbor-Saline Road locations, represented by Teamsters Local 243, have unionized to negotiate for higher wages, better scheduling, and clearer policies. Baristas currently earn a base pay of $12-$13 per hour, excluding tips, but argue this is insufficient given Ann Arbor's high cost of living.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

🎄 Christmas Tree Shortage: In the face of surging demand, Michigan faces a shortage of real Christmas trees. Thanks to a pandemic popularity bump, demand for real Christmas trees has surged but supply struggles (local droughts and trees' 10-year growth cycles) have left the state unable to keep up. Despite ranking third in the country for Christmas tree production, some state farms have been importing trees to keep up with demand.

💵 Tax Refund Checks: Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the state will issue $550 tax refund checks to approximately 700,000 lower-income households. These checks, part of an expansion of the state's Earned Income Tax Credit, will be sent out starting February 13 to those who qualified in 2022, specifically benefiting households with adult earners making less than $59,187. The checks will be mailed on a rolling basis and are expected to reach all eligible recipients within five to six weeks.

🦮 Dog Illness Warning: Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a warning about a mysterious respiratory disease affecting dogs nationwide. The illness is a highly contagious disease, characterized by coughing, sneezing, appetite loss, and fever, is unresponsive to conventional treatments, and can lead to severe pneumonia. While Michigan has had no confirmed cases (some suspect a case in Oakland County), state officials advise ensuring pets are up-to-date on vaccinations and advise dog owners to use caution when traveling and interacting with other pets.

🚙 New Car Rebates: Governor Gretchen Whitmer has unveiled a new initiative, the MI Vehicle Rebate plan, aimed at making new cars and trucks more affordable for Michiganders. The plan, part of Whitmer’s efforts to bolster the state’s auto industry, offers up to $2,500 in tax rebates for new electric or hybrid vehicles and up to $1,500 for new gas-powered vehicles. When combined with federal credits, families could save up to $10,000 on new electric or hybrid vehicles. The MI Vehicle Rebate Plan initiative will be part of the governor's upcoming 2024 State of the State address.

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That's all for now! Have a great week in Tree Town!

- Andrew

P. P. S. - Thursday is the winter solstice. Ann Arbor will get 9 hours and 5 minutes of daylight, that’s 6 hours and 11 minutes less than it gets on the summer solstice. Woof. Break out those happy lights.

P. P. P. S - No Michigander next week. The next Michigander will be on January 1. See ya in 2024!