✏️ U-M freshmen won't get letter grades

Morning, Ann Arbor! U-M freshmen are about to get one semester that never shows up on a transcript, Pretzel Bell went all-in on Michigan farmers, and the football shuttle is back at $1.50. No more time for small talk, let’s get this party started.

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🎓 U-M Freshmen Won't Get Letter Grades

Starting in 2027, every incoming LSA first-year student gets a pass or no credit for their first semester instead of A through F. Professors still assign real grades, and students still see them; they just will not hit the transcript or count toward GPA. It covers about 3,500 freshmen a year and does not touch U-M's other 18 colleges, so Ross and engineering still get graded the old way. Caltech, MIT and Wellesley already do a version of this.  LSA

🏗️ Some U-M Students May Get Temporary Housing This Fall

Move-in is nearly here, but the finish line is tight. Students assigned to Building 4 of U-M's new Wolverine Village dorms on East Hoover may be temporarily housed elsewhere if construction doesn't wrap in time, according to a letter from Michigan Housing. Crews are working multiple shifts to make the Aug. 24 move-in date, and the university says a final call is still pending, with weekly updates going out to affected students. Wolverine Village is part of a $631 million project that will house about 2,300 students across five buildings, the largest first-year housing project of its kind in the country. mLive

💰 A Deeper Look at What Local Government Pays

Ever wondered what public jobs around town pay? Ann Arbor's full 2025 payrolls are now searchable, and the numbers show budgets that keep climbing. On the city side, 267 employees earned six figures last year, up from 225 in 2024 and just 170 six years ago, with City Administrator Milton Dohoney topping the list at $286,487. Over at the Ann Arbor District Library, 284 employees earned more than $10 million combined (about $35,400 on average), led by Director Eli Neiburger at nearly $202,000. Search any name, job, or department in the city salary table.

🥨 Pretzel Bell Puts Michigan Farmers All Over the Menu

Pretzel Bell (226 S. Main St) rebuilt its lunch, dinner and brunch menus around Michigan producers, threading them through everything instead of walling off a "local" section. The hand-made Bavarian pretzel comes from Grand River Bakery, River City Meats turns up in the Varsity Burger and the French Dip, and a new Sparrow Market porterhouse is sized for tables of two to 10. Scan the QR code on the menu and you can read up on whoever made what you are eating.  Pretzel Bell

🚰 The EPA Wants to Hear From Scio Township

The EPA holds its first public workshop on the Gelman dioxane plume Wednesday from 6 to 8pm at Scio Township Hall, 827 N. Zeeb Rd. It opens as a poster session, runs through a quick "Superfund 101," then turns into a workshop where residents do the talking. EPA community involvement coordinator Diane Russell called it "an information collecting exercise" built for people "who want to come work with their neighbors." Can't make it? There is a survey open through Sept. 1. Scionews

❄️ The County More Than Doubled Its Winter Shelter Budget

Washtenaw County commissioners voted unanimously to raise winter sheltering funding from about $1 million to more than $2.5 million, with some of it going to eviction prevention. In plain terms that is roughly 100 people and ten families who will have somewhere to go. "We can at least say now we have a place for those 100 people and ten families," said Nicole Adelman of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. CBS Detroit

🏙️ Ground Is About to Break on a Big Affordable Housing Project

Those orange barricades downtown mean something's finally happening at 350 S. Fifth Ave. After nearly a decade of planning, the Ann Arbor Housing Commission is about to break ground on a long-awaited affordable housing development next to the Blake Transit Center: a 20-story tower with roughly 330 affordable apartments plus ground-floor retail. The site once held the old YMCA before being torn down in 2008 and sitting as a parking lot ever since. "We should be breaking ground shortly," said commission director Jennifer Hall. A2Gov

🏈The Game-Day Shuttle Is Back at $1.50

TheRide's FootballRide returns for home games starting with Western Michigan on Sept. 5, running between hotels, parking sites and the Big House for $1.50 each way. Shuttles go every 20 minutes starting two hours before kickoff and drop near Gate 2 by Crisler. Buy through EZFare, Moovit, Uber or Transit and pick "FootballRide." TheRide

🕊️ Celebrating the Life of Norm Tyler

Ann Arbor lost one of its civic giants. Norm Tyler, an architect, planner, professor, and author remembered for his "boundless energy," died July 30 after a battle with lung cancer at 81. He co-authored a historic preservation textbook used in colleges nationwide, helped create the A2 SmartTours for the city's bicentennial, championed a downtown civic commons, and, with his wife Ilene, lovingly restored their landmark Greek Revival home on Division Street. A fixture at the Folk Festival and Civic Chorus, he lived long enough to publish his final book and wrote Ilene a poem a month before he died. You can read more about his life and work at tylertopics.com.

On the Market

1109 Birk Ave — $699,900 3 bed | 3 bath | 1,806 sqft - A 1940 west-side home near Michigan Stadium, rebuilt from the studs with an open floorplan, modern finishes, new windows, nearly all-new systems and a wood-burning fireplace.

1121 Ferdon Rd — $799,900 4 bed | 3 bath | 1,647 sqft - A thoughtfully updated 1912 Burns Park home with refinished wood floors, thick moldings and graceful archways, plus a secluded fenced backyard with perennial gardens and a storage shed.

480 Huntington Dr — $2,195,000 5 bed | 5 bath | 4,696 sqft - A 1955 home on a private half-acre, extensively renovated in 2023 by builder Kelly Anderson with hardwood floors, light-filled living spaces and a mix of classic design and modern luxury.

Adoptable Humane Society Pets

Playdoh — 6 years 5 months | Large Neutered Male | Pit Bull Terrier mix. An easygoing guy whose favorite things are peanut butter, bones and long sniff-walks. Meet Playdoh

Olive — 3 years 9 months | Medium Spayed Female | Domestic Longhair mix. A playful girl who gets sensitive when play gets to be too much, so she may do best in a home without young children. Meet Olive 

Quinn — 9 years 3 months | Large Spayed Female | Terrier / Shepherd. A senior who describes herself as an open book and knows exactly what she wants, which is a low-key household where she can enjoy her golden years. Meet Quinn

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

— Ryan, James, and the Michigander Team

P.S. - The city plans to extend the two-way Division Street bikeway from Catherine Street up to the Broadway Bridge, connecting downtown to the north side, alongside a resurfacing effort and the replacement of an 1880s-era water main. Construction isn't until 2027, but the city wants input now. A2Gov

P.P.S. - The Ann Arbor Farmers Market food truck rally rolls back this Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. Expect a dozen-plus Southeast Michigan vendors serving food from around the globe, plus live music and family fun. Come hungry. Ann Arbor Farmers Market

P.P.P.S. - The Ann Arbor Bonsai Society takes over Matthaei next Saturday and Sunday at 10am, and it is worth an hour to hear someone explain why they moved one branch on a tree they have been shaping for thirty years.  Matthaei

P.P.P.P.S. - Origin Strength's grand opening is this Saturday, Aug. 22, 8 a.m. to noon (115 E. Ann St.). Just for showing up, you'll snag a free 1:1 workout, a free class, and a shot at winning a month of personal training. Yup, you've never gotten a better participation trophy. Curious Coffee will be slinging the best coffee inside, so swing by on your way to the Farmers Market and tell them The Michigander sent you. Origin Strength

P.P.P.P.P.S. - An Ann Arbor radiologist just launched a Kickstarter for Poka Snack, a patent-pending reusable kitchen tool that makes chocolate-covered frozen bananas and other frozen fruit treats a breeze. A year in the making, it's his first consumer product. Check it out → pokasnack.com.

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