Author: Ann Arbor Staff

The Ann Arbor District Library offers many genealogical research databases including FamilySearch. FamilySearch is a free genealogy record base provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  FamilySearch offers a range of resources on its website. On FamilySearch, one can search genealogy records that have been digitized and indexed and search for records from a particular geographic locations. Users can also browse the digitized images of records from a particular geographic location and the digitized images of records that have not been indexed. One can also use the family search wiki, join special interest groups in the FamilySearch communities, build a family tree and more.  “FamilySearch just has an amazing number of resources for those of us who are keen to do some genealogy research on our lines…

Here’s what’s happening locally this month in Washtenaw County: openings, closings, and business updates in Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Ypsilanti, Milan and more. Openings The Shade Store is now open in the Arbor Hills outdoor mall at 3050 Washtenaw Ave. Unit 103A, Ann Arbor. This showroom for handcrafted Shades, Blinds and Drapery accepts walk-ins and appointments.  J.Crew Factory is now open in Arborland at 3567 Washtenaw Ave Space 107, Ann Arbor. Customers can purchase classic J.Crew styles for a lower price at this location. Closings Hamburger Mary’s Ypsilanti location closed after a year of business at 701 W. Cross St. Austin & Warburton owners are retiring after 35 years and the jewelry store has closed at 2335 West Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor.  Worth noting:  Gentle Vibes Vintage, previously located…

Cannabis is often thought to be less harmful than other drugs. But is that true? Some waxes, oils, and syrups have dangerously high THC levels–close to 100%. But since cannabis is thought to be safer than other types of drugs, these products are often unregulated.  For perspective, a high dose of THC is considered 15% or over. Back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the average THC content was not even 2%. High doses of cannabis can lead to addiction, poor memory, vomiting, psychosis, a permanent psychiatric disorder, and suicide. Weed is the number one drug used by elementary and high school students, so many parents may have the additional concern of their child using cannabis and being inadver tently exposed to such dangerous levels.  With THC levels being so…

DAPCO Beginnings Destiny and Purpose Community Outreach, founded by Towana Parker, has been providing vital support services to strengthen at-risk families in Wayne County since 1997 and in Washtenaw County since 2007.  Parker said it all started with “a group of women led by me that were small business owners [who] wanted to do something charitable in the community.” They started off by volunteering in residential girls' homes as mentors and used their own financial resources to purchase needed items for the girls “I never dreamed of running a nonprofit agency, but a seed was planted when someone told me that we could avoid using our financial resources if we decided to form a nonprofit agency and ask for charitable donations through companies, corporations, and grants,” Parker said. And, thus…

A Family of Activists You could say being a voting rights activist is in Ann Arbor resident Leslie McGraw’s blood.  It all began back in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee when her great-granduncle Elbert Williams, an African-American civil rights leader, and four others founded a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first known NAACP member to be lynched for his civil rights beliefs and activities. Elbert Williams’ legacy Although African Americans were legally allowed to vote, racially biased voter registration obstacles made it impossible for them to do so in Haywood County, where Brownsville is located, as well as three other counties in the state. The goal of their chapter was to register African-American voters so…

Family time is important and creates core memories for children as they grow. And family time is even more precious for those raising children with life-threatening conditions. These families spend so much of their time in hospitals and doctor’s offices that finding time and money to create moments that matter can be difficult.  That’s where A Kid Again Michigan comes in. The statewide chapter of the national nonprofit providing cost-free, year-round Adventures to kids with life-threatening conditions and their families recently reached a magnificent milestone in almost a year…helping more than 1,000 Michigan families create 1,000 stories.  Adventures are moments of carefree fun for A Kid Again families who spend their days in hospitals, and often experience surgeries, medical appointments and more.  The Ronne’s son, Lucas, who has several life-threatening…

On Friday, Oct. 21, the Ann Arbor District Downtown Library hosted congressman Jamie Raskin and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell in conversation about Raskin’s new memoir “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy.” The book follows his journey through navigating his son’s suicide, the capitol riot on January 6, 2021, as well as leading the impeachment trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump.  [caption id="attachment_1221" align="alignnone" width="300"] Raskin signing a copy of his new memoir. Photo by Mishal Charania.[/caption] “I started writing it as a love letter to our lost son Tommy, and then it became kind of a love letter to America at the end,” Raskin said. “I learned most about how personal democracy is to everyone, and how much we depend on democracy in ways we don’t even…

by Kimberly Blaker Many parents today never experienced a world where computers weren't a standard household fixture, let alone a world without the Internet. When the World Wide Web first became available to the public in 1991, it was archaic compared to today. Yet at the time, it was quite the phenomenon. But the rapid speed of technological progress over the past couple of decades will resemble the crawl of a tortoise in another decade or two as technology continues to advance at an exponential rate. In fact, according to Ray Kurzweil, a world-renowned inventor, thinker, and futurist, “We won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century – it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate).” If you have any doubt, Kurzweil has a remarkable thirty-year…