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“I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” - Abraham Lincoln For three Sundays in September, a unique opportunity presented itself to dine in nature, eating food made by some of the most talented local chefs. If the setting and food wasn’t enough, these events also raised money for Ypsilanti nonprofit, Growing Hope.  Chefs in the Garden is a fundraiser that the nonprofit hosts each fall to bring awareness and funds to this local charity.  On September 25, I was fortunate enough to attend one of the events that featured Chefs Eve Aronoff and Armando Lopez’s (of Frita Batidos) cooking.  As we entered the backyard, we were met by…

Ever wished you could drink your cannabis? Well, with Happi, you can. “Meet Happi, a collection of cannabis-infused seltzers ready for any occasion,” greets every visitor to Happi’s website, a Michigan-made first-to-market THC-infused beverage. With society's growing interest in health and cannabis, Happi aims to meet in the middle. All of their seltzer flavors are made with organic fruit, non-GMOs, and are gluten-free. Happi was co-founded by Lisa Hurwitz with her partner Joe Reynolds. Whether you are taking a day to relax or celebrating with friends, it can be  "Happi Hour."  Each can is 15-25 calories, with flavors such as pomegranate hibiscus, lime wild mint, raspberry honeysuckle, and lemon elderflower. As a female-led company, One of Hurwitz's goals is to make cannabis products accessible to women.  Happi describes their drinks…

Ann Arbor Loses a Legend In August of this year, Ann Arbor culinarian and historian extraordinaire Janice Bluestein Longone passed away at the remarkable age of 89. She left behind a culinary legacy which will educate and delight others for decades to come. Her influence was vast and touched people all across the country, but many of her accomplishments were based right here in Ann Arbor. Lucky us! U of M’s Jan Longone Culinary Archive According to Juli McLoone, Curator of the Special Collections Research Center at the University of Michigan Library, “Jan and Longone began donating their personal collection to form the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive at the University of Michigan in the early 2000s and have since continued to make additional donations each year. Today, the Janice…

Early intervention essential to addressing current crisis Last year, the Children’s Hospital Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the U.S. Surgeon General declared national emergencies of child and adolescent mental health. The crisis had been brewing for decades but became more apparent with the pandemic as uncertainty, isolation and disruptions to routine and support systems took hold.  “When a child has significant and persistent impairment in multiple areas of their life due to strong distressing emotions, disruptive behaviors or other behavioral concerns, or is having trouble managing distressing thoughts or worries, this often qualifies as a mental health condition,” said Dr. Nasuh Malas, M.D., M.P.H, director of pediatric consultation-liaison psychiatry and service chief for child psychiatry at University of Michigan Health C.S.…

In the midst of a nationwide debate about gun control and school violence, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently signed a bill that allows school faculty and staff to carry handguns on school property. Ohio joins several states across the country in the ongoing conversation about how to keep kids safe at schools.   While gun control has long been a topic of debate in the United States, the conversation around arming teachers, or allowing teachers to arm themselves, has seen an upsurge in recent years. This may be especially true in Michigan after the tragic shooting at Oxford High School in November 2021.  Michigan Policies Regarding Guns in Schools  As debates regarding school safety continue and neighboring states implement new policies, you may be wondering about Michigan’s current stance on school…

On Sept. 22 Shirley Ann Higuchi, J.D., came to the Ann Arbor District Downtown Library to discuss her book “Setsuko’s Secret,” following the story of Higuchi’s mother Setsuko. Both of Higuchi’s parents were incarcerated as children along with 14,000 other Japanese Americans at Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming during World War II.  “My mother really never talked about her incarceration experience and we found out much late that she was donating money secretly to Heart Mountain dreaming of something being built there and I never knew anything about it until her deathbed experience,” Higuchi said. “Heart Mountain was bigger than my mother, Heart Mountain was bigger than me and my family. Heart Mountain was significant as an experience that this country has had.” According to the U.S. National Archives,…

Who doesn’t love fall, the holidays, the changing colors, nice temperatures and having the excuse to wear a hoodie every day.  These are just some of what make the fall season special. This year, Washtenaw County residents have even more reason to enjoy the upcoming fall season with trunk or treats to Harvest festivals. Take a look at some of these upcoming events! Children’s Halloween Costume Exchange The Chelsea District Library is giving children the chance to swap out their outgrown and gently used costumes (all costumes should be in wearable condition). Just head to the first floor of the library to either donate, grab a new costume or both!   Oct. 1-31 221 S. Main St, Chelsea. Black Walnut Harvesting Interested in black walnuts? Have no idea what they are?…

The internet and computers are ingrained tools that help ease lives and allow resources to remain readily accessible to society. While these tools can be used for pleasantries, such as sharing a funny status on Facebook or uploading cute videos of your dog on TikTok, some can’t find a balance between enjoying life online and offline. This lack of balance creates issues for users’ mental health, becoming what’s classified as internet addiction. Internet addiction is an issue that is becoming detrimental, specifically to teenagers. In an article published by the Pew Research Center, their survey discovered that 95 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have access to a smartphone, and 46 percent of teens say they are "almost constantly" online. That's up from 24 percent eight years ago.  Pew researchers surveyed…