http://arborweb.com/ Ann Arbor online: news and reference community resource, with the area's best events calendar, Ann Arbor Observer City Guide, comprehensive information on housing, restaurants, government, education, and more, and free classified ads. en-us 2012 Ann Arbor Observer. All Rights Reserved. http://arborweb.com/articles/behind_the_scenes.html I confess I did not expect the fish tour to be very exciting, but I was amazed when we were led down steep cement stairs deep into the basement and found ourselves surrounded by one of the largest fish collections in the world--hundreds of thousands of fish specimens collected by generations of U-M ... Frances Kai-Hwa Wang Culture http://arborweb.com/articles/lgbtqqa_pressure_cooker.html For most young people, navigating the uncharted waters of high school isn't easy. But for members of Spectrum, the queer-straight alliance at Saline High School, the task is doubly hard. Not only do they have to contend with rejection and bullying because of their sexual orientation or their status ... Madeline Strong Diehl Community http://arborweb.com/articles/whimsical_cocktails.html The Village, the cozy neighborhood of affordable condos just behind Falsetta's Market on Washtenaw across from Arborland, seems tailor-made for a neighborhood gathering spot or pub. But it's never really had one--until now. Lisa Rasak, forty-two, opened the Village Pub in December next to Fa... Tony McReynolds Marketplace http://arborweb.com/articles/swim_for_a_cure.html Six local women plan to swim the Channel this summer. The "A2A3 Relay Team" is the brainchild of local attorney Amanda Mercer, a board member of Ann Arbor Active Against ALS. Local residents Kristin McGuire and Dave Lowenschuss founded the charity after their friend Bob Schoeni, a U-M econom... Kelsey Hargesheimer News http://arborweb.com/articles/sex_on_campus.html Considering all the media coverage about college students "hooking up"--having sex without a relationship--their lack of basic knowledge surprises Terri Conley, U-M assistant professor of psychology and women's studies. Conley, who teaches Psychology of Human Sexuality to a packed lecture hall, says... Shelley Daily Community http://arborweb.com/articles/better_late_than_never.html According to the list of street closings on the city's website, Fifth Ave. between Liberty and William reopened the day after Halloween. The Downtown Development Authority website has it carrying traffic in December. So why are drivers still detoured around construction for the underground parking s... James Leonard News http://arborweb.com/articles/cooking_show_at_sigma_nu_alpha.html We received 155 entries correctly identifying the January Fake Ad for someone to host a cooking show at the Sigma Nu Alpha fraternity (page 38). "I liked this one a lot," wrote Dan Jarrell. "It had the verisimilitude of a bunch of college kids looking for a new way of getting fed, saving money, and... Jay Forstner Community http://arborweb.com/articles/changing_hands.html Two of Ann Arbor's increasingly rare venues for live music quickly changed hands and closed on January 1. Bartender Amanda Leavitt, who worked both Live at PJ's and Goodnite Gracie on New Year's Eve, found out that night. "Everyone was saying 'Sorry you lost your job,' and I was like w... Sally Mitani Marketplace http://arborweb.com/articles/observatory_lodge.html January's I Spy showed Observatory Lodge, at the corner of Observatory and Washington Heights. Louisa Griffes explained our clue: "Built in 1930," she writes, it "was the last of eight ... multistory apartment buildings that were built in the decade before the Great Depression." Pamela Kittel notes... Sally Bjork Culture http://arborweb.com/articles/hit_the_road__jack.html I attended college twice. The first time was at the University of Michigan. The second time was also at the University of Michigan--when my son Jack went there. I got better value the second time, I think. I was in Ann Arbor almost every other month, watching my son perform in shows or gigs. He was... Bert Stratton Community