Ypsilanti will purchase two vacant, foreclosed homes it will next sell to Habitat For Humanity of Huron Valley for renovation.

At its Tuesday meeting, City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the properties for the minimum bid price at the Washtenaw County Treasurer's Office tax foreclosure auction.

A home on Merrill was renovated by volunteers and Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley.

Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com

A home at 312 Garland St. will be purchased for $28,471 while a home at 1320 Collegewood St. will be purchased for $13,118.

The “First Look” program offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was once available to Habitat, but the sale of the homes to Habitat’s residents wasn’t happening quickly enough for HUD rules, so Habitat must turn to municipalities to purchase the homes it wants to buy.

The city is able to buy properties from the foreclosure auction at what is often far below market rates. The Garland and Collegewood homes have a state equalized value of $100,800 and $80,400, respectively. The homes only will be purchased if there is a commitment from Habitat to buy the properties, and the city will not sell them at a profit.

The properties will be tax exempt for two years or until Habitat completes its renovations, which Habitat Housing Director Rob Nissly said would be around one year.

Habitat will invest $91,000 in purchasing and renovating the Collegewood home, which will receive a new roof, new hardwood floors, energy efficient appliances, new doors, new counters, new cabinets, a high-efficiency furnace, new faucets and new insulation. All Habitat homes are highly energy efficient.

City Planner Teresa Gillotti said the advantage to turning the homes over to Habitat is that it prevents the properties from being purchased by a speculator who either rents or doesn't renovate the home.

“Normally we don’t have control (of who buys foreclosed homes),” she said. “In this case we have an assured buyer being a homeowner and we know there will be improvements to that home.”

Nissly said Habitat homeowners earn 30 percent to 60 percent of the area’s median income and they take classes on home ownership and financial responsibility.

Those benefiting from their programs must put 200 hours of “sweat equity” in on working on the home.

Homeowners are then given a zero percent interest mortgage they must pay off, and they must demonstrate that they will be able to continue making mortgage payments. Homeowners also pay property taxes and insurance.

In Ypsilanti Township in 2012, Habitat residents contributed $157,000 to the township’s tax rolls.

“This looks like a steal for the city - I’m looking for the downside,” Council Member Dan Vogt said, though he supported the proposal after it was explained how the program works.

Council Member Ricky Jefferson praised Habitat's efforts.

“I like the way Habitat has come into communities and just changed the look completely and allowed people who couldn’t afford a home afford a home for their families,” he said.

Habitat has already completed two renovations on Garland and in Ypsilanti Township has completed 25 renovations in one neighborhood.

Ypsilanti Township recently purchased 10 properties under the same program.

Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter. Contact the AnnArbor.com news desk at news@annarbor.com.

Previous coverage:

• Ann Arbor Public Schools to call back 1st of 233 laid-off teachers
• Ann Arbor school district will have to pay unemployment insurance for laid-off teachers
• Budget crisis: Ann Arbor schools issues layoff notices for 233 teachers

More than 100 laid-off teachers in the Ann Arbor Public Schools can prepare to return to their classrooms this fall.

The Board of Education approved its first batch of 110 teacher callbacks at Friday's meeting, prior to naming a new superintendent of the district. 123 names still remain on the layoff list.

AAPS issued pink slips to 233 teachers in May to help the board address an $8.7 million budget shortfall for the 2013-14 academic year. The final budget that was passed in June calls for reducing about 37 teaching positions. Those reductions that are unable to be made through retirements and resignations will need to be achieved through layoffs.

Central administrators had some good new Friday night: the number of teacher retirements the district has seen this summer increased slightly in the past month from 37 to 41 total retirements.

"The hope is still being able to recall everyone and meet the requirements of the budget that was passed," said David Comsa, deputy superintendent of human resources and legal services.

Part of what the board approved Friday included authorizing the administration to continue recalling teachers going forward, without having to come back before the board each time there was a new group. Also, the next regular board meeting is not until Aug. 14 and that is getting too close to the start of the school year, said Human Resource Services Director Cindy Ryan.

"We want to keep doing this as quickly as we can," Ryan said, explaining the administration is trying to call back as many teachers as possible before Aug. 1.

Aug. 1 is an important date in terms of being able to save on unemployment costs, she said. The district is required to pay unemployment insurance for every laid-off staff member.

Officials set aside $500,000 in the district's 2013-14 budget for unemployment costs. If the district can recall all 233 of its laid off teachers and still achieve the position savings through retirements and resignations, then the district should be able to return a large portion of that $500,000 to the district's fund equity, or primary savings account balance.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Danny Britt

So, about 25 percent of his shows feature him fronting a full band, and about 75 percent are duo shows, pairing him with Marvin Dykhuis, the supremely talented lead guitarist in his band and a real gunslinger on the Texas Americana-music scene. (They’re also sometimes joined by a bass player.)

But, by no means is he complaining. Dykhuis is an impressive, proficient player who is just as nimble and expressive when playing syncopated blues, country-rock twang, or deft, delicate folk ballads. And Dykhuis is also a songwriter who co-writes some of the tunes for Britt’s full-band albums.

He also wrote or co-wrote several songs on the duo record Britt and Dykhuis released last year, “Two Guys, Two Guitars.”

“Before then, I didn’t have any records like this—my previous albums had been full-band recordings, and many people would come up to us after our duo shows and say they really liked the two-acoustic-guitar sound, and asked if we had an album that represented what they had just heard from us that night,” says Britt.

“So we knew we definitely needed to record something like that, for the fans who like what Marvin and I do together in that more spare, acoustic setting,” adds Britt, who comes to The Ark on Sunday for one of those duo shows with Dykhuis.

“Not only is Marvin a world-class guitarist, but he ‘s also a fine producer, and he was Tish Hinojosa’s bandleader and producer for years,” says Britt by phone from Austin, following one of two shows he’d done that day. Both of those were duo shows with Dykhuis, and he had two full-band shows scheduled for the next day.

For their duo shows, and on the duo album, Britt and Dykhuis also trade-off lead vocal duties, and harmonize wonderfully.

Britt’s debut album, in 2001, was the full-band recording “Danny Britt and Red Dawg: Texas Stuff,” produced by Dykhuis After that came “The Other Side” in 2003, and featured various Austin-based guests, including Kelly Willis, Bruce Robison, Christine Albert, Chris Gage and Dykhuis.

Then in 2007 was another full-band disc, “Walk this Road,” although it was more of an acoustic-country-rock disc than an electric one.

One of the highlights of “Two Guys, Two Guitars” is a poignant Britt composition, “She Only Drinks Whiskey in the Morning.”

“That one was inspired by a comment made to me in a club in Austin, by a gal who said she only drinks in the morning—although with her, it was tequila. So it gave me this idea to depict this good old West Texas woman, who’s had a hard life, her father had walked out on her, nothing came easy for her, and she ended up drinking too much, and drank so much that she would dance on the bar, and end up sleeping in her car. So, to remedy that, she now only drinks in the morning.”

Britt leaves the song open-ended, and doesn’t say whether she continues drinking throughout the day. “No, I decided to just leave it at that”—which was a good choice, because it plants that question in the listener’s mind and makes you wonder what her life is like. On the track, Dykhuis underscores the emotion in the song with shimmery, mournful slide guitar.

Another stand-out track is “Brother Put the Hammer Down,” co-written by Dykhuis with two other writers. On the album they play it in a syncopated, Piedmont-blues style. “We can do that one in a few different ways,” says Britt. “Sometimes we’ll give it a reggae type of vibe, sometimes we keep that bluesy feel, sometimes it’s got more of a country sound,” says Britt.

“Texas Eagle,” meanwhile, chugs along to a subtly locomotive groove that is both fitting and intentional, since it’s about a train ride between Dallas and San Antonio and is named after a train that is actually called the Texas Eagle. “I like the way we get the guitars to evoke that sound of the train clicking down the tracks,” he says.

Looking back on his years playing music and touring, Britt still cites Jerry Jeff as his biggest influence. “In the mid-‘80s or so, he decided to quit touring with a band, and he called me up and said he just wanted to do a bunch of solo shows, and said ‘I’ll pay you what you’re making now, and it’s just going to be you and me and the pilot,’ and we would play a different city almost every night, back to back to back.

“We did that for a few years, non-stop, and being with him so much was the best education I could have ever had as a songwriter. I hadn’t really started writing songs yet, but he really opened my eyes up when it came to how to write a song.

And those who know what a hell-raiser Jerry Jeff was back in the day - and that his audience was even more boistrous - won’t be surprised to hear this anecdote from Britt: “We played many different kinds of venues, from the nastiest dance halls to the most foo-foo theaters, and everywhere we went, the venue told us they’d never seen so much alcohol consumed by the audience at a single show.”

Kevin Ransom is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at KevinRansom10@aol.com.

Drunken Barn Dance

Quite Scientific Records

The group released “Sequoia,” the second in a series of three digital EPs, in June.

Two band members—guitarists Sellwood and Scott DeRoche—are alums of the local pop band Saturday Looks Good To Me. Guitarist Greg McIntosh is also associated with Great Lakes Myth Society, and Ryan Howard has been drummer for City Center and Canada. Music veteran Jim Roll, who plays bass in DBD, has been a part of many local bands (and worked with them at his Backseat Productions recording studio).

Sellwood now lives in San Francisco, where he works with YouTube’s music licensing team. The other members of the group are based here, although McIntosh bounces back and forth between Ann Arbor and Detroit.

“It’s a lot of working getting us in the same room,” Sellwood said. “I wish we all had more time to dedicate to this. We would have all loved to have found this voice when we were 20 and been able to take this band on the road forever, but that’s life.”

Tonight, the night before the Ypsilanti show, Drunken Barn Dance will perform at S’Mittenfest at Detroit’s Magic Stick, a benefit for the Ann Arbor-based literacy group 826Michigan, which is expanding into the Detroit area.

“I think the first real Drunken Barn Dance show with all the guys was a Mittenfest show in 2009,” Sellwood said. “When the 826Michigan told us about (the one in Detroit), we said we’d be there. We built up a little run of shows around it. And we need to record the third EP in this little digital series, so we’re going to try and knock that all out in one swing.

The “Sequoia” EP contains five new jams, one of them titled “Welcome College Town Revelers.” It doesn’t take much imagination to know which college town he’s singing about.

“That’s Ann Arbor,” he confirmed. “I’ve lived in several college towns over the years. That one to me is the walk from my old apartment, up Packard, across Stadium and into downtown, seeing and living all those parties. … I lived that life when I was in college, that kind of aimless beauty. Ann Arbor is a special place and I wanted to write about that feeling I would get when walking up Packard on a Friday night.”

The EP was also recorded according to DBD’s strict rules, among them everything must be recorded live; if the band can't nail a song in 2-3 takes, the song disappears from the recorded catalog forever; and, true to the band's name, adult beverages are mandatory in every phase of the process.

Sellwood agreed the last rule probably isn’t necessary any more.

“There’s no secret—we’re fans of drink. It probably doesn’t need to be a rule any more. That’s the one rule I never had to enforce,” he said.

"Planet of the Apes"

The movie, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowell, Maurice Evans and Kim Hunter, spawned four successful sequels and won a special Academy Award for John Chambers‘s convincing makeup.

Here’s the plot: When an astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future, they find that intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved. What’s more, there’s a secret about the planet’s history that its inhabitants will go to any lengths to protect.

For those concerned about the film’s deeper meaning, Rotten Tomatoes says “Planet of the Apes raises thought-provoking questions about our culture without letting social commentary get in the way of the drama and action.”

For those of you who couldn't care less, be aware this film contains Charlton Heston's first nude scene.

“Planet of the Apes” will screen at Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Sunday, July 21 at 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday, July 23 at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 (discounts for seniors, students and members). Advance tickets at ticketweb.com. Details at www.michtheater.org or 734-668-8397.

Born in Ypsilanti, raised in Germany and now based in Austin, Texas, rock-oriented singer-songwriter Bob Schneider plays at The Ark on Monday.

He comes home to Michigan with a new release, "Burden of Proof," in hand, but you can count on hearing some old favorites, such as "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)," as well.

Schneider’s tunes have been credited as a songwriting influence by Jason Mraz, among others. His last album, "Lovely Creatures,” earned him seven Austin Music Awards, including Musician for the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.

In addition to his solo work, he also fronts The Scabs, Texas Bluegrass Massacre, and Lonelyland. His fans have come to expect the unexpected from Schneider, and all of those bands give him free rein to explore many genres, including funk, pop, bluegrass, jazz, soul, blues, hip-hop and good old-fashioned bar rock.

Bob Schneider will play at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., at 8 p.m. Monday, July 22. Tickets are $20. Details at www.theark.org or 734-761-1800.

Northend boxer Casanovis Williams hits A-Square fighter LaSean Holmes in the seventh bout on Friday, July 19.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

• Photo Gallery: Images from the Battle at A-Square II boxing event in Ypsilanti

LaSean Holmes sat with an ice pack under his eye.

Face swollen and dripping with sweat, he smiled wide.

Thomas, a member of A-Square Fight Club, had just had his boxing match with Casanovis Williams stopped in the third round. It was the only fight of the eight that night to end before the final bell, but Holmes was optimistic after trading big blows with his opponent.

“I’ve only been boxing for a month and a half,” Holmes said. “That was my first (fight).”

Williams, by comparison, was fighting in his sixth-ever bout. The heavy punches drew plenty of praise from the crowd of 100 or so fans, most of whom were pulling for Holmes.

“That was worth the price of admission. That’s worth my $10," said one woman in the audience.

Northend boxer Omari Ford climbs into the ring for first bout of the A-Square Fight Club Boxing Showcase on Friday, July 19.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

“(Holmes) is getting way better,” McGuire said. “All the guys who fought tonight, they did well.”

McGuire moved the gym's location to its Ypsilanti location less than two years ago, at 2287 Ellsworth Road, makes the name of the A-Square Fight Club gym seem a little odd, the new location has plenty of benefits, too.

“It’s just a lot more visible here,” said McGuire. “We get some walk-in from people, whereas our last location was kind of hidden. People couldn’t really find it.”

The new gym is also significantly larger then the old Jackson Road location with room for seating, allowing A-Square Fight Club to stage showcases such as Friday’s. In past years, such events would be held at the Clarion Hotel.

“This is great, because we don’t have to rent a facility,” McGuire said.

A-Square Fight Club's next event will be a tournament Aug. 23-25 and will feature professional as well as amateur fights, including James "Lights out" Toney.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.

• Previous coverage: Ann Arbor school board names top central administrator as interim superintendent

The Ann Arbor Board of Education approved Friday an addendum for supplemental pay to Deputy Superintendent David Comsa's contract.

David Comsa

Comsa assumed the role of superintendent July 10, when former top official Patricia Green retired from AAPS after less than 2 years with the district.

The board has been engaged in a national search for Green's replacement since April, when she tendered her resignation, and that search may be coming to a close.

The school board approved 7-0 Friday to offer the superintendent position to finalist Brian Osborne of New Jersey. Osborne currently is the superintendent of the South Orange-Maplewood School District. Contract negotiations will begin as soon as possible.

In Comsa's contract addendum, he will receive an additional $769.23 per week in supplemental compensation for his interim superintendent duties, which will continue per the addendum until the board employs a superintendent. The amount of $769.23 per week equates to $19.23 per hour for a typical 40-hour work week.

This pay will be on top of his $140,000 salary as deputy superintendent.

• Read the full contract amendment.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

A window air conditioner was taken from an Ypsilanti house, according to the Ypsilanti Police Department.

At an unknown time Friday, the suspect reportedly broke into a vacant home on the 600 block of Congress Street, in Ypsilanti, and removed the unit from the house. There are no suspects at this time.

The incident is still under investigation.

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Saturday's high in the mid 80s may mark the end of the extreme heat and humidity the Ann Arbor area has been plagued with — as well as the rest of the state — during the last week.

The temperature should dip down to 59 degrees Saturday night followed by a high of 84 degrees on Sunday.

The chance of rain is low 20 percent Saturday night with a slight breeze through Sunday. Sunday night it will cool down to 61 degrees, again with a 20 percent chance of rain.

The high temperature will dance around 80 degrees throughout next week with low in the 60s at night. There is a 40 percent chance of rain Monday and a predicted high of 81 degrees.

Tuesday will be overcast with a high of 79 degrees and a 70 percent chance of rain.

The normal high for this day is 84 degrees and the normal low is 64 degrees. Sunset will be at 9:06 p.m., and sunset will be at 6:16 a.m. Sunday.

For updated conditions and forecasts anytime, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.

As a result of a severe storm Friday night in Washtenaw County, DTE Energy has confirmed approximately 4,000 customers — mostly in the southeast area of the county — have been left without power.

"The storm had winds of up to 45 miles per hour," said Scott Simon, spokesperson for DTE. "Branches were falling, trees were falling, and they're bound to hit power lines."

While other areas were hit much harder than Washtenaw County, Simon said there still is some work to be done before the power is restored.

"We expect 90 percent of our customers to have their power back by (Sunday) night," he said.

The National Weather Service says the weather is expected to calm down, as well as cool down (a little) throughout the next week.

For updated conditions and forecasts anytime, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.

• The Mega Guide: Full coverage of the 2013 Ann Arbor Art Fair

The Ann Arbor Art Fair rolled into its final day on Saturday. These photos come from the South University Art Fair, one of four fairs that run concurrently. The event continues through 6 p.m. Saturday; find full coverage here.

The GM Willow Run power train plant.

File Photo | AnnArbor.com

The answer, according to its liquidators: There isn't one.

The Willow Run Powertrain plant in Ypsilanti Township has been listed for sale by the RACER Trust, which is disposing of all former GM properties not protected in the automaker’s bankruptcy.

The facility itself is massive. It covers 4.6 million square feet, or 83 acres. The average thickness of concrete flooring is 12 inches. The monthly utility bills top $15,000. Just replacing the roof would cost millions, and so far the trust has invested $15 million in upkeep of the vacant building.

The age and size of the building make it functionally obsolete for today’s market for manufacturing facilities. Most prospective buyers, according to RACER, wanted to acquire the property for its scrapping value.

Yet a list of the property’s attributes conveys value and potential: There’s the data capacity; the dedicated power source backup; the 300 acres of industrial zoning; the access to highway, airport and rail transportation; the location near Metro Detroit manufacturing and Ann Arbor-area R&D. It’s also close to the University of Michigan and its research, and near an international border crossing at Windsor.

Ypsilanti Township want proceeds from the sale of the former GM Plant's scrap materials to go toward redevelopment of the property.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Those reasons combine to prompt Bruce Rasher, redevelopment manager of RACER Trust, to say describe the property as “the jewel in the crown” of the trust’s former GM listings.

As the trust proceeds with the task of liquidating the unused buildings from the GM portfolio — a total of 89 buildings comprising about 44 million square feet, located in 14 states — it’s now moving forward with demolition of the Willow Run factory. By early August, bids will be awarded.

That decision makes the property more marketable as vacant land, and gives the community hope that redevelopment will follow. This is a positive step.

At the same time, environmental cleanup remains an issue. RACER continues to work on a remediation plan, which also is essential to making the site marketable for redevelopment.

At least $35 million was budgeted for the cleanup of contaminants, which includes 4.1 million gallons of chemicals and solvents contaminating the groundwater beneath the building.

A glimpse from above of the Yankee Museum.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

This is a site that, when maximized, could once again become one of the region’s top economic drivers. It should be home to jobs and business opportunity. It’s a place where redevelopment should signify strong potential for turning still more abandoned urban and suburban manufacturing sites into productive work sites.

The building demolition will take Racer and the community one step closer to realizing that vision.

Even as we support the demolition, we do have to add one asterisk: A portion of the property is under contract to the Yankee Air Museum, which has until Aug. 1 to raise funds to obtain a portion of the plant.

YAM seeks to purchase a portion of the former Willow Run bomber plant, which produced the B-24 Liberators during World War II.

Organizers say it’s a part of history that their mission drives them to preserve.

They need $6 million, and raised $3.3 million by late last week.

“Time is short, the fundraising goal ambitious, and the stakes high,” organizers said.

This is a group that saved part of its collection when fire tore through a former building - members raced into the burning structure to move the historic aircraft to safety.

There’s no risk to life and limb with this endeavor, but the museum’s advocates make a strong case that history is at stake.

We salute this effort and wish them well.

The Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Black Chamber of Commerce hopes to build brand awareness for minority-owned businesses in Washtenaw County.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

The nonprofit organization, a chapter of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, made its official debut with a membership drive last week.

“The mission of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce as a whole is to economically empower and sustain African American businesses,” said Anistia Thomas, president of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti chapter.

“Of the research we’ve done based upon the U.S. census, there are 3,200 African American businesses between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor,” she continued. “There’s no organization collectively bringing them together in order to help build their brand awareness. There is a dire need for that in the area.”

The Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Black Chamber of Commerce hosted a membership drive last week at Ann Arbor's Quarter Bistro.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

Thomas said the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti chapter will provide members with the tools and resources to help grow or launch their businesses. The group has more than 30 members.

Membership begins at $150 a year for sole proprietor level and $1,000 for small businesses. Thomas said anyone can join as a corporate member, but to qualify as a small business member, the business needs to be 51 percent black-owned.

“Minority-owned businesses don’t always have the resources and business acumen to help develop in order to become more profitable. …We think it’s important for us to be very resourceful in order to help them train and build and further develop,” Thomas said.

She said the organization is partnering with Google to help business owners utilize Google products and boost online presence. The group also plans to introduce a collegiate chapter in 2014 for the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, which would offer an internship/mentorship program for interested students.

A man fills out membership forms during the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Black Chamber of Commerce membership drive at Ann Arbor's Quarter Bistro.

Courtney Sacco | AnnArbor.com

Thomas said the organization won’t compete with the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce, but the goal is to collaborate.

The Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce and Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce merged in 2009, forming the A2Y Chamber.

“Collectively, with all of us working together, we’re able to help bring and empower small business dealings within the area. It’s obvious there is a huge need for that in the area,” she said.

The Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti chapter operates out of Thomas’ insurance agency office at 283 S. Zeeb Road.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

TurtleCell co-founders Nick Turnbull (left) and Paul Schrems started the company when both were mechanical engineering students at the University of Michigan

Courtesy Nick Turnbull

When Paul Schrems got fed up with constantly untangling his headphones on his way to class, he knew he wasn’t alone in his frustration. As a mechanical engineering graduate student at the University of Michigan with a background in 3-D prototyping, he figured he was the right person to develop the solution.

Schrems teamed up with U-M mechanical engineering senior Nick Turnbull to launch TurtleCell, a company that aims to solve the headphone woes by keeping them wrapped up inside a specially designed and patented phone case.

“We built our first prototype Jan. 1, 2012,” Turnbull said. “I think officially we’re on version 32 by now.”

As the pair progressed through each version, the hard-shell cases got thinner and simpler. Turbull said the first iteration had more than 30 parts made on a 3-D printer, but the current version is down to 15 parts and is much easier to assemble.

Turnbull and Schrems took their invention to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers “iShow” innovation showcase in June. The pair beat out nine other semifinalists, including teams from Tufts, Harvard, Johns Hopkins and three teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the competition to win a $10,000 grand prize.

On the heels of the victory, TurtleCell launched a Kickstarter campaign to offer “version 32” of the case to consumers for preordering. Kickstarter is a crowdsourcing website that can help new companies and products get off of the ground. The company set a funding goal of $50,000 and will not receive any pledged funds unless the goal is reached.

Kickstarter projects can give out “rewards” to backers who pledge at certain levels and these incentives often include prototypes of the product offered at approximate cost. Many companies use the campaigns as a method of ensuring they have enough interest and in-hand capital to make a first production run.

“We’re hoping to get a little bit of profit out of the campaign, but it won’t be anything super significant,” Turnbull said.

“The main thing is to fund it, to get the units out, to get enough money so that we can comfortably get these units to the people who preorder them and then get the reaction from users so we can continue to improve.”

Other local companies that have used crowd funding to launch their products include Pinoccio, a tech startup that raised $105,000 in February, and The perfect Heist, a board game that raised nearly $60,000 after it caught the attention of viral website Reddit.

An early iteration of the TurtleCell shows its unique "pancake" design for the retractable headphone holder.

Ben Freed | AnnArbor.com

“That money is our lifeline right now. So we’re spreading it as thin as we can. We’re not using it to buy tooling or large chunks of machinery,” he said.

“We’re using it to do our testing and make new iterations and build our initial marketing campaign. Kickstarter is a great platform for us to use in getting our initial buzz out there. The best way to fund a consumer product project is to get people to buy it through preorders because then you don’t have to raise a ton of capital and sell part of your company.”

If the Kickstarter campaign is successful in raising the necessary $50,000, the company will work with a supplier in Minneapolis to manufacture the preordered TurtleCell cases. Turnbull said the company wants to move manufacturing to the Detroit area when it starts producing the cases in large quantities.

Local manufacturing is important to Schrems and Turnbull who both grew up in Michigan. The pair began their company while both were still U-M students and its first home was in the TechArb student startup incubator. Like Schrems, TurtleCell “graduated” recently to the Ann Arbor SPARK startup incubator — just one block down East Liberty Street.

Turnbull is still finishing his senior year at U-M but says he’s become a part-time student to focus on the company he and Schrems believe solves a problem that bothers a critical mass of people.

To prove how widespread the agitation is, a live Twitter feed on his company’s website showcases hundreds of people every day broadcasting to the world how upset they are with their tangled wires and earbuds.

The company had raised $16,800 as of Wednesday morning, with approximately two and a half more weeks until the Kickstarter campaign ends August 4. More than 50 TurtleCell cases have been preordered as part of the campaign and one backer pledged more than $1,000 for the perk of having a dinner party with the company’s founders.

Want to hear more? Watch the TurtleCell founders explain their product:

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Get in touch with Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

Ann Arbor City Council Member Marcia Higgins, D-4th Ward, is seeking re-election on Aug. 6. An AnnArbor.com analysis of the past 61 council meetings shows Higgins has the lowest attendance score of any council member in office right now.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

She's up against Jack Eaton, a labor attorney and neighborhood activist, in the Aug. 6 primary. Eaton said he isn't making an issue out of the incumbent's absences, but some of his supporters are.

Someone anonymously launched an anti-Higgins website at HigginsForCouncil.com, which used to be Higgins' old campaign site before she let it expire.

Higgins calls that a low blow and wonders about Eaton's involvement.

"I just find it kind of interesting that something I've had forever — that is my campaign name — is just bought up. I think it's bad politics," Higgins said.

Eaton said he doesn't know who started the website and he's not taking a position on it.

"I'm not running against her on the basis of her attendance," he said. "I would really rather run on the basis of our differences on issues, rather than engaging in that kind of attack."

AnnArbor.com ran the numbers to find out where Higgins stands in relation to her peers on council when it comes to meeting attendance.

An analysis of the past 61 meetings shows Higgins has the lowest attendance score of any council member in office right now.

Counting meetings she missed, meetings she left early, and once when she showed up a half hour late, Higgins was at least partially absent for roughly one-third of all meetings reviewed.

Higgins said she doesn't think anyone's attendance on council, including her own, is an issue — nor does she think absences have gotten in the way of conducting council business.

"We all have a work, home and council balance," she said. "And sometimes you have children's events, you have work events, trips you have to do for a job — and every once in a while council members actually like to take a vacation."

AnnArbor.com reviewed hundreds of pages of meeting records going back to November 2011, including 42 regular sessions, five special sessions and 14 work sessions.

The review included close scrutiny to see who was present at the start of each meeting, who arrived late, who stepped away for part of the meeting, and who left early.

• View a detailed analysis

Council members on average attended 94.4 percent of their regular Monday night meetings, 92.7 percent of special sessions, and 91.6 percent of work sessions.

Higgins and Margie Teall, both 4th Ward Democrats, had the lowest attendance scores for regular sessions at 85.4 percent. Both were entirely absent from six out of 42 regular sessions.

Christopher Taylor, D-3rd Ward, trailed behind them, missing four out of 42 regular sessions. No other council member missed more than one or two regular sessions.

Higgins also missed two work sessions, while Teall missed one work session, though that was typical for most council members.

Higgins stood apart from her peers by leaving meetings early more than any other council member. She stepped out from 11 of the past 61 meetings before they finished.

Marcia Higgins and her opponent Jack Eaton pose for a portrait before a recent council candidate forum.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

No other council member but Higgins and Teall had more than one or two meetings where they were late or left early during the time period examined by AnnArbor.com.

Teall was late to meetings three times and left early four times. However, three of the four times she left early, it was just before the meeting adjourned. And all three times she arrived late, it was still early into the meetings and she didn't miss any votes.

"You really do the best you can," Teall said, adding she tries to be there for the most crucial votes and usually only misses a meeting or leaves early if she's not feeling well. "I wouldn't expect anybody to have perfect attendance."

Higgins told AnnArbor.com she has left some meetings early because she has asthma problems and doesn't have much of a choice because it becomes a medical issue.

"I've had a couple of massive asthma attacks at council, and sometimes it's just due to how dry the air will get in there, and I just can't be in that environment, so I have to leave," she said.

Most council members who spoke with AnnArbor.com said they're generally understanding and sympathetic to fact that people have things going on in their personal and professional lives that might prevent them from making it to some council meetings or staying until the end some nights.

"I think everybody on council takes the responsibility of attending meetings seriously, so I'm not going to judge anybody," said Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward.

"It's a long haul as it is to be a council member," he said. "Sometimes council members have family needs to attend to and it's just something that we accept."

Some council members defended Higgins by pointing out she has had to deal with the loss of her daughter Meredith, who died at the age of 31 after a longer battle with cancer in late 2009. Higgins adopted her young granddaughter and is raising her now.

"She's got a set of personal and family tragedies that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and the work that she does under her circumstances on council and for Ann Arbor is simply amazing," Taylor said.

Higgins said she's not trying to blow off her council responsibilities, but she acknowledges she has prioritized family above council meetings sometimes.

"I have a granddaughter that we're raising and there are times that she has events at school, and I have chosen that I'm not going to miss that in her life," she said. "I mean, we are her parents and we have a responsibility to be there for things she needs, and sometimes that's a hard decision."

"Council members should attend the full meeting, and I think that's a reasonable expectation," said Council Member Jane Lumm, who hasn't missed a regular session since she joined council in November 2011.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Jane Lumm, an Independent who represents the 2nd Ward, said she notices when some council members leave meetings early and she considers that poor form.

"I don't consider that acceptable," she said. "Council members should attend the full meeting, and I think that's a reasonable expectation. That's part of our jobs."

Lumm has made it to all 42 of the council's regular sessions since she was elected in November 2011. She left one meeting early when she was sick and missed two work sessions, including a budget work session in February because she was in Pennsylvania visiting her father in the hospital.

Lumm said she's not interested in pointing fingers, but she suspects there are some council members who don't have stellar attendance records.

"And I would be concerned about that as a constituent," she said.

Council Member Sumi Kailasapathy, D-1st Ward, hasn't missed a meeting since she was elected last November. She said showing up to meetings is the bare-minimum expectation.

Kailasapathy, who is supporting Eaton in his campaign against Higgins, said if a council member is either partially or entirely absent for one-third of meetings, they should consider stepping down.

"I think one-third, that's a pretty high number. I would step down," she said. "I would lose my job if I did that at work."

Sumi Kailasapathy, D-1st Ward, has attended all 18 regular council meetings since she was elected to council in November 2012. "I take it very seriously," she said. "Unless there's some really good reason for me to not turn up, I will be there."

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"Coming from an ardent supporter of my opponent, I'm not surprised," she said. "I will never apologize for seeing to the needs of my family after our daughter's death. My record of success will compare to hers any day of the week."

Council members said they try to communicate with each other and give a heads-up if they're going to be absent. Sometimes it's because they're out of town on business or vacation, not feeling well, or prioritizing family.

For example, Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, was absent from a meeting in June after his wife had given birth to their son two nights earlier.

"I don't want to pre-judge in ignorance what's going on with people," said Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, who has a 95.2 percent attendance record for regular sessions.

"I know why I miss a meeting, but I don't always know what's going on with other people."

She added, "The question is whether we have anyone on council who rises to the level of falling asleep at meetings, which we've had in the past, skipping almost all meetings, which we've had in the past — I don't think we have anyone on council like that right now."

Taylor said he works hard to schedule business and vacation trips around council meetings, but sometimes that's not possible.

He said he left early during the council's May 13 meeting, which was a special continuation of the May 6 session, because he had a concert rehearsal that night. He said he stayed for the crucial vote on the 413 E. Huron St. high-rise and then left.

Kailasapathy joined Higgins in leaving early from a meeting on April 15 that ended up lasting until 3:11 a.m. Kailasapathy left at 12:50 a.m. and Higgins left at 1:25 a.m.

"I hadn't slept in 24 hours, so I was collapsing — it was the tax deadline," said Kailasapathy, who is a certified public accountant. "It was really rough."

Kailasapathy said she noticed how absences at the July 1 meeting affected the vote on a video surveillance ordinance.

Two council members — Teall and Sally Hart Petersen — were absent when the council voted 5-4 in favor of an ordinance aimed at protecting citizens' privacy rights. But without six affirmative votes in support, the minority side prevailed and the proposal was defeated.

"I thought that was kind of awkward," Kailasapathy said. "So I think it's important to be there. I take it very seriously. Unless there's some really good reason for me to not turn up, I will be there."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

The man Ann Arbor school board members say is the right man for the job is thoughtfully weighing the move with his family, which the Board of Education voted 7-0 to offer him Friday night.

Ann Arbor superintendent hopeful Brian Osborne, superintendent of South Orange-Maplewood School District in New Jersey, listens intently to a question from a community members during a Q&A at Skyline High School on Wednesday, July 17.

Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com

Osborne had nothing but praise and gratitude for the board in a statement he made to AnnArbor.com late Saturday.

"I think the Board of Education ran a very thorough, complete, rigorous and transparent process," Osborne said. "It's community is lucky to have a board that takes its job so seriously. I’m very honored and humbled by the confidence the board has shown in me by their actions. I look forward to further conversations with them and to carefully considering their offer with my family."

The Board of Education is still waiting for an "I accept" from Osborne, indicating he intends to come to Ann Arbor, if a contract can be agreed upon.

In a phone call following Friday's regular board meeting, Osborne told President Deb Mexicotte he was looking forward to engaging in contract negotiations, but did not say that "yes" he accepts and is looking forward to being the next superintendent of the district.

Mexicotte said Friday that Osborne is the right fit for Ann Arbor and that for him, she personally is willing to wait. "I won't wait forever, but a few days? Of course," she said, adding this is a big move for him, his wife and two children, who are in grades 3 and 6.

Osborne said Wednesday during his Q-&-A session with the community that Ann Arbor is someplace he can see being a father and a husband and that if he accepts the position, his children will graduate from the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Osborne has a clause in his current contract with South Orange-Maplewood that says he must give 90-days notice prior to leaving his superintendency there. This clause was a concern and point of contention for a couple trustees Friday.

Trustee Susan Baskett said she at least would like him to clear his schedule to be here for opening day for staff and for the first day of school for students.

But Mexicotte said in an interview Saturday there would be a transition period with any candidate, which is why the board opted to appoint an interim superintendent, David Comsa. She said the district is in very capable hands with Comsa and the rest of the leadership team during the transition. She added Osborne will still be working very hard for the district even while he is in New Jersey.

"If 10 years from now, the case is as we've hoped with Dr. Osborne still here and we've built a stronger district financially with improved outcomes for all students, I expect we'll look back on this three- to fourth-month period of transition and not think anything of it," Mexicotte said. "While we are hungry ... to get on with the work and so excited that that work may be with Dr. Osborne, we also know that we are taking the long view, and so is he, to make a match that we both believe will be a long and fruitful collaboration...

"So if I had to choose, I would rather he takes the time he needs on the front end ... to be in it for a long haul of excellent leadership than moving too quickly."

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Council Member Stephen Kunselman, D-3rd Ward, chats with City Clerk Jackie Beaudry before the start of a council meeting. The clerk's office keeps records of council members' votes and meeting attendance.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Editor's note: The following meeting attendance summaries were compiled by AnnArbor.com based on a review of official Ann Arbor City Council meeting minutes kept by the city clerk.

Meetings prior to Nov. 19, 2012, include Sandi Smith, Tony Derezinski and Carsten Hohnke, who no longer serve on council.

The current council is made up of the following 11 members: Mayor John Hieftje, Sabra Briere, Sumi Kailasapathy, Jane Lumm, Sally Hart Petersen, Stephen Kunselman, Christopher Taylor, Marcia Higgins, Margie Teall, Mike Anglin and Chuck Warpehoski.

• View the agendas/minutes for each meeting.

July 15, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:11 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:19 p.m.

July 1, 2013 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:06 p.m., Teall and Petersen absent
• meeting adjourns at 10:57 p.m.

June 17, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:06 p.m.
• Higgins absent at 10:30 p.m. and misses vote on amending city budget
• meeting adjourns at 12:30 a.m.

June 3, 2013 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m., Warpehoski absent
• Higgins leaves at 12:40 a.m.
• meeting adjourns at 12:55 a.m.

May 20, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:14 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 1:50 a.m.

May 13, 2013 (continuation of May 6 meeting)

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m.
• Taylor leaves at 9:35 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:27 p.m.

May 6, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m.
• meeting recessed until May 13 at 11:31 p.m.

April 15, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m.
• Kailasapathy leaves at 12:50 a.m.
• Higgins leaves at 1:25 a.m.
• meeting adjourns at 3:11 a.m.

April 1, 2013 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:10 p.m., Taylor absent
• Higgins leaves at 10:36 p.m.
• Teall leaves at 11:01 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:27 p.m.

March 25, 2013 — work session

• 9 present at call to order, Anglin and Taylor absent
• meeting adjourns at 7:40 p.m.

March 25, 2013 — special session before work session

• 8 present at call to order at 6:05 p.m., Teall, Anglin and Taylor absent
• Teall arrives at 6:13 p.m.

March 18, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 1:52 a.m.

March 11, 2013 — work session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:30 p.m., Briere absent
• meeting adjourns at 10:29 p.m.

March 11, 2013 — special session

• 10 present at call to order at 6:08 p.m., Briere absent
• meeting adjourns at 7:30 p.m.

March 4, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m.
• Petersen absent at 11:06 p.m. and misses votes on accepting FEMA grant to demolish two city buildings at 721 N. Main St., and a contract with state for improvements on Miller Avenue
• meeting adjourns at 11:21 p.m.

Feb. 25, 2013 — work session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9:25 p.m.

Feb. 25, 2013 — special session

• all 11 present at call to order at 6:07 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 7:03 p.m.

Feb. 19, 2013 — regular session

• 8 present at call to order at 7:11 p.m., Higgins, Teall and Taylor absent
• Teall arrives shortly into meeting before any votes are taken
• meeting adjourns at 10:33 p.m.

Feb. 11, 2013 — work session

• 9 present at call to order at 6:07 p.m., Lumm and Warpehoski absent
• Warpehoski arrives at 6:11 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9:36 p.m.

Feb. 4, 2013 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:10 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9:45 p.m.

Jan. 22, 2013 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m., Teall absent
• meeting adjourns at 10:05 p.m.

Jan. 14, 2013 — work session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m., Higgins and Taylor absent
• Teall and Kunselman leave at 9:35 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:24 p.m.

Jan. 7, 2013 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:02 p.m., Kunselman and Anglin absent
• Kunselman arrives at 7:06 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9:33 p.m.

Jan. 7, 2013 — special session

• 9 present at call to order at 6:05 p.m., Anglin and Kailasapathy absent
• Kailasapathy arrives at 6:10 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 6:49 p.m.

Dec. 17, 2012 — regular session

• 8 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m., Higgins, Teall and Briere absent
• Lumm absent briefly in middle of meeting and misses votes on $5.17 million stormwater project and sidewalk repairs
• meeting adjourns at 8:48 p.m.

Dec. 10, 2012 — budget planning session

• all 11 present at call to order at 5 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:30 p.m.

Dec. 10, 2012 — special session

• all 11 present at call to order at 4:11 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 4:45

Dec. 3, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:14 p.m.

Nov. 19, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:05 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:36 p.m.
• Note: At this meeting, three new council members are sworn into office — Kailasapathy, Petersen and Warpehoski, along with re-elected Council Members Taylor, Teall and Mayor Hieftje

Nov. 8, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:13 p.m., Smith and Hohnke absent
• Hohnke arrives at 7:15 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 12:30 a.m.
• Note: This is the last meeting for Smith, Derezinski and Hohnke

Oct. 15, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m., Kunselman absent
• meeting adjourns at 12:20 a.m.

Oct. 8, 2012 — work session

• 5 present at call to order at 7:07 p.m., Teall, Smith, Derezinski, Taylor, Hohnke and Lumm absent
• Higgins leaves at 8 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 8:37 p.m.

Oct. 1, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m., Higgins and Derezinski absent
• meeting adjourns at 8:36 p.m.

Sept. 17, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:07 p.m., Hohnke absent
• Hohnke arrives at 7:13 p.m.
• Higgins and Hohnke leave at 11:04 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:10 p.m.

Sept. 4, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m., Higgins and Hohnke absent
• meeting adjourns at 9:13 p.m.

Aug. 20, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:13 p.m., Teall and Hohnke absent
• Hohnke arrives at 7:24 p.m.
• Higgins leaves at 10:57 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 12:27 a.m.

Aug. 9, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:07 p.m.
• Hohnke leaves at 10:50 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:11 p.m.

July 16, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:10 p.m., Taylor absent
• meeting adjourns at 10:14 p.m.

July 2, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m., Hieftje absent
• meeting adjourns at 9:01 p.m.

June 18, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:14 p.m., Smith absent
• meeting adjourns at 10:23 p.m.

June 11, 2012 — work session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:05 p.m., Anglin and Hohnke absent
• Anglin arrives at 7:15 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9 p.m.

June 4, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:11 p.m., Higgins absent
• Higgins arrives at 7:40 p.m.
• Higgins leaves at 10:40 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:38 p.m.

May 21, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:13 p.m., Derezinski and Hohnke absent
• Hohnke arrives at 7:18 p.m.
• Higgins leaves at 11 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 1:33 a.m.

May 14, 2012 — work session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:15 p.m., Higgins absent
• Meeting adjourns at 8:43 p.m.

May 7, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:13 p.m., Teall absent
• Higgins and Derezinski absent at 11:15 p.m. and miss vote on $600,000 contract for emergency sewer repairs to prevent road collapse on Glen Avenue
• Higgins also misses next vote on multimillion-dollar, five-year contract extension with Waste Management for landfill disposal services
• meeting adjourns at 11:40 p.m.

April 16, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:12 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:03 p.m.

April 9, 2012 — work session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:07 p.m., Hohnke absent
• meeting adjourns at 9 p.m.

April 2, 2012 — regular session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:05 p.m., Higgins absent
• meeting adjourns at 11:56 p.m.

March 19, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m., Teall and Hohnke absent
• Lumm leaves at 7:35 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 9:46 p.m.

March 12, 2012 — work session

• 10 present at call to order at 7:10 p.m., Smith absent
• Higgins leaves at 9:20 p.m.
• Teall leaves at 9:45 p.m.
• Meeting adjourns at 9:59 p.m.

March 5, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 1:06 a.m.

Feb. 21, 2012 — regular session

• 8 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m., Teall, Taylor and Hohnke absent
• Teall arrives at 7:44 p.m.
• Derezinski absent in middle of meeting and misses vote on federal grant applications for Greenbelt purchases
• meeting adjourns at 9:16 p.m.

Feb. 13, 2012 — work session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:05 p.m., Anglin and Hohnke absent
• meeting adjourns at 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 6, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 10:35 p.m.

Jan. 23, 2012 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:09 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:53 p.m.

Jan. 17, 2012 — work session

• 8 present at call to order at 7:05 p.m., Kunselman, Anglin and Hohnke absent
• meeting adjourns at 8:51 p.m.

Jan. 9, 2012 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:14 p.m., Higgins and Briere absent
• Kunselman absent at 10:53 p.m. and misses votes on street closures, stormwater management and streambank stabilization at Leslie Park Golf Course
• meeting adjourns at 11:15 p.m.

Dec. 19, 2011 — regular session

• 9 present at call to order at 7:11 p.m., Derezinski and Hohnke absent
• Hohnke arrives at 7:14 p.m.
• Derezinski arrives at 7:31 p.m.
• Higgins leaves at 8:29 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 11:49 p.m.

Dec. 12, 2011 — work session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:10 p.m.
• Higgins leaves at 8:55 p.m.
• Teall leaves just before adjournment
• meeting adjourns at 10:02 p.m.

Dec. 5, 2011 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:13 p.m.
• meeting adjourns at 12:39 a.m.

Nov. 21, 2011 — regular session

• all 11 present at call to order at 7:08 p.m.
• Note: At this meeting, newly elected Council Member Lumm is sworn into office, along with re-elected Council Members Briere, Kunselman, Higgins and Anglin

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Saline resident Megan Foster reads a magazine while checking out the Art Fair on South University Avenue on Saturday, July 20.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com

• MEGA GUIDE: Coverage of Ann Arbor Art Fair 2013

Hot, hot temperatures inevitably will be what many vendors and patrons remember most about the 2013 Ann Arbor Art Fair.

Temperatures in the 90s persisted through Friday and made it a physical challenge to do everything from walking up and down the street to manning a booth. Fortunately, Saturday's cooler temperatures and decreased humidity boosted attendance on the final day.

"It's so crowded. It's unbelievable" said Debra "Max" Clayton, executive director of the Summer Art Fair. "The rain last night cleared out some of the humidity, and a lot of people planned their trip to the art fair based on the weather report. This art fair will not go down in the record book for sales. People haven't been staying as long because of the heat, but the people who come when it's hot are serious shoppers."

"It's like this every day where I live," visitor Dennis Ratz from Fort Myers, Fla., said Saturday. He said he wasn't particularly bothered by the heat and humidity. "I like the variety at this art fair and especially enjoy the different kinds of 3-D paintings."

Shayna Slowinski from Ann Arbor was undeterred by the week's hot temperatures. She said, "I love the big, colorful windows and the scarf booths the best."

However, vendors had the challenge of spending long hours enduring the stagnant heat and were hopeful that Saturday's slightly cooler temperatures would mean bigger crowds.

"We (were) all thinking positively today that more people will be here," said Tom Schillaci, owner of Photography by Schillaci "It seems like the number of people at the art fair was lower this year because of the heat."

Diane Sicheneder, owner of Sicheneder Artworks, said every year she's been at the Ann Arbor Art Fair, it's been hot.

EdgeWise Forge manager James Viste hammers heated iron during the Ann Arbor Art Fair on South University Avenue on Saturday.

Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com

"Wednesday was OK, Thursday was great, and Friday was really slow for business," she said. "People get lethargic when it's hot."

State Street Area Art Fair Director Kathy Krick agreed that Friday was a slow day at the art fair, and unfortunately, the day many of artists depend on.

"Sales today may make up for it," said Krick. "I've heard from a painter, a sculptor and a jeweler that this has been their most successful art fair in terms of sales."

Maggie Ladd, director of the South University Art Fair, said their were some niches that were doing well. "I've heard from jewelers who have done a good business this year as well as several artists and a furniture maker who have done well."

Water was definitely among the best selling items this year.

"The (air-conditioned) trolleys have been very popular too," said Krick.

Maureen Riley, executive director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair said she has a feeling it will turn out to be a good year.

"Crowds have been down but sales have been pretty good," said Riley. "We have such loyal collectors and buyers in Ann Arbor that a little hot weather doesn't deter their art buying mission."

Lisa Carolin is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Contact the news desk at 743-623-2530.

The15th annual Shadow Art Fair was held Saturday at Ypsilanti's Corner Brewery. With most of the core organizers moved away, remaining founder Mark Maynard decided it was the time for the Shadow Art Fair to gracefully retire.

The fair offers an alternative to the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair with a focus on artists, photographers, jewelers, clothing designers and more, but most importantly, it's Ypsilanti's own fair.

"It's like anything," said Chris Sandon, one of the organizers and founders of the Shadow Art Fair: When you know it's going to end, you appreciate it that much more. "Today we have our all-star vendors, and we have the standard fun vibe."

Saturday's Shadow Art Fair featured many of the organizers' favorite vendors and bands as well, and Maynard says it's really just "a big party."

"I like the way everything is set up," said Ypsilanti resident Jim Harrington, who was purchasing a Shadow Art Fair T-shirt. "It's a bummer that this is the last one."

Milan resident Ashley Shaffer saying she enjoyed the atmosphere of the fair, as well as being able to enjoy a beer in the bar/restaurant side of the building.

"It's smart to serve beer to people buying art," said vendor Matt Feazell, an artist from Hamtramck, who's been selling at the Shadow Art Fair since it began in 2006 — some years there were two art fairs, which is why Saturday's was the 15th.

"A lot of customers come back to this fair — too bad it's ending," Feazell said.

Vendor John Zeichman, who owns what he describes as a "craft inspired mutlimedia printing company," said he definitely supports the organizers of the fair.

"I feel like this is a good way to go out," he said.

"It's eclectic, cool, weird art here, and there's no pressure," said Sean Hickey, who was working at the VG Kids screen-print booth. "It's a bummer, but understandable that this is the last one."

Shadow Art Fair venders are selling one-of-a-kind pillows, night-lights, cards, T-shirts, belts and even Sundaes, like the "Sundae Bloody Sundae" with pomegranate and vanilla ice cream served in an edible glass.

"People have expressed sadness and are disappointed to see the fair go, but they want to be celebratory today," said Morgan Cox, who was in charge of the fair's T-shirt table.