Two years after opening its first Washtenaw County branch in Ann Arbor, the Mathnasium Learning Centeris adding a new location in Saline.

The branch will be located in the Country Creek Village Shopping Center at 7025 E. Michigan Ave., have plans for a soft opening on Monday, with a grand opening celebration to be scheduled later in July.

Vera Chiu, who runs the Washtenaw County centers with co-owner Grace Wang, said the Ann Arbor branch has enjoyed steady growth since its opening and has made “tremendous progress” with students.

“Students change from hating and struggling with math, to really excelling and getting A's and A pluses,” she said. “We think it would be great to benefit more people, more communities and more kids.”

Mathnasium is a math-focused learning center that works with students in preschool through high school on an individual level to increase their math grades and skills. Mathnasium has independently-owned branches all over the world, with several located in southeast Michigan, including centers in Plymouth, Livonia and Novi.

Tutoring sessions range from $23 to $35 per hour, depending on the complexity of the math. Students can get help with everything from preschool arithmetic to AP calculus.

Since opening in April 2011, instructors at the Ann Arbor center, located at 2111 Packard Road, have worked with more than 200 students according to the center's website. Chiu said the Ann Arbor center has about 110 students enrolled and she hopes to have at least that many enrolled at the Saline center within its first year.

“We want to help more kids become not only proficient, but to really excell in math, and we also want to dispel this myth that only smart kids can do math,” she said. “Everyone can learn math and become good at it, if you put in the effort. We have a wonderfully effective system to do this.”

The Saline space is about 800 square feet, which is about half the size of the Ann Arbor space. Chiu said the Saline location is expected to offer the same services as the Ann Arbor branch with the exception of preschool math tutoring, which is offered on a sporadic basis in Ann Arbor depending on demand. Chiu did say services for preschoolers haven't been ruled out entirely though, and could be available at the Saline Rec Center if there is enough interest.

Chiu said she plans to hire six part-time instructors for the Saline branch, which is four less than the Ann Arbor branch, she said, many of whom are college students.

The new Mathnasium is located between the Brewed Awakenings coffee shop and the State Farm Insurance storefront, previously occupied by Ceci Cafe, which closed in 2010.

The Mathnasium Learning Center will make a great addition to the space and the surrounding businesses, according to Tony Caprarese, a real estate broker with Swisher Commercial, the management company for the shopping center.

“It really ties up that whole west end of the shopping center,” he said. “I think they’ll all complement each other and benefit from one another’s services.”

Ann Arbor resident and mother Anarkali Chhanda said she has had positive experiences with the Ann Arbor Mathnasium and is glad to hear it is expanding.

Chhanda said the center has helped her 9-year-old daughter, Mehree Islam, to excel in math. She said Mehree, a fourth grader at Ann Arbor’s Daycroft Montessori School, has gone from a 70 percent grade to a 96 percent grade in math since she started attending Mathnasium last year.

She said the experience has not only helped her daughter’s math skills, but has given her new self-confidence as well.

“Even after school she looks forward to coming to Mathnasium,” she said. “Normally kids are tired… but I didn’t see that from her. She’s very eager to be here and she’s doing excellent in her math now.”

The International Economic Development Council is bringing more than 350 attendees and speakers from more than 20 states and five countries to Ann Arbor Sunday for the association’s annual spring conference.

Ryan Stanton | AnnArbor.com

“It will be our largest spring conference ever,” said Jeff Finkle, CEO of the International Economic Development Council.

“Ann Arbor has performed very well as a destination and it’s not just built around a destination, it’s also built around a platform of speakers that make sense and a program that people buy into.”

The conference will combine keynote speakers, mostly from Southeast Michigan, with breakout panels focusing on everything from “using analytics to build a competitive workforce” to “strategies for integrating clean technology into your economic development portfolio.”

The events — held Sunday through Tuesday — will cap off a big weekend for Ann Arbor SPARK. The private-public economic development organization focused on Washtenaw and Livingston counties held its annual meeting Friday where it released reports on the state of business development in the region.

Things are even busier for SPARK CEO Paul Krutko, who took over as chair of the IEDC in January. He said economic development organizations across the country look at SPARK as one of the more innovative private-public partnerships and he’s looking forward to showing off what has been accomplished in the Ann Arbor area.

“What we’re really trying to showcase at the conference will be our entrepreneurial strategy based on local assets,” he said.

“That’s what we’re trying to convey to people, is that in order to compete globally you have to maximize the assets you already have instead of trying to be somebody else.”

The event also will include a tour of Detroit touting the city’s “21st century comeback,” but Finkle said attendees come to the conference to see more than just the host city and region.

“It’s not just a conference that pounds the chest of Ann Arbor and Michigan for their economic recovery, though there will be some of that,” he said.

“It brings a lot of diversity in speakers from around the United States and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of blending content from Michigan and Ann Arbor with other experts from the rest of country.”

Local business leaders giving keynote addresses at the conference include AnnArbor.com Deals of the Year 2012 executive of the year: Menlo Innovations CEO Rich Sheridan and ForeSee CEO Larry Freed, who leads AnnArbor.com's company of the year for 2011 and was recently was named a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Business executives, economic development professionals and politicians dominate the conference’s speaker list, but Finkle said there is a third category of people who will address the conference that he is most interested in hearing from.

“I’m interested in hearing the University of Michigan people,” he said.

“The university has so many great tools, significant research and commercialization going on that I’m particularly interested in hearing from them… It is a true economic engine for the community and the region and U-M really understands its role in economic development.”

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

Slowing traffic on Cross Street is a priority for some city officials and business owners.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Ypsilanti's Cross Street corridor recently underwent a complete makeover with multiple projects costing millions of dollars aimed at improving the street’s appearance, accessibility, infrastructure and buildings.

Local leaders all agree the stretch between Prospect Road and Washtenaw Avenue was transformed and vastly improved over what it was just three years ago.

Still, some issues remain - dating back as far as four years - and that has some business owners, city council members and a neighborhood group upset that a lingering list of small problems won’t be addressed.

“There is a whole bunch of very small things that keeps coming up all the time and all of the sudden it’s not small stuff anymore. It gets on peoples’ nerves,” said Council Member Pete Murdock, who represents Ward 3.

In 2011, Cross Street was repaved and crosswalks were installed throughout the strip. Some include a faux brick crosswalk, but Murdock said part of the plan was to add additional cross-hatch striping that would make it more apparent to motorists that there was a crosswalk.

Murdock said signage ordering motorists to stop for pedestrians also was to be installed, but never was. He said the markings and signage is first about pedestrian safety and second about "traffic calming.”

"It's no secret that people speed through there," he said.

Several employees and business owners in Depot Town said is a legitimate concern.

Mark Teachout, owner of Café Ollie at 42 E. Cross St. and the Depot Town Merchant's Association's press czar, said he regularly sees cars speeding through the corridor despite the high volume of foot traffic and a median with a clock tower in the center of the commercial strip.

"There aren't speed limit signs or signs posted for pedestrians, so people are nervous about crossing the road," he said. "Maybe I'm wrong and there's a whole bunch of red tape, but some of this really does seem like; 'Just put the sign up. Just send someone out and put it up.' "

Murdock said suggestions for the additional signage and crosswalk striping have been discussed for at least two years, but no action has been taken by city staff.

“It never really got proceeded on. I guess somebody is having another meeting about it,” he said.

Murdock and Sandee French, owner of Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill at 39 E. Cross St., both expressed frustration with a “sitting wall” installed to the east of Aubree’s as part of the streetscape project. The low wall divides the area’s only public parking lot from Cross Street and serves as a place where people regularly sit during festivals or events.

A sitting wall in Depot Town that is regularly falling apart.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

But several cars have repeatedly crashed into one section of the wall, and a business owner has reported seeing kids knocking over what remains of the wall.

The city attempted to repair it with what Murdock said was “literally glue” instead of mortar, and he and French say the wall continues to crumble and looks worse now than it did before.

“It looks horrible,” French said. “A year ago we spent a lot of money to make Depot Town look nice and to have the wall look like that is really sad. When you spend that kind of money you expect the result will last more than a year and it will continue to look fresh, neat and clean. The city hasn’t been able to keep it looking that way.”

Murdock joked that a one-drink limit at the local bars is probably the best solution to saving the wall, but added placing bollards inside the wall is a practical alternative. He said there has also been discussion of installing bike racks, but he is afraid cars “would crunch bikes too” if they are already hitting the wall.

French said she is also upset about that the city won’t help with the issue of cars parking in front of Aubree’s dumpster, which at one point last summer caused her trash to go uncollected for a week because the garbage truck couldn't access it. She has requested the city put up additional signage and help address the large trucks that park in and tear up the freshly paved lot.

“None of this is expensive or labor intensive - they are just areas in Depot Town that need to be observed," she said.

“If it was your own personal property you would make sure it was taken care of so you didn’t lose value of something that’s nice.”

Council Member Pete Murdock has questioned why a Depot Town water fountain has remained broken for four years.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Murdock pointed out a public drinking fountain on the west side of Aubree’s that hasn’t worked for around four years, and he said the rain gardens installed in Depot Town aren’t maintained and have become trash cans and ash trays instead of gardens.

“Those have been a nightmare,” he said.

Murdock has also spent several years asking city staff to swap a handicap spot in front of Jimmy John’s with a spot in front of La Fiesta Mexicana for safety and practical reasons. He said that idea has been discussed for four years, and was supposed to part of the repaving project, but never happened.

Murdock said he met with City Manager Ralph Lange and other city staff around a month ago to discuss the issues, though nothing has been done since.

During the city manager communications portion of last Tuesday's city council meeting, Lange said staff was "looking into it."

“We're really trying hard to address those things," he said.

Lange assured Murdock via an email shared with city staff that the issues would soon be addressed.

"Promises, promises," Murdock responded.

View Cross Street strip in a larger map

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

For Mother's day we asked you to share the greatest lesson you learned from mom. To recognize Father's Day we're mixing things up and looking for stories of how you make memories with the father figure in your life.

We'll be taking your submissions then featuring them in a story here online and a few of your submissions alongside others from across the state in our print edition.

To give you an example, I'll provide my own to start things off:

My dad teaching me the proper method of keeping a new car clean.

Share your responses as well as a photo of your dad (preferably including you as well) using the form below. Please submit both by Noon, Saturday, June 15 to be included in the gallery that will be featured here on AnnArbor.com on Father's Day.

"Jubilee" by Elliott Kayser

The exhibit features a very interesting assemblage as well as superior ceramics whose crafting finds Kayser working his sense of self into his clay. It’s a clever gambit, as the decidedly whimsical tone of this exhibit masks some decidedly more serious intent.

Kayser says of his display, “As we navigate our daily decisions, we play a role in the use of resources within complex systems. Though my work has a whimsical, inviting tone it sets out to challenge aspects of contemporary life by focusing on habitual inefficiencies, the role of personal agency, and the ethical compromises of convenience.

“While the narratives might hint towards political, social, or moral themes, my intention is that they serve not to articulate a point of view but rather stimulate provocative introspection within the viewer.”

The explanation gives us insight into what is indeed the most puzzling Kayser collection of ceramics in the exhibit: “River Riddle,” consisting of five free-standing ceramics whose varying parts reflect both a creative virtuosity and the riddle itself.

Kayser poses his work along the lines of the classic conundrum: “A farmer is standing on one bank of a river with a fox, a hen, and a bag of grain. He needs to get to the other side of the river, taking the fox, the hen, and the grain with him. However the boat used to cross the river is only large enough to carry the farmer and one of the things he needs to take with him, so he will need to make several trips in order to get everything across.”

How does the farmer do this? Kayser’s wrinkle is to pedestal-mount the elements of this folklore puzzle for inspection. Therefore, the “Fox,” a bust with black eyes and black and red stripes for fur, contrasts with a full-sized, similarly striped “Hen” — both sculpted porcelain, terra sigillata underglaze. And a detailed “Boat” is sculpted terra cotta, terra sigillata with thrown and altered porcelain for “Grain Bags.” All this topped by 27 wall-mounted green-waved background “River Mural” tiles set on the gallery's rear alcove wall.

Kayser’s most lyrical display in his show is a dozen wide-mouth thrown porcelain “Boats of the Ballard Locks” mugs (named after the famed Seattle link between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of the city’s Ship Canal) where each underglaze, glaze mug features a sailboat or yacht that parades through the lock. Likewise, a larger “Poseidon” barge of a similar light-hearted design rounds out this corner of Kayser’s art.

Among other functional wares are a series of 15 “Jubilee” cups and two “Jubilee” teapots whose geometrically abstract designs are the sort of wrap-around rectangles and chevrons one will find on hot air balloons. The single largest functional ceramic on display is an oversized, handsome earthtone “Tapped” stoneware bowl whose rows of perforations makes it an ideal colander. And a half-dozen thrown and altered porcelain, glaze, and cherry wood “Music Boxes playing “You are my Sunshine” ” tunefully round out this work.

But back to Kayser’s stated intent with his exhibit. Both “Pathology” and “Pig Pile” feature a mordant wit coupled with a deceptively airy crafting whose subtext fits his wish to create work he says “sets out to challenge aspects of contemporary life by focusing on habitual inefficiencies, the role of personal agency, and the ethical compromises of convenience.”

The aptly named “Pathology” is therefore a relatively transparent work of art. Nicknamed a “zoetrope animation wheel” (which it most certainly is), the assemblage consists of nine red mice (modeled porcelain, terra sigillata coloring) running around a wood and metal pedestal plate whose LED light, mechanical gears, and electrical circuit complete the assignment.

The red mice run relentlessly along the edge of this plate by the turning of a handle slightly beneath the work’s base. And as the mice rotate with increasing frequency, the LED light and electrical circuitry spark occasionally — perhaps a not totally unfamiliar phenomena for any number of us at any given time — and hence Kayser’s point.

"Pig Pile" by Elliott Kayser

This six-pack of oblivious, future pepperoni porkers is thoroughly jumbled together, some lying down and others restlessly climbing over their neighbors on this slab — but we already know the way the story is going to end. Indeed, anything more and we’d be forced to say Kayser’s really piling it on.

“Elliott Kayser: Day In and Day Out” will continue through June 15 at Clay Gallery, 335 S. Main St. Gallery hours are noon-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 734-662-7927.

"Ain't In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm"

Helm played a sublime, emotion-filled concert at the Michigan on March 19 of last year, dying from cancer exactly a month after the show. How the legendary drummer and vocalist from the Band had the strength to get through the entire night while that sick is a testament to his incredible life spirit, something he carried with him to the very end.

A native of North Carolina, Jacob Hatley takes an unconventional approach in this, his first feature film, avoiding most of the usual music documentary cliches to place the viewer right in the frame with Helm during funny, causal and very difficult moments. Recently I had the chance to speak with the laidback director about the making of "Ain't In It For My Health." University of Michigan professor and former Rock and Hall of Fame curator Bruce Conforth will be at the 3 p.m. Sunday screening at the Michigan Theater to talk about this extraordinary documentary.

Q: So how did you come to make your movies about Levon Helm?

J.H.: Well, I moved out to L.A. and went to film school at USC, and there I made a short film called "China" that made the festival circuit. From there I got to make a few music videos as well. I was mainly doing music videos and short films, then got a job doing a music video with Levon, for the "Poor Old Dirt Farmer" track off his (2007) "Dirt Farmer" album, and that turned into the documentary. The film took three years to make, and just now I'm beginning work on my first narrative feature film.

Q: Take us into the approach you took for "Ain't In It For My Health." This isn’t a conventional, dispassionate, A-Z chronological look at Helm's life. Your work is extremely personal.

J.H.: What was interesting to me initially, and to us as a crew, is that it was not (about) the music. We didn’t go into this film thinking we would want to see these songs of his filmed. We wanted to focus on him, on who he was. The editor (Tom Vickers) said that if he had never been a musician, if he was a gas station attendant in Arkansas, he would still be worthy of a documentary. We wanted to make a character study, an intimate character study.

We weren’t concerned with any historical information and at first we wanted to make a film with no interviews, just scenes between people. Our favorite films, "Gimme Shelter" and "Don’t Look Back," have similar approaches. They let the people in the films speak for themselves. We didn’t want to do an A&E biography - "Here’s Levon Helm and here are the highlights of his career." If you're curious (about that), go to Wikipedia, or go and rent "The Last Waltz." Levon himself said, "I don’t wanna make no biography."

Q: You had incredible access to Levon; in fact, you even film him in his doctor’s office when he's having problems with his throat and there are worries he may be having a recurrence of cancer. Was there any time he said no to your film crew?

J.H.: Oddly enough, that was the first thing we shot. When we did the music video together I was trying to put the bug in his ear and tell him there was a lot more to shoot and that we should try and do something more in depth. I went back to California and edited the music video, then he called me and said, "Jacob, would you like to come to the doctor (with me) next week?" I think he wanted people to know; he was not guarded. And he never told us to turn the camera off. He was too much of a hospitable, southern gentleman.

Q: Did Levon see the finished film before he died? J.H.: He basically saw the (finished) film. We made a few small changes (afterward), but yes, he did. He said, Jacob, "I think you're about 96 percent there." I don’t know what the four percent we screwed up was!

Q: What thoughts do you hope people will have about Levon after seeing your film? J.H.: Just what it was like to be at the table with him. Just what it was like on a Sunday afternoon to hang out with a guy with his spirit, someone who's come from an America that doesn’t really exist anymore; a storyteller. I just think ideally he would have a sense of what it was like to hang out with him in a very casual way.

Q: What can you tell us about the new film you're working on now?

J.H.: It’s a film I’ve co-written with Tom Vickers, who also happens to be my cousin. We were writing it as we were editing the Levon film. I hope we're going to start shooting it soon. It’s a narrative film about three truck-stop girls who run afoul of a bad trucker. It's going to be a character-piece slash thriller called "Carolina Highway Killer.”

For ticket information, see the Cinetopia website.

Martin Bandyke is the morning drive host on Ann Arbor's 107one, WQKL-FM. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and at www.martinbandyke.com

The 21-year-old man charged in the death of an Ypsilanti Township man who refused to take a bribe not to testify in a separate case will stand trial in September.

Avantis Parker

Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

Avantis Parker’s trial date is set to match up with his co-defendant, 31-year-old Willie Wimberly, at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 30, court records show. Parker is scheduled to return to court for an evidentiary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 8, according to court records.

Parker and Wimberly are charged in the death of 28-year-old Brandon Charles. Charles was shot and killed in the driveway of a home in the 600 block of Calder Avenue on Jan. 29, hours before he was set to testify against Wimberly in a previous case.

Parker appeared in Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie Brown’s courtroom Wednesday for a pretrial hearing. He was originally scheduled to appear a week before, at the same time as Wimberly, but an error meant he was not transported from jail for the hearing.

Wimberly was originally charged with shooting Charles and his girlfriend in a Jan. 1 road rage incident in Detroit. Wimberly posted bond and left jail while the case was pending. He was to return to court on Jan. 30 for a preliminary exam in the case, at which time Charles was going to testify.

Willie Wimberly

Courtesy of WCSO

Charles and Parker knew each other before the incident involving Wimberly, who was like a big brother to Parker, according to testimony at a preliminary exam in April. Witnesses said Parker and Wimberly conspired to offer Charles a final $10,000 bribe to not testify in the road rage shooting.

According to the testimony, Charles declined the bribe and wanted more money during a brief meeting on Jan. 29. After he declined the bribe, he was shot dead in the driver’s seat of Pontiac G6 he was driving.

Parker was charged in connection with the case on Feb. 6 and Wimberly was charged a week later.

Parker is serving up to 22 years in prison for a 2012 robbery in Ypsilanti Township. He had pleaded in the case just four days before Charles’ death.

He’s charged with open murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, carrying a concealed weapon, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and witness intimidation.

Wimberly faces charges of open murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle and witness intimidation. Both men face a maximum of life in prison and are being held without bond.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Amber McCain

Courtesy of Washtenaw County Jail

A 21-year-old Dundee woman accused of lying to police about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted last November had her case bound over to circuit court by Judge Joseph Burke during a preliminary exam in the 14A-1 District Court Tuesday.

Amber Lynn McCain is charged with one count of false report of a felony for telling Pittsfield Township police a man drove her against her will to a secluded spot by Ann Arbor Municipal Airport and sexually assaulted her.

Police determined the allegations to not be true and McCain was arraigned on the charge of filing the false complaint May 28.

Burke made the decision to bind over the case after hearing testimony from Pittsfield Township police Detective Jason Hohner, who was assigned the case.

Hohner testified McCain told police a man named “Caleb,” who she knew from cosmetology school in Monroe, came to pick her up the night of Nov. 4, 2012 at her home in Dundee. He had flowers and tried to kiss her, Hohner testified she told police.

“She said she wasn’t that kind of girl,” Hohner said.

McCain told police she was acquainted with “Caleb,” but not enough to know his last name.

The two decided to go to see a movie together at Rave Motion Pictures, located at 1400 Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township, according to the testimony. After the movie ended, McCain told detectives “Caleb” drove her to a dirt driveway near the airport at Ellsworth Road and South State Street and sexually assaulted her, according to Hohner’s testimony.

When she tried to get away, “Caleb” held her by the wrists

McCain told police she punched him and made a desperate escape to a nearby Speedway gas station.

After taking the report, Hohner began his investigation.

“I scoured every database I knew of looking for anything that would find out the identity of 'Caleb,'" Hohner said. “I couldn’t find anything that indicated who this person was.”

At a follow-up interview in December, Hohner informed McCain the charges related to the alleged incident were very serious: unlawful imprisonment and first-degree criminal sexual conduct — life offenses.

Still, Hohner said McCain stuck by her story — at first.

Police had obtained video from the Speedway gas station that night. The surveillance tape revealed a very different story than the one McCain was telling, Hohner testified: she did not walk to the gas station, but was dropped off from a different direction than the airport, and she appeared to cheerily chat with the clerk.

“She appeared happy,” Hohner said. “She was smiling. I would call it grinning ear to ear.”

When police showed McCain the pictures they had of her smiling at the gas station, her story began to change, Hohner testified. McCain said the assault took place, but she called her friend, “Raffi,” who picked her up and dropped her off at the gas station where she could call police. “Raffi” didn’t stick around because he was afraid of getting deported, according to testimony.

But the story would change yet again. “Caleb” existed, McCain confessed, but had nothing to do with the incident as reported, according to testimony.

“In the end, she said the suspect really was ‘Raffi’,” Hohner said.

“Raffi,” who police also were unable to identify or contact, and McCain watched the movie “Wanted” at his Ann Arbor townhouse before he drove her to the Speedway, according to testimony. It was while they were watching the movie in his bedroom the sexual assault took place, McCain told police.

“She said she didn’t want him to get deported,” Hohner said was the reason she substituted “Caleb” with “Raffi.”

Hohner said McCain could not provide a last name for “Raffi.”

McCain’s public defender Timothy Niemann told the judge McCain’s cousin was the one to urge her to report the sexual assault. In fact, it was her cousin’s wife who actually called police to report the assault by “Raffi.”

Niemann argued it still was a sexual assault regardless of whether it was done by a different suspect under different circumstances. The case, he said, had been handed over to the Ann Arbor Police Department.

Ann Arbor police Detective William Stanford told AnnArbor.com a report had been generated, but the case was not being actively investigated.

A pretrial date was set for July 17 in the Washtenaw County Trial Court. McCain remains free on a personal recognizance bond. The charge of a false report of a felony is a crime punishable by up to four years in prison, a $2,000 fine or both.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

This weekend should offer some opportunity to get outside and enjoy glimpses of decent weather before Sunday night storms lead to a potentially wet work week.

Expect warmer weather and partly sunny skies this weekend.

According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be a mild day with partly sunny skies and a calm wind.

The high should top 70 degrees, with a low of 55 expected. There is a possibility of rain after 1 p.m., with the chance of precipitation at 20 percent.

Sunday will bring a warmup with the high near 77 degrees. There will be partly sunny skies for most of the day, with a chance of afternoon showers beginning after 2 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Expect rain showers and thunderstorms Sunday night. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Rainfall will be between a tenth and quarter of an inch. The low will be near 61.

Rain and cloudy skies are likely to continue in to early next week.

Chelsea Hoedl is an intern reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at choedl@mlive.com.

A University of Michigan writing instructor is featured in The New Yorker this week after writing a guest column on how he uses the caption contest in his writing classes at U-M.

Cody Walker, U-M writing instructor and guest essayist for The New Yorker.

From: The University of Michigan

Cody Walker won The New Yorker's caption contest one week early in 2010, when he also wrote an essay about how winning was "the thing I most want."

Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor and writer of the magazine's Cartoon Bureau column, recently checked back with Walker.

"I thought Cody might have more to say about the intersection of good caption writing and writing in general, so I’ve asked him to say more," wrote Mankoff.

Here's a portion of what Walker had to say:

As I’ve now preached to countless students (first in Seattle and, more recently, in Ann Arbor), working on captions will make you a better writer.

Inexperienced writers sometimes imagine that good writing comes from good ideas. But that’s not right: good writing comes from good sentences.

Readers of The New Yorker are responding to the column: On Friday, it was the 2nd most-read story on the magazine's website and the 3rd most-emailed.

Read Walker's ''Captions in the Classroom" essay.

MLive Media Group recently won 15 first-place awards from the Michigan Associated Press Media Editors .

The awards recently were handed out for the 2012 newspaper content competition.

AnnArbor.com is among several publications throughout Michigan in the MLive Media Group. Newspapers include the Bay City Times, Flint Journal, Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle and Saginaw News, while digital editions are located in Lansing and Detroit. MLive Media Group has news teams in both Division 2 and 3.

Here is a list of the full winners:

1st Place

Best Sustained Coverage of a Single News Event: Meegan Holland, John Barnes, MLive, "Wildfire: Michigan's Massive 'Duck Lake' Blaze"

Best Public Service: MLive, "Distracted Driving: A Deadly Reality"

Best Digital Presence: David Harris, The Flint Journal, "Offbeat by David Harris"

Best Feature Story: Sue Thoms, The Grand Rapids Press, "Family Finds Comfort and Blessings"

Best Editorial: Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press, "Michigan Isn't Wisconsin"

Eric Woodyard, The Flint Journal, "Gold: Claressa Shields Brings it Home"

Best Sports Column: Mark Opfermann: The Muskegon Chronicle, "Tim Flahive Retires as Basketball Official"

Best Sustained Coverage of a Single Sports Event: Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Promise Bowl"

Best News Picture: Ryan Garza, The Flint Journal, "Deadly Shooting on Mary Street"

Best News Picture: Emily Zoladz, The Grand Rapids Press, "Sgt. Scott Tatrow Funeral"

Best Feature Picture: Jeffrey Smith, AnnArbor.com, "Dinosaur Terror"

Best Feature Picture: Chris Clark, The Grand Rapids Press, "Give Me 5"

Best Sports Picture: Sean Proctor, Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Halftime Chat"

Best Picture Story: Chris Clark, The Grand Rapids Press, "Charlotte Ponce's Operation,"

Best PIcture Story: Hannah Potes, Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Christopher Klavon Helps Others Heal"

2nd Place

Best Sustained Coverage of a Single News Event: MLive, "Judgment Day for Michigan's Juvenile Lifers"

Best Public Service: MLive, "Uneasy Riders"

Division II: Best Feature Story: Justin Engel, The Bay City Times, "The War Room"

Best Sports Enterprise: Scott DeCamp, Kalamazoo Gazette, "Life on Track”

Best News Column: Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press, "Michigan Education Department"

Best News Column: Andrew Heller, The Flint Journal, "Sam Goes to College and Dad's Not Ready"

Best Breaking News: AnnArbor.com, "Dexter Tornado"

Best News Picture: Jon Garcia, The Saginaw News, "Firefighters Enter Burning Vacant House"

Best Feature Picture: Colleen Harrison, The Bay City Times, "Haunted Temple Preparations"

Best Feature Picture: Cory Morse, The Grand Rapids Press, "ArtPrize Lights in the Night"

Best Sports Picture: J. Scott Park, Jackson Citizen Patriot, "Early Injury"

Best Picture Story: Libby March, The Muskegon Chronicle, "Electrified"

Best Investigative Reporting: Julie Mack, Kalamazoo Gazette, "Schoolcraft Football Coach"

3rd Place

Best Sustained Coverage of a Single News Event: The Grand Rapids Press, "Crane Collapse"

Best Public Service: Kalamazoo Gazette, "Debates for Kalamazoo County Offices"

Best Digital Presence: John Serba, The Grand Rapids Press, "Project Mayhem"

Best Informational Graphics or Illustrations: The Grand Rapids Press, "ArtPrize 2012"

Best Editorial: The Grand Rapids Press, "Bring Back the Mandate" Ross Maghielse, The Flint Journal, "State Wrestling Finals"

Best Sports Column: Eric Woodyard, The Flint Journal, "Flint Legend Terry Furlow"

Best Sports Column: Ansar Khan, MLive, "Amazing Career of Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom"

Best Sustained Coverage of a Single Sports Event: AnnArbor.com, "Footbrawl"

Best News Column: AnnArbor.com, "Footbrawl"

Best News Column: Clayton Hardiman, The Muskegon Chronicle,

"The Power of Goodwill to Transform Us is the Hope of Christmas Day"

Best Breaking News: Justin Engel, The Bay City Times, "Bay County Commissioners Brawl"

Best News Picture: Cory Morse, The Grand Rapids Press, "Comforting Driver"

Best Sports Picture: Nikole Hanna, The Muskegon Chronicle, "Red Card"

Best Picture Story: Ryan Garza, The Flint Journal, "Flint's Golden Girl"

The Chelsea Farmers Market, which encourages shoppers of all income levels thanks to the ease of using Michigan's Bridge Card for purchases.

Lisa Carolin | For AnnArbor.com

On a lovely Saturday morning in June, a visit to one of the many local farmers' markets in Washtenaw County has become a popular activity, no matter what your income.

This is the first full season that shoppers at the Chelsea Farmers' Market have the opportunity to use Michigan's Bridge Cards, which can be exchanged at the market for tokens to purchase food items. Bridge Cards offer food assistance using an electronic benefits transfer system.

The program began in August 2012 at the Chelsea Farmer's Market. Ashley Miller Helmholdt, who is the new manager of both farmers' markets in Chelsea, the Saturday market and the Wednesday Bushel Basket Market at Chelsea Hospital, says that although not many people are using the Bridge Cards at the Chelsea markets, she expects the number to grow.

"We hope to increase the number of participants in the program to 140 residents in and around Chelsea by the end of the market season (in October)," said Miller Helmholdt.

In addition, she said, both Chelsea markets will be offering the Double Up Food Bucks program beginning in July, which is run through the Ann Arbor-based Fair Food Network and doubles customers' purchasing power.

According to the U.S. census, 8.1 percentage of the people in Chelsea, or about 400 people, live below the poverty line and are eligible for food assistance. Miller Helmholdt says 200 people in Chelsea have Bridge Cards, and close to 1,000 have them in western Washtenaw County.

"I don't know that people know about (the market accepting Bridge Cards,)" said Deb Lentz, co-owner of Tantré Farm. While Lentz runs their stand at the Chelsea Farmers' Market, her husband, Richard Andres runs their stand at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market.

"My husband says the Bridge Cards are used a lot at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market. People may be uncomfortable using them here, but it's a great way to get fresh produce and to make healthy choices."

"I wish more people took advantage of the Bridge Cards," said Linda Conrad, owner of Mama Mo, which sells hummus, seitan and pesto. "I think it's a matter of educating the public what's available at the market and reassuring them this is a welcoming environment."

All the farmers markets in Washtenaw County have expanded their mission from just selling fresh foods to making sure everyone of all incomes has access to it. That includes the Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Westside, Dexter, Saline, and both the Ypsilanti Downtown and Depot Town farmers' markets, as well as both Chelsea farmers' markets.

Both Chelsea markets received a grant through the Chelsea Wellness Foundation to support the program, and the grant also pays for food education and Miller Helmholdt's salary.

The Chelsea Farmers' Market features occasional educational programs. On Saturday, Shelley Frazier from the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension office in Washtenaw County taught people how to create salsas from spring vegetables.

Lisa Carolin | For AnnArbor.com

Customers who qualify can use the Bridge Card, also known as (SNAP) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, at the markets by showing their cards, determining how much they'd like to spend, and receiving tokens equal to that amount that can be spent to purchase food products at participating vendors.

"SNAP reduces food insecurity for low-income children, helping students perform better in school, and farmers markets provide some of the most nutritious and fresh foods available," said Miller Helmholdt, who says that the Western Washtenaw Area Value Express (WAVE) bus service will offer free rides to Bridge Card holders on the way to the market from July-October.

The Chelsea Farmers' Market has 19 weekly vendors and a number of additional vendors who show up from week to week. In addition, the market features live music every Saturday and occasional educational food-related demonstrations. On Saturday, the Washtenaw County Michigan State University Extension demonstrated making strawberry salsa and healthy pesto as examples of ways to extend the spring harvest.

Get more information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

New Tech Director Cory McElmeel talks during an assembly to 10th-graders on the first day of class at New Tech high school in Ypsilanti on Sept. 6, 2011. McElmeel recently was named the new principal of Skyline High School in Ann Arbor.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com file photo

Cory McElmeel, principal of Ypsilanti's New Tech high school, was tapped to be the first principal of the newly unified New Tech @ Ardis program, following the merger of Ypsilanti and Willow Run schools in July. However, he will be turning that down and instead, McElmeel will join the Ann Arbor Public Schools as principal of Skyline High School.

"I am humbled and honored to be welcomed as the newest member of the Skyline family," McElmeel said in a statement. "I look forward to meeting and serving the members and stakeholders of our learning community. I will work tirelessly to continue the excellence of our educational program and take student learning and school culture to the next level."

Current Skyline Principal Sulura Jackson resigned in March after seven years in the district. She was hired prior to 2004 to help design the new high school, which opened in 2008, and curriculum — including the mastery learning concept for credit recovery and retaking of tests; the trimester schedule; magnet programs for students to pursue specific interests; and "Skytime," a student development hour.

Jackson will leave Ann Arbor at the end of the month to take a position with Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina.

McElmeel was one of 29 applicants for the Skyline leadership role. He has been at Ypsilanti Public Schools since 2003. He began as a teacher and was named principal of the New Tech @ Ardis program at its inception in the fall of 2010.

In the fall of 2011, Ypsilanti's New Tech high school become a model for others nationwide, when it was awarded the distinction of serving as one of 30 demonstration sites in the U.S. for prospective New Tech programs during the 2011-12 academic year.

"Mr. McElmeel brings a wealth of leadership skills and abilities to his new role at Skyline High School," Ann Arbor schools officials said in an email sent to parents around 8 p.m. Tuesday. "We are confident that his skills are a great match for Skyline's mastery learning program and magnet opportunities."

McElmeel's hire was made known to the Ypsilanti community late Tuesday as well on a Facebook page for supporters of the new Ypsilanti Community Schools district. McElmeel responded to a post about his new position outside of the unified Ypsilanti-Willow Run schools by saying it is "with a heavy heart" that he accepts this next step in his career.

"I love the Ypsilanti community and, more so, our amazing youth," he wrote. "Ypsilanti, your children make me strive to be a better professional and individual. I will continue to work tirelessly through this transition to support the development of our schools, district, and the New Tech program. I am a better teacher and leader because you have allowed me to serve you and that will never be forgotten."

McElmeel was one of six principals from either Ypsilanti or Willow Run to make it through the interview and selection process and be offered a position in the new consolidated district.

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

• Update: Flash flood watch issued for Washtenaw County

Numerous thunderstorms expected to develop during the day Wednesday could mean a stormy evening in Ann Arbor, bringing with them the risk of an isolated tornado.

Steve Considine, meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said thunderstorms will develop Wednesday and Ann Arbor will be on the northern fringe of severe weather. Considine said high wind gusts, large hail and an isolated tornado are all possible effects of the storm.

“The most probably time for severe weather will be between 5 p.m. and midnight,” Considine said.

The line of storms heading for the area is expected to affect northern Indiana, northern Illinois and southern Michigan, Considine said.

There’s a line of storms coming from Wisconsin and Minnesota that are currently diminishing. Considine said they’ll redevelop in our area.

New rainfall could come between a tenth and a quarter of an inch during the day, with higher amounts possible in areas where thunderstorms hit. More rain overnight could result in a half of an inch to three-quarters of an inch, according to NWS.

Considine said the storms will likely be done by Thursday, which is expected to be cooler and drier.

Media reports indicate Southeast Michigan could see a weather pattern known as a derecho. A derecho is a windstorm that moves quickly in a straight line, often accompanied by heavy rain and lightning.

Check the forecast at AnnArbor.com's weather page.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

The first thing to like about Cardamom, which opened on April 26, is that parking is readily available, since it's not located downtown. Owner Binod Dhakal thought that would be a selling point of the Courtyard Shops location, on Plymouth Road near the University of Michigan College of Engineering and the many college employees occupying the former Pfizer space.

"I didn't see any good Indian restaurants on the North side of town," he said. Dhakal was manager of Shalimar since 1998 and longed to open his own restaurant. He said he attempts to stand out by offering some dishes from his native Nepal, as well as goat entrees and salads for those who don't want to stray too far from American fare—items you don't see in typical Ann Arbor Indian restaurants. Within a few weeks, he'll also offer the opportunity to order via Facebook.

The buzz phrase here is "fresh Indian," made from locally grown produce and fresh-squeezed juices. Cardamom has a menu that's appealing not just in its bright design and map of India, but in the way it clearly outlines the various categories of dishes: starters, breads, and the various curries: chicken, lamb, goat, seafood and vegetarian and explains how each is prepared. The menu also provides a color-coded system for dishes that are vegetarian, vegan, and nut or gluten free.

I got my first meal off to a good start by selecting one of the fine loose teas from Sri Lanka, lime ginger rooibos, an herbal tea that was brimming with flavor and particularly soothing.

We started with the delicious vegetable pakora, which tasted like a potato pancake, except it also included cauliflower and spinach and maintained a lighter texture. The vegetable samosa, similarly, had a satisfying coating and was lightly fried. The tamarind and cilantro mint chutneys provided a refreshing complement.

All the Indian breads we sampled had a soft, pillowy consistency, perfect for sopping up the sauce from our dishes. The onion kulcha had a perfect hint of onion flavoring. I particularly liked the kashmiri naan, something I had not sampled before, stuffed with almonds, cashew and mango chutney, a wonderful combination that added a sweetness to the bread.

I also enjoyed the aloo prantha, which contained a thin layer of potatoes. Cumin provided an Indian accent to the tomato soup, but it wasn't my favorite. It was not as thick and creamy as I would have liked and tasted a bit like tomato juice.

The chicken tikka salad provided a light, healthful option. I ordered it with a lime vinaigrette dressing that nicely complimented the fresh greens and the nimki chips, a flour chip that tasted similar to a pita chip. Moist, delicious pieces of smoky chicken made this dish a winner. Except for the addition of cilantro, this reminded me of the Mediterranean fatoosh salad.

The best dish of all that I sampled was one that our server recommended on our second visit, the chettinad lamb, one of the lamb curries. Boneless pieces of tender lamb were served in a heavenly coconut and poppy-seed curry sauce, a wonderful melding of sweet and spicy.

The chicken curries we ordered, the tikka masala and the chicken makhni, tasted virtually identical to each other. Both had a tomato sauce base, though the makhni had a cashew paste, while the tikki masala was tandoori roasted, but those differences weren't distinctive. The chicken was tender and flavorful, though, with curry providing a nice kick.

The seafood curry we ordered, seafood korma, inventively paired shrimp, scallops and fish in a creamy white almond cashew sauce. I really enjoyed the way that the nutty and sweet flavorings, including coconut, combined with the seafood. That same sauce also worked well on the vegetable korma we ordered on our second visit.

The aloo gobi, cauliflower and potatoes in a tomato sauce, was also great, though it was quite spicy even though we requested it mild. The only weak link in our entrees was the grilled masala salmon. The thick piece of fish was slightly overcooked and was bland; it was difficult to decipher the advertised ginger and garlic spices. However, the vegetables that accompanied it were perfectly cooked.

Entrees are brought in the same sparkling white dishes that you find at Shalimar; they're a similarly modest size. The sauce seemed to saturate the meat and vegetables. I had to go surfing for the seafood pieces in my seafood korma, as well as the chicken in my chicken dishes, as they tended to get lost in those sauces.

Our server on our first visit discouraged us from ordering the Indian desserts, but we wanted to sample the authentic cuisine. We should have listened, especially when it came to ordering the pista kulfi, described as pistachio ice cream, but which had a medicinal taste and was more the consistency of ice milk. The gulab jamun were similar to donuts, but the rosewater scented syrup was overly sweet.

Rice pudding resembled watery oatmeal in appearance. I like mine to be thicker, but it ended up tasting better than it looked, and was a nice way to cleanse the palate after indulging in our spicier entrees. On our second visit, we played it safe with an American dessert, cheesecake cardamom. The addition of cardamom and almonds in the crust was a nice touch and the filling was light and creamy.

If there is one major drawback to cardamom, it's that it's a victim of its own popularity. Dhakal's instincts were right; this restaurant seems to fill a niche for Indian food on the north side of town, and the restaurant was at capacity both times we visited. Staff were ill equipped to handle the full house. On our first visit, the server promptly refilled water glasses and our appetizers came out right away, but we had to wait quite a while for the main course. The server also neglected to bring a chai that I ordered. The second time around, when we didn't order appetizers, we waited close to 45 minutes for our food.

This is a shame, since overall, I think this food rivals any of other Indian restaurants in town. Also, prices are quite reasonable. If the owner addresses the service issue, this is a place I would happily return to often.

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Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.

Fishermen (and women), pick out your best fly—but only one—and head over to Schultz Outfitters for the Huron River Single Fly Tournament.

All proceeds benefit the Huron River Watershed Council’s RiverUp! and Huron River Water Trail projects. This event is to celebrate not just the protection of the river, but those people who spend so much time in it.

Registration is required. Go to www.hrwc.org/events/single-fly/.

$20 Post-Party at Sidetrack only. $50 Tournament only. $70 Tournament and one year membership to HRWC. $70 Tournament and Post-Party at Sidetrack Bar & Grill. $90 Tournament, HRWC membership and Sidetrack Post-Party.

Saturday, June 15, 2013.10 a.m. (afterglow party at 5 p.m.). Schultz Outfitters is located at 4 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti. 734-544-1761.

Deputy Joe Ballard gives the thumbs up as the reunited duck family crosses Jackson Avenue safely.

Courtesy of WCSO

Listen, we’re all going through some tough times right now.

Studies from the University of Michigan are calling everyone narcissists. The latest thunderstorm-derecho-tornado-apocalypse is heading our way. Our pets' heads are falling off.

Deputy Ballard holds one of the distressed ducklings rescued from a Scio Township storm drain.

Courtesy of WCSO

But, take comfort in knowing that one Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputy has reunited seven ducklings with their mother in a rescue of cutetastic proportions.

At 6:55 p.m. Tuesday, Deputy Joe Ballard saw the mother duck and her seven waddling babies trying to cross Jackson Avenue in Scio Township. Understandably frightened by the passing cars, all seven ducklings managed to fall into a storm drain, Sgt. Paul Cook said in an email.

“Their fate was sealed,” Cook said.

However, Ballard had other plans.

He worked for two hours to remove the storm drain cover, improvising recovery tools and lying in the roadway. With the help of the Scio Township Fire Department, Ballard eventually got all seven of the ducklings out of their watery grave and into the loving care of their mother.

It's the second recent duckling rescue. Last month, Ypsilanti firefighters rescued 10 ducklings from a similar fate.

One might argue that, after working for hours to rescue the ducklings, Ballard had done more than enough to help the feathered family. But, Cook said he couldn’t let them waddle off into an unknown future without a little more help.

“Never quite done with his work, Deputy Joe Ballard then escorted the ducklings and their mother across the Jackson Avenue boulevard and on their way,” Cook said. “Job well done.”

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Deputies suspect a 21-year-old Ypsilanti Township man set his girlfriend’s car on fire last month and are seeking information on his whereabouts.

Derrell Evans

Courtesy of WCSO

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Derrell Evans. Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office deputies believe Evans set his girlfriend’s Dodge Stratus on fire early on May 29 in the 40 block of Ohio Street.

Firefighters said the car was a total loss. It was valued at $4,000 and was extinguished in about 15 minutes.

The incident was immediately ruled suspicious and the sheriff’s office began investigating.

Evans may have suffered injuries related to the alleged arson. The 21-year-old has served prison time for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, which he pleaded no contest to in 2011, according to state records.

Evans also pleaded guilty to third-degree home invasion and assaulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer in 2010, records show.

Anyone with information on the fire or Evans’ whereabouts is encouraged to call the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 734-973-7711, Detective Craig Raisanen at 734-973-4924 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

A record number of votes were entered in the current edition of Michigan's Best, in which MLive statewide entertainment reporter John Gonzalez is hunting for which restaurant serves up the best burger.

Longtime area favorite Sidetrack Bar and Grill took the top spot in our local poll, while recent newcomer to the dining scene The Wurst Bar managed to edge out Casey's Tavern for third, giving Ypsilanti two of the top three spots.

Of course, no discussion about hamburgers in the Ann Arbor area would be complete without mention of Blimpy Burger, which took home second place and is where we will begin our journey on today's sampling. Here's our approximate schedule:

• 11:30-12:30 p.m. Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger - 551 S Division St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
• 1-2 p.m. Sidetrack Bar & Grill - 56 E Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
• 2:15-3:15 p.m. The Wurst Bar - 705 W Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Follow along in the widget below starting around 11:30 a.m., when "Gonzo" is joined by his burger enthusiast friend David Kutzko, MLive statewide reporter Fritz Klug, and AnnArbor.com's own Jessica Webster as they see how these local favorites stack up against other restaurants across Michigan.

The band will play EMU on Sept. 29, according to a posting on its website, which is currently offering presale tickets. Prices are listed at $29.50, $37.50 and $44.50.

The Vaccines will open the show.

At this writing, the show is not yet listed on EMU's ticketing website, but the band's Facebook page says tickets will go on sale to the general public June 14.

Phoenix's debut album, "United," was released in 2000. Among their more popular songs are "Too Young," "1901" and "Lisztomania." Their fifth album, "Bankrupt!," was released earlier this spring.

Bob Needham is director of entertainment content for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at bobneedham@annarbor.com or 734-623-2541, and follow him on Twitter @bobneedham.