Come join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor! The City and the Ann Arbor District Library host the third annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series includes four events (held monthly and ending in April) with each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s sustainability framework.

This final event in the series centers on Local Food, including highlights from the Ann Arbor farmers market, our local food economy, and tips on how to support and participate in Ann Arbor's local food system. Panelists include ​Jenna Bacolor, Executive Director, Community Education & Recreation Ann Arbor Public Schools; Hillary Bisnett, Healthy Food in Healthcare Project Director, Ecology Center​​​​; Sarah DeWitt​, Farmers Market Manager, City of Ann Arbor​; Robert Grese, Director, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum; Professor, UM School of Natural Resources and Environment; and Yousef Rabhi​, Chair, Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners;

Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session. The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. Details of this series, and information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, are posted on the City's website.

What do you know about the upcoming Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority's millage proposal? Did you know it's going to be on the ballot on Tuesday, May 6? Did you know there was going to be a referendum at the polls in May? The League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area (LVW-AAA) host this public forum on the upcoming proposal.

The focus is on the proposal, which asks Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township voters to approve a millage of 0.7 mills for five years. The increase would generate a total of $4.3 million annually through 2019. Representatives from both More Buses (proponents of the proposal) and Better Transit Now (opposing the proposal) speak.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

A lot has happened at the library in the last ten years!

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Malletts Creek Branch, AADL has assembled a short film of highlights. From new branch openings to website advances to collection additions to awards received to memorable programs and appearances, 10 Years Since Malletts Creek will give you a taste of what's gone before and the kinds of things to expect in the future.

And don't forget the all-day celebration at Malletts Creek on Saturday, March 22!

What goes into building a Library? Concerned with sustainability, the developers of the Traverwood Branch of the AADL took a unique approach to the building process by harvesting hundreds of ash trees devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer and reusing the trees in the construction of the building. 'Up From Ashes,' produced by KDN Films in Madison Heights, Michigan, captures each step of the Traverwood Branch construction process, a process that combined both primitive and modern construction methods.

In this hour-long documentary, director Bill Kubota treats viewers to a behind-the-scenes look at drawing board designs, deadlines, and one-ton draft horses harvesting the lumber. Also captured on film is the anxiety of the development team as design and structure challenges arise and are dealt with.

The City and the AADL are hosting the third annual Sustainable Ann Arbor Series, which will include four events (held monthly and ending in April), each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.

This second event in the series centers on Healthy Ecosystems, including an overview of Ann Arbor’s urban and community forest, tips for sustainable landscaping, yard design, and stormwater management at home.

A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, City of Ann Arbor staff, and Washtenaw County staff discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community. Panelists for this session include: Bonnie Bona​, Project Manager, Clean Energy Coalition; Commissioner, City of Ann Arbor Planning Commission; Kerry Gray, Urban Forestry & Natural Resources Coordinator, City of Ann Arbor; Roger Moon, Master Rain Gardener,Washtenaw County Master Rain Gardener Program; Evan Pratt, Water Resources Commissioner, Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner; and Harry Sheehan, Environmental Manager, Office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner​.

Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session, offering an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for residents.

Host Ted Trost introduces I Remember When, a seven-part film series about Ann Arbor history created in conjunction with the city's sesquicentennial celebrations in 1974. In this episode, titled "Do You Remember?," Trost takes viewers on a tour of Ann Arbor history through photographic images of early settlers, churches, and businesses; the Ann Arbor Police Force; University of Michigan football and campus; Drake's Sandwich Shop; the construction of Nichol's Arcade; the Arcade Theater; and the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Trost also talks with University of Michigan Professor Douglas Crary, chair of the Sesquicentennial Commission, about how Ann Arbor got its name, the Sesquicentennial Commission's goals, and its companion book, Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial Journal.

Produced and Directed by Dale E. Throneberry
Executive Producer : Catherine Anderson
Graphic Artist: Darcy E. Engholm
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Public Library, with help from the Ann Arbor Sesquicentennial Commission and the University of Michigan Speech Department.

Bill and Jim Hart have owned Seyfried Jewelers in Downtown Ann Arbor for more than 35 years. The store closed in December 2013 after 100 years in Ann Arbor.

Bill talked with AADL about taking over the shop from the Seyfried family, the longevity of the store, how selling jewelry becomes a lifelong relationship with the customer and the changes to retailing in Ann Arbor.

Dascola Barber Shop has been a fixture of downtown Ann Arbor since 1938 when Dominic Dascola first struck out on his own as a business owner. Bob Dascola, his son, has been a part of this tradition for the past 45 years, keeping shop first in his father's original location on E Liberty St and now in his own space on S State St. In that time, he's grown from being one member of the family business to being a small business owner, then a community leader, and now a candidate for City Council in the 3rd Ward. When Bob sat down with us, we talked about going into the family business, how a community member can make a difference, and the things he's learned just by talking with people who come in and sit down in his chair.

It is hard to overstate the breadth and speed of the transition to defense manufacturing that occurred in the United States during World War II. America went from building cars to tanks, farm equipment to bazookas, three-piece suits to combat uniforms. Locally, companies like American Broach, Ford Motor and Killins Gravel took on defense contracts and hired thousands of workers to support the "Arsenal of Democracy" that was Michigan in the 1940s. Argus Camera had a unique role, inventing and manufacturing new optical equipment that sighted guns, photographed enemy installations and recorded the war. Argus became one of the largest employers in Washtenaw County, bringing an unprecedented number of women into the skilled labor force and creating a social fabric within the company and the community that would last for generations. This video, produced after World War II, recounts the "miracle of production" that earned Argus several E Awards for excellence in design and manufacture of war-related materiel. The video captures the post-war economic optimism while paying tribute to the soldiers, inventors and labor that became known as the Greatest Generation. Visit AADL's Argus Camera online exhibit or take a walk over to the Argus Museum for even more Argus.

19:11 min.
c. 1945

A long-time supporter of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Jamie Mistry is proud to help celebrate its 30th season in 2013. He started as a volunteer and through the years, has taken on many roles, including as Chair of the Board of Directors. He remembers the challenges of funding an arts organization during hard times, and the sensitivity necessary in programming to remain sustainable.

These days he remains a community member of the Festival and looks forward to bringing his family to yet another A2SF season.