Horsing Around In Webster Township

John and Jean Cares, who own a large farm on Farrell Road in Webster Township, made the decision to sell their development rights for $2.4 million in 2006. They had made their living off pigs for years, but a downturn in the market put the farm at risk, they said, and the greenbelt helped them survive and reinvest. "Our farm was at risk," John Cares said. "We had a tremendous amount of debt. We potentially could have not made it." "It's been important for our family," added Jean Cares, who now serves on the city's Greenbelt Advisory Commission. No longer raising pigs, the Cares are growing corn, soybeans and wheat on the farm, which spans roughly 200 acres. "Before the greenbelt, it was pretty rundown," John Cares admitted of his farm, which has seen some improvements, including a newly restored barn. Read story.

Scio Woods Preserve

Scio Woods Preserve, a natural area now owned by Washtenaw County that both the city of Ann Arbor and Scio Township helped the county preserve, is a hidden gem. "There are absolutely spectacular wildflower blooms in the spring. I mean, just literal carpets of wildflowers, so it's outstanding for that. But it's also a place that is outstanding for cross-country skiing," said Barry Lonik, land preservation consultant for Scio Township. "This is one of the best examples of how we've all worked together."

Vestergaard Farms

Mike Vestergaard was able to purchase the old Frederick family farm on Wagner Road in Lodi Township, just outside Ann Arbor, in 2009 after the previous owners sold the development rights on 100-plus acres for more than $770,000. "There was no way that I could make a budget work without having those development rights sold off," Vestergaard said. The farm had been in the Frederick family for many years but it had been passed down to a generation that was not interested in farming it. After restoring old barns and making other improvements, Vestergaard and his family are planning to open a farm store by next summer. He plans to sell his own pasture-raised meat products, plus dairy products from another farm. He already has belted galloway cattle roaming a section of the property and plans to eventually have 112 acres laid out in pastures for rotational grazing. "We farm with organic principles," he said. "Everything is grass-based from the hogs to cows, and also we're going to be moving into chickens." Read story.

Theo Katzman & Michelle Chamuel

Former bandmates in local band My Dear Disco (later known as Ella Riot), Theo Katzman and Michelle Chamuel returned to Ann Arbor on Thursday for a special Sonic Lunch concert in the middle of Liberty Street downtown. Lots of rock happened, and Michelle wowed a very large crowd with some new high-energy, booty-shaking material that hopefully will be available for download soon.

Stan Turns 3

Sometimes The Moon Is Super

The Return Of Mr. F

15 Going On 51

Ann Arbor City Council Member Stephen Kunselman, one of four candidates competing for mayor in the Aug. 5 election, holds up a copy of The Ann Arbor News from Monday, April 23, 1979, featuring a story on him and his friends who had built a homemade skateboard ramp. The photo at top left is of Kunselman at 15 doing a trick. He's now 51 and still a major advocate for skateboarding in Ann Arbor. Read his profile.

Dog Days Of Summer 2014

One Of These Things

One of these things is not like the others. That is, one of these four people is not a candidate for mayor of Ann Arbor. If you guessed Yousef Rabhi, that guy in the groovy hat and the fashionable sneakers on the far right, you are correct. Although, he almost entered the race.

Mayoral Morality

At the end of a two-hour forum on affordable housing and homelessness, Ann Arbor's four mayoral candidates each signed a pledge Tuesday night. "We pledge to commit financial and political capital to end homelessness in Ann Arbor by 2018," the pledge reads. Read the story.

This Is A Good Sign

Crews were out early Friday morning removing the historic bus depot sign from the Greyhound building in downtown Ann Arbor. The 1940s-era sign is being placed in storage while a new six-story, 110-room Residence Inn by Marriott is constructed where the bus depot now stands. Read the story.