New mass vaccine site at EMU; local teen breaks national track record; Paczki Day in Ann Arbor

People sit in the waiting area at EMU's Convocation Center at 799 N Hewitt Rd. in Ypsilanti. (Jeremy Borton | St. Joe's)

Happy Friday!

While strolling the empty downtown streets yesterday morning, it made me think of all the things I miss doing in Ann Arbor. Even little things like sitting in a coffee shop and people-watching, or walking amongst the hustle and bustle near campus around noon. Curious, I reached out to our community on Facebook to see what they would do and here were some responses:

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“Sit inside TeaHaus and read with a pot of tea and some scones.”

“See a show at The Ark.”

“Take my kids to get out their energy at 242 while grabbing something tasty at their cafe.”

“Give a friend a hug.”

What is the one thing you would do if you could (safely) right now in Ann Arbor? Let me know via email and I’ll include some more responses in next week’s newsletter. After all, we can dream right?

Have a great weekend -- and stay warm!

- Meredith (@meredith_A4)

What’s been happening:

💉 The Washtenaw County Health Department and St. Joe’s have partnered to staff a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Eastern Michigan University. Supply still remains low, but the logistics are in place to rapidly vaccinate eligible residents as soon as it picks up. (A4)

⛔️ Staying on the topic of a lagging vaccine supply, Michigan Medicine announced it is pausing first-dose appointments this week since it only has enough doses for those receiving their second shot. (A4)

🧪️ U-M announced on Tuesday that its COVID cases represent 48% of all cases in Washtenaw County. With an increase in cases within graduate student circles, the school is now requiring all graduate and professional students to undergo required weekly testing. (A4)

🏫 “Colleges Vowed a Safer Spring. Then Students, and Variants, Arrived.” This article looks at how COVID has affected college campuses around the country, and U-M in Ann Arbor is front and center. (New York Times)

📝 Hundreds of doctors and psychologists signed an open letter and petition to Ann Arbor Public Schools, urging the district to reopen by March 1. (A4)

🏀 Meanwhile, AAPS has allowed contact winter sports to resume but with enhanced safety measures like regular COVID testing and mask wearing for some sports during competitions. (MLive)

🏃 A Skyline student has broken a national record for the indoor mile. Hobbs Kessler ran a cool 3:57.66 last weekend -- watch his interview here. (A4)

🎓 Sorry, Class of 2021. U-M announced that graduation will be held virtually again this year due to the ongoing pandemic. (A4)

🤝 These are the 21 largest employers in Washtenaw County. I was surprised to learn of some of the businesses on this list. The #1 employer? No shock there. (Ann Arbor SPARK)

🌃 Have a look at this new boutique rental community that overlooks Michigan Stadium. It just opened for pre-leasing as construction comes to an end. (A4)

Good to know:

🤤 Want to know where you can buy paczki (pronounced POONCH-kee) in Ann Arbor? Lucky for you, Sarah compiled a list of all the places you can get the Polish delicacy around town -- including flavors. (A4)

⭐️ Travel + Leisure has named Ann Arbor one of the best cities for retirees in America. (A4)

🌳 Did you know that Ann Arbor is a popular place for crows to roost in the winter? Read about their connection to the area and how people have tried to scare them away over the years. (The Washtenaw Voice)

💗 Valentine’s Day looms and in case you missed Sarah’s last list of things to do to celebrate around A2, here’s a second list of ideas for you because, why not? (A4)

Feature interview of the week:

“There’s really no reason to not help people. It’s the easiest thing in the world. I think being kind to each other is a gift.”

- Ariah Schugat, who launched a community project to distribute free phone charging kits to homeless individuals in Ann Arbor

🗨 Have something to share? Write me anytime at mbruckner@wdiv.com.

Know someone who loves Ann Arbor? Forward them the A4 newsletter! Want to sign up? Go here!

🦠 COVID WATCH: For daily COVID-19 news and analysis in Michigan, sign up for ClickOnDetroit’s Morning Report newsletter.

All About Ann Arbor is powered by ClickOnDetroit/WDIV.


About the Author:

Meredith has worked for WDIV since August 2017 and was voted one of Washtenaw County's best journalists in 2019 by eCurrent's readers. She covers the community of Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in International Broadcast Journalism from City University London, UK.