Arts + Culture

The Case for More Awe

Driven by its belief that gathering for live performance matters, UMS makes the arts accessible for kids Article by Lindsey Dodge Before the first note is played, before a dancer crosses the stage, before the lights shift or a story begins, something else can happen.   A child walks into Rackham Auditorium and looks up.   The ceiling is hand-painted and ornate. The seats are lush velvet. The room itself feels different from the rooms of ordinary life. And for some students arriving for a...

Life + Culture

Healing Through Connection

Ele’s Place has created a sanctuary to ensure no child in Michigan grieves alone Article by Emily Klimas | Photography by Jeremy McGrew Photography Walk through the doors of Ele’s Place in Ann Arbor, and your eyes are immediately drawn to the walls lined with small hearts. Each represents a sacred memory, lovingly decorated by a child honoring a loss.   In the pre-K room, you can sense the echoes of children — tiny hands on short tables, a silhouette in the quiet corner, the chaos of games. ...

Life + Culture

Meet Me at the Park

Six Washtenaw County parks where kids, pets, and families can explore, play, and make memories Article by Maria Karpiel From splash pads and storybook trails to historic mills, playgrounds, and off-leash adventures, Washtenaw County is filled with outdoor gems for families and their dogs. We asked Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission Director Meghan Bonfiglio to share the destinations she recommends most for kids, pets, and unforgettable days outdoors.   Nelson Meade County...

Life + Culture

Bringing NASA to Storytime

Former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Kathryn Clark is helping children discover the wonder of science Article by Maria Karpiel | Photography by Abbie Buhr Dr. Kathryn Clark has served as NASA's chief scientist for Human Space Flight, delivered lectures from the North Pole, addressed the United Nations in Vienna, landed an F-18 on an aircraft carrier, and taught aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. Now, she’s helping children learn about science through her Skyler's Space Adventures...

Health + Wellness

Coming Full Circle

After a career as a Navy dental officer, Dr. Heidi Novak of Burns Park Orthodontics is focused on serving her hometown community Article by Lindsey Dodge | Photography by Stacy Anderson Some careers take people around the world. Others bring them home.   Dr. Heidi Novak's did both.   An Ann Arbor native, Novak grew up on the city’s west side, attending Abbot, Forsythe, Pioneer High School, and the University of Michigan dental school before joining the military. Though returning home was...

Life + Culture

Unbridled Joy

Therapeutic Riding, Inc. provides equestrian opportunities to children and adults with special needs. Here, we get to know some of the horses helping transform lives. Article by Heather Leszczynski, Therapeutic Riding, Inc. Executive Director Serena Serena is our most versatile horse, carrying everyone from first-time riders in adaptive lessons (which combine mounted and ground activities, with volunteer facilitators providing extra balance and support) to our most advanced para-dressage...

Home + Design

Built for Lake Life

Creating a lakefront home is about family, legacy, and building the place everyone wants to come home to Article by Lindsey Dodge | Photography by Meg Dula and Provided by Riemco Design + Build In Michigan, lake living is more than a summer pastime. It’s a homecoming.   It’s the smell of sunscreen and wet towels, the sound of kids running barefoot through the house, the long days that begin on the water and end around a firepit. It is Fourth of July weekends, cousins piled into bunk rooms...

Sports + Recreation

Connection Through Nature

How the Border-to-Border Trail is bringing people, communities, and nature together across Washtenaw County — and the challenge of completing its most complex final miles Article by Maria Karpiel Connectivity. It’s a word we use often, and yet, somewhere along the way its meaning has shifted. We think of it in terms of Wi-Fi signals and constant reachability, as if being accessible at all times means we are truly connected.   But we know better.   Real connection doesn’t come from a...

Life + Culture

Books to Take You Away

Whether you're packing a novel for a cross-country road trip or indulging in armchair travel from the comfort of home, these books curated by the team at Literati are sure to transport you Article by Rebecca Voigt Country People  By Daniel Mason (Random House) Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason dials up the humor in his latest book,  Country People , about a family from California relocating to rural Vermont. Hilarity ensues when the husband and father, Miles, on his 12th year...

Arts + Culture

Our Sidewalks, His Canvas

David Zinn transforms overlooked sidewalks into fleeting moments of magic, inviting us to pause, look down, and simply be present Article by Maria Karpiel | Photography by David Zinn and Misty Bergeron Have you ever seen one in person? You’re looking down at your phone, late for a lunch meeting, or maybe you’re grumbling about traffic or parking or your to-do list, and then — you see it. A burst of bright color. A whimsical creature staring back at you from an Ann Arbor sidewalk. You’re not...