Musings on the news:


LITERARY LEANINGS -- Ann Arbor’s love affair with books is well-known -- and, once again, well-documented. The latest evidence of our literary inclinations can be found in Amazon.com’s listing of the most well-read cities in America. Ann Arbor placed fourth on the list, behind Cambridge, Mass.; Berkeley, Calif.; and Alexandria, Va. Amazon compiled the list based on its sales of books, magazines and newspapers in both print and Kindle format since the beginning of the year. Although college towns dominated the top five on the list -- with Boulder, Colo., rating fifth -- other well-read communities included major metros like Miami, Seattle, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Ann Arbor’s appearance on the list is no surprise. It is, among other things, the birthplace of Borders, and even though that national chain may or may not continue to be headquartered here as it works its way through bankruptcy proceedings, our status as a book-friendly bastion remains unchallenged. 
 

MORE FOR LOCAVORES -- Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? In the case of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, we hope the answer is “no.’’ The popular open-air market in Kerrytown launched a pilot program last week under which it will be open on Wednesday evenings during the summer. Market manager Molly Notarianni told AnnArbor.com that the evening hours once a week will allow the market to introduce more prepared food and new vendors, as well as new shoppers. The new hours will be from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Meanwhile, the market will continue its regular morning hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturdays. The pilot program will include live music and the shops in Kerrytown will stay open until 8 p.m. on Wednesday nights. The pilot program will not operate on the seniority system that the Farmers Market utilizes otherwise, which will open it up to vendors that have been trying to get their wares in front of shoppers. Given the sentiment in Ann Arbor for shopping local, and the growing desire by people to know the source and quality of what they eat, now seems like an ideal time to try this expansion of the market’s hours and offerings. We think Ann Arbor will eat it up.


BLIGHT BUSTERS -- Anyone who watches the news regularly might have noticed how many stories there’ve been recently about the efforts in Ypsilanti Township to crack down on blighting influences. It’s clearly a priority for township officials, and their efforts have paid dividends with the announcement that a Pittsfield Township construction company is buying land on East Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Township and plans to consolidate its offices, construction year and equipment there. Dan Niemi, owner of Niemi Corp., said Ypsilanti Township officials have been “welcoming,’’ and he’s impressed by their efforts to clean up the East Michigan corridor. He hopes to move by the beginning of July. The Ypsilanti Township Office of Community Standards has been busy addressing issues of blight, large and small, including the ongoing clean-up of the Ypsilanti Mobile Village and the former Woodward American Auto Parts site. Enforcing community standards is a thankless, difficult and even sometimes dangerous job, but the benefits can be tangible in the community’s appearance and ultimately in economic development. We congratulate Ypsilanti Township officials on the progress they’re making.