FIFTY MIND-BOGGLING
YEARS IN ANN ARBOR
Well I first moved to Ann Arbor in 1966 to attend The University of Michigan and have lived here ever since!
In this blog, I will describe some thing that I've seen and done over the years in this totally awesome place.
ONE-ARMED ROACH CLIP ON STEPS OF ANGELL HALL
Back in the days before campus cops, the
central campus area was largely police-free unless some major crime happened….
And I loved to sit around smoking weed – one day on a nice sunny day I was
sitting on a ledge by the steps of Angell Hall facing State St. And a
rough-looking guy with an artificial arm walked by and said ‘can I have a toke
on that.’
I replied that the
joint was so short I needed a roach clip and before I could make one out of a split match...
the man unscrewed his
artificial arm and used its mechanical finger as a roach clip and we passed the
artificial arm clip back and forth.
We both toked and he
said thanks – put his arm back on and went on his way. The whole event certainly
disarmed me and it is a highlight of my Diag Daze.
THE OZONE PARADE
"What No Parade"
Said the posters around campus lamenting the canceling of U-M's Homecoming Parade- a victim of early 70s apathy - but the poster announced no - there would be a parade afterall - the Ozone Parade! And a parade there was - full of political protestors and bands on floats - one band - I think it may have been Commander Cody but not sure was singing 'first I look at the purse' - a famous J Geils Band song and there was a walking pink purse with $$$$$ signs on it.
The parade was short and sweet -up and State St and around. Forget who was Homecoming Queen but it probably was a real queer queen!
ALAN GINSBERG NAKED IN THE ARB
It was Earth Day sometime in the 80s and to
help celebrate it Alan Ginsberg went back to nature – in the Arb meadow to read
poetry au naturel – naked – and what a sorry sight that was – a fat old man –
not eye candy at all – but reading his poetry.
A hippy type young gal bellowed out
“HOWLLLLLLLLLLLLL”
Well one of those Ann Arbor type things you
will not see in most communities!
MAN SMOKING CIGARETTE UP HIS ASS
MAN SMOKING CIGARETTE UP HIS ASS
This is something that is an only in Ann
Arbor thing (at least for Michigan) – During one Art Fair around 1990 or so
someone tried to have an off-Art Fair thing at Community High (by Zingerman’s)
and they had a stage right on Fifth Avenue, right in full view of passing
pedestrians and cars.
And I was just checking it out for a few
minutes and saw a young guy on stage who was doing all kind of acrobatic tricks
and heard him say something like for the Grand Finale here is something
probably never seen on stage in Ann Arbor. And he took off his shorts and
undies and stuck his ass up in the air saying ‘I bet you never see someone
smoke a cigarette with his ass?’
He then proceeded to take out a cigarette and
stick it part way up his a-hole. He lit a match and behind his back managed to
light the thing and with some deft movements of his butt hole he did, indeed, smoke
the cigarette just like it would have been in his mouth.
I don’t recall what
happened to the smoke – whether he could let it out or not or maybe it came out of his mouth?
Any way an only in Ann
Arbor affair.
And before camera
phones and Internet only a few saw it -a handful really – today I bet he would
have been an Internet sensation.
DOCTOR DIAG
In the 1970s, I hung out a lot on the diag where one could then without any campus cops around smoke pot and drink booze -like a Hash Bash every warm day!
And each afternoon about 6 pm a stout black dude would step out onto the ledge next to the bottom of the front steps and pontificate for an hour or so -he was dubbed "Dr Diag"- his mainly political diatribes were yes rants but made some kind of sense but not all together -he was viewed as a nut case by many.
Later I read he went to DC and became a fixture in the office of Carl Pursell, Ann Arbor's Repulbican Congressman at the time - adopted by the office staff for whatever reason.
DOC LOSH OR DOC LUSH
Prof. Hazel M ‘Doc’
Losh was a Astronomy Professor – an infamous professor known for her grading
philosophy a A for athlete; B for Boy and C for Coed – which in truth was not
true, except perhaps the A for athletes.
Dr Losh (or Lush as
commonly called!) at one time had a stellar academic background – having gone I
believe for her PhD at Cal Tech and having worked on seminal astrological
discoveries at Mt Wilson when there. She then came to U of Min the 1920s I
believe as a teacher who became a tenured professor.
In later years however
she rather lost it academically and became enthralled with football and the
football team. She was a notorious alcoholic who routinely attended sports’
fraternity parties where the boys boozed her up and took her home after a while – football players would ferry her around campus in their
cars.
I took Astronomy from
her because at that time LS&A students had to complete a laboratory science
sequence of two terms. So for many athletes and non-science folks like me it
was Astronomy!
In the fall of 1966, I
took Astro 102 (before 101 but that did not seem to matter). The lectures and
course work were dumbed down and even for me were simple and much easier than
any science class I had taken in high school. A saying Doc Losh had was that
‘we don’t use fractions in this class because they are too hard’.
And the athletes! They
of course flocked to the class – to fulfill their science sequence and also get
an easy A – they got As because all their frats had old tests and Dr Losh would
use the same exams over and over – they probably had their tests filled in
before even coming to class!
Auditorium A in Angell
Hall was the venue and in this 300 or so lecture hall with a large stage a
coterie of athletes -including many footballers would actually sit in chairs on
the stage, surrounding the good professor.
I sat in the very back
and next to me were some now famous athletes – Rudy Tomjanaovich-stud
basketball player and Dan Deardorf- stud football player who would become a great pro
and later nationally popular national football announcer plus several other athletes.
I remember one
Homecoming Parade where Dr Lush was the Grand Marshall with some stud footballers in the car; dan Deardorff I recall being one chaperone for the good Doc.. At home games she would waddle (she was rather plump
and at that time in her late 60s) out to greet the football players as they swarmed out of the tunnel to jump and touch the M banner- a tradition that continues
today (sans Losh of course).
And though athletes
somehow usually did get A’s word then had it – the rap that A was for athlete and B for boys and
C for Coed was simply not true -I aced both courses and if you did well on the
exams, boy or girl, you got the good grade you earned.
THE NAKED MILES
During the 1990s, the Naked Mile grew in
popularity on the Diag on the evening of the last day of classes. Started I
believe by the men’s Lacrosse club it soon morphed into an event hundreds of
students participated in.
It would start at the intersection of
Washtenaw and S University and go thru the Diag before ending at the Cube area – some even ran thru the Law Library!
Students would run totally naked-with a little fanny packor day pack with their clothes in it to put on at the finish line in from . The first
runs were little attended by onlookers as only a few Lacrosse club (if I have that right) members
would suddenly pop up and do the run, at an unannounced time late at night.
But when it grew popular, the Naked Mile
would kick off around dark and literally a string of runners would take part for
about an hour- large crowds, some with cameras in hand, gathered to root and
hoot on and oogle the runners.
It was quite a show of course- I remember
watching several of these events – one time a naked Asian gal stopped right in front
of us and slowly re-tied her shoes with – seemingly being oblivious to the mainly male onlookers gawking at her.
Finally, the Mile died out largely because
of the Internet I believe where posted pictures and videos would last forever. Indeed there were a few such videos posting during the final Nake Miles- dooming its end.
But the Naked Mile remains a legendary Ann
Arbor type thing – type of thing that could never happen today- because of the
Internet.
POSTER COLLECTION
Been posting stuff since 1970s and collecting interesting posters as I went about my rounds. These will be posted on this site in the future hopefully.
One memorable one that hangs on my bathroom wall today is a large picture of Dr. Timothy Leary who was lecturing at U-M - perhaps on his 'tune in, turn on and drop out' message he was proselytzing at the time. When the poster was on the wall where I took it from someone had put a large X right thru his picture - he was a polarizing figure of the day.
One memorable one that hangs on my bathroom wall today is a large picture of Dr. Timothy Leary who was lecturing at U-M - perhaps on his 'tune in, turn on and drop out' message he was proselytzing at the time. When the poster was on the wall where I took it from someone had put a large X right thru his picture - he was a polarizing figure of the day.
Win a Pound of Columbian – with a picture of a pound of Columbian pot on it – and to be awarded at Hash Bash 1973 – Perry Bullard if I recall correctly did the honors -must have been a lottery or such. (Perry was a State Rep then from Ann Arbor and was a pro-legalize pot guy.)
WATERMAN GYM AND WHITEY
In the 1960s and early 70s Waterman Gym was an old brick building just east of the old Chemistry building - long ago demolished for the new science building connected to the old Chemistry building. It had a running track up above the basketball courts -where I could be found every day after classes pursuing my passion of exercise and playing hoops.
Next to Waterman was Barbour Gym- said to have been the first physical activities building on any campus devoted to women. It was used mainly at that time for badminton and volley ball.
The old creeking gym had an old creaking wooden floor with springs in it -down below was the locker room - the fiefdom of Whitey - a marine drill sargeant type guy with a flat top hair cut who supervised the locker room - much as a marine drill sargeant would. Over the constant din of the creaking upstairs floor Woody had a noticeable dislike of long-hair 60s types. One of his favorite ploys was with guys who were taking craps in the bathroom stalls and who had crap that stunk - Woody would yell: "Flush that stinking shit down man!"
WATERMAN GYM CLASS REGISTRATION!
All U-M students up until the early 70s no doubt remember Waterman, not so fondly perhaps, because it was also the venue of the dread Class Registration which took place in the days just before classes started- each course was at a table and when the maximum number of students were enrolled - voila - chose another course. There were long lines to anxiously suffer thru- agony and whew when one was done and had what they wanted.
Pre-registration later took the pressure off it all and eventually ceased this tortuous ordeal.
NIXON INAUGURAL - "Milhouse" - the movie at the Nat Sci Bldg huge crowd on inaugural night.
MARSHALL'S DRUGS ASSAULT
Marshall Drugs was a longtime drug and convenience store next to the State Theatre - one day I saw something totally shocking there - a young gal worker was being pummeled by her boyfriend, I guess, as she just stood there and took it - the guy only stopping when me and several onlookers intervened. I had never seen such personal abuse before. I noticed that the gal already had a black eye and arm bruises - presumably from a previous assault.
I am still kicking myself for not calling the police-if I had a cell phone back then I probably would have!
PEP RALLIES WITH WALLY
WEBBER -RON KRAMER - ROLL EM UP!
U-M Football Pep Rallies were a staple of the campus for many years and always featured Wally Weber, an old U-M fotball player around 1900! And, he was a spell-binding cheerleader - quite plump he had a gift of gab and blarney - one favorite story was of course about the Brown Jug and its history - well known even now. But, it is a story of a game at Minnesota, then U-Ms big rival (circa 1900) where it was so cold that with the score tied someone kicked a field goal that hit the goalpost and broke in two - he says they counted it 1.5 points but that was more blarney than anything esle. And to all the speakers, including Glenn E 'Bo Schembechler, the crowd would chant the refrain "Roll 'Em Up" meaning their pant legs and all speakers, feigning reluctance, complied - well even Bo.
DIAG PREACHER JED SMOCK
"You won't have to light that cigarette in Hell, Sinner!" One of Jed Smock's favorite lines as he stood on a bench on the diag and berated just about anyone. Ah such a compassionate Christian bloke! 'Dr Jed' as he was called regularly came around the Diag and preached right-wing evangelical drivel for several years - Ann Arbor being one of his regulary stops - I believe he was centered in Wisconsin. But he loved to rile the crowds of those liberal college students.
ADVENTURES IN THE ARB
ANN ARBOR FARMERS MARKET THRU THE YEARS
ZINGERMANS
U-M Football Pep Rallies were a staple of the campus for many years and always featured Wally Weber, an old U-M fotball player around 1900! And, he was a spell-binding cheerleader - quite plump he had a gift of gab and blarney - one favorite story was of course about the Brown Jug and its history - well known even now. But, it is a story of a game at Minnesota, then U-Ms big rival (circa 1900) where it was so cold that with the score tied someone kicked a field goal that hit the goalpost and broke in two - he says they counted it 1.5 points but that was more blarney than anything esle. And to all the speakers, including Glenn E 'Bo Schembechler, the crowd would chant the refrain "Roll 'Em Up" meaning their pant legs and all speakers, feigning reluctance, complied - well even Bo.
DIAG PREACHER JED SMOCK
"You won't have to light that cigarette in Hell, Sinner!" One of Jed Smock's favorite lines as he stood on a bench on the diag and berated just about anyone. Ah such a compassionate Christian bloke! 'Dr Jed' as he was called regularly came around the Diag and preached right-wing evangelical drivel for several years - Ann Arbor being one of his regulary stops - I believe he was centered in Wisconsin. But he loved to rile the crowds of those liberal college students.
ADVENTURES IN THE ARB
ANN ARBOR FARMERS MARKET THRU THE YEARS
ZINGERMANS
THE OLD BROWN JUG
The old Brown Jug - still there but redone as a bar - was the late-night hangout for students after then UGLI library closed at midnight (now open 24-7 most days) and was a great place to snag some cheap food and coffee to keep one awake for more studying after going home. It was of course named after the famous football trophy given to winner of M-Minnesota football game. Still around but really just another bar-resturant.
Old Chinese guy smacking lips at counter looking around - saw him running down S Univ during snow storm!
DIVISION STREET
Was named such because it divided the college town from the town town (town v gown) and until 70s marked the dividing line between 'wet' A2 and 'dry' A2- with no bars east of Division Street (maybe U-M Union upstairs in formal dining hall served booze, not sure - so students 21 or older had to go downtown to perennial favorites like Bimbos and the Pretzel Bell - two sprawling student bars with music - Bimbo's especially was famous for that and peanuts in the shell whose shells were thrown on the floor. It was tradition of students to celebrate their 21st birthday there - though in those days age checks were few and I and friends regularly drank on downtown bars a few years before - the Liberty Inn being popular and the Flame very quirky - a gay bar that was a hoot to go into late at night for straights even.
STREET CHARACTERS
SPOONER Of course Ann Arbor has seen its share of street characters from the likes of Shakey Jale - homeless come and go but have been a fixture of local street scene for years and unique folks like SPOONER, who years ago and later in a come back hung out at Liberty and Main - southwest corner in front of Starbucks in his later incarnatin.
Sponer was a legend in the 1970s and hung out in bars like The DelReal and Floods' Party knitting - yes knitting out his colorful head gear - all made he bragged with homegrown wool from this Manchester area farm. Outside, Spooner would put his wares on a tall wooden staff and either sell directly to passers-by or given them his card for online sales - meanwhile puffing constantly on cigarettes.
As said, Spooner was a legend in the 70s in local pubs and had a bit of mystery about him. Then he disappeared and apparently moved all over the country only to come 'home' in the 4-5 year before his death last year. And became a fixture in warm weather and Christmas at Main and Liberty and at the Top of the Park where he stood stoically off to a corner - other vendors were quickly given the boot by U-M police but not Spooner - who discretely said he was not selling anything (and never did when I was there) but of course gave out online sales cards. But interesting that TOP officials who would have given the boot to anyone else let Spooner slip past - after all he was an AnnArbor legend!
Interesting story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ej1vzeyQQo
The old Brown Jug - still there but redone as a bar - was the late-night hangout for students after then UGLI library closed at midnight (now open 24-7 most days) and was a great place to snag some cheap food and coffee to keep one awake for more studying after going home. It was of course named after the famous football trophy given to winner of M-Minnesota football game. Still around but really just another bar-resturant.
Old Chinese guy smacking lips at counter looking around - saw him running down S Univ during snow storm!
DIVISION STREET
Was named such because it divided the college town from the town town (town v gown) and until 70s marked the dividing line between 'wet' A2 and 'dry' A2- with no bars east of Division Street (maybe U-M Union upstairs in formal dining hall served booze, not sure - so students 21 or older had to go downtown to perennial favorites like Bimbos and the Pretzel Bell - two sprawling student bars with music - Bimbo's especially was famous for that and peanuts in the shell whose shells were thrown on the floor. It was tradition of students to celebrate their 21st birthday there - though in those days age checks were few and I and friends regularly drank on downtown bars a few years before - the Liberty Inn being popular and the Flame very quirky - a gay bar that was a hoot to go into late at night for straights even.
STREET CHARACTERS
SPOONER Of course Ann Arbor has seen its share of street characters from the likes of Shakey Jale - homeless come and go but have been a fixture of local street scene for years and unique folks like SPOONER, who years ago and later in a come back hung out at Liberty and Main - southwest corner in front of Starbucks in his later incarnatin.
Sponer was a legend in the 1970s and hung out in bars like The DelReal and Floods' Party knitting - yes knitting out his colorful head gear - all made he bragged with homegrown wool from this Manchester area farm. Outside, Spooner would put his wares on a tall wooden staff and either sell directly to passers-by or given them his card for online sales - meanwhile puffing constantly on cigarettes.
As said, Spooner was a legend in the 70s in local pubs and had a bit of mystery about him. Then he disappeared and apparently moved all over the country only to come 'home' in the 4-5 year before his death last year. And became a fixture in warm weather and Christmas at Main and Liberty and at the Top of the Park where he stood stoically off to a corner - other vendors were quickly given the boot by U-M police but not Spooner - who discretely said he was not selling anything (and never did when I was there) but of course gave out online sales cards. But interesting that TOP officials who would have given the boot to anyone else let Spooner slip past - after all he was an AnnArbor legend!
Interesting story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ej1vzeyQQo
MUG
The Michigan Union Grill -in the lower ground floor
The Michigan Union Grill -in the lower ground floor
LEAGUE UNDERGROUND
MR FLOODS PARTY
Mike Smith Cadillac Cowboys with small banjo player a mainstay at this small venue on Liberty Street.
MACKINAW JACKS
ODYSSEY - seedy crowd for A2
HURON LOUNGE - seedy crowd for A2 - 'Boogy-Woogie Red Played Here' often seen scrawled on bathroom stall walls - rerfering to the old jazz guy who played A2 bars for years.
WORST SIGHT EVER: SUICIDE ON WILLIAM STREET - Walking by just after it happened -police hadn just arrive and body was in plain view - a portly fellow who jumped from the top or near the top of Maynard Plaza - a high-rise on William and Maynard streets. Will never forget the guy's dark-red brains cascading out of his broken head - like in a perfect arc. Turns out the bloke was some kind of Conflict Resolution expert at the nearby Institute of Social Research - what an irony and sad sad sad.
FAB FIVE
FERRY FIELD STANDS COLLAPSE
I was working in U-M Sports Information Department during college and helped out with the Michgan State High School Class A Track Meet - held at old Ferry Field when the crumbling old cement stands -extant from days when Football was played here long long ago- were still standing.
Below the old stands - the upper parts of which were roped off for safety reasons- were some wooden bleachers that during the meet suddenly collapsed, full of spectators! Panic set in for all that saw that - especially me since my Dad - a high-school track buff- was sitting in them - they were only about several rows high- same as today (cement stands long ago now demolished) but still it was initially a shock - luckily no one was seriously injured.
SHAKEY JAKE WOODS
"Brake for Jake" bumper stickers were ubiquitous on local vehicles - stickers sold by legendary Shakey Jake himself in his years as a 'street performer' plucking away at his old battered guitar but never coming even close to carrying a tune. Hisn guitar was in sad shape with strings broke, etc.
How Jake got to A2 is an interesting story:
Jake grew up in Saginaw and spent time as a youth in a mental hospital -with the 1970s releasing of non-violent mental patients who it was thought could cope on the outside - Shake went back to his mother's (I think) house and became a 'street musician' on the streets of Saginaw. Somehow an organizer of the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival saw him in Saginaw and thought it could be a hoot if he could bring him down to the Jazz Fest 'as a famous old jazz guy - the rest is history:
Jake took the festival stage and played his really awful music - just strumming away on guitar strings and singing some unintelligble song. What was meant as a hoot turned Jake in A2 legend as a group of younger ladies thought he was really an old jazz legend and mobbed him when he came off stage- Jake purportedly said "Man, I Ain't Never Going Back to Saginaw!" And he never did -except on some weekends when he went home to visit his mama - hitchiking there and back. He became such a fixture on the freeway entranes that county sherrifs began to pick him up, giving him rides to the next county border.
(All this from local media accounts of how Shakey came to A2.)
JAKE WAKE PARADE
ANN ARBOR FART FAIRS
Great sign I saw posted on an upper window on State St several years ago during the Art Fairs. And local poetry celeb Arwul Arwul once famously opined that "It's not art and it's not fair!"
MADONNA DIPPED ME ICE CREAM!
Back in the early 70s Miller Ice Cream Store -in the bottom of University Towers - was a fairly typical old-time ice cream parlor-one of a local regional chain. I went in there often - to get hand-dipped ice cream to salve my cannabis-induced sweet tooth. And there were always some hip looking young student types there who dipped with attitude - fine with me but not your typical Washtenaw Dairy type dippers!
Later, I read that Madonna dipped ice cream there during that time -I do not remember her of course but she fit the stereotype of young rather hip gals working there during that time - so I can say with 99.99% surety that Madonna dipped ice cream for me!
IGGY POP SOLD ME RECORDS!
Much the same for Iggy Pop (a k a James Osterberg, Jr) - a local Ann Arbor llad who I later read also worked at the Discount Records store at the SE corner of State and Liberty- and, as at that time, I bought many records there, I'm sure Iggy Pop sold me vinyl (though I heard that Iggy was so judgmental in what folks were looking for when and would give them his opinion abou it that they relegated him to the basement work room!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop
BORTIN THE DOG BIT ME!
Will not go down in the annals of memorable Ann Arbor happenings but one thing I will never forget: Bortin - an English sheep dog but me right in the thigh one day when I was walking by the UGLI (Undergraduate Library so nicknamed because most thought its original front design was so so ugly). At that time many folks did not leash their dogs and out of nowhere this hound made a beeline for me and chomp -a bloody bite sent me to Health Service for a tetinus shot and stitches.
Of course I got the mad mutt's address from the accompanying owner. And, when I went over to the owner's house later just to make sure that the dog was being kept confined awaiting the 10 days or so for rabies to develop, that damned dog came to the door too and jumped at the very the smell of me laike he wanted to get another piece of me. "Oh he's such a gentle dog....blah blah'' she said.
FESTIVAL OF FOOLS
GRATEFUL DEAD CONCERT
Certainly one of the most mind-boggling events to ever hit the streets of Ann Arbor - the Grateful Dead in the mid-1980s - played Crisler Arena. And hours before the concert Dead Heads gathered in the parking lots in front of the arena. And the totally incredible thing was the impromptu booths Dead Heads set up openly selling pot and magic mushrooms - right out in the open on tables with nary a cop in site.
This went on for a hours - totally off the radar of law enforcement - anyway it was certainly one of the most bizarre events ever in A2 history.
RIOTS AND PROTESTS IN 60S AND 70S!
The Viet Nam War unleashed a ton of protests on campus with it seemed nightly marches that at times turned into riots. Some of which turns midly violent (compred to other peer campuses it was said) - like one where the windows of the then Ann Arbor Bank on the corner of E University and South U were smashed - the facade was rebuilt with today's current narrow thick-paned slits of windows. (Similar to the 'new' Administration Building - now being demolished (July 2018) - it replaced the old Ad Building on State St (nicknamed in 50's the Salmon Loaf, a name that died out by the time I came to campus but one my mum, who had grad classes in it, called it) anyway the new one was rebuilt with a similar fortress form with narrow slits of windows.
SHERIFF HARVEY
Washtenaw Country Sheriff Harvey was notorious in bringing in the cops to maintain order even though it was not his prime jurisdiction -he especially felt U-M President Fleming was too soft on protests and allowed them to continue too long sometimes before calling in the cops. He was a brush-cut Marine-drill type guy and cherished his tough anti-long hairs/hippies reputation. It some longhair were arrested and taken off to 'Harvey's Hotel[ - the Washtenaw County Jail, the first thing -a jail barber would cut that damn long hair off.
One memorable stand-off I witnessed was when radical groups occupied the old Administration Building on State St (nicknamed the 'Salmon Loaf' in the 50s!) and Harvey brought in his forces which were lined up along State St in front of the building. There were a lot of police dogs being held at bay - Harvey was just waiting to get the OK from Fleming to 'clear the building'.
Fleming appeared at the building's back door and tried to negotiate with the occupiers - kind of calming tensions and though I don't recall exactly what happened I think the occupiers left without any police action. Many in Ann Arbor thought Fleming too soft in these matters - actually I believe Fleming was brought in as President was the University of Wisconsin in part because of his calm demeanor and patience in dealing with campus protests there.
http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/06/16/the-battle-of-ann-arbor-june-16-20-1969/
NIGHTLY PROTESTS!
U-M thus, perhaps, suffered relatively less violent protests than other campuses I think.
Not to say that there were not some rather violent marches - it seemed every night some group was marching thru the streets. I recall the old Ann Arbor Bank at the corner of S University and E University being pummeled with rocks and bottles, etc breaking its large windows. A lasting legacy of this turbulent times today is that same bank building which during the riot era replaced its large windows with narrow slitted windows with think glass - a fortress look.
The new Fleming Administration Building, by the Cube, was also built also with a fortress look and limitd access entries to make it more difficult to storm and occupy like the old adminstration building was! This 'new' administration building will soon be demolished itself - erasing an architectural legacy of the turbulen 60-70s!
NORTH HALL TAKE-OVER
One of the most memorable take-overs of a building was that of the ROTC building which once stood where the new Life Sciences Complex is being developed. ROTC of course had a bad image during the Viet Nam War protests and the building made a perfect target. One day a large contingent of protestors gathered at the building and simply went in and took it over, making it a day-care center!
The occupation I think lasted a few weeks or more and was a real symbol of how military things could be put to better use. I believe it was peacefully resolved. And though ROTC took a blow it remained on campus somehow.
SLY & THE FAMILY STONED AT HILL AUDITORIUM
Me and some friends went to a Sly & the Family Stone(d) cocnert at posh Hill Auditorium - at that time in 70s at such events pot smoking was ubiquitous. But, in fancy Hill Auditorium with those nice carpets? We lit up our joints (pipes were not in favor) and the usher got rather frantic telling us to put it out lest those maize and blue carpets get burnt - it made sense. And, of course Sly came out as usual about an hour or so late, as was his reputation, he gave a mesmerizing performance!
CINEMA GUILD MOVIES
In the 60s and 70s, campus groups like Cinema Guild sponsored movies in places like the Lorch Auditoriu, the Natural Science Bldg auditorium and Angell Hall lecture halls. These were great times - pot smoking was rife and we brought booze and food and made a nice time of it.
Flaming Creatures was a notorius movie that violated some campus morays and was banned I belief, causing it to become a cause celebre against campus censorship.
http://michigantoday.umich.edu/a7699/
THE BLUE FRONT
The Blue Front was an A2 traditon for decades - on the corner of State and Packard. It was a one-of-a-kind place - run for years by a grumpy old guy named Ray -well I guess he was young once but when I was a denizen of the place he was an old seemingly curmudgeon.
The Blue Front carried a potpourri of stuff - mainly it was a news shop selling newspapers and magazines plus things like batteries, snacks, and candies from jars, etc. The store was very cluttered - stuff everywhere and the small cubby hole where Ray reigned was a complete mess - yet if you asked him if he had last weeks' Sunday Free Press he would scurry around and somehow find it.
Ray was a man of few words - he lived in the apartment over the store. He kind of mumbled when asked a question. A friend's female friend worked along Ray in later years - and when Ray died he actually left the store to her.
I first encountered the Blue Front when in high school my friend and I would drive over from Plymouth just to go ther to peruse the vast array of nudist magazines Ray had cached in a rear part of the store! We went many many times! Though, we high school kids were in the 'adult section,' Ray never said a word!
Today the Blue Front is still there but now a glitzy upscale specialty beer store, exhibiting little of its dingy cluttered infamous past.
http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/remembering_blue_front_ann_arb.html
MOE'S S STATE ST
Kitty-corner from The Blue Front was Moe's Sporting Goods small other shop besides the main one on North University. Folks going to IM Building would stop by there and buy paddleballs balls and athletes stopped by. The only thing I remember about the tiny store was one day when the old old guy running the shop and a couple of tough-looking Black guys came in and after they left the old man showed me a gun he had behind the counter - motioning to the Black dudes who had just left. I was shocked and never went in there again.
TRANS-LOVE ENERGIES HOUSES ON HILL STREET
John Sinclair- in whose honor the first Hash Bash was held as mentioned - was a local presence for a few years in early 70s and his Trans-Love Energies somehow could buy (some of his young groupies were rich I guess) and bought two large old wooden houses on Hill St not far from and opposite to the Rock. They were of course hippy hangouts with always something weird going on. They dug two large craters on the front years to symbolize those from bombings in Viet Nam. Houses like that in A2 were really cheap then but their presence in any case created a stirr, being on edge of tony Burns Park neighborhood.
John later decided to move his Trans-Love Energies enterprise - he made money I guess as a music agent as well as a poet-performer (singing dirges which he still annually does at Hash Bashes, including this year) - to Detroit and later to Amsterdamn.
One of the houses or maybe both became an ashram - a friend of mine used to get up really early around 5 am to go chant their under a gurus' guidance. One of the Gemini Twins and Mad Cat Peter Ruth she says were regulars too.
Friends of mine knew John Sinclair when he was at Albion College for a short spell - finding that that atmosphere was not for an evolving John. He was called 'Tuffy' by fraternity brothers he and my friends were in - imagine that John Sinclair in a college frat. John was from Davison, near Flint - same town as Michael Moore came from - there must have been something in the water folks said!
ANN ARBOR SUN NEWSPAPER
The Sun newspaper was John's bag when here too- a renegade 'underground' newspaper that of course was revolutionary in nature and reguarly mocked local officials - with unflattering charactarcures. I still hope many copies of The Sun stashed away.
MICHGAN VOICE NEWSPAPER
Michael Moore was a presence in Ann Arbor too though just making forways here from his Flint base and he had started as a tenn-ager his Michgan Voice Newspaper that was also sold around town but I do not recall him at all being a big figure in local protest scene though am sure he was in rallies, etc.
CINEMA GUILD & CAMPUS MOVIES
In days when we only had TVs to watch and movies to go to there were a couple of popular campus film socieities that reguarly screened films in the Natural Sciences Bldg and Lorch Hall auditoriums and Angell Hall. And as in those days smoking was, rather incredibly tolerated everywhere, folks not only lit up cigarettes but joints too and soon after starting the halls were reeking of weed smoke. This even happened in regular theatres like The Michigan Theater and State Theater.
THE OLD ECON BUILDING
Was a campus landmark and one of the oldest buildings on campus - it was a short few-story white brick building right in the center of what now is a grassy area of the Diag - kind of cater-corner from the UGLI (whose name to students carried a double entendre as many thought the new Undergaduate Library to be downright ugly - being about the only modern thing on the Diag.
The U for years kind of wanted I think to tear it down along with West Physics Building, another old brick structure where the stack of the Grad Library are now located.
One Christmas Eve i blieve or during Xmas vacation at least the old Econ Building mysteriously burned down - I recall walking by the smoking hulk the next day. West Physics was properly demolished for the Grad Library stacks addition.
FRAT AND SORORITY RUSHES
FOOTBALL WALKS
Lady cop loses it!
WILLIAM STREET SUICIDE
About the worst thing I've ever seen on the streets of Ann Arbor - literally - was the aftermath of a high-up professor or researcher/administrator in something like the School of Social Work - being an expert on I think 'conflict resolution'- who jumped to his death far below on Maynard Street, right about opposite the original Cottage Inn Pizza place.
I must have come by about a half-hour or so after the fact -the street had been roped off and police were there with the body covered by a sheet. But, unfortunately the cops took off the covering to take photos or something and voila there was a very plump not too old not too young guy flattened on the pavement with the most shocking there - a cascade of blood and brains literally arcing up from his cracked head.
This is one thing I will never ever forget and about the only thing I witnessed in my years in A2 that I wish I had not seen! And then the irony of him having been an expert in "conflict resolution' as reported the next day in the Ann Arbor News!
DUMPSTER DIVING END OF TERM
Madcat Ruth even!
KLINES DEPARTMENT STORE
FIEGELS
MONKEY WARDS
SEARS
WOOLWORTH'S
CUNNINGHAM'S
VOGELS
RYDERS
SAM'S - Only one still there and looks about the same as always.
TRADITIONS
Kissing under Engine Arch at midnight.
Pumas at museum staying silent
Running in under x minutes from Diag center to museum pumas and back
Girls in by midnight or dozen roses
Union women in back door only
Sex in Grad Library Stacks or Cubicles - Scores! I never had the pleasure.
FOURTH OF JULY PARADES
DOMINO'S GETS ITS START
My brother was in East Quad his freshman year, 1963, when a guy with a VW Bug would pull up later in evening and kids would come out and buy pizza - kind of a new thing in Ann Arbor though I had had it years before in Detroit. But, a pizza delievery was revolutionary and the guy, Tom Monaghan, who sold it was of course the owner of Domino's Pizza in Ypsilanti -original store being by the Water Tower near Eastern Michgan's campus - and the rest they say is history!
That old VW Beatle is still on display I believe in Domino's Farms, World Headquarters of Domino's in a striking building that boasted then of having the world's largest copper rood.
Many Ann Arborites gew to detest Monaghan and his right-wing Catholic ideas that dictated women should serve men. I until today continue to boycott Domino's pizza.
There was another later to be famous person staying in East Quad at that time - the man who turned out to be the Uni-Bomber - he was an RA in East Quad back when he was rather normal - he was a graduate student in the Math Department at the time I believe.
TOP OF THE PARK
BORDERS
HASH BASHES -BEEN TO THEM ALL!
And one year, contrary to popular belief, there was none but I was there along with a few others looking for the Bash. One of Ann Arbor's most infamous and notorious, lmost died out until High Times Mag took over hosting it (along with requisite U-M student group) and boom boosted it and the rest is as they say hystery!
Now thousands of cannabis-devotees flock to the Diag at 'high noon' the first Saturday in April. Initially Hash Bash was always on April 1st - no fooling - because that was the effective date when back in 1973 or so when the Michigan Supreme Court or some state court said that the state marijuana laws would become invalid, leaving a momentary gap when pot was legal because it was not illegal! A few weeks later the State legislature reinstated the harsh marijuana laws under which John Sinclair, local political activist and perceived threat to the establishment I guess, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for selling an undercover narc two joints - "10 for 2" was the slogan.
His cause became a cause celebre far and wide- even attracting John Lennon to Ann Arbor to give a "Free John Sinclair" concert at Crisler Arena a few months before the pot laws were invalidated and John was freed.
Anyway April 1st suddenly became a celebration of both Sinclair being freed and pot laws temporarily being invalidated so Hash Bash to celebrate that was born. And folks could openly smoke pot at the event without worry about being arrested.
I and some friends were there of course, though I do not remember many exact details except everyone was in a pot happy mood.
I believe this was the bash when posters went up saying "Win a Pound of Columbian" at the bash - to be awarded to the lucky person by local State Rep. Perry Bullard. (I have a copy of that poster on my bathroom wall!)
JAY STIELSTRA
What a transformation -comes to A2 as a U-M basketballer from up north (Ludington) and becomes a hard-ass football head coach at Ann Arbor High (a friend played for him and said that) and then morphed into a hip folk singer-still playing around at about 80. Think he had a nice song called "Crossing the Line"- talking about when going up north: "The beet fields of Bay County give way to northern pine"- you know you're crossing the line. Jay though maybe 80 is still going strong and appeared at Top of Park this year (2018) under the treese in the 'acoustic section'.
OLD ANN ARBOR HIGH
A friend who attended the old Ann Arbor High on the corner of Huron and State/Washington (where U-M's North Quad is now) and who were there went they went during the school year into the new Ann Arbor Pioneer High ("Pi High") said that to move the library books over to the new school during the school year some staff member suggested that every student check out X number of books from the old high school library and return them to the new school library - and it worked - quickly and cheaply done! One for the books I'd say!
I had language and speech classes in the old Frieze Building and it had creaking wooden floors and very loud volcano-like steam boilers that created a ruckus. It's auditorium was neat and a favorite place for theatre department presentations.
It originally housed a Carnegie Library when built and though it was moved years before its ornate entrance has now been incorporated into the new North Hall residence and classroom building that took its place.
HURON HIGH NICKNAME "RATS"
The naming of River Rats as Huron Hi's official mascot was controversial. Its origins came whe Huron-designated students were housed for a while in Pioneer Hi and Pi Hi students started to call them the denigrating nickname "river rats' because their new yet-to-open school was located near the Huron River (or so the story goes) - when Huron students first voted on a nickname the traditional ones were on the official ballot - things like Eagles, Chiefs probably back them, tigers, etc.
But a grass-roots movement for river rats was started as a write-in vote and it won! The rest is history-Huron High River Rats with a rat logo -certainly unique! (Much my like alma mater the Plymouth 'Rocks' - a logical nickname for the association but unique - and rather inappropriate for say the Swimming teams -Swim like rocks - opposing teams had fun too at basketball games - like signs say 8 o'clock rocks; 10 o'clock pebbles!)
EUGENE ROBINSON
Steps of Union -radical lesbians simulating sexual acts - saw on his visit with his Dad - said in later interview "Wow it's going to be an interesting 4years" -went on to become editor of Michigan Daily.
POSTER KING OF ANN ARBOR
Not sure but I believe I have put up more posters around Ann Arbor than anyone else EVER! I started in 1977, advertising for our Magical Mayan Holiday then our Bike Europe trips then Budget Europe Travel Service then my own English tutoring for foreign students at U-M - mainly Asian - then for the past several years, my son's tutoring business - Math and Phsyics and French - two separate posters that anyone walking downtown i'm sure has seen for years -I have been especially prevalent with those - but now that, due to severe walking problems, is finished but I still claim the Ann Arbor Guinness Record for putting posters everywhere in Ann Abor, especially the campus and downtown areas - no doubt bothering some for those on utility poles, which is quite legal in Ann Arbor.
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