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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bustling crowds and bus rides are part of the annual peony pilgrimage to Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — It's time to peek at the peak peonies. Visitors are making the annual pilgrimage to the University of Michigan this week to see -- and smell -- one of the world's premier collections of the garden plant, featuring showy red, white and pink blooms of countless shades and varieties. Melanie Millar and her friends visited the Ann Arbor school's Nichols Arboretum on Monday to take some graduation photos. The 18-year-old Millar is set to graduate from a Detroit-area high school in a matter of days. 'I'm here with my best friends — a bunch of girls. … We just came here to get pictures since it's going to be a nice day, and the Peony Garden seemed like a nice place to go to,' Millar said. The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden features the largest collection of historic — pre-1950 — herbaceous peonies in North America, 'and likely the world,' curator David Michener said. 'Once you come here to the Peony Garden, you'll be mesmerized, and you'll understand why people love peonies,' he said. 'The fragrances, the colors, the forms, it's just intoxicating.' The peony watch is a spectator sport with tens of thousands of visitors arriving at The Arb each spring to behold the unique perennials -- so many that visitors have to be bused in. But there was a somber mood among some Monday. Vandals cut off the blooms of roughly 250 peonies a day earlier, the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security said in a statement. Although no group or organization has taken credit for vandalizing the garden, some papers were left behind, DPSS said. One referenced the war in Gaza, saying: 'Palestinian lives deserve to be cared for. More than these flowers.' 'What would possess someone just to destroy nature and the beauty of it? It's just unfathomable,' visitor Linda J.K. Klenczar said Monday. 'There's no explanation. I don't know if they're going to catch someone who did this. They need to explain themselves.' It's a moving target each year as to when the peonies will reach peak bloom. And one of great interest – with scores of peony-watchers glued to the Arb's Instagram page for updates. 'What makes it so challenging to predict is they pay no attention to the calendar,' Michener said. 'They're driven totally by day and night temperatures.' The campus Peony Garden contains more than 300 historic cultivated varieties from the 19th and early 20th centuries, representing American, Canadian and European peonies of the era. The garden typically features up to 10,000 flowers at peak bloom. Their colorful blossoms draw admirers from Michigan and beyond, but the peonies' beauty is not their primary function. The garden is designed as a support mechanism for academia -- to be a research collection for students and faculty to explore genomics and social issues. Michener and his colleagues at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum work closely with their sister garden in Minsk, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, trying to understand how ornamental peonies are related to each other and the wild, ancestral species. Michigan's Peony Garden is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. For those drawn to the ancient plant's scent, Michener said it's best to show up earlier in the day or later in the evening, when the fragrances are the best.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Bustling crowds and bus rides are part of the annual peony pilgrimage to Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — It's time to peek at the peak peonies. Visitors are making the annual pilgrimage to the University of Michigan this week to see — and smell — one of the world's premier collections of the garden plant, featuring showy red, white and pink blooms of countless shades and varieties. Melanie Millar and her friends visited the Ann Arbor school's Nichols Arboretum on Monday to take some graduation photos. The 18-year-old Millar is set to graduate from a Detroit-area high school in a matter of days. 'I'm here with my best friends — a bunch of girls. … We just came here to get pictures since it's going to be a nice day, and the Peony Garden seemed like a nice place to go to,' Millar said. The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden features the largest collection of historic — pre-1950 — herbaceous peonies in North America, 'and likely the world,' curator David Michener said. 'Once you come here to the Peony Garden, you'll be mesmerized, and you'll understand why people love peonies,' he said. 'The fragrances, the colors, the forms, it's just intoxicating.' The peony watch is a spectator sport with tens of thousands of visitors arriving at The Arb each spring to behold the unique perennials — so many that visitors have to be bused in. But there was a somber mood among some Monday. Vandals cut off the blooms of roughly 250 peonies a day earlier, the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security said in a statement. Although no group or organization has taken credit for vandalizing the garden, some papers were left behind, DPSS said. One referenced the war in Gaza, saying: 'Palestinian lives deserve to be cared for. More than these flowers.' 'What would possess someone just to destroy nature and the beauty of it? It's just unfathomable,' visitor Linda J.K. Klenczar said Monday. 'There's no explanation. I don't know if they're going to catch someone who did this. They need to explain themselves.' It's a moving target each year as to when the peonies will reach peak bloom. And one of great interest – with scores of peony-watchers glued to the Arb's Instagram page for updates. 'What makes it so challenging to predict is they pay no attention to the calendar,' Michener said. 'They're driven totally by day and night temperatures.' The campus Peony Garden contains more than 300 historic cultivated varieties from the 19th and early 20th centuries, representing American, Canadian and European peonies of the era. The garden typically features up to 10,000 flowers at peak bloom. Their colorful blossoms draw admirers from Michigan and beyond, but the peonies' beauty is not their primary function. The garden is designed as a support mechanism for academia — to be a research collection for students and faculty to explore genomics and social issues. Michener and his colleagues at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum work closely with their sister garden in Minsk, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, trying to understand how ornamental peonies are related to each other and the wild, ancestral species. Michigan's Peony Garden is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. For those drawn to the ancient plant's scent, Michener said it's best to show up earlier in the day or later in the evening, when the fragrances are the best. 'It's very colorful. I have a lot of peonies in my backyard, so I have a spot for them. But they're a beautiful flower,' Millar said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bustling crowds and bus rides are part of the annual peony pilgrimage to Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — It's time to peek at the peak peonies. Visitors are making the annual pilgrimage to the University of Michigan this week to see — and smell — one of the world's premier collections of the garden plant, featuring showy red, white and pink blooms of countless shades and varieties. Melanie Millar and her friends visited the Ann Arbor school's Nichols Arboretum on Monday to take some graduation photos. The 18-year-old Millar is set to graduate from a Detroit-area high school in a matter of days. 'I'm here with my best friends — a bunch of girls. … We just came here to get pictures since it's going to be a nice day, and the Peony Garden seemed like a nice place to go to,' Millar said. The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden features the largest collection of historic — pre-1950 — herbaceous peonies in North America, 'and likely the world,' curator David Michener said. 'Once you come here to the Peony Garden, you'll be mesmerized, and you'll understand why people love peonies,' he said. 'The fragrances, the colors, the forms, it's just intoxicating.' The peony watch is a spectator sport with tens of thousands of visitors arriving at The Arb each spring to behold the unique perennials — so many that visitors have to be bused in. But there was a somber mood among some Monday. Vandals cut off the blooms of roughly 250 peonies a day earlier, the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security said in a statement. Although no group or organization has taken credit for vandalizing the garden, some papers were left behind, DPSS said. One referenced the war in Gaza, saying: 'Palestinian lives deserve to be cared for. More than these flowers.' 'What would possess someone just to destroy nature and the beauty of it? It's just unfathomable,' visitor Linda J.K. Klenczar said Monday. 'There's no explanation. I don't know if they're going to catch someone who did this. They need to explain themselves.' It's a moving target each year as to when the peonies will reach peak bloom. And one of great interest – with scores of peony-watchers glued to the Arb's Instagram page for updates. 'What makes it so challenging to predict is they pay no attention to the calendar,' Michener said. 'They're driven totally by day and night temperatures.' The campus Peony Garden contains more than 300 historic cultivated varieties from the 19th and early 20th centuries, representing American, Canadian and European peonies of the era. The garden typically features up to 10,000 flowers at peak bloom. Their colorful blossoms draw admirers from Michigan and beyond, but the peonies' beauty is not their primary function. The garden is designed as a support mechanism for academia — to be a research collection for students and faculty to explore genomics and social issues. Michener and his colleagues at Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum work closely with their sister garden in Minsk, the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, trying to understand how ornamental peonies are related to each other and the wild, ancestral species. Michigan's Peony Garden is free to visit and open from sunrise to sunset. For those drawn to the ancient plant's scent, Michener said it's best to show up earlier in the day or later in the evening, when the fragrances are the best. 'It's very colorful. I have a lot of peonies in my backyard, so I have a spot for them. But they're a beautiful flower,' Millar said.
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Pair of hammer-wielding, masked crooks steal thousands of dollars worth of Pokémon cards from 2 stores
Cops are on the hunt for a pair of hammer-wielding masked bandits who stole thousands of dollars worth of collectible Pokémon cards from two Detroit-area stores over a five-day crime spree earlier this month. The card thieves hit both stores in the early morning before either was open and caused massive damage to one by smashing the glass displays showcasing the cards, according to cops and reports. In the first heist, the duo — dressed in all black and wearing full face coverings — hit RIW Hobbies & Gaming in Livonia on May 16 around 5 a.m., Fox 2 Detroit reported. 4 Police are on the hunt for two masked, hammer-wielding bandits in the Detroit area stealing Pokémon cards. FOX 2 DETROIT Store owner Pam Willoughby came in to open the shop later that morning and discovered her glass cases shattered and her Pokémon cards missing. She checked her security cameras and watched the footage in horror as the two Pokémon perps smashed her display cases with a hammer, grabbed the cards, and stuffed them in sacks before running off. 'When I actually watched them just standing in the building by themselves swinging a hammer, it was a little unnerving — it was an invasion,' Willoughby told WXYZ. She told Fox 2 that the bandits cost her $12,000 between the damage to her store and the price of the cards. She believes the sticky-fingered duo may have taken the stash to sell at the Motor City Comic Con, where hundreds of vendors gather to trade Pokémon and other similar cards — which began the very same day of her break-in. 4 Pam Willoughby, the owner of RIW Hobbies & Gaming, watched her security footage in horror as two bandits smashed her display case to steal Pokémon cards. FOX 2 DETROIT A few days later, on May 20, again around 5 a.m., a similarly dressed hammer-wielding suspect broke into Eternal Games in Warren, where he stole more Pokémon cards, security footage shows. That time, the bandit leapt over the display case, crammed the cards into a sack, and escaped, according to WXYZ. 'They didn't smash out the showcase but hopped the showcase, opened up the showcase and then crouched down and took, took, hopped over and left,' Eternal Games assistant manager Dakota Olszewski told Fox 2. 4 Owners of collectible card stores in the Detroit area are worried they might be the next victims of the Pokémon bandits. FOX 2 DETROIT Olszewski said they stole $3,500 worth of singles — rare cards that are nearly impossible to restock. 'I don't think we are going to find the cards specifically, which is a bummer because they're pretty cool,' she said. This isn't the first time that Pokémon cards have been at the center of criminal activity and violent behavior. 4 The smashed display case where the Pokémon bandits struck in the Detroit area. FOX 2 DETROIT In January, cops were nearly called to a Costco in Los Angeles when bedlam broke out between customers jostling over the coveted cards. Wild footage captured an older customer wrapping a younger customer in a bear hug during the brawl. The younger man smashed the attacker in the face with his elbow while a female shopper yelled at him. 'Get the f–k off of me bro,' one shopper said, according to a video posted on X by YouTuber DisguisedToast. A few months later, a not-so-friendly Spider-Man was arrested after security camera footage caught him breaking into a store in northern Virginia. Joel Brown, 20, was accused of robbing a family-owned collectibles store wearing a Spider-Man suit to conceal his true identity and making off with rare, limited edition Pokémon cards. With tariffs hurting the market, Pokémon and other trading cards are seeing a surge in demand as investors seek out alternatives beyond the traditional mix of financial standbys. The trading card industry is valued at more than $15 billion as of 2024.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Stellantis to build $388M parts distribution hub in Metro Detroit
Stellantis NV said Wednesday it will build a $388 million parts distribution hub in Van Buren Township, Michigan, that will consolidate several other Midwest facilities. The new Mopar facility, called the Metro Detroit Megahub, is expected to open in 2027 and will staff up with about 488 United Auto Workers-represented employees. The Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram maker said the project is part of a broader consolidation strategy for its parts distribution centers. It recently sold two of its Michigan parts facilities, in Center Line and Marysville, Michigan, as well as one in Milwaukee. Those facilities are continuing to operate under sale-leaseback agreements until the new Detroit hub opens. Staff for the facility will come from the company's Mopar sites in Center Line, Warren and Warren Sherwood, as well as the Milwaukee location. Meanwhile, workers from the closing Marysville center will shift over to staff the Warren and Warren Sherwood parts centers. The Warren Sherwood location will be upgraded and is set to remain remain open long-term, Stellantis spokesperson Frank Matyok said; a company announcement said it will serve as an "e-coat upfitting facility." The 2023 labor pact between Stellantis and the UAW laid out plans for several consolidated parts hubs, including this Detroit-area one. The automaker said it already has invested about $120 million to boost its parts and services operations since the the contract was finalized, including a new distribution site in East Fishkill, New York, and upgrades to existing Mopar sites. "Our customers count on us to deliver the right part, at the right time, every time," Darren Bradshaw, senior vice president and head of Mopar North America, said in a statement. "With the Metro Detroit Megahub, we're building a faster, smarter and more reliable parts distribution network that puts their needs first." The Detroit hub, like the New York state Mopar facility that has been open for several months, will be equipped with automated storage and retrieval systems to help pull parts for customers faster. Called AutoStore, it uses a series of small robots that move above a grid to storage bins to grab parts and deliver them to workers on the floor, where they are packaged and processed for shipping. UAW spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
