The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 5F

Lumm beats
Rapundalo


ALLISON KRUSKE/Daily
Sava Lelcaj opens the market babo on the first floor of Sterling 411 Lofts at the corner of Washington Street on Dec. 7, 2011.
* Babo: a market b sava fuses food,
aesthetics and communit in design

New market opens
* Jan. 7 on corner of
Washington and
Division streets
By HALEY GOLDBERG
DailyArts Writer
DEC. 7, 2011 - Walking into
babo: a market by sava, it's easy to
forget the fluorescently lit, bar-
ren grocery stores of shopping
trips past.
Glowing light bulbs hang
from the ceiling, and industrial
metal appliances meld with the
antiquated wood furniture and
decor arranged on the twalls.
Full-length windows feature the
corner of Washington and Divi-
sion streets as the backdrop for
the market, creating a blend of
city life and rustic charm. The
exposed high ceilings through-
out the market yearn to be filled
with the sweet smells of freshly
baked bread and delicacies. Babo
is a place where food meets art,
and grocery shopping transforms
from an errand to an experience.
The aesthetic appearance of
the market, which opens today,
even applies to the products. Paul
Hannah, general manager of the
market, said babo selects quality
products whose labels play to the
design of the market.
"We want the store to kind of
havt a sexy feel to it," Hannah
said. "We want people to walk in
and want to buy everything that
they see."
Along with retail food prod-
ucts, the market will also offer
prepared foods, baked goods,
meats and cheeses sliced to order,
coffee and fresh produce, accord-
ing to babo owner and operator
Sava Lelcaj, who owns Sava's
Restaurant on State Street.
Hannah, who previously
worked as the wine director at
Vinology on Main Street and was
an employee of Zingerman's Deli-
catessen, stressed the mission of
the market isn't simply to provide
food to customers, but to provide
a culinary experience.
"We want to sell food that
MARATHON
From Page 4F
Carolyn Todd said the mara-
thon turned out great, but added
that she presumed drivers were
probably a little irked about the
closed streets.
"Locals are not happy about
the traffic situation," she said.
Kinesiology senior Ian Pro-
chaska and his twin brother
Zachary tied as winners of the
5K, both running times of 16:59.
Prochaska said he found the
course easy to follow.
"There were maps online,
so those were nice, so I had a
little bit of a look (at) the course
before I showed up, and then
since my brother and I were out
front, there was a lead vehicle,"
he said. "So I just followed (the

enhances people's lives - not
only the people who consume it
but also the people who make it,"
Hannah said. "All these products
have histories and stories, and
there's a romance to them and we
want people to know that."
Cards placed in front of each
item in the store will detail why a
product was selected for the mar-
ket and what the item is, Hannah
explained. The cards will fea-
ture the signature script of Dave
Lafave, the local artist respon-
sible for the design of babo.
Lafave, who previously worked
at Selo/Shevel Gallery on Main
Street, employs only repurposed
goods in his chic, rustic designs
and shops locally at reclamation
centers in Detroit.
"Everything that I find liter-
ally comes out of the garbage,"
Lafave said. "I clean it up, brush
it down, sand it, paint it white,
paint it some crazy color and
implement (the item) somehow
into the layout of the store."
Lafave will also paint and
decorate the full-length window
displays in babo every 30 days to
represent a seasonal theme or the
introduction of a new product in
the market - currently, a holi-
day theme graces its panes. He
said he plansto keep the market's
appearance as fresh on the out-
side as the products within.
"Sometimes a window might
sort of speak to the color or shape
of the package a product comes
in or if the product adds itself to
a theme," Lafave said. "We never
want to go stale with our visual
image on the street."
Lelaj said Lefave's knack for
reusing and repurposing has
extended to the rest of the mar-
ket, from appliances to the fur-
niture. Wood, which softens the
industrial look throughout the
store, was restored from a barn
that burned down.
"Everything is repurposed,
and we found really creative peo-
ple to help build out the space,"
Lelcaj said. "We've been consci-
entious of our carbon footprint
when working with the space and
selecting Energy Star equipment
and reusing and repurposing as
many things as possible."

Energy-efficient equipment
will be used to create prepared
foods, which patrons can eat at
babo, take to go or order through
a catering service, Hannah said.
Lelcaj added the dishes, made in
house by chefs in an open kitch-
en, will vary depending on the
food in season and will include
mostly ingredients from the mar-
ket itself ina diverse way.
Chefs will join customers in
the market as they select prod-
ucts to include in dishes, Lelcaj
said. Customers will also receive
recipe cards with their dishes,
allowing patrons to return to the
market and buy the ingredients
to make their own rendition of a
babo meal.
Customers can dine in at a
community high-top table, which
also stems from Lafave's inte-
gration of repurposed goods in
the market. The table, which
seats 20 people, is made of two
125-year-old refurbished doors
found at the Reclamation Cen-
ter in Detroit. Inspired by the
markets of London and other big
cities, Hannah said he hopes the
communal table will help bring
patrons together in their experi-
ences at babo.
"You're goingto be eating with
people you don't know, breaking
bread and sharing wine," Han-
nah said. "And I think that's the
fun part"
Patrons canbreakbread inbabo
seven days a week from 7 a.m. to
10 p.m., and the market will serve
prepared breakfast, lunch and
dinner, according to Lelcaj. A beer
and wine department will also be
available after the market secures
a liquor license.
While the food and experience
babo will offer are distinctive,
Hannah said the true character
of babo lies in the face of the mar-
ket - the full-length windows
looking out onto Washington
Street.
"I think when it's all said and
done, the most unique thing
about the market are these win-
dows," Hannah said. "Most times
you walk into a market and you
walk from sunshine into a dark
place that's fluorescent lighting,
and here, it's part of the street."

fr(
By A
Daily
NO
Arbor
chang
tions I
Wit
vote,
Jane
Steph.
a coui
The o
phen
Mike
Marci
- are
Ward
(D-W
Vot
posals
road
the cii
board
In
Steph
crat,f
Repub
Jane
1993 t
with
race.
watch
taurax
Lumm
campa
the vi
"I'n
and th
incred
said.'
much
Wh
in Jar
place
consti
tics. L
easily
tion g
on co
alread
bringI
Uni
a pro
sity's (
Medic
and a
City C
on L
exprei
Lumm
"It
ocrats
types
of the

Independent together to support her," Hull
said. "That says a lot."
snags seat . In a phone interview last
night, Rapundalo said he can-
m Democratic not predict how Lumm's lack
of party affiliation will affect
the dynamic of City Council
but feels that she will face the
DAM RUBENFIRE and same struggles many members
JENNIFER LEE on council deal with.
News Editor and Daily Staff "I think she will be faced
Reporter with a lot of challenges on
issues and constituencies just
V. 9, 2011 - One Ann like I did and others around the
City Council seat will council table (did), and she'll
e after the results of elec- have to use her good judgment
last night. in addressing them," Rapunda-
:h 63.68 percent of the lo said. "So whatever her politi-
Independent candidate cal leanings may or may not be
Lumm beat incumbent ... I think will manifest them-
en Rapundalo to become selves in due course."
ncil member for Ward 2. At Lumm's watch party,
ther four winners - Ste- Briere said Lumm will bring a
Kunselman (D-Ward 3), fresh perspective to the legisla-
Anglin (D-Ward 5) and tive body.
a Higgins (D-Ward 4) "It will be good for us
currently on council. In because you get used to each
1, incumbent Sabra Briere other, and you don't question
ard 1) ran unopposed. your assumptions," Briere said.'
ers also passed three pro- Briere also commended
last night that dealt with Rapundalo on his tenure on
and sidewalk issues and council.
ty's retirement regulation "He really dug into what he
. was doing," Briere said. "He
an active race for Ward 2, was on a lot of committees, and
en Rapundalo, a Demo- he knew his work."
faced off against former Kunselman - who beat
lican Council member Republican challenger David
Lumm, who served from Parker with 77.28 percent of the
o 1998 and chose to run vote - said Lumm's election
no party affiliation in this reflects a need for change.
In an interview at her "It's indicative of some chang-
party at Paesano Res- es that needed to be taking place
nt on Washtenaw Avenue, within the city government and
thanked members of her city politics," Kunselman said.
aign for helping her gain "And that (change) is bringing a
ctory. level of integrity back to the City
n excited, very grateful Council."
is is truly the result of an Kunselman said he wasn't
lible team effort," Lumm worried about his re-election.
'So many people ... did so "I have the history of Ward 3
to make this possible." being a very strong Democratic
en she assumes office ward, so I was not really feeling
nuary, Lumm said she'll any heat from ... the Republican
a greater emphasis on candidate in this case," he said.
tuents' voices in city poli- Kunselman acknowledged
.umm added that she will Parker's campaign effort, but
adjust to her new posi- said voters ultimately sided
iven her prior experience with the right candidate.
uncil, and she said she's "Mr. Parker certainly should'
ly thinking about issues to be commended for putting his
before the council. name out there and participat-
versity alum Tim Hull, ing in the race," Kunselman
grammer at the Univer- said. "But in the end, it's still
Center for Computational about getting out there and
ine and Bioinformatics knowing the voters, and I've got
candidate in the Aug. 2 a strong record of doing so."
ouncil primaries, worked Parker could not be reached
.umm's campaign and for comment last night.
ssed enthusiasm about In Ward 4, Higgins faced
's win. Republican attorney Eric
says something that Dem- Scheie. Higgins protected her
Republicans, Greens, all seat on council by gaining 58.84
of people from all parts percent of the vote. She was not
political spectrum got available for comment last night.

In a phone interview fast
night, Scheie said though -he
lost the election, he felt gaining
40 percent of the vote indicated
a need for opposition.
"I do think that I sent a nes-
sage that there's a lot of discOn-
tent, and in combination with
Jane Lumm's victory. I thinly it
indicates that a lot of people n
Ann Arbor believe there should
be some sort of viable opposi-
tion," Scheie said.
Scheie said Higgins may feet
be the best representative of slje
residents of Ward 4.
"It's not so much that I think
I should be the city councilman
for the Ward, but I've met a lot
of people who just feel disen-
franchised, and that's what kept
me going," Scheie said. "They
don't like what's going on, they
feel the City Council does not
listen to them and I think that
Marcia Higgins has shown that
she really doesn't care about
her ward or the process."
Mike Anglin - who beat
Republican Stuart Berry with
79.59 percent of the vote in
Ward 5 - said in an interview
at his watch party at Old Town
Tavern on West Liberty Street
that facing opposition forced a
more thorough examination of
the issues.
"I was glad that I had an
opponent in Stuart Berry
because I think the dialogue
increased, and with different
people of course in a town like
this will have many different
opinions," Anglin said. "But I
think it's important that we,
after the elections, join togeth-
er and try to achieve all possi-
bilities in what people wanted."
Berry could not be reached
for comment last night.
All three of the city's ballot
proposals were passed by more
than 50 percent of the vote.
The passage, of. Proposal 1
will replace a current tax that
funds street reconstruction
between 2012 and 2016. The
proposal is expected to raise
more than $9 million in its first
year. Proposal 2 adds another
tax to Proposal 1 that will go
toward sidewalk improvement
and is expected to generate an
additional $563,000 within a
year. Its passage also trans-
fers responsibility for sidewalk
maintenance from homeown-
ers to the city.
With the passage of Proposal
3, the city administrator will
no. longer serve on the city's
Employee's Retirement Board.
Also as a result of the proposal,
two new citizentrustees will be
added to the current 10-person


BIG HOUSE
From Page 2F
also volunteered with My
Team Triumph for the Dex-
ter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon
and helped raise money for the
charity with a bake sale and a
team raffle.
For Karleigh Kroll, a student
in the School of Education, the
race was an opportunity -to
run with friends.
"I have been wanting to
run a 10K, and a bunch of my
friends were running it and I
thought it'd be fun," she said.
Though Kroll has been
casually running for two
years, this was her first race
and she didn't train much for
it.
"I pretty much just got up
and ran," she said.
Despite it being her first
race, Kroll said she really
enjoyed it and finished with a
time of about one hour.
"It was a lot of fun. If this is
what all 1OK's are like, I'll run
them over and over again," she
said.

THE NEW UNE CHINESE CUISINE
Ycai -Garde n
SPECIAUZING IN HONGKONG,TAIWANESE,
SZECHUAN & HUNAN STYLES
734.995-1786
1 16 S. MAIN STREET
(BETWEEN W. HURON AND WASHTENAW)
DOWNTOWN ANN ARBOR
WWW.KAIGARDEN.COM

vehicle) the entire race and that
was wonderful."
Prochaska said the scheduling
of their final exam in their spring
class the next day deterred them
from running one of the longer
courses and led them to compete
in the 5K.
"My brother and I actually
planned on doing the half mara-
thon, but since we have our bio-
chem final tomorrow, we wanted
to be off our feet for the rest of
the day," he said.
Prochaska said he was happy
that the marathon benefited a
good cause.
"Any time you get to support
things like the Ann Arbor school
system, that's always a wonder-
ful thing," he said. "Getting out
there and competing with a
bunch of people is just an added
bonus."

CLOSURE
From Page 2F
said.
Cecelia Kuzon, a sales asso-
ciate at Allure Boutique, also
said she has noticed decreased
business inthe area, particular-
ly on weekdays, since the recent
closure of nearby stores.
"I think it definitely has a
lot to do with the economy and
also ... Poshh closed ... so that's
affected our business a little
bit, because not as many people
even come down this road to
shop," Kuzon said. "I'd saybusi-
ness is struggling."