Spend this Labor Day weekend at the FREE 33rd annual Detroit Jazz Festival. Chill out in Detroit's Hart Plaza with big names such as Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, and many others. Also, learn about Detroit's jazz history and meet the artists in the jazz talk tent.

An inexpensive shuttle bus service traveling from Ypsilanti to the Hart Plaza area will be offered through Eastern Michigan University all weekend; more information can be found on WEMU's website.

Next Thursday, September 6th, well known author, playwright, and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom will be visiting Ann Arbor to read from his new novel, The Time Keeper, a fable about the 1st man on Earth to count the hours.

Join other local Albom fans at the Ann Arbor Barnes & Noble located at 3235 Washtenaw for this free reading & signing, starting at 7pm.

On Sunday, August 26, 2012, join Washtenaw County in a celebration of African American literature.

Guest speakers include local author Karen Simpson, romance author Beverly Jenkins, and children's author Debbie Taylor.

The event will be hosted from 4-6pm at Washtenaw Community College in the Morris Lawrence Building, Room 150, 4800 E. Huron River Dr., Ann Arbor. Tickets are $20 each/$5 for students.

Have you or a family member ever found yourself in need of a walking cane, shower seat or walker? Ypsilanti's Friends Indeed serves Washtenaw County & maintains several Medical Loan Closet Resources, including one downtown Ann Arbor at Bethlehem United Church of Christ. Lots of equipment is there for the borrowing or to keep long term if you need it. Speaking of helpful resources, check out AADL's databases of Select Sites for Health Information.

We’ll be sharing stories about stories at the 2012 Kerrytown BookFest on Sunday, September 9 at 3:00 pm in the Children’s Storybook Corner. Bring your imaginations and we’ll make story books together with markers, stickers and more!

Are you an English Language Learner or use English as a Second Language and want to improve your skills? Appointment times to register for classes in Fall 2012 will be held Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday August 20, 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Ann Arbor Public Schools Adult Education. Classes are free, and begin Friday September 7. Enrollment is done on a first come, first served basis and you don't have to live in the AAPS district to enroll. Click here for more details about the enrollment process.

Washtenaw Community College is hosting a Child Care Professional job fair on Wednesday, August 22 from 5pm-7pm at the Morris Lawrence Building. Several local employers will be on hand. Bring 20 copies of your resume, and dress for success! Interested candidates should register with Peggy Cashman at 734-477-8728 or pcashman@wccnet.edu

Performance Network in Ann Arbor is showing Burn This, by Lanford Wilson through Sept. 3. From PN's website: "This explosive play, set in 1986 Manhattan, captures the recklessness of that decade. Pale, a coke-snorting, Jersey restaurant manager, and Anna, an up and coming choreographer, meet when her roommate Robbie, Pale's brother, dies. As the passions ignite, Pale's intense and troubled personality emerges. Menacing, profane, dangerous and yet oddly sensitive, Pale is both terrifying and fascinating. When Anna retreats into her work, he pursues her relentlessly, setting off an inferno of rage and desire that threatens to consume them both. Contains adult themes." Ticket information is here.

In partnership with SOS Community Services, the Fifth Third Bank eBus will be at 101 S. Huron St. in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, August 21 from 9am to 3pm. At the eBus you can get a free copy of your credit report as well as credit counseling, receive home foreclosure prevention information, sign your child up for free or low cost health insurance, and community representatives will be available to talk about other resources for health, dental, food, and other basic needs. For more information, call 1-800-246-5372.

The Ann Arbor District Library was cited by GetDowntown in this announcement as being one of the Top 5 Downtown establishments that use the AATA bus system the most.

GetDowntown was established in 1999. In cooperation with the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, a.k.a. The Ride, the City of Ann Arbor, and the Downtown Development Authority, GetDowntown is a tireless promoter of thinking green when it comes to workers in the Downtown area.

Among the many activities GetDowntown promotes are the go!pass (downtown employees can ride the bus for free), the annual Commuter Challenge, a fun-filled competitive event that rewards the business with the most 'green' miles racked by a business's employees, and ZipCars.

This is just one more reason to love living in Ann Arbor.