Ypsilanti :
Featured Stories
Kim North Shine
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
To paraphrase David Lee Roth: "He's your Ice Cream Man, stop him when he's passin' by." ...Or pedaling by, as the case may be. Rob Hess is the bicycle-bound peddler (and pedaler) of Go! Ice Cream, the latest addition to Ann Arbor-Ypsi's army of hand-crafted, small-batch food artisans. We, for one, welcome their invading forces.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
There are vocations and there are avocations. For Joseph Zettelmaier it's clear which is which. By day the Milan, Mich. resident works in data entry. But on stage he's an award-winning playwright with 30 plays to his name. Concentrate's Tanya Muzumdar puts the spotlight on this theatrical wordsmith.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Take one ugly, undeveloped piece of land, add a contingent of concerned citizens, give them a whole lotta seeds and a "sexy" community event and what do you get? The folks behind Ypsilanti's "Seed Bomb Water Street" hope it'll be a field full of wildflowers... and, eventually, a local commons.
Concentrate Staff
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Maybe you haven't noticed but more and more businesses have been moving into Ypsilanti, fueling a drive to revive the downtown as a vibrant commercial destination. So, how do things look at street level? To answer that question we've invited local business owners to talk about how they're doing and where things are going. Sign up now for this May 2 event!
Tim Colbeck
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
After makeovers from Depot Town to Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti is rebuilding and renovating its core. And the march continues. Ypsilanti DDA director Tim Colbeck discusses what else he'd like to see in terms of a more perfect downtown.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
When people talk about paving the way for the next generation of community leaders and activists they're talking about someone like D'Real Graham. Born and raised in Ypsilanti, Graham ran for his local school board, serves on the city's Recreation Commission, taught science at Ann Arbor's Hands On Museum and is the program coordinator for 826Michigan. And he's only 26.
Concentrate Staff
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
As any non-profit organization will tell you, their efforts are mostly powered by ordinary folks donating their time. That couldn't be truer for 826Michigan, a hip Ann Arbor-based literacy nonprofit that mobilizes hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Concentrate's Speaker Series invites executive director Amanda Uhle to explain the methods and challenges of attracting energetic volunteers and how 826 leverages their unique identity to thrive. Sign up now for THURSDAY's event!
Amanda Edmonds
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Nonprofits are on a mission to become more enterprise-focused: entering business plan competitions, even seeking start-up cash. Repeat blogger Amanda Edmonds, executive director of Growing Hope, reflects on her nonprofit's social enterprise role and on the value of diversified funding sources.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The name kind of says it all. Then again, maybe it doesn't. Spontaneous Art is a trio of guerilla (and sometimes gorilla) performance artists who have dedicated themselves to making life in the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti region a little funkier, a little sillier, and, most importantly, a little less predictable.
Doug Coombe
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Ann Arbor Art Fairs inspired The Shadow Art Fair. The Shadow Art Fair begat The Krampus Ball. And so it goes, on and on, one artistic endeavor fueling the next. Concentrate's ace photographer Doug Coombe introduces you to the crafty folks who populate winter's ever-growing indie art fair scene.
Lisa Bashert
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
How about owning a piece of the store you shop at? Think REI, or, closer to home, the Ypsi Food Co-op. Lisa Bashert, beekeeper and director of the Local Honey Project, writes on why co-ops exemplify local democracy and control while explaining away the common misconceptions of membership.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A trio of U-M architecture grad students were tasked with envisioning what the proposed $12 million rec center on Ypsilanti's Water Street property might look like. One plan highlights Ypsi's downtown, the other its park. Both are exciting and innovative approaches to urban development.
Patrick Dunn
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Finding work in today's job market is tough enough. For at-risk teens, it can seem impossible. WorkZone, a program created and run by Ozone House, helps young adults to develop job-seeking skills and hone them through training and paid internships.
Tanya Muzumdar
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
How about adding a little sustainability to your happy hour? Once a month green-minded folks gather in an Ypsi pub or Ann Arbor bar to unwind with drinks and talk eco policy and business. The event is called Green Drinks and it's part of a worldwide social trend.
Constance Crump
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Parvis e glandibus quercus. Translation: "Tall oaks from little acorns grow." It's a sentiment that couldn't be truer for Ypsilanti's Oak Street, a three block neighborhood that has attracted some of the city's best and brightest. Constance Crump gives us a tour.