Lee Van Roth
Concentrate Media reporter/host of On the Ground YpsiLee Van Roth is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. Until recently, she went by the name Rylee Barnsdale. Now, the name may be different, but her mission remains the same. She uses her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.
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The Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has launched an updated website. The redesigned site, launched at the end of July, allows businesses and nonprofits to create and manage their own profiles, improving their visibility in online searches while contributing directly to a community calendar, job board, and volunteer listings. Lee Van Roth talked about the DDA's new online endeavor with the authority's coordinator, Danya Youssef-Agha. -
Those reentering society after incarceration face numerous challenges, including addressing their own health. Yet, access to quality health care, housing, and other necessities can be exceedingly difficult. In response to this, Packard Health has partnered with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department to create the "Beyond Incarceration" program. Lee Van Roth talked all about this amazing initiative with Packard Health reentry coach Jessica Slone. -
A recent study from Washtenaw Optimal Wellness is shedding new light on a long-standing reality in Ypsilanti: where residents live, the opportunities available to them and the color of their skin can all influence how long they are expected to live. Jeff Tritten, the President of Washtenaw Optimal Wellness, authored the study. He joined Lee Van Roth to discuss it in detail and what can be done to improve the lives of all Ypsilanti residents. -
A YMCA building that closed its preschool collaborative doors in March reopened in June as something else entirely — a free, neighborhood-embedded wellness and community hub now known as the "Neighborhood Collaborative". Ann Arbor YMCA President James Highsmith spoke with Lee Van Roth about the development of the Neighborhood Collaborative and what the future may hold for it. -
Ypsi Pride, a celebration of the local LGBTQ community, takes place on Saturday, July 18 in Depot Town. For this year's celebration, organizers are expanding with a new date, a longer schedule and additional programming that they say reflects years of community feedback. Lee Van Roth provides more details on the festivities in a conversation with Ypsi Pride's logistics chair, Britt Barron. -
The Ann Arbor Sports Commission is kicking off the summer with some big sporting events in the Ypsilanti area. One of which is the return of the RowFest National Championship on Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township, running July 10-19. Lee Van Roth provided all of the details on this exciting event in a conversation with the Director of the Ann Arbor Sports Commission, Meaghan Hughes. -
Programming has grown swiftly in the last year-and-a-half at nonprofit Peace Neighborhood Center’s HUB Community Center in Ypsilanti Township. Thanks to a recent renovation of its facility, the organization now holds more community activities, including weekly dinners. Lee Van Roth talked all about Peace Neighborhood Center's latest endeavors with its executive director, Bonnie Billups. -
Juneteenth serves as both a celebration of freedom and a reflection on the ongoing pursuit of equality. And in Ypsilanti, that celebration has grown into a three-day community event featuring live entertainment, food, family activities, and cultural programming. The sixth annual Juneteenth celebration will take place June 19th through the 21st at the University Bank parking lot in downtown Ypsi. Lee Van Roth discussed the big event with its organizer and MC, Gordon "Big" Dooley. -
Organizers are proudly reflecting on the growth of "Peacenic Ypsi," an annual community picnic intended to build bridges between residents and law enforcement, as its third year approaches. This year's event takes place on Saturday, June 13th at Ypsilanti's West Willow Park. Lee Van Roth talks about this summer event with Peacenic Ypsi founder Pastor Joseph Jackson. -
Eastern Michigan University students spearheaded a recent effort to transform the annual Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS) Community Forum into a zero-waste event for the first time. Thanks to their efforts, 250 pounds of food and other materials were composted, and 165 pounds of unused food were recovered and donated to Ypsilanti-based Hope Clinic, resulting in less than a third of a bag of waste from the event going to a landfill. Lee Van Roth talked about the event and what it may lead to with SEMIS Coalition Director Anna Balzer.
