Sarah Rigg

This week for "On the Ground Ypsi," our weekly conversation with Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg and WEMU's Lisa Barry, they talk with Melisa Tasker, the program coordinator for the Washtenaw County "CARES team," about the mental health services they provide to the community funded by a 2018 county public safety and mental health preservation millage.

A collaboration between two Ypsilanti-based nonprofits, Our House and HouseN2Home, has created a "home" for teenagers about to transition out of foster care. 

WEMU's Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk with Natasha Doan-Motsinger, the executive director of Our House, about how they worked together to create this necessary space.

Thanks to an anonymous donor and facilitation by local grassroots organization SolarYpsi, several churches and nonprofits in Ypsilanti have received or will soon receive new solar installations.

WEMU's Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg from Concentrate Media talk with Dave Strenski from SolarYpsi about the impact that is having on the Ypsilanti area community.

For this week's "On The Ground Ypsi," WEMU's Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg from Concentrate Media talk with Peter Sanderson from the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation division about recently completed improvements to Ypsilanti area parks and trails and what else is in the works.

Many businesses located in the Ypsilanti area have a global impact even though they are located in Washtenaw County. WEMU's Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk with Bill Mayer of Ann Arbor SPARK about the many successful local businesses in the Ypsilanti area they've helped support and nurture to reach this level of success.

This week for "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk about the many different beekeeping activities in Ypsilanti, also officially certified as a "Bee City" in the United States.

On this edition of "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk with Jerard Delaney, aviation program coordinator for Eastern Michigan University, about how students benefit from one of several partnerships the university has that give them more hands-on experience as part of their degree.

Though many of Ypsilanti's hair businesses suffered financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the loyalty of their long-term customers has helped many of them bounce back. Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk to Claire Broderick, one of several local stylists interviewed for this week's story about Ypsilanti's vibrant "hair artist" scene.

This week for "On The Ground Ypsi", WEMU's Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk to an area mother of one who started her own business. She shares how she stays motivated and involves her young daughter in her work while setting a positive example of having a good work/life balance.

This week for "On the Ground Ypsi,"  Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk with a 14-year old member of the Ypsilanti District Library Teen Advisory Group about a recent grant that allowed them to expand information being handed out to local teenagers.

Ypsilanti-area residents will be treated to a series of free weekly jazz concerts throughout the summer, thanks to Ypsilanti-based musician John E. Lawrence. Lisa Barry and "On the Ground Ypsi" project manager Sarah Rigg talk to Lawrence about the upcoming free jazz concert series.

Many businesses struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been a time of opportunity for some entrepreneurs in the greater Ypsilanti area. Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk to one Ypsilanti store owner, Jen Eastridge, who kept an established business running and even opened a second, new store during the global health crisis.

This week for "On the Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk with JoAnn McCollum, president of the New West Willow Neighborhood Association in Ypsilanti Township, about a new police reform pilot program she helped create. It's a way to address quality-of-life issues and responding to nonviolent issues happening in the community.

From a virtual program centered around writing to outdoor programs with an academic enrichment focus, Ypsilanti-area summer camps are finding new ways to engage with local youth.

WEMU's Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg from Concentrate Media talk with Liz Garaba, Washtenaw Community College manager of college and career readiness, about their summer camp offering.

Affordable housing and gentrification are just some of the issues addressed by an Ypsilanti arts advocacy program called "Staying Power." Lisa Barry and "On the Ground Ypsi" project manager Sarah Rigg talk with one of the participants, Malik Henry, who shares his experience and one of the poems he wrote as part of the project.

Whether it was performing on the virtual stage or via Zoom, Ypsilanti area theatre groups have had to be even more creative than usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk with Kristin Danko from Ypsilanti's Neighborhood Theatre Group about how they responded to the global health crisis and still kept the shows going.

Ypsilanti's Riverside Arts Center has launched a new residency to give local artists time and space to create and connect with the community. Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk to Kristen Schrader, chair of the program committee at Riverside Arts Center, about the new program, which is already proving to be popular.

Due to the pandemic, last year's First Fridays program in Ypsilanti took place mostly online.  This year, they're adding some new components and plan to be outside more.  WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with "On the Ground Ypsi" project manager Sarah Rigg and the program coordinator for First Fridays, Mary Dettling, to find out how the community arts program will operate this year.

This week on "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk about a zine, which is a project of an Ypsilanti-based poetry collective organized by women of color called "Untold Stories of Liberation and Love."  They are joined by local poet Connstynce Chege, who reads part of one of her poems she submitted to the collective and is being included.

In this week's "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and project manager Sarah Rigg talk to Scott Heister, Southeast Regional Director for Mi STEM and a co-founder of the American Center for Innovation.  He talks about the proposed program to work with kids and encourage them to pursue real jobs in STEM fields and providing "cradle-to-career opportunities."

Established by Ann Arbor's Leon Speakers and Ypsilanti-based Grove Studios, there is a new Amplify Fellowship meant to support musicians of color living in Washtenaw County.  Lisa Barry talks with On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg and Maia Evans, co-founder of the fellowship, about who and what is involved.

This week, our "On The Ground Ypsi" conversation is about a nearly $2 million gift made to six different Ypsilanti groups and what that means to them.  Lisa Barry and On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg talk with Alison Foreman, executive director of Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, which was one of the local groups to receive the money.  She shares what they plan to do with the gift and the impact it will have on the community.

This week, "On The Ground Ypsi" is about several local gardening operations that encourage Ypsilanti residents to build resiliency in themselves and their community with the creation of gardens which help provide alternative food systems.

WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with On the Ground Ypsi project manager Sarah Rigg and Bee Ayer, director of programs for Ypsilanti's Growing Hope, about their class for this coming spring and summer.

Sometimes, getting teenagers to share what is on their minds is not that easy.  But in this week's "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk with Gail Wolkoff, executive director of "Educate Youth" in Ypsilanti, about a book of poetry written by local students.  The students were encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings about the pandemic and other world events in poetry, which was put together as a booklet called "Spiritual Warriors."

Navigating the workforce is never easy, which is why organizations like Michigan Works! Southeast (MWSE) are there to help.  MSWE executive director Shamar Herron has taken that mission to a new level with a podcast called "Workplace@Work."  Herron joined WEMU's David Fair and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg to discuss the training and employment oppotunities in our area that already exist. 

Even though we're swimming in snow right now, plans are underway for the upcoming outdoor pool season and the reopening of Ypsilanti's refurbished Rutherford community pool.  That's the focus of this week's "On the Ground Ypsi" online article, and WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Sarah Rigg and Friends of the Rutherford Pool chair Jessica Faul about recent upgrades and looking forward to reopening. 

In this week's "On The Ground Ypsi," Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk to Ypsilanti business owner Julie Palmer about a Washtenaw Community College program called "Renew Your Business."   It helps entrepreneurs in the Ypsilanti area thrive despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being in the works for years, a plan has been finalized to construct a pedestrian pathway over I-94 in Ypsilanti.  WEMU's Lisa Barry and Concentrate Media's Sarah Rigg talk with Bonnie Wessler, project manager for Ypsilanti's Department of Public Services, about the plan and what it means for the community.

Each week, WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Sarah Rigg, project manager for "On the Ground Ypsi," about an online story from Concentrate Media focusing on the Ypsilanti area.  This week, Lisa and Sarah talk with Suzanne Van Dam from the "Circles Program," part of "Friends In Deed" based in Ypsilanti, about how they have been able to stay connected and support local families even during a global health crisis.

Ypsilanti resident Christian Usera is publishing an international magazine featuring art and artists.  Lisa Barry and Sarah Rigg talk to him about his unique background and his effort to bring attention to art and the work of artists of color and other marginalized groups in "U Magazine."