Michigan Municipal League May/June 2023 Review Magazine

BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

The first of these is a virtual letter-writing workshop called "Dear Reader: The Power and Meaning of Letters." Postcards will also be available at an in-person Writers Room event Oct. 22 that's part of YpsiWrites' anniversary celebration. Anyone interested in hosting their own postcard-writing event can also request postcards by emailing ypsiwrites@gmail.com. The Love Letters to Ypsilanti project is just one part of what will be over a year-long celebration of the city's bicentennial. The bicentennial committee's plans include a New Year's Eve kickoff, a special homecoming event in 2023, a time capsule, and more. "My hopes and dreams are that the Ypsilanti bicentennial celebration will be an overwhelming success that will bring people back [to Ypsilanti] to celebrate, see the wonderful changes, and create lifelong memories for everyone involved," Sanders says. More information about the Love Letters to Ypsilanti project is available at www.ypsiwrites.com/ bicentennial-love-letters-to-ypsilanti. More information about the city's bicentennial is available at www.facebook.com/Ypsibicentennial Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com. This story originally appeared in Concentrate Media, which covers the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area from a solutions-oriented perspective. Read more at Concentratemedia.com.

The city formed a bicentennial committee to plan a year of festivities that kicked off with a New Year’s Eve celebration. “All year long, we're inviting present and former members of the community, and those with ties to Ypsilanti, to celebrate 200 years with us.” said Maria Skrzynski, marketing coordinator at Destination Ann Arbor. She has been working with the committee on the #Ypsi200 Facebook page. Events • New Year’s Eve: A kid-tested ball drop downtown at 7 pm then a Times Square-style ball drop at midnight • 4th of July celebration will reveal a time capsule buried in 1973 • Tours highlighting African-American history during the city’s Juneteenth celebration. • August 19 celebration featuring county and state officials, music, and historic site bus tours. • A Bicentennial History Book containing stories from 40 Ypsi authors. More information and updates on all events will be available at www.ypsireal.com/ypsi200/or the bicentennial Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Ypsibicentennial.

16 THE REVIEW

MAY / JUNE 2023