It's October in Ypsilanti, everyone!  Autumn is here, and many fantastic events in Ypsilanti remain throughout October. Please see the recent YpsiReal article on events of Ypsilanti in October, including First Fridays, Ypsi Freak Fest, Holy Bones Festival, Black Cat: A New Nightmare, the All Hallows Illumination of Frog Island, and more! Visit the link below, or please refer to our city calendar.

https://www.ypsireal.com/ypsioctober/

MDOT to Begin Milling and Paving Michigan Ave in Downtown Ypsilanti

Weather permitting, the Michigan Ave roadway sections will be closed for the next two weekends beginning Friday, October 6th. The area of Michigan Avenue will be paved for the first time in many years and include crosswalks for pedestrians, bringing a safer roadway for all users.

Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced they would commence weekend milling and resurfacing work of Michigan Ave in Downtown Ypsilanti beginning Friday, October 6th, starting at 6 PM through Monday, October 9th, halting at 7 AM. With the construction resuming the following weekend, Friday, October 13th, 6 PM, through Monday, October 16th, 7 AM.

While a contractor is restoring the infrastructure, we have multiple community events each weekend.

The sections of the roads that will be closed are Michigan Ave from Hamilton to the Huron River and Huron from Michigan to Pearl for the milling work. The North Huron Parking lot will be closed during this time.

Suggested Detour(s):

Eastbound traffic will be directed south on Hamilton to east on Harriet to north on Prospect; Westbound traffic will be directed north on Prospect to west on Cross to south on Hamilton.

The city’s snow ordinance and abatement procedures go into effect on October 16th, 2023. Please be advised of the following:

1. Snow must be removed from sidewalks and parking lots within 24 hours of first accumulation of one inch (1”) or more. 
2. Ice must, if practicable, immediately be removed from sidewalks and parking lots. When immediate removal is impracticable, sand, salt or other chemical or materials must immediately be used and then ice must be removed as soon as practicable.
3. Only one (1) warning for abatement will be left at any parcel per snow season. Further violations will result in abatement without additional notices left at the property. The property owner/agent is responsible for abatement costs.
4. A citation will be issued for every violation, even the first. Fines increase each offense.
5. A five-foot (5’) path must be maintained on sidewalks at all times to be in compliance. (Properties with public sidewalks less than 5’ in width must be cleared to the edges of the paved areas).

Ypsilanti City Code Chapter 94, Section 94-135(a) defines the “snow season” as October 1st through May 31st. Failure to comply with abatement notice will result in the city’s contractor being hired to correct the violation, with all costs for services invoiced to the property owner/agent. Further information may be obtained through the Code Enforcement Division at (734) 482-9626, or at www.cityofypsilanti.com/codeenforcement.

Leave the Leaves this Fall

Leave things a little wild in your city or campus this fall! Leaves, hollow and pithy stems, brush piles, dead wood, soil, and flower heads all provide important winter shelter for many invertebrates, including native bees. 

• Bumble bee queens burrow an inch or two into the earth to hibernate for winter. An extra thick layer of leaves is welcome protection from the elements.
• Tunnel-nesting solitary bees, such as leafcutter and mason bees, need narrow tunnels or other tiny spaces in dead wood, hollow stems, or brush piles.
• Red-banded hairstreak butterflies lay their eggs on fallen oak leaves, which become the first food of the caterpillars when they emerge.
• Luna moth caterpillars spin their cocoons in leaves, which fall as trees shed their foliage and lie hidden on the ground. 
• Woolly bear caterpillars tuck themselves into leaf piles for protection from cold weather.

Fall Cleanup in Moderation

Leaving the leaves and other plant debris doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your yard to the wilderness. The leaves don’t need to be left exactly where they fall. You can rake them into garden beds, around tree bases, or into other designated areas. Too many leaves can kill grass, but in soil they can suppress weeds, retain moisture, and boost nutrition. 

Avoid shredding leaves with a mower. Raking or blowing are alternatives that will keep leaves whole for the best cover and protect the insects and eggs already living there.

If you decide you need to clean up the leaves and debris in spring, make sure you wait until late in the season so as not to destroy all the life you’ve worked to protect. 

Every Little Bit Counts

What should you do with all those fallen leaves you're not sending to the landfill? Here are some tips:

1.  Let leaves stay where they fall. They won't hurt your lawn if you chop them with a mulching mower.
2. Rake leaves off the lawn to use as mulch in garden beds. For finer-textured mulch, shred them first.
3.  Let leaf piles decompose; the resulting leaf mold can be used as a soil amendment to improve structure and water retention.
4. Make compost: Combine fallen leaves (“brown material”) with grass clippings and other “green material” and keep moist and well mixed. You’ll have nutrient-rich compost to add to your garden next spring.

Leaves in Landfills

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, leaves and other yard debris account for more than 13 percent of the nation’s solid waste—a whopping 33 million tons a year. Without enough oxygen to decompose, this organic matter releases the greenhouse gas methane, says Joe Lamp’l, author of The Green Gardener’s Guide. In fact, solid-waste landfills are the largest U.S. source of man-made methane—and that’s aside from the carbon dioxide generated by gas-powered blowers and trucks used in leaf disposal.

Removing leaves also eliminates vital wildlife habitat. Critters ranging from turtles and toads to birds, mammals and invertebrates rely on leaf litter for food, shelter and nesting material. Many moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in spring.

Leave the Leaves: Winter Habitat Protection | Xerces Society

Why You Should Leave the Leaves (nwf.org)

This Fall, Leave the Leaves! | USDA

Leave the Leaves! - Ecological Landscape Alliance (ecolandscaping.org)

Leave the Leaves for the Fireflies | Home & Garden Information Center (clemson.edu)

Reginald Dent

School Crossing Guard

Ypsilanti Police Department

Reginald has a passion for helping his city. His role entails watching for gaps in traffic and safely walking children across the roadway or intersections while holding a stop sign in such a manner as to be visible to approaching traffic.

Cory Armstrong

Firefighter

Ypsilanti Fire Department

YSO kick-off in October

YPSILANTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OPENS ITS 25^th ANNIVERSARY SEASON ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL WITH SPECIAL CONCERT CELEBRATING YPSILANTI’S BICENTENNIAL 

CONDUCTED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR ADAM C. RICCINTO

Join YSO in celebrating Ypsilanti and 25 years of making music for the community with the season opener featuring local jazz great Paul Keller and friends in Keller’s Ypsilanti Orchestral Jazz Suite.

Music Director Adam C. Riccinto and the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra (YSO) are returning to the stage to launch their 25^th anniversary and celebrate the 200^th birthday of its hometown of Ypsilanti. The YSO invites audiences to the Lincoln High School Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 15 at 3:30 p.m. to hear this special, one-of-a-kind concert program, including musical selections connected to the history of Ypsilanti and celebrating the orchestra’s relationship with the city. The concert’s highlight is the return of special guest Paul Keller and friends to the orchestra to perform Keller’s Ypsilanti Orchestral Jazz Suite, composed as a commission for the YSO and premiered by the orchestra in 2010. The concert also includes the YSO-commissioned Unsung Heroes for brass and percussion by local composer, musician, and educator Brooke Pierson, as well as Africa, a Symphonic Poem for orchestra by African American composer William Grant Still.

“We can’t think of a better way to kick off YSO’s 25^th season than by celebrating our home base of Ypsilanti and honoring the legacy of this rich and historic city,” said Music Director Adam C. Riccinto. “The orchestra will be playing an exceptional program, including jazz artist and composer Paul Keller’s fantastic five-movement Ypsilanti Orchestral Jazz Suite, which the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra premiered back in 2010. We are so thrilled to bring Paul Keller, his ensemble, and this important work back for this event, along with several other meaningful works that will make for a uniquely special musical experience.” 

The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra is proud to present this concert in collaboration with the Ypsilanti Bicentennial Commission, Eastern Michigan University Department of Music and Dance; Lincoln Consolidated Schools; WEMU 89.1; The City of Ypsilanti; and Ypsilanti Township.

To read the entire press release, click here.