Ypsilanti Jaycees return to park coordination duties after flap over festival name

The Ypsilanti Area Jaycees will resume coordinating events at Riverside and Frog Island parks.

After months of issues with the Depot Town Community Development Corp., the city decided to return the duties to the Jaycees.

“The Jaycees are here to help the city to perform a function that they can’t afford to pay someone to do,” said Laura Stimpson, general member and events coordinator for the Jaycees. “I feel bad for the other group because I feel they had good intentions.”

The Jaycees worked with the city to coordinate the event permitting process in the parks until last year, when Depot Town took over the job.

Earlier this year, Depot Town and Ypsilanti city administration disagreed about the name of a bluegrass festival to be held in September and the city council discontinued its contract with the organization effective July 26.

The bluegrass festival was originally marketed as the YpsiTucky Jamboree, but people in the area took offense to the name. The city asked Depot Town to change the name, but after discussions, the city council decided to cancel its contract with the nonprofit group.

Depot Town is still running the event, Stimpson said, but the name has been changed to The Jamboree.

City Manager Ed Koryzno said the city has started maintaining the parks again.

Erik Dotzauer, executive director of the Depot Town CDC, could not be reached for comment.

Jessica Kerman is an intern for AnnArbor.com. Reach our news desk at 734-623-2521 or news@annarbor.com.