Ypsilanti Citizen Community ]]>

Volunteers prepare for Ypsi PRIDE Day
By Mark Tower
May. 13, 2010   ·   7:09 a.m.

Volunteers and W.H. Canon employees plant flowers in Depot Town while Ypsilanti resident Mike Labadie repairs the planter's brick work on Ypsi PRIDE Day last year.

Each year, residents in and around the city of Ypsilanti carry on a tradition started by a group of community members enrolled in a city leadership program, a sort...read more

Bicycles zoom as flowers bloom
By Citizen staff
Apr. 30, 2010   ·   2:11 p.m.

Riders from last year's spring ride come in after a long trip. Bike Ypsi’s 2010 Spring Ride and Festival is from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday at Recreation Park (1015 Congress Street).

The weather has turned, the trees are budding and the flowers are popping out of the ground; time for a cruise through town. But don’t be so quick to hop in the...read more

Sheriff Clayton visits Ypsilanti Township
By Mark Tower
Apr. 29, 2010   ·   12:59 p.m.

Ypsilanti Township resident Kathleen Hanadel takes notes as her and other residents attempt to asses WCSO services Tuesday evening at a community forum held at the township's community center.

About 50 Ypsilanti Township residents gave the Washtenaw County Sheriff Office their input about law enforcement in the community Tuesday evening.

The information...read more

Local photographer raising funds for Ypsi Project exhibit
By Adrienne Ziegler
Apr. 20, 2010   ·   2:20 a.m.

Ypsilanti resident Nicholas Beltsos his grandson Demetrios were photographed by Project Ypsi photographer Erica Hampton during a bike ride she took Monday. A former EMU economics professor, Beltsos and his family moved to Ypsi from Dearborn in 1967.

Ypsilanti has many faces, and Erica Hampton wants to share a few of them with you.

Over the past year, Hampton created the The Ypsi Project, a series of portraits...read more

Savoy taking shape as live music venue
By Dan DuChene
Apr. 17, 2010   ·   2:38 p.m.

Local funk band Third Coast Kings play in Ypsilanti's newest live music venue, Savoy, Friday night.

Ypsilanti's newest concert venue is preparing for its grand opening weekend April 23, more than a month after its soft opening March 13.

Formerly Club Divine,...read more

Ypsi's got talent

Bombadill's

Molly Hunt shows off at festival

By Charnika Jett
Aug. 17, 2009    ·    10:38 a.m.


Fifteen-year-old Ypsilanti resident Molly Hunt won’t be enjoying the entertainment at this year’s Heritage Festival. Instead, she’ll be providing it. 

Known as “the little girl with the gigantic voice,” Hunt will perform at the Heritage Festival 3 – 4 p.m. Saturday. 

This aspiring country-singing superstar might be pint-sized, but she has already made her mark on Michigan, opening for local acts like the Oakridge Boys and chosen as one of the top five Detroit Super Singers.   

But before she could receive all the praise that her talent provided, she had to be persuaded by her pastor that she had any to begin with. 

“My children’s pastor at my church was great,” Hunt said. “He focused on every kid and found what their talent was and kind of encouraged them to pursue and follow that.  

“He found that I was a good singer,” she said. 

Hunt was only 6 years old when she entered her first singing contest at a children’s fine arts competition, where members form churches all over Michigan came to compete in a number of different categories. Hunt competed in the female vocal solo category and walked away the winner. 

“I actually won because of him telling me to pursue singing,” she said. “I just kept practicing and practicing, and it eventually paid off.” 

As they saw the potential in their young daughter’s talent, both Hunt’s mother and father took on the role as her manager, as Hunt decided she wanted to make a career out of this.  

“[My mom] and my dad have done a fantastic job and they have been helping me keep in contact with all the fairs and festivals and kind of keep in touch and really help pursue to get me out there,” Hunt said. 

Although that happened to be her first competition, that definitely wasn’t her last. While Hunt is a couple of years away from being an adult, she’s not afraid to compete with them when it comes to getting one step closer to her dream.  

“I am comfortable competing, but as I watch other acts go on, I’m like ‘I hope I win because they are fantastic,’ ” Hunt says of her experiences.  

However, judges must think Hunt is fantastic too, as the young singer won an opportunity to open for former Disney star Raven Simone. 

“I was like, ‘whoa,’ ” Hunt said about meeting Simone. “She was very, very nice. 

“It was fun,” she said. “I got to talk to her very briefly because she was very guarded.” 

When a career is going as smoothly as Hunt’s, it’s hard to force yourself to create a back-up plan if things don’t go your way, but Hunt is realistic when thinking about her future. 

“I do want to go to college,” Hunt said. “I kind of want to go to Belmont [University and study] business management.” 

Hunt, who credits Celine Dion as her biggest influence, will perform cover songs at the Heritage Fest. A live band will accompany her on stage. 

As for being as big as other younger stars like Miley Cyrus and having constant controversy surrounding her, Hunt says ‘you can forget about it.’ 

“I don’t want to try to make myself,” Hunt said. “I don’t want to do anything way out there just to get my name everywhere. 

“I would rather be appreciated for my music and who I am as a person, not trying to do things on purpose,” she said. 

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