SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MY PET PAL meet my pet pal: KIMBERLY and ELSA Why those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity have pets and why it is important to support that How did you and your pet find each other? Elsa is from Wisconsin. She was for sale in the newspaper $150. Tell us a few things about Elsa. Elsa is crazy; she loves people, dogs and cats but doesn’t always show it appropriately. She’s a herding dog. She will chase anything that runs. She has a lot of tics, things she doesn't like, such as bicycles, flyswatters, weed whackers, wheels, snapping, clapping, fireworks, vacuum — I could go on. She’s likely to chase those things. What rewards do you get from having a pet? Elsa saves my life all the time. When it can be really sad out here, I always have Elsa. I hug and hold her. She won’t leave me for anything. What is a challenge of having a pet while experiencing homelessness/poverty/economic exploitation? I’m in my vehicle. Summer is hot and it costs me more money to run the A/C for my dog when she has to be left in my vehicle. And winter is cold so I need more heat, more gas. My money runs out a lot of times for her vet visits but it’s important to me she stays up to date on shots an her vet care. My dog gets overwhelmed and stresses out from the streets. A lot of times she won’t eat her food until the middle of the night after we’ve been alone for a while. What is something our readers should know about your pet if they see you both on the street? Elsa loves people. You can pet her. If you’ve never met her she might bark at you at first, then she’s okay. She’s really protective of me out here. GROUNDCOVER NEWS AAATA from last page a few proposed “Bus Hubs” across the urban county and reconstructing the Ypsilanti Transit Center. June 22, 2026 Ypsilanti City Council approved the sale of their parking lot behind the YTC (between Pearl, Washington and Adams Streets) to the AAATA for $705,000. The area will be redeveloped to include more indoor passenger waiting areas and to double the space for buses, costing an estimated $23 million. In cooperation with DDA and local government leadership, TheRide wants to improve and strengthen the overall network of bus transportation. There are proposals for “Bus Rapid Transit” which include continuous upgrades and coordination of services. 7 Look for TheRide wayfinding around the downtown area!
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