David Fair

For more than 30 years on WEMU, Thursdays have meant "Cinema Chat"! After three-plus decades, David Fair is stepping away from WEMU and into retirement, so this will be his last opportunity to talk movies. For 30 of David's 32 years at WEMU, he co-hosted "Cinema Chat" with the former head of the Michigan Theater Foundation and Marquee Arts, Russ Collins. Those two will get together one last time to reflect on their time together and their time with you.

WEMU General Manager Molly Motherwell has spent the entirety of her tenure at WEMU with Michael Jewett on the air. David Fair came just a few years later, but these three have grown up together on the air and in this community. Molly sat down with Michael and David as each of these longtime hosts steps into retirement at the end of the day Friday.

Meet the new host of "Issues of the Environment." You know her as a former state Representative and former state Senator from Ann Arbor. Rebekah Warren served as chair of the House Great Lakes and Environment committee and in a number of other environmental leadership roles. Since leaving office, Rebekah has founded, and is President and CEO of Adaptive Strategics, which puts environmental issues front and center. Now, she will steward the conversations about our environment, right here in Washtenaw County. For his last go-round as host, WEMU's David Fair sat down with Rebekah Warren and talked about the future of "Issues of the Environment."

Meet the new host of "Washtenaw United"! Decky Alexander will step in to explore issues of equity and opportunity in our community as David Fair steps into retirement. Decky's presence in the community has been felt in a number of sectors. You may know her as the Director of the Office of Engage@EMU. She is also a professor of Applied Drama and Theater. Her commitment to community service and engagement will serve her well in her role as host of Washtenaw United. She sat down for a conversation with David as she prepares to begin, and he brings his hosting duties to an end.

The weather outside is warm right now, so why not cool off with a good flick? WEMU's David Fair is joined once again by Marquee Arts' own Nick Alderink to chat about the new films landing on the big screen and downtown Ann Arbor's next round of special screenings.

There is a species of butterfly so rare, its worldwide population is limited to 10 highly fragmented pockets in Michigan and Indiana. Washtenaw County is among the areas where you'll find the Mitchell's satyr. Efforts to save the species continue and come via some radical habitat preservation strategies. WEMU's David Fair shares more about the local effort to prevent extinction in a conversation with Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission Stewardship Planner Allison Krueger.

There are a good number of families in Michigan and here in Washtenaw County that have children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Many of them don't go as far in life because there isn't enough opportunity available. Kerry Kafafian is among those parents. That's why, back in 2005, she began working on creating and developing a community for her son. 21 years later, the Many Hands Lifesharing Community is coming to fruition. Kerry joined WEMU's David Fair to tell her story on this week's "Washtenaw United."

Because of federal funding rollbacks for environmental programs, city and local governmental units are looking to more public-private partnerships. With Ann Arbor looking to become carbon neutral by the year 2030, such partnerships are crucial. WEMU's David Fair talked with the Director of the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, Missy Stults, on the importance of expanding such partnerships.

As uncertainty and need continue to grow, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation continues to invest and provide grants to help ride some of the funding gaps. WEMU's David Fair explored the successes and challenges with the foundation's president and CEO, Shannon Polk.

It's a special fundraising edition of "1st Friday Focus on the Environment." For a final time, WEMU's David Fair co-hosts this segment. He's joined by his co-host of more than 25 years, Lisa Wozniak from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. And they're also joined by the original co-host and co-founder of 1st Fridays, Lana Pollack, the former state Senator from Ann Arbor, President of the Michigan Environmental Council and U.S Chair of the International Joint Commission.