September 2010 - East English Village

Cadieux
Outer Dr./Whittier
www.eastenglishvillage.org
A community of choice since 1913
Harper
September 2010 • Volume 34, No. 9
Mack
President’s Message
Be on watch for squatters
W
ell, the summer of
2010 is finally over. I
can’t remember one
so hot for so long… but it did
help the neighborhood in a
unique way. The grass didn’t
need to be cut so many times at
our Emma homes in EEV!
August General Meeting
Report
• Announced three winners
of the landscape contest
• Recruited volunteers for
cleanup of problem property on
Yorkshire and Linville
• Presentation by 36th
District Court candidate, Wendy
Readous
• Collected donations to
cover the association’s cost of
cutting grass at vacant homes.
Thanks to everyone who gave to
the worthwhile cause.
Illegal Occupancy
A topic of growing concern is
squatters in EEV. We all know
the sad issues at hand — bad
economy, people losing the place
they call home, etc., but we continue to deal with illegal occupancy. Everyone needs a place to
live, but to be a strong and safe
neighborhood we need to be a
solid community of residents
paying for their dwelling and
their city services. I urge you to
2010 Beautification
Contest winners
T
First Prize: Jim and Beckie Themer,
5315 Kensington, win a $175 gift
certificate from Hammer Time
Hardware at Audubon and Warren.
he Themers were selected by our Judge Barry
Burton, a non-EEV resident,
based on the simple beauty
of the overall appearance of
the home and garden.
All three winners have
Wednesday,
September 8:
Community
Meeting at St.
Clare Social Hall,
1406 Whittier at
Mack, 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays: East
Warren Farmers
Market, Warren at
Bishop, 10 a.m.-3
p.m.
Save
the Date
See PRESIDENT,
next page
By Brad Dick, Residential
Chair, East English Village
Calendar
homes on the corner so you
can really see the work and
love that go into making
their homes true works of
art. Jim and Beckie have
been in their home for 24
years. Beckie loves gardening — she has been an avid
See CONTEST, page 6
THANKS TO OUR DISTRIBUTION SPONSOR
Maxey Lincoln Mercury/Ford
16901 Mack, Detroit
313-885-4000 • www.bobmaxeylm.com
Wednesday,
October 13:
October
Community
Meeting
Wednesday,
November 10:
Bulk Trash Pickup,
north of Warren
Friday, November
12: Bulk Trash
Pickup, south of
Warren
Wednesday,
November 15:
Deadline for Snow
Removal
Contributions
Sunday,
December 12:
EEV Holiday Party
Page 2
East English Village
September 2010
East English Village information
Officers
President: William Barlage, 884-0554
[email protected]
1st Vice President: Terri Shaw
[email protected]
2nd Vice President: Bee Davis, 882-3169,
[email protected]
Treasurer: Tanya Cleveland
[email protected]
Secretary: Debbie Brady, 886-7360,
[email protected]
Mailing address
P.O. Box 241009, Detroit, MI 48224
East English Village message line:
313-216-1729
[email protected]
President
Continued from Page 1
call property owners or real
estate companies to report
unlawful dwellers.
Uncaring or unwilling
“neighbors” can create a
sense of loss and fear to live
here. WE as a neighborhood
of choice with many proud
neighbors should continue to
be supportive of the world’s
issues in and around our lives
but we must band together to
resolve this problem! We can
do this by being attentive and
socially responsible, by
reporting property issues and
by being forthright in our
decision making when it
comes to homeownership.
Street representatives
Committees
Outer Drive/Whittier: Ray Kyser, 213-4087
[email protected]
Chandler Park: Ray Kyser, 213-4087
[email protected]
Kensington: Beckie Themer, 882-3188
[email protected]
Yorkshire: Brian Watson, 215-1428
[email protected]
Bishop: Mark Tirikian, 885-7521
[email protected]
Grayton: William Pugh
[email protected]
Harvard: Joe Balistreri, 310-3957
[email protected]
Cadieux: open
Commercial: Terry Shaw, [email protected]
Residential: Brad Dick, [email protected]
Senior Services: Susie Rookard
[email protected]
Newsletter Committee: Helen Broughton 224-5209,
[email protected]; Diana McNary, [email protected]; Jackie Cayton, Steve Babson,
Nancy Brigham and David Nicholson
Lost Pets: Karlene Trump, 882-2579
Volunteer Safety Patrol: Marie Cierpial, 510-4470
Welcoming/Hospitality: Debra Peterson
[email protected]
Seasonal Maintenance: Walter Strong
[email protected]
Webmaster: Charlie Ericson,
[email protected]
Recycling: Fred Vitale, [email protected],
580-4905
Note: If you have questions or wish to volunteer for one of the committees, please use
the appropriate email address listed here or
call the EEV message line, 313-216-1729.
Discretionary Foreclosure
We have made a commitment to buying a home or
renting a property in a very
nice neighborhood. That commitment is positive unless you
decide to let your property go
for personal gain. We all have
gone through very tough
times — job loss, personal
losses, pretty much everything
one can go through with
regard to money. And yes, in
some cases, residents had to
foreclose or move due to dire
straits.
The problem in our area,
and across the county, is the
neighbor who decides it is a
good financial decision to just
walk away. One neighbor
recently asked me after she
found out the neighbor had
moved out that day — what
did she do to deserve an
empty house next door? Why
did this neighbor not ask for
help or try to sell it? We have
so many caring and engaged
neighbors but the few who
won’t or can’t bring themselves up to the plate endanger the greater good. Not
understanding the impact of
our actions on others will not
just be problem in our neck
of the woods, but anywhere
we might live.
Strong Attitude
The challenges we battle
have increased, yet we have
many people who volunteer
on a regular basis in EEV to
reinforce our neighborhood.
Unfortunately, some continue to belittle the efforts put
forth on their behalf. Please
be supportive of the hard
work of our volunteers!
Keeping the village strong
will continue require all of
our fortitude, creativity and
solidarity — we must work
together and fight back. This
is your opportunity to make
your space brighter, safer
and a just a great place to
live.
In past letters I have
expressed the hope of seeing
you at the next meeting; now
I expect and need your attendance.
Best regards,
Bill Barlage, President
September 2010
East English Village
Page 3
Around the Neighborhood
EEV resident Bob O'Brien plays to the crowd at August's
Film on the Hill at Balduck Park.
Friends of the Alger
Theater board president,
Marc Tirikian, at the
August Film on the Hill.
For more information
about the Alger Theater
or to get involved, visit
www.algertheater.org
Page 4
East English Village
September 2010
Around the Neighborhood
Bikes old, new, classic and recycled on
display at Detroit’s
second annual
Road/Track Bicycle
Show and Swap
Meet sponsored by
Bike Tech’s Brian
Pialetek.
Snow in September?
By Debbie Brady
f it seems unusual to talk about
snow in September, just think of
this as a friendly reminder that we
are asking all EEV residents to contribute $35 per household to pay
for snow removal during upcoming the winter 2010-11 season.
Snow removal on the side
streets is not free, nor is it paid for
by the City of Detroit. We need all
who use the roads to help keep
them clear and safe for travel during heavy snowfall.
The association monitors the
weather and amount of snowfall,
along with upcoming weather
changes to determine when to
plow. The decision is a difficult one
when we are working with limited
money collected. Without a
marked increase in participation,
we will not be able to plow at
every heavy snowfall. Please do
not let this be the end of our neighborhood streets staying safe for all
of us to drive on during the winter.
You can also mail your payment using the coupon in this
newsletter. We also have a PayPal
option at the EEV website,
www.eastenglishvillage.org . I am
happy to accept your checks at our
monthly meeting. For more information, contact me at
[email protected]
Please remit your payment by
November 15 to see your name in
the December newsletter.
I
September 2010
East English Village
Page 5
People of interest... who’s in EEV?
By Jackie Cayton
o you know a fascinating person or two in the
neighborhood? We are asking people to submit the
D
names of interesting East
English Village residents to
be interviewed for articles in
future newsletters.
They would be asked
questions about how long
they’ve lived in the area,
what they like about it, and
what types of changes
they’ve seen in the neighbor-
hood.
We would also want to
know their stories; what
type of work they do, hobbies, interests, etc. It would
be a great way to get to
know some of the people in
the neighborhood and to
highlight the accomplishments of our neighbors and
friends.
It would be helpful if you
could ask them first if they
would agree to an interview,
and then provide contact
information, such as an
email address or a phone
number. Contact information
will not be printed in the
articles. Please submit the
names to
[email protected].
Page 6
MHS Pet
of the Month
Hi, I’m Jill, and I’m
about the most
adorable little kitten
you’ll ever meet! I am
just two months old,
but I know that I’d
love to find my forever companion. Could
it be you? My friends
at the Michigan
Humane Society’s
Detroit Center for
Animal Care say that
I’m very friendly and
that I love to play and
be petted. My adoption fee includes sterilization, age-appropriate vaccinations,
microchipping and
more! Please visit or
call me at 313-8723400 and provide my
pet ID number,
11036878.
East English Village
September 2010
Contest
Continued from Page 1
gardener since childhood, having learned to love it while
working with her grandmother
on the family farm.
In the spring of 2010, Beckie
and several EEV residents
obtained their certificates in
Master Gardening from Wayne
County. When I asked Beckie if
you had to be a Master Gardener
to have a beautiful garden, she
replied “no, you just to have an
Second Prize: 4536 Bishop, $100 gift certificate from
instinct for the care and love of
Hammer Time Hardware at Audubon and Warren
plants and gardening.”
Some of Beckie’s favorite
plants are hostas and bright colored flowers. Beckie especially
loves Michigan native plants —
the state of Michigan is known
for its excellent soils and Detroit
has excellent soil that hasn’t been
stripped of its top soil like many
suburban communities. Beckie
loves sharing advice on gardening and after a glass of wine she
is known to dig up some of her
plants for your garden! Beckie
wants East English Villagers to
Third Prize: 16500 Chandler Park Drive, $100 gift certificate
know that it takes a small
from Hammer Time Hardware at Audubon and Warren
amount of money to have a
beautiful garden through plant
homes. We encourage ALL
shrubs trimmed. Remember
sharing. Beckie and Jim invite
EEV’ers to take pride in
that a neat appearing propfellow residents to drive or walk
their homes. You don’t have
erty keeps all of our properby their home and enjoy their
to have a garden like the
ty values up and makes East
garden and say hello to their
winners. Just please mow
English Village a nice place
dogs Sidney and Lucy!
your yards, edge your sidefor good people to live, play,
Again congratulations to all
walks,
and
keep
your
and raise their families.
the winners and their beautiful
September 2010
East English Village
Page 7
Pride of ownership: Reaching goals
through positive thinking
By Jackie Cayton
hen you meet
Jason McHenry,
one of the first things
you are likely to notice is
his enthusiasm. Jason
has lived in East English
Village for about 4
months. He is enthusiastic about his new neighborhood, his upcoming
vacation to Mexico, and
especially his floor refinishing business. His
company is called The
Hardwood King, and he
specializes in restoring
old floors.
Jason has lived in
Indian Village as well as
other areas of Detroit.
He decided to move to
East English Village after
observing the pride of
ownership people in the
area have for their
W
homes. He also views
EEV as a safe and quiet
environment, one in
which he hopes to someday raise children. He is
already practicing “pride
of ownership” himself,
since he has refurbished
his fireplace and is in the
process of remodeling
his entire kitchen in his
new home.
After doing lots of
reading on the subject,
Jason developed a business and life philosophy
that involves positive
thinking. He believes
one of the ways people
can help create success
in their lives is by focusing on positive outcomes. He approaches
the goals he has set for
himself with an attitude
that they are possible to
achieve, even though
obstacles may exist.
Rather than thinking, “I
can’t,” Jason prefers to
think, “How can I?”
With eight years of
experience refinishing
floors behind him, Jason
also installs new floors
and custom wood
inlays. He offers discounts for seniors and
will provide “tons of references” upon request.
“Hardwood floors can
increase your home’s
value and are easier to
maintain than many
other types of flooring,”
says Jason. You can contact him at his office,
(313) 923-0874 or his cell,
(313) 477-4290. He is
eager to serve East
English Village residents
and others.
Jason McHenry
Lowe’s grants 100K to Clark School
L
owe’s Charitable and
Educational Fund
announced they would
award $100,000 to Next
Detroit Neighborhood
Initiative for improvements
to Clark Elementary School
on Bremen in the
Morningside community.
The funds will be used to
build in-classroom
library/computer stations
in each classroom and to
create a demonstration
kitchen for healthy foods
education.
Principal Cindy Lang
was delighted with the
Clark Elementary School
news. “I am so happy.
Thank you so very much
for choosing Clark. Our stu-
dents are going to be so
excited when they hear of
this wonderful opportunity
that has been afforded us
through Detroit
Neighborhood Initiative
and Lowe's Foundation.
Libraries in every classroom. What a wonderful,
wonderful blessing.”
The school will be
launching a new college
prep program this fall with
the intention of teaching
children of all ages that
they can and will move on
to higher education.
Principal Lang’s vision is to
make Clark School a high
performing DPS school of
choice for the East Side.
Page 8
East English Village
September 2010
Lowe’s Heroes: EEV Neighborhoods Day
L
owe’s of Harper Woods
and Lowe’s of S. Clinton
Township honored East
English Village this summer
by choosing our neighborhood for their annual Hero’s
Project. Lowe’s Heroes
Volunteer Program helps to
improve the communities
around the world. Each store
comes together and identifies
a local improvement needed
in the community.
On Saturday, August 7,
2010, the Lowe’s Heroes
arrived with landscape
bricks, paving materials, tools
and plants plus Lowe’s store
employees to make a difference in three different locations throughout the East
English Village community.
The work was directed
by Lowe’s store
manager, Pat
Clifford,
Lowe’s nursery specialist,
Sharon
Amsler and
Oldcastle representative, Chris
Mangus.
In the hot summer sun
EEV volunteers joined the
Lowe’s Heroes to build a
brick corner improvement on
The new EEV identification sign on Chandler Park Drive at Cadieux is completed! Thank
you to all our donors including, EEV residents, St. Clare Montefalco Athletic Association,
Bob Maxey Lincoln Mercury Service Department and Next Detroit Neighborhood
Initiative. Thanks also to Lowe’s of Harper Woods and Lowe’s of S. Clinton Township for
landscaping the sign!
the business lot at
East Warren and
Cadieux, to
plant materials
around the
new EEV sign
and to clean up
along the gas stations on Harper at
Cadieux. The new corner wall, near the bus stop
and across from the future
Finney High School, was
designed to allow for casual
seating and to improve the
school route for Finney students.
Lowe’s generously donated plant and building materials, paint, labor and at the
end of the day donated all of
the tools used to EEV’s tool
supply! Thank you Lowe’s
for your significant investment and for helping East
English Village to take another step in making the neighborhood a more safe and
beautiful community for all.
September 2010
East English Village
Page 9
Neighbors rescue woman, son from fire
By Debbie Brady
am very excited to tell you
about this month’s
Everyday Heroes, Mike and
Teresa McAlpin of Bishop
Road. Although this happened over 18 months ago,
the actions they took on
December 13, 2008, saved
the lives of two neighbors
they had never met before!
As they sipped their coffee on that cold, snowy
morning, Teresa and Mike
looked out the kitchen window and noticed what
looked like blinking
Christmas lights in the front
window of Maureen Gillis’
house across the street. On
second glance, they realized
it was more than blinking
lights… it was the flickering
flames of a house fire! After
calling 911, they quickly
went into action. While
Teresa continuously banged
on the front door and called
out to the homeowner, Mike
broke the front window,
making another escape route
if Ms. Gillis could not find
the front door through all
the thick, blinding smoke.
Maureen was sound
asleep and completely
unaware of what was happening. Thankfully, Teresa’s
loud and persistent banging
on the front door aroused
Maureen and helped her to
find her way out of the
burning house! The elation
of Maureen’s safety was
short lived when she told
them that her son Stephen
Blackwell was trapped in the
basement bedroom, unable
to get to the first floor due to
smoke and flames.
With quick thinking,
Mike broke open the basement window, and along
with the miraculous appear-
I
ance of a male
passerby, was
able to pull
Stephen out from
the basement
window! The emergency
response team arrived shortly thereafter and treated
Maureen and her son.
Maureen stayed a few days
in the hospital for smoke
inhalation and Stephen was
treated and released.
Mike and Teresa feel that
they did nothing heroic at
all, but rather that their
actions were what anyone
else would have done.
Maureen Gillis calls them
Mike and Teresa McAlpin
her heroes and she will be
forever grateful for their
actions that day. Maureen
also feels that there was
divine intervention that
organized the sequence of
events leading to her and
Stephen’s rescue: from
Teresa sleeping later than
usual, to having coffee in the
kitchen instead of her room
which put her in the right
place to notice the fire, along
with the appearance of a
kind passerby. All seemed to
be orchestrated by a power
bigger than all of us! Any
delay in response would
have changed the outcome.
Thank you to Teresa and
Mike Alpin for being EEV
EVERYDAY HEROES!
Please help to continue to
make this a regular feature
in our newsletter by nominating your neighbor. We all
know someone who goes
above and beyond to help
keep our neighborhood safe
and clean, which in turn will
continue to keep EEV as a
“Neighborhood of Choice.
You can contact me through
email: [email protected] or phone: 313886-7360. Thank you to
Andre DiTomaso and Janet
Langlois for nominating
Mike and Teresa McAlpin.
(October is Fire Safety and
Prevention month, so remember
to change the batteries in your
smoke detectors).
Page 10
East English Village
September 2010
Page 12
East English Village
September 2010
Advertise here!
To place an ad, please call 313-216-1729 or email [email protected]
The EEV Newsletter printing and distribution is fully funded by our advertisers. PLEASE give them your business as appropriate, LET THEM KNOW you have seen their ad and THANK THEM for their contribution!
DETROIT ENTERPRISE ACADEMY & DETROIT MERIT
CHARTER ACADEMY Now accepting applications for the
2010-2011 school year for kindergarten through the eighth
grade. At National Heritage Academies, we believe that a quality education is the foundation for a successful life. We also
believe that every child is capable of excelling academically, so
we’re firmly committed to providing the support and resources
to help our students understand and realize their potential. Join
us at a Parent Information Meeting or Open House to learn
more about how NHA is changing lives. For more information,
visit us on the web at http://detroitenterprise.heritageacademies.com and http://detroitmerit.heritageacademies.com.
Experienced Keyboardist Wanted for Sunday Morning
Worship. Bethany Christian Church at Cadieux and Linville.
Call 313-885-0909.
All Types of Doors-Best price on security doors and bars.
Free Broadview Alarm System with any purchase. Call
today for a FREE ESTIMATE. Chuck at 313-737-7957.
Marie’s Lawn Care. Exquisitely cut lawns, carefullytrimmed shrubs, nicely edged walkways. Reasonable rates.
Neighbor references available. 313-510-4470
Musicians: Eastside Lutheran church looking to create
modern Christian music service. If you play guitar, bass,
drums, any other instrument or sing, email
[email protected].
The Step Man — Concrete specialist. I do steps, porches
and masonry work. Always working in the neighborhood.
Call 586-709-6661.
EEV Resident is Attorney who can assist you with legal
issues, including but not limited to, Power of Attorney/Last
Will and Testament/Medical Power of Attorneys drafted at
low cost. Don't let your loved ones guess about your wishes. Contact Attorney Lynda Hodges at 313-962-4483 for a
FREE consultation.
Certified heating and cooling repair. EEV resident. Call
Bob at 313-885-7113
Roof leaks repaired with written guarantee. Gutters
cleaned and repaired. New gutters and downspouts
installed. Tuck pointing – porches and chimneys. Area resident. Call John at 313-886-3824. Free estimates.
Lawn mowers and snowblowers for sale. $50 and up.
Call Michigan Lee 313-881-9524.
Arts and Scraps Fabric Sale
The Annual 3 Ton Fabric Sale will be held Saturday
Oct. 2 through Sat. Oct. 9.
Sat. Oct. 2, 10 - 4: grocery bags $8
Tues. Oct. 5, 11 - 6: grocery bags $6
Thurs. Oct. 7, 11 - 6: grocery bags $6
Sat. Oct. 9, 11 - 4: bags $4, 3 for $10
Arts & Scraps - 16135 Harper - Detroit, Michigan 48224
Do It Guys — We will install, repair, service, fix or clean
just about anything! HW tanks, furnaces, appliances, A/C,
plumbing, cars, gutters, cement work, minor home repair.
EEV resident. Call Ray today at 313-885-3381 or 313-213-4087.
Tutor an Adult. The Dominican Literacy Center needs
tutors! We have people on our waiting list. Give two
hours a week in basic reading or basic math. If you can
read you can tutor. Tutor Orientation September 13, 6-7:45
PM. Tutor Workshop October 15-16. Call 313-267-1000 or
[email protected]. www.dlcliteracy.org.
Detroit Children’s Choir TOURING CHOIR AUDITIONS Open to ALL DETROIT AREA CHILDREN ages 8
– 14 on Saturday, September 11, 2010, 9:30 am -12 noon,
Pincus Music Education Center at the Max M. Fisher
Music Center, 3711 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48201.
ALL interested singers MUST phone Director, Mrs. Carol
Schoch @ 248.819.7191 for an audition appointment time.
Rehearsals will be held weekly beginning on Saturday,
September 18th 9:30-11:30 am. For more information
about Detroit Children’s Choir please visit our website at
www.DetroitChildrensChoir.org.
Items for Sale:
Girl’s dresser and armoire: $100 or best offer
Boys bunk bed/dresser: $150 or best offer
Marble cocktail table: $100
Kitchen bar table: $50
Air hockey table: $150 or best offer
Desk: $50
20 in TV: $100
Queen/King headboard w/two nightstands: $100
Fireplace set $50
Microwave: $50
Please call 313-587-9762 if interested.
WJU Services - Bill Urbine. Landscaping General Labor,
Reasonable Rates. EEV Resident. Contact william.urbine@
att.net or 313-434-3177. No job too big or small!
August 2010
East English Village
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