Sherwood Forest

July-August 2005

Jul 13, 2005

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE NEIGHBORS WHO ARE HELPING KEEP SHERWOOD FOREST BEAUTIFUL THIS SUMMMER

Many neighbors work diligently throughout the year, but particularly in the summer, to help keep our neighborhood looking its best. Our special thanks go to Ernest Thompson for maintaining the walk-thru at Chesterfield and Warrington, to the Stallings and Benson families for their tireless work in Canterbury Park, to Pat Shay and Gail Rodwan for maintaining the area around the Sherwood Forest sign at Pembroke and Canterbury, and to Herbert Dibble for doing the same at the entrance sign at Seven Mile and Parkside.

There are many others whose names I may not know who routinely pick up litter or pull a few weeds as they walk about the neighborhood. I do not know who planted the daisies at the sign at Pembroke and Renfrew, but they look wonderful.

To all, I extend my special thanks on behalf of all your Sherwood Forest neighbors.

Florence Gantz
Reforestation Committee

DO YOU NEED A TREE IN THE PARKWAY IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME?

If you do, you must let me know by sending a check made out to the Sherwood Forest Association no later than August 15.

I am happy to report that after a hiatus in its tree planting program, the city has decided to resume for fall what has been a very popular and beneficial reforestation program.
If the parkway area of your property is without a tree, send a check for $25 to Florence Gantz at 19621 Canterbury. While the city previously charged $50 for each tree, and may charge more this year, the Sherwood Forest Association will pay whatever the amount is beyond your $25 contribution. This is our way of encouraging residents to keep Sherwood Forest a true forest.

If you have questions about the tree planting program, or about your eligibility for a tree, please call me right away at 313-861-1315.

Please be aware that if you currently have an ash tree planted in the parkway in front of your home, you should not expect the city to remove it anytime soon. However, the city has no objection to homeowners removing ash trees at their own expense. Given the terrible ash borer blight, this may be something you will want to consider.

Florence Gantz
Reforestation Committee


WE ARE CITY PEOPLE, AND CITY PEOPLE ARE WISE ENOUGH TO BE WATCHFUL

Although we have long prided ourselves on living in one of the safest communities in metropolitan Detroit, we know that crime
can happen anywhere. One need only pick up the newspaper or listen to the news to know that those who say, ?“It can?’t happen in my neighborhood?” are fooling themselves.

Each month the Sherwood Forest Association receives crime statistics from the Twelfth Precinct for the area from Seven to Eight Mile, Livernois to Woodward. In the last two months, there have been a small number of armed robberies on the street. One was in Sherwood Forest, where a resident was robbed in her driveway around 6:00 p.m. Another was on Seven Mile at Parkside. There have been several cars stolen in the general area for which we receive statistics. The rate of crime in Sherwood Forest has been lower than in the neighborhoods that surround us. But, of course, we are really one neighborhood, just as we are one city, and one crime is one too many.

We are fortunate to have a patrol. We know our patrol is making a difference. But this year, as every year, we struggle to maintain patrol membership at a level that permits us to provide the coverage we need. Last year we had enough members to expand modestly the hours of daily coverage. We hope to continue that expanded coverage throughout this fiscal year. But unless we increase our membership, that simply will not be possible.

The new fiscal year for the patrol began on June 1. In spite of the excellent service provided by RCN Security Corporation, many of last year?’s subscribes have not renewed their membership. If you have never been a member of the patrol, or if you are a former member who has neglected to renew your subscription, please send your check for $360 to the Sherwood Forest Association at P.O. Box 21031, Detroit, MI 48221. Now, more than ever, we need your support of the patrol.

Even with the patrol, we need to watch out for our neighbors and ourselves. We need to look around as we enter and exit our homes and cars and report suspicious strangers to the patrol driver or to the police. We are a community and, as a community, we must work together to help assure our safety.




RESIDENTS ENJOY SPRING MEET AND GREET

On May 22, Sherwood Forest residents enjoyed an afternoon of good friendship and good food at a Sunday Meet and Greet at the home of Sheila and Katy Cockrel. We thank the Cockrels for their wonderful hospitality, and we thank Social Committee chairperson Al Greene for organizing another great event in the neighborhood.

NEW RULES FOR TRASH PICKUP

Some of our residents were surprised in June and July to discover that garbage trucks drove right by Courville containers with yard waste inside. While according to city trash pickup rules yard waste is to be saved for bulk day, and not placed in Courvilles, that rule was not stringently enforced until recently. Be aware that on bulk collection day yard waste is to be separated from other bulk items, and the bulk total at any one house is not to exceed one cubic yard or 1,000 pounds. Call the Department of Public Works at 313-224-2215 for an estimate on the cost of collection of bulk that exceeds one cubic yard.

Remember that bulk can now be dropped off at the following locations, open to Detroiters with proper identification, Tuesdays through Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.:

?• Davison Yard ?– 8221 W. Davison
?• Southfield Yard ?– 12255 Southfield Service Drive
?• 5840 Anthon ?– between Calvary and Campbell
?• 9915 Conner and Chelsea ?– next to CVS
?• State Fair Yard ?– 19715 John R

Also, Detroiters can drop off electronic equipment for recycling at the Chene-Ferry Recycling Center at 2263 E. Ferry at Palmer on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The center is seeking the following items for recycling: computers and computer equipment (printers, scanners, toner cartridges and batteries) fax machines, VCR?’s, cable boxes, TV?’s, typewriters and cell phones.

For more information, call 313-876-0140.



NEW CITY DEPARTMENT IS DEVOTED TO ANTI-BLIGHT ENFORCEMENT

In January of this year, the city created the Department of Administrative Hearings (DAH) to provide an independent system for quickly hearing and resolving property maintenance, zoning, solid waste and illegal dumping violations.

Police officers, city inspectors and Neighborhood City Hall mangers are authorized to issue Blight Violation Notices to those who disregard city ordinances designed to keep Detroit clean and healthy.

Blight violations are now civil cases. They formerly were processed as criminal misdemeanors in 36th District Court, where they became part of a backlog and were not effectively prosecuted. That has now changed, and residents are subject to fines of up to $10,000. Those who do not pay their fines will experience collection action, including wage garnishment and/or property liens. The DAH has three hearing divisions:

?• Property Maintenance, which includes: failure to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, inoperable vehicles, failure to maintain exterior of property, failure to comply with emergency orders and rodent infestation.
?• Zoning, which includes: change of land or building use without a permit and failure to obtain required certificates.
?• Solid Waste and Illegal Dumping, which includes: early bulk placement at the curb, early or late placement of resident garbage containers at the curb, improper storage of solid waste and illegal dumping.

The Department of Administrative Hearings in located at 561 E. Jefferson, between Beaubien and St. Antoine. Hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call the DAH at 313-224-0098 or click on the DAH web site at www.detroitmi.gov/dah.


ONE NEIGHBOR?’S STORY OF HOW SHE TRIED (AND IS STILL TRYING) TO GET STREET LIGHTS TURNED BACK ON IN SHERWOOD FOREST

The Detroit Historic Neighborhoods Coalition (DHNC), of which Sherwood Forest is a member, has had a frustrating few months trying to deal with the city on the issue of neighborhoods (like our own) which are without street lights for long periods of time.

The coalition?’s president, Kim Schroeder, recently met with Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams about the lighting issue in particular, but also about the lack of other city services in the neighborhoods, and she reports that she came away from that meeting feeling that Deputy Mayor Adams was entirely non-responsive and noncommittal.

Ms. Schroeder provided Sherwood Forest with the following suggestion: Speak directly to James Coon of the Public Lighting Department. His number is 313-267-7202. If you are lucky enough to speak with Mr. Coon, tell him that Sherwood Forest?’s lighting outage problem is on his DHNC list, and that as a taxpayers we need more information about why our community has been without street lights for the past several weeks.

I sympathize with Ms. Schroeder. I have my own story about the Public Lighting Department. After several useless calls to 311 (the highly publicized ?“One Call to City Hall?” number), I was told of a special number to report lighting outages, 313-224-0500. My call to that number this morning (I am writing this on July 12) was switched automatically to 311. On explaining that all of Sherwood Forest has been without street lights for approximately a month, I was told our situation qualified as an emergency, and my call was transferred to someone who deals with emergencies. The man I spoke with reported that Sherwood Forest was checked today and ?“there is trouble with the wiring.?”

He told me someone ?“might?” be coming out to the neighborhood today. I told him that if we still are without lights two or three days from now, I would like to call him again. He said that would be fine. I asked his name. He answered, ?“Mr. Smith.?” I asked his first name. He said he could not give out that information. I asked his direct phone number. He said he could not give out that information, but that I could call 311!

I guess I should have asked him the name of the department?’s director. The Public Lighting Department?’s web page doesn?’t provide that particular piece of information, though it does list Victor Mercado as the Utilities Operations Chief. Victor Mercado is the Director of the Water and Sewerage Department as well.

Perhaps if enough of us try to call Victor Mercado, James Coon, or anyone else we can think of, we can get our lights back on ?– not to mention the additional problem of getting our streets fixed. There are at least a half a dozen spots in Sherwood Forest where street repairs were never completed, apparently because of drain and sewer problems. Some of those spots have been left unattended for more than a year, in spite of our requests for repair. The ?“Customer Service?” number for the Water and Sewerage Department is 313-964-9090.

The Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association and organizations like the Detroit Historic Neighborhoods Coalition cannot do this work alone. We need more voices. Please make yours one of them.
Gail Rodwan


DETROIT HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

Remember to check with the Detroit Historic District Commission before making renovations to the exterior of your house or grounds. This includes things like a new roof, driveway or sidewalk, a change in paint color, and removal of trees or large shrubbery. Go to our Sherwood Forest web page at www.neighborhoodlink.com./detroit/swoodforest for a link to the commission?’s very informative web page, or go directly to the web page at www.ci.detroit.mi.us\historic. Call the commission at (313) 224-8907 or 224-6538, or send a fax to 313-224-1310. Do not rely on your contractor to get commission approval for projects that affect the exterior appearance of your home. This important step in any renovation is the responsibility of the homeowner.

A REMINDER: It is not too late to join the Sherwood Forest Association this year. Send your $45 check to Sue McMillan, Treasurer, 19494 Shrewsbury, Detroit, 48221, and know that you are helping to maintain our beautiful community.

BULK PICKUP DATES

Monday, July 25
Monday, August 22*
Monday, September 26

*Remember that bulk pickup is on the fourth (not the last) Monday of the month, and bulk should not be placed at the curb earlier than the day before the pickup date. August 2005 is a month with five Mondays.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTION: www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest

Are you reading this Tattler on-line? If so, you are getting your neighborhood news days before ?“snail mail?” subscribers, and the Sherwood Forest Association is using the postage saved for other neighborhood events and projects. If you are not on the on-line subscription list and would like to be, contact Gail Rodwan at Rodwan@sbcglobal.net.