Sherwood Forest

October 2003

Sep 30, 2003

YOU ARE INVITED TO A NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18

Skip and Barbara Rosemond, in collaboration with the Sherwood Forest Association, will host our final meet and greet social event of the year at their home at 3230 Cambridge on Saturday, October 18, from 4-7 p.m. You can reach the Rosemonds at (313) 215-0643 or (313) 837-9355 (office).

Please bring a non-alcoholic beverage and a creative dish to share. Suggested items are hors d?’oeuvre, meat, salad, fruit, side dish, dessert, etc. Coffee and cider will be provided.

Spend a few hours with your Sherwood Forest neighbors on a beautiful fall Saturday. We look forward to seeing you on October 18 at the Rosemonds!

If you have questions about the party, call Social Committee chairperson Al Greene at (313) 861-0554.


TRICK-OR-TREATING IN SHERWOOD FOREST ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31

If you want to have trick-or-treaters come to your home on Friday, October 31, leave your front porch light on between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. We ask that children trick-or-treat only during those hours and that adults accompany them.

Please park cars in your garage or driveway on Angels?’ Night and on Halloween, and remind guests to park in your driveway rather than on the street. Drive carefully and watch out for young children in costume.

With everyone?’s cooperation, we look forward to another happy Halloween celebration in Sherwood Forest.

The Sherwood Forest Association will not sponsor a Halloween party at All Saints Church this year. However, some special events for children are in the planning stage, and they will be announced in the Tattler soon.

A HALLOWEEN MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR?’S OFFICE

Every year, Detroiters have turned on porch lights and ?“adopted?” vacant buildings on Angels?’ Night and Halloween. Because of the efforts of these volunteers, the city has been able to reduce drastically the number of arson-related fires on Halloween. This year, the effort is being extended to the three-night period from October 29 -31.

If you can volunteer, please call this special number: (313) 224-4415. To get more
information about all the ways in which you can become involved in the 2003 campaign, visit these special web sites: www.angelsnight.org or www.ci.detroit.mi.us.

Each of us can help out in small ways by leaving porch and other outside lights on between dusk and dawn on October 29 through October 31 and by calling emergency number 9-1-1 if we see suspicious activity. The Detroit Fire Department has an arson tip line at (313) 962-7766.

Parents of children under the age of eighteen are reminded that a curfew will be in effect on October 30 and 31 between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Children who are out on city streets during those hours are to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

For information on city-sponsored Halloween parties for children, call the Recreation Department at (313) 224-1100 or the Belle Isle Casino at (313) 852-4075.


ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2003-2004

At the September meeting of the Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association, the following members were re-elected as officers for the new fiscal year, which begins on October 1:

President: Lois Primas
Vice-President: Michele Davis
Secretary: Marcia Baum
Treasurer: Sue McMillan

Our thanks to these dedicated neighbors who do so much for all of us. The association wants to work with every resident to make Sherwood Forest the very best neighborhood it can be. If you have suggestions or concerns, or if you want to volunteer to work on one of our many important standing committees, call Lois Primas or any member of the board at the numbers listed on the first page of this Tattler.


TAX ACTION GROUP

High property taxes are a problem in many communities, but they are a particular concern in premier Detroit neighborhoods like Sherwood Forest. Our high tax rates can make it difficult to attract new buyers and retain existing residents; they thus contribute to the ongoing population decline in the city.

In response to this problem, a group of neighbors in Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, and University District have been meeting with one another and with city officials to explore political and legal solutions.

To understand the tax problem, three issues need to be distinguished:

1) Proposal A: In 1994, Michigan voters passed Proposal A, which limits the growth of property tax assessments. Proposal A caps your "taxable value" so that it does not increase more than 5% (or the rate of inflation, whichever is less) in any given year. The good news is that, even if your home doubles in value this year (we wish!), your taxes will not increase by more than 5%. The bad news is that, when a home transfers ownership (or undergoes major renovation), the taxable value is "uncapped" to reflect the home's current value. That is why new homeowners sometimes find themselves paying as much as twice or three times in taxes as the previous homeowner. (Typical annual city and county property taxes for new homeowners in Sherwood Forest range from $7000 to $12,000). Such an increase can be rather shocking for new homeowners. However, this problem is not unique to Detroit and is not a main focus of the Tax Action Group.

2) Excessively high assessments: One problem that does appear unique to Detroit is that of irregular (and often excessively high) assessments of homes in comparison to their true market value. Several homes that have sold in the last few years in Sherwood Forest are being taxed as if they were worth considerably more than their actual market price. For example, one home on Shrewsbury which sold for $255,000 is being taxed on a market value of $310,000; another nearby which sold for $245,000 is being taxed on a market value of $295,000. Attempts to rectify such problems by appealing to the Board of Review in February often seem to fall on deaf ears.

3) Detroit's high millage rate: Detroit's property tax (millage) rate is substantially higher than that of its surrounding communities. Yet despite these higher tax rates (more than double that of some of the suburbs), we have inferior city services. When you combine these burdens with our city income tax, higher insurance rates for homes and cars, and the higher maintenance costs associated with our older homes, the result is a substantial set of disincentives for living in the city.

Fortunately, despite these challenges, many of us continue to recognize the tremendous value of living in Sherwood Forest, with its magnificent homes and friendly and diverse residents. The Tax Action Group will continue to work to ensure a fair tax burden for all those residents.

For more information, contact John Corvino at j.corvino@wayne.edu or (313) 861-0979.


OCTOBER 1 MARKS NEW FISCAL YEAR

If you have not already done so, you will soon receive in the mail a bill for $45 for your annual Sherwood Forest Association dues for 2003-2004. You will note that the amount remains the same as last year. That $45 membership fee is the best bargain around. Your dues support dozens of projects and activities that help make this neighborhood a great place to live. Last year was most productive, and the Association anticipates another busy year ahead.

When your dues notice arrives, please return your payment promptly and help assure that flowers will get planted, snow will be removed from our streets, property restrictions will be enforced and your Tattler will continue to keep you informed about community issues and happenings. When you return your check, please take the time to fill out the portion of the form that asks for your e-mail address. E-mail is an increasingly important link among neighbors and is the best way to disseminate vital information quickly.

If you have questions about the status of your membership, call our treasurer, Sue McMillan, at 862-6366.


GESU BOOK FAIR

You are invited to the Gesu Elementary School Scholastic Book Fair, which will be held from October 26-29, 2003. On Sunday, October 26, the Book Fair hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Dictionaries are the special focus of the fair. Two outstanding dictionaries are available for young readers at a cost of only $3.99 each. The school hopes that in addition to filling the needs of your own family, you will help Gesu put a dictionary in the hands of every child at the school. The cost is low and the benefit is enormous. Donations are tax-deductible. For information, call Gesu Library volunteer Ann Kerwin at (313) 861-5760.


CHECK OUT OUR PERSONALIZED
COMMUNITY CALENDAR

One of the easiest ways to keep up to date on what is going on in our community is to click on our own neighborhood web page at www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest. Then go to the section called ?“Community Calendar.?” The ?“Community Calendar?” is updated on a weekly basis and includes the dates of meetings, events, invitations from various organizations, including other neighborhood groups, as well as the dates of our monthly bulk pickup. If you have an event that you would like to have included on our community calendar, call Gail Rodwan at 342-5827 or e-mail her at Rodwan@attglobal.net.

If you have not started receiving your Tattler on-line, you don?’t know what you are missing. Not only will you get your Tattler faster than your non-electronic neighbors, you will also receive notices of special neighborhood events. You e-mail address will not be shared with any other organization. Contact Gail Rodwan today with your e-mail address.