Sherwood Forest

October 2001

Oct 02, 2001

HALLOWEEN PARTY FOR SHERWOOD FOREST CHILDREN ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

Games, prizes, refreshments and special goodies for every child to take home are just a part of the fun planned for the Sherwood Forest Halloween Party on Saturday, October 27, at All Saints Church, 3837 West Seven Mile Road. The party will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:00 p.m. All children through the age of 12, and their parents, are invited.

The Sherwood Forest Halloween Party has become a not-to-be-missed event for our neighborhood. Volunteers are needed to help make this year's party the best ever. If you can donate candy or other refreshments, if you can help with pre-party preparations, or if you can help at the party itself, please call Carl Hardin at 341-8196 or Michelle Davis at 345-7120. And on Saturday, October 27, put on your most creative costume and join our young neighbors for a ghoulishly good time.

A HALLOWEEN REMINDER ABOUT TRICK-OR-TREATING

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

On Halloween night and the night before Halloween (Angels' Nights), leave porch lights on between dusk and dawn. In years past, a few cars left on the street had their windshields broken. Please park cars in your garage or driveway, and remind guests to park in your driveway rather than on the street. Drive carefully and watch out for young children.

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

A special reminder: Thursday is our trash pickup day, and many residents are in the habit of putting their trash at the curb on Wednesday night. Halloween week, we ask that you put your trash at the curb before 7 a.m. on Thursday morning, instead of the night before, to avoid complicating Halloween Night activities and to help insure that trash containers do not hamper visibility of young trick-or-treaters as they cross streets throughout the neighborhood.


A HALLOWEEN MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE

Every year, Detroiters volunteer to patrol neighborhoods, turn on porch lights or "adopt" a vacant or abandoned building during the Halloween season. Because of the efforts of these volunteers, the city has been able to bring the number of arson-related fires down on Halloween.

The anti-arson campaign includes a Neighborhood Patrol Program, an Adopt-A-House Program, a Porch Light Program
(which requires no more than leaving outdoor lights on between dusk and dawn), the Eyes and Ears Program (which requires no more than looking outside frequently and calling 911 to report arson or acts of vandalism), and the Orange Ribbon Campaign, a show of support for the fight against Halloween arson. Additionally, volunteers are needed to provide logistic support "behind the scenes" at neighborhood city halls, police precincts and other locations.

To volunteer, call the Angels' Night Volunteer Hotline at 224-4425 or go to the city's web site at www.ci.detroit.mi.us.


WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO
HISTORIC DESIGNATION

On September 5, the members of Detroit's Historic Designation Advisory Board took a bus tour of Sherwood Forest, accompanied by Dr. Dennis Zembala, the director of the Detroit Historic Museums and a resident of Sherwood Forest. Following the bus tour, the board held a public hearing at the 12th Precinct on our request for historic designation. Advisory board members viewed a slide presentation similar to the one we saw at our May general meeting. The slide presentation was followed by remarks from members of the audience. Several of our neighbors spoke in favor of the designation; no one chose to speak in opposition.

Following the hearing, the members of the advisory board voted unanimously in favor of recommending to the Detroit City Council that Sherwood Forest be granted historic designation status. The recommendation must now be reviewed by the City Law Department, after which the council will take a formal vote on the recommendation.

We feel very good about our chances. Our thanks to Sherwood Forest Association board member Linda Jones for guiding us through this lengthy process.


A NEW FISCAL YEAR HAS BEGUN FOR THE SHERWOOD FOREST ASSOCIATION

Every household in Sherwood Forest recently received a dues notice for the fiscal year that runs from October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002.
Support for the Sherwood Forest Association is a long tradition in this community. The association was formed in 1929 and has been in continuous operation since that year. In fact, we recently were honored by Detroit 300 with a Heritage Award in recognition of our more than 50 years of service to the Detroit community.

Of course, we have existed that long only because neighbors have supported us by faithfully paying their dues year after year since 1929. Undoubtedly, the $45 annual membership fee is the best bargain in town. That money supports literally dozens of projects and activities that help make this neighborhood a great place to live. Now, more than ever, the Sherwood Forest Association is involved in major issues that will help chart the course of our community. Those issues include the future development of the Michigan State Fairgrounds, our application for historic designation (see above), our attempts to monitor the Seven Mile and Livernois businesses closest to our Warrington neighbors and our support for a city ordinance permitting the creation of special assessment districts. Under the capable leadership of Lois Primas, we anticipate another busy year ahead.

If you have not paid your dues for the new fiscal year, please support our efforts by sending your check today. If you have questions about the status of your membership, call our treasurer, Sue McMillan, at 862-6366.


OUR THANKS TO CARL HARDIN FOR ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD FUN RUN

Our August Fun Run was the best ever, as we celebrated not only our own community but also the 300th birthday of the city of Detroit. Our thanks to the following sponsors of the event:

Art on the Avenue
BP Gas 7 Mile/Livernois
Jo's Gallery
National City Bank
Superior Screen Printing
Terry's Enchanted Garden

Thanks to Carl Hardin for organizing the event again this year. Carl was assisted by many generous residents, including:Lana Hardin, Melanie Johnson, Aaron Johnson, Gina Douglas, Irving Douglas, Robert Hardin, Derek Hardin, Mie Hoshi, Henry Stallings, Linda Jones, Catherine Mayberry and Lois Primas.

















Fun Run 2001


THIS OLD HOUSE

Just in time for fall cleanup, you will find an updated version of This Old House with this Tattler. If you discover any outdated information on the list, please e-mail Gail Rodwan at Rodwan@attglobal.net or call her at 342-5827. Remember that you will always find the most recent version of the list on our web page, www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest. Also, please offer your own recommendations for our list.


TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE BUDGET SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER

The city of Detroit schedules two public meetings every fall at which representatives of six major city departments talk to citizens about how the departments are spending our tax dollars. These meetings help department officials gauge how well they are doing in delivering services, and they give citizens the opportunity to suggest how scarce city money should be spent.

The first meeting will be on October 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Dominican High School at 9740 McKinney. The second meeting will be on October 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Williams Community Center at 8431 Rosa Parks Blvd.

Representatives of the following departments will participate: fire, health, police, lighting, public works and recreation.

For more information, call 224-6260.


WALK 2001

Focus: HOPE extends a special invitation to all Sherwood Forest residents to be a part of its annual walkathon on Sunday, October 14, starting at 1:00 p.m. at 1355 Oakman Boulevard. Begun as an interracial volunteer movement in 1968, Focus: HOPE now employs more than 700 people and provides technology training programs, educational and corporate partnerships and food programs. For more information about the walk, call 494-5500 or click on to www.focushope.edu.


BECOME A REGULAR READER OF OUR
WEB PAGE

To get the most up-to-date information about the neighborhood, all you have to do is click on www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest. You can read the latest Tattler, as well as back issues, access a continuously revised This Old House list, consult a calendar of upcoming events or enjoy photos of our beautiful neighborhood. If you would like to read the Tattler exclusively on line (which we very much encourage), notify Gail Rodwan at Rodwan@attglobal.net.


DATES TO REMEMBER:

October 14 - Focus:HOPE Walk for Diversity

October 27 - Sherwood Forest Halloween Party for Children

October 31 - Halloween Night Trick-or-Treaters

November 6 - Election Day