Sherwood Forest

April 2002 Tattler

Mar 19, 2002

OUR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING WILL BE HELD ON
MAY 14

What better harbinger of spring than the announcement of the annual meeting of the Sherwood Forest Association? This year the meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 14, at All Saints Church, West Seven Mile Road.

6:30 p.m. - Potluck supper. Bring a hot dish, a salad, dessert or bread for eight to ten people. Everything else will be provided.

7:30 p.m. - Business meeting and welcoming of new residents. Special guest speaker.

A representative of Pinkerton Security Services will be present at the meeting to respond to your questions and concerns about our private patrol service.

If you would like to assist with the potluck supper, or if you have questions, call Florence Gantz at 861-1315.

Remember than even if you cannot make it to the 6:30 potluck supper, your attendance at the 7:30 business meeting is important to all of us.

I look forward to meeting neighbors, old and new, on Tuesday, May 14.

Lois Primas
President
Sherwood Forest Association


GESU COMMUNITY GREEN

Gesu Community Green is a community park being developed at Oak Drive and McNichols. Although it is on Gesu Parish property, it is open to the community as a whole, and Sherwood Forest residents are encouraged to use it.

So far, there are two beautiful play structures for children, a brick paver labyrinth and planted grass and trees. As more funding becomes available, benches, tables and a drinking fountain will be installed, along with a shade trellis, independent play components, gardens and a fence. Once the fence is installed, a Junior Master Gardener Program will begin for young people in the community.

There will be construction at Gesu Community Green this summer, but it already is a pleasant place to play, so take your children and check it out.

We are seeking grant money for the project, as well as financial support from our residents. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to this project, send your check to Gesu Community Green, 17204 Oak Drive, Detroit, 48221. If you have questions, call project coordinator Anita Sevier at (313) 345-5004.






CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE
TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Sherwood Forest's own Patricia Vance, who lives with her husband Bill on Berkeley, was recently named Michigan's High School Science Teacher of the Year. Pat teaches at the Roeper School in Birmingham. We send her our admiration and congratulations!


DETROIT RECEIVES GRANT TO REOPEN BELLE ISLE'S FLYNN PAVILION

Detroit has received a $490,000 Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program grant from the National Park Service to be used to restore Belle Isle's Flynn Pavilion and reopen the island's canoe/kayak/bicycle/ice skate rental facility.

"This grant will enable us to make several improvements to Belle Isle to restore some of the activities that Detroiters once took for granted on the island," said Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who added that the Detroit Recreation Department will provide $210,000 in matching funds for the project.

The Flynn Pavilion, built in 1949 by famous architect Eero Saarinen, has been closed for many years. Canoe and bicycle rentals have not been available on the island since the mid-1970's. The rental facility, historically such an important part of the Belle Isle experience, will accommodate rentals of canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, bicycles, in-line skates, cross-country skis, snowshoes and ice-skates. There will be food services as well.

The facility will offer canoeing on 2.2 miles of canals and two interconnected lakes located on Belle Isle. The restoration activities are a part of the Belle Isle Master Plan, which in February received the 2002 Outstanding Master Plan Award from the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association.

Restoring Belle Isle consistent with Detroit Recreation Department's proposed Belle Isle Master Plan is one of the six priorities of the Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative. Belle Isle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1998, the Detroit River was named one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in the United States. The American Heritage River Initiative is a program designed to support local communities in their efforts to enhance economic development, promote environmental stewardship and celebrate history and culture. In July of last year, the Detroit River received a Canadian Heritage River designation, making it the first international heritage river system in North America.


THE FRIENDS OF THE BURTON HISTORICAL COLLECTION ESTABLISHED

The Friends of the Burton Historical Collection was recently established as an ancillary organization of the Friends of the Detroit Public Library. Its purpose will be to promote public awareness of the Burton Collection and encourage its use by researchers and the general public. The organization also hopes to increase financial support to promote the welfare of the Burton Historical Collection. The first meeting of the new group was held in December of 2001.

Many Sherwood Forest residents are already familiar with the Burton Collection. They have used it to research the history of their own homes and of the neighborhood generally. It is one of the largest genealogical and local history collections in the United States.

To learn how to become a "Friend" of the Burton Collection, contact Marianne Dorais at MDORAIS@Detroit.lib.mi.us or The Friends of the Detroit Public Library at www.Detroit.lib.mi.us/friends.


WHILE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY, TRY THE NEW JAVA THREE COFFEE SHOP

A wonderful new coffee shop is open during regular library hours in the Cass Concourse. Java Three features a Harlem Renaissance theme with a mural by Detroit artist Ulysses Newkirk II. The mural looks like a Harlem cityscape during the Renaissance era, but a closer look reveals that the buildings are actually tall books. The menu is inspired by notable literary figures of the Harlem Renaissance and includes "Langston Hughes Latte" and "Zora Neale Hurston Hot Chocolate."


Main Library hours are noon to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.


SHERWOOD FOREST BOARD SEEKS
NEW MEMBER

Would you like to give something back to the wonderful community that you call home? If so, consider becoming a member of the Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association. Attendance at one monthly meeting and participation in the work of one of our standing committees is all that is required, and you will know the satisfaction of making a very tangible contribution to the well-being of Sherwood Forest. Please call me today and tell me that you are interested.

Lois Primas, Board President
(313) 863-0167


THE "THIS OLD HOUSE" LIST IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE TO LOOK WHEN PLANNING SPRING PROJECTS FOR YOUR HOME

Accompanying this Tattler is an updated and expanded "This Old House" list. The businesses on this list have been used and recommended by your own neighbors. However, this list is not the only source you may want to consult in planning your spring "fix-up" projects for the home. Detroit's Historic District Commission, located at 65 Cadillac Tower, Suite 1300, keeps lists of roofers, window companies and general contractors. It also keeps a resource file on products and manufacturers, with information on doors, windows, painting, roofing materials and decorative elements such as molding, trim and shutters. You can make an appointment to view the commission's materials by calling (313) 224-8907 or (313) 628-1094 or faxing your request to (313) 224-1310.


ELECTION NOTICE

The Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association is made up of fifteen members, with each member serving a three-year term. The terms are staggered so that the terms of five of the fifteen members expire each year.
It is the time of year when we elect five members to the board. According to the by-laws, nominations for these positions are made in the following ways:

1. By recommendation of the nominating committee.
2. By any five members of the association nominating a candidate by the following procedure:
a. Obtain the consent of the candidate to serve.
b. Furnish a letter containing the name of the candidate to a member of the nominating committee no later than May 8, 2002. The letter must be signed by at least five association members and should include the candidate's address, occupation and a brief statement of his or her interests and aspirations for Sherwood Forest.

Candidates must be willing and able to attend monthly meetings and participate actively in committee work. Each board member has at least one committee assignment. We encourage residents to run for these positions. Our board and community are only as strong as the residents who volunteer their time and talent to help maintain Sherwood Forest.

Only members of the Sherwood Forest Association may participate in the election. Call our treasurer, Sue McMillan, at 862-6366 to verify that your dues are paid.

Respectfully,

Marcia Baum and Gail Rodwan
Nominating Committee

A REQUEST FROM THE EDITOR

Every time I send a Tattler or other notice to our on-line readers, at least 15 or 20 are returned to me as "undeliverable." Often it is because a resident has changed his or her e-mail address and neglected to notify me. Sometimes it is because the e-mail address I have for a resident is simply incorrect. At any rate, I am having a challenging time trying to keep our neighborhood e-mail list accurate and current.

If you want to read your Tattler and other important community notices on-line, and you have not been getting e-mail from the Sherwood Forest Association, please notify me at rodwan@attglobal.net. If you are willing to receive your Tattler exclusively on-line, please notify me of that as well. You will make a very tangible contribution to the Sherwood Forest Association budget by saving us the cost of printing and postage.

Remember that the Sherwood Forest web page is found at www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest. Through this web page, you can read the Detroit New and Free Press on-line, get the most up-to-date-weather information, find links to city departments and other neighborhood organizations, find our own Sherwood Forest community calendar, the "This Old House" list, back issues of the Tattler, and so much more. Get in the habit of clicking on www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest. Equally important, keep me informed about your current address.

Gail Rodwan, Editor