Sherwood Forest

Tattler February-March 2001

Feb 15, 2001

SHERWOOD FOREST ASSOCIATION HONORED BY DETROIT 300

Detroit 300, an independent organization created specifically for the purpose of helping Detroit celebrate its 300th birthday this year through implementation of community programs, special events and permanent legacies, recently designated the Sherwood Forest Association a Heritage Organization. All Heritage Organizations were founded in Detroit and are now at least 50 years old. Linda Jones and Sue McMillan represented Sherwood Forest at a Cobo Hall recognition breakfast on January 31 honoring those groups selected as Heritage Organizations. They were presented with a plaque in recognition of Sherwood Forest's many contributions to Detroit over the years. A photograph of the plaque will soon be placed on the Sherwood Forest web page, www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest.

A Tiffany cup, specially designed for Detroit's 300th birthday, was unveiled at the January 31 breakfast. The $25,000 sterling silver cup is inscribed with the names of the more than 900 Heritage Organizations, including Sherwood Forest. The cup is on permanent display at the Detroit Historical Museum.


SHERWOOD FOREST RESIDENTS URGED TO ATTEND MARCH 2 CITY COUNCIL MEETING

On Friday, March 2, the Detroit City Council will hold a hearing devoted to the concerns of Detroit's historic neighborhoods. The hearing will be at 10:00 a.m. in the 13th floor auditorium of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center (formerly the City-County Building). Sherwood Forest residents are urged to attend.

Although many areas of concern may be addressed at the March 2 meeting, the primary focus will be on issues surrounding public lighting. As residents know, Sherwood Forest and many other of Detroit's historic neighborhoods have taken a position against the installation of above-ground wiring for any new lighting system. Sherwood Forest has underground lighting now and would like to keep it. The Public Lighting Department takes the position that underground wiring is too costly.

The Detroit Historical Neighborhood Coalition (of which we are a member) suggests that this meeting is a good opportunity for Detroit neighborhoods to highlight for the City Council our strength and our common needs. If you would like to get a ride with a neighbor to this important meeting, call Sue McMillan at 862-6366 or Linda Jones at 863-8310.

NEIGHBORS PREVENT OPENING OF STAGE GRILL

In our November special Warrington edition, we reported on the efforts of Warrington neighbors to prevent the opening of a restaurant at 4140 W. Seven Mile. The Building and Safety Engineering Department had already issued a denial of the owner's request to open a carry-out restaurant
because of the owner's inability to comply with several site improvement requirements and operational restrictions. The owner was appealing that ruling, and the neighbors were getting ready to appear at a hearing regarding that appeal.

We are happy to report that at that November hearing, the denial by the Building and Safety Engineering Department was upheld, and the carry-out restaurant will not open.

Sherwood Forest residents owe a debt of gratitude to the Warrington neighbors who wrote letters, made phone calls, held neighborhood planning sessions, contacted surrounding neighborhood associations for support and, most significantly, made their voices heard at crucial public hearings on this matter. Their commitment to this community has prevented the opening of a business that posed a very real public health and safety threat to Sherwood Forest. Our thanks!



FROM THE MAYOR'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS: "WE WANT THE PRIDE THAT COMES WITH HAVING A CLEAN CITY."

The Office of the Mayor has sent Sherwood Forest a copy of the State of the City address that Mayor Archer delivered on January 9, 2001. Although that address is far too long to reproduce in its entirety here, residents should take note of the portion of the speech devoted to the city's current efforts to improve the appearance of Detroit.

The Mayor began by saying that virtually every group of citizens he has talked to in the last year has stressed the need to increase the pace of demolition of abandoned houses and commercial buildings, and every group complained generally about the city's physical appearance. He pledged that 1,100 dangerous vacant houses would be torn down between October of 2000 and March of 2001.

The Mayor acknowledged that while the city issues approximately 400 tickets per month for illegal dumping, with an average fine of $300, the city has been losing the battle against violators who "have created mounds of debris all over our city." In order to turn this situation around, the city has initiated a program to eliminate all illegal dump sites by October 28th of this year. It will begin using a state statute against illegal dumping, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 for each offense, rather than the city ordinance, which carries a fine of up to $500. City trucks and other heavy equipment will be used to cart away debris.

Detroit police officers have been instructed to issue tickets to drivers and pedestrians who throw trash on our streets, sidewalks and parks.

Candidates and campaign managers for this year's city elections have been asked not to put campaign materials on telephone or light poles or other public spaces. Election materials will be removed and election committees billed under an existing city ordinance. Any citizen who observes this kind of "guerrilla advertising," whether political or commercial, is asked to notify the police by dialing 311.

The city will try to more strictly enforce building codes for both businesses and residences, and homeowners and renters who put their trash out too late or too early will be ticketed.

The Detroit police have been directed to increase the ticketing and towing of abandoned vehicles with the goal of removing every abandoned vehicle from the streets of Detroit by the end of April of this year.

This year, rather than being on just one day, Clean Sweep will last for an entire week, from April 22 through April 28.

This all sounds great, and we in Sherwood Forest can do our part to help make it happen.


WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD NEIGHBORS

The Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association currently has two vacancies and is looking for some good neighbors who are willing to spend just a few hours each month to help make our wonderful neighborhood even better. From reforestation to special assessment districts, from historic designation to our security patrol, we as an organization have a plethora of projects to suit your interests and talents.

Serving on the Board of Directors of the Sherwood Forest Association is a genuinely rewarding experience. If you are interested, please call Lois Primas at 863-0167. We would be happy to have you attend one of our monthly board meetings before making a commitment.


ICARE UPDATE

Just when we thought we could stop worrying about the Michigan State Fairgrounds and the proposal to build a racetrack and outdoor amphitheater there, the issue is heating up again. The recent announcement that the Detroit Public Schools has purchased a piece of property on the southeast corner of Eight Mile Road and Woodward has raised new questions about what will happen with the fairgrounds. To keep all of our residents as up to date on this issue as possible, we have placed a link to the ICARE web site on our own Sherwood Forest web page. Just one click will take you to: www.explainamation.com/icare. The web site includes the most recent edition of the ICARE newsletter, "The Muffler," with articles on the status of the lawsuit, the SEMCOG report and Joseph Nederlander's most recent public statements about his intentions for the fairgrounds property.


VISIT THE SHERWOOD FOREST
WEB PAGE AT:
www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest

My thanks to the approximately 60 families who have e-mailed me at Rodwan@attglobal.net to say that they would like to begin receiving their Tattler on-line. For those families, this edition of the Tattler will be their last to be sent through the mail. They will get more up-to-date information and they will get it faster than residents who receive the mailed edition. For example, they can click on to the most current edition of the "This Old House" list. The money formerly spent on postage and mailing can be used to support other worthwhile neighborhood projects.

We have recently added two new links to our web page. One is to ICARE (see above article) and the other is to Detroit 300, the organization sponsoring Detroit's tricentennial celebration. Just click on www.detroit300.com to learn about the many tricentennial events to be held during 2001.

Please note that the Sherwood Forest web page includes photographs from the last Fun Run, as well as photographs of selected homes and gardens. There is a "Community Calendar," which includes the dates for bulk pick-up, and an interactive bulletin board called "Talk About It," where neighbors can share ideas, pose questions and discuss common concerns.

Won't you join your neighbors who already are enjoying the on-line Tattler. Let me know today that you are ready to read your Tattler on the web.

Gail Rodwan


ASSOCIATION DUES FUND CRUCIAL SERVICES

The Sherwood Forest Association is doing more than ever before, and we need your support more than ever before. Although our fiscal year began on October 1, 2000, many residents still have not mailed their $45 annual dues. If you are among them, please send your check to our treasurer, Sue McMillan, at 19494 Shrewsbury. We promise that every dollar will be well spent.


THIS OLD HOUSE

Just in time for spring, you will find an updated version of theThis Old House list with this month's Tattler. If in the course of using this list you find that any of the information on it is outdated, call (342-5727) or e-mail (Rodwan@attglobal.net) Gail Rodwan so she can make necessary corrections. Also, please share your recommendations for additions to the list.