It's Time To Think Garden
21feb2008
Lisa Bashert, Jessica Faul, and Lesley Chace are ready to accept registration forms for a plot in one of our three community gardens.

In 2004, with assistance from Growing Hope (www.growinghope.net), residents of the Normal Park and Woods Road neighborhoods in Ypsilanti established the Recreation Park Community Garden (RPCG). The response to the Rec Park garden was so great an additional location was sought. In 2005 West Middle School (WMS) offered gardening space for a school and community garden and construction of the WMS garden began in early April 2005.

The response to the Rec Park garden was so great an additional location was sought. In 2005 West Middle School (WMS) offered gardening space for a school and community garden. Construction of the WMS garden began in early April 2005. Also in 2005 the Midtown Neighborhood Association created their own community garden on North Congress Street.

Membership in the community gardens is open to everyone. People of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to participate. The hope is to accommodate all who wish to garden at these locations. Participants must register and will be assigned a garden plot in which to grow organic fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Please see the Community Garden page for Guidelines and Registration forms and  for more information on how to register for a plot.

Normal Parks Fifth Annual Night of Lights, Saturday, December 1
12nov2007
Welcome winter with an evening of strolling by luminaries and spending some time with your neighbors!

The NPNA will be selling luminaries kits for our annual Normal Park Night of Lights Celebration. Help us decorate our neighborhood for the evening by purchasing a kit or two to line your sidewalk or yard with luminaries.

Date: Saturday, December 1, (Rain Date: Sunday, December 2), Time: 6:00 pm

Light your luminaries, break out some cocoa or warm cider, and enjoy the warm glow of the luminaries with your neighbors.

Order forms are due by Wednesday, November 21. A limited number of extra luminary kits will be available at pickup, but we encourage you to pre-order your kits to ensure that you get the number of luminaries you would like! 

If you have questions please contact Megan Brown at 482-2181 or meg.jeff @ comcast.net, or Rebecca Dunkle at 482-9330 or rdunkle @ umich.edu.

The order form and more information can be found on the Night of Lights page.

NPNA General Meeting, Wednesday, November 7
29oct2007
The next NPNA General Meeting is at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 7th at the Senior/Community Center in Recreation Park.

Come on down to the Community/Senior Center at 1015 North Congress to catch up with your neighbors and enjoy a doubleheader of inspiration and information. We will meet at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 7; the meeting should end by 9:00 pm and light refreshments will be provided.

Our first speaker will be Congress Street neighbor Coralie Johnson, who will be reading from her book A Tree Grows in Trout Creek, recently published by Wildwood Press. 

A Tree Grows in Trout Creek is a collection of stories about growing up in the Upper Peninsula. It will take you on a wild ride down Memory Lane with a star struck young girl as she finds her way through the foxy forties and fabulous fifties.
Coralie Johnson’s work has appeared in such publications: Detroit News, McCall’s, Woman’s Day and Family Circle. She is retired from the University of Michigan and currently teaches as an adjunct lecturer for the Eastern Michigan University Women’s Studies Program. She is also the author of The Wishing Years.

She will have copies available for sale and autograph.

Second up will be Dave Strenski, who will talk about the options of using solar panels for home and business heating and power. He will tell us about the solar panels installed at the Ypsilanti Food Co-op and the latest project to get solar panels installed on City Hall to provide power there.

We will also be holding the NPNA elections. Elected officials are Co-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Neighbors interested in joining the board (anyone is welcome!) or running for one of our elected offices should contact the NPNA as soon as possible.

Feel free also to contact us with questions about the events or elections. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Come See the Normal Park Halloween Parade!
24oct2007

It's time for the annual Normal Park Halloween Parade!

We will gather on Saturday, October 27 at 3:45 pm (after nap time!) in front of West Middle School, on Mansfield at Grant. The parade will start at 4:00 pm and will head East on Grant to Oakwood and then South on Oakwood to Recreation Park, where we will gather at the Community/Senior Center for fun and refreshments.

Everyone is welcome, young and old alike. Children are encouraged (and older folks are welcome) to come in costume. Our neighborhood is radiant this time of year - come out and enjoy it!

We can still use the following items:
- 4 gallons of cider
- small cookies and/or donuts
- a CD/tape of spooky sounds or halloween music
- a piano player to meet us at the Senior Center
- noise makers/small musical instruments
- a pied piper(s) to accompany the parade

Set up will be from 2:30 to 3:30 at the Senior Center and treat drop-offs are welcome then. All are also welcome to help clean up when the party is over!

Please feel free to contact us with additional ideas as well. Please call Ayron ouglas-Smith at 482-0553 to volunteer, offer suggestions, ask questions, etc.

We look forward to seeing you all Saturday!

The Pool Is OPEN!
20jun2007
The pool has passed inspection and opened Wednesday morning. Come on down and dive in! See the pool page for hours and rates.

Don't forget the  potluck at the pool on Thursday, June 21. The pool will provide grills, lemonade, water and some cups. Please bring your own meat and a dish to pass. We will eat outside of the pool, not on the deck so you may wish to bring a blanket to picnic on. The grills will be available from 5:30 to 7:00 pm and we will have games between 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Regular pricing applies.

Rutherford Pool Update, June 19
19jun2007
The plumbers showed up Monday and expect to finish on Tuesday. We will turn the boiler on Tuesday evening and hope to have the inspection Wednesday morning. If you are taking swim lessons this first session please contact Cathy Thorburn after 8:00 pm on Tuesday evening to receive an update for lessons on Wednesday.

As soon as we know more, we will let you know. We are getting closer!

Again, we will have a potluck at the pool on Thursday whether we can swim or not. The pool will provide grills, lemonade, water and some cups. Please bring your own meet and a dish to pass. We will eat outside of the pool, not on the deck so you may wish to bring a blanket to picnic on. The grills will be available from 5:30 to 7:00 pm and we will have some games between 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Regular pricing applies.

Hope to see you at the pool-soon.

Cathy Bates, Friends of the Rutherford Pool
catabates @ hotmail.com

Rutherford Pool Update
12jun2007
I appreciate the kind emails about what is happening. I did not have anything to report as we were waiting for a plan. We now have one! The plumber has figured out what he can do, is going to pick up the parts, He figures it will take two days to complete. The cost will be around $5,000. If all goes well.... then MAYBE we can be open for this weekend. We still need to do the inspection. I will send out an email when I know more.

We obviously have had some changes to our opening. We would like to keep the Family BBQ on June 21st to welcome in summer. This will occur whether we are open or not. The event is not a fundraiser but a community builder. Potluck will be from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Bring your own meat and a dish to pass. We will have grills available. There will be games from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. If the pool is open then the regular fees for using the pool will apply. If you have a pass there is obviously no entry fee. The pool will be open for regular use that night but you may have to get out of the way for the Daddy Cannon Ball Contest or shallow end noodle raise! If we don't have use of the pool we will have fun some other way.

Elvis Fest is July 13-14 and the Depot Town Authority does not want to run the raffle this year. They have offered that job to us. In the past they have brought in $2000. They are willing to work with us this year on how to run the raffle and how to get the prizes. We are looking for someone who wants to take on this task. We would then need people to volunteer to sell tickets ahead of time and at the Fest. Please consider this task and contact Cathy at catabates @ hotmail.com if you are willing to commit.

The Friends of Rutherford Pool wishes to have a meeting this summer with all patrons to discuss the future of swimming in Ypsilanti. As you are probably aware we have not been able to start on time the last three years and each year it has cost thousands of dollars to make the initial repairs. I will let you know about the date and hope you will be able to attend.

Cathy Bates, Friends of the Rutherford Pool
catabates @ hotmail.com

Normal Park Yard Sale Map
01jun2007
The Normal Park Yard Sale map is available online! There are two sides, the map of where the yard sales are and a description of items for sale at each location. There are some sales that are not on the map so be sure to keep your eyes open for that special something you are looking for.

To read them you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.
Click here to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Normal Park Yard Sale, Saturday, June 2
23may2007
It is almost that time of year where our neighborhood is visited by old friends and newcomers looking for a good deal. It's yard sale time. Saturday, June 2, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm is the annual Normal Park Yard Sale sponsored by the Normal Park Neighborhood Association.

Normal Park residents still have time to register their sale. Registration forms are due by Memorial Day. You send in a $10.00 registration fee with your address and a brief description of what you have for sale (e.g., "man's bike, antique sofa, misc. household items"). The $10.00 helps pay for ads, flyers, and a neighborhood map which lists all the homes and what they have for sale; proceeds from the registration fees help support other NPNA activities throughout the year. All of the money you make at the sale is yours to keep, of course.

Usable items in good condition that you were *not* able to sell on Saturday can be brought to the Senior/Community Center in Recreation Park. The Jaycees will be hosting an "after sale" there on Sunday, with all proceeds going to the Senior Community Center.

The yard sale registration fee and form should be mailed or dropped off to Rebecca Dunkle, 922 Pearl. If we could get everyone's registration by Memorial Day, we will have time to get everyone on the map. If you cannot get your form in time or decide to have your sale late we can collect the $10.00 the day of the sale.

NPNA General Meeting Wednesday, April 25
04apr2007
The next NPNA General Meeting is at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2007, at the Community/Senior Center in Recreation Park. Please note the earlier start time from our usual schedule.

Join your neighbors at Active Living Locally, our spring NPNA meeting which will be organized like an open house, with information tables and brief presentations by special guests. The program will feature many new options and updates for people who like to be physically active and eat healthfully right in our own city. Hot off the presses, we’ll have:

• Information on free community walks, bike rides, and exercise classes being held during Get Active Ypsi Month (May) – find out whom from our neighborhood is leading special events!
• Brand new bike maps featuring the county’s border-to-border (B2B) trail which runs right through the heart of Ypsilanti.
• Rutherford Pool news and programming for summer.
• Info and coupons from Bicycles in Town, Ypsi’s own downtown bike shop.

Interested in local food issues and expanding your eating options? Part of our meeting will focus on celebrating new strands in Ypsi’s food web, including information on:

• A possible new downtown grocery store, with a short presentation from a staff person at the county’s office of community development and an opportunity to give feedback.
• What’s new at the Ypsilanti Farmers’ Market.
• Events and programs at our local community gardens.

The April NPNA meeting is also time for the NPNA elections. New officers are elected and board members terms begin. If you are interested in running for Co-President, Secretary or Treasurer or would like to be on the board please contact a board member.

Refreshments will be served at the meeting. Children and adults welcome.

Yoga Returns to the Community Center
15feb2007
Yoga, right here in Normal Park! The Normal Park Neighborhood Association is pleased to announce another season of yoga classes on Sunday mornings. An eight-week beginner/intermediate class begins February 25 at the Recreation Park Community/Senior Center.

Participants are welcome to sign up for the full eight weeks at the cost of $75 or drop in when possible at the cost of $10 per class.

Dates of the classes are: February 25, March 4, 11, 18 & 25, April 1, 8 & 15 and run from 10:00 to 11:30 am.

A great opportunity to relax, stretch, get in shape, and connect with your neighbors as we make it through another Michigan winter and celebrate the approach of spring.

For more information or to register for classes, please email Lisa Wozniak at wozwoman64@yahoo.com.

2007 Community Garden Registration and Guidelines Available
09feb2007
Would you like to garden this year in one of the local community gardens? The 2007 Community Garden Registration form is now available on the Community Garden page.

You can register for the Rec Park, West Middle School or the Midtown Community Gardens. Be sure to read the Community Garden Guidelines also found on the Community Garden page.

NPNA General Meeting Wednesday, January 31
25jan2007
The next NPNA General Meeting is at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, January 31, 2007, at the Community/Senior Center in Recreation Park.

NPNA is very excited to announce that we are having Kathryn Savoie as our keynote speaker.

Kathryn is a colleague in the conservation/environmental community and a key staff person at the Arab American Center for Community and Social Services (ACCESS) in Dearborn. Perhaps most importantly, Kathryn is one of Al Gore’s recent trainees regarding his global climate change work and will be presenting to the group on that subject.

In September of last year, Savoie was one of the first 50 people from around the country to be trained as part of the Climate Project, a grassroots educational effort associated with the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which chronicles the growing problem of global warming and Al Gore's efforts to combat it. She has also included in her presentation data related to Michigan about heat-related deaths and illnesses, the reduction of water levels in the Great Lakes and the threat of mosquito-borne diseases that can come as the insect population increases when colder temperatures don't exist to regulate them.

Savoie includes three recommendations for action. First, talk to somebody about the issue with a sense of urgency.

Second, become aware of your own impact on the environment and act to limit it: reduce the use of hot water, electricity, gas or oil for heating and fuel for cars; drive more fuel-efficient cars and limit airline travel.

Third, contact politicians at every level. Urge local and federal officials to do something about the environmental issues.

"I'm asking people to take some action to create the will for change," she says. "There are a million things you can tell people to do. I think the biggest thing is to have people become conscious," Savoie says.

We are hoping that you will spread the word about the meeting and encourage your neighbors to attend. Kathryn will be using the Gore PowerPoint presentation and it should be a very interesting and engaging night.

Third Annual Night of Lights, December 9 at 6:00 pm
25oct2006
On Saturday, December 9, welcome winter with an evening of strolling by luminaries and spending some time with your neighbors!

NPNA will be selling luminaries kits for our annual Normal Park Night of Lights Celebration. Help us decorate our neighborhood for the evening by purchasing a kit or two to line your sidewalk or yard with luminaries. Proceeds from the kits will go to the NPNA and the Ypsilanti High School Chamber Singers, who will join us again this year to carol along the areas lit with luminaries.

For more information and the luminary form please visit the Night of Lights page.

Normal Park Halloween Parade, October 28 at 4:00 pm
14oct2006
This year’s Halloween Parade has a new start time and location. At 4:00 pm we will meet by the Community/Senior Center parking lot in Rec Park. The parade will start at 4:15.

We will march around the perimeter of the park and past the 'Bench of Judges' where the costumes will be judged. The parade ends back at the Senior Center where treats will be provided. The costume contest winners will be announced and prizes given around 5:30. Costume Categories: Scariest, Prettiest, Funniest, and Most Creative. Other prizes may be given out, depending on what the judges see.

Erika Julien, Voter Services Director of the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area, will be our featured speaker. She will be discussing the proposals on the ballot for the Tuesday, November 7, 2006 general election.

Five proposals have been approved for the statewide ballot; there are no local proposals in the City of Ypsilanti. The statewide questions range from a referendum on legislation legalizing dove hunting, to constitutional amendments on affirmative action and eminent domain, to an initiative mandating increased school funding. Several are controversial.

The League of Women Voters (www.lwvmi.org) is a nonpartisan group devoted to increasing citizen participation in government. Founded in 1920, it's one of the most distinguished civic organizations in the country, well-known for its efforts to register and inform voters.

Though the League does not support individual candidates or parties, it does advocate on some issues, and the Michigan LWV opposes two of the five statewide proposals—the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative and the mandatory school funding initiative. Julien's presentation, however, will be informational and nonpartisan, laying out the issues in each proposal and the arguments made by supporters and opponents.

These ballot proposals, particularly those concerning affirmative action, eminent domain, and school funding, will have far-reaching and long-standing effects. Anyone planning to vote in November—and hopefully that is everyone reading this—should take advantage of this opportunity to become a better informed about what's involved.

We also have asked the three candidates running for the Ward 2 City Council seat to attend. Peter Hubbard, Bill Nickels, and Tom Bagwell will be on hand.

We look forward to seeing you!

NPNA Annual Ice Cream Social, August 2
1jul2006
On Wednesday, August 2, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm the NPNA is holding its annual Ice Cream Social in the Rose Garden behind the Community/Senior Center in Recreation Park.

It is time, once again, for the NPNA Ice Cream Social. This is a wonderful event because it brings folks together in ways that our other events do not. Our other three quarterly meetings attract neighbors who are interested in specific topics, from city planning to parking changes to understanding how Normal Park residents can keep their heating costs down. Our other neighborhood events, like the Night of Lights and the yard sale get folks out and about in the neighborhood, meeting and learning from each other in ways that help foster understanding and friendships. Our Halloween Parade brings out the children (and their parents!) for an afternoon of wonderful fun.

Each and every one of these events is important to fostering a true sense of community and is of interest and fun to the participants. But the Ice Cream Social ties all of these things together. Perhaps it’s the time of year: summer time! Perhaps it’s the venue: the Rose Garden, a garden grown and tended by the loving hands of a few dedicated neighbors for all to enjoy. Perhaps it’s simply the offerings: ICE CREAM! Whatever the reason, the Ice Cream Social brings out all different kinds of neighbors, young, old, some with kids, some without, for an evening of tasty treats, informal conversation, games for kids, and simple pleasure.

Please join us on August 2nd for some ice cream.

NPNA Candidates Forum, July 20
1jul2006
Thursday, July 20, at 7:00 pm, Community/Senior Center

To be better informed on August 8 come join your neighbors and meet the candidates. Mayoral candidates Steve Pierce, Lois Richardson, and Paul Schreiber and councilmember candidate Bill Nickels will be on hand to state their position and take questions. 
More information will be sent out over the NPNA email News or you can contact NPNA Co-President Sean Stidd at president@normalpark.org for more information.

NPNA General Meeting Wednesday, April 26
14apr2006
The next NPNA General Meeting is at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at the Community/Senior Center in Recreation Park.

The focus of this meeting will be the strengths of the Ypsilanti Public Schools, with special guests Superintendent James Hawkins and Public Relations Director Emma Jackson.

As more young families move into the Normal Park neighborhood, there is increasing interest in the quality of our area schools. With Chapelle Elementary buttressing the south side of our neighborhood and the Estabrook Elementary/West Middle School/Ypsilanti High School complex on our west side, Normal Park has extraordinary access to the Ypsilanti school system.

Yet, there are many things that the majority of the NPNA residents don’t know in regards to the schools in their own backyard. For example, did you know that the Ypsilanti school system has established partnerships with EMU, U-M, Pfizer and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital? Did you know that there are advanced placement classes and dual enrollment options available at EMU and WCC? Did you know that despite the financial crisis that the school system faced last year (and continues to face) art, music, Spanish and drama are taught in ALL elementary schools?

The number one determining factor in home buying decisions is the quality of the area schools. As we all work to make our neighbor and Ypsilanti a more attractive and enticing place for people to live, it behooves us to not only understand the strengths and challenges facing our school system, but to develop solid relationships with the leadership team.

Whether you have a child in the school system or not, an evening with Dr. Hawkins and Ms. Jackson is sure to be an important first step in creating a better, more consistent dialogue between NPNA and the Ypsilanti Public Schools. As leaders of NPNA we certainly look forward to this opportunity. We hope that you will join us on April 26th both to learn more about our schools and to vote for a new slate of leaders for the 2006-07 NPNA executive team.

Lisa Wozniak and Joe Capuano, Co-presidents

Community Garden Registration Due March 6
12feb2006
Interested in a community garden plot? This year there are three gardens to chose from. Information and registration forms are available on the Community Garden page. Registration deadline is March 6!

Rec Park Ice Rink Waiting for Cold Weather
18jan2006
Hello Neighbors.

First, I am inspired by the community support and involvement in making an ice rink happen in Rec Park. Over 50 families, individuals, businesses/organizations donated to the effort, allowing us to raise over $2000. Moreover, about 10 community volunteers have donated several hours to help construct the frame, seam the liner, and lay it down in the frame. It has been wonderful to see the community pull together in so many ways to make this thing happen.

Now the bad news.... the weather sure has not cooperated! After getting the frame and liner set we were fortunate enough to have the support of Chief Roberts and the fire department who graciously came over with two fire trucks to begin filling the rink with water. Unfortunately they were called away on an emergency and were only able to put in some of the water. As some of you witnessed, two days later a wind storm came in and blew up the middle of the liner, where water had not settled. With the valiant efforts of community members (at 10 pm at night) we were able to release the air pressure and get the liner tacked back down.

Now we are waiting for the temperature to drop so that we can finish filling the liner and have this thing freeze ... ready for skating! Unfortunately the temperature is supposed to waver between 20s and 40s for the next week ... still not cold enough to finish the job. We will keep monitoring the weather and look for an opportunity to complete the project.

So... I just wanted to provide an update, and urge everyone to be patient (while you pray for cold weather). We have already learned some lessons on how to improve our construction in the future. We have not spent all of the funds, and are considering building benches or other small amenities to facilitate skating. We also want to carry over some of the funds for next year so that we can build a bigger, better rink! If you have some ideas, please email me. This rink belongs to the community and all of your input and involvement not only provides us a great winter recreational opportunity, but builds strong community.

Thanks to everyone who have helped support the effort!

John Weiss weissjk@umich.edu

Second Annual Normal Park Night of Lights, Saturday, December 3
04oct2005
Normal Park’s second annual ‘Night of Lights’ begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 3rd. Welcome the holiday season with luminaries, cider, and the company of your neighbors.

Once again the NPNA will be selling luminary kits as a fundraiser. Order forms are due by Monday, November 14. More information on ordering, prices, and pick-up dates can be found here.
If you would like to help with Night of Lights, please contact Heather Benoit at habenoit@med.umich.edu.

Ypsilanti Board of Education To Discuss the Placement of Bus Depot
23oct2005
Dear Normal Park neighbors,

As some of you may have heard, the Ypsilanti Board of Education is planning to build a bus depot on the wooded area behind West Middle School and Ypsilanti High School and next to the RCTC Automotive Tech Center and across from Tuscany Creek Apartments (formerly Cobble Creek). The district faces on-going budget woes and would save money by selling the current bus garage (on the north side of town), and would possibly save money on fuel costs.

Moving the bus garage would mean cutting down about half of the woods behind the high school and paving the area to accommodate 100+ parking spaces (room for 40+ buses and staff parking).

Many Normal Park neighbors walk through these woods for recreation, dog walking, and to enjoy nature. Replacing woods with a parking lot will have a significant impact on our neighborhood's quality of life, including:

• Health effects of bus emissions affecting air quality (e.g. asthma);
• Damage to Mansfield Street from dramatically increased bus traffic -- this street is already in terrible condition;
• Environmental impacts from a large paving project, which include run-off problems and water pollution;
• Loss of habitat for native and migratory birds and other species;
• Loss of green space which affects our enjoyment of this area and our property values;
• Possible loss of community garden at West Middle School;
• Loss of YHS's cross country team's course
• Loss of opportunities for environmental education (the school district needs to think of the woods as an asset)

According to the Ypsilanti Public School District website http://www.ypsd.org/ypsdroot/index.html: "The Board will not vote or take action on the new bus garage at the Oct. 24 meeting. They will discuss the plan and take input from the public at the 10/24/05 Regular Board Meeting and plan to vote on the new bus garage at the 11/14/05 Regular Board Meeting."

If you are concerned about the woods being destroyed, please attend the School Board meeting on Monday, October 24, 7:00 at Ypsilanti High School. If you can't attend the meeting, please consider emailing a school board member or writing a letter to the editor of the Ann Arbor News. Here is a link to the page with the Ypsilanti Board of Education board members and their email addresses: http://www.ypsd.org/ypsdroot/DISR/BDED/bdedu_files/page0001.html

Normal Park Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 29, at 3:30 pm
03oct2005

NPNA General Meeting, Wednesday, October 26, at 7:30pm
02oct2005
The next NPNA General Meeting is at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 26th at the Senior/Community Center in Recreation Park.
With energy prices expected to rise to record levels this winter, opening your utility bill in the coming months may become a profile in courage. Yet even with rising prices, there are steps you can take to limit the increase in the cost of heating your house. Our featured guest speaker for October, Jacob Corvidae, the Green Programs Manager of WARM in Detroit, will talk to us about home energy efficiency and ways to keep your utility dollars from literally going out the window.
WARM promotes the development of resource efficient, affordable, healthy homes and communities through education, training and technical assistance. It began as an employment and training program teaching people weatherization and basic construction skills. (The initials stood for Weatherization And Retrofit Maintenance. Today WARM only uses the acronym). In the past ten years WARM has increasingly been a technical assistance resource to nonprofit organizations building and rehabilitating affordable housing.
While the focus of WARM has been on affordable housing, the organization also works to provide workshops and training to community groups interested in energy efficiency. The training offers basic advice on ways to reduce energy usage, and how to use sustainable “green materials” in making a house more energy efficient.
For more information about WARM, go to their website at www.warmtraining.org, and be sure to join us on October 26 for what promises to be an interesting and financially rewarding presentation.

Increased NPNA Advocacy: Improvements to Mansfield Street
29jun2005
The NPNA Board has made a conscious decision to become more actively involved in city, township, and even county matters as they pertain to the health and well being of Normal Park and its neighbors. To that end, we have been working to address the long overdue improvements to Mansfield, a street that is split in terms of ownership and responsibility between the City and the Township.

Mansfield has been the subject of many complaints over the years related to excessive speeds and noise violations. The street is filled with numerous potholes, lacks defined curbs, and there is a complete absence of crosswalk striping at school intersections, which is a serious safety hazard for the numerous Estabrook and West Middle students who cross it daily.

Over the past months, the NPNA board has been working with concerned neighbors to advocate for the much-needed improvements to the street. In May, the board wrote a letter to City Council Members John Gawlas and Bill Nickels urging Council to consider immediate pedestrian-friendly improvements to Mansfield, including:

• Crosswalk striping at all school crossings.
• Curbs improvements to show distinction between street and sidewalk.
• Repair of existing sidewalks and the addition of a new sidewalk to the west side of the street.
•  A bike lane to narrow lanes and slow traffic.
•  Landscaping public land with taller plants closer to the road to slow traffic.

Realizing that many of these improvements may take some time to implement, a group of Normal Park residents has planned a landscaping project on the small turn-around island where Westmoorland dead-ends into school property in an effort to instigate immediate change. This small project would work to beautify the street, as well as provide a traffic-calming element to a part of the street notorious for speeding traffic. Because this property is split between the City and the Township, NPNA Board members Jenna Bacolor and Sarah Weiss, along with neighbor Andrea Webber met with Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Ruth Ann Jamnick in late March to discuss the idea and received her enthusiastic approval.
Both the City and the Township now know about the neighborhood’s concerns regarding Mansfield. Red tape related to Township/City responsibility for the street, as well as how the street is zoned, makes improvements more difficult than would be the case in other solely city-owned or township-owned areas. Nonetheless, improvements must be made and the NPNA Board will continue working and advocating for change. 

For more information on the myriad economic, health, and social benefits related to street improvements and walk-ability, we invite you to check out the www.activeliving.org website.

Lisa Wozniak and Joe Capuano, Co-Presidents

NPNA Annual Ice Cream Social, Wednesday, August 3
29jun2005
On Wednesday, August 3, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm the NPNA is holding its 9th annual Ice Cream Social in the Rose Garden behind the Community/Senior Center in Recreation Park

It is time, once again, for the wonderful NPNA Ice Cream Social. I love this event because it brings folks together in ways that our other events don’t.
Our quarterly meetings tend to attract neighbors who are interested in specific topics, from city planning to parking changes to understanding how Normal Park residents can improve the health of the Huron River. Our new neighborhood events, like the Night of Lights and the NPNA Yard & Garden Tour get folks out and about in the neighborhood, meeting and learning from each other in ways that help foster understanding and friendships. Our Halloween Parade brings out the children (and their parents!) for an afternoon of wonderful fun.

Each and every one of these events is important to fostering a true sense of community and - I trust - is found to be of interest and fun to the participants. But the Ice Cream Social, in some wonderful way, ties all of these things together. Perhaps it’s the time of year: summer time! Perhaps it’s the venue: the Rose Garden, a garden grown and tended by the loving hands of a few dedicated neighbors for all to enjoy. Perhaps it’s simply the offerings: ICE CREAM! Whatever it reason, the Ice Cream Social brings out all different kinds of neighbors, young, old, some with kids, some without, for an evening of tasty treats, informal conversation, games for kids, and simple pleasure.

I hope you will join us on August 3rd for some ice cream and to bid a very fond farewell to the neighbor responsible for the event over the past few years, Christine Obeid. Christine and her children, Chloe and Griffin, will be moving away from Normal Park in August. They will be deeply missed.

Lisa Wozniak, NPNA Co-President

NPNA Yard & Garden Tour, Saturday, June 25
20jun2005
Saturday, June 25, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm the NPNA will host a Yard & Garden Tour. This years tour consists of eight stops covering a range from very private spaces to a community serving working garden.

The stops and a downloadable version of the guide can be found on the Yard and Garden Tour page.

West Middle School Community Garden in Ann Arbor News
02may2005
The West Middle School Community Garden was featured in today's Ann Arbor News. If you didn't get a chance to see the article it can be found here.

Special thanks go to Jenna Bacolor and Sarah Weiss for their efforts in bringing community gardens to Normal Park.

The April 27 General Meeting
30apr2005
The NPNA General Meeting had a full agenda. Our speaker, Laura Rubin, Executive Director of the Huron River Watershed Council, gave a very informative talk about the many things we can do in our own backyards and the Normal Park neighborhood to care for the health and well being of the beautiful Huron River.

We also held the annual NPNA elections and voted on the proposed changes to the NPNA Charter. The slate of officers and the charter changes were all voted for unanimously.

NPNA Neighborhood Yard Sale, Saturday, June 4
17apr2005
Every year the first Saturday of June in Normal Park means yard sale. It is the main fundraising event for the Normal Park Neighborhood Association.
An $8.00 registration fee will get your home included on a neighborhood map with descriptions of your items for sale. Use this opportunity to get rid of a lot of cool stuff you no longer need. There are always hundreds of eager customers. You keep all the money you make.
Send your registration form in by Friday, May 27, so your sale can be listed on the map. The form is available here: Yard Sale Form.
Send the form by mail or drop off at: NPNA Yard Sale, c/o Rebecca Dunkle, 922 Pearl St, treasurer@normalpark.org.
Checks should be made payable to NPNA.

NPNA General Meeting, Wednesday, April 27, at 7:30 pm
17apr2005
The next NPNA General Meeting will is at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, April 27th at the Senior Center in Recreation Park.

We hope you will join us for what we are sure will be an interesting and fun presentation by Laura Rubin, Executive Director of the Huron River Watershed Council.

Laura began her tenure as Executive Director in 1998, overseeing all program, administration and fundraising efforts for the organization, which currently includes a staff of eleven. Laura is an outstanding speaker and an extraordinary font of information as it pertains to the Huron River and its environs. She earned a joint MBA and MS in natural resource policy from the University of Michigan, and currently lives with her husband and two small sons in Ann Arbor in the Allen Creek watershed.

Laura will talk about the many things we can do in our own backyards and the Normal Park neighborhood to care for the health and well being of the beautiful Huron River.

The April 27th general meeting is also the annual NPNA elections! We will elect the next President and Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. This also when the board member terms begin. We need your vote to ensure a high level of participation from our neighborhood.

We also need your vote regarding proposed changes to the NPNA Charter. April 27th will be your opportunity to say ‘yay’ or ‘nay”. You can view the charter here.

I look forward to seeing you all on the 26th!

Lisa Wozniak, NPNA President

Please plan to join us for what we guarantee will be an interesting evening with Joe Guillan, Principal of Chapelle Elementary School, exploring both what Chapelle is all about - its history, mission and goals - and what we, as a neighborhood, can do to strengthen our ties with Chapelle in the future.

As many of you may know, it wasn't long ago that there was a fence dividing Chapelle's playground and the "new" play structure in Recreation Park. It was due to NPNA that the fence was taken down and the park area improved: new play equipment, new paint on the pavilion, new benches and a brick walkway, and a new walking path around the entire green space. With the establishment of the NPNA Community Garden near the Senior Center, our neighborhood board of directors is interested in engaging the community in a dialogue about ways to work together with our area schools, both for the benefit of our children and to further enhance the sense of community we all treasure in this area. Our conversation with Mr. Guillan and Chapelle is our first step in that direction.

I look forward to seeing you all on the 26th! 

Lisa Wozniak, NPNA President

A Lovely Night of Lights in Normal Park
10Dec2004
On Saturday, December 4th, Normal Park kicked off its first annual Night of Lights. Over 2000 glowing luminaries lined sidewalks and yards throughout Normal Park and into the adjacent Woods Road neighborhood. Seven households and the neighborhood store (The Little Red Store at 908 N. Congress) hosted ‘cider stops’ - places to warm up with a beverage and chat with neighbors. We were also lucky to have the Ypsilanti High School Chamber Singers join us! The group caroled throughout the neighborhood, stopping at cider stops or where ever they spotted neighbors gathering near luminaries.

Throughout the evening, neighbors navigated the streets using a map (compliments of Rebecca Dunkle) that highlighted where luminaries and cider stops were located. People gathered at the cider stops (whether indoors or out) to meet new neighbors, catch up with old friends, and have hot drinks while enjoying the glow from the luminaries and songs from the carolers.

Many thanks to Heather Benoit, Rebecca Dunkle and Christine Obeid for all of their efforts towards this spectacular evening, to the Ypsilanti High School Chamber Singers for their beautiful songs that made the evening complete, and to the hosts of the cider stops for generously providing the unique ‘stars’ on our map of luminaries!

Thank you also to everyone who lit their luminaries and to everyone who came out to enjoy the evening. It was a truly wonderful way to kick off the winter and stay connected to our neighbors.

We are already looking forward to next year’s Night of Lights!

* Tamonie Coleman, a freelance writer for the Ann Arbor News, covered the event. She wrote a great article that was published in the Ypsilanti Community News section on December 13th. You can find it here.

Normal Park Halloween Parade, A Great Time
30oct2004
A beautiful fall day found over 60 children along with parents and friends parading in their costumed finest through Normal Park.

The parade made its way from West Middle School along Grant to Oakwood and ended at the Senior Center where refreshments were waiting.

The array of costumes was dizzying. From dinosaurs and vampires, to Robin Hood and even a monster truck. Prizes were given to the best costumes in a variety of categories, tallest (The Newsboy), widest (Smiley Face), best themed (The Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2), youngest (two week old Pumpkin), most historic (Lady Liberty) etc.

Special thanks goes to Rebecca Dunkle for setting up the Senior Center and providing music and to Andrea Weber for supplying cider and donuts.

Thank you to everyone for coming out and participating in the parade or watching. You made it a success. See you next year.

NPNA General Meeting, Wednesday, October 27, at 7:30 pm
17sep2004
The next NPNA General Meeting is Wednesday, October 27th, 2004, at the Senior Center in Recreation Park. The speakers will be guests from the City of Ypsilanti.

Jennifer Goulet of Community Development will be speaking about the recent Cool Cities grant from the State. This grant will be officially awarded to the City at a special ceremony on the 21st of the month. She will also bring our neighborhood up to date on recent events with the Riverside Arts Center, the Walkability study done this summer and current Greenways Initiative projects in the City. Either Brett Lenart or Megan Gibb will also be on hand to assist.  . Brett and Megan are part of the Downtown Development Authority, will be able to answer any questions regarding Downtown, including the current status of the Water Street Project. We encourage neighbors to attend to learn and ask questions about our City and its projects.

Normal Park Halloween Parade, Saturday, October 30, at 3:30 pm
12oct2004

Donate to Plant a Row for the Hungry
09aug2004
Do you have extra veggies in your garden? Donate them to the Plant a Row for the Hungry program! 

Plant a Row for the Hungry collects food from local gardeners and donates it to Food Gatherers, an organization that distributes food to hungry people in our community.  The Recreation Park Community Garden has scheduled dates to make it easier for you to drop off your extra vegetables and herbs. The dates and times are:

• August 25, 6:00 - 8:00pm
• September 10, 6:00 - 8:00pm

For more information about Plant A Row for the Hungry, contact Megan at 761-2796 or Megan@foodgatherers.org.

NPNA Annual Ice Cream Social
08jul2004
On Wednesday, August 4, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. the NPNA is holding its 8th annual Ice Cream Social.

Christine Obeid has offered once again act as the event chairperson, which means the ice cream and games and activities for children of all ages will be plentiful. For those who attended last year, you will remember the tetherball, soccer, sidewalk chalk, balloons and even stick-on tattoos.

It’s a festive gathering, a great way to connect with all the wonderful people in our neighborhood, and a chance to see neighbors both old and new. Please try to attend.

Normal Park's “Walkability” May Improve Your Health
08jul2004 - From the NPNA Summer 2004 Newsletter - Jenna Bacolor
The evidence is growing that older, traditionally designed neighborhoods such as Normal Park are more “walkable,” and therefore healthier for residents when compared to typical sprawl neighborhoods. A walkable neighborhood provides a safe, enjoyable walking environment and can improve health for residents. In the short term, walking increases energy levels, improves sleep, and increases bone and muscle strength. Walking over a longer term can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, obesity, and improve mental health.

Neighborhoods in sprawl areas typically are self-contained loops off busy main roads; there may be no sidewalks, no trees to provide shade, and nowhere to actually go. In contrast, features of a more walkable neighborhood such as Normal Park include:

• A neighborhood laid out in a grid design with short blocks, giving plenty of options for walking from one part of neighborhood to another.
• Sidewalks with curb cuts throughout the neighborhood.
• Grass buffers between sidewalk and street.
• Mature trees, which add beauty and cast shadows on roads, visually narrowing streets and slow traffic.
• Traffic moving at slow speeds throughout neighborhood.
• Well-kept, especially architecturally interesting homes.
• Well-tended yards, with low shrubs at intersections for pedestrian visibility, and visually interesting yards.
• Destinations such as schools, parks, shopping, library, etc.

Access to multiuse trails for recreation and transportation is an important feature of a walkable neighborhood. Normal Park is fortunate to have two trails that are linked to the neighborhood: the loop around Recreation Park, which is about a half mile; and the trail behind Ypsilanti High School, which is 3.1 miles if you follow the entire cross country path.

Two recent studies have found weight differences between residents of traditional grid-style, dense neighborhoods and those living in “sprawl” neighborhoods. One found that people in traditional neighborhoods weighed an average of 10 pounds less than their sprawl counterparts; the other found a six-pound difference. Another recent study found that people who lived in neighborhoods with homes built before 1946 were significantly more likely to walk a mile at least 20 times per month.

Normal Park residents don’t have to stay in the neighborhood – we can be physically active and support downtown institutions by walking downtown and visiting the library, post office, restaurants, and businesses on Michigan Avenue. And why not take a walk or bike ride to Depot Town to visit the Food Co-op or stroll along the river?

There is still a great deal of room for improvement to make Normal Park and the City of Ypsilanti more walkable, and therefore a healthier community. Residents can advocate for more pedestrian-friendly connectivity within Ypsilanti, such as bike paths on main roads and more multiuse trails throughout the city. We can also support downtown businesses and restaurants by making them walking and biking destinations. Because Ypsilanti is a small town, it has great potential as a truly walkable community, where people can walk to work, to the grocery store, and to school. The Normal Park neighborhood and residents are a vital part of that picture.
For more information about walkability, visit www.activeliving.org or www.pbs.org/americaswalking/.

In June there is the Orphan Car Show and the opening of the Rutherford Municipal Pool. The highlight of the pool opening is a picnic to thank everyone who helped F.O.R. Pool to keep the pool open this summer.

Two new names were added to the board, Jenna Bacolor, who is the coordinator of the Rec Park Community Garden, and Patrick McLean who recently moved to Normal Park from Columbus, Ohio. Continuing in there current board positions are Sarah Weiss, Greenscape, Carol Leyshock, Rec Park, and Sue Collins, Kirsten Mowrey, and Bea Otis as At-Large members.

Congratulations to the officers and board of 2004.