Normal Park Neighborhood Association

I have a long-held interest in, and affection for, the Normal Park Neighborhood Association. Not only am I a longtime resident of Normal Park and one of its former City Council representatives, but I am also the longest-serving president of the NPNA and only charter board member still living in the neighborhood. I greatly enjoyed my time with the NPNA, and as new neighbors move in, I thought it might be a good time to look at how the association got its start and realize how far we’ve come.

The NPNA held its first general meeting on August 2, 1990. The idea for such a group, however, was born about a year earlier.

Many residents were concerned about traffic speed on Wallace and other streets in the neighborhood. Three of these neighbors, unaware of the existence of the others, independently contacted then-Ward Two councilmember Mike Homel for assistance. Mike, knowing there was strength in numbers and seeing an opportunity for the neighborhood, suggested that they get together and present a petition to the City Council. As the three worked on this, they realized that they had other goals and interests in common and that other neighbors probably did, too.

The first newsletter was published in May of 1990. At this time, the three volunteers proposed an association that would give residents the opportunity to socialize with each other and through which they could “improve the safety, quality, and appearance of our neighborhood.” The newsletter also explained in detail the traffic/pedestrian concerns of the neighborhood and stated the exact wording of the petition.

Both the idea and the petition, which was submitted to the City Council that June, were a success. By the time the first NPNA meeting was held in Hefley Park on August 2, 1990, new stop signs had already been installed. Residents quickly got to work on plans to clean up Recreation Park, deal with issues regarding the party store on Congress Street, write a charter, and elect officials. The last finally occurred in January of 1991 when I and eleven other neighbors volunteered to serve on the board. We created committees to deal with Neighborhood Watch, Recreation Park, Membership, Fund-Raising, Social Events, and other issues. Residents were invited to inform the board of their concerns and what they saw as the role of the association.

Creating a name, logo, and signs for the association made for some interesting discussions. “Normal Park” is the legal description of the area on or east of Wallace Boulevard; the west part of our neighborhood is called “Orchard Park,” but because of the history of the Michigan Normal School (EMU) and the fact that the majority of neighbors lived within the area designated as Normal Park, we went with that name. (EMU was originally, of course, the first teacher-training school west of the Alleghenies, and the term “normal” alluded to the norms that were to be taught by all educators.)

Next we discussed the signs that would be posted at the four corners of the neighborhood: Congress and Summit, South Congress and Mansfield, Mansfield and West Cross, and Washtenaw and Summit. One board member and wag suggested that our signs read “Abnormals, Keep Out!” We went with more welcoming text and a picture of what we considered a typical Normal Park home; it was actually based on the Nickels home at 311 N. Wallace. The signs were erected in 1992 and were funded in part by a grant from the Ypsilanti Heritage Foundation.

The signs were our way of announcing to the City that this neighborhood had an identity and proud residents. Previous to this, the neighborhood was sometimes called “the older west side” or just identified by its boundaries. Unlike, for example, College Heights, it had never had an official name. Today, real estate agents tout the area as one of the city’s most desirable, and it’s rare to find a city resident who is unfamiliar with Normal Park and its neighborhood association.

Through the years we dealt with a few transient issues, such as the party store and excessive street noise, but for the most part, the NPNA focused on its goal of improving the neighborhood. Probably our most ambitious project was the restoration of Recreation Park. That story and its trials and tribulations would fill a book, but I’ll just say that we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to neighbor Carol Leyshock, who worked tirelessly for many years on park improvements, including a jogging path and playground equipment. Carol and her husband, Rick, also spearheaded the project of returning to its former glory the Rose Garden east of the Senior Center.

Highlights of the NPNA’s early days were the annual winter holiday kick-off parties at the Senior Center and the June picnics in Rec Park. Our Neighborhood Watch program, including block and street captains, was called “the most well-organized and comprehensive” in the city by our then-Police Chief. We took part in the Heritage Festival parade, with longtime board member Jim Hetzel in the guise of A. B. Normal, sporting a conehead and carrying a sign promising higher taxes and fewer services (“a promise I can keep!”). The annual neighborhood yard sale was, and continues to be, a huge success, drawing shoppers from as far away as Toledo and Grand Rapids. We were charter members of the Adopt-a-Street program, and for its significant efforts at improving our environment, the NPNA received an Ypsi PRIDE award in the event’s first year. In 1997, our board met with members of four other neighborhood associations to form Ypsilanti Neighborhoods Organized Together (YNOT?) And in 2000, the State of Michigan joined with us in celebrating our 10th anniversary; in addition to a proclamation from the Ypsilanti City Council, we also received tributes from State Representative Ruth Ann Jamnick, State Senator Alma Wheeler Smith, Governor James Engler, and U.S. Congresswoman Lynn Rivers.

Those of us who have been involved since the beginning are very proud of the association’s accomplishments and, especially, its longevity. Before 1990, neighbors in many areas of the city often formed alliances when there was a problem to solve. Usually, and sometimes in spite of good intentions, once the problem was solved, the association disbanded. This was not the case with the NPNA, where one of our earliest goals was to enjoy the neighborhood and each other, not just to tackle problems. In 1994, shortly after the city downsized from five wards to three, the Ann Arbor News published lengthy profiles of the new wards. I remember one phrase that read something like “In Ward 2, where a neighborhood association still thrives more than four years after forming...” As then-president, that line pleased me greatly; 13 years later we are still thriving.

Our newsletter itself is indicative of the growth of the NPNA. We started with a half a page. By 1994 we were printing an 8 x 14 sheet, and in 1997 we had so much news to share that we enlarged our newsletter to a folded 11 x 17 piece. Our number of social events has grown, with additions like the Ice Cream Social (1997), Halloween parade, and Night of Lights. Most important, new residents have volunteered to replace those neighbors who have moved away or, like me, grown older. When I chose to step down from the presidency in 2002 after 12 years on the board, I was concerned about the fate of the NPNA because it was obvious that most of us old-timers were burnt out. Luckily, Lisa Wozniak took over my position, and the board has continued to benefit from an influx of new members with enthusiasm and new ideas. I’m proud to say that one of them is my niece, Sarah Devaney.

I look forward to joining the rest of my neighbors and celebrating our 20th anniversary in August 2010. I have no doubt the NPNA will be as vital and important an association then as it has been for the last 17 years.

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History of the Normal Park Neighborhood Association