Still Here!

  We're still up and running, but work and family obligations have taken up most of this autumn and now everyone is ramping up for the holidays. We'll schedule a meeting for early 2011 so everyone can reconnect.
  Please shoot an email if you have any suggestions for a guest speaker. Also, if you have any desire to serve as an Association officer in 2011, throw your name in the hat. It's just a few hours a month.

howardparkneighborhood@yahoo.com

Congratulations x 3

    A big congratulations to the residents of North York Street for showing massive support for the 3,000 walkers who trudged through our neighborhood in the grueling Sunday afternoon heat. Dozens of neighbors on York between Ford Road and Doxtator decorated their homes and yards to greet the walkers, and provided refreshments a misting station and lots of cheering. The organizers called our block one of the best in the entire 60-mile walk. Everyone who pitched in should be proud.
  Congratulations also goes out to the teachers, staff and students of our very own Howard Elementary School. Recently, all Michigan Public Schools were ranked and rated for student performance. Many schools in our district didn't fare well, but Howard ranked in the 99.5 percentile statewide. No wonder kids from across the city flock to our school. Great job.
   Also, a big congratulations to one of our favorite neighbors, Kat Hans. If you live here, you've no doubt seen Kat walking her dogs almost every single day through our neighborhood. Kat welcomed her son Victor into the world Saturday morning. Mom and baby are doing fine and should be coming home soon.

Walk for Cure Coming Sunday and Other News

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure will end this Sunday in Dearborn. The route will take hundreds of men and women right down North York Street. You can expect to see walkers in our neighborhood as early as 11am and continuing through the mid-afternoon. The walk ends with a ceremony on the lawn of Ford World Headquarters at 4:30.

You can do your part by keeping the sidewalks clear of debris. You can also cheer them on with signs, balloons, horns or even provide bottles of water.

Let's show our support and our hospitality!

Unfortunately, there have been reports by Dearborn Police of increased thefts of window air conditioning units. Thieves are recycling the metal so be especially aware of salvage trucks in your neighborhood. Especially if they're full of air conditioners. If you have a window air conditioner, screw it into your window frame. As usual, keep an eye on your neighbors and call Dearborn Police if you see something suspicious.

We'll announce our next meeting in early September. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer!

City Adds Ordinance Enforcement Officers

  In case you haven't seen the story in the local paper, the city has added four temporary ordinance enforcers whose primary objective will be to crack down on homeowners with overgrown grass. Mayor O'Reilly hopes these officers will help provide stricter enforcement of Dearborn's long-standing grass policy. Homes that are cited for overgrown grass will have one day to cut it. After that, the city may send a crew to cut the yard at the homeowner's expense.

  There are homes (vacated and otherwise) in the Howard Park Neighborhood that are clearly in violation of Dearborn's grass ordinance. You can report these properties at 943-2161 or simply email me the address and I'll pass it along to the city. So far, the city has done a good job of responding to concerns in our neighborhood. 

  Also, now's the time to nominate our neighbors for the summer City Beautiful Awards. Send me the addresses of homes in Howard Park that you think deserve special attention. I'll forward them along to the City Beautiful Commission for consideration in this summer's judging. All this rain is sure to mean green grass and blooming flowers for the judges.

  We're trying to schedule one late-spring meeting before we break for the summer. I'll pass along the date and time as soon as we get everything firmed up.

New Trash Pickup Q & A

This summer, the City of Dearborn will institute a new trash pickup system. This system has been in place in the city's south end for nearly two years and has been an unqualified success. Below are answers to common questions many neighbors have about the upcoming change.


Why is the City switching to this system? 
The City believes a system using two large carts will encourage more recycling, reduce litter problems and concerns about rodents and pests, and give a more uniform appearance to neighborhoods on trash days. It also allows for an automated system for curbside collection, which will help to contain the cost for trash and recycling pickup. 

Will my trash collection day change? 
No.


Since curbside recycling is every other week, how will I know which week to place my recycling cart at the curbside? 
Each household will receive a comprehensive information packet including a recycling schedule for their neighborhood when the cart is delivered.


Should I put my address on my carts? 
There is a spot on the lid for addresses. Please do not write on any other location on the cart.

What should I do with my current trash cans? 
You might want to keep them for yard waste containers or other purposes. If you want to dispose of them, please put a sign on them that says “Please pick up as trash” and Republic will dispose of them.


What if I my 96-gallon trash cart is full and I still have more trash? 
That is not a problem, if it occurs on an occasional basis. All qualified materials will be picked up at the curb, even items not in your 96-gallon cart.
Remember you must use your gray trash cart every week. But you may place excess trash on the easement behind the curb in an appropriate container or plastic bag. However, if you have more trash than can be contained in the cart on a regular basis, you may be asked to purchase an additional cart for a one time charge.


What about bulky items that don’t fit in the trash cart? 
The City will continue to offer curbside collection of bulky items, like furniture and appliances, as part of the regular collection service.
Note that special fees will still apply if a large number of items are left at the curbside following a move out.


What do I do with my existing 18-gallon recycling bin? 
You should no longer use it for curbside recycling. If you don’t want it for other household purposes, put it inside the new 96-gallon green cart and it will be recycled.


Where do I store the carts? 
Ideally, inside your garage, behind the garage or behind your house. If that is not possible, store them away from your neighbors’ houses as much as possible and try to keep them out of sight from the front sidewalk.


Do I have to bag my trash before I put it in the cart? 
Yes. Do not put loose trash in the cart. All trash should be in bags when it is placed in the carts.


What if my cart is not full on trash day? 
You should still put in on the easement, behind the curb, for collection, so you are not storing trash any longer than necessary. Even in proper containers like the carts, trash can begin to smell or be an attraction to pests. Do not place trash at the curbside without using your gray trash cart.


What if my recycling bin is not full on the designated collection day? Although recyclable materials are less likely to smell or attract pests, it is still a good idea not to store the items any longer than necessary, so put your recycling cart at the curbside. Remember, recycling will be picked up every other week. Do not place recyclable materials at the curbside without using your green recycling cart.


How will the new carts reduce litter and rodent concerns? 
The carts have hinged lids, which makes it very convenient to keep the top on and closed during storage and while the carts are at the curbside. The lids keep out odors and prevent pests from getting in. It is still important to bag all trash before placing in the cart.
The City’s current 18-gallon recycling bins are too small for many households, so they are often overfilled. Since they do not have lids, papers and other materials often blow away.


Do I have to pay for the two carts that will be delivered to my house? 
No. The two carts are part of the overall trash and recycling contract paid for by the City. If you routinely generate more trash than can fit in the cart, you will likely be asked to purchase an additional cart for a one-time charge.


Can I take the carts with me if I move? 
No, the carts belong to the City and should stay with the house.


Can I drill a hole in my cart to let accumulated water out? 
No. Keep the lids to your cart closed to prevent water from getting in.


How should I place the carts at the curbside for pickup? 
The carts should be put on your easement, behind the curb, and not in the street. The handles should face your house.


What if I don’t want to recycle? 
Recycling is mandatory in Dearborn, and has been since the start of the curbside recycling program in the 1980s. The new system makes it more convenient to recycle, since no items must be bundled or sorted, and the cart is on wheels.


What about yard waste? 
Yard waste will be picked up by Republic. Place it in proper containers no larger than 32 gallons and marked them with yard waste stickers available from DPW or the Department of Public Information. Call 943-2085.) 
You can also use paper landscape bags that can be purchased at local hardware or home improvement stores. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be picked up. Brush and tree limbs must be bundled according to city guidelines.


What does single-stream recycling mean?
All recyclable materials can be put into the green recycling cart without residents having to sort or bundle them. The green recycling cart will be picked up at the curbside by an automated truck and the materials will be emptied from the cart into one recycling truck.  Materials will be sorted at the recycling processing facility. 

Another Great Meeting!

  Thanks to all of you who came out to last week's meeting with Mayor O'Reilly. What a great crowd with great questions.
  We'll be glad to send you a rundown of all the information we learned from our meeting when you sign up to our email list. Just drop us a line at howardparkneighborhood@yahoo.com
  We'll keep you up to date with notices about future meetings and important information that affects our neighborhood.

Next meeting announcement coming soon.

Mayor O'Reilly Tonight!

  Remember our next meeting is tonight: Thursday, April 15th at 7:00pm in the cafeteria at Lindbergh Elementary School at 500 N. Waverly. Our special guest speaker is Mayor Jack O'Reilly, Jr.
  There are plenty of issues to discuss with the Mayor.  Proposed cuts to the city budget have a lot of people talking and rumors flying. There are also city projects and developments in the works that will affect us all. Of course, there are issues that are specific to the Howard Park Neighborhood, as well.
  After our discussion with Mayor O'Reilly, we'll round up some volunteers to help organize our summer event-which looks like it may be an Ice Cream Social in partnership with one or two local businesses in our area.
  Bring a neighbor and stop in. Everyone is welcome.

Got Lawn Signs?

  We're looking for lawn signs that we can re-purpose to help advertise future neighborhood association meetings. If you have a sign you're willing to donate from a lawn service, home improvement company or political candidate just shoot us an e-mail. 

  We'll pick them up and refurbish them into Howard Park Neighborhood Association signs. We'll then post them throughout the area the week of our next meeting.

Meeting Change & More News

Due to scheduling conflicts at Howard Elementary, our meeting with Mayor O'Reilly will take place April 15th in the cafeteria of LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 7pm. Lindbergh is just a few blocks from Howard at 500 N. Waverly Street . 

We plan to distribute flyers door to door through the Howard Park neighborhood to spread the word about this meeting. If you can help out, pick a street and we'll drop off flyers a week or two before the meeting.

Also, the warm weather has a lot of us doing yard work and leaving yard waste at the curb. However, the city will not begin collecting until the week of April 5th so hold off bringing containers to the curb until then. Yard waste may be placed loose in 20-32 gallon containers with a yard waste sticker on the lid or yard waste paper bags. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be picked up.

February 25th Meeting Notes

We had another great meeting last night at Howard Elementary School. Lots of new faces and plenty of people who want to pitch in to help our neighborhood thrive. Many thanks to everyone who braved the cold to attend.

Last night we discussed new ways you can keep up with breaking city news, snow emergencies and police situations. Nixle and Twitter provide almost instant reports to your email or mobile device. Take a look and sign up, if you're interested:

www.nixle.com

www.twitter.com/cityofdearborn

Also, the City of Dearborn has updated its website. The new site is easier to navigate and much more user-friendly. Check it out here:

www.cityofdearborn.org

John Cascardo from Dearborn's Residential Services Department discussed the Wayne County Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program. This is a free service that has already helped over 2,000 families avoid foreclosure. From the sound of it, this is a very worthwhile program. You can look into it for yourself at www.FightMortgageForeclosure.com or by calling 877-693-6199.

The issue of neighborhood traffic was brought up. We've had several complaints about speeding drivers, as well as cars rolling through stop signs. The corner of Edward and N. Martha was cited as being particularly bad (especially after Howard School lets out in the afternoons). If you're having traffic issues in your area, please let us know. We will contact the Dearborn Police Department's Traffic Safety officer next week.

Finally, we need BLOCK CAPTAINS! Block Captains can help the Association with certain issues that may be affecting your specific block (vacant homes, unregistered rentals, code violations, etc). They can also help spread the word about upcoming events, meetings or neighborhood projects. Some of you volunteered last night. Please send me an email with your address, and we'll start compiling a list.

Early next week we'll put up a post detailing some of the Association projects that were proposed last night. Lots of great suggestions...keep 'em coming!

NEXT MEETING: APRIL 15th
GUEST SPEAKER: MAYOR O'REILLY
LINDBERGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIA
7:00PM

Meeting Tonight

Just a reminder that we're having a quick meeting tonight at 7:00pm in the cafeteria of Howard Elementary.

We'll be talking over ideas for Association events as well as any neighborhood news or concerns.

We won't have any speakers at this meeting, but we will be joined again by John Cascardo from the City of Dearborn.

Hope you can make it!

If you're not on our e-mail list yet, drop us a line at: 

howardparkneighborhood@yahoo.com

We'll let you know about upcoming meetings, events and any neighborhood news.

REMINDER: NEXT MEETING IS FEBRUARY 25th

Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 25th for our first meeting of 2010. We'll meet at 7:00pm in the cafeteria of Howard Elementary on N. York Street.

Bring a neighbor and come on by!