Warrendale Community Organization to meet on Tuesday

The next meeting of the Warrendale Community Organization will be this coming Tuesday, September 4. The neighborhood group will meet from 7 - 8 p.m. in the Activities Building of Ss. Peter and Paul Church (7685 Grandville).

Everyone who lives, works, or plays in the Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit is welcome to attend.

John McCain dies at the age of 81

U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona - Photo by Dave Davison/Pixabay

The distinguished Republican Senator from Arizona John McCain passed away earlier this evening. He was 81 years of age at the time of his death. While I disagreed with McCain on a multitude of issues, I respected him a lot.

I pray this evening, therefore, that all of angels and saints in Heaven join in welcoming him home. I also pray that his family and friends come to know comfort and peace in the days to come until they are reunited with him.

Good night, Senator McCain.

Detour to Warrendale

Warrendale - Photo by Frank Nemecek

Detour is a new email newsletter that covers a lot of stories about Detroit that other, larger publications miss. They recently launched a Neighborhood Ambassador program where a local resident will highlight stories in one of four given neighborhoods. I am honored to be their representative for Warrendale.

There will now be a new monthly column about Warrendale in their newsletter alongside my counterparts from Highland Park, Southwest, and Northwest Detroit.

As an aside, I sent the editor of Detroit four different photographs that she could use as a headshot in her introduction for me. Naturally, she used the goofiest of them.

Their latest newsletter can be seen here. It's complete with the goofy photo in question from a recent trip that I took to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Voices of Rouge Park

Save Rouge Park - Photo by Frank Nemecek

The folks at Model D Media published a write-up on Rouge Park in Detroit. Their article primarily focused on the groups of ordinary citizens who put so much effort into preserving, protecting, and promoting the largest park in Detroit.

One can read their full article online here.

Personally, I'm thrilled that this article is one more example of people finally recognizing that Rouge Park is indeed the largest park in Detroit. (Sorry, Belle Isle - but Rouge Park is much bigger, even without factoring in the golf course.)

Full disclosure: I used to write for Model D Media several years ago. I haven't had any business relationship with them in years, however.

Mayor Duggan to meet with the neighborhood

Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit - File Photo

The City of Detroit recently announced that Mayor Mike Duggan will have his annual District 7 Community Meeting on Monday, August 20. This event will start at 7 p.m. at the Straight Gate International Church (10100 Grand River Ave.) and is expected to conclude at 8:30 p.m.

This meeting is an opportunity for residents, business owners, and other interested parties in Warrendale and the surrounding neighborhoods to bring any questions or concerns they might have directly to Mayor Duggan in a public setting. Representatives from the various City departments will also be on hand.

The annual meeting is required by the Charter for the City of Detroit, which mandates that the Mayor hold at least one of these meetings each year in each of the seven City Council districts.

Anyone with any questions or concerns about our local government is invited to attend this meeting.

Open Streets comes to Rouge Park

Detroit Grand Prix exhibit car - Photo by Frank Nemecek

An estimated 1,400 people came out for the inaugural edition of Open Streets Rouge Park this past Saturday. A three-mile loop of roads was closed inside Rouge Park from 1 - 5 p.m. to allow a coalition of non-profits, government agencies, and businesses to showcase all that the largest park in Detroit has to offer.

This included everything from tours of the newly redeveloped Scout Hollow as well as:

• Archery demonstrations from Elite Archery, which is the company that maintains the Rouge Park Archery Range;
• Lacrosse demonstrations from Detroit City Lacrosse;
• Hiking on the miles of park trails;
• Bike rentals from Wheelhouse Detroit and cycling events; and
• Race car exhibit by the Detroit Grand Prix.

All of this was in addition 28 other events, displays, and information tables.

Bike rentals by Wheelhouse Detroit - Photo by Frank Nemecek

"There are so many wonderful amenities in Rouge Park, and this was a great way to highlight the natural beauty that exists in Detroit’s largest park," explained Lisa Nuszkowski, one of the event organizers. "We hope that Open Streets gives more Detroiters the opportunity to experience the city’s public spaces on foot and by bike."

How to get a felony removed from your record

Jail cells - Stock photo by TryJimmy/Pixabay

I'm always amazed at how many people - who seem like model citizens at first glance - have a felony conviction on their record. Usually, it's for something that they did in their younger days. Since then, they've learned from their mistakes and have become better people.

It's frustrating, therefore, that these folks are still haunted by something they did years or even decades ago when they were a very different person. They have trouble getting a job, renting a home, or receiving credit because of their criminal history.

Luckily, it is possible to get a felony removed from your record under certain conditions. My advice here is specifically for people who live in Michigan. Individuals in other states should contact an attorney in their home state.

In order to begin the process, an applicant must have completed serving any sentence connected to their felony conviction. This includes probation and parole, if applicable.

Once that is completed, one can submit an application for pardon to the Pardon and Commutation Coordinator at the Michigan Department of Corrections. This application must be completed in full and notarized before sending it in. The form itself is available online here.

These tips are brought to you by the Warrendale (Detroit) Blog as part of our Tip of the Week feature. Please check back next week for more advice on your home, money, and life. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more great content.