Savoring the Seasons in the VEHA

Feeling Festive!
I’m feeling festive, even though the days are getting shorter and the sun’s getting a little scarce, because the holidays are nearly here! I can tell because the VEHA Luminary order forms have been distributed and soon – on Christmas Eve – it will be our chance to, in the words of Norma Regenold, the long-time Chairperson of the Luminary Event, “… Light up our corner of the world!”

One of our family traditions is to drive through the neighborhood after Mass on Christmas Eve to see the thousands of candles flickering with a glow that warms the neighborhood and our hearts.

Another Royal Oak tradition, the “Holiday Magic Parade” marched through downtown on Saturday, November 21 welcoming both Santa Claus and the holiday season to our town. My daughter Juli and I were on Washington Blvd., along with thousands of other Royal Oak residents, to see the Royal Oak High School Marching Band, the Borgo School of Dance and Gymnastics, hundreds of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, representatives of the Royal Oak Optimists and Kiwanis Clubs, and the Cass Technical High School Marching Band (my alma mater!) welcome Santa. After the parade, Juli and I stopped for a cup of hot chocolate on Washington and talked with many friends and neighbors. It was a wonderful reminder of what a special place our town, and our neighborhood, is to live!

Spring Garage/Block/Yard Sale was a Chance to Shop
and Say ‘Hello!’
The annual VEHA Garage/Block/Yard Sale, held May 15-17 this year, was a great way to get reacquainted with neighbors after last year’s long winter, and to turn unwanted or unused items into cash. The VEHA placed newspaper ads and posted signs to publicize the event and the weather cooperated and gave us three beautiful days for shopping and socializing. This Christmas, put aside those unwanted gifts and instead of “re-gifting,” sell them at the 2010 VEHA Garage/Block/Yard Sale!

VEHA Picnic was Cancelled for 2009
Due to dwindling participation and support over the past several years, the annual VEHA Picnic, usually held in mid-June at Waterworks Park, was been cancelled this year. Oakridge Market, for years, donated hot dogs, hamburgers, buns and condiments; and neighbors would bring side dishes and desserts to pass. If anyone is interested in helping me to revive this event for summer 2010, send me a note, or post a comment here – we will meet in the spring to make plans.

Summertime and Hollywood Came to the VEHA
Hollywood came to the VEHA neighborhood in September when much of Vinsetta Blvd., a portion of Main St., and part of Detroit Street Park were used as sets for the Wolverine Productions filming of “Red Dawn,” a remake of the 1984 movie that starred Patrick Swayze.

In the original, Soviet paratroopers attack, round up townspeople and begin a full-scale military invasion. A group of high school students, who call themselves Wolverines after their school mascot, resists with guerilla warfare. The remake features a new generation of invaders for the students to resist – Chinese soldiers.

A chase scene was filmed on Vinsetta, with the teens, escaping in a pickup truck, pursued by Chinese troops. The chase took place east on Vinsetta, culminating with a crash across Main St., into Detroit Street Park.For several days, the area was filled with production vehicles, and cast and crew members. Neighbors in the area went off to school and work passing and waving to vehicles full of Chinese soldiers waiting for their queues to begin filming.

Everyone from the production was friendly and patient, and the neighbors were helpful and supportive. For several days we all had something to talk about other than who most recently lost their job and how bad the real estate market is around here.

A few neighbors even got in on the “action” – as extras or, in our case, as crew support. We rented our garage to the production crew for two days, for equipment storage and access to an electrical outlet to recharge cameras.Last year, Royal Oak also was part of the Hollywood scene when the crew of "Prayers for Bobby" starring Sigourney Weaver filmed a parade scene downtown on Washington Ave, using 600 local extras. The city also had a role last year in “Gran Torino,” the film by actor/director Clint Eastwood who shot some key scenes in the barber shop on 11 Mile Rd., just east of Washington.

The new “Red Dawn” is scheduled to be released in September 2010 – plan to see it, and watch for the scenes “starring” the VEHA neighborhood!

As the sign above, taped to the street sign, says - Vinsetta became a movie set for a few days in September.

Neighborhood News
West Webster Update
Betsy Kalec, on W. Webster has this news to share with neighbors.
"Last spring, some of the W. Webster neighbors had a Common Hackberry tree planted at Bicycle Hill in memory of two of the nicest neighbor ever, Glen and Barbara Thornton. As you may recall, we had a nice wet spring followed by a summer of heat, sun, and hardly any rain. Our little tree hadn’t gotten established well enough and did not survive – summer drought, winter kill – I am not certain why the Hackberry died, but we chose it because one Web site called it 'one tough tree.'

I contacted a very nice gentleman at the city who agreed to re-plant the memorial tree. The new tree was planted within five days of my telephone conversation with him. It stands at the top of the hill, right in line with Webster. There is a lovely memorial plaque at the base of the tree in honor of our wonderful neighbors, Glen and Barbara Thornton."

New “Additions” on Orchard View
Randal A. Szarek sends news of some family additions on Orchard View over the past few months.
John and Heather Svoboda welcomed their second son, Andrew, born in March. Big brother Jack is as happy and proud as mom and dad!

Derrick and Carrie Ray announced the birth of their son, Robert Kenneth (they’re calling him Beau) in October. Congratulations to both families!

A Reflection on the Kindness of Neighbors
Megan and Camille Khoury, of Vinsetta write:
“Thank you for the lovely VEHA Spring Memo. I wanted to share one of our VEHA experiences.

One day last winter we let our dog Rocky outside, as we do every morning. We had become accustomed to her staying in the yard so we did not always watch her every move. On that Saturday, she took an awfully long time to come to the back door. When we went to look for her, she was nowhere to be found. I went out into the yard and called for her but she did not come. After 15 minutes we were worried. After a half-hour of waiting, we were scared.
I bundled up my son and drove around the neighborhood searching for Rocky.

Thanks to the VEHA residential directory, our lovely neighbors – the Ellison family, whom we had never met before – tracked us down and called my husband. Rocky had a stroke in their yard and was unable to get up. Thanks to our neighbor's kindness and ingenuity (not to mention the VEHA directory!) we were able to find Rocky and say goodbye to her before we had to put her to sleep.”

Send your neighborhood news and your VEHA stories!
As I read about the “new arrivals” in our neighborhood, and touching stories like the support the Ellison family gave to the Khoury family, I’m lifted by the realization of what a wonderful place the VEHA is to live and to raise our families. Thank you all for sharing, and please continue to do so.

And become a “Follower” of this blog – by registering, you’ll be automatically notified by e-mail when there are new posts, or when a neighbor comments on a current post.

If you have news or photos to share with your neighbors in the VEHA, post a comment here, send an e-mail to me, Dan Saad at d1saad@aol.com, or drop it off at 406 Potawatomi Blvd., for the next edition of VEHA Memo.

– Dan Saad, Editor
d1saad@aol.com

Welcome, Spring!

This is a posting of the Spring 2009 content of VEHA Memo, watch for the Fall 2009 material soon!

I can’t remember being happier to see spring arrive than I am this year. I’ve spent 17 winters in the VEHA and the one we’ve just survived (and I do mean "survived!") seemed particularly long and cold. Parts, I’ll grant you, were fun. Weekend sledding with my daughters at Dickie Putnam Park, cross country skiing with them along Vinsetta Blvd., and skating on our “pond” in the backyard lent some brightness to the cold and gray. The Mondays through Fridays, however, did their best to break our spirits, didn’t they? There were too many mornings with snow that had to be shoveled from walks and driveways, and cleared from our cars before we headed off in the cold.

My walking and running friends on those dark mornings were almost unrecognizable as we passed each other bundled against the bitter winds. We offered each other exaggerated waves, but our short morning chats were impossible with the wind gusts taking our breath away. I got outside less this winter. Maybe I’m getting old and don’t have the motivation, or maybe I’m getting old and coming to my senses! One thing’s for certain, I lost my strongest motivator, Yeller Girl, my yellow Lab who – for most of the past decade – pushed or pulled me out into the morning, no matter the weather. She treated every walk like she was discovering our neighborhood for the first time, and every friend we met along the way was an exciting encounter.

Now that spring is here, I’ve promised myself that I will embark on each run, walk or bike ride through the neighborhood her enthusiasm. Every friend I meet, I’ll greet warmly, and at every turn of the sidewalk, I’ll look for something new and exciting. I look forward to seeing you all this spring – walking, running, biking, and playing in the parks. Our neighborhood is filled with wonderful people and things – and it’s all yours, so enjoy it!

VEHA picnic was more than a cookout
My friend Bill Regenold always enjoyed a hot dog at the annual VEHA Picnic with ketchup. It was Bill who got me involved in the VEHA nearly 18 years ago, when I was new to the neighborhood. His enthusiasm for the area and the people was contagious. He and his wife, Norma, encouraged my wife, Doris, and me to get involved in the annual VEHA Picnic at Waterworks Park. “Great way to get to know the neighbors and keep the community strong,” Bill said. He was right. For 10 years, we helped with, and later organized the children’s games, and we watched a whole generation of kids – including our own – grow up.

Through Bill, I also learned that the picnic was more than a neighborhood cookout. It was an opportunity for long-time residents to share the history of the homes and the area with newcomers, for neighbors to discuss issues that concerned us collectively, for friends to share happiness and – sometimes – grief. The picnic was a celebration of what the neighborhood was, as well as what the neighborhood could become.

I’m sad to see this tradition come to an end. But, I’m happy to have had the chance to attend 16 of those wonderful gatherings and to have learned about the rich history of the VEHA, and to have met so many of the wonderful people who made the neighborhood grow and prosper. And, to have had a few hotdogs, with ketchup, with my friend Bill.

Neighborhood News
Welcome, Neighbors!
Evie Bell, Vinsetta Blvd. Block Captain, sends a “welcome” (echoed by the whole VEHA) to Anita and Bill Springer (3310), and an added “congratulations” on the birth of their daughter, Isabelle on January 29.

Also new to the block are Tony Ross and Stewart Dowaell (3321) and Evie reports that there also is a new neighbor at 3204, but she hasn’t found out their name (write us, and we will say a formal “hello”!) – welcome to everyone … we hope to see you at the park clean-up and participating in the Garage/Block/Yard Sale!

Helping Others with Furniture Donations
Ann Ford wrote to tell everyone in the VEHA about the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan. It was established in 1968 to provide furniture assistance to needy families. The organization serves families in both Oakland and Macomb counties. The Macomb facility, in Warren, opened in 2007. The Oakland County facility is in Pontiac at 333 N. Perry. If you would like information, call 248-332-1300 or visit the Web site: http://www.furniture-bank.org

Share your VEHA stories!
Tell me about your VEHA experiences. Are you a regular walker or runner? What do you enjoy about our neighborhood? What special friendships have you made? Send your thoughts to me and I’ll share them with all our neighbors in the summer edition of VEHA Memo.
– Dan Saad, Editor
d1saad@aol.com