July 26, 2019 Dear FHHD Resident: Forty years ago, a group of residents, with genuine wisdom and foresight, succeeded in deeming this neighborhood historical. Now, in what seems like a proverbial flash forward, here we are about to celebrate the centennial of our neighborhood, both this year and next! At this point, preparations for the big event include:
- A Christmas-holiday home tour featuring a dozen homes will take place December 8, 2019. We would like to have all streets represented, but we still need homes on Francis and Military. If you live on those streets and would like to volunteer your home, please let me know via email or phone. (See signature line.) We thank everyone for their consideration, those who have volunteered as well as those whom we have asked. Additional details, including the homes selected, will be shared at the next neighborhood meeting.
- Banners, featuring a logo created by Regan West, will be displayed on every street in the district.
- The first year (1980) that homes in the FHHD displayed candles in front windows our neighborhood won a City Beautiful Award. We hope to trigger 100% centennial participation to celebrate this warm, welcoming tradition.
- Consistent cedar roping and bows, with which to decorate streetlights, will generate holiday appeal. Neighbors are needed to “adopt a light post.”
- Regan West has designed attractive commemorative plates; so an order form is provided with this mailing for your convenience.
- The home-tour-ticket price will be $15 in advance or $20 on December 8.
- Model Ts will be parked outside tour homes. By moving local vehicles off the streets on tour day, residents can help parking availability for tour participants. • Strolling carolers, perhaps attired in period costumes, will add to the festivities.
- A Ford-Homes Centennial, coffee-table book published under the direction of Glenn O’Kray from the Dearborn Historical Museum is being compiled. (Please read the accompanying letter from Glenn O’Kray for details.)
- Lawn signs will provide details about homes with unique histories, including homes not on the tour. If you have details about your home’s history, please share.
We trust that all residents will take pride in these events and help spiff up the neighborhood. Although some of our streets are crumbling and unsightly, Dearborn has no plan to improve these areas for the centennial; so it is incumbent upon us to improve what we can on our own properties!
Our next neighborhood meeting will take place on September 24, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at DuVall Elementary School. The featured speaker is Joe Oldenburg who chaired the committee that gained the historic designation for this neighborhood. He also authored the definitive article on the neighborhood’s history that is available on our website. His PowerPoint presentation surely will prove fascinating for anyone who lives here. We hope the meeting will be packed with interested residents, ready and eager to be involved in the centennial. Whether you can spare a cash donation or help out for as little as an hour or two of service, we trust you will want to be part of this extraordinary time in our neighborhood’s fascinating-and-ongoing unique history. Sign-up sheets will be provided at the meeting for individual committees’ tasks.
We live in a unique neighborhood with interesting historical houses and good neighbors. Come join us. You’ll be glad you did. Clearly, we can make good use of your insights, talents, skills and networks. Everything we do as a neighborhood organization is funded by our intermittent home tours. The last one was in 2015. Since then, we have funded our bike parades, Easter egg hunts, plantings in the Military median strips, pocket-park maintenance, meet-your-neighbor events, Halloween contests, and Santa visits from the proceeds of four years ago. The occasional home tour is our only fundraiser; so please help us make this one successful!
In order to communicate efficiently with as many FHHD residents as possible about updates and developments as well as opportunities to be involved, please share your current email address with Kathy Zubok at Your email address will not be used for any purpose other than communicating with you regarding neighborhood-specific events. We hope to reach more neighbors, more efficiently. Also, we have already received some interesting information regarding this neighborhood and would like to be able to share these items electronically with you.
Thank you for your ongoing interest and support!
Sincerely yours,
Kathy Zubok, President FHHD
Cell: 313-622-0648 Kathleen.zubok@acscension.org