How walkable is it where you live?

April 20, 2013

“Anything’s within walking distance, if you have enough time.” (Steven Wright)

But what if you don’t have all the time in the world to get to something? That’s where the “walkability” of your neighborhood comes in. I met the lady who wrote the book on “walkability”, which is a measurement of how convenient it is to walk to things from where you live. Out of her work a Web site was born a web site that has now been bought by Redfin. The new URL is –https://www.redfin.com/how-walk-score-works . The book focused upon family walkingwhat makes a neighborhood walkable – the places that you can reasonably walk to and the things you can do once you get there. Included in important places that you might be able to walk to are stores, libraries, parks, restaurants and more.

There are urban areas like Chicago and Boston and New York where you would see a very high walkscore, since they have very dense neighborhoods that have most of the things one needs integrated into the fabric of the neighborhood. Once you get out to the suburbs you often lose that ability to walk to the store or the restaurant.

I live in Milford, Michigan which has a very high walkscore of 77 (out of 100) when I type in my address. I used to live in Orchard Lake in a typical bedroom community and when I put in that address the score is 9, which means that it is almost a totally car-dependent neighborhood. Go to walkscore.com and type in your address. What score do you get? If you’d like to be in a more walkable place, call me and I’ll find you a home in Milford, where you can walk to almost anything you need.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Things to do and places to go over the Spring Break and beyond

March 29, 2013

Whether or not you’ll be traveling out-of-town over Spring Break, go to my Web site – www.movetomilford.com and check out all of the fun things there will be to do around the Huron Valley area over the next few weeks. You can start with The Great Egg Hunt out at Kensington Metropark  this week and go from there. Actually you could end up back at Kensington quite often, since they have lots of upcoming events andpiglets many of their animals will be having spring babies or litters.

For the wee ones there’s a whole series of events coming up at Max & Izzy’s in Downtown Milford. For the older kids there’s the shoot ’em up, blow ’em up movie GI Joe Revenge showing at the Milford Cinema.

With warmer weather finally arriving getting outdoors will be high on the list. Take the kids to Central Park to play on the play structures or get really adventuresome and go rent a canoe and get out on the river. Kensington will be hosting all sorts of outdoor activities , as well as their first “Farmer for a DAy ” events out at the Farm Center. This program is offered to boys and girls, ages 7 to 15 years old, interested in working on a farm. Kids will work alongside the farmers and in teams to accomplish daily or seasonal chores. This program is designed to be educational and fun. Children will leave with a greater appreciation of farm life. Most will probably come away saying, “So, I decided not to be a Farmer”, but they’ll have a better appreciation for farm life.

VFAA_PAN_GraphicThe arts are not to be forgotten either. April 13 is PAN – Poetry Art Night – at the Huron Valley Council for the Arts in Highland. Then on April 20 the final performance in the Classic Series featuring a performance by soprano Karen Roberts at the HVCA. Go tp the Move to Milford web site and click on the poster for all of the info on that event.

For those who love garage sales there are two events – the Community Sharing Garage Sale April 17, 18, 19 at the Apollo Center in Highland and the Mom 2 Mom sale at Lakeland High on April 20.

There is also a job fair for Lakeland High School Students on April 24 to allow the students and potential summer employers to get to know each other.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Come meet The Purple Gang

March 20, 2013

The March General Membership Meeting of the Milford Historical Society is this Thursday, March 21st. Our guest speaker for the March General Membership meeting is Paul Kavieff author of three Purple Gang books, who will tell the gruesome tale of this juvenile Jewish organized crime gang reigning from 1910 – 1945. Long time Milford residents can probably recite stories about the time when some members of the Purple Gang used to like to hang out in Milford. So come hear about purple gang bookMilford’s gangster time. It’s certainly more interesting than digging up farms around Milford, looking for Jimmy Hoffa.

Paul Kavieff holds degrees from Oakland and Wayne State Universities. He is a nationally recognized organized crime Historian. Using rare police photos, mug shots and group photographs the book takes you back to the days of hijacking and bootlegging. Something the Purple Gang were experts at. But they could not play nice together so power and jealously eventually lead to their own destruction.

The Meeting kicks off with a pot luck dinner at 6:30, followed by the meeting and Paul’s presentation. The meetings are held in the Milford United Methodist Church at 1200 Atlantic St in Milford (near the post office). Remember to ware something purple or make a mobster dish to pass – like Gangster Goulash or Machinegun Meatballs or even better a cake with a file in it. You should also bring your own dinner serving set-up and a drink for yourself. The pot luck dinner is considered one of Milford’s best. I’ll see you there.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Village Fine Arts Association brings PAN to Milford

March 2, 2013

VFAA_PAN_GraphicThe Village Fine Arts Association (VFAA) has put out the call for artists and musicians to participate in the 12th annual Poety Art Night (PAN) on Saturday, April 13, 6:30 p.m. in the Milford Public Library Community Room, 330 Family Drive . Milford.  Tickets will be available at the door -Adults $10, Children 17 and under $5.

The VFAA has been greater Milford’s premier independent art organization for over two decades, holding art shows, monthly meetings with informational speakers, workshops open to all skill levels and numerous events and projects within the community.

PAN is a visual arts and poetry competition and sale. Artists are invited to enter their 2 or 3 dimensional artwork, accompanied by a poem. The poem should be either the inspiration for the art piece, or inspired by the art. The poem can be an original by the artist, or someone else or a previously published poem. Only original poems by the artist or commissioned by the artist for the show will be judged and eligible for prizes.

To enter the PAN competition artists should go to the VFAA website and download the prospectus. The entry deadline is March 16, so hurry to get your application in to participate in this event. As for the rest of us, we’ll just have to wait until PAN comes to Milford on April 13.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Join the First Chair Club

February 25, 2013

Join the First Chair Club and support this wonderful community project. Many people who live in Milford, Michigan know that there is a project underway right now to raise funds to create a new amphitheater facility in Central Park. The fund-raising for the project is being headed up by a group made up of the Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce (HVCC), the Rotary Club and The Milford Downtown Development Authority (DDA).  The Milford Historical Society is also involved through it’s role with the Pettibone Creek Powerhouse, which the Society rescued and restored.

The AMP project as it has been named includes the creation of an amphitheater with a permanent stage for events such as the summer Concerts in the Park series and other events. Also included in the project is the construction of permanent bathroom facilities for the park, to replace the Port-a-Potties now used. For more on the design and the overall project click here.

One fund raising effort is called the “First Chair Club”. This is a donation program for those able to contribute $1,000 towards the project. Those donars with be special guests at the inaugural event at the new facilities – they will have the “first chairs” at that event, which is scheduled for May 20, if all of the money for the project is collected by then. Click here to see the poster full size.

1st Chair CLub Poster

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Posted by Norm Werner

Stong Kids make strong adults…

February 19, 2013

On February 27th  the Strong Kids Campaign Kickoff Breakfast is taking place at 7:30 am at the Carls Family YMCA.  The guest speaker at this year’s kickoff breakfast is former Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple. This annual breakfast kicks of the fund-raising campaign for the program that the Y runs to make sure that no children or teens are denied the strong kids posterbenefits of the programs that the Y runs for them because of a lack of funds. The funds collected are used to provide scholarships to those programs for kids who could not otherwise afford to attend them.

With your donation to the Strong Kids Campaign, you make it possible for children and teens to take part in programs that teach them positive behaviors, allow them to explore their talents and help them grow and realize their potential. Thank you for your support and generosity! Click here for a video about the Strong Kids Campaign.

Because of your contribution, this year the Carls Family YMCA is able to support the following programs:

•Carls Family YMCA Day Camp (Camp Huron): Last summer, more than 75 families applied for financial support in order to afford safe, nurturing and enriching YMCA camp for their children.  Many working families are unable to afford summer camp without your support. 100 campers need your support. The average family receives $100 in weekly support in order to afford Y Camp while parents work.

•Carls Swims Initiative: The Carls Family YMCA has pledged to teach 500 disadvantaged children to swim each year. In a 7 week session, the Y transforms a child from fearing water to being able to swim unassisted to safety.  The YMCA’s goal is to ensure all Carl’s children are able to swim and be safe around water. 500 children want to learn how to swim. A gift of $60 supports one child through a 7 week swim program.

•Youth Sports: These programs emphasize good sportsmanship, teamwork, persistence and skill development while setting a child on a path to an active and healthy life style. 250 children can participate in sports and thus begin a healthier lifestyle. A gift of $50 will allow a child to learn a new sport, develop teamwork skills and grow into a healthy adult.

•Character Counts Preschool: Our age-appropriate program is filled with fun, educational activities designed to expand children’s imagination.  Children learn about sharing, making good choices and group play in a caring, safe environment. They also learn the Y’s lifelong positive values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. 40 families applying for assistance for Character Counts preschool receives $250 in monthly assistance in order to ensure a quality, enriching preschool experience while family members are at work providing for their family.

Help during this critical time in children’s’ lives. RSVP for the breakfast event by Feb 20 to Sharon Peterson (248)685-3020 or by email sjperterson@ymcadetroit.org. Hurry! You only have one day left to get your reservation in for this event.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Supporting the Huron Valley Youth Assistance Program

February 8, 2013

“Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.” (J.K. Rowling) from the Jack’s Winning Words blog. I might add to Rowling’s saying by adding “and wasteful when writes youth off.”

Last ncatch a falling shildight my wife and I went to the annual Taste of the Valley fund raiser for the Huron Valley Youth Assistance Program. We met and had a nice talk with the one youth counselor that the program has left after recent budget cuts. She gave us some good insight into the goals of the program to be a preventative measure to keep kids from going astray. By the time that we read about them in the paper it is often too late to retrieve a young life and set it on the right path.  Getting off on the wrong foot can start with something as simple as skipping school to “hang out” with neighborhood friends.

I certainly don’t intend to discuss what “the right path” is, but I’m pretty sure that it is illuminated by a having a strong sense of right and wrong and a good moral compass. I’m also sure that it does not require drugs or other artificial means to find it. Oakland County has a strong commitment to the youth of the community and sees them rightly as the future for the area. The County supported Youth Assistance program is one of the strongest in the state; yet even it has suffered the ravages of the recent recession with staff and program cut-backs. Fund raisers like the Taste of the Valley help some, but more is needed.

One need is not about money and is something that anyone can help out with. The YA program needs volunteers to be mentors to the youth in the program. Mentors have to be willing and able to spendmentoring time with kids who many times just need someone to talk to or to go to an event with.  Many of the “at risk” kids in the program come from dysfunctional families where finding a responsible adult to talk out a problem might be impossible

The  annual Taste of the Valley fund raiser is used to help fund the YA program within the he Huron Valley School District. The program is currently headquartered on the Apollo Center on N. Milford Rd in Highland. You can contact them at (248) 676-8492 if you’d like to volunteer or just need more information about what they are doing in the Huron Valley School District. If you’d like to read more about becoming a YA mentor or just want more information about the Oakland County YA program click here.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Upcoming events in the Milford, Michigan area

February 6, 2013

It’s winter and in Michigan that means it’s cold; but, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to do, especially in Milford and the Huron Valley area. There are several upcoming events for charitable causes that will be fun and help raise much needed money for worthwhile causes.

The first is this week, Thursday, Feb 7. The annual Taste of the Valley is the primary fund raising event for he Huron Valley Youth Assistance Program. The HVYA program, which is run in waiter with foodMilford and Highland Townships, has as its goal assisting “at risk” youth of the area. The risk is that they will pursue a path of juvenile delinquency that will inevitably lead to worse behavior later on in life. The HVYA Program provides counseling and other activities to encourage and support the youth to take a different path.

The Taste of the Valley will take place at Bakers of Milford starting at 7 pm and will feature food samples from some of the top restaurants in the area. There will also be a raffle and a silent auction for gift baskets that have been donated for this cause. Tickets are $20 in advance (you can get them at either Township office) or $25 at the door.

In Valentine’s Day, Feb 14, the Community Sharing Outreach organization has organized an event that they call Food from the Heart. This event will take place in Downtown Milford and features live music at all of the participating venues. Many stores and restaurants are Community Sharing logoparticipating. You can see the list by clicking here to view the poster. As with most Community Sharing event, your “ticket” to get into this event is a can of food or box of non-perishable food (of course a cash donation is always welcomed). You can stroll through downtown and stop off in participating shops and restaurants to listen to the music and enjoy your shopping or dining. For a list of performers at the various locations, click here.

In support of the Food from the Heart event, the Milford YMCA is having a Parent Night Out for children so parents can attend this fun event. Please call the Y to register call 248-714-4412 and it is $13.00 an hour for Y members and $17.00 an hour for non-members. So, plan on dropping the kids off at the Y and then enjoying a night of music and fun in Downtown Milford in support of a good cause.

laugh-smallThen, on Feb 16 there is LAUGHS AT THE LEGION – at the American Legion Hall, Milford. 5 pm the doors open, optional burger and fries meal available for $7 and a cash bar. The Comedy Show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. This event benefits the Highland-White Lake Business Association Scholarship Fund and the summer-time Sparks in the Park event.

Finally, Oakpoint Church on Milford’s South side (on South Hill Rd) is hosting Milford’s Beast Feast on Feb 23 – 6 – 9 pm at Oakpoint Church – a pot luck dinner for hunters from the area. Bring a wild (or tame) game dish to pass – some other food will be supplied. Exchange stories with fellow hunters, plus a raffle and other competition. Tickets are $5. For more information go to the Oakpoint Web site.

There are also some upcoming free community events, which are just held to have fun and don’t raise money for any group.

The first is the Milford Community Snow Day – Feb 9 – 4 pm until 6 pm, in Milford Central Park – If our crazy winter weather cooperates there will be Ice Skating/ & a Figure Skating demo, Winter Crafts, Winter Games, Snowshoeing, Sled Dogs, Voyage in Time Re-enactment, Bonfire, Cocoa & Cookies, fun for the whole family. Click here to view the poster for this event.??????????????????????????????????????

There are also the Daddy-Daughter Dance and the Mother-Son Dance on Feb 16 – 7 – 9 pm – sponsored by Huron Valley Recreation & Community Education. The Daddy-Daughter dance will be at Milford High School and the Mother-Son Dance at Heritage Elementary School. $25 per couple for residents, $35 per couple for non residents. $10 for each additional daughter. Click here to see the registration form for both dances.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Icy Fun Day at Kensington Metropark

February 2, 2013

Wow, kids, what fun! Today in Kensington Metropark you can explore the exciting world of ice fishing and see how the ice was harvested for use around the turn of the century.ice fishing

I’ll bet dad would love to take you ice fishing today. Mom might love that, too. Explore the thrill of sitting on a frozen lake for hours looking into a small hole in the ice. Feel the exhilaration of catching and  pulling your first 5-inch long pan fish out through that hole. Maybe mom will cook up your catch for dinner tonight.

After that maybe you can go watch the ice harvesting demonstration and see how the lake ice was sawed out and hauled away to coolers in the winter. Maybe you can pull a block of ice off the lake and take home an ice-cube of your own to store in your freezer at home.

For the times and any costs involved see the Upcoming Community Events calendar at www.movetomilford.com and remember that if you are over 17, you’ll need a fishing license to join dad out on the ice. Tell dad to bring money, since there is a cost of $5 for each person fishing. He might want to bring some hot cocoa, too. Be sure to bundle up, because it’s cold out there on the ice.

You and dad are sure to have lots to talk about. Maybe he’ll tell you about when his dad took him out ice fishing. Just don’t believe the story when he tells you about the three-foot long fish he caught that day.

Have a happy, icy day at Kensington Metropark.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Beer Dinner Tonight at Palate

January 29, 2013

There’s still time to get a reservation for tonight’s Beer Dinner at the Palate in Milford. The four-course meal willFront of Palate offer different craft beers from The Witches Brew brewery with each course. to see the menu, click here. Call 248-714-5707 to see if you can still get a table.

Owner Joe Hibbert has been coming up with unique and fun events at the Palate since it opened, usually revolving somehow around the 30+ craft beers that they have on tap. And if you haven’t tried their Zombie Killer mead yet, give that a try…it’s great. This special meal will supercede the regular menu for tonight only.

I certainly wish Joe and his new bride Bristol success with this new dining venue. Milford has developed quite a reputation as a fine dining destination and the Palate just adds to that reputation. So, if you like good food and good craft beers, head out to the Palate on Main St in Milford tonight. Just for the occasion we’ve ordered up warmer weather today. Tomorrow it’s back to winter, but tonight we party.

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Posted by Norm Werner

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