Looks like they're hitting the westside tonight.

Blarf · October-28-09, 10:04 PM

Why do people keep calling it Angels Night? It's called Devils Night.

**4Oranges** · October-28-09, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by Blarf

Why do people keep calling it Angels Night? It's called Devils Night.

Are you not from around here originally? Or are you honestly inquiring as to why the "re-branding" of October 30 in the Detroit area?

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-28-09, 11:20 PM

I just wanted to tell those of you who are holding down their block everyday against the bullshit all of us Detroiters are facing....Thank You. You're not alone. I'm not leaving either, and I'll be out on Thurs, Devil's Night, and Halloween patrolling MLK to I75. It's my responsibility as the chair of the Vacant Propery Task Force in that area. I don't get paid to do it, and I don't own a house there, but I have a stake in this city just like the rest of you and until the rest of us figure out that these neighborhoods belong to us, the same garbage will continue to pile up over and over again. Im almost torn as to whether we should let the rape dens burn, or continue to wait for the city to grow a conscience, but 1KDrive's post reminds me why we should stand vigilant against arson. God help us all if we didn't have people in this city who actually gave a damn even if our elected officials don't, we wouldn't have a house left to protect.

mrrichard · October-29-09, 09:48 AM

If I were police chief I would give orders to shoot to kill if I saw someone in the act of burning a building. That might help a little.

Blarf · October-29-09, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by 4Oranges

Are you not from around here originally? Or are you honestly inquiring as to why the "re-branding" of October 30 in the Detroit area?

No I'm from around here. No matter how much they want to re-brand it, it is still called Devils Night. It historically always has been, and it always will be.

**1KielsonDrive** · October-30-09, 12:39 AM

I didn't make it down Barron Street or into Carbon Works tonight. Mostly other areas from Trumbull to The Rouge and Jefferson to Warren. I posted about my cruising on the Kovacs Bar and Angel's Night links. It was very quiet tonight. I usually try to cruise on Halloween but I'm unable to this year.

**sumas** · October-30-09, 02:25 AM

1kielsondrive, I know the garage of which you speak. That was a strange episode in the area, lots of garages in the area were torched over a period of about six weeks. The lovely lady you refer to had more damage to her home than you remember. Her home insurance didn't cover all the damages but her church members raised money and her home was repaired. The garage in your home where you lived is still in disrepair. It doesn't look too bad from the ground but the roof has gaping holes. A really great lawn mower I helped buy got stolen because some shit got into the garage from the holes in the roof. We are working on repairs. The home to the south of you was the original Verhydans funeral home and that garage that burnt to the ground housed horses that pulled the hearses. The super good news is that that house which was becoming derelict over the years was bought by a young couple and they are in the process of rehabing. Big improvements on the block. One derelict house on the block left which is inhabited by a vagrant. Otherwise the street is looking very good.

**sumas** · October-30-09, 02:57 AM

I am passionate about my city. For every rotten thing that has happened to me here, I can tell three wonderful and inspiring stories. But this is a thread about fires and the bizarre people who start them. Our first home had an unusual garage. It was a two and one half garage and two stories high. It was a little odd since one side was street access and the other side was alley access. Some jerk pried his way into our garage from the alley and stole my sons bikes. The ingress got boarded until we could replace the garage door. We removed other valuable items to our basement. The SOB came back pried his way in again and being unhappy torched our garage. It's sad really. I can't fathom what fun there is in destroying property.

**Meddle** · October-30-09, 03:25 AM

Lamphere & Midland now.

**Meddle** · October-30-09, 03:31 AM

When I hear things like "Chief 3X", I know they're officially in Operation Halloween mode. I won't be able to be listening too much tonight though due to other committments.

**Sportsfan09** · October-30-09, 05:04 PM

I see all these Angels Night protecters are staying out of our area.Dey St,GatesSt,Herkimer etc.Thanks again Detroit.Other than the years my wife and I patrolled I've never seen anyone patrolling our area..What made us stop patrolling was instead of protecting our own area.We were told to go to a different neighborhood.I'm glad to help out others.But not while I have to worry about our own house or our neighbors houses burning while were up on Michigan Ave protecting others..I'd love to help.But this year I'll be sitting out in this wonderful warm weather evening with the shotgun close by.Watching my own and as much as possible our neighbors property.Good luck to all.Hope its a great peaceful night.And if all else fails pray for rain!

**Sportsfan09** · October-30-09, 06:33 PM

1KielsonDrive.Dont be scarred we wont bite you.If your supposed to watch this area.Where are you hiding?Kinda scary aint it?We live with Devils Night everyday.City could'nt care less.Should we?Tell it like it is Kielson.You dont wanna be in this area.Much safer areas to watch over.Dont blame you though.I did it cause I live here.Stay safe and have a great night.

**1KielsonDrive** · November-06-09, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Sportsfan09

1KielsonDrive.Dont be scarred we wont bite you.If your supposed to watch this area.Where are you hiding?Kinda scary aint it?We live with Devils Night everyday.City could'nt care less.Should we?Tell it like it is Kielson.You dont wanna be in this area.Much safer areas to watch over.Dont blame you though.I did it cause I live here.Stay safe and have a great night.

Actually Sports, I prefer your area. I'm not too worried. If my times is up, it's up. Meanwhile, I'll go down firing [[so to speak). I grew up hanging in Rouge, Delray and SW Detroit. The only drawback for me was my tires. I wasn't taking chances that I ordinarily would, due to my tires. I replaced them the next day.

**1KielsonDrive** · November-06-09, 09:33 PM

Another problem : some streets I attempted to go down this year were blocked by piles of rubbish. Last year the same streets were open. But we know those piles just change places from day to day, week to week, and year to year. My hours and days were limited this year also. I like to do at least 2 nights and about 8 hours per. No could do this time around.

**detroitsgwenivere** · November-07-09, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Another problem : some streets I attempted to go down this year were blocked by piles of rubbish. Last year the same streets were open. But we know those piles just change places from day to day, week to week, and year to year. My hours and days were limited this year also. I like to do at least 2 nights and about 8 hours per. No could do this time around.

While I was driving in Delray on Wed, I noticed all of this trash piling going on, mostly tires, concrete, and old roofing shingles. I can't belive how devestated the area has become since i was a kid hanging out down there. And what's up with the hundredthousands of trucks i saw driving through the neighborhood up Dearborn? They almost sandwiched my caddi and I thought i was gonna have to get gangsta on some truckers.......

**1KielsonDrive** · November-07-09, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

And what's up with the hundredthousands of trucks i saw driving through the neighborhood up Dearborn? They almost sandwiched my caddi and I thought i was gonna have to get gangsta on some truckers.......

The trucks were real bad the night I cruised. They were coming up Dearborn from West Jefferson to I-75 and Fort Street. They were lined up, almost bumper to bumper, about half of that distance. I assumed they were coming from the bridge, taking a longer way around to avoid traffic on I-75, Fort Street and the bridge interchange. They may have also been coming off of the ferry from Windosr. A couple of times when I was winding up and down the side streets between West End and Dearborn, the trucks weren't about to let me through.

**detroitsgwenivere** · November-07-09, 01:46 AM

I know that's right... 1KDrive, you said that you grew up over there. What the hell happened?!! I mean, I know it's never been Wisteria Lane or anything, but damn, that neighborhood is barely holding on. 10 years ago it had twice the houses, a couple of places to eat or get a drink on Jefferson and now there's like 1 hardwear place and I hear Kovac's is considering piecing out their bar. Any insights?

**1KielsonDrive** · November-07-09, 02:38 AM

I don't know how much of a time frame I could put on it, except to say Delray's been going south since I was a kid. That's a half a century. I think it started with the old Ferguson Homes, a housing project that stood near the banks of the Rouge where Detroit Marine Terminals is now. Then DWS began expanding from what we called 'The Shit Ponds' of a few square blocks, to what is now a gigantic industrial complex. Sewage treatment has to expand with the population, so on it goes. Obviously, people tired of living in the midst of trucks, trains and ships and the industries they served, so they moved on out to the burbs. Malls caused the same problems for small businesses in Delray as for almost every small business anywhere. Immigration patterns weren't much different through succeeding generations. Come to the US, settle in where it's friendly [[similar ethnicities) and affordable. Get a job. Heavens knows there were plenty of those. Make a few bucks, buy a nice car. Make a few more bucks and move to a nicer neighborhood. I had friends who left Delray to move to Saline, 30 plus years ago when the Ford plant opened and Saline was a cowtown. Friends who lived near Vernor and Springwell left Detroit in the mid 70's to move to boomtown Warren. They had concerns about the schools back then. There's lots of causes. But it wasn't confined to Delray and the Poles and Hunkies, it was happening everywhere. River Rouge and Ecorse have suffered the same, albiet a bit slower. They're not part of Detroit, so they still control their municipal governments, schools, police, fire and services, which provide income to the holdouts. A large part of the Greek community moved from Ecorse abandoning their nice little 'Greektown' for the burbs. Yeah, it's a shame but it's not confined to Delray, Detroit or even Michigan. We just notice it more because we grew up around here and watched it happen.