Georgia Street Community Collective

**Blueidone** · March-31-09, 10:46 AM

Thought I would start a thread on this new forum for the Collective and to re-post our upcoming event. Lots of volunteers are needed, so if you have a little time you could donate to us, please let us know right away!

Here's something else to get excited about! The Georgia Street Community Collective will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch with the Easter Bunny on Saturday, April 11th! Children of all ages are welcome.

The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at 9352 Georgia Street in Detroit. We'll kick off with two Easter Egg Hunts [[one for kids 1-6 yrs old and another for the bigger kids). Afterwards, we'll have the Brunch with the Easter Bunny & serve Pancakes & Sausage, Juice, Milk and Coffee.

Prices are: Easter Egg Hunt - $1.00 per child;
Brunch -
Adult - 18 & up.........$3.00
Child 2-17...............$2.00
Child under 2............Free [[with adult)
Pictures....................$2 .00 each

FAMILY DEAL SPECIAL...........$20.00 *
Breakfast for up to 5 people per family any age, 2 pictures with the Easter Bunny and up to 4 children for Easter Egg Hunt. [[* $3 per additional adult, breakfast only; $3 per additional child, breakfast & egg hunt).

We're looking for volunteers to help with the event, too. We'll need people to help cook and serve food, clean up, hide eggs and supervise the children in the Easter Egg Hunt, prize distributors, ticket takers and photography help [[3 jobs: someone to take the pictures, someone to print them and then someone to stick them in the picture holder & distribute.)

We're also seeking donations of food [[pancake mix, syrup, plates/napkins, juice boxes or can/bottle juice, milk, coffee and CANDY! We've already got overwhelming response from the children in the neighborhood, so we're expecting many people. We would prefer jelly beans, bubble gum, small chocolate eggs, and any other small wrapped candy [[must fit in a plastic egg!). No Peeps or big chocolate rabbits, please.

We are looking forwards to this event and hope you can come help support us! If you have any questions, please email us at georgiast313[[at)yahoo[[dot)com. Thanks!!

**sumas** · March-31-09, 12:14 PM

I trying to figure out the new options. This is my first attempt to post

**alsodave** · March-31-09, 01:21 PM

Bump! I'll be out of town, so I'm sending my best wishes to Blueidone, Mr Blue, Cub, Mama Cub, Viva, Sumas and everyone involved with this. Hope to make it down to the Garden soon.

**jams** · March-31-09, 01:26 PM

I posted this on the calendar for you, just to see if I could do it.

**vivadetroit** · March-31-09, 09:57 PM

it worked Jams! thanks.

**CornBot** · April-01-09, 08:34 AM

So I stumbled upon the Georgia St CC via the recent Time Magazine article. Talk about a surprise. I skimmed through the thread on the old site on Monday. I don't live in the Detroit area anymore, but grew up at 9522-24 Georgia. You know where the alley between Georgia and Bessemore is wide coming off Vinton, and then narrows to a 'normal' alley width going toward Gratiot? Our garage opened onto the wide part at the point where the alley narrowed. There was also a dirt-track alley between our house, which faced Georgia, and the back yards of a couple of houses that faced Vinton. 9522-24 Georgia was razed in 1973 or '74... however, the rosebushes my grandfather planted and tended were still blooming in the early 1980s. I would love to know if they still do.

The corner building that I think you are making your community center [[I have to go back and read with more comprehension!), was in the 1960s a little store I remember as "Mr. Filipo's." I'm sorry I don't recall its real name but I spent many, many pennies on candy there as a young child. There was also a store on the corner of Bessemore & Vinton which I believe was formally "Ventimiglia's" but we called "Mr. Tony's." The neighborhood was still mostly Italian, as it was since my grandparents' family moved there [[I think in the early 1930s), but was changing by then and included other heritages and ethnicities.

In 1968, my parents sold the house and moved all of us - my grandparents in the downstairs flat and us in the upstairs - out of the city. My frail grandmother had been pushed off the porch by a thug wanting to snatch her social security check; she was increasingly being harassed and was afraid to be near windows. Us kids' bikes and my dad's tools were stolen from our garage. My dad grew up in that house but the safety of his aging parents and maybe more of his "beautiful teenaged daughters" [[that would be my sister and me) became more important than the real estate.

I still feel a visceral connection to the old neighborhood and to Detroit, even though it's been more than 40 yrs since I lived in the city proper and almost 20 since I moved from the region. I just love that you are planting gardens and nurturing a strong neighborhood community in the exact place that I point to as the geographical center of my heart.

**Blueidone** · April-01-09, 10:19 AM

Cornbot: Thanks for posting your history of the neighborhood. Where are you living now? Please keep up with the pictures as we post them in the future. If you have any specific questions, please send us an e-mail to georgiast313 at yahoo.com.

**cman710** · April-01-09, 10:50 AM

Great post, Cornbot. Thanks for sharing with us!

**CornBot** · April-01-09, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

Cornbot: Thanks for posting your history of the neighborhood. Where are you living now? Please keep up with the pictures as we post them in the future. If you have any specific questions, please send us an e-mail to georgiast313 at yahoo.com.

I was quite blown away finding here... for years, I would go on research tangents online, looking for anything about this specific part of the east side. All I ultimately found were pics of the Eastown Theatre in its rock-and-roll incarnation. Maybe I gave up too soon, because here y'all are. Or maybe the right software finally became available [[google earth streetview, for example).

I live in SW Michigan, having moved here when my husband took a job in Kalamazoo. It was culture shock at first, but I've come to accept life in the boonies.

**eriedearie** · April-01-09, 07:13 PM

Cornbot - seeing as how you lived at that address on Georgia, do you remember Frank, Lorraine and their kids, Frankie and....Oh gosh! Now I've gone and forgotten my cousin's names! Their last name was Popp. They lived in a duplex too. I'm pretty sure their house is the one that Cub lives in now. My mom is looking for her old address book to confirm that for me.

We moved from the area in 1968 too. We lived on Ruth Street, between Erwin and Fischer, Marcus and Marion. Ruth Street is just one block long.

**cub** · April-02-09, 08:34 PM

Cornbot, Hello!I am always excited to hear history about our neighborhood and would love to hear more.

**cub** · April-03-09, 09:55 AM

There will be a live Jazz band entertaining us at the Easter Bunny Brunch. More details coming Monday!!

**CornBot** · April-04-09, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by cub

Cornbot, Hello!I am always excited to hear history about our neighborhood and would love to hear more.

Well, I'm going to see my mother this weekend. She met my dad when she lived on Maxwell St and he lived on Georgia, way back in the 40s. She is 79 now [[dad's been gone since 1982), but she still has most of her wits about her. I plan on getting her reminiscing, LOL

**Blueidone** · April-06-09, 09:17 AM

**bump!!**

**sumas** · April-06-09, 10:54 AM

I didn't foget that I promised to donate food or candy. Please post a list of items still needed. I'll drop off at Cubs probably Wednesday.

**Blueidone** · April-06-09, 04:20 PM

Sumas: We haven't purchased any food items yet..so the following are still needed:

Pancake Mix [[complete kind)
Syrup
Pre-cooked sausages
Juice boxes [[any flavor or brand)
Coffee

Any amount of the above items is appreciated. I will be at Cub's on Thursday before I finish the shopping. Thanks for your efforts!

**cub** · April-07-09, 08:38 PM

!!!!!bump!!!!

**cub** · April-08-09, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by cub

!!!!!bump!!!!

Thank You!!

**PCE** · April-08-09, 10:13 PM

Greetings All,
Newbie here. We have been enjoying DYes and espescially the forum for a few months now.
We recently had the pleasure of meeting Cub, Mama Cub and Vivadetroit.
Inspirational people to be certain. Weaving the fabric of community.
Cub, we wanted to wish you a Happy Anniversary and much continued success.

**vivadetroit** · April-08-09, 10:36 PM

Happy 1 year anniversary, Cub!

Look at what we've done in 1 year... Imagine what we can do in the next few years. Felicitaciones y Buena Suerte!

**cub** · April-08-09, 10:55 PM

Wow!!! How in the world did I forget!!!

Thank You Viva and PCE and DETYES!!! We could not have done it without you!!!!!

**reddog289** · April-08-09, 11:29 PM

Happy ANNIVERSARY to the GSCC, AND MANY MORE

**cub** · April-10-09, 10:04 AM

Thank you Reddog!!!

**eriedearie** · April-10-09, 11:16 AM

Oh yes! Happy 1st Anniversary to the birth of Georgia Street Community Gardens, to Cub, and everyone who had a hand in breathing new life into my former neighborhood! Good job everyone!

We wish the Collective much continued success throughout the years to come.

Cub, don't forget about coming over with your truck....! We've got that stuff for the store and community center for you to use. We look forward to seeing you sometime this month when you can fit us into your schedule.

Every little bit helps this fantastic vision of Cub's.