Patty Clark introduced her niece (also Dane’s niece and Jane’s granddaughter), Sarah Clark, who is program director at Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision where she manages the Clean Neighborhood as well as the Initiative for Healthy Business programs and is also a grant writer. She earned her BA Degree at and played hockey for Dartmouth and received a professional certification in Landscape & Nursery Management from MSU and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan.
Sarah’s primary role with her employer is to work to improve the environmental quality of southwest Detroit addressing primarily pollution, contamination and blight issues in order to improve the quality of life of the people living in and around the area. One program she manages is the Clean Diesel Program. Sarah works with various industries to retrofit trucks to make them burn cleaner. She said that grants from the government have helped considerably and keep the program going. Another program she manages is the Walk to School Days program that encourages kids to walk to school in an effort to counter obesity. Sarah said that the Tire Seat program is her signature event in light of the fact that tires are plentiful in the Motor City! Through this program tires are sent to a company that mulches them for use in playground materials.
Her biggest project, she said, involves revitalizing vacant lots. She has been working with a group called “Ideal” in the Clark Park neighborhood near what used to be an old Cadillac plant that involve residents and other businesses in the area who have already invested over 6,000 man hours to develop a perennial and recreational garden which is actually a series of interlocking circles which Sarah designed herself!
On the very same street, residents were looking for a way to grow vegetables so across from the Clark Street plant on what was once an enclosed executive parking lot now vacant. Shipping crates from General Motors that were re-purposed were laid on top of the asphalt lot to grow vegetables! This area of some 3,000 square feet has become a great gathering place for residents who get together every Saturday to take care of the garden and take whatever they need for their own use. Everything that is taken from the garden that can’t be used goes to a local compost site. Kids also help out by bringing used tires into the garden, paint them and hang them around the fence surrounding the lot. They then take the used paint cans and place flowers in them and stick them in the tires!
Sarah deserves much credit for bringing people together, re-purposing materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill, ending blight in rundown neighborhoods, and providing food for area residents! Very informative presentation, Sarah. Keep up the wonderful work in this part of Greater Detroit! Her work has appeared in many national magazines.
Purity Project – Vera said she met Purity last Friday. She went to Running with Ease and bought tennis shoes and then to Goodwill for clothing. A team of 5 staff, she said, were very helpful in assisting Purity make her selections. They finished up at Meijer’s to get her the necessary personal items. Patty then took her to Devil’s Lake for the day. President Mary reminded members that the club has agreed to allocate a $100 stipend monthly while she is here. Purity has classes at SHU the same time as our meetings but will try hard to attend one of our meetings so everyone can meet her.
Dates to Remember
September 6 – Kids Against Hunger – Two opportunities to volunteer: 8am setup and/or 9am-10:30am to pack10,000 snack packs they will distribute to needy organizations locally. Please meet at the Madison high school cafeteria – main entrance off of Treat Highway. Volunteers should wear Rotary clothing as there will be photo opportunities.
September 13 – River Raisin Cleanup - Mark said he will be following up with those who have volunteered. They will meet right behind the jail at 8:30am and can park behind the Court House and walk down to the entrance to Trestle Park behind the county jail. Be sure and bring gloves and wear a long sleeve shirt in the event you run into poison ivy.
September 19 – United Way Day of Action – Anyone wishing to assist on a project that day is welcomed to do so. Please contact Patty Clark.
September 19 & 20 - Art-a-Licious beverage tent -Brent Mercer is the chair of the event! Volunteers needed. There are 2 bartender slots per shift in addition to a security person. Friday evening’s schedule: 5-10pm; Saturday’s schedule: 12noon to 10pm.
September 25th – DG Liz Smith to visit our club for the first time in her new position.
September 29th – District Governors Golf Outing in South Lyon at the Walnut Creek Golf Club.
November 13-15 – R.Y.L.A. annual conference at Schoolcraft College in Livonia. More info to come. (See detailed info on this program below)
RYLA
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership development program run by Rotary. While participants can be any age, most events focus on secondary school students, university students, or young professionals. RYLA events are typically 3–10 days long and include presentations, activities, and workshops that cover a variety of topics, including:
Leadership fundamentals and ethics
Communication skills
Problem solving and conflict management
Community and global citizenship
GUESTS: Garden City Rotarians – Steve Kelly and Gene Zelinski; From Michener Elementary School – Tiffany and daughter, Rosemary Olsaver, Kathy Sielsky and Rachel Perez; Ashlee Hutchinson (D & P Communications), guest of Kathy Williams; Junior Rotarians from AHS – Jeff Marvin and Tino Mendez.
The Exempt Badge was raffled off and bestowed on Kathy Williams. Mike Olsaver fined there deserving members: Adams, Wagley, J. Clark, Buron (2), Herrera, Mercer (2), Soto, Douglass, Lewis (2), Pender (3), Satterelli, Smith, Sack (2), Burg, Mark Murray (2), Dawes, Mary Murray, Maxe, Hokenson.
Patty Clark introduced her niece (also Dane’s niece and Jane’s granddaughter), Sarah Clark, who is program director at Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision where she manages the Clean Neighborhood as well as the Initiative for Healthy Business programs and is also a grant writer. She earned her BA Degree at and played hockey for Dartmouth and received a professional certification in Landscape & Nursery Management from MSU and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan..JPG)
