I found Bernadette Holloway engaged in one of her favorite pastimes recently – tending to her beautifully landscaped front yard on Courville St. She and her husband Ronald moved here 26 years ago from the west side.

One of the things the newly-formed Blight Brigade can do to combat blight in our community is to shine a light on some of the worst actors causing blight. Blake Mikus, an investor from Grosse Pointe, certainly deserves the dishonor of being our first inductee into our Hall of Shame.

A Moroccan restaurant, Saffron DaTwah, recipient of the Food Network’s “Chopped” award and two-time finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award, will open a second location in early 2025 at 16620 E. Warren.

Blight refers to visible eyesores like illegal dumping, trash containers left at curbside 24/7, cars parked on lawns, abandoned vehicles, rodent infestations, and derelict properties. The Morningside Blight Brigade was formed to find solutions to persistent neighborhood blight.

Funding came from an almost $1 million donation from BCBS of Michigan through the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, and an additional $600,000 came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

We’re planning to continue the Happy Hours on the first Thursday of most months this year, 6-8 pm. Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss a single one.

Outlier Media has compiled a directory of departments and agencies you need to contact to get damaged sidewalks replaced.

The city is asking for residents to share their vision for our future over the coming months through Department of Neighborhoods meetings and through a survey available until the end of this month.

Look for us at the park pavilion from June through September, weather permitting, on the second Tuesday of each month – June 11, July 9, August 13, and September 10.

Yoga, kickboxing, hustle lessons, chair massages, garden education, dental hygiene services, nutrient-rich juices and mushroom coffee, and food trucks serving healthy treats - all that and more was available at last month’s E. Warren Wellness Festival.

The first seed and transplant distribution of the season is this month! Now is the perfect time to become a member of the Garden Resource Program.