NEIGHBORHOOD ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE LATEST NEWS!

WEBWORM INFESTATION:  Many honey locust trees in our neighborhood are infested with mimosa webworms.  These are small caterpillars (about 1/4" long) that eat leaves of locust trees.  They build nests on the ends of branches, resulting in trees with dead leaves on the branch ends, giving trees a "burned" appearance.  They are also very annoying because they drop down from branches on long silky threads and land on cars, patios and people.  Webworms don't usually thrive in Michigan, but several years of mild winters have caused this pest to spread into our area.  WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?  If you had a webworm problem on your locust tree(s) in the past, you may want to hire a tree care specialist to get professional advice.  There are several types of treatments available.  Left untreated, your honey locust tree(s) may eventually die from the worm infestation.

TRAFFIC PROBLEMS:  We have had numerous complaints from residents about cars speeding throughout the neighborhood.  Please read the letter at the bottom of this page which addresses this problem.  Don't hesitate to report speeders to the police!

PROPERTY THEFT HITS WESTCHESTER VILLAGE:  This summer a number of residents have reported theft of property from their garages and/or vehicles.  Remember to keep doors locked, close your overhead garage door, and lock your vehicles.  Also, don't leave valuables in your vehicles.  When doing yard work, you should also lock your house doors.  Some residents in Bloomfield Township have had items stolen from their homes while they were working in their yards.  Report any suspicious activity to the police.

STREET DRAINS:  Remember, if you have a street drain in front of your house, please keep it clear of debris, leaves, etc.  A clogged drain can cause street flooding.  Thank you.

YARD WASTE PICKUP:  Yard waste must be in paper bags or 32-gallon cans marked "Yard Waste" (stickers are available at the Township Clerk's office).  Yard waste in plastic bags is prohibited and will not be collected.  All items must be at curbside by 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.  Yard waste is picked up from approximately April through November.

 

 

 

June 2005

 

Greetings!

 

As your neighbors, friends, and Homeowner Association board members we would like to ask for your help. We are sure it comes as no surprise the traffic problems we are experiencing on our streets, both in volume and speed. In an attempt to resolve these traffic safety issues and make our neighborhood a safer place to live, we have joined forces with the Bloomfield Township Police Department and are working on resolving these issues.

We requested, Bloomfield Township monitor the speed of traffic on our streets. The legal speed limit is 25 mph. We found that several of our streets have an AVERAGE speed much higher than that, with one motorist reaching a speed as high as 55 mph. Through monitoring traffic and making several traffic stops in our subdivision, the Police Department advised that most of the constant violators are OUR OWN RESIDENTS. Therefore, we need your help!


PLEASE OBEY THE 25 MPH SPEED LIMIT!

 

This is a subdivision problem that can only be corrected with your help. This letter is our first action step. We all need to work together to reduce the speed of cars on our streets and make it safer and more pleasant for everyone.

 As DRIVERS we need to:

 

  • Obey the posted speed limit signs
  • Yield to pedestrians
  • Stop at STOP signs

 

 

As PARENTS we need to:

  • Discourage our children from playing in the street
  • Make sure our children know the rules of the road (i.e., stop, look, and listen)
  • Encourage responsible driving with our teenage drivers


As NEIGHBORS we need to:

 

  • Be communicators and supporters of this program
  • Identify and report violators

 

In the weeks to come we will be working closely with the Police Department to reduce speeds and make our neighborhood safer. Here are the things that we are working on to decrease the speeders in our neighborhood.



USE OF POLICE 'SMART' TRAILER

 

  • An unmanned trailer equipped with radar equipment will be placed in our neighborhood. This unit will flash the speed of the oncoming vehicle. It is designed to monitor and record speed as well as provides a visual deterrent.

 

ENFORCEMENT

 

·         As many of you have noticed, the police have been increasing their presence in the subdivision. They have advised us that this increased presence will continue and they will be stopping and tickets any and all violators regardless if they are residents or not.


OWNERSHIP CAMPAIGN

 

·         Some specific residents have volunteered to work closely with the police department in monitoring traffic violations in front of their homes. If you are observed speeding in the subdivision, it will be recorded and reported to the police. The police will follow up the report with a WARNING letter stating the traffic violation.

 


ENGINEERING

 

·         If all of the above efforts fail to reduce or eliminate the speeding problem, Bloomfield Township will have an engineer study the subdivision layout and make recommendations as what should be changed to improve traffic speed and volume.

 


Please pass this information on to your neighbors who might not have shared their email address with the Association.  If you have questions, concerns, or comments regarding this campaign, please contact one of your board members or Sgt. Edwards at the Township Police Department.

 

Westchester Village Board