NORTHVILLIANS,

Over the past few weeks, we have celebrated greenspaces, gardens and waterscapes in the Northville area and now anticipate the end of the summer season. This week, as we start looking at fall activities, we will discover the many ways the Northville Community have shared their time and talents on initiatives that support our “Way Forward” path and the trajectory we are heading on. I will be talking today about the Northville Community Support Fund (NCSF) and its Team that is behind the scenes assisting in many community programs.

Importantly, as the Mayor of Northville, I wanted to take time as we begin the 2023-24 school year to thank you for giving back to the community we love. I also wanted to share some new initiatives that many of you are engaged on already.

The vision for the Northville Community Support Fund started as a concept in 2019 when many citizens asked how they could share their time & talents. I sincerely felt that the community was poised for insightful and dynamic changes that could benefit not only our City, but much of Southeastern Michigan. Today I am going to describe the work of the NCSF and highlight some of their past and potential future actions.

Finally, we had the opportunity this past week to share our thoughts on the future with dozens of Michigan Mayors and other civic leaders who came to Northville for a workshop on “Visioning.” It was also a chance for them to hear and see firsthand the progress we are making in our community.

Before looking into NCSF initiatives, let's look at what's going on in town today:

• Mill Race Historical Village Sundays – Through summer on most Sundays, 1-4 PM. Docents in Mill Race buildings share Northville’s history.
   
• 8/24 – Northville High School Football game (7:00 PM) @ THE BIG HOUSE in Ann Arbor. The season kicks off vs. Clarkston at the U of M football stadium.
   
• 9/7 @ 6PM – Northville Community Support Fund (NCSF) Fundraiser – join us for a spectacular get-together, exploring the possibilities of the NCSF which will showcase some of the exciting planned initiatives in our community.  This will be the first major event at NOMI’s, Northville’s New Speakeasy hidden behind the Sports Den … come check it out!
   
• 9/13 – Northville Old Timers lunch & History presentation along with the Senior of the Year announcement (11:00 AM Arrival, 11:30 lunch, Genitti’s 108 E. Main St.) … 248 349 0522 pay at door or on phone. ($15) Link
   
• 9/20 - Northville District Library Victorian Festival History Seminar (7:00 PM), The Mayor will touch on Northville’s Victorian history and have an open Q & A.  Link
   
• 9/22 – Victorian Festival in Northville with weekend events - Link

Take advantage of MUSIC IN TOWN before the summer is over

• MONDAYS – Music at Maybury – 7:00 PM, through August 21^st. Link
   
• TUESDAYS – Tunes on Tuesdays – Town Square Family Fun 10:30 AM. Link
   
• WEDNESDAY - Dancing in the Ville @ Town Square, 6:30PM through August 30^th. Arthur Murray teachers provide lessons in a variety of dance genres (all levels). Link
   
• Enjoy music and elixirs of life at the various breweries in town including:
  • The Northville Winery (630 Baseline Rd). Link
  • Great White Buffalo Brewing Company downtown @ (101 W. Main St) Link
  • North Center Brewery (410 N. Center St.) Link
     
• Summer Concerts, Friday & Saturday at 7:00 PM – Downtown. Link
  Additional live Music can be heard at various locations around town.

Now let's take a look at the Northville Community Support Fund's activities...

• Structures for the Social District when the pandemic hit
• Support of the revitalization of the South Main Park by the Water Wheel (a future section of the River Walk)
• Assistance for the skatepark placemaking area in the Township at Millennium Park
• Review & partnership for public restrooms (permanent/temporary) in our downtown
• Potential support for the carving of the heritage elm trunk in City park (behind city hall)
• All these for our community to enjoy, along with many other potential grant application opportunities 

• The Middle Rouge River, its tributaries and creeks are valuable natural assets for the Community and region. These waterways have provided aesthetic, recreational & economic benefits for nearly 200 years. NCSF is looking at supporting projects that enhance this resource.

• NCSF is working with the Northville Farmers' Market Team for future enhancements. We have had this market gathering for over a hundred years. Today, it is under the sponsorship & leadership of the Chamber of Commerce. The Market has become a highly valued statewide award-winning event. 

• Since Henry Ford came to Northville in the 1880’s on his honeymoon and later on when he purchased the land for Ford Field, this area has been a special placemaking venue. It has been used for community gatherings and various recreation activities. The NCSF team is reviewing particular options to assist in transforming our historic beloved park to be easily accessible for all visitors. The topography and natural beauty of hills, water & greenspace provide a wonderful benefit for our citizens.