A note from from Mayor Brian Turnbull...


** NORTHVILLIANS,
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To begin, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone in the Northville Community for rallying and coming together to support the Carter Family after the tragic passing of OLV student Declan Carter. We all came together in solidarity, lowering flags to half-staff last Friday in remembrance of our young Northvillian, attending a healing service at OLV and holding prayer vigils throughout the area. We are truly a close-knit community supporting the well-being of all Northvillians young and old.

It was a bittersweet weekend as we were celebrating our last concert night of the summer season as well as Homecoming and for me, a very personal event – the celebration of the wedding for my son Jasen Turnbull and his bride Samantha, where for a few exciting minutes, Fireworks (family sponsored) lit up the sky to conclude the event. The young couple’s all-weekend activities took place at Mill Race Village, 160 Main, Genitti’s, the Exchange and other businesses whose services made the festivities special, including Adorn, Tuscan, Begonia Brothers, the Marquis, Simple Wine and other local companies.

Finally, it was heartwarming to see many of the young students from OLV in town with their parents watching the celebratory fireworks together. Many additional classmates of Declan who were at the Carter home that evening walked over to experience the festivities behind Old Village School, John Carter (Declan’s father) told me.

This week we will continue our “Fall Series,” talking about local cider mills in the area through time… but we will always keep the memory of Declan Carter in our thoughts, lifting up our prayers for the family in these trying times.

BEFORE LOOKING AT OUR PAST CIDER MILL HISTORY, LET’S SEE WHAT’S GOING ON TODAY:
* Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill is open (Baseline Rd) – 7 days a week from 10AM till 8PM … 151 years and going strong! Recently ranked as one of the top five Cider mills in Metro Detroit by Channel 4 WDIV. Link ([link removed])
* Farmers’ Market – Get your pumpkins now during the last month of the season for our Chambers Award-Winning 100-year-old Market, Thursdays, 8AM-2PM (Highland Lakes Shopping Center – 7 Mile/Northville Rd)
* Mayoral Town Hall, 10/2, 7:00 PM – Township Hall with School Board candidate intros. Live and via Zoom.. see Link… Link ([link removed])
* “Skeletons are Alive” Launch Party, Friday, 10/4, 6-9 PM – Free family-friendly activities, live music and more, Downtown Northville. Link ([link removed])
* Living History: Oakwood Cemetery Tour, Saturday, 10/5, 4-8 PM – Guided tours with actors sharing our community’s storied past, brought to you by The Northville Art House and the Northville Historical Society. (The Mayor will be one of the guides) Link ([link removed])
* Halloween Hysteria at Mill Race Village, Sunday, 10/20, 1-5 PM – Fun for the family including crafts, story-time, refreshments and much more. Link ([link removed])
* Tipping Point Theatre’s Season 17 features Grand Horizons. Link ([link removed])
* Maybury Farm Corn Maze & Wagon Ride, Fridays - Sundays, Now till 11/3. Link ([link removed])
* Halloween House Decorating Contest - Entries due 10/11, public voting begins 10/21. Link ([link removed])

Info for Citizens
PROJECTS AROUND TOWN
* Ford Field – Phase I: (Fall) Infrastructure, waterfall, staircase, fencing, invasive tree removal / Phase II (Spring) – Vista, Play structure, bathrooms, drainage.
* Riverwalk – Channel for daylighted river in the midst of the 10.3-acre bioswale park roughed in off of River St. next to River Park at the Downs (other sections progressing).
* Downs Initiative – In North section curbing and pavement progressing.. additional infrastructure is being readied for the foundation work.
* Log Cabin – Buttoned up for winter in its new location (River St & Seven Mile). Link ([link removed])

NEWLY FORMED TASK FORCE MEETINGS
* Cemetery Restoration Task Force – 10/28 (City Hall 7:00 PM) - I invite you to stop by the Oakwood cemetery and see the work being done on the historic grounds, stones, fencing, landscaping, and history markers. Take tours 10/5 Link ([link removed])
* Bicentennial Task Force Mtg – 10/29 – (City Hall 7:00 PM) – Calling volunteers of all ages who want to help create a celebration so great it can only happen every 100 Years! (Signage, Markers, movies, social media, tours, Ford Field & Riverwalk activities, Banners, Logos, promo items, a time capsule and more… Be part of it!)

Let's transition to Cider Mills in the area over time...
We’ve had MANY orchards in our Hamlet in the Hills or Switzerland of Wayne County we call Northville. These orchards through time include Parmenter’s, Eaton’s, Foreman’s, Obstbaum, Three Cedars Farm and Apple Crest Orchard, among others. I grew up in Orchard Heights and live there today. I can attest there are still some of the original trees from the orchard days in the vicinity (apple, cherry, pear).

You can see that Northville and surrounding areas (including Novi and South Lyon) were quite a hot spot for apples and cider in years past. Take a trip down to Parmenter’s Cider Mill and celebrate their 151st year in business pressing apples into cider and making homemade doughnuts. Originally, the apple press was turned by a team of horses, and farmers from the area brought in their apples to sell. Last year, Parmenter’s Cider Mill officially celebrated their 150 years in business last year, and I was honored and privileged to read a proclamation for their sesquicentennial.

Let’s look back at ways Northvillians have experienced our mills over the years…

1873 – Northville’s Parmenter’s Cider Mill (Baseline Road) was established by two Civil War vets and has been going strong ever since. It’s the oldest cider mill in the area, and its cider press was originally powered by a team of horses walking in circles. Recently it was ranked as one of the top destinations for cider in Metro Detroit. Link ([link removed])

1898 – The Northville area by this time was known for its apples, and this week in 1898, The Record noted that at the Northville train station, scores of rail cars were loaded with barrels of local apples that were shipped ALL OVER the country.

1909 – The apple crop in & around Northville proved to be one of the best in history. Thousands of barrels of apples were shipped out this year, mostly via train.

1918 – The 2^nd annual Wayne County Fair (the State’s largest fair at the time) at Northville Downs hosted citizens from southeastern Michigan who sampled local apples & cider.

1919 – Northville’s newly established Orchard Heights housing development was publicized in The Record. Geographically, it was the old Eaton Family Orchard that ran from Rogers to Clement, and 7 Mile to Main.

1998 – Foreman’s Orchards (7 Mile & Ridge Area) transitioned from being an orchard to the subdivision known as Maybury Crossing (similar to Orchard Heights).

Enjoy the Fall days, experience a cider mill and make a special memory in the Northville area. Also, I encourage you to slow down a bit and hug those close to you...as we have been reminded in the past week, Life is precious.

Keep that Northville Fall Faith!
Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
[email protected] / 248.505.6849

(Reach out to me anytime or forward this communication to others interested.)

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