A note from from Mayor Brian Turnbull...


** DEAR NORTHVILLIANS,
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As we ready ourselves for the coming Memorial Day weekend, I believe it’s up to all of us to remember those who have fallen defending our rights & liberties for our Country, State, and the City we love. With the pandemic still in our midst, the Memorial Day parade & activities to honor our Vets have been cancelled. You may not realize it, but this is the first time in 152 years, since the inaugural gathering in 1868, that we will not hold this event.

A TRIBUTE TO MEMORIAL DAY IN NORTHVILLE

In lieu of our local Memorial Day commemorations, I would like to share with you some of my personal recollections of this day. As many have experienced, Northville’s Memorial Day parade concludes at our own mini-Arlington (the Veterans Memorial Section of Rural Hill Cemetery), which is maintained by our VFW post & their Auxiliary. Their volunteers annually place flags throughout the cemetery on each fallen hero’s gravesite. This activity has been part of my life these past 60 years and that of my family well before that. My father (past historian & WWII Marine Air Corps Vet) is buried in Rural Hill; my brother who has a memorial bench in Northville’s Town Square served his country during the Vietnam era. And my mother who was born on the day WWI ended (Nov. 11, 1918, now Veterans Day) did her part by being a “Rosie the Riveter” at the B24 Liberator Bomber plant at Willow Run.

Looking back to yesteryear, October 10, 1918, Mr. & Mrs. Green of Northville received official notice that their son Lloyd, of the US machine gun battalion, had been killed in a front-line battle in France. As with so many others, Lloyd Green paid the supreme price for liberty & humanity. Buried in Rural Hill as the only soldier killed in action in World War I, the VFW Post 146 is named after him. Notably, there are many other veterans from that era and the years going forward whose final resting place is Rural Hill.

Memorial honors go back even further than WWI, as records tell us a Civil War soldier named John Lewis marched in Northville’s centennial parade in 1927, along with other veterans of that war… this is captured on a classic video used for local history lectures. Mr. Lewis was the last known Civil War vet in the greater Northville area when he passed on Jan. 1, 1941. Additionally, in 1932, the Northville Record tells us that Civil War veteran Marvin Bogart was in attendance at the Memorial Day parade at age 92, riding in the car of Luther Lapham. During the cemetery ceremony, he listened to the annual reading of “In Flanders Fields” as read by Fred Casterline.

Early Veterans in our Cemeteries include many original settlers… you will recognize some of the names:
* War of 1812: William Dunlap, Robert Purdy, Eli Simmons, Eugene Starkweather, Joe Allen, Avery Downer, Caleb Harrington, Rev. Anson & Asa Sha, Asa Sloan & Oliver Whitaker
* Civil War: Alfred Beal, Ed Horton, William Little, William Hastings, Sylvester Babcock, Alexander Hamilton, William Clark, Eugene Clarkson, William Downer, Leander Ferguson, Harvey Goodell, Allen Harmon, John Hughston, Achmed Lawson, Hiram Lount, Lester Clinton Lyke, Daniel Palmer, Elias Perrigo, William Slater, Perrin Wight & Lester Withee
* Spanish American War: Frank Lewis

Growing up in Northville, I have many memories of the Memorial Day holiday, with its 21-gun salute and the elite VFW Team organizing everything. I always thought the NHS band playing taps and patriotic songs tugged on our heartstrings. Especially moving, the poem In Flanders Fields was always recited during the ceremony. Written by John McCrae while remembering a WWI battle in Belgium during 1915, this war poem truly captures the raw emotion of those who served and sacrificed. I highly recommend it to everyone for this Memorial Day. The VFW has an original handwritten copy, but you can also click on the following: [link removed]


CURRENT UPDATES

Like the military wars our brave heroes fought, today we battle the invisible enemy of COVID-19. As part of our fight, the State of Michigan has instituted the Stay Home/Stay Safer policies & procedures which are still in effect till 5/28 to ensure all Northvillians’ safety.

NEXT VIRTUAL TOWN HALL IS MAY 28^th – Once again, we will go online to answer all your questions starting 7 PM, Thursday, 5/28. Due to the many community-wide questions, I’ve also invited Bob Nix (Northville Township Supervisor) to join me.

Please use this link to join the Town Hall (May 28 @ 7PM): [link removed]
The good streak continues – Northville hasn’t had a confirmed COVID-19 case since April 23^rd. In total, the City has had 35 confirmed cases, with 4 fatalities, Michigan 52K/5K, and the Nation with close to 1.5M/90K. We’ve lost more lives with COVID-19 than we lost in the entire Vietnam War.

Even though the City’s infection rate has dropped virtually to zero, COVID-19 continues to disrupt our health, economy, our home lives, education, civic activities & our businesses, as well as impacted our social & religious institutions. As I walk & drive our town, I continue to be encouraged seeing citizens wearing masks & adhering to social distancing – we do it out of respect for others around us. More importantly, our continued vigilance will help minimize the threat of any second outbreak. This battle will not be completely over until a cure is found and vaccinations are available to all.

Clearly, we are looking at life differently going forward, as it relates to our work environment, socialization, gatherings & personal spacing. My commitment to you is to continue to be transparent while keeping all Northvillians connected & safe, communicating daily, publishing weekly & through monthly Town Hall meetings.

ON ACTIONS
* I continue to urge people to keep social distancing, but go for walks for mental & physical well-being and run your needed errands. Most importantly, continue to stay close digitally.
* The Northville Flower Sale will be May 22-23 @ the Farmers' Market location. For all the details (and the Covid-19 Flower Sale policies), go to Chamber of Commerce event page: [link removed]
* Downtown Events – the concert series, all festivals & other events are being reviewed daily. Please know I’m fully supportive if we can work within the State’s directives & the CDC Policies.

* Downtown Business Openings – the Governor updated her Executive Order to allow retailers to join restaurants for curbside pickup. We’ve expanded pick-up areas and are looking at other innovative ways to assist our businesses. Some stores have reopened this past week, including Edwards Catering, Poole’s, Lucy & the Wolf and Table 5. Before that, Tuscan Café re-opened along with Custard Time who has started up for the season. Finally, we sincerely appreciate those that have stayed open from the beginning, including Genitti’s, 160 Main, Tres Amigos, Rebecca’s, Tiramisu, along with shops such as Simply Wine, Celebrity Pets & many more. For more information, please visit either of these links:
+ Current List of Restaurants offering Delivery and Carryout ([link removed](Updated5-11-2020).pdf)
+ Click HERE to Support Local Carry Out for Northville Chamber Member Restaurant Information. ([link removed])
* I continue to encourage you to support your local businesses in Northville – the survival of your favorite stores is dependent on our patronage. The added pick-up/delivery parking spaces in downtown for our restaurants & retailers should help everyone. I was also heartened to see that in this month’s edition of The ‘Ville, a total of 46 contributors were listed as making a financial donation to the magazine (the most ever). That’s terrific support for a magazine we have all come to enjoy reading!

* Benefits that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act brings to Michigan:
+ For Families & Workers – Direct cash payments of $1200, phasing out at $75K per individual & $150K for a household.
+ For Our Seniors – Provides meal delivery & nutrition services for older Michiganders & individuals with disabilities.
+ For Our Health Care - Invests $200 billion in our hospitals, health systems & health research, plus expanded funding for PPE. It also ensures COVID-19 testing is covered by insurance plans without cost-sharing & work is in the process to provide the additional testing capability.


In Conclusion
* Senior Transportation Services, Essential Businesses & First Responders activities continue to remain uninterrupted.
* To show our personal appreciation for our FIRST RESPONDERS, Bob Nix (Township Supervisor) and I are posting a big THANK YOU on the Marquee billboard @ the Marquis Theater.
* FARMERS’ MARKET is now open every Thursday at the Northville Downs location (with required Social distancing).
* Again, thank you all for your support of our local Northville Civic Concern.


LASTLY, Don’t Forget To Complete the 2020 Census
Census 2020 response rate is @ 78.2% for Northville (2010 was 80.6%) vs. SE Michigan @ 69.7%, Wayne County @ 61.0% & Oakland County @ 74.4%. You can respond online, by phone, or by mail. What’s at stake – funding from 132 Federal departments for infrastructures, education & more.

Please continue to share your Time & Talents with those in this community as we work through these extraordinary times… And like all our previous wartime efforts, we came through by working together, as we fight this invisible enemy… it’s up to all of us to do what we can for others.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend … Be sure to thank a veteran today!

Be Safe ... and continue to Keep that Northville Faith!

Stay #NorthvilleStrong!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
[email protected] / 248.505.6849

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The Committee to Elect Brian Turnbull for Mayor . 361 Eaton Dr . Northville, MI 48167-1307 . USA

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