Michele Hodges, 45, became the first full-time president of the Belle Isle Conservancy in January 2013. A Grosse Pointe Park resident, she will guide the year-old organization, with a budget of approximately $1.3 million, as it seeks to improve Detroit’s singular, but neglected, park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead in the late 19th century. PARK ADVOCATE: […]
Belle Isle
Posted inQuality of Life
A photographic tour of Belle Isle
Belle Isle Park is Detroit’s signature green space. According to the city of Detroit’s records: “Detroit’s city fathers purchased the 983-acre island in 1879 for $200,000, against the opposition of those who thought the price was too high. They elected to retain the name Belle Isle (beautiful island) by which the property was popularly known. […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting” — Carlos Castaneda, anthropologist and author. * The mayor of Royal Oak says that if voters don’t improve a public safety property tax millage next week, city services are toast. Royal Oak has cut its police force by 40 percent in the last […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Conservationist's message: Nature is just out your door
Ask John Hartig about his childhood, and you’ll hear about fishing with his father in Northern Michigan, biking around Belle Isle and hiking and canoeing at church camp Up North. Hartig, who manages the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, wants every Michigan kid in even the most urban environment to develop a love for the […]