The Grandmont Community Association (GCA), handed out its 42nd college scholarship in December 2018 to Rebekah Long and Ria Reno. According to Cora Duncan-Foster, the GCA Scholarship Committee Chair, GCA is the only civic association in Detroit to award college scholarships. To Cora and all the members of the committee, these scholarships simply make good…
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Thanks to your support, 2018 has been another productive year at Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation (GRDC)! Our Community Connections Breakfast in October provided an opportunity for GRDC supporters, business owners, community development advocates, and Grandmont Rosedale residents to come together to share a delicious breakfast, and to hear an insightful panel…
Derrick A. Collins, Justin Riopelle, and Josh Guitar, owners of the coming Rosedale Beer and Bistro, 18910 Grand River, are old friends. They worked together at a Detroit brew pub and hit it off pretty quickly. They share a playful, wry sense of humor, often riffing off each other’s jokes and finishing each other’s sentences,…
When Barbara Jo Parker-Hawkins was a little more than six years old she knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She never changed her mind, and she has no regrets. Growing up near Grand River and Livernois, Barbara Jo remembers walking with her three older sisters to the now closed…
Grandmont Rosedale resident Robert Jones’ business card reads “Musician and Storyteller,” but, as he attests, it’s pretty hard to separate the two. Robert believes that storytelling is as important to music as music is to storytelling. His performances include large amounts of both, simultaneously. Robert seeks to teach and show people that knowing the stories…
For those who know Chelsea Neblett, GRDC’s Community Engagement Manager for the past four years, it will come as no surprise that when she ran for class president in the 5th grade, complete with a campaign manager and a catchy slogan (“Be a Smartie! Vote for Chelsea!”), she won. Even as an 11 year old,…
“She came ready to get to work, with her cordless drill in one hand and a box of screws in the other.” Vacant and blighted property in Detroit threatens neighborhood health and stability, but also offers the prospect of civic engagement. The Grandmont Rosedale Vacant Property Task Force is a notable example of residents who…
I watched as Shimar Mitchell stood behind the counter taking orders with a big smile on an extremely busy Friday afternoon. He was attentive to his customers’ needs and even had his chef restart an order to increase his customer’s satisfaction. He was so hands on I almost forgot that he was actually the co-owner…
This fall, homeowners in the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhoods will have a chance to be part of an historic campaign to establish a Special Assessment District in our community. All five area neighborhood associations have voted to join the campaign and urge their members to support it too. If enacted, the Special Assessment District would…
Grandmont Rosedale resident Razi Jafri realized at a young age that tennis is “an elegant sport, beautiful to watch and to play with a particular decorum and a culture of politeness.” It is also a fiercely competitive sport that demands focus and athleticism. Razi grew up playing tennis, has competed in tournaments and continues to…