Meet Mollie and Nick Krawitz, of Bishop Street
It all begins with an idea.
Mollie and Nick Krawitz, of Bishop Street
Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Mollie works for a translation company, doing quality assurance on medical deice translations. Nick makes replica vintage baseball garments (like wool jerseys and caps) on 1900s sewing machines, and does research for the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium nonprofit. We moved here to EEV in December 2021, with our big fluffy cat Morgan.
What brought you to East English Village?
Mollie is originally from a small town in the Poconos called Stroudsburg, not ar from Scranton, PA. And Nick is originally from Lowell, MA. We were both ready to move and set down roots somewhere new. Nick had been to Detroit a few times, and was drawn to it for it’s baseball history and architecture. We came to look at EEV after hearing so many great things about this neighborhood - once we looked at our house, we fell in love with the area and knew this was where we wanted to be.
What are your favorite things to do here in the neighborhood?
We love doing DIY restorations to our 1933 house - for example, recently re-grouting the original tile shower. It was a huge undertaking but so rewarding when we finished! When the season is right, we’ll catch baseball and hockey games. Mollie is an avid knitter. And we often can be found working in our garden, while Morgan watches birds and squirrels through the window. Feel free to wave and say hello!
What has been one of your favorite EEV moments since living here?
The Garden Tour has been one of the highlights for us so far. It was lovely getting to meet new people and see the incredible gardens they’ve nurtured over the years. It gave us some great inspiration for our own yard!
What is your biggest hope for EEV?
Our hope is that it continues to thrive and be a welcoming community to everyone. There’s nowhere else we’d rather live, and we’re looking forward to contributing more to this wonderful neighborhood we call home.
Meet Charles “Chuck” Shaw of Harvard
It all begins with an idea.
Charles “Chuck” Shaw of Harvard
Chuck has lived on Harvard for all 74 years of his life. He and his younger sister Suzan were raised here. His parents, Charles Sr. and Fran (both now deceased) bought the home in 1946 after his dad returned from World War ll. The Shaw’s are the original owners of the home - at that time, their home was one of only a few that was built in what’s now known as East English Village. There was still prime untouched land where homes would eventually be constructed.
Chuck attended St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School in Grosse Pointe Park. He recalls tuition being $100 a year, “no matter if it was one kid going there in the family, or 2, 5, 6, or whatever…tuition every year was $100. Dad thought that was too much!” He went on to graduate in 1967 from Jared W. Finney High School, known today as East English Village Preparatory Academy. His class was the fourth class to graduate after the high school was added to the elementary school. Two months after graduating, Chuck started working in Materials Management at Bon Secours Hospital on Cadieux in Grosse Pointe. He was a patient transporter, he stocked carts for the 10 operating rooms, and was responsible for employee scheduling. That hospital is now Beaumont Health Grosse Pointe. Chuck retired in 2017 after working for 50 years.
Chuck remembers The Vogue Theatre being here in EEV. He often went there on Saturdays growing up. It was on the same site as the old McDonald’s on Harper. Prior to AT&T owning the building that’s on the corner of Mack and Cadieux, it was a car wash appropriately named Auto Wash. In later years gas pumps were added. The location where Bob Maxey Lincoln dealership currently is was originally Aner’s Ford, then it became John Cook Ford. Former Detroit Lion running back Mel Farr and owner of the Mel Farr Ford family of dealerships trained there. Karaoke was big thing for his mom and dad. They would regularly sing at a place on the north side of E. Warren, between Harvard and Grayton - the name escapes him these days.
Chuck has been an an avid sports nut his whole life. He played Little League and Pony baseball then went on to make the team in high school. He enjoys football - favorite team is the Minnesota Vikings. Hockey is a close second favorite for him, with the Montreal Canadiens holding a very special place in his heart. He started watching them in high school on UHF channel 54 which aired entirely in French. He still enjoys watching them play today, but on cable.
Chuck gets together with a couple friends regularly. They play golf together at Chandler Park Golf Course for nine holes and breakfast afterward. He considers himself a decent golfer. He dog sits at his home for a friend and is often seen walking her around the block. He also drives a few times a year to visit his sister in Pennsylvania and her family.
Chuck likes EEV because it’s so close to all the places that he does business with that he doesn’t “have to travel a country mile.” For him, the streets are easy to travel and there’s not a lot of traffic. As far as his particular block he likes the neighbors, knows most of them, and likes that everyone keeps their homes in pretty decent shape, though “it’s not like Better Homes & Garden is going to come and give anyone a check for $500!”
A neighbor of Chuck’s, Renita Holliness, recommended him for this feature and helped with the interview. She adds that Chuck always looks out for others on the block. He pulls trash cans in and out for a few of us, keeps an eye out when neighbors are away, and he constantly keeps the curbs clean in front on his and others homes. “It’s a pleasure knowing you all these years Chuck. Thanks for being such a good neighbor.”
Thanks, Bill Barlage for 25 years of leadership…
It all begins with an idea.
25 Years of Commitment to EEV ~ Thanks for the Memories!
William “Bill” Barlage has served our East English Village well for 25 years on our EEV Board and 21 years as President. The June 8 General Meeting was an emotional one for both Bill and the many residents he has served during this time. Bill entered the room greeted with a large poster designed by longtime resident, Nancy Brigham, stating “Thank you Bill Barlage for 25 years of outstanding services to Detroit & your EEV neighbors!” Flowers and a thank you card (also designed by Nancy) were presented from the EEV Board. D4 Councilwoman Latisha Johnson thanked Bill for his commitment to his neighbors. As a resident of EEV and having served on the EEV Board, Councilwoman Johnson was familiar with the quality-of-life issues that Bill has always made a priority. She presented Bill with a Proclamation from Detroit City Council as well as the “Spirit of Detroit” award. Michigan State Representative from the 1st House District, Tenisha Yancey, also presented a Proclamation on behalf of the State of Michigan.
During Bill's tenure, EEV has thrived in the role of being recognized as "A Neighborhood of Choice". Included among the many accomplishments benefitting our residents that transpired during this timeframe: ensuring sponsorship and publication of our monthly newsletter delivered to all 2100 homes, development of an EEV website and active Facebook Group, Community Cleanup/Makeovers, Annual Garage Sale, Beautification Award Program, Holiday Party, Garden Tour, support of the E. Warren Business Corridor Streetscape as well as special events including local pub crawls, tours of historic buildings and other community gatherings. In 2014, Bill hosted (at that time) VP Joe Biden and Mayor Mike Duggan and other City dignitaries and residents during Detroit's Labor Day festivities. Bill has maintained excellent communication with City Administration, City Council, Detroit Police Department 5th Precinct officers and all City Departments ensuring quality of life issues – focusing on the safety and well-being of our residents and pets – were promptly addressed. He also developed an excellent working relationship with our neighboring communities of Morningside and Cornerstone. Bill’s face (and car with the personalized license plate “Gotham1”) is such a familiar one that he’s often been affectionately referred to as the “Mayor of East English Village”. Bill physically drives the neighborhood daily whenever he is in town – sometimes two or three times a day ~ and has always been available to residents to assist and help resolve issues including sponsoring Foreclosure Prevention Workshops and advising individuals of available City and County Assistance Programs for which they might be eligible.
Under Bill's outstanding leadership, EEV was awarded "Curbed Detroit's Neighborhood of the Year" 2017 & 2018 as well as being recognized several times as "Eastside Community Network's Neighborhood of the Year". EEV has not only remained strong but has thrived under Bill Barlage’s extraordinary commitment and dedication to the residents of East English Village. We are deeply grateful for the work that has been accomplished. A solid blueprint for excellence has been established under your leadership, and we commit to “carry the torch” in encouraging all of our neighbors ~ young and old ~ to become involved and continue to make EEV the best possible place to live, work, play and pray. And, Bill, thanks for the many wonderful memories! ~ Maureen Dritsan
