Community picnic on Wednesday Running from noon to 3 p.m., the event is the annual CoPAC All Neighborhoods Picnic. In its fourth year, the Ypsilanti Police Department, the Ypsilanti District Library and the Ypsilanti Fire Department are scheduled to be on site. Candace Pinaud, an Ypsilanti resident who lives near the park, has been working with several other residents to get the park ready for the event. The group started work on Ypsi Pride Day in May, and has held several other workdays since. The group's efforts culminated last month when the pavilion at the park was given a fresh coat of paint and a brand new roof. "This culmination is small compared to what I've been doing behind the scenes," Pinaud said as she and 20 other volunteers were painting the pavilion. Before Ypsi Pride Day, Pinaud said she has spent more than 15 hours a week gathering materials, workers and getting things ready for the picnic. As part of her effort, Pinaud was able to get the paint for her project donated by Sherwin-Williams. Jim Jackson of the Roof and Gutter Doctor Plus donated the materials and labor to install the new roof. "Thanks to the whole community for pulling together... we're really proud of the way Candy Cane Park looks," she said. Aside from organizing the work and labor, Pinaud had also been trying to organize the picnic itself by finding companies to donate items for the raffle and to score a D.J. to entertain guests. She said she had success and there will be a D.J. at the event and a chance for picnic-goers to win a vintage Ford Mustang. With free food and drinks, Pinaud said there will be board games at every table, the library's Book Mobile and the police department's mobile command post. "I throw a pretty great party," she said. Click here to comment on this story. |
COPAC picnic set Saturday Event
features free food
Sunday, July 29, 2007
BY JORDAN MILLER
News Staff Reporter
The Fourth Annual CoPAC - Community Policing Action Council - All Neighborhood Associations Community Picnic will bring people from all over Ypsilanti together Saturday in Candy Cane Park.
The picnic will feature free food provided by the various neighborhood associations, as well as a Motown DJ, police and fire vehicles, and the library bookmobile.
It's also an opportunity for residents of the city's various neighborhoods to meet and talk, said Peter Hubbard, president of the Gerganoff Neighborhood Association and one of the event organizers. The picnic is hosted by one or two different CoPAC member associations every year.
"We've got to get together as a city to solve all of our problems,'' he said, "and this is one way for neighbors to get together and talk. ... We all have different problems, but we all have to solve them together.''
Taking center stage at the picnic will be the newly restored park pavilion and playground, the result of an all-volunteer effort led by College Heights and University Estates Neighborhood Association Co-Chairwoman Candace Pinaud.
Several full days of work at the park included replacing the pavilion roof, sanding, power washing, repainting the pavilion and playground, and weeding and planting flower beds.
"It was in bad shape,'' Pinaud said, "I mean, kids go there and vandalize it, and because of the cutting of the budget, we don't even have a maintenance person anymore. ... I'm excited that we've done so much work in the park. We're really proud to show it off. It looks really, really good. Really good.''
Jordan Miller can be reached at jmiller@annarbornews.com or 734-482-2263.
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For Immediate Release, 4/25/05
Contact: Joel Ereg(248)330-8790
AmeriDream Announces FreshStart Winner
Rochester Hills, MI. (April 25, 2005) – AmeriDream, Inc., the nation’s leader in providing affordable housing opportunities, is pleased to announce that Cynthia Hilton has been chosen as April’s FreshStart recipient and will receive a down payment of over $3,000 for her new home.
Hilton’s lender, Candace Pinaud of Skytrust Mortgage in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shared her story with AmeriDream. She explained that Cynthia, a young woman of 32, has lost both of her parents. Her brother lives very far away, so she is essentially alone in her life. Yet, Cynthia has dedicated her time to helping another family. She takes care of a special needs child, as well as the other children in the family as needed. She does this with compassion and understanding, and complete competence. Cynthia had not taken out a lot of credit in her life, so finding a loan was difficult for her. But through perseverance, she was able to get approved for an FHA loan.
“My motto is 'Leave No Stone Unturned' and I mean it! If my borrower is willing to turn every stone over, so am I, and together, we will find the right mortgage for them, no matter how many stones need to be turned!! Thanks to the help of the great organization AmeriDream in showing such kindness and support with their FreshStart program, and for providing such fantastic benefits for borrowers. ” If interested in obtaining a mortgage loan, Pinaud can be reached at 734.476.3366 or c.pinaud@lenderltd.com.
“AmeriDream is happy to help Cynthia realize the dream of homeownership. Through the FreshStart program, AmeriDream has provided Cynthia an opportunity to own her own home,” said Robert Newman, Executive Vice President and COO. “The FreshStart gift has truly given her a fresh start. This is one more way AmeriDream is doing things right for America’s homebuyers.”
AmeriDream launched its FreshStart program on January 31st, 2005. Each month, loan officers may submit FreshStart applications online to AmeriDream nominating customers to receive a gift to be applied to a down payment or closing costs. AmeriDream will review the submissions and award down payment assistance to families or individuals based on their need and circumstances. The gift will be the equivalent of three percent of the price of the home being purchased and will not require seller participation.
Since inception, AmeriDream has helped more than 300,000 families and individuals buy and sell homes. In addition to FreshStart, AmeriDream operates several programs in support of its mission of expanding affordable housing opportunities for underserved groups. AmeriDream’s Downpayment Assistance Program gifts 3-10% of the sales price of the home for a down payment or closing costs; the gift never has to be repaid. DreamKeeper Mortgage Payment Relief Program offers homebuyers protection against involuntary unemployment and disability for up to five years after the purchase of their new home. Additionally, AmeriDream’s online Homebuyer Education Course is offered in both English and Spanish, and is free to users. The Home Retention/Loss Mitigation Program works with homeowners to make sure all available alternatives to foreclosure are evaluated. And, the AmeriDream Redevelopment Program builds new, affordable homes and renovates existing properties, placing these properties on the market at prices that accommodate low-income homebuyers. Finally, AmeriDream’s Community Link Program has donated over $2 million to numerous worthwhile charitable organizations. AmeriDream works to help families and individuals overcome the obstacles to homeownership. For more information, visit www.ameridream.org.
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The mission of AmeriDream®, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, is to expand homeownership opportunities for underserved groups and promote the value of homeownership as the foundation for building strong communities and individual prosperity. AmeriDream, Inc. is a non-profit, publicly supported organization that is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). AmeriDream, Inc. meets the requirements for a charitable organization, as referenced in the HUD Handbook 4155.1 REV-4, CHG-1 Section 2-10 for FHA insured loans. In addition to The AmeriDream Downpayment Gift Program and DreamKeeper mortgage payment relief, AmeriDream also operates The AmeriDream Redevelopment Program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and Florida, and the Community Link Program nationwide. Through the Redevelopment Program, AmeriDream has spent more than $11 million to rehabilitate properties and return them to the market at affordable prices. Through Community Link, AmeriDream has donated more than $2 million to a range of community organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, the Victims Rights Foundation and the Hatteras Island Rebuilding Fund.18310 Montgomery Village Ave. ¨Third Floor ¨Gaithersburg, MD 20879¨P: 301.977.9133¨F: 301.977.9713 * www.ameridream.org/newsroom