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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit 4605 Cass Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 Phone 313-833-9107 Fax 313-833-0127 May 1, 2005

From the Interim Minister

On Monday, 11 April, six people met in the church office to organize a recycling program. We were brought together by Alecia Becks. One participant at the meeting spoke so eloquently on the theme that I decided to publish her statement in this space as a guest column. This column is by our neighbor Sarah Kubik, who will introduce herself. David.

…”My name is Sarah Kubik and I am a member of your community. I attend Wayne State University and am in the process of receiving my dual Bachelor’s in Sociology and Nutrition and co-Majoring in Peace and Conflict studies. My residency is on Prentis Street, one block from First UU Church. I have been a member of “Midtown” since August of 2004. I have lived many places across the globe but Prentis in Detroit has been my favorite place to live. The location has many things to offer for anyone wanting to move into the area. There are museums, a leading hospital, a prestigious university, schools, grocery stores, an array of restaurants, modern and historical housing, and many places of spirituality to choose from. This place sounds great, right? Then why does Detroit, with Midtown included, have a decreasing population? One, there is a fear of the city, a stigma that has caused many harsh repercussions for the city itself. Two, who wants to come to Detroit when they see in the media nothing but negativity in our neighborhoods? Thirdly, behind all the museums, schools, and churches there is a reality, it is called homelessness, drugs, a hope of going no where because there isn’t any outlet for these communities to evolve into something they are capable of and deserving of. I am here not to talk about the city problems, but to discuss the possibilities with my friends and teammates the importance of building neighborhood camaraderie.

Objectives for this meeting are to discuss the possibilities of joining forces and offering a recycle program for “Midtown”. Our goals are revitalization, beautification, spirituality, community outreach and leadership building. Recycling is a service that is needed because it teaches us to reduce and reuse, making us aware how we are as consumers. It is cheaper in the long run to use recyclable materials instead of virgin materials when producing goods. In using recyclable materials there is less of an issue of where to put the garbage once it is used. Most importantly, it brings community building because there is a sense of camaraderie keeping the neighborhood clean. There are two programs that coexist in the city already which offer recycle services, Rosedale and Corktown. We could travel a distance and drop off our materials to these sites, however the accessibility and convenience doesn’t exist for most. Honestly, by driving and going out of our way contradicts what we are initially trying to do, cutting down our waste.

Education on the importance of recycling brings awareness on so many different levels besides consumerism. Reaching out to the community, teaching the children about the importance of the earth and her own cycles of life, paralleling their own life, would give some sense of encouragement for sustainability. I need to personally state that I am not here to come into someone’s neighborhood and say you are doing it all wrong. I am coming and saying I want to be your neighbor and by doing so I have a project we can do together, it is called recycling. We can get the children involved and have time to talk about other things we could do together to make our neighborhood better. Conversation could come up with topics such as urban gardening, a park, sustainable housing – all sorts of fusing techniques that would bring any community together if done correctly

To do it correctly, we just have to follow what Rosedale and Corktown are already doing, easy as that. We need a parking lot so cars can drive through, park and drop off their materials. The roll offs, which will be supplied by Taylor Recycling from Taylor, MI, will be delivered by 9:00 A.M. the first Saturday of each month with collection times from 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Roll offs are containers in which the materials can be placed in a separated, organized fashion. There is a cost of $200.00 for the roll offs to be delivered and picked up.

Detroit needs a recycle program. Less than a mile away from where we are sitting now stands an eerie machine called the Detroit Garbage Incinerator. It is the largest burning garbage incinerator in the WORLD and it is in our back yard. It burns toxins and pollutes the air that we breathe and cycles into the water we drink. Our children have one of the highest rates of asthma in the country and our city has problems containing its trash on the streets. We are all responsible.

There is a concept called environmental justice, which is defined as a pursuit of equal justice and equal protection under the law for all environmental standards, and regulations without discrimination based on race, ethnicity and or socioeconomic status. This concept applies to governmental actions at all levels; local, state and federal, as well as private industry activities. The city of Detroit, for decades, has been dealing with an issue called environmental racism. This can be defined as the intentional sitting of waste sites and polluting industries in communities inhabited mainly by groups of African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, migrant farmers, and the working poor. These minorities are usually singled out because they are characterized as being weak and passive who will not let their voices be heard because they fear losing their jobs and jeopardizing any economic survival they have. Industry has been the moneymaker for this city, but has also left the city leaving it desolated, barren and polluted. The city that was once known for its glitz and glamour is now known for its blight and crime. This can be changed. Having shelter, food and water, along with a cooperative government and some kind of access to financial means isn’t a privilege, it is a right. Life is an ongoing process and Detroit’s process is a keen reminder that interdependency and community is what we need for survival. Detroit can be the model city of change. We can plant the seed and fertilize it with our love and support and watch it manifest into a city of sustainability, health, and the power of consciousness.

I have a vision, it is called the “TRIAD”. The triad is the connection of Rosedale, Corktown and Midtown recycle programs resembling the recycle emblem. Within that parallel are the ideas of beautification, revitalization, leadership, spirituality, and community building. Grassroots organizing seems to be key to seeking success for the city of Detroit….”

Canvass Information

• Pledges are being solicited for the church fiscal year, which runs from July 2005 – June 2006.

• Member pledges enable the church leadership to budget expenses including the salaries of the minister, music director, choir director religious education director, office administrator, and building maintenance personnel.

• Dan Secrest is coordinating the canvass this year. Please contact Dan via email or phone to make a pledge, or if you have any concerns. His contact information is provided below.

• Dan suggests that you pledge a percent of your income. The Unitarian Universalist Suggested Giving Guidelines recommend a pledge of 3% of income for someone earning $50,000 per year. Of course, your pledge will vary according to your financial capability, your level of commitment to the church, and other personal considerations.

• Live a generous life. Please keep the liberal religious flame alive in Detroit.

Dan Secrest

dsecrest1@comcast.net

313-864-0177 (home)

313-983-2173 (work)

Women’s Book Club

The next meeting of the Women's Book Club will be on Sunday June 5, 2005 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM in Memorial Hall. The book to be discussed will be Little Red Riding Hood – Uncloaked – Sex, Morality and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale by Catherine Orenstein. On July 10 (please note date change due to July 4^th holiday) we will be discussing Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland. At the August 7^th group, we will be talking about Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl by Kate McCafferty. Please contact Maria Majer at maria_majer@yahoo.com or 313-899-1694 for additional information. All are welcome.

Our choir is open to all who enjoy singing and being with some really nice people. Rehearsals are in Memorial Hall, unless otherwise noted, and begin at 9:30 A.M. The schedule follows:

May 8,15 with performance on the 15^th

May 22 & 29 off

June 5, 12, 19 with performance on the 19^th.

Women’s History Dinner has been postponed

Items from the Internet

Subject: Lemon Squeeze

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1,000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time -- weightlifters, longshoremen, etc., but nobody could do it.

One day a scrawny little man came in wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny, squeaky voice, "I'd like to try the bet."

After the laughter had died down, the bartender said okay, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. He then handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man.

But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six more drops of juice fell into the glass.

As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid him the $1000, and asked the little man, "What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, or what?"

The man replied, "I work for Internal Revenue Service."

More Items from the Internet

Strange but Oddly Satisfying Random Acts of Lunacy

*After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Beltway had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

* A passenger in a taxi tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him something. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments everything was silent in the cab, then the driver said, "Please, don't ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me." The passenger, who was also frightened, apologized and said he didn't realize that a tap on the shoulder could frighten him so much, to which the driver replied, "I'm sorry, it's really not your fault at all. Today is my first day driving a cab. I have been driving a hearse for the last 25 years."

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