Community Information

IMPORTANT NEWS: Westacres Beach BBQ!

Reservations must be in by this Saturday, August 20th!

Come one, come all! Saturday, August 27^th, to the Boathouse. Erich Ohlde Robb Szybisty and Matt Carter will be throwing down some serious BBQ!

Reservations are required as we need to plan on all the Q going in the smokers.

$10 (check made out to WCA or cash) will get an individual a plate of Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken, Brisket, coleslaw, and Mac n Cheese. Lawn games will be a part of this, including Corn Hole and other cool beach games. Please reserve by August 20th with payment. Check your email for drop off details. This will help us to make sure we have enough for everyone!

Access the official 2022 Aquacade schedule HERE or download a PDF of the schedule for printing HERE.

Aquacade – a yearly tradition in Westacres.

Since its inception in 1939, immensely creative parades, fierce competition, and the casualties of participation – those weekend warriors with sprained ankles and torn ligaments – are the constants of our revered Aquacade weekend. The tradition brings us together like no other, many holding on until Sunday’s darkness consumes the beach, where several families can be seen playing cards, chatting about “highlight” moments, and calling up a beach-side delivery dinner.

While the excitement officially begins with SPIRIT WEEK – starting August 1^st – official events commence with the CORN ROAST Friday night, August 5^th. This not-to-miss event brings together both sides – the North and the South – for a non-partisan celebration of friends, family and neighborhood spirit.

SATURDAY, August 6th starts off  with the PARADE at 9:45 am. (The theme is Legends – you may interpret any way you want) followed by FIELD DAY EVENTS  at noon on the Ball Field.

The ADULT DANCE Saturday night is $5 per person for members in good standing if purchased before July 31^st, and $10 after and at the door; $15 for guests. The clubhouse opens at 7:30 p.m. and food will start 1 hour after the completion of the last soft ball game.

SUNDAY, August 5th is Beach Day starting at noon. The SWIMMING EVENTS begin with our youngest residents sliding on the slide, then the non-redcap events, followed by free style, back stroke, breast stroke, under-water breath swim and the diving competitions. There is an ongoing Sand Castle Contest throughout the day for all ages.

Come hungry for the homemade selections from the Women’s Club Food Booth (opens @ noon) + Candy Ladies’ Treats.

At the end of Sunday, points are tallied and bragging rights awarded – along with the coveted Westacres Cup. Exhausted participants head home – some elated, some deflated – all knowing it truly doesn’t matter if you’re Red or Green, North or South. We’re all WESTACRES.

Westacres’ 4^th of July Celebration produces scenes each year out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Staples include watermelon-eating contests, a bike parade, and the traditional fire truck appearance.

Volunteers register parade participants, judge the parade, donate cool cars, drive cars, determine whom to honor in cars, play in the band, lead in singing the National Anthem, secure the W.B. fire truck, buy and sell refreshments, carry flags and banners (Boy Scout tradition), set up and run kid and adult games, buy and hand out prizes, decorate the beach, create Weekly articles, and the like. It truly takes a village!!

The day will start with a 9:30 a.m. line-up for the parade at the main entrance island, and conclude with an amazing fireworks display at the beach at dusk. Click here for a full schedule of events you won’t want to miss.

This year’s celebration is being chaired by Sasha Ohlde (Buckthorn) and Dani Veillette (Winterberry.) They are still in need of volunteers to man many of the activity tables!!! Watch your email and this week’s edition of the Westacres Weekly for a link to the Sign Up Genius. Or, reach out to Sasha or Dani via phone. They’re in the Directory!

This year’s Father’s Day campout event is being hosted by Matt Barron and Robb Szybisty. Mark your calendars now for this much-loved annual event.

• Tent set-up:       Friday afternoon

• All-kids kick-ball game: 6 p.m.

• S’mores and bonfire: Dusk

• All-neighbor Pancake Breakfast: 8 a.m. Saturday morning

History

In 2001, Social chairwoman Pam Younggren acted on her 30-year dream of camping out at the beach by starting a community sleepover to proceed the long-standing pancake breakfast held Father’s Day weekend. Despite a few stormy nights, this popular tradition has continued with tent pitching late Friday afternoon, an all-kids kickball game at 6 p.m. and marshmallow roasting and s’mores for kids and adults alike in the evening.

An adult card game was originally part of the tradition but was quickly discontinued once we learned it was hard for the adults to remain quiet whilst their children tried to sleep!

ATTENTION WESTACRES 2022 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES:

The Westacres Women’s Club is offering four scholarships to this year’s graduating Seniors.

Three scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement together with extra-curricular and volunteer activities. Winners will be determined by their answers to the application questions and their grade transcripts.  The fourth scholarship — the Carol Ford Arts scholarship — will be awarded to a Westacres student who has exhibited proficiency in any area of fine arts (which includes architecture, design, graphic arts, painting, photography, sculpture) or performing arts, and plans to pursue further studies in these areas. 

Here is how to apply:

1.  Contact Sandy Tominna by text/call 734-748-0823 or email Sandraswish@gmail.com.
2.  Sandy will email you an application.
3.  Return completed application with transcripts by May 31, 2022.
4.  Scholarships will be awarded middle of June.

Good luck to all our Westacres high school Seniors! You’ve already made us all proud!!

Beach Clean-Up: This Saturday, May 7^th at 8:30 a.m.

Our 2022 Beach Clean-Up day is this coming Saturday, May 7^th, with a rain day of May 8^th.

We welcome all able-bodied men, women and children to join us at the beach at 8:30 a.m. for assignments. As in year’s past, we’ll be setting up picnic tables and grills, installing the water slides, buoys and raft, trimming shrubbery, planting flowers, laying mulch and various of jobs suitable for all ages. Our goal is to bring one of our most favorite and utilized neighborhood assets back to life for the season.

All residents who have paid their dues for 2022 can stop by and exchange their Beach Tags for 2022 bands. We are conserving resources and recycling previous years’ bands, which you’ll note have been cleaned, sanitized and are good as new.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rob Wolski – Beach Chair
Beach@westacres1936.org

Join your neighbors and friends this Saturday, April 9, at 9 a.m. to make Westacres shine!

The winter winds and general neglect have taken a toll on the path in front of Westacres, along Commerce Road between Harold and Cedarbank, leaving it scattered with garbage and overgrowth. We want to change that.

We’ll be meeting at the main entrance island at 9 a.m. sharp. Bring gloves, protective eyewear, garbage bags and Energy. The amount of ground that needs to be covered is rather large. We need 25-30 adults to help out. Given the proximity to Commerce Road, please don’t bring children as working along the Road can be dangerous. 

As we fill garbage bags, we will also need a pickup truck or two and some golf carts/ gators to transport garbage cans/ full garbage bags down to the beach Dumpster. 

Many hands make light work. We encourage everyone to come out and help make Westacres shine!

John Moran
President@Westacres1936.org

The Westacres Credit Union Annual Meeting/Luncheon is fast approaching. If you’ve never been, you’ll find a short business meeting, delicious food and socializing with neighbors and members of our unique community Credit Union.

This year’s event is Sunday, April 24th at Noon at Gino’s, 1999 Cass Lake Road, Keego Harbor. The cost for the luncheon is $15. This event is for Credit Union members. If you are not yet a member, you can become one for $5.25 – a $5 deposit and a 25-cent membership fee.

You can make your reservation by calling the Credit Union at 248-363-4376 or stop down Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m., Thursday afternoons from 2-5 p.m., or Saturdays from 9 a.m. – Noon. The deadline to reserve your spot is April 16^th.

A bit of history…

The Westacres Credit Union is a state-chartered credit union serving residents of the Westacres Community in West Bloomfield, Mich.

From its early beginnings, Westacres has been dedicated to helping its neighbors. This philosophy has given birth to many good ideas, not the least of which is our credit union.

On October 30, 1936, twelve residents joined together to form the Credit Union as a Michigan Corporation. In November of that year, the State of Michigan approved the charter. The first loan of $25 was used to buy groceries and coal. For the next eight and a half decades, the Credit Union tradition of helping residents live more comfortable lives has continued in much the same vein.

To be a member, one must have some affiliation with Westacres subdivision. For example, a member must be a resident of Westacres, an employee of the Credit Union, members of the immediate families of the above or a unit of the Westacres Community Association. Its membership spans the globe, with members living as far away as Alaska, the Bahamas, Asia and in Europe.

When the Credit Union was formed in 1936, its offices were in the Cedarbank Clubhouse. Subsequently, it moved to its long-term home at 7242 Buckthorn and in 1991, the Credit Union moved into its very own offices next to the Clubhouse.

Each year the Credit Union has an annual meeting of the shareholders to report operation, progress and plans. At this meeting, directors and officers are elected as well.

While some things have changed over the years at the Credit Union, some have not. They have been using the same stapler for at least 50 years. It still costs only a 25-cent fee and a $5 deposit to open an account. It’s hours of operation have been the same for decades. Kids in the neighborhood can still walk or ride their bikes to do their banking.

If you’re not yet a member, please consider joining the Westacres Credit Union!