“My Belle Isle: Getting Reacquainted”
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| Detroit's Belle Isle Scott Fountain |
By Glenn Peppers 10-28-14
Earlier last week, Wifey and I and our doggie rode around Detroit’s jewel, Belle Isle! Yes, amidst all the controversy concerning Belle Isle, I had my misgivings about doing so at first, but after much prodding from my wife, I consented and just before dusk Sunday, we rode around the island doing slightly less than the posted, 20mph speed limit!
And what I saw wasn't what I thought I'd see. Surprisingly, there were no State Police cars sitting at speed traps, and hiding in wooded thickets and shady areas waiting to profile, pull over and ticket people of color as they drove the 7 mile perimeter of Belle Isle! Now what I did see was a Belle Isle that was in fact neater (not necessarily cleaner) than I remembered it to be in recent times. I was happy to see that the raceway parking area for the Grand Prix was cemented, fenced and finished. and that all around the island were trashcans everywhere! I mean like every 35 to 50 feet apart!
I noticed that the bathrooms appeared to be remodeled, and the grass and brush that the city let overgrow into the picnic areas for so long was neatly cut away, and there were port-a-potty's in areas where bathrooms were sparse! After getting out and walking our dog, I used one of those port-a-potty's, and it was probably the cleanest port-potty I've ever see! Yes we walked our dog! Never have I ever been so apprehensive to step out of my car and walk anywhere on Belle Isle in my life before. Yet I did so! My wife encouraged me to do so! And when the queen Darlene beckons, I got moving!
All the while that we were there on the island, there was barely a soul out and about. I counted maybe 7 to 10 other vehicles cruising Belle Isle along with ours, and literally no one walking or running. Almost zero activity except for an actual wedding that was taking place at the Scott Fountain! The reception to that wedding was being held at the Belle Isle Casino. It was beautiful, and done right at sunset! As the sun faded away, I cynically spied the landscape for any looming State Police Cars, and there were none! In fact, I only saw one police car, and that unit was far far away on the other side of the island, and that was it! Don’t know what I was so on guard for. I hadn’t done anything! Then again. Such was the plight of many other men of color who’d been profiled, and pulled over for doing virtually nothing! I stuffed my cynical attitude back in my noggin, and tried to enjoy our outing! I saw zero squad cars!
As a matter of fact. I didn’t see Mooky and Ray-Ray riding 5 deep in an old hoopty, slinging back 40's and blasting Rap Music like everyone once complained about sometime ago either! I was glad of that! Although back in the day, I didn’t see very much of that kind of thing to where it would make me stay away from Belle Isle. Statistically speaking. There was almost no shootings or murders reported on Belle Isle, despite the annoyance of loud music and alcohol. I’m sure white kids do, and have done the same things at Metro Beach and Lower Huron. It just isn’t made news for obvious reasons! And because no one was trying to do a takeover of Metro Beach.
I think the newer message sent by having such a strong show of force with the State Police was to at (at first) scare off riff-raff types, and other people of color. The gentrificationing of Belle Isle made it where for some folks who lived in the city felt that they should not go to a familiar place like Belle isle and relax without a slew of police cars tailing you, watching you, profiling you, and making you feel as if you do not belong there. As if you are on holiday at the Treblinka German prisoner of war camp. That show of force and message had some weight to it! From what I saw on that one late Sunday afternoon population wise, maybe their plan worked!
An article I read recently made mention that a lot of people have pretty much stopped coming down to Belle Isle completely, for fear of being harassed and/or having a confrontation with the police, and ending up a police brutality victim, or a fatality statistic (great echos of Ferguson and other police brutality cases come to mind). Obviously this was and is a fear that mostly black folks (mainly men) would and could easily harbor! I understand that frustration!
All things side. Yes, I kind-a liked what I saw at the new State Park, called Bell Isle! It was quiet, and there was road blocks all about, as road and sewer work is being done, and there were many detours and such in various places all over the island. Yet all in all, Bell isle is basically the same! Just a lot more trash cans!
Strangely enough though, there was something missing from Belle Isle. Gone in a sense was that since of comfort I’d grown so accustom to coming along. That feeling of getting away. that feeling of refuge where you’d say to yourself, as you'd pulled onto the island, "Ah, I'm home! I’m on the island now. I can leave my cares and woes back in the city. I can set up my Smoky Joe baby grill, and ‘Que up some Ball Park Franks, listen to the Tigers on the car radio and watch the freighters go down (or up) the Detroit River, and cruise on over to Lake Saint Clair!"
Strangely enough though, there was something missing from Belle Isle. Gone in a sense was that since of comfort I’d grown so accustom to coming along. That feeling of getting away. that feeling of refuge where you’d say to yourself, as you'd pulled onto the island, "Ah, I'm home! I’m on the island now. I can leave my cares and woes back in the city. I can set up my Smoky Joe baby grill, and ‘Que up some Ball Park Franks, listen to the Tigers on the car radio and watch the freighters go down (or up) the Detroit River, and cruise on over to Lake Saint Clair!"
Gone was that carefree feeling of comfort that said. "Its ok if you just happen to doze off for a moment in your car after work, as you quietly listen to the Hits and Oldies radio station, greasy Wendy’s double hamburger and Soda in hand!"
There was a new kinda feeling in the air that day. It was that feeling you get when you go to a really nice Museum like the DIA in Mid-Town, and everything is all beautiful and priceless and cold. And no matter how beautiful things are you can only look and admire, and you better not walk here or there, or touch anything!... And that means ANYTHING! Its kinda like that to me!... Sort of!
There was a new kinda feeling in the air that day. It was that feeling you get when you go to a really nice Museum like the DIA in Mid-Town, and everything is all beautiful and priceless and cold. And no matter how beautiful things are you can only look and admire, and you better not walk here or there, or touch anything!... And that means ANYTHING! Its kinda like that to me!... Sort of!
Driving, and walking around Belle Isle that other day for me was like going back and visiting a house that you once lived in for practically a lifetime. On the outside, it pretty much looks the same. On the inside, its got somewhat the same paint job, yet it smells odd, and maybe there's a little different furniture inside. Nicer furniture, yet its not yours!
The comfort zone and aura that this house had when you lived there, and once knew is somehow changed! Although it appears the same, everything is somehow out of sorts! The house as it is in that moment is tangible, and physically accessible to you, yet plainly in a word, it doesn't belong to you anymore! Not in the way that it once did!
The comfort zone and aura that this house had when you lived there, and once knew is somehow changed! Although it appears the same, everything is somehow out of sorts! The house as it is in that moment is tangible, and physically accessible to you, yet plainly in a word, it doesn't belong to you anymore! Not in the way that it once did!
Maybe all that has to happen is for me as far as Belle Isle is for me to go back visit her more often. Maybe I have to simply Reintroduce myself to this jewel, and my once cozy corner island that I've known all my life, that now through political power struggles, and takeovers and gentrification processes has somehow changed!
I almost cried that Sunday evening because the Belle Isle that has always been so beautiful to me and always there, had somehow become so cold, robotic and unfeeling! Maybe a weekly spin around her shores will choke out all my deep seeded cynicism! Hopefully visiting her will quell my fears of forever losing my once peaceful, Fortress of Solitude!
I almost cried that Sunday evening because the Belle Isle that has always been so beautiful to me and always there, had somehow become so cold, robotic and unfeeling! Maybe a weekly spin around her shores will choke out all my deep seeded cynicism! Hopefully visiting her will quell my fears of forever losing my once peaceful, Fortress of Solitude!
The Belle Isle I remember is where my fairly unskilled and yet hilarious fishing adventures took place. It was that same Belle Isle that housed the smell of the oldest and coolest aquariums in america. This island that sat between the Motor City and Canada was where I spent many days meditating and painting wildlife by the waters edge. It was this island where my wife and I once did a cancer walk that all of a sudden didn't feel quite that same to me.
I shuttered at the thought of my Belle Isle becoming a hub for just only the well to do who are pushing Detroiters out of the city, Keeping Belle Isle for themselves, all the while and being protected by jackbooted State Police and Storm Troopers, lying in wait on the island to bash in some urban heads of anyone who’d dare enter the island uninvited and unwanted!
As my wife and I drove off the island and headed home. I noticed all the many geese and ducks all about the grass and marsh areas! Even the petting zoo is up and awaiting children and public school out trips (Oh I forgot, there isn't very many public schools left in Detroit).
Even the long awaited Detroit Yacht Club building looks as if it were being remodeled. I am happy to see that things are looking up, despite my sense of apprehension and cynical uneasiness. As I said goodbye to Belle Isle, somehow, I felt better about her condition after seeing her! Yet gnawing at me was this disturbing thing of not seeing hardly anyone moving about on the island!
Except for the wedding at the Scott Fountain, there was no one else walking about, feeding the gulls, strolling along and holding hands, and barely anyone sitting on the Canada shoreline side of the island, watching the waves or looking over at the downtown skyline at sunset!
Even the long awaited Detroit Yacht Club building looks as if it were being remodeled. I am happy to see that things are looking up, despite my sense of apprehension and cynical uneasiness. As I said goodbye to Belle Isle, somehow, I felt better about her condition after seeing her! Yet gnawing at me was this disturbing thing of not seeing hardly anyone moving about on the island!
Except for the wedding at the Scott Fountain, there was no one else walking about, feeding the gulls, strolling along and holding hands, and barely anyone sitting on the Canada shoreline side of the island, watching the waves or looking over at the downtown skyline at sunset!
I chalked it up as being one of those days where it was just no one was on the island at around 5:30pm on a Sunday. As we crossed the bridge onto Jefferson Ave, I felt as if I had left a gravesite of a long lost loved one. Someone I hadn't seen in ages. Someone that I was glad I’d gone to see in order to convince myself that they were in fact alive, and not dead at all!
In the back of my mind something tells me that I "Will" be back to Belle Isle soon! Real soon! I'll be back with my, Comfy little tent, my floppy Jimi Hendrix hat and my mini-grill, with my hot dogs with all my condiments and grill fixings in-tow! And yes my lil' dog too!
By Glenn Peppers
