metro » New homes now open at Fox Run. Tree Time Twin Pines, Fox Run’s newest residence building, off ers stunning new apartment homes that boast modern fi nishes, natural light, and exquisite woodland views. Myron Stein makes sprucing area roadways his mission. We’re Novi’s premier continuing care retirement community, featuring beautiful maintenance-free apartment homes, convenient services, and exciting amenities—all on a gorgeous 108-acre campus. Barbara Lewis Contributing Writer I f you’ve admired the young trees on Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills or along the Woodward Avenue boulevard in Pleasant Ridge, you can thank Myron Stein. Stein, 75, of Southfield is on a one- man mission to beautify southern Oakland County by buying trees and donating them to local municipalities. Stein, a retired art teacher and ama- teur playwright, started thinking about trees six years ago after he was laid off. “I felt the need to do something pro- ductive,” he said. The tree-planting idea was a “whim,” he said. Soon after driving along Northwestern Highway and think- ing about how bare the median strip looked, Stein went to the Michigan Department of Transportation office at Nine Mile and Southfield and told them he wanted to plant trees. A woman in the office suggested he contact the Farmington Hills Beautification Committee. Stein con- tacted them and asked if they would plant trees if he could provide them. “They weren’t enthusiastic, but they said yes,” he said. Then came sticker shock when he started visiting nurseries and learned decent-sized trees could cost $100 or $200 apiece. A few weeks later, Stein found himself at Lowe’s, the big-box home improvement store, and saw trees for much less. He started dickering with the manager, getting a lower price for offering to buy 10, then an even lower price for offering to buy an entire pal- let of 36. “It was July 4 weekend and very hot,” he recalled. “Maybe Lowe’s wanted to get rid of them because they thought they wouldn’t survive.” The trees were delivered to Stein’s Due to overwhelming demand for active, worry-free retirement living in Novi, only a limited number of select apartment homes remain available. Now is the time to reserve your perfect apartment home at Twin Pines! Don’t wait to learn more! Call 1-800-917-8169 today to request your free brochure. Novi 11626339 EricksonLiving.com 2061840 24 November 10 • 2016 Myron Stein was given a proclamation by Pleasant Ridge for his beautification efforts. backyard. “It looked like a forest,” he said. He watered them faithfully twice a day. Stein returned to the Farmington Hills Beautification Committee, which said they couldn’t possibly handle 36 trees. They took 13. He gave the rest to other groups, including one in Lathrup Village that had started a nature pre- serve. Thinking other people might want to join his cause, Stein formed a non- profit organization called Tree Time. (It’s registered in Michigan, but does not have federal tax-exempt status.) He started a website, www.treetime. vpweb.com. Donations made on the site will be used to buy trees. For donations made in honor of someone, Stein will provide a certificate and a map showing the location of the tree. Stein looks for sales at Lowe’s, Home Depot and other local stores. He estimates he’s given away more than 250 trees in the past six years. Pleasant Ridge and Oak Park have been happy to take them, he said. Some have gone to Habitat for Humanity. His own town, Southfield, told him they didn’t have the man- power to plant trees. Stein is proud of a proclamation he received from the mayor of Pleasant Ridge in 2012, after he donated seven red maples and five conifers that were planted on the Woodward Avenue median. Although Northwestern Highway was his inspiration, Stein says he recently learned that the designers of the median strip wanted it to look like a prairie, rather than a woodland. The trees he donated are scattered, rather than clumped, and some have died. But as long as friends and nature- lovers continue to donate to Tree Time, he’ll keep buying trees and find- ing ways to plant them. *