A Newcomer's Guide to Chesterfield, New Baltimore

For people who have never visited these communities, New Baltimore-Chesterfield Patch offers an informational guide about the towns.

The Detroit suburbs overlooking Lake St. Clair's Anchor Bay have grown tremendously in the last decade, making New Baltimore the fastest-growing community in Macomb County from 2000-10 while Chesterfield Township also saw a population uptick.

Demographics

New Baltimore's population jumped a whopping 63.4 percent in the past decade, making it the fastest-growing community in Macomb County and one of the quickest-growing towns in the state, according to U.S. Census reports.

The shift from approximately 7,400 residents in 2000 to 12,084 in 2010 earned the small waterside community the sixth spot on the list of Michigan communities with the biggest population percentage change in that time frame.

New Baltimore Mayor Larry Smith attributed the population increase to a building boom before the housing market stalled a few years ago.

"During that period, we had so many new subdivisions come in," he said.

Meanwhile, Chesterfield also gained residents from 2000 to 2010, from 37,405 to 43,381, respectively. That 16 percent population shift ranked the township as No. 121 on the percentage change list.

Chesterfield went from being the 44th most populated community in the state to the 38th while New Baltimore leapfrogged from 246 to 158, according to the report.

Macomb County as a whole also gained residents from 788,149 in 2000 to 840,978 in 2010. Detroit, the epicenter of southeast Michigan, however, lost a drastic portion of its population—25 percent—in the last decade. That brings the Motor City down to 713,777, according to Census figures.

For more information about about the population makeup, click .

Schools

Anchor Bay School District, L'Anse Creuse Public Schools and a portion of New Haven Community Schools meander through the area.

In spring 2011, the MEAP scores for the two main districts in the communities showed overall math score improvement. However, reading results decreased for students in Anchor Bay School District and L'Anse Creuse Public Schools, according to Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) data.

The scores follow state trends—with local strides in math and slight dips in reading—from fall 2010 to 2009, according to MEAP.

In Anchor Bay, almost all the results for grades three to nine were in math than the previous year. Meanwhile, scores for all the grades were for reading in the same time frame. Overall, Anchor Bay had the highest average MEAP scores out of all the public school districts in Macomb County in 2011.

In L'Anse Creuse, there were similar changes from 2009 to 2010, with math scores leveling off or increasing. However, fourth- and fifth-grades improved in reading while other grades stayed the same or declined in the subject.

To view all the results, see http://patch.com/A-grhL.

In June 2011, Anchor Bay Schools 35 employees, including teachers and support staff, and change kindergarten options. New Haven Community Schools teachers in June. Thirty-five L'Anse Creuse teachers in May. The districts cited per pupil funding reductions from the state proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder as the reasons behind the drastic cuts.

All three districts offer school of choice options for the 2011-12 school year.

New Baltimore-Chesterfield Patch features education stories, profiles on stellar students and outstanding athletes. To view our Schools in the News, click here for a breakdown on stories.

Location on the Lake, Recreation

Lake St. Clair's Anchor Bay provides a waterfront view for Chesterfield and New Baltimore that is conveniently located off I-94, just a few miles from M-59. Walter and Mary Burke Park in downtown New Baltimore and Brandenburg Park in Chesterfield provide scenic views of the water and playscapes for children The water draws lake insects called that inspire an annual and are known to flock to the area in early summer. Learn more about the festival .

Boating is a popular pastime, especially for those who want to take advantage of lakeside living. Fishing is a big draw around the area. Even the coldest weather cannot sway the die-hard angler. are seen on Lake St. Clair quite a bit in winter, although the fire officials that. One local park, Maynard "Red" Aurand Memorial Park, is perfect for .

Real estate

New Baltimore and Chesterfield Township have a range of homes in different price points, from to those in the . There are more traditional houses in downtown New Baltimore, houses on the lake and new construction in both communities.

Museums

With a historic downtown, New Baltimore claims several old buildings with rich history. is open to the public on select days during most months out of the year. Visitors can see an , including antique furniture and mementos from the city's heyday as a resort town. One interesting tidbit: Curators believe the former hotel-turned-museum is haunted.

For the classic car lover, in Chesterfield Township brings about and a Route 66 theme to the community. The museum opened in early June 2011.

The on features a one-room school, a log cabin, a cobble/gift shop and a working blacksmith shop. The Chesterfield Township Historical Society hosts a at the village throughout the year. (Patch also features that inform readers of the township's rich history.)

Nearby in Harrison Township has an indoor museum building as well as air park with many planes, jets and other displays for guests to explore—even inside some of them. The air park has 31 full-size vintage military aircraft from World War I to present day, plus an assortment of military vehicles and missiles.

Annual Community Events

Besides the summer Fishfly Festival, New Baltimore hosts a slew of community events annually. The , Winterfest featuring the , and are among them. Parks and Recreation as well as organizations throughout the area also hold a number of programs and events.

In Chesterfield Township, the annual draws families to township grounds for activities and historical demonstrations. The North Gratiot Cruise has a couple times in the past few years, but that is also a big draw to the area when held.

Both communities hold ceremonies around Christmastime.

The American Cancer Society has also held Relay for Life events in and .

Services

Libraries:

and offer a slew of children and adult programs. Librarians write for Patch, offering their reading suggestions.

Police station information:

• 46525 Continental Dr., Chesterfield, 586-949-2322, Chief Bruce Smith
• 50910 Washington St., New Baltimore, 586-725-2181, Chief Tim Wiley (The department is in August 2011 to a new station on Green Street.)

Fire station information:

• Headquarters, 33991 23 Mile, Chesterfield, 586-725-2233
• Headquarters, 36535 Green St., New Baltimore, 586-725-0990

Elected officials:

Chesterfield

• Supervisor Michael Lovelock—586-949-0400, ext. 5-2
• Clerk Janice Uglis—586-949-0400, ext. 1112
• Treasurer Linda Hartman—586-949-0400, ext. 1105
• Trustee Brian Scott DeMuynck—bdemuynck@chesterfieldtwp.org
• Trustee Christine Bell—cbell@chesterfieldtwp.org
• Trustee Michele Ficht —mficht@chesterfieldtwp.org
• There is a trustee vacancy following the resignation of Cheryl Printz.

New Baltimore

• Mayor Larry Smith—725-2151, ext. 119
• Clerk Marcella (Marcia) Shinska—586-725-2151, ext. 108
• Treasurer Jeanne Bade—586-716-7604
• Councilman Kenneth Butler II—586-725-9085
• Councilman Jeffrey Christie—725-5714
• Councilwoman Susan Burkhardt—405-3792
• Councilman David Duffy—586-805-6990
• Councilwoman Florence Hayman—586-725-4690
• Councilman John Dupray—main office, 725-2151

Local Voices

Patch frequently asks folks around towns what they think about various subjects. Hear why people like the area in their own words by clicking here. You can also see where residents would take visitors by .