Community Corner

3rd Place People's Choice Award: Cotton Tales

After tallying votes taken last week at the unveiling of the 51 Grosse Pointe Perch that will be lining the streets of the five communities this summer, the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce announced the third place winner today as Cotton Tales.

Cotton Tales, a king fish among , is the third place winner in , in which votes were lodged last week during .

The announced the third place winner today and will announce the second place on Tuesday and the first place on Wednesday.

The project is meant to draw people to the Pointes to not only roam the community to see the fish but also to frequent the many businesses. In October, the .

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Cotton Tales is sponsored by the Cotton Family and had a number of artists, including: Kate Kingsley, also known as Miss Kate and the Cotton's grandchildren: Jack, Katherine, Colin and Teddy Cotton as well as Jack and Molly Kendall, children who are like grandchildren to the Cottons. The children range in age from about 8 months to 6 years old.

It was one of five king fish among the school of Perch, which are to be distributed through the Grosse Pointes along with two in St. Clair Shores on Tuesday.

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The brightly colored fish dons a crown and will be placed at Grosse Pointe Boulevard and Hendrie Lane.

Kate Kingsley, a teacher for 's Early School who lives in Grosse Pointe Woods, said Monday is was honored to be a part of the project and flattered to be asked by the Cottons to decorate their fish. She's taught nearly all of their grandchildren or will soon for those just starting school. 

Kingsley designed the Perch following an interview with the Cottons about their loves in life, which they identified as their grandchildren, the water and the summer and more. She then decided on a design that would follow that of popular children's book author Eric Carle, she said.

She used white tissue paper that was painted and then used to create a collage on the Perch, which was painted first, she said. In addition to receiving a great deal of help from her boyfriend, Mike Higgins, Kingsley incorporated the Cotton's grandchildren in the project. That was the family's hope in asking Kingsley, she said.

The tissue paper used on the face, for seaweed and the scales were all completed by the grandchildren, who Kingsley said had fun with the project. For the seaweed, Kingsley traced the children's hands and cut out tissue paper versions, she said.

Cutting the tissue paper was the most time intensive part of the project, Kingsley said, who estimated Monday from start to finish it took her approximately 50 hours to complete.

The grandchildren worked on the project throughout but did not get to see all of their work come together until last week's unveiling party, Kinglsey said. They were pleased with the results, she said.


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