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Volume 76 – Number 50
WHAT’S INSIDE New specialized surgery program (Page A-2) For metro Detroiters suffering from disfigurements due to head and neck cancers, facial trauma or tissue effects, a new specialized surgery program is now available from St. John.
Hatch Detroit finalists announced (Page B-1) The Comerica Hatch Detroit contest calls on Detroit’s best and brightest entrepreneurs for their take on what the city’s next best retail destination should be.
Echoes of 1960s activism (Page B-4) A new era of civil rights activism is very much evident, and much of it is based on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s which is used as a foundation. Now, as then, courage is required, as is a willingness to risk personal loss.
A return to former glory (Page C-1) The Avenue of Fashion, located on Livernois on the city’s west side, is in the process of receiving a major makeover, thanks to the REVOLVE Detroit’s Art + Fashion on the Ave program. The impact is already being felt according to participants, visitors and those who live in the area.
‘I Am My Father’s Son’
FULL APOLOGY interview with Detroit EM Kevyn Orr KEVYN ORR, Detroit emergency manager, speaks out in the wake of controversial comments about Detroit in the Wall Street Journal that has drawn condemnation from many sectors, especially among prominent civic leaders. — Andre Smith photos When Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr told the Wall Street Journal that Detroit once was “dumb, lazy and rich,” all hell broke loose in Detroit, the city that put the world on wheels, where movements for social change Bankole began and where Thompson Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first gave his immortal “I Have a Dream” speech. Orr’s interview with one of the world’s most influential publications was greeted with condemnation far and wide, from Detroit civic leaders to personalities in the media, as well as residents and workers. To render a full unabated atonement and to explain himself, Orr reached out to Bankole
my father’s son” as he sought to explain in detail about the remarks that in the eyes of his critics could define his tenure in Detroit. Excerpts. MICHIGAN CHRONICLE: Why all of a sudden the epiphany of apology?
DETROIT EMERGENCY MANAGER KEVYN ORR (right) and Bankole Thompson editor of the Michigan Chronicle, coversing after a probing and revelatory interview in Thompson’s office about comments in the Wall Street Journal that referred to Detroit as “dumb, lazy and rich.” Thompson, editor of the Michigan Chronicle, on his cell, the result of which led to a visit by Orr in what turned out to be a
The queen of ‘adult R&B’ (Page D-1) Millie Jackson has been a mainstay on the R&B music scene since the early 1970s. She is an R&B singer in the purest since — gritty, raw and full of fire. She is also famous for being raunchy, and her legion of fans love it.
penetrating, thought-provoking interview that made his positions clear with the emergency manager noting that, “I am
KEVYN ORR: Well, I talked to a lot of people. I took time in doing my due diligence in figuring out with friends and some of the city’s fathers and mothers, a group of ministers — my elders if you will — and they made it clear that my words were hurtful in a way that they were not intended to be or that I had realized would be. And that an apology was appropriate if for no other reason than to atone and help the healing process, but also to let people know who I really am. That’s not how I was raised.
See KEVYN
ORR page A-4
King’s Impact: 50 Years Later
Unemployment rate rises (Page C-3) Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment in July edged upward by one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.8 percent, according to Michgan Department of Technology, Management & Budget.
August 21-27, 2013
A Black president, more elected officials, still more work to be done
By Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
It was five decades ago on Aug. 28 that the premier civil rights conscience of America stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to ask America to make good on its promise of equality for African Americans.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Little did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. know that 50 years after his historic dream speech about the need for content of character to supersede skin color, that there would be an African American president.
DOROTHY HEIGHT, head of the National Council of Negro Women for four decades, was on the platform when King gave the “I Have a Dream” speech after convincing the leadership to allow the young preacher from Atlanta to be the last speaker.
CLARENCE DAVIS, the distinguished and nationally renowned Black historian, is the head of the Washington, DC Office of Public Records who has argued that there are more battles to fight.
LIVING
WELL
And thus on Aug. 28, 2013, President Barack Obama will speak at the commemoration of the “Let Freedom Ring” rally at the Lincoln Memorial to honor King’s call for justice and equality. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter will also join the nation’s first Black president in what will be a somber reflection of how far America has come under the CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS, civil dream of the drum major for jus- rights icon, getting ready to speak tice. at the 1963 March on Washington.
See MARCH page A-3
— Library of Congress photo
LivingWELL
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Helping students make their dreams come true In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech, Eric Means (left), president, Means Group; Gary Barnett (right), marketing director, Means Group; and Jose Reyes (second from left), CEO, Detroit Employment Solutions; present a donation of $5,000.00 to Oakland University retired professor Dr. Toni Walters. A group of former students created the scholarship as a tribute to Dr. Walters and her late husband, Kenneth. Each year the Toni S. and Kenneth Walters Literacy Scholarship is awarded to students studying reading and the language arts in the School of Education and Human Services. — Kevin Hanson photo
Snyder: Wayne County Jail relocation should move forward quickly the significant economic benefits that would come from having the jail’s prime downtown location available for private sector development. Freeing up that location for private development, such as offices, hotels and restaurants, would expand the ongoing revitalization of downtown Detroit. “Development along those lines would create construction jobs, then long-term jobs, and expand the city’s tax base for years to come.
Gov. Snyder As The Wayne County Building Authority cancelled all contracts with the $300-million Wayne County Jail project, Gov. Rick Snyder issued the following statement in support of a proposal to relocate the Wayne County Jail complex: “This proposal recognizes the resurgence of downtown Detroit and
“This downtown location should be recognized as an area of potential economic development because of the significant benefits that it could bring to the city, county, and state. “My team and I are ready to work with Wayne County officials and put this proposal to relocate the criminal justice facilities to Mound Road on a fast track. We can work cooperatively to
develop an integrated criminal justice center that would reduce the county’s future operating costs. There’s a growing recognition of the operational and cost benefits of creating such a criminal justice center that would include the jail and the present intake system plus criminal courts and the appropriate operations of the county sheriff and the county prosecutor. “The sooner we start that process, the better. I’m confident that by working together we can find a way to make this proposal a reality.” Since the construction was halted in June, the county has received inquires from Todd Fenton, a former employee with the Wayne County Economic Development Growth Engine, Dan Gilbert’s Rock Ventures group and Triple Properties Detroit, which owns the Penobscot Building.
New Specialized Surgery Program Means More Options for Local Patients with Facial Reconstruction Needs From St. John Providence Health System
Carlos A. Ramirez, M.D., D.DS, For metro Detroit patients suffering from disfigurements due to head and neck cancers, facial trauma or tissue defects, a new specialized program is now available to provide an additional spectrum of reconstruction services. The highly specialized microvascular surgery program was recently introduced by St. John Providence Health System, making it one of only three health systems in the area with the advanced surgical specialty. Microvascular surgery is the transfer of tissue (skin, muscle, bone) from one area in the body with its own blood supply (feeding artery and vein) to another location (head, neck, extremities), which involves reconnecting the flap vessels to local vessels, assuring that the flap is living. As the result of a disease or trauma, some patients may become significantly disfigured in an area that is highly visible, like their face. By being able to harvest bone, muscle and skin from another area in the body, these large, complex defects can be minimized, allowing for patients to have close to full rehabilitation. Known as The St. John Providence Health System Center for Head and
Neck, Maxillofacial & Reconstructive Surgery, the program is housed at St. John Macomb Oakland Hospital-Macomb Center in Warren, Mich. and led by Carlos A. Ramirez, M.D., D.DS, a maxillofacial and head and neck surgeon, with specialized training in microvascular reconstruction surgery. Dr. Ramirez is one of only a handful of surgeons in southeast Michigan trained to provide this advanced surgical option. Dr. Ramirez is most excited about the opportunity the surgical specialty center provides to better serve local patients. “Currently patients who need microvascular reconstruction for head and neck, maxillofacial trauma and soft tissue coverage are being referred for care to centers outside of the St. John Providence Health System,” said Dr. Ramirez. “By offering
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comprehensive treatment to this group of patients, we can better serve the residents of our community.” For more information on Dr. Ramirez and the Center for Head and Neck, Maxillofacial & Reconstructive Surgery, please visit http://www.stjohndoctors.org/DrRamirez/. St. John Providence Health System is the largest provider of inpatient care in Southeast Michigan. It provides comprehensive prevention, primary care and advanced treatment programs with more than 125 medical centers and five hospitals spanning five counties.
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Loretta V. Davis, MSA President & CEO Institute for Population Health
August 21-27, 2013
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is significant to highlight the contributions of Congressman Lewis “because of his heroic and gallant role in the Civil Rights Movement.”
Former President Jimmy Carter said, “It is an honor to participate in this ceremony as we remember a great man, a heroic leader and a noble message that still rings as true today as it did 50 years ago. This commemorative event is an opportunity to speak about Dr. King’s dream of equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Dr. King’s legacy remains an inspiration for us all on this special anniversary and will continue to for generations to come.”
“Congressman Lewis’ legacy is etched in the Selma to Montgomery March Bloody Sunday in 1965 when he was brutally beated,” Davis said. “His long and continued commitment to the struggle for freedom, justice and equality merits special recognition.”
“I’m honored to meet my father’s call to ‘Let freedom ring’ with President Obama, President Clinton and President Carter,” said Bernice A. King, chief executive officer of The King Center. “Together with people across America and the world, we will pause to mark the 50th anniversary of my father’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, affirming the unity of people of all races, religions and nations.” Congressman John Lewis, the iconic civil rights leader from Georgia, was one of the leaders of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He was sixth in the line of speakers. King was the final speaker. In an interview with the Library of Congress magazine’s latest edition, Lewis explained the impact of King’s speech and how it led to an invitation to the White House by President John F. Kennedy. “His speech was amazing. He turned the marble steps of the Lincoln Memorial into a modern-day pulpit. We did not have a sense of the magnitude of that day, at the time, but he knew — and we knew — he had made an impact. After the speeches were over, people were still coming to the National Mall from all over America. We were invited to the White House by President Kennedy. He met us at the door of the Oval Office and he was standing there almost like a beaming father. He shook hands with each speaker and said to each one, “You did a good job.” And when he got to Dr. King he said, “And you had a dream.” On Saturday, Lewis will be among several deputies of the Civil Rights Movement to recall the work and impact of the man who stood side by side with them to confront the injustices that once confined Blacks to second-class citizenship in America. Since Obama’s election, some historians and members of the Black intelligentsia have said that even though his election is a product of King’s dream, it is not a fulfillment of the dream. In the Library of Congress interview Lewis answered it this way: “We have come a long way, down a very long road toward accomplishing this ideal, but we are not there yet. We still have a great distance to go before we realize the true meaning of Dr. King’s dream.” Professor Clarence Davis, the head of the Washington, DC Office of Public Records and a leading historian, said it
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From page A-1
“Martin Luther King’s unforgettable speech inspired millions of Americans to make a deeply personal commitment to racial equality and economic justice. Its wisdom and power continues to inspire us today. I’m honored to lend my voice to this important celebration of one of our greatest leaders and most historic days,” said former President Bill Clinton in a White House release.
Several organizations and civil rights groups are planning massive commemorative events beginning this week in Washington and around the country, including a rally Saturday, Aug. 24, led by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King Jr. III at the Lincoln Memorial to remember not only King’s “I Have a Dream” speech but also the significance of racial and economic justice for Black people.
August 21-27, 2013
Lewis was national chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the youngest speaker at the March on Washington who was introduced by the venerable A. Philip Randolph.
Davis is hosting a special recogntion for Lewis at his home in Washington, DC with participants from around the country including the prominent African American fraternity Phi Beta Sigma and other Black leaders.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his own words “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” “We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetuate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle, the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless you back is bent.” “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
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Kevyn Orr That’s not how I’ve conducted myself in my profession. I think at this point people have done a fairly broad research into my background and my professional demeanor in other contexts and I’ve never been that way. So even in my (Channel 7 remarks) there were some folks who felt that I might have been less than sincere, and so I want to be clear about it. I apologize because my words were hurtful and in this process I never want to be hurtful or distract from the work we have to do. MC: Since your coming to Detroit you’ve been described as many things. Who is Kevyn Orr? KO: Up until this point I was a private citizen, corporate attorney, pretty straightforward guy. I don’t think people realize or understood that I always tried to deal with inclusion and outreach. I was chair of racism in the profession for the Day County Bar Association. I’ve been on the minority bar committee for the American Bar Association. I was diversity partner when I was in private practice for the first time. I was a Collateral Duty EEO Consular in the federal government. And I don’t think many people realize that throughout my career and history I’ve always been one who tried to be sensitive to inclusion. Frankly, when I first heard people interpreting my words in that way it came as a surprise to me because I’ve never been that person and never will be. MC: You said you were surprised your remarks were taken as an insult. Why? KO: Well, because I wasn’t meaning it in the way to refer to anyone…. my comment was made (pertaining to) back when the city was in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. I was having a conversation about the city in the steamship era when people went abroad and bought things, nobody was thinking about the city. That was a metaphor I’ve used many times before that has no derogatory connotation. But talking to people it occurred to me why people would perhaps see it that way, in a way I’ve never meant it or never understood it to be. MC: When you look back now, how would you describe the Wall Street Journal interview? KO: The Journal interview was casual. One of the people I talked to said to me, ‘Kevin, when you are in the private sector you can be glib and use metaphors and idioms whether in court or elsewhere. But now on this job, you have to own it, now you have the cloak of a public person.’ I’d like to think that I’m not a politician but the job gives you a profile and perspective, and you’ve got to embrace that and wear it. Your words may have a different connation and meaning. I thought about that and was very thankful for the way they explained that to me. Now I understand it better. This is a different arena and I will be more (careful) in that position. MC: What has changed for you since you became EM both professionally, personally and now the Journal interview that led to much civic outrage? KO: Putting this (Journal interview) aside, I think there’s been a lot of growth. I think the learning curve was very steep. I have a certain level of comfort now with the ability to get things done. I worked very hard in the past five months to develop a relationship and some level of trust that I’m acting in goodwill. I did that with the mayor, with the council, I tried to do it with our stakeholders on the creditors’ side and on the labor side. And I’ll continue to do it. I came in saying I offer a sincere olive branch and people didn’t believe me. I then said 30 days later that we
are going to produce the real numbers, I did. I did say we are going to try to negotiate in good faith and even some reporters and editors said why are you taking so long? I said I want to move in a very deliberative and sincere fashion. MC: You mentioned in the Wall Street Journal being a benevolent dictator. Some say it’s very arrogant of you. KO: I’ve heard arrogant, I’ve heard pompous. And I’m neither one of those things. I’ve never been those things. In fact, many of the friends that reached out to me said for whatever reason “you’ve been characterized in a way that’s not you.” Some of my groomsmen called me. When I was saying that it was tonguein -cheek. And they (Journal) had asked me about somebody saying that I’m a dictator. I said I’m not a dictator. In fact, I believe the statement I made was that I’m very uncomfortable with that characterization. Because ideologically, politically and philosophically, I’ve never wanted to have that. So someone who takes that out of context and thinks that “he’s going around saying that’s who he is” is not even close to being true. When I came in people were concerned about what my room service tab was. I don’t think most people realize I paid that out of my pocket. I keep getting FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. I haven’t billed the city a dime. I’ve paid tens of thousands of dollars of my own money to try to come in and help us get through this. So for someone in that context to think that I’m pompous and arrogant I don’t think is an accurate reflection. MC: What’s been the reaction in the official corridors of power about your comments in the Wall Street Journal? KO: I did consult with some of the council people. They told me “you need to apologize.” I consulted with the mayor who likewise said that. People don’t realize but I actually do seek their counsel because I don’t want people thinking I’m arrogant. That’s one of the reasons I restored the delegated authority to the mayor and council, and I also restored the compensation because they have a role. I don’t want to be pompous and arrogant and think I know everything coming into the city. So judge me by my acts and deeds, not just by my words, which is actually contrary to that sentiment. So their (mayor and city council) view was “you need to do it.” I’ve since been told by many “thank you, you did it the right way. We continue to support you.” It’s been very rewarding in a sense. MC: But some people have said your comments gave more missiles to the opposition against an emergency manager. Reaction? KO: It wasn’t even close. There was no strategy or grand plan to be perfectly honest with you. It was just an offhand comment, a metaphor used before. Hopefully in trying to be sincere about what I’m saying we’ll go back to moving forward because one of my big concerns is this type of issue, which I view to be non-substantive although I believe the hurt was sincere, but it shouldn’t detract from the substance of the work we have to do. MC: The other issue that came up in regards to your Wall Street Journal interview is how Detroit is defined in the glare of the national and international media more often negatively. And some saw your interview
August 21-27, 2013 Page A-4
From page A-1 as feeding into that. KO: Well, I think that was part of the discussion I’ve had with some people about “you have to wear this persona now, good, bad, right or wrong. You are a representative of the city and that this is an international story.” And for a lack of a better word, I have to make sure that I have that in the back of my mind when talking publicly. And maybe have my guard up a little bit more when in those environments. I think that’s been a learning experience. MC: Do you find yourself walking a tightrope, caught between the demands of political expediency and your role as emergency manager? KO: No, not at all. I’m going to continue doing my job to the best of my ability in the way that I think is appropriate for me to do it. I do want to be sincere in my apology for what I’ve said. But that’s not going to detract or impact me from doing my job. I said at the June 10 meeting I’ve never held off representation, I’ve never been detracted from getting at the work at hand. I’ve done some pretty tough things and it’s not the first time I’ve been insulted or names have
been called. But I don’t expect anybody who’s called me everything but a child of God to offer me an apology. So I’m going to do my job. MC: Were you concerned that your tenure in Detroit could be defined by those comments? KO: Not at all because I think that if we do this well, and I keep telling people in the Chrysler, GM bankruptcy in 2008 and 2009, the general consensus was no one would ever buy another car from an auto company that went bankrupt. And they would be obsolete. If anything, they are widely successful. My view is that this is an opportunity for us to show the best of the American experience, the best of Detroit’s experience. Our motto is “We wish for better things. It shall rise from the ashes.” This is an opportunity for us to live up to our own motto. And when we do that, the rest of the narrative of who we are can turn into not only are we a resilient people, but we took on a very difficult assignment, we succeeded at it and we rose from the ashes. And I think if we do this, and I’m confident that we will, that will be the narrative for the city. MC: Let’s swing the pendulum to the eligibility question on bankruptcy, because of the hearing coming up and since labor and others are saying there wasn’t a time bomb to trigger bankruptcy. Your response? KO: Everybody has a right to pursue their belief. We feel strongly that we meet the eligibility requirements and most reports I’ve heard of (regarding) the factors we’ve taken into account, no one is questioning the city’s insolvency. I’ve seen that some of our counterparts are questioning good faith efforts but I view those as being very clear. We said we were going to work hard, (and) substantive settlements are still being negotiated. Going forward, I don’t have concerns about that (the eligibility question). MC: When you look
DETROIT EMERGENCY MANAGER KEVYN ORR (right) opens up in a no-holdsbarred, full-blown interview of apology in the office of Michigan Chronicle editor Bankole Thompson. Orr explained in detail what happened. at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) difficult dance to protect itself from the bankruptcy nightmare, now the Journal flap, your critics are saying “we’ve told you so.” KO: People have to stop looking for some sort of a grand conspiracy or plan. There really is none. You may recall that there were earlier reports that Christie’s has been hired by the city, coming to the DIA. What happened was we had considered that earlier on and I told our team to stand down on the DIA. We had work to do. For the first 30 days we wanted to get the city used to me and me get used to the city and sincerely develop a working relationship with the mayor and the city coun-
cil. We had to get through the reporting period, produce the all hands creditor meetings report which was a lot of work. But we said we are going to be transparent, it’s out there in the open and we had to go through a negotiations period. And I don’t want the DIA issue to become a distraction from the important work we have to do. We got through the bankruptcy filing. And in every bankruptcy one of the things the debtor has to do is to account for all assets and liabilities because that’s your obligation as a debtor. Now, I can’t not account for the DIA because we mentioned it in the June 14 report. Whether it’s DIA, Belle Isle, parking, city owned land, all these buckets of assets of the city I have an obligation as the representative to account for in some fashion. And then I’m told it’s going to take 90-120 days for Christie’s to do their assessment. So we had to get started or risk running up against our deadlines. MC: Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said he was moving
to protect his county tax dollars in the DIA. Is that appropriate? KO: I really haven’t handicapped what our neighbors are doing as far as it affects the process. I’m going to keep blinders on and do my job and whatever people feel they need to do in terms of their perspective they’ll do. So I haven’t dialed that in any fashion about what I need to do. I have to do the assessment and as Christie’s is doing the analysis there are 66,000 pieces of art. I have to do that analysis, irrespective of what’s going on. MC: The DIA has become a poster child in this bankruptcy equation in terms of what could go and what could stay. What are the best and the worst scenarios?
faith.
K O : I don’t think it’s appropriate at this point for me to try to tell you that. I’m not predisposed in any way with regard to the DIA. I said that at the beginning everything is on the table. And there is a reason for that. I have an obligation in bankruptcy to act in good
MC: Some of our retirees, are being represented by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who is the governor’s official lawyer. Thoughts? KO: Well, the Attorney General has spoken as far his understanding of what his roles are and the position that he’s taken. I would point out that with regard to retirees our team recognized that they needed representation. From day one we asked the judge to appoint a retiree committee – that’s actually done by the U.S. Trustees Office. They are in the process of doing that. So retirees will have representation through a committee in the bankruptcy court. MC: Some labor groups like AFSCME insist “good faith” negotiations are just semantics. This will come up in the eligibility hearing. Correct? KO: Sure. I’m not surprised that people on the labor side of this equation take a position that we haven’t engaged in good faith. So it’s a good thing we have a judge who is going to make that de cision.
MC: Gerald Rosen, the chief judge of the federal court, was appointed mediator of the bankruptcy process. How does this play out as opposed to a private mediator? KO: It’s good in my perception and I think Judge Steven Rhodes was very thoughtful. He came up with the concept of the mediator. I think it’s good because often times in these situations parties talk past each other and we keep saying the same things. MC: Do you sleep well at night? KO: Oh sure. Yeah. I’m a corporate attorney. There’s rarely been a time in my career that I haven’t been called something. That comes with the territory. Certainly with the emergency manager when I first got here I was called all sorts of names. There’s going to be some of that from time to time. I understand that. But I am resolute and focused on doing my job. I will continue so I can progress. MC: As an African American lawyer to an African American city, what difference does your apology make? KO: I don’t think it makes any difference in terms of the apology. I want people to understand that I’ve always worked hard in terms of outreach and diversity. I want them to say I’m well aware of my obligation and have been committed for a long time giving back. I want them to also know to a large degree I’m them. I am my father’s son. Bankole Thompson is the editor of the Michigan Chronicle and author of the forthcoming 2014 book on Detroit titled “Rising From the Ashes: Engaging Detroit’s Future with Courage.” His most recent book “Obama and Christian Loyalty,” deals with the politics of the religious right, black theology and the president’s faith posture across a myriad of issues with an epilogue written by former White House spokesman Robert S. Weiner. He is a political analyst at WDET101.9FM (Detroit Public Radio) and a member of the weekly “Obama Watch” roundtable on WLIB-1190AM New York. Email him at bankole@ bankolethompson.com and visit www.bankolethompson.com.
INSTITUTE FOR POPULATION HEALTH (IPH) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION ADVISORY COUNCIL NOTICE OF PUBLIC FORUM ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE A Public Forum will be held to share with the community the City of Detroit Coordinating Agency Needs Assessment conducted by U of M School of Social Work. All citizens are invited to attend and encouraged to ask questions and provide input about current and future services. Treatment, Prevention and Recovery Providers, Stakeholders and potential contractors are encouraged to attend.
DATE: August 29, 2013 TIME: 1:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. LOCATION: D etroit Rescue Mission 138 Stimson Detroit, Michigan For further information please call: 313-324-9550
August 21-27, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page A-5
Page A-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • August 21-27, 2013
“We shall not be moved today.” —Asean Johnson, age 9, protesting the closure of Chicago public schools
At the 1963 March on Washington, we sang, “We shall not be moved.” Today, our children are showing the same resolve, continuing the work we started and reclaiming the promise of public education. A high-quality public education for all children is an economic necessity, an anchor of democracy, a moral imperative and a fundamental civil right. We march for neighborhood public schools that are safe, welcoming places for students like Asean. We march to reclaim the promise of public education. Like a tree that’s standing by the water, we shall not be moved.
Reclaim the Promise. go.aft.org/promise #ReclaimIt
SECTION B
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August 21-27, 2013
michiganchronicle.com
Batch Brewing Company
Corktown Cinema
HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters
Spielhaus Toys
Final Four Finalists Announced for $50,000 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest
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n its third year, the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The competition calls on Detroit’s best and brightest entrepreneurs for their take on what the city’s next best retail destination should be. This year’s competitors have raised the bar with the quality and presentation of their business proposals, from barber shops and beauty products to beer, bras and bakery treats. “We’ve received nearly 200 applications, from recent college grads to experienced entrepreneurs, all with a passion for reinvigorating Detroit’s urban retail environment,” said Nick Gorga, co-founder of Hatch Detroit. “The entries this year have exceeded our expectations, and I can honestly say the quality was unmatched in previous years.” The 2013 Contest The 2013 contest again boasts a $50,000 grand prize provided by Comerica Bank. In
Winner to be announced at Hatch Off event on Aug. 29
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and its visitors. Fond memories of Hudson’s children’s store fuel the shop’s vision, which aims to bring similar happy experiences to Detroit children.
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The Final Round
HOMEFRONT addition to the cash prize, the winner also receives a package of services including legal, marketing, accounting and IT support from Hatch Detroit and its partners.
Business Banking at Comerica Bank–Michigan. “As a bank founded in Detroit, we are especially proud to be a part of this competition, offering support from the ground-up.”
Comerica Bank and Hatch Detroit put out a call-for-entries in May and received nearly 200 applications by the mid-July submission deadline.
For the hopefuls, the challenge was developing a retail concept that would resonate with the Detroit community. For the judges, consisting of Hatch board members and advisors, the challenge was narrowing down the field to the top 10 semi-finalists. The semi-finalists then spent a week campaigning
“Now more than ever, it’s clear that entrepreneurs and small businesses are the lifeblood of Detroit,” said Michael Cope, senior vice president of
for public votes to make it into the top four, which is where the competition stands. The Top Four
Batch Brewing Company aims to become Detroit’s first nano-brewing company, adding their own beer to Detroit’s ranks while seeking to help other small breweries develop their brand through their “Brewery Incubator” program. Corktown Cinema is the reincarnation of the Burton Theater: an eclectic independent cinema that will feature art-
house, independent, LGBT, foreign, second-run mainstream, local and cult films and aims to help Detroit be a center for independent film. HenriettaHaus Coffee Roasters is a coffee roaster and cafe looking to open in Hamtramck. Their menu will include homemade favorites that people drive miles to purchase at their pop-up location in Ferndale’s Rust Belt Market Spielhaus Toys will be an independent specialty toy store serving the families of Detroit
A final round of public voting runs through Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at www. hatchdetroit.com. The winner will be announced at the Hatch Off on Thursday, Aug. 29 where the final four will present their business pitch one last time to a panel of judges at the M@dison Building in Detroit. The $50,000 grand prize will be awarded based on public votes and votes from Hatch Detroit’s panel of judges. “The Hatch Off is an opportunity for our entrepreneurs to show off the months of planning and development and truly put their hearts on the table as they make that final pitch to our judges,” said Gorga. Don’t forget to cast your vote before Aug. 28 at www. hatchdetroit.com.
Junior Chefs Under Development It’s not nutrition until it’s eaten, according to Andrew Hanks, a behavioral economist at Cornell University and his colleagues Brian Wansink and David Just, who are concerned that merely offering children good food choices does not guarantee consumption of healthier fare. Making small, simple changes in a child’s diet is a good way to start, according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics. One suggestion is to make good foods more accessible and convenient for consumption. Put the fruit in the front of the refrigerator and serve raw vegetables and dip before dinner, are among some of the top suggestions of dieticians. In school cafeterias, Hanks recommends that salad bars be located in the highest traffic areas and that fresh fruit be located at the cash register rather than candy. But, if you really want to make a big impact on your child’s eating habits, get them involved in food preparation, recommends Health Alliance Plan (HAP) Chef Evelyn Stokes, who heads HAP’s 6-week kids Ready, Set, Cook program, which teaches kids how to prepare and cook simple meals. And if students at Detroit Merit
Academy are any indication — it works. On the date of our visit, not only did the eager participants learn how to prepare healthy and delicious turkey burgers with spinach, they ate them too! Chef Evelyn’s course teaches area students how to prepare nutritious dishes – and be active - from the 5,2,1,0 strategy (daily recommendation of 5 or more fruits and vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen
time, 1 hour or more of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks). The results? “Amazing,” noted one participant, who told his mom he would handle dinner that night. Editor’s Note: Ready, Set, Cook! will restart again this fall at another Detroit school. The program is part of several initiatives HAP runs to promote healthy eating in children, including its web-based Cook eKitchen. For additional information visit: www.hap.org/cookekitchen
community
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Got G.A.M.E.?
McDonald’s owner Jim Thrower has dedicated his life to service CHRONICLE STAFF
years ago, Thrower has left an indelible mark on the Detroit-area McDonald’s business community and across the country. He is currently vice chairman of McDonald’s national advertising committee and the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners, proud steward of Oak Grove A.M.E Church and faithful member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, all while operating seven McDonald’s restaurants in metro Detroit with his family. Thrower’s children also work to continue the family’s legacy of entrepreneurship and community service. All of his children have business ties to McDonald’s. Sons Jamar and James are restaurant owners along with Thrower’s wife, Marla. And daughters Joni and Marissa each contribute to the McDonald’s business through the realms of legal advice and store management.
“Like father, like son” is a true and tested phrase that never gets old and aptly describes the business journey of local McDonald’s restaurant owner Jim Thrower. His father, a mechanic who owned a gas station, and mother, a snack shop owner, taught him at a tender age the requisite knowledge and skills to be a successful and self-made entrepreneur. Whether it was helping out at his family’s church, pitching in at his father’s gas station or selling goods at his mother’s shop, Thrower has carried these early lessons with him throughout his life.
Thrower knows he played an integral role in his children’s career paths. He hopes his family’s relationship with McDonald’s will last for generations. “It’s a blessed opportunity to me for my children to choose to follow my path. It’s an honor and privilege,” he said.
“My entire life has always been about servicing the people,” he said. But Thrower, a former Detroit Lions defensive back, held many different roles before arriving at his current destination as a McDonald’s franchisee. “I worked for organizations like Stroh Brewery and Michigan Consolidated Gas Company and held several other positions in corporate America,” he recalls. “And in the 1980s I proudly served under Dr. Benjamin Hooks for the national office of the NAACP in New York.” Though these career stints provided Thrower with years of happiness, he knew a long-held dream would go unfulfilled until he became a business owner like his mother and father before him. It was Michigan McDonald’s owner William Pickard who helped lead Thrower to a career with the quick-service restaurant giant. Since becoming a McDonald’s restaurant owner 22
And he takes pride in knowing that his children not only followed his path but also follow his life’s philosophy. Treating others with respect, being humble and appreciative, and making sure to work harder every day are the guiding principles of Thrower’s life.
August 21-27, 2013
Page B-2
Comerica Bank’s Michigan Index climbs upward in May Comerica Bank’s Michigan Economic Activity Index increased in May, up 3.0 percentage points to a level of 125.2. The May index reading is 53 points, or 74 percent, above the index cyclical low of 72.1. The index averaged 114 for all of 2012, 11 points above the index average for 2011. April’s index reading was revised down from 122.4 to 122.2. “Our Michigan Index continues to point toward improvement for the Michigan economy. Most index components increased for the month, including payroll employment,” Robert A. Dye said Robert A. Dye, chief economist at Comerica Bank. “Strong U.S. auto sales for June are a positive factor for auto production and for the Michigan economy. We expect to see ongoing improvement to the Michigan economy through the second half of the year.”
The key to success in business, Thrower says, is having “G.A.M.E,” which stands for gathering information, analyzing that information, making a decision and executing that decision in the best way possible. But his formula for success in life is simple. “Family is the ultimate support system,” Thrower said. “Without family, Jim Thrower the professional football player, the lobbyist for Michigan Consolidated Gas, entrepreneur and father would not exist, or wouldn’t be as happy.”
The key to success in business is having ‘G.A.M.E’ — gathering information, analyzing that information, making a decision and executing that decision in the best way possible.” – Jim Thrower, McDonald’s Owner
The Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of seven variables, as follows: nonfarm payrolls, exports, sales tax revenues, hotel occupancy rates, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, building permits, and motor vehicle production. All data are seasonally adjusted, as necessary, and indexed to a base year of 2008. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages. Comerica Bank, with 215 banking centers in Michigan, is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Michigan and Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, and Florida, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
To find Comerica on Facebook, please visit www.facebook.com/ComericaCares. UNI_CBP_3037_Heloc_MC.pdf
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Community Community
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
May - August
a five-mile walk down the RiverWalk, up the Dequindre Cut, and back.
July 24
The Detroit Public Library Celebrates the
August 21 70th Anniversary Lecture Series. May - August
July 24 - 30, 2013 August 21-27, 2013
Nelson Mandela Day
For more information, call (313) 288-
Page B-3 Page B-3
August 8 Golfing For Scholarships
September 5 - 7 August 28or visit MRCWalk@MIMarriage.org. 8076 a five-mile walk down the RiverWalk, up the August 8Links of Nov Golf Club Dequindre Cut, and back.
August 23 July 6:3024 p.m.
Detroit Public Library Celebrates the 70th Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit In Detroit Wayne 6 p.m.County Youth and Senior Safety Chapel in Pontiac The Fellowship Serius Art Explosion Anniversary Lecture Series Fair Detroit Public Library. 7707Mandela W. OuterDay Drive The Detroit Public Library Celebrates the Nelson Family Fun andcall Fitness For more information, (313) Day 288Proceeds from the 87th annual golf outin Golfing Scholarships 10:00 amFor until 4:00 pm 11 am 70th Anniversary Lecture Series. 8076 or visit MRCWalk@MIMarriage.org. will go towards college scholarships benefi 6 p.m. Focus: HOPE 105201 a.m.-2 p.m. 6:30Interfaith p.m. Pontiac Woodward Ave. The E. Azalia Hackley Col- Downtown religion representatives, labor, DetroitBelle LinksOakman of Nov ingGolf theClub Michigan Youth Appreciation Fou PublicIsle Library 1200 Boulevard, Detroit Belle IsleisCasino 6 p.m. lection part of the Library’s Special Collections Fellowship studentsChapel and the multicultural community 5201 Woodward Ave. dation. More than 200 golfers are expecte Serius Art Explosion is a two-day art and music Detroit Public 7707 W.gather Outer Drive FamilyPresented Fun and Fitness Day Parent Network, The Department. ThisLibrary. lecture, titled “Don Cornelius: The will to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s Proceeds the 87th annualthe golf outing by Detroit thispublicfrom is to learn story of toinvited participate Enjoy a fun day of food, music and impor festival that will be open to the public. With a $2 willfit go towards college scholarships benefitRiding the Soul Train,” willchildren celebrateand the contribu95th birthday. The E. Azalia Hackley Collection is part of the America’s first Black military pilots and their annual event teaches parents how to stay tant information to keep entry fee, thereligion community will have a chance to 5201this Woodward The E. his Azalia Hackley ColInterfaith representatives, labor, Belle ingbethe Michigan Youth Appreciation Fountions iconic Ave. figure and famous television library’sIsle Special Collections Department. The next crewmen atFor the more “Commemorative Air Force and have fun with their kids. There will seniors and happy. information and tickets, call listen to a variety of bands and solo artists, view lectionsafe, is parthealthy of the Library’s Special Collections students and the multicultural community dation.Red More than 200 golfers areAbove” expected show had on This the music ThisCornelius: lecture is free creative lecture isactivities “Jazz Giants:for Miles Davis,” exploring the more information call (313) (CAF) Tail Squadron’s Rise all ages. No charge. artwork enjoy great food and other 347-2820 (586) 393-8800. Department. lecture,industry. titled “Don willFor gather toand celebrate Nelson Mandela’s Presented by Detroit Network, this to participate legend’s musical legacy. It Parent is free and open to the and open toSoul theTrain,” public.willcall traveling exhibit. For more (313)the 224-0614. merchant vendors. There will also be a Serius Riding theinformation celebrate contribu95th birthday. annual event teaches parents how to stay fit public. Kids Zone where children ages 2 to 12 can enjoy For more callwill (313) tions this iconic figure and his famous television have fun withinformation, their kids. There be 832-0617 For more more information information and tickets, call For call (313) 494.4600. Julyinformation 24 - 27 call (313) 347-2820 and For information callThis (313) 481August 22 showmore had on the music industry. lecture is free1397themselves. For more activities for all ages. No charge. August 16 - 18 For more information, call (313) 481- 1397. (586) 393-8800. and open to the public. 28 New Detroit’s Minority Small Business Karmanos Cancer Celebrates For moreJuly September 7 - October 5 For more information, call Institute 248-771-0760. information, call (313) 832-0617 September 1 Commercial Lending Workshop in Detroit June September The 31st African World Festival July 24 -Survivor 27 Cancer Week For more information call (313) 481- 1397 August - 18 August 24 East Meets16 West Wholistic Health Fair in Second Baptist Church of Detroit celebrates Fifth Third Michigan State Fair July 28 11:00 am to 5:15 pm Detroit pastor’s 25th year Karmanos Cancer Institute Celebrates 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. The Karmanos Cancer Institute kicks off CanDetroit Rolling on the River Festival and Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Fourth Annual Puerto Rican Family SERJune Metro-Detroit - Concert September The 31st African World Festival Cancer SurvivorWeek Weekwith a lecture from author cer Survivor Summer Series, Erma Henderson Medicine, 571 Mack Ave., Detroit Festival 9301 Michigan Ave., Detroit monthly, on the first SaturSecond Baptist p.m. Church of Detroit celebrates This event occurs Charles Wright Museum Park, adjacent to Whittier Park. The festival Teresa Kilpatrick, “So You Survived Cancer.”pastor’s225th day in September and October. 10 a.m. year 11 a.m. 11 p.m. The Karmanos Cancer Institute kicks off CanDetroit Rolling on the River Festival and Hotel St. Regis 315 E. Warren Detroit 11:00 am Noon She will speak about cancer survivorship and will highlight local entertainment, some of New DetroitConcert Inc. willSeries, host aErma free one-day SanKofa Life Campus cer Survivor Week with a lecture from author Summer Henderson Suburban Collection Showplace Clark Parkto expect what after treatment ends. the city’s best restaurant and community banking seminar to help minority small 18734 Ave., Detroit 2 p.m. CharlesWoodward Wright Museum Teresa Kilpatrick, Park, adjacent to Whittier Park. The festival 1130 46100 Grand River Clark Street “So You Survived Cancer.” Pastor Kevin M. Turman’s 25th pastoral ThisDetroit three day festival will be celebrated once resource information fortheir adults. business owners strengthen working Hotel St. Regis 315 E. Warren She will speak about cancer survivorship and will highlight local entertainment, some of Detroit again on theguru grounds of the LorWright Museum w For list ofafter events, visitends. www.karmanos.Novi year will be celebrated at an anniversa-Metro Detroit relationships with banks and other lending holistic Dr. Keefa what to aexpect treatment the city’s best restaurant and community ry banquet. Tickets arepastoral $50. The guestraine performances, poetry, arts and crafts, African institutions and expand their familiarity with Weatherspoon brings the free East org or call (313) 5769288. All events are This event is free and open to the community. Pastor Kevin M. Turman’s 25th This three day festival will be celebrated onceMeets resource information for adults. The fairpreacher tothe honor of the service great will West Fiesta Boricua brings Puerto Rican culture at a.m. be on the lending Wholistic Health Fair. Health services drumming and dance, hundreds of vendors, et year willcontinues be celebrated at10:30 anallanniversafree and open to all cancer survivors and For moreprocess. information email detroiagain the grounds of the Wright Museum with For a list of events, visit www.karmanos. traditions and the legacy ofBorders the treasured state pastor to the Detroit area and everyone is welcome. Bishop John M.$50. III, senior at and classes, from reflexology to dance lessons, ry banquet. Tickets are The guest foods, and events for allAfrican ages, including an exp families. performances, poetry, arts and crafts, trollingontheriver@gmail.com orgtheir orout call (313) 5769288. All events are This event is free and open to the community. Come fair, andBoston’s will also Morningstar include the Detroit Shrine and enjoy live music, poetry, difFor more information (313) 664-2000. to dance, create hundreds aVillage wholistic haven. Baptist Church.designed preacher at the 10:30 a.m. service will be ed Watoto for the youngest drummingtoand of vendors, ethnicamong us! free and open to all survivors and For more informationcall email detroiCircus. ferent dance styles andcancer activities for children. Bishop John M. Borders III, senior pastor at foods, and events for all ages, including an expandtheirJuly families. trollingontheriver@gmail.com 27 July 13, August 22 27, 30 moreVillage information, call (313)366-5250. Boston’sFor Morningstar Church. ed Watoto for theinformation youngest among tickets or Baptist more information call For For more visitus!www.thewright.o For more information, call 734-459-6969. (313) 961-0920 more27 information, call 313-718-1772. Wayne Health JulyCounty 13, 27, 30 and Safety Fun Fest ForJuly Walkathon For Marriage And Family For tickets or more information call For more information September 14 visit www.thewright.org Anti-Dog Fighting Rally August 30-September 2 August 21 (313) 961-0920 August 26 10Anti-Dog am – 3 pmFighting Rally Walkathon Step Out: Walk August a.m. For Marriage And Family Detroit Jazz Festival3 NoonCounty – 5 pmDepartment of Public Health Slow9Flow August 21 to Stop Diabetes Wayne Yoga Wayne County Youth and Senior Safet Detroit Riverfront Brightmoor 33030 Road, WayneCenter August 7 pm kickoff3(full schedule available on line) 9 a.m. NoonVan – 5Born pmCommunity 9 a.m. ARISE Detroit! 7th Annual NeighborFair Youth and Senior Safety 14451 Burt Road, Detroit Wayne County Detroit 6:30 pm Riverfront Brightmoor Community Center The Detroit Zoo Hart Plaza hoods Day All Day Event ARISE DeThe Marriage Resource Center (MRC), a The Wayne County Department of Public ARISE Detroit! 7th Annual NeighborFair BE NICE Yoga 14451 Burt Road, Detroit 8450 W. Ten10Mile Roadp.m. troit! invites community organizations a.m.-2 non-profit community-based organization, in Health will once again be holding its Safety Detroit Corps is hosting a series of anti-dog4100 hoods Day All Day Event ARISE DeThe Marriage Resource Woodward Ave. Center (MRC), a Royal Oak The 33rd annual Detroit Jazz Festival will Fun Fest featuring health services and throughout the City of Detroit to particBelle Isle Casino association with other organizations troit! invites community organizations 10 a.m.-2 p.m. non-profit community-based organization,and in infighting ralliesisinfree Detroit communities Detroit Corps hosting a series of anti-dog feature a one-of-a-kind lineup of today’s back-to-school immunizations. ipate by helping to clean up. Volunteers dividuals, is other presenting its 4th Annual throughout the City of Detroit to particBelle Isle Casino association with organizations andwith in- Walkclass focuses on linking the breath affected this and brutal activity. This fighting by rallies inillegal Detroit communities Detroit Step Out costs $25 and includes greatest jazz performers. The artists at this ipatefestival byare helping clean up. Volunteers needed. a fun Zoo, day of music and imdividuals, is itsand 4thFamily. Annual Walkathon For Participants movement inpresenting a Marriage non-judgemental, inclusive affected by this illegal and brutal activity. admission toEnjoy the Detroit livefood, entertainyear’s have to been nominated for more For more information, call (734) 727-7000. space. are needed. Enjoy a fun day of food, music and imathon For Marriage and Family. Participants Attention is also paid to alignment, portant information to keep will start on the Rivard Plaza, then take For more information, call (734) 253-2053 ment, health and fitness information, activi- children an than 200 and won more than 100 Grammy portant information torecognition keep children and will start adjustments on the Rivardand Plaza, thenwork. take The breath more information seniors safe, healthy and happy. For more information, call (734) 253-2053 hands-on for kids and special of walkers Awards, For composed film scores andvisit traveled the ties For more information visit seniors safe, healthy and happy. first week (seven consecutive days) is free for www.arisedetroit.org or call living with type 1, type 2 and gestational world to perform. Scan and enjoy the www.arisedetroit.org or call all Michigan residents. diabetes. For more information call (313) 224-0 (313) 592- 1955. (313) 5921955. For more information call (313) 224-0614 Michigan Chronicle For more information, visit For more information, call 313-544-9787. For more information, call 248-433-3830. www.detroitjazzfest.com.
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August 21-27, 2013
Page B-4
Echoes of ’60s March:
Sixties-style civil disobedience drives new era of activism
By Raj Jayadev
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington -- that watershed moment of the civil rights era that showed how mass movement could force the nation to address issues of inequality, and change the political direction of the country. Had America not recently experienced some of the most poignant, traumatic and racially-charged episodes in years, this march anniversary may have only been a nostalgic, obligatory nod to the past. But a young Trayvon Martin was killed, a steady rise in deportations are breaking apart families and prisons have become so savagely inhumane that inmates are starving themselves to death. As a result, the most captivating activists of today are not looking at the ‘60s as a history book, they are looking at it as a playbook. Despite an era of political engagement defined by online activism – viral videos (think Kony) and e-mail petitions — 21st century movem e n t - m a ke r s are now resembling more of their 1960s civil rights predecessors, employing old-school confront-thesystem-withy o u r- p e r s o n tactics to once again transform the national consciousness. That the March on Washington’s 50th anniversary is occurring in this hot political moment is appropriate, as a new civil rights movement — born out of its own organic necessity and initiative — is once again raising the specter of race, class and justice in America. In Florida, a student organization called the Dream Defenders took over the state Capitol building since July 16, demanding legislative change in the wake of the Trayvon Martin killing and verdict. Their pressure spurred Florida lawmakers to hold a special hearing on the controversial stand-your-ground law, a demand originally denied by Gov. Rick Scott. They are developing a proposal they call “Trayvon’s Law” which would require ethics training to reduce racial profiling by law enforcement, repeal the stand- your-ground law and repeal zero tolerance in schools — a way to address the school-to-prison pipeline for youth of color. (Editor’s Note: The Dream Defenders’ protest ended on Thursday, Aug. 15. A spokesperson for the organization said it will soon be entering its next phase.) Last month, along the Arizona-Mexico border, a group of undocumented youth called the Dream 9 intentionally crossed the border, and when returning to the United States were arrested and placed in the Eloy ICE Detention Center. Their act of civil disobedience was to draw attention to the estimated 1.7 million deportees since Obama took office in 2009. On Aug. 7, they were released on parole by an immigration court citing asylum concerns — the fear of persecution or torture in the home country — as a reason to postpone immediate removal. Though back in their communities, they now face an uncertain future as they will eventually have to return to an immigration judge who will determine if they are granted asylum, a process that can take years. In California, hundreds of prison inmates have been on a hunger strike since July, demanding five core reforms, including quality health care, more nutritious meals and the immediate release of all prisoners who have been indefinitely held in isolation for years. The strike began on July 8, when 30,000 inmates refused meals, and to date one hunger striker, 32-year-old Billy Sells, has died for the cause. The hunger strike has galvanized solidarity rallies and vigils throughout the state by family members of prisoners. Civil disobedience, hunger strikes, taking over the buildings of the state apparatus — today’s most electric movements are what many of us who were not around in the ’60s envision as the most significant activism of that period. And while strategically these actions are similarly effective as a political means to an end, they speak to a more fundamental quality — the personal risk and sacrifice of that form of activism. Contrast this to last year’s Kony 2012 — the viral video campaign that aimed to bring an alleged African militia leader to justice. The campaign showed the capacity of widespread engagement through the click of a button. The met-
rics were staggering — over 97 million views on YouTube and a huge number of Facebook shares. It was named the most watched video of all time by Time magazine. The campaign displayed what was uniquely possible in activism and public education through the modern era of social media. But while that brand of activism had indisputable reach, the depth of the engagement, what it meant to participate as an activist, was as deep as the width of an iPad. And that is what distinguishes the movements emerging in 2013 and ties it to activism from the civil rights era. They are displays of action that require courage and involve exposure to personal risk and peril — incarceration, deportation, even death. Of course, it is this level of intensity that gives the activism its power, its moral force. And the truth is, ever since the ’60s, social justice campaigns have tried to imitate the movement of that era. But despite using the same chants, carrying similar banners, even voicing similar demands, most lacked the same level of personal sacrifice — the key ingredient. Many displays of civil disobedience had become political theater — organization directors and even elected officials in a staged “arrest” and out of jail within an hour for the planned press conference. The movements in Florida, Arizona, and California, they were different. There is an undeniable genealogy of activism from the Little Rock 9 to the Dream 9; from the student organizers from the Freedom Summer to the Dream Defenders; and from Cesar Chavez when he refused food to protest violence used against his fellow union members to the hundreds of nameless prison hunger strikers in California in 2013. And while Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech still inspires many to fight for justice in 2013, it may be a 1963 Berkeley student organizer Mario Savio’s speech that best embodies the escalation of intensity in this moment of activism. On the steps of Sproul Hall at the University of California, Berkeley he told the crowd, “There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious — makes you so sick at heart — that you can’t take part. You can’t even passively take part. And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop.” Those words, the honesty of the sentiment and expression of commitment, very much could have been spoken by a Florida college student at the Capitol building, or an undocumented youth in a detention center, or a prison inmate who had not eaten for weeks. And the year, very easily, could have been 2013.
Another march, another dream: 50 years after King made history By Elisabeth Stevens
was time for Dr. Martin Luther King to present his historic dream speech.
It was a time of terror and trouble. In the years before and after the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom of August 28, 1963, there were repeated and widespread acts of violence. In Birmingham, Alabama, earlier that summer, four young Black girls died in a church bombing. Near Philadelphia, Mississippi, less than a year later, three Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) civil rights workers — Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman — were murdered and buried in an earthen dam.
Beginning by describing the gathering as “the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” Dr. King went on to warn against “drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” He also warned against allowing “our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence.” Instead, he advised “meeting physical force with soul force.”
Nevertheless, on that hot summer day 50 years ago, an estimated 250,000 people came to Washington peacefully from all over America. They gathered downtown in the long mall between the Capitol and the Potomac River. Around the spire of the Washington Monument, beneath the spreading trees, beside the long, quiet reflecting pool, and as close as they could get to the great, marble-columned memorial containing the statue of Abraham Lincoln, they waited. It was there, at the broad white steps of the Lincoln Memorial that the leaders of the March had gathered. Among them were A. Philip Randolph, director of the March and founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Roy Wilkins – leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rabbi Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish Council, a Berlin rabbi of the Hitler era, and Walter Reuther leader of the United Automobile Workers. (UAW). One by one, leaders exhorted the listening crowd. Randolph described the gathering as “the largest demonstration in the history of this nation.” Reuther pictured the March as a “great crusade to mobilize the moral conscience of America.” Rabbi Prinz warned, “Bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problems,” but that “the most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most tragic problem is silence.” Recalling Nazi Germany, he added, “A great people, which had created a great civilization, had become a nation of silent onlookers. They remained silent in the face of hate, in the face of brutality, in the face of mass murder. America must not become a nation of silent onlookers....” Before and between the speeches there was music. Marian Anderson sang. Mahalia Jackson sang. Finally, it
Finally, with his words resonating among the multitudes like great waves of light, Dr. King said, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream...” In the 50 years that have followed that march, Dr. King’s words have echoed everywhere and inspired multitudes. Today, senior citizens who came to the march still remember. One retired
octogenarian now living in Florida said, “It was one of the most important experiences of my life.” But beyond dreams, what is the reality? There will be two commemorative marches, the first of Saturday, Aug. 24, and the second on Wednesday, Aug. 28. On the mall, not far from the Lincoln Memorial, there is a much-visited granite memorial to Dr. King dedicated in 2011. Yet elsewhere, in places such as Stamford, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois, violence continues. The tragic killings of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Stamford and of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendelton in Chicago engender painful questions. How can the “soul force” Dr. King recommended as an alternative to physical violence be engendered, employed, promoted? If there are answers, who has them? Amidst contemporary pain and confusion, the dreams of Dr. King linger and inspire. To have a dream and work for it may be the only answer. Elisabeth Stevens is the author of “Ride a Bright” and “Shining Pony,” the story of two young lovers whose lives and destinies are irrevocably and tragically intertwined with the 1963 March on Washington.
Clarence Thomas: The anti-Thurgood Marshall
By Billy Corriher As unlikely as it seems in light of the Supreme Court’s recent civil rights decisions, the late Justice Thurgood Marshall and Justice Clarence Thomas do have a few things in common. Most obviously, they are the only two African Americans to have served as justices on the U.S. Supreme Court — Justice Marshall from 1967 to 1991 and Justice Thomas, who replaced him, from 1991 to the present. Both men are also known for their fiery dissents. Yet the two jurists could not present a clearer contrast in their approaches to interpreting the law. Justice Thomas’s “originalist” philosophy calls for interpreting the Constitution by looking to the words in the document. Justice Thomas said in a 2005 dissent that “the Constitution’s original meaning” should trump previous decisions if those decisions are “wholly divorced from the text, history, and structure of our founding document.” Justice Marshall, on the other hand, referred to the Constitution as a “living document” and famously described his judicial philosophy as “you do what you think is right and let the law catch up.” As a lawyer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, Justice Marshall argued and won many cases before the
the government’s consideration of race in programs that help African Americans.
Clarence Thomas Thurgood Marshall highest court in the land. Justice Marshall served on the Court for 24 years and amassed a record as a strong protector of individual rights. As a Supreme Court justice, he worked to shore up the legal and political victories he won as a civil rights lawyer. Before becoming a judge, Justice Thomas worked at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the Reagan administration, where he limited the use of class-action lawsuits to enforce workplace-discrimination laws. Since his appointment to the High Court, Justice Thomas has established a reputation as arguably its most conservative justice, and he has consistently ruled in favor of narrowly interpreting civil rights protections. His positions in the Court’s recent civil rights cases demonstrate that he may be more opposed than any other justice to
On June 25, 2013, Justice Thomas voted with the majority in Shelby County v. Holder to strike down the Voting Rights Act’s system for determining which states must “pre-clear” any changes to voting by state and local governments due to a history of discrimination in voting. In a 5-4 vote, the majority ruled that the Voting Rights Act’s system for deciding which governments were subject to the preclearance requirement was “unconstitutional in light of current conditions.” The Court faulted Congress for continuing to use a jurisdiction’s history of voting discrimination prior and up to 1965, when the Voting Rights Act was passed, to determine the application of the preclearance rule. In his opinion for the Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the pre-1965 history of discrimination is no longer relevant. It is now clear that the second Black justice is doing everything in his power to undo nearly everything that the first Black justice accomplished — as a lawyer and a judge — to ensure a more equal society. Billy Corriher is the associate director of research for legal progress at the Center for American Progress.
community
August 21-27, 2013 Page B-5
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Detroit schools on upward trajectory
By Roz Edward
An esteemed group of Detroit’s most prominent educators gathered at Wayne Community College’s Downtown Campus for a town hall forum to discuss findings of the Michigan Chronicle’s ACHIEVE! school choice guide and possible solutions to one of the city’s most pressing problems – quality education for Detroit’s children. Assembled on the panel of distinguished experts were such academic notables as Dan Quissenberry, president, Michigan Association of Pub-
lic School Administrators; Tonya Allen, chief operating officer, The Skillman Foundation; Sharlonda Buckman, executive director, Detroit Parent Network; Karen Ridgeway, superintendent of academics, Detroit Public Schools; Tyrone Winfrey, senior chief of staff, Education Achievement Authority; and Dr. George Swanson lll, vice chancellor of external affairs, Wayne Community College.
And while the tone of the discussion was at times contentious, the content was informative and the overall consensus is that while Detroit Public Schools is plagued with a myriad of problems including poorly performing schools, impoverished neighborhoods, absent parents and under qualified teachers, taking all of these factors into consideration, educational op portunities for Detroit’s youngest citizens are improving. Moderated by Bankole Thompson, senior editor of the Michigan Chronicle, and Vickie Thomas of WWJ Radio, panelists delved into a robust discourse regarding the state of affairs in Detroit Public Schools and shared their visions of what a quality educational environment in Detroit would involve. Michigan Chronicle publisher Hiram Jackson led the charge to hold educators responsible for the dismal conditions in the Detroit public school system, reflecting the sentiment of many audience members, saying that he was appalled by the failing rating of so many of the city’s schools. “We did this town hall meeting because this is serious business. The only way to turn the community around is improving education. At what point do we hold people account-
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able? At what point do we run people out of town? What does the future of public education look like? Where are we going to be in five
years?” Buckman cautioned participants to not place the bulk of responsibility for student underachievement in the laps of parents. “We need to stay away from the blame game. We have to meet parents where they are. Maybe we can create a situation where parents can conference in for parent teacher conferences like business people do at work.” But in a particularly heated exchange between panelists Allen and Ridgeway regarding the number and location of quality, high performing schools in Detroit, Allen charged that the best performing schools were “along the Woodward corridor and not in the neighborhoods which are education deserts.” For more information on Michigan Chronicle town hall meetings, contact the Michigan Chronicle at 313.963.8100.
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Charles H. Wright Museum, AARP Michigan partner to present Grandparents Day celebration Sunday, Sept. 8 AARP Michigan and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will celebrate the important role grandparents play in families at Grandparents Day on Sunday, Sept. 8, the date of the national holiday. The free event runs from 2 to 6 p.m. at the museum, located at 315 East Warren Ave., Detroit. “Grandparents Day is a unique opportunity for grandparents and parents to bring their children to a
fulfilling event that allows them to learn and play together in a safe and fun environment,” said Lisa Whitmore Davis, AARP Michigan associate state director for multi-cultural outreach. Activities include museum exhibits, a resource fair, the Ultimate Wii Experience, games for the whole family and more. Refreshments will be served and free valet parking provided. Register by calling 1-877-926-8300.
All Four One teams up with UAW Region 1A Vote Center and law groups to provide free legal clinic in Detroit All Four One has joined forces with UAW Region 1A, Michigan Bar Association, Wolverine Bar Association, Lakeshore Legal Aid, Legal Aid & Defender Association, The Injury Law Firm PLLC and other legal associations based in Detroit, to provide free legal assistance to the community. The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 31, at UAW Region 1A Vote Center at 15140 Livernois Ave. Detroit, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The attorneys participating in the legal clinic will explain law procedures, help clients fill out forms, and provide legal advice to clients that attend. Areas of the law covered include Friend of the Court, bankruptcy, expungement, landlord/ tenant and crime victim. The Honorable Judge Debra Thomas will in attendance to answer group questions pertaining to expungement from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All Four One is a 501(c) 3 federal tax-exempt organization committed to providing educational resources to underserved communities in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. Since 2007, the organization has recognized the immeasurable power of human capital and how investing in education can change lives. With over six years of experience providing education and training services to Detroit residents and neighboring communities, All Four One is committed to helping people build better communities through education, men-
toring, civic engagement, cultural enrichment and financial literacy. These programs are designed to increase the academic preparedness, vocational
skills and personal development of adults and youth, thereby transitioning individuals who were deemed community liabilities into community as-
sets. For more information contact Ishmail Terry at 313.837.6723 or visit allfouronedetroit@gmail. com.
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VOLUME 74 – Number 26
March 9-15, 2011
479 Ledyard • Detroit MI 48201
edunomics: Read Less,
WHAT’S INSIDE sampson appointed (A-8) Mariners Inn recently announced the promotion of David Sampson to the position of chief executive officer. He has been with Mariners Inn since 2002 and held several positions.
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mubarak played religion card (A-2) Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak portrayed himself as a paradigm of stability in a country he once described as a “powder keg” of sectarian unrest. Yet far from promoting stability, his regime may have actually been the source of much of the religious strife.
Home repair Program (B-1): Rebuilding Together Detroit (RTD) is seeking applications from low-income homeowners in Southwest Detroit who are in need of minor home repair assistance.
Academic excellence honored (c-1): The Final Five Elite High School Football Players were recently lauded for their Athletic and Scholastic Excellence at the 20th Annual Franklin D. Watkins Awards held at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.
new tax credits (c-6): A new 25 percent state Small Business Investment Tax Credit, designed to encourage investments in start-up and early-stage Michigan technology companies, is aiming to help Michigan entrepreneurs secure capital and reduce risks associated with a new business or novel technology.
The motortown Revue (d-1): The Motortown Revue, the legendary shows that toured the nation by bus for almost the entirety of the ’60s, is recalled by someone who never missed a revue and, like so many other Motown fans, cherishes the memory.
Bankole Thompson CHRONICLE SENIOR EDITOR
The current state of the Detroit Public Schools is a mockery of Brown v Board of Education and it exposes the deep inequities in education. Just because your child is not enrolled in the Detroit Public Schools does not mean you shouldn’t be concerned about the fate of the district before it heads toward implosion.
COMMENTARY
like Detroit where a national reading report card places the city at number 56 out of the 75 largest metropolitan cities in the U.S. surveyed. That means literacy is shamefully low in the city and we are doing little or nothing to change the deplorable situation. The latest study conducted by Central Connecticut State University, according to Data Driven Detroit, ranks the “culture and resources for reading” and it examines not wheth-
Your ability to get the Bankole Thompson best education for your child should not be based on geography, income or ethnicity but, rather, on the simple principle that every child regardless of their background should have an empowering education that equips them for a brighter future. Each child should have access to a meaningful education that would not leave them trailing behind in the dust children in Japan, India, China and other countries move ahead. But that is not the case in places
er people can read, but whether they actually do read.
313.963.5522
$1.00
Coming Soon White House XChange
Our readers take center stage on national issues Following his series of sit-down interviews with President Obama, and his successful 2010 interview-based book “Obama and Black Loyalty Vol. 1,” editor Bankole Thompson is upping the ante with the start of a new special report “White House XChange” March 30. The report will deal with issues tied to Detroit and Michigan that the Obama administration is tackling. It will introduce readers to issues raised in White House media conference calls. The report will invite our readers to weigh in on the debate about what the Obama administration is doing by having their opinions and views reflected in the report.
Detroit’s 56th place in the 2010 study is the same spot it occupied in a similar report in 2005. The highest rank the city got was 50th in 2007. Washington, D.C., was rated the most well-read city in the nation and following that were Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Paul, Denver, Portland, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Boston.
These cities are not only a paragon of a reading culture, they also offer other incentives that we are not offering in this city. There is no possible way we can bank on attracting young families to the city if basic amenities like recreational centers are not available on a full scale. When the educational system does not have the public confidence
See edunomics page A-4
Jim Murray
Accelerating the speed of business growth AT&T commits $19 billion to support area business growth By C.L. Price Area businesses sloshing through Michigan’s sluggish economic recovery will soon receive much-needed infrastructure support, thanks to global communications leader AT&T’s network improvement plans announced last week. The improvements — to expand backhaul, enable 4G speeds, increase mobile broadband capacity and upgrade hundreds of cell sites — are predicted to accelerate the pace of area business growth. Why invest now?
Gov. Snyder keynotes Pancakes & Politics Gov. Rick Snyder kicked off the Michigan Chronicle’s Pancakes & Politics season at the Detroit Athletic Club on March 3 with a candid conversation built around reinventing Michigan. At left, Snyder chats with Curtis Ivery, Wayne County Community College Chancellor, Betty Brooks, community leader, and Shaun Wilson, Vice President, Director of Client and Community Relations, PNC Bank, and Ric DeVore, Regional President, PNC Bank. See page C-7 for photo highlights.
“We feel very confident about Detroit’s economic recovery,” stated Jim Murray, president of AT&T Michigan. “As a consequence, we’re committed to making sizeable investments in this
See AT&T page A-4
WCCCD is largest urban community college, with record enrollment numbers Daylight Saving BEGINS on
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Curtis Ivery
Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) is the largest urban community college in Michigan, with record enrollment numbers for the spring 2011 semester. Nearly 32,000 students registered for credit classes at all five of the District locations and online. Additionally, the District expects more than 40,000 non-credit students to register as well for a total of nearly 72,000 served in all programs. WCCCD, the multi-campus district serving 32 communities in Southeast Michigan, has seen exponential growth as degree and certificate programs have been expanded, infrastructure improved, and
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Its is also noteworthy that these cities are among the most admired places in the nation and they have, in fact, become meccas for those seeking greener pastures. When young people are making the exodus from the state, more than likely they are moving to one of the cities mentioned in this report.
investments in students, services and technologies increased. “In this economy, post secondary education and training is the ticket to competing in today’s changing workforce. Access to higher education-especially community colleges--is critical,” said Dr. Curtis Ivery, chancellor. “WCCCD is an integral economic and social catalyst to the health and welfare of this region and state.” A recent economic impact study reported that WCCCD’s students generate more than $122 million in taxable income annually to the region and state. Every dollar that is invested in WCCCD returns
$22.80 in benefits to all Michigan residents. Having been recognized as one of the fastest growing community colleges in the nation and the largest urban community college in Michigan, WCCCD was forced to cap enrollment during the spring 2010 semester. This year, under the direction of Dr. Ivery, WCCCD lifted the enrollment cap to make certain that no student was turned away in spite of WCCCD’s funding challenges. WCCCD gives students the opportunity to train in emerging technology and high demand fields, allowing them to become competent professionals helping to position the
state for vibrant growth and a strong economic future. Community colleges across the nation face difficult decisions in a climate of limited resources. The commitment of WCCCD in assuring that the doors to educational opportunities remain open is a direct result of the determination of faculty, staff and administrators. “Our students and all those we serve need us to work as hard as we can for them. If we can’t be the difference between success and a future of limited options, we are not living up to the mission and vision of this institution,” said Dr. Ivery.
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August 21-27, 2013 Page B-6
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Swanson Funeral Home annual picnic
Five
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Missionary Humphrey extends outreach
Missionary Hattie Humphrey is proud to announce that her radio outreach across metro Detroit has been extended. She has been a fixture in Detroit for many de-
cades with “Community Highlights.” The inspirational community affairs program is the longest running program of its kind in Detroit and can be heard on the second and fourth Sunday at 5 pm. on Newstalk 1200 WCHB. Her co-host, Flagstar banker and jazz poet Michael Van Tull, hosts “Speak On It” on Faith Talk 1500 WLQV on the second and fourth Saturdays at 2 pm. He offers his award-winning poetry
as a feature on each program. He says his program provides information for inspiration and restoration. Major supporters include Dr. William Nelson, the back pain expert, Franklin Wright CEO Monique Marks and attorney Clifford Paskel. If you would like to be a guest/ sponsor on either radio program, please call sales manager Denise at (734) 776-9532.
St. Stephen A.M.E. Church hosts 127th session of the Michigan Annual Conference, August 21-25
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
We work harder to earn your business. We can’t afford to provide anything less than impeccable service, or to leave you with less than the best impression possible.
You’re not just our client, you’re our boss. We don’t lose sight of who we’re working for. After all, you’re the one we answer to.
We arrange funerals, we don’t sell them. It is our responsibility to honor your wishes and respect your budget.
We like meeting families, not goals. Like you, we are a part of this community supporting our neighbors when they need us.
We spend time with you. Arranging a fitting tribute is important to you, and you don’t deserve to be rushed.
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ARETHA
PA C BE AN STO ONC THE IT W THER AUG D TH R SH ERT W WA A E A US E IRL IT S C S T T N T 2 CLA EY H AN HE EW 5TH RK CAE CE PIN B LL E K ET IS S SISTE SAR ED N HE TIL R ...N OB L B L O S OT /DT AP N. TH E C TIS .. PRESENTS E G ON T C OS CE HU PE RT RC L C TH H. ON AT CE RT
“THE BATTLE AT(Come NEW BETHEL” and get your blessing!) Sunday, August 25, 2013 Doors open at 5 PM Program 6 PM
Bishop John R. Bryant and Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant. St. Stephen A.M.E. Church, 6000 John E. Hunter Drive, has not been privileged to host a Michigan Annual Conference since the 112th session held in 1998. At last year’s Annual Conference, Bishop John R. Bryant selected St. Stephen to host the 127th Session of the Annual Conference which takes place August 21-25. On behalf of his congregation, Rev. Dr. Michael A. Cousin, readily agreed to accept the assignment and become the host pastor. He appointed Rosita Brockington and Sheila Settles to co-chair the event. They convened for their first meeting on December 3, 2012 with their newly formed planning committee and chose chairpersons to direct sub-committees for the occasion. As motivation to prepare for the conference, they decided on using the acronym TEAM for “Together Each Achieves More.” Doubletree Suites downtown is the conference headquarters. The Biblical theme this year is from Mark 8:34-38, “The Cost of Discipleship.” On Saturday, August 17, prior to the opening of the Annual Conference, the Women’s Missionary Society will meet at St. Stephen for the Michigan Conference Annual Missionary Convocation. Their Biblical theme is “Prayer Still Works” from 1st Thessalonians 5:17. St. Stephen’s Emily E. Vernon Missionary Society will host the convocation under the leadership of its president, Sheila Settles. This year’s mission is to support Detroit’s Genesis House II by making donations of toiletry articles and grooming products. Bishop Bryant’s wife, Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, is the Episcopal supervisor of the 4th Episcopal District WMS. Joyce Keys is the 4th District WMS president and Joyce Johnson is the Michigan Conference WMS president.
The Michigan Conference is one of six
conferences that comprise the 4th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rt. Rev. Bryant is senior bishop of the A.M.E. Church and presiding prelate of the fourth of 20 Episcopal districts. Each conference meets annually at the end of the Annual Conference year. The Michigan Conference has 58 local churches that are assigned to two sub-districts within its conference. The Rev. Dr. Norman V. Osborne, presiding elder of the South District, has the joint responsibility of co-hosting the conference with the Rev. Dr. H. Michael Lemmons, presiding elder of the North District. The presiding elders organize the conference together and make reports as well as recommendations to the bishop for pastoral appointments. Some of the reports and activities that will take place at the Annual Conference are the Board of Examiners Report, Pastoral Reports of the local churches, Board of Trustees Report, Finance Committee Report, Christian Education Report and Evangelism Activity Report. In addition, the YPD (Young People’s Division) and the Lay Ministry will conduct evening services. The guest preacher at the opening service will be Rev. Lila Martin, who served as St. Stephen’s assistant pastor for many years. An Hour of Power worship service will be conducted each day at noon. The ordination service will take place on Saturday, August 24, with the ordination of itinerant and local deacons, as well as elders in the A.M.E. Church. After the service, church school will be held. Bishop Bryant will preach at the closing service being held at St. Paul A.M.E. Church on Sunday, August 25. The service will culminate with the bishop announcing the appointments and reappointments that will be made to local churches in the Michigan Conference.
Pastor Shirley Caesar The Clark Sisters Dorinda, Jackie, Karen and Twinkie.
J.J. Hairston of Chicago, IL and Youthful Praise
Others to be announced Buffet: 5 PM – until — Featuring ReeRee’s Hot Water Cornbread, Baked Chicken and Dressing, Black Eye Peas with Okra, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Gumbo, Fried Fish, Mac and Cheese, Aretha’s Ox Tail Soup, Homemade Ice Cream, Peach Cobbler, Banana Pudding.
Rev. Wendell Anthony Pastor of Fellowship Chapel
Rev. Robert Smith, Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church
Tanya Blount “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”
Rev. Mother – Hostess
NEW BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH 8430 C. L. FRANKLIN BLVD.
(FREE ADMISSION – LIGHTED PARKING, SECURITY)
community
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
August 21-27, 2013 Page B-7
Activities Abound! DPS promises parents a month of activities, an inside look at inspiring school improvements and offerings
By C.L Price Intense behind-thescenes efforts designed to transform the typical back to school experience from ordinary to extraordinary have been underway for months at Detroit Public Schools (DPS). DPS administrators hope that parents will like what they see as they open the doors to an ambitious month long series of Open Doors events at area schools this month. Stakeholders, impressed with the improvements, hope to see additional progress as DPS students begin to hit the books this school year. The system is more “customer-focused” than ever before, according to DPS officials. For area parents, that translates to better communication, additional support and enhanced technology and teaching tools in area classrooms, in addition to intensified efforts to maintain student safety and well-being not only on school properties, but school routes. DPS announced a broad expansion of its Citizen Patrol programs to vastly expand Safe Routes for Detroit children and their families going to and from school this fall, enlisting hundreds of volunteers to patrol 14 key geographic school areas beginning with the first day of school. “The safety of our students and staff, not only while in school, but on their way to school, is a top priority for Detroit Public Schools,” said DPS Emergency Manager Jack Martin. “We have worked diligently over the last few years to reduce crime in and around our schools. However, we recognize that we cannot do this on our own. The more support and engagement we have from the community, the safer we will be able to make our schools and the more likely parents will be to enroll their children in our 97 neighborhood-centered, quality schools throughout the city.” DPS also planned announcements in August for other major initiatives as part of the district’s 5-year Strategic Plan, including new parenting programs, such as a Parent University; a new Customer Service initiative; a broad expansion of arts and music offerings so every elementary and middle school students will have access to qual-
DPS Open Doors Day to showcase how DPS is on the Rise! Nearly all Detroit Public Schools will be open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2013 for the DPS All Schools “Open-Doors Day” event. Parents and students can shop around for their favorite school, tour buildings, meet principals and staff and sample a healthy lunch offering. Highlights include: Free Shuttles Parents and students can pick up at shuttle that will take them on a loop to several schools at any one of the following Parent Resource Center locations:
Golightly Education Center Preschool Class ity programs; new Career Academies, where students can earn an associate’s degree while attending high school, as well as participate in internships and apprenticeships; and a new Community Schools model. Under that model, buildings will soon serve as “12/7 Community Schools,” to better serve the needs of families district-wide. A SMART START DPS is making a major investment in early Childhood development with the planned expansion of Pre-Kindergarten to all eligible 4-year-olds, which help children learn to read before 3rd grade. “We know that students who can read by 3rd grade will stay engaged in school and graduate at much higher rates,” said Karen Ridgeway, Superintendent of Academics for Detroit Public Schools. A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE The profound changes well underway and renewed commitment of DPS is hoped to better support area families, improve student performance and an ample supply of qualified candidates for high-growth jobs destined to drive the city’s economic rebirth, according to a DPS spokesperson. FAITH IN EDUCATION DPS leaders will take their message to the pulpits of churches across Detroit Sundays through mid-September, showcasing new initiatives and a renewed spirit about restoring faith in education in Detroit. CHANGE IS AHEAD Change is ahead, and throughout August area parents are invited to bear witness to ongoing efforts
to improve DPS. TIMELINE Aug. 3 ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day Hundreds of volunteers paint, clean and beautify school grounds and map out safe school routes. Aug. 9 Safe Route program expansion is announced, enlisting the support of hundreds of volunteers dedicated to maintaining safety along 14 dedicated safe routes throughout the school year. Aug. 20 – 11 a.m. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Diann Banks-Williamson (Special) Education Center will deliver new resources and support for students (grades 9 – 12) on the campus of East English Village Preparatory Academy. Aug. 21 – 23 The 1st Annual Back To School Teaching and Learning Symposium at the Marriott Renaissance, which is being held for DPS instructional staff, will ensure that teachers return to class with advanced skills, enhanced cross-curricular strategies and tools to increase parental involvement. Renowned poet, educator and author Dr. Maya Angelou will address teachers on Aug. 22, extoling the virtues and rewards of teaching, as well as the importance of continuous instruction. Aug. 23 A Multicultural Food Fest is on the menu, as parents and the community are invited to enjoy foods, sights and sounds reflecting the many cultures of DPS students at Clemente, Detroit International Academy, Priest and Marcus Garvey Academy from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families will also have the opportunity to examine DPS offerings for English Language Learners
DSA Benefit Concert
including laptops for bilingual class rooms, listening stations (cd players with headsets and story books) and mutli-language storybooks and picture dictionaries, which reflect Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocols (SIOP). Aug. 24 – 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. DPS’ Open Doors Day promises to be a show-stopping series of activities and events at nearly every school across DPS (see sidebar), including 11 of the 12 DPS schools ranked in the top 20 by Excellent Schools Detroit: Thirkell, Davison, Garvey, Burton International, Chrysler, Bates Academy, Vernor, Maybury, Pasteur, Charles Wright and Clippert. Some Highlights of the Day: Golightly Education (PreK – 8) Center Principal Dr. Sherrell Hobbs will showcase Golightly’s new Early Learning Neighborhood Center for Pre-kindergarten students at 5536 St. Antoine, Midtown Detroit Osborn Collegiate Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) Registrants will receive a free eye exam and glasses, if prescribed, within the first two weeks of school. They will also be scheduled for a free dental exam, cleaning and prescribed dental services during that same timeframe. A free MST school uniform shirt distribution and gift card raffle is also scheduled. Visitors can also see Engineering and Science and parent resources demonstrations and access DHS, Detroit Parent Network and area employers at the event. Aug. 28 Free Books will be available thanks to the generous donation of major DPS corporate sponsors at DPS’ 8 Parent Resource Centers, which will be open to showcase their services. Aug. 30 The NAACP Back to School / Stay in School Day, co-hosted by DPS at the North End at Delores Bennett Park from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. will include free back-to-school supplies provided by the NAACP Youth Council, DPN, Delores Bennett Park Community, Radio One, Black Family and Vanguard Community Development organizations.
In the Spotlight: Mark Twain School for Literary Scholars, 12800 Visger Mark Twain, a Pre-K to 8 school located in an historic building in Southwest Detroit, offers a college-preparatory, inquiry-based Pre-K Locations curriculum with a global focus. Some Offerings include a safe and secure setting, 21st Century Technology, a gymnasium with Academy of the Americas, 5680 Konkel, 596-7640 Mann Elementary, 19625 Elmira, 866-9580 Adult Ed Center East, 13840 Lappin, 579-7109 a rock climbing wall, a NEW writing/publishing emphasis, as well aAcademy, remodeled The school has a new principal, Linda Marcus as Garvey 2301 Van Dyke,library. 866-7400 Adult Ed Center West, 16164 Asbury Park, 852-1089 Mark Twain Elem.-Middle, 12800 Visger, 386-5530 A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle, 8950 Crane, 866-5644 Marquette Elem.-Middle, 6145 Canyon, 417-9360 Whitaker, whose children attended the school building. Ann Arbor Trail, 7635 Chatham, 274-8560 Mason Elementary, 19955 Fenelon, 866-3702 Bagley Elementary, 8100 Curtis, 494-7175
Maybury Elementary, 4410 Porter, 849-2014
Bennett Elementary, 2111 Mullane, 849-3585
Noble Elem.-Middle, 8646 Fullerton, 873-0377
Burton International, 2001 M.L.K. Blvd., 596-3800
Roberto Clemente Academy, 1551 Beard, 849-3489
Bates Academy, 19701 Wyoming, Munger Martin, 457-6200 Mark Twain’s Open Doors itinerary on August 24494-7000 from 10 a.m. to 2 PreK-8, p.m.5525includes: Beard ECC, 840 Waterman, 849-3183 Neinas Elementary, 6021 McMillan, 849-3701
•Bennett Elementary School, 2111 Mullane Street •Cody High School , 18445 Cathedral •Detroit International Academy, 9026 Woodward •Ludington Magnet Middle School, 19501 Berg •Marcus Garvey Academy, 2301 Van Dyke •Osborn High School , 11600 E 7 Mile Rd •Priest Elementary-Middle School, 7840 Wagner
Bennett Elementary School Alumni Welcome The Detroit Public Schools Foundation urges all alumni to visit their formative elementary, middle or high schools to show their support, demonstrate their spirit for their alma mater and share stories of success for Detroit’s current students In the Parent Resource Centers Parenting workshops will be offered, as well as an overview of the new programs such as Parent University and a review how Parent Connect works. 7 of the district’s 8 Parent Resource Centers listed above as shuttle sites will be open. Immunizations The following schools will offer free immunizations from 10:00 am – 1:30 pm East English Village Preparatory Academy* 5020 Cadieux Garvey Academy* 2301 Van Dyke Street Gompers Elementary-Middle School** 14450 Burt Road Marshall, Thurgood Elementary School** 15531 Linwood Street Western International High School (ages 10 – 21 only)*** 1500 Scotten Street Note: All students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian to receive services. Please bring health insurance card(s). Immunizations provided by: *St John Providence Health System ** Institute for Population Health ***Henry Ford Health System New schools Parents and students can visit all of the district’s 18 new or significantly renovated schools as part of the 2009 bond issue. Free refreshments and a healthy lunch Free refreshments will be offered at every site. Parents, students and guests also will be treated to a free healthy lunch, first-come, first-served, to showcase the healthful meals regularly offered in DPS cafeterias throughout the school year. Free Giveaways Schools will have thousands of free giveaways for parents at each school site, first-come, first-served. Blockbuster itineraries at all school sites All schools prepare blockbuster itineraries to showcase their academic offerings, business partnerships, technology innovations and extra-curricular activities. Adult Education Showcase Adult Education is offered at a variety of sites throughout DPS. The two Adult Education Centers will showcase their offerings. Adult Ed Center - East , 13840 Lappin Adult Ed Center – West, 16164 Asbury Park Early Childhood Education Emphasis at 5 Early Learning Neighborhood Centers The new DPS Universal Pre-K Program will add 25 new early learning classrooms to 14 sites geographically spread across the city, including 12 classrooms in five new DPS Early Learning Neighborhood Centers. In total, DPS will operate 215 Pre-K classrooms at 70 schools with a capacity for 3,530 young learners. Special offerings with be on display at the 5 new Early Learning Neighborhood Centers: Beard Early Childhood Center, 840 Waterman Emerson Elem.-Middle, 18240 Huntington Fleming Early Childhood, 18501 Waltham Golightly Education Center, 5536 St. Antoine Palmer Park Academy, 3901 Margareta
Institute, 9330 Shoemaker, 866-4391 PalmerArtist Park Academy, 3901Culture Margareta, 494-7300 ■ T wo Performances fromBlackwell Lillie Thomas, Educational Rap and Consultant, performing popular songs “I Am Bow Elementary-Middle, 19801 Prevost, 852-0500 Pasteur Elementary, 19811 Stoepel, 494-7314 Brewer Elementary-Middle, 18025 Brock, 866-2070 Priest Elementary-Middle, 7840 Wagner, 849-3705 A Star” and “Pump Your Breaks” Bunche Elementary-Middle, 2715 Macomb, 494-8350 Pulaski Elem.-Middle, 19725 Strasburg, 866-7022 Carleton Elementary, 11724 Casino, 866-8322 ■ Basketball Free Throw Contest Carstens Elem.-Middle, 13000 Essex, 866-5500 Detroit Public Schools
commitment to the district’s
Carver STEM Academy, 18701 Paul, 240-6622 Charles Wright Academy, 19299 Berg Rd., 538-3024 Clark Academy, 15755 Bremen, 417-9340 Coleman Young Elementary, 15771 Hubbell, 852-0725 Cooke Elementary, 18800 Puritan, 494-7458 Davison Elementary-Middle, 2800 E. Davison, 252-3118 Detroit Int’l Academy, 9026 Woodward, 873-3050 Dixon Learning Academy, 8401 Trinity, 945-1330 Dossin Elementary-Middle, 16650 Glendale, 866-9390 Douglass Academy, 2001 W. Warren, 596-3555 Durfee Elementary-Middle, 2470 Collingwood, 252-3070 Earhart Elementary-Middle, 1000 Scotten, 849-3945 Edison Elementary, 17045 Grand Rive, 852-1066 Ellington Academy, 9860 Park Dr., 852-8500 Emerson Elem.-Middle, 18240 Huntington, 831-9689 Fisher Lower, 15510 E. State Fair, 642-4854
Robeson/Malcolm X Academy, 2585 Grove, 494-8100
Ronald Brown Academy, 11450 E. Outer Drive, 886-2611 Sampson Academy, 4700 Tireman, 596-4750
Elementary-Middle, 10700 Santa Maria, 340-4400 learners is ■ Iyoungest ce Breaker Games - “What’s In The Neighborhood?” Schulze Spain Elementary-Middle, 3700 Beaubien, 494-2081 unwavering.
■ “Egg Walks”toand Face Painting We are committed offering free preschool to every eligible 4-year-old.
■ Academic Games - Math, Reading & other subjects Space is limited. Apply at your local school.
■ “Academic Baseball” Registration Requirements:
Thirkell Elementary, 7724 14th, 596-0990 T. Marshall Elementary, 15531 Linwood, 494-8830 Vernor Elementary, 13726 Pembroke, 494-7342 Wayne Elementary, 10633 Courville, 866-0400
DPS Authorized Charters
Edmonson, 1300 W Canfield, 494-2242 Glazer, 2001 Labelle St., 852-1500 Loving, 1000 Lynn St., 252-3028 Rutherford, 16411 Curtis St, 852-0709 White, 5161 Charles Street, 866-3595
Prekindergarten Programs Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) Students selected for the GSRP must have risk factors and meet income guidelines. Head Start The selection process for Head Start is based on income and risk factors. Title I The selection process for Title I is
▪ Child’s Birth Certificate based on the needs of the school ■ Prizes, Parent Resources, a School Tour and “Meet & Greet” with Staff and Administrators ▪ Up-to-date Immunization Record community. ▪ Proof of Income
Fleming Early Childhood, 18501 Waltham, 347-8923
To see a full list of schools to be open, go to detroitk12.or/enroll
Students must be 4 years of age by November 1.
Children with disabilities are welcome! *Based on income and other eligibility factors.
Gardner Elementary, 6528 Mansfield, 581-4615 Golightly Ed. Center, 5536 St. Antoine, 494-2538 Gompers Elementary-Middle, 14450 Burt Rd., 494-7495 Greenfield Union Elem.-Middle, 420 W. 7 Mile, 866-2999 Harms Elementary, 2400 Central, 849-3492 Henderson Academy, 16101 W. Chicago, 852-0512 Hutchinson Elementary-Middle, 2600 Garland, 642-4801 J.R. King Elem.-Middle, 15850 Strathmoor, 866-9600 Mackenzie PreK-8, 10147 West Chicago, 416-6400
DPS Foundation for Early Learners Fleming Administration Bldg. 18501 Waltham ▪ Detroit, MI 48205 Phone: 313.347.8923 or 313.347.8856 www.detroitk12.org
community
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
COMERICA IN THE COMMUNITY
August 21-27, 2013
Page B-8
SERVICE SPOTLIGHT Pamela Nolen Pamela Nolen is dedicated to making a difference. Whether working as vice president and senior team leader overseeing Comerica’s Trade Regulatory Reconciling Team, caring for her family or volunteering, she devotes her energy to supporting those around her. “At the end of a busy day, it makes me happy to know a small piece of my time may have helped someone else in a big way,” said Nolen.
Comerica Supports Arise Detroit Neighborhoods Day
Concert Of Colors
Comerica Bank proudly sponsored the 7th annual Arise Detroit Neighborhoods Day on Sunday, Aug.3. Each year, hundreds of volunteers come together for back-to-school fairs, garage sales, church programs and other community minded events across the city. Michael Cheatham, assistant vice president at Comerica Bank, explains the importance of making good financial decisions with children and adults at the annual community event.
Linda Forte, Comerica’s Chief Diversity Officer, introduces the alternative/calypso band Kobo Town at the recent Concert of Colors music festival. Comerica has been a sponsor of the Concert of Colors for the past 14 years, providing more than a half million dollars in sponsorship funds to help support this free concert celebration of music from around the world.
Comerica Bank hosts Home of the Brave National Anthem Contest As part of Fan Appreciation Weekend at Comerica Park, Comerica Bank is giving back to local heroes through the Home of the Brave National Anthem Singing Contest. The contest, which was open to Southeast Michigan police and firefighters, ran July 29 through Aug. 18, 2013. One lucky hometown hero will be offered the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the Sept. 22, 2013, Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park; 40 tickets to the game; and a $10,000 grant to the winner’s police or fire station. “Local police and fire departments are the backbone of our communities, keeping us safe day in and day out,” said Mike Ritchie, president of Comerica Bank – Michigan. “This is our way of recognizing their Cares Facebook page. Entrants had to be invaluable work and saying thank you to the 18 years or older and a member of a police best and bravest.” or fire department in Livingston, Macomb, Police officers and firefighters entered Oakland, Washtenaw or Wayne County. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel the contest by uploading a video of themselves singing the National Anthem to the of judges from the Detroit Tigers and CoNational Anthem tab on the Comerica merica Bank and narrowed down to the
top 10 contestants. On Aug. 30, the top 10 videos will be uploaded to the Comerica Cares Facebook page and open for public voting. Voting ends Sept. 14 and the winner will be announced on Monday, Sept. 16. For more information and to enter, head to www.facebook.com/ComericaCares.
Nolen began volunteering early in her banking career after graduating from Howard University. Through her job she became a volunteer advisor for Junior Achievement, an organization that educates students about global economic success. During her time with Junior Achievement, she taught students how to run a business, what banks do for the economy and financial literacy, such as how to balance a checkbook. “I remember the kids were really excited when I came to their classrooms,” said Nolen. “It was rewarding to see kids so enthusiastic to learn skills they will need as they grow up.” Nolen continued to share her knowledge about money manage- Pamela Nolen ment by teaching a free course offered at Wayne State University and volunteering with Operation Hope’s “Banking on Our Future” program to share information about bank accounts and building credit. Through the 1990s, Nolen volunteered with the Detroit chapter of the Urban Financial Services Coalition which designs and sponsors community development programs and raises funds for scholarships to benefit aspiring minority financial services professionals. She has served as a team captain for the annual United Negro College Fund Walk for Education where she sought out walkers and sponsors to help fund the education of students attending historically black colleges and universities. “The UNCF walk is very near and dear to my heart because I want today’s youth to have the same opportunities I had,” said Nolen. “Making education more accessible was well worth all the hard work.” In her 13 years with Comerica, Nolen has taken advantage of the Comerica Cares program to be more connected with her community. She has volunteered at the Forgotten Harvest MLK Day of Service where she prepared meals for Comerica Cares Volunteer families in need; the Pamela Nolen packages a nutri- Oakland County Shertious meal for a family in need at iff’s Department annual Forgotten Harvest MLK Day of holiday events for the disabled where she and Service. her son, Joshua, assisted children with disabilities in a holiday gift shopping spree; and at the annual Comerica Shred Day. Why do you choose to volunteer?
B.A.L.L. Foundation bridges athletics with learning Comerica Cares volunteers recently parked cars at a Veterans Summit at Willow Run Airport. The Yankee Air Museum held the Summit, which featured family fun activities, a job fair, parachute jumpers, service dogs, helicopter rides and local bands.
Michael Cheatham, CRA market manager for Comerica, talks about the importance of saving money with local youth who participated in the recent B.A.L.L. Foundation Education and Basketball Camp at Cass Tech High School. In addition to basketball drills, contests and games, the week-long camp featured workshops on bullying, banking and conflict resolution and was open to boys and girls ages 6-17.
“I believe each generation has a responsibility to care for the community, and I am just trying to do my part. Anybody can experience a setback or adversity in their lives but my faith teaches me to do what I can to help my neighbors. I feel that by being active in my community, I’m a role model for my son to do the same when he is an adult.” Which experiences are the most rewarding? “I especially enjoy any volunteer opportunities that benefit children. Kids are our future and it is important to give them the tools they need for success. By acting as a role model through volunteering, teaching about being financially responsible or through an effort that provides educational funding, I know I am not only having an impact now but in the future as well.” What is your most memorable volunteering experience? “The most rewarding experience was volunteering with my son Joshua at the North End Youth Improvement Council’s Adopt a Child Program. Through the Comerica African American Network, I solicited donations from co-workers to purchase holiday gifts for struggling families. It was an overwhelming feeling to make the holidays more joyful for a family. The experience was influential on my son and helped him recognize how fortunate he is.” What are your volunteering plans for the future?
Comerica supports Jazz @ Ford House – Detroit Divas Sing, Sing, Sing! Comerica is proud to continue its support of metro Detroit’s long history of jazz as a contributing partner of the upcoming Jazz @ Ford House concert at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House on Friday, Aug. 23. The show Charise Key, manager for Comerica’s West Oakland will feature Detroit Divas – Ursula Walker, Jeanine banking center district organized a financial literacy event for students at Grand Blanc school. Course-Miller and Barbara Ware.
Hospice of Michigan Race and Remember Comerica Bank was a proud supporter of the 4th annual, “Race & Remember” Walk recently held to support Hospice of Michigan. This year’s event was held on the Detroit International Riverfront -- Rivard Plaza in downtown Detroit on Saturday, July 13. Over the past three years, Comerica has been the top corporate team as well as the top fundraising team.
“I absolutely intend to continue volunteering through Comerica because of the diversity of the opportunities they offer. I hope to eventually get involved with my church’s volunteer opportunities and with my sorority as well. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future has in store for me.” For more information on how Comerica volunteers are giving back to our community, visit
www.facebook.com/ComericaCares.
BUSINESS Powered by Real Times Media
SECTION C
michiganchronicle.com
August 21-27, 2013
Jeff Rubleski BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan
Giving employees a better ‘shopping’ experience By Jeff Rubleski More than half of all American consumers bought something online last holiday season. And retailers went all out trying to make the shopping experience simple, helpful and trouble-free. According to a recent study commissioned by Foresee, overall customer satisfaction with online shopping was 79% with Amazon again leading the pack with a score of 88%. If your company offers several health plan options, how satisfied are your employees when they “shop” for coverage? Is it easy for them to evaluate their options? Are they guided to the plan that best meets their needs? Do you help them make their decisions? Do they even understand the most basic health care terms and concepts? Probably not, says Jennifer Benz, a benefits communications consultant, in a recent Employee Benefits News article. “So much of health care education has to be on a basic level. It never ceases to amaze us when we do focus groups with employees: You can talk to bilingual, minimum-wage workers or PhD-level executives and they have the same misunderstandings about how health care works. I’ve worked with PhD-level engineers who can’t tell you the difference between a copay and coinsurance.” Research supports her point. In a national survey of more than 6,000 workers, nearly three out of four said that, when thinking about their choices for major medical insurance, they only sometimes or rarely understand everything that is covered by their policy. Also, as more companies offer health benefits through defined contribution plans and private exchanges, their employees’ “shopping experiences” will become increasingly challenging. These plans typically will enable employees to select benefits from a wide variety of major individual medical plans as well as supplemental insurance products. According to the 2012 Employer Health Plan Study by J.D. Power and Associates, 47% of employers say they “definitely will” or “probably will” switch to defined contribution health care.
Nearly three out of four workers don’t understand everything that is covered by their policy.
Here’s another sign of things to come: As of January 1, more than 135,000 employees at both Sears and Darden Restaurants (whose chains include Olive Garden and Red Lobster), will be given lump sums of money to use in choosing their medical plans from a private exchange. A big, but ground-breaking health benefits move for such large organizations. As we continue to move through a year of change, BCBSM will continue to communicate about decision-support tools for defined contribution plans, and how they may be able to help your business. Rising benefit costs is a challenge for all companies. GlidePath, a new solution from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, offers your midsize company an innovative way to manage spending and risk. It can transform the way you finance your company’s health insurance coverage. With GlidePath’s defined-contribution solution, you can determine your company’s health benefit budget and simplify the administrative work that goes along with offering health benefits. Jeff Rubleski serves as director of sales strategy for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and is a certified healthcare reform specialist. He serves as the GlidePath™ go-to market lead in implementing this defined contribution solution for active and retired members.
Detroit’s historic Livernois
Avenue of Fashion
gets a makeover with REVOLVE Detroit’s ‘Art + Retail on the Ave’ winners Rian J. Barnhill
Art + Retail on the Ave Winners:
CHRONICLE MANAGING EDITOR
More than 20 artists from as close as the local neighborhood to as far away as England have been selected to participate in REVOLVE Detroit’s “Art + Retail on the Ave” program to revitalize Detroit’s historic Livernois Avenue of Fashion into a premier shopping and cultural destination. The artists will work alongside twelve Detroit–area retailers who were selected to open new permanent and pop-up businesses on Livernois Avenue. The new art installations and businesses will debut Friday, September 20, when Livernois Avenue hosts the Detroit Design Festival. REVOLVE Detroit issued a call for entries for artists and retailers in June and received nearly 100 proposals. Winners were selected based on interviews, feedback from the community, and expert reviews from a panel of 28 Detroit leaders in art, business, local universities and comThe Thrifty Broads of THRIFT munity organizations.
on the Ave., TaNisha D. Prater (left) Tisha Prater.
“We received a huge response from artists, and proposals came in from countries like France, Austria and Romania, as well as cities here in the United States, including New Orleans, Baltimore, New York and more,” said Michael Forsyth, REVOLVE program manager at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. “We received many strong proposals from both pop-up and permanent businesses based in Detroit. Some of the strongest proposals were from residents right here in the community. All of the entries were excellent, making the selection a difficult but exhilarating process.” The temporary and permanent art installations will include a variety of media, such as painted murals, projections of “living” paintings in ink and oil, metalsmithing, and photography.
Michael Owen, a contemMandisa Smith, co-founder of porary painter from Baltimore, Md., will be painting a Detroit Fiber Works. mural on the wall of Jo’s Gallery on Livernois that honors the legacies of African American musicians from Detroit. “I’m honored that my proposal and the quality of my work led the committee to believe I’m the right candidate for this project. My plan is to talk with the galley owner and others in the community to hear who they feel should be on the mural,” Owen said. Native Detroiter Mandisa Smith and her business partner Najma Wilson will open Detroit Fiber Works, a cooperative of artists who work in a variety of fiber techniques and offer classes as well as sell their work, with a focus on community service. See AVENUE
OF FASHION page C-2
Permanent Retail: • Regal Cafe - Detroit, MI A coffee shop that provides a connective space for students and neighbors and a venue for arts and culture •L ocal Social Ice Cream + Good Cakes and Bakes - Detroit Two complimentary businesses building a neighborhood gathering space for ice cream, treats, snacks, drinks and social events on the Ave. • Renaissance - Detroit A high-end streetwear shop representing designer sneakers, hip-hop fashion, Japanese streetwear, and modern haute couture • Art in Motion - Detroit A ceramic studio where the community can participate in workshops, attend classes, gain technical skills, enjoy private lessons and work in an open studio setting
Pop-up Retail:
April Anderson - Good Cakes and Bakes
• Thrift on the Ave. - Detroit Name-brand, mid and high-end women’s fashions that accommodate all body styles and shapes on any budget, curated by social media darlings, the Thrifty Broads • Fresh Food Co-op - Detroit A community of food entrepreneurs committed to making the possibility of good food in Detroit a sustainable reality. Participants include Batata Shop, Beautiful Soup, Fresh Corner Cafe, and Treats by Angelique • H2BT - Detroit An online radio station and boutique clothing retailer for emerging musicians • Pages on Livernois - Detroit A collection of books and gifts curated specifically for the neighborhood • Fill-Anthropy - New York, NY A temporary, non-profit bar whose profits go back into projects that benefit the community • Detroit Fiber Works Creative Center - Detroit A space where community members can see fiber artists at work, purchase fiber art by local Detroit textile artists, and attend classes and/or workshops in various fiber craft techniques • Love Travels Imports - Detroit Fair trade, handmade goods in a variety of colors and themes, sustainably created by artisans from around the world • True Indulgence - Detroit A specialty bakery featuring bite-sized desserts and decorated cakes
Art Projects: • Michael Owen - Baltimore, MD Murals that honor the legacies of African American musicians from Detroit •V aughn Taormina - Detroit A mural that captures the spirit of the Detroit landscape and engages viewers in a dialogue about the city as a muse • Walter A. Bailey, The Millenium Project- Detroit, MI Innovations in acrylic arts • Pam Tietze - New York, NY Outdoor installation of viewfinders that use ‘h0les’ crystal prisms for a transformative, sensory experience. • Thomas Humery - Paris, France A photographic series that captures members of the community through an international lens •H arrison Richards Bartlett III 1/2, Delaney Martin, Taylor Lee Shepherd, Margot Couture, Arielle De Pinto, Artem Voevodin, and the Treasure Nest present Dacha - Detroit An art installation and performance space constructed using locally-sourced, recycled and found materials • Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic - London and New York Black As Ink: projections of “living” paintings in ink and oil that explore the visual dynamism of the substance which fueled Detroit’s history • Carrie Walker, Ghost Jungle - Detroit An art installation composed of layers of light and paper that will take the form of plants, vines, and small trees, to form a dense and colorless jungle of surfaces on which light can play • Jessica Janda and Joshua Smith - Detroit Graphic design and identity development for businesses selected to participate in the Avenue of Fashion program
business
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
August 21-27, 2013
Page C-2
MEDC announces infrastructure grant program for Michigan communities The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has announced the Downtown Infrastructure Grant Program (DIG) aimed at helping low and moderate income Michigan non-entitlement communities to improve their downtown infrastructure quality and reduce redevelopment costs for future projects. “Improving our downtowns will ensure the continued vitality of communities and strengthen our ability to attract and retain young professionals and small businesses,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney. “This funding will help create opportunities for new development and economic growth in Michigan’s downtowns.”
Jennifer Whitteaker (left), manager of the DTE Energy Foundation, announced first DIG, a Community Development and second place winners Elijah Ramey (center) and Richard McCall in front of the Block Grant program, is designed to promural that was the subject of both videos. vide public infrastructure improvement
DTE Energy Foundation announces winners of summer jobs program video contest
SPECIAL TO THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
The DTE Energy Foundation wrapped up its 2013 youth summer jobs program and announced the winners of the “Coolest Thing About My Summer Job Experience” video contest. Detroiters Richard McCall, 17, and Elijah Ramey, 16, won first- and second-place awards respectively. Both of the short videos captured the gratifying experience of helping to paint a mural in the middle of Detroit’s Brightmoor community. McCall and Ramey were em-
ployed by the College for Creative Studies over the summer as part of the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program.
funding to projects located in a traditional downtown. The maximum grant that will be awarded to a community is $750,000. A total of $4 million in grant funds is available through the DIG program. Funding priority will be given to ho-
listic infrastructure projects that have design elements that contribute to creating a unique environment for the community. The program is intended for Michigan non-entitlement communities – communities that do not receive funding directly from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Approximately 375 Michigan communities are eligible for funding. For more information on the DIG program, visit here: www.michiganbusiness.org/DIG2013 Electronic or hard copy submissions are due by Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants must address all items on the Part I application to be considered for funding. There will be a question/answer period regarding the application and questions will be accepted until September 19, 2013. The Q&A period begins September 3, 2013 and answers will be posted weekly online at www.michiganbusiness.org/DIG2013 Questions should be directed to CDBG@michigan.org.
The foundation partnered with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, city of Detroit recreation centers, the Greening of Detroit and others to fund more than 500 summer and year-round jobs for teens and young adults in Detroit and other struggling communities. To view the McCall and Ramey videos and other contest entries, visit DTE’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/dteenergy.
Avenue of Fashion “I grew up in the neighborhood. My parents both shopped on Livernois, and one of my favorite pastimes was walking up and down the street, looking in the windows. Najma and I remember how wonderful Livernois used to be, and we really want to be a part of the transformation. We know it’s going to be great,” Smith said. The permanent and pop-up busiFirst and second place contest winners Elijah Ramey and Richard McCall (center) were honored by (from left) Mikel Bresee and Larry Lunsford of the College for nesses will include streetwear, womCreative Studies, Jennifer Whitteaker of the DTE Energy Foundation, Dennis en’s fashions, books and gifts, specialty Talbert of Empower Outreach and Shuna Hayward of the Grow Detroit’s Young bakery, coffee shop and more. Talent program. Katrina Studvent, who with her hus-
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From page C-1
band Donald owns 1917 American Bistro on Livernois, will be opening Social Ice Cream Bar. “It will be a social gathering place for a play date, a first date or a meet-up. Our goal is to engage the community to get out of their house and meet for a cone and conversation. The families in the neighborhood work so hard, and we want to offer a space they can walk to and enjoy being with their friends and family,” Studvent said.
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Call Mari Byrd at (313) 892-1860 ext 257 Email Mari.Byrd@CornerstoneSchools.org to RSVP or visit CornerstoneSchools.org to learn more or to enroll. Cornerstone Schools 6861 E. Nevada Detroit, MI 48234
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business
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
August 21-27, 2013
Page C-3
Michigan’s unemployment rate edges up, Detroit rate unchanged Michigan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July edged upward over the month by one-tenth of a percentage point to 8.8 percent, according to data released by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). The number of unemployed increased by 10,000 over the month, while the state’s labor force advanced by 9,000. Total employment was flat in July.
sonally adjusted unemployment rate in July was unchanged over the month at 9.4 percent. In July, total employment increased moderately by 5,000 and the area’s labor force advanced by 6,000. The number of unemployed was little changed in the MSA over the month. July marked the eleventh consecutive month of total employment gain for the metro area dating back to September 2012.
The Michigan jobless rate in July 2013 was half a percentage point below the state’s July 2012 rate of 9.3 percent. The national jobless rate decreased by eight-tenths of a percentage point over this period. The state’s unemployment rate in July was one and four-tenths percentage points above the national rate of 7.4 percent. The U.S. jobless rate declined over the month by two-tenths of a percentage point.
From July 2012 to July 2013, the Detroit metropolitan area’s jobless rate fell by one and three-tenths percentage points, which outpaced both the state and the nation. Over that period, total employment rose in the region by 38,000 or 2.1 percent while the number of unemployed fell by 25,000 or 11.6 percent. The region’s labor force increased moderately by 13,000 or 0.6 percent since July 2012.
“Labor market conditions were relatively flat in July in Michigan,” said Michael Williams, acting director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives. “So far in 2013, however, the state has recorded steady job gains combined with an expanding workforce. These workforce gains have kept the state unemployment rate stable.” Monthly Labor Force Trends & Highlights • Michigan’s unemployment rate increased in July for the second consecutive month, and the July rate was comparable to the 8.9 percent recorded in January. • In July, the state’s labor force continued to advance. Michigan’s labor force has risen every month in 2013, and since July 2012 has grown by 71,000 or 1.5 percent. • Michigan’s total employment level was flat in July. This was the first month since August 2012 that the state’s total employment level did not increase. • Although flat in July, total employment gains in Michigan have averaged 12,000 per month in 2013. • Since July 2012, total employment in the state rose by 87,000 or 2.1 percent, which outpaced the national gain of 1.4 percent over the same period. • From July 2012 to July 2013, the number of unemployed in Michigan declined by 16,000 or 3.7 percent. Detroit Metropolitan Area’s July Jobless Rate Unchanged The Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area’s (MSA’s) sea-
• Since July 2012, payroll jobs in Michigan increased by 70,000 or 1.7 percent. Job gains over this period were displayed in manufacturing (+19,000), professional and business services (+17,000), trade, transportation and utilities (+13,000), leisure and hospitality services (+11,000), and education and
health services (+9,000). • Seasonally adjusted average weekly hours and earnings of production workers in manufacturing increased over the month, however hours and earnings declined over the year.
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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
August 21-27, 2013
Page C-4
High Tech, High Touch Approach Earns School High Marks A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School students flourish with its blended learning model curriculum
By C.L. Price Not every child learns the same way. That’s why schools like A. L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School on Detroit’s east side feature 21st century technology in a blended learning environment. Study after study proves that individualized learning plans help students expand the learning experience far beyond rote knowledge most of us grew up with and actually teach students how to apply what they have learned in daily life. A good lesson plan for us all. This week the Michigan Chronicle looks inside A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School to see how students on individualized learning plans are thriving. – Editor
In 2011, Holmes received a $2.8 million grant to improve student achievement. The school also received another $500,000 grant last school year with a portion being solely dedicated to technology.
Arts and Mathematics) program and a mentoring program with WCCCD (Wayne County Community College District).
In partnership with Matchbook Learning, Holmes launched the Hybrid Learning Model where teachers and students use technology daily to enhance instruction and increase student performance with an interactive, comprehensive on-line curriculum.
Every child is a born learner, but not all of them are high achievers. Experts say that our nation’s “onesize-fits-all” education model, which does not always accommodate the kids that learn differently than their peers, may be the culprit in student failure rates.
Teachers offer data-driven instruction using a Learning Management System (LMS) to monitor student progress, create small flexible groups and implement Individual Learning Plans (ILP). Parents can access their child’s lessons, projects and grades in the LMS.
At A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School, success is not an option for the majority of its students, who receive personalized support with understanding math concepts, reading compression and study habits.
Ensuring student growth, at every grade level
The school has incorporated individual student learning paths that recognize student challenges and learning preference in a blended learning model that is followed daily.
The school has a partnership with Cranbrook to enhance its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
A. L. Holmes is on a mission to create an academically challenging learning environment that uses student–centered instruction with fun, engaging activities that support learning, the use of data to drive instruction and is propelled by high expectations for student success.
The blended learning process showed such positive gains for students in grades 3-8 that during the 2012-13 the online learning model was extended to grades K-8. Blended Learning Team Rotations In teacher Eric Fredlund’s fourth and fifth-grade Language Arts and Social Studies courses, the students engage in Blended Learning Team Rotations with four individual work sessions. Each day, the students rotate through all four Blended Learning Teams until they have participated in each level. Four Team Pathway Rotations Reading Pathway is based on each student’s pre-testing results. The students work on common core standards. Once this level is mastered, it creates a pathway to the second team. Intervention Pathway is accelerated reading and testing on comprehension on the computer. Writing Pathway is utilizing learned comprehension and critical thinking skills to develop opinion pieces. As an example, the students are posed with a question such as, “Do we watch too much television?” They then have to find two articles opposing the question and two articles in support. The students then use the articles to determine and support their own opinions.
Since its implementation, the jump in student performance has been astonishing, according to Principal Leenet Campbell-Williams. “A lot of schools are doing a form of blended learning, but we’re intentional,” said Campbell-Williams. “We start with a pre-test for each student to determine their differ“We use the blended learning ent skill sets. The shows model of online curriculum pre-testing their strengths and coupled with our traditional weaknesses in cercurriculum to maximize in- tain areas. We then dividual learning for our stu- use the blended dents, allowing them to move learning model of online curriculum at their own pace.” coupled with our – Leenet Campbell-Williams, traditional curriculum to maximize Principal individual learning for our students, allowing them to move at their own pace.”
During the 2011-12 school year, students in grades 3-8 engaged in virtual online instruction with a virtual teacher as well as face-to- face instruction from their classroom teacher.
Throughout the day, each student will switch four times to take part in each pathway. This type of learning takes place daily at each grade level, in all classrooms.
What’s Different at A.L. Holmes? The school offers a Community Garden Project, Good School Grant for Technology, Project Unify Grant for Tolerance and Anti-Bullying; Computer Labs, Media Center, Student Netbooks, SMARTBoard Technology, Volunteer Reading Corps (PreK & K), Local School Community Organization (LSCO), Playworks Recreation and Conflict Resolution, Winter & Spring The school also hosts regularly scheduled festivals, Family Curriculum Nights, Pathways to Potential Program (Partnership with Department of Human Services), and after-school tutoring and various school clubs including Holmes Mime and Sign Team.
“We see improvement daily because its targeted instruction based on their abilities,” Fredlund said. “We work on their level with intervention and we’ve witnessed great gains in this style of teaching.” In all kindergarten through third-grade classes, there is a teacher and school service assistant for each room. In each classroom, from kindergarten through eighth-grade, you’ll quickly notice small groups, all doing different things, instead of the traditional model of one teacher at the front of the classroom facing 30plus students.
A High Tech, High Touch Approach to Learning
This learning model has energized teachers who rally daily to make learning more meaningful and fun for students at A.L. Holmes, who give the program a big thumbs up.
All classrooms have a SmartBoard and document cameras; students in grades K-2 have access to desktop computers and all students in grades 3-8 have access to Netbook computers. The school has an updated media center and three computer labs, filled with new iMac computers.
Editor’s Note: To learn more about A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School or details about Detroit Public Schools community-wide Open Doors Day on Aug. 24, visit: http://detroitk12.org
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August 21-27, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page C-5
Say I’m In! Neighborhood-Centered, Quality Schools: √ More Pre-K across the district √ Community Schools Model √ Art/Music Enrichment √ High Quality Customer Service
DID YOU KNOW?
8 Detroit Public Schools were honored by the Mackinac Center as among the best in the state!
Thirkell Elementary School was ranked as the No. 1 school! DPS in the Top 100: Thirkell Elementary School 7724 14th St. P: (313) 596-0990 Grades Served: PreK-6
Clippert Academy 1981 McKinstry P: (313) 849-5009 Grades Served: 5- 8, Application
Davison Elementary-Middle School 2800 E. Davison P: (313) 252-3118 Grades Served: PreK-8
Pasteur Elementary School 19811 Stoepel P: (313) 494-7314 Grades Served: PreK-6
Ronald Brown Academy 11530 E. Outer Drive P: (313) 886-2611 Grades Served: PreK-6 Harms Elementary School 2400 Central P: (313) 849-3492 Grades Served: PreK-5
Chrysler Elementary School 1445 East Lafayette P: (313) 494-8440 Grades Served: K-5; Application Burton International Academy 2001 Martin Luther King Blvd. P: (313) 596-3800 Grades Served: PreK-8, Application
The DPS Roadmap to Success
215 Pre-K classrooms at 70 schools Art/Music enrichment for every elementary-middle school student Individual Learning Maps for every student based on their strengths and areas for improvement “12/7 Community Schools Model” offering services at schools 12 hours per day, 7 days per week District-wide training on high quality Customer Service New Attendance & Code of Conduct Policies State-of-the-Art school buildings where cutting edge technology is available to every student Free healthy breakfast and lunch for every child, in every grade, every day Seven different languages offered across the district and robust ESL (English as a Second Language) courses New Parent University & other new/expanded parent programs Safety initiatives with more community volunteers
Thirkell Elementary School music course
$146 million+ in grants and scholarships for 2013 grads
All Schools “Open-Doors Day” August 24, 2013 ▪ 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Shop around for your favorite school! Tour buildings! Meet principals and staff! Learn first-hand why DPS is on the rise!
Call (313) 240-4DPS or visit detroitk12.org/enroll
Page C-6 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • August 21-27, 2013
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SECTION D
August 21-27, 2013
michiganchronicle.com
Reflections By Steve Holsey
In his corner
B.B. King had a hit record titled “Never Make a Move Too Soon,” and those words are applicable to the talented El DeBarge. After enjoying major success in the ’80s, first with his siblings in the group DeBarge and then as a solo artist, El DeBarge fell prey to drugs, like so many others in his family. They seem to be predisposed to drug addiction. After completing a 13-month prison sentence, DeBarge reemerged in 2010 with El DeBarge a well-received album titled “Second Chance.” The voice we had heard on great songs like “All This Love” and “Time Will Reveal” was still in great shape. DeBarge received a huge amount of publicity at this time, including an Ebony magazine cover. It was too much, actually, since no one knew if the recovery would be lasting. But people were so happy for him, and he said he was “born again.” Sadly, in 2011 he relapsed and landed back in rehab. But Grand Rapids-born DeBarge has returned to performing and those who have seen him say he looks good, sounds great and has a very positive attitude.
We wish him the best.
And by the way, it’s kind of hard to believe that El DeBarge, who was 21 when DeBarge had their first hit, is now 52. Time not only “reveals,” it also “flies.” MICHELLE OBAMA will go down in history as “The First Lady of Good Health,” determined to be a contributing and lasting factor to making America healthier. You’ve probably heard about the hip-hop compilation album coming out Sept. 30, connected to Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, titled “Songs For A HealthMichelle Obama ier America.” The First Lady herself appears in the video for the album’s first single. Usher says he would like to make a record with Justin Timberlake. That sounds like a pairing that would work. Donna Summer, though no longer with us in the physical realm, will always be the Queen of Disco. The title is hers exclusively. On Oct. 22 an album featuring remixes of her greatest hits will be released, titled “Love to Love You Donna.” Ordinarily I am opposed to material coming out after an artist has passed, because it is not known whether or not the artist would have wanted that. But in this case it is probably okay since one of those doing the remixing is Georgio Moroder, who co-produced the majority of the Summer’s albums. ONE OF Donna Summer’s classics was, of course, “Bad Girls,” a song about sex for sale. Actually, that activity has been the subject of more songs than you might think, including “Midnight Flower” by the Four Tops, featur- Donna Summer ing the line, “Let me buy the things you do for just one hour.” Among the others are “None of Your Business (Salt-N-Pepa), “Honky Tonk Women” (the Rolling Stones), “(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out” (the Whispers), “Family Man” (Daryl Hall & John Oates), “Fancy” (Bobbie Gentry) and, of course, “Lady Marmalade” by the trio Labelle. “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” is French for “Would you like to sleep with me tonight?” Patti LaBelle says she didn’t know that until many years later. But it’s hard to believe that she could sing those lyrics, first in the studio and then on stage so many Patti LaBelle times, and not have thought to ask what the words meant. People are surprised to learn that comedian Kevin Hart is only 5’4”. You can always count on Prince to do something unexpected and very different from anything anyone else is doing. First he introduced us to his band called the Revolution and that was followed by the New Power Generation. Now he is working with a new, all-female band oddly called 3rd Eye Girl.
See Reflections Page D-3
MILLIE JACKSON By Steve Holsey
Millie Jackson, who has been called “the queen of raunchy soul,” among other things, was told by a Detroit reporter that she had just answered a somewhat touchy question with total honestly.
THE QUEEN OF ‘ADULT R&B’
Jackson responded quickly, “That I have always been.”
That’s putting it mildly.
Early on in her long career — she made the national charts for the first time in 1971 — Jackson, who has a wicked, no-subject-off-limits sense of humor, knew she had to do something different to distinguish herself from other female singers, as well as keep her audiences’ attention. So she began doing lengthy spoken segments that were as hilarious as they were often shocking. For example, no one had ever heard, or has heard since, anything like her raunchy rap on “All the Way Lover,” featured on her best-selling 1977 album “Feelin’ Bitchy.” There is a reason why this particular song has received 25,206 hits on YouTube! As for the subject matter, let’s just say its about “relationships,” “the shortcomings of men,” “the shortcomings of women” and “a certain type of sexual expression.” THERE IS no doubt about it: In addition to being a rhythm and blues singer in the purest sense, Millie Jackson is a comedienne. Many of the people in her highly specialized audiences are typically doubled up with laugher when she is doing one of her comedy segments. But, it has to be noted that she is also very serious about her music, and sings with passion and a fire. One perfect example of that is one of her three biggest hits, “If You’re Not Back In Love By Monday,” a radically revamped, slowed down version of Merle Haggard’s country hit. The song tells a powerful story and Jackson delivers the lyrics to perfection. Another splendid example of Millie Jackson the deep soul singer at her best is the second of her top three hits, the unforgettable “Hurts So Good.” It is a classic performance, even though the message is not likely to ever win the approval of women’s rights groups. Still, it is reality.
MILLIE JACKSON was born in Thomson, Georgia, and later moved to Newark, New Jersey. However, by the time she was in her mid-teen she was living in Brooklyn, New York, with one of her aunts. Jackson landed her first recording contract with MGM Records, but much to her disappointment, nothing of significance happened. But after signing with Spring Records, it was a completely different story, right from the start. “A Child of God (It’s Hard to Believe)” climbed to No. 22 on the national charts, followed by “Ask Me What You Want,” the third of her three biggest hits that peaked at No. 4. Then came “Breakaway” (No. 16)
and “Hurts So Good” (No. 3). A whole new phase of Millie Jackson’s career began in 1974 when an album titled “Caught Up” was released. The songs, including a remake of Luther Ingram’s “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right,” were about a three-way entanglement and all of the complexities involved. And yes, Jackson did plenty of raps. That very successful album, not surprisingly, was followed by “Still Caught Up.” After another album (“Free And In Love”), “Feelin’ Bitchy,” one of Jackson’s best albums, was released. In addition to “All the Way Lover” it included such
gems as “A Taste of Outside Love,” “You Created a Monster,” “Angel in Your Arms” and the aforementioned “If You’re Not Back In Love By Monday.” ONE ALBUM for which there was great expectations that were not lived up to was “Royal Rappin’s’,” a collaboration with superstar Isaac Hayes. It was a great idea, but the songs were way too ordinary to make the album outstanding. It needed spice. There is a part of Millie Jackson’s live show that is hard to believe but absolutely true. The song is “Something You Can Feel” and during it the audacious songstress, shall we say, “gets up close and personal” in the most literal sense with men seated in the front row. (We can’t go into detail!) And then there is Jack-
See JACKSON Page D-3
Page D-2 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • August 21-27, 2013
I CAN SOAR.
Visit an EAA School
Pre-Kindergarten
to enroll!
Great Start Program
The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan is now offering the Pre-Kindergarten Great Start Readiness Program at its six elementary/middle schools.
This is Special Enrollment Week AugUST 19-23.
★ There are 400 Pre-Kindergarten Great Start slots available to children who are 4 years of age before Nov. 1, 2013. ★ Students will enjoy a full day of fun and interactive learning along with free meals and snacks.
The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan gives students the wings to soar. The Education Achievement Authority is a system of K-12 public schools that provides students with longer school days and 40 more days of learning each year. Our schools offer a unique, student-focused curriculum that helps many of our kids learn at twice the rate of students at other schools. Twice the rate. Students also get free meals, access to computers and a safe place to learn every day. We give them a chance to soar.
Participating schools in the
Pre-Kindergarten Great Start Program
include Bethune, Brenda Scott, Burns, Law Academy, Nolan, and Phoenix Multicultural Academy elementary/middle schools.
Juniors & Seniors can enroll
All Education Achievement Authority schools are open to ANY Michigan student.
for free college credit and paid job apprenticeships.
Applications are being accepted now, 1,000 slots are available.
What makes
Education Achievement Authority Schools different than traditional schools?
★ Tests administered in May showed that learning has accelerated under our student-centered approach. ★ Each student is provided his or her own learning plan. ★ Each student learns at his or her own rate. ★ The Education Achievement Authority offers all of its students the opportunity to soar; struggling students can catch up to their peers and high achieving students can learn at a faster pace.
Juniors and seniors will have an opportunity to earn college credit, train for paid apprenticeships and receive paid jobs through the Career and Technology Education program. Participating partners include Focus: HOPE, Wayne County Community College District, Henry Ford Community College, Detroit Employment Solutions Corp. and company sponsored School to Work Apprenticeship Programs coordinated with the Federal Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, an earn while you learn program. Students who complete the program will graduate with college credits and program specific certifications.
Enroll This Week!
- Burns Elementary/Middle School 14350 Terry Street Detroit, MI 48227 313-852-0534
- Nolan Elementary/Middle School 1150 E. Lantz Street Detroit, MI 48203 313-866-7730
- * Denby High School 12800 Kelly Road Detroit, MI 48224 313-866-7200
- Law Academy Pre-Kindergarten–8 19411 Cliff Street Detroit, MI 48234 313-866-3400
- Phoenix Multicultural Academy 7735 Lane Street Detroit, MI 48209 313-849-2419
- * Mumford High School 17525 Wyoming Street Detroit, MI 48221 313-416-7400 - * Pershing High School 18875 Ryan Road Detroit, MI 48234 313-866-7700
- * Southeastern High - * Henry Ford High School School of Technology 3030 Fairview Street 20000 Evergreen Road Detroit, MI 48214 Detroit, MI 48219 313-866-4500 313-494-7567 * High Schools participating in the Career & Technology Education program
IO
N ACHIE
EDUCA
- Central Collegiate Academy 2425 Tuxedo Street Detroit, MI 48206 313-252-3000
M ENT •
- Mary M. Bethune Elementary/Middle School 8145 Puritan Street Detroit, MI 48221 313-494-3830
VE
- Brenda Scott Elementary/ Middle School 18440 Hoover Street Detroit, MI 48205 313-866-6700
T
LISTING OF HIGH SCHOOLS:
•
LISTING OF ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOLS:
A
U
THORIT
Y
For more information call
313.456.3010 or visit
ICanSoar.org
entertainment
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
MOTOR CITY ENTERTAINMENT
CALENDAR
CHENE PARK: Sergio Mendes, Najee, Aug. 21; Keyshia Cole, K’Michelle, Aug. 24; Michael McDonald, Toto, Aug. 25, Nas, DMX, Aug. 30-31. For tickets, call the Chene Park box office at 313.393.7128 or visit www. cheneparkdetroit.com. Tickets are also sold at Ticketmaster locations. DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL, downtown Detroit from Hart Plaza to Campus Martius, Aug 30-Sept. 2. Free. Artists include Ahmad Jamal, Marcus Belgrave, Kimmie Horne, McCoy Tyner, Gene Dunlap, Joshua Redman, Geri Allen and Delfeayo Marsalis. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.com. D.L. HUGHLEY, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Jan. 23. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
Diana Ross
HERBIE HANCOCK, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Oct. 10. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
Marcus Belgrave
INDIA.ARIE, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Nov. 17. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. “OLDIES AND MORE” BYOB parties for older adults, St. George Cathedral Cultural Center, 18405 W. Nine Mile Road, Friday, Aug. 23, Sept. 13, Sept. 27, Oct. 11, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, Nov. 22. On Friday, Oct. 25, there will also be a birthday celebration for Bobby Green and Charles Norton. Call Bobby Green at 313.530.2933 for more information. DIANA ROSS, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Sunday, Aug. 25. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000. WAYANS BROTHERS, Sound Board at Motor City Casino, Sept. 26. Tickets sold at Ticketmaster locations and MotorCityCasino.com. To charge by phone, call 1.800.745.3000.
Kimmie Horne
Jackson son’s infamous “symphony” song, which delivers a hard-hitting message to her critics in a classical music setting. (Millie Jackson is not a favorite among the Black upper class.) This sort of thing is clearly not for everyone, but even those who hate the song — and their feelings are understandable, all things consid-
From page D-1 ered — would have to admit that it is very clever and well done. It is so very easy to believe Millie Jackson when she says she never sang in church! In addition to being a singer, songwriter and comedienne, Millie Jackson proved herself to be a successful playwright in the early ’90s. The
Reflections BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that in early 1964, when he was a sports and media sensation as Cassius Clay, the legendary Muhammad Ali was on the national charts for two weeks with his version of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” MEMORIES: “Everlasting Love” (Carl Carlton), “When Will I See You Again?” (the Three Degrees), “Don’t Let Go” (Isaac Hayes), “Rainy
play, “Young Man, Older Woman,” toured the nation and was a success at every stop. Millie Jackson is not everyone’s cup of tea, but for four decades she has been doing her unique thing and her impact cannot be denied. She is true to herself, knows what her fans want and gives it to them gladly.
From page D-1
Night in Georgia” (Brook Benton), “That’s the Way I Feel About Cha” (Bobby Womack), “Every Little Bit” (Millie Scott), “Heaven Help Us All” (Stevie Wonder), “If You Want Me to Stay” (Sly & the Family Stone), “My Baby” (the Temptations), “Stop Your Weeping” (the Dramatics).
Nat Morris, Pam Williams, Karen Love, Rick Keating, Trina Naylor and Marvin Taylor,
BLESSINGS to James Alexander, Montez Miller, David Watkins, Verna Green, Vickie Thomas,
Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol. com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.
WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Gayle King: “We all spend way too much time and energy trying to fight things we can’t change.” Let the music play!
SOS Ruth Johnson: Expanded online services, other tools improving customer service By Ruth Johnson Like so many working parents, I know it takes a lot to balance work with the demands of family life, whether it’s paying bills, school conferences, soccer games, doctor appointments or the challenges of helping out with our own parents. As your Secretary of State, I am committed to making it easier, faster and better for you to do business with our department, no matter what’s on your plate. One of our most-popular initiatives to help us meet those goals is ExpressSOS. com – our expanded online services. Think of it as your own online, no-wait Secretary of State where you can renew your tabs, renew your standard driver’s license (unless we need a new photo), get a duplicate car title, sign up on the organ donor registry and much more. As a matter of fact, you can go online through midnight on your birthday to renew your tabs. Just print out proof of purchase to carry with you until your tabs arrive in the mail. Since coming into office, we’ve tripled the number of online services. More than three million transactions have been handled successfully on ExpressSOS.com, which means millions of customers didn’t have to drive to one of our offices, park, take a number and wait in line. Our online option is so popular that those customers who do have to come into one of our branches should see shorter lines and faster service.
Don’t have a home computer? Visit your local library. We’ve partnered with libraries statewide to highlight their computers as an easy way to access Secretary of State Services at ExpressSOS.com. Our libraries are the heart of their communities and there is no institution better at connecting people with the information they want and need. Michiganians made 56 million visits to their local libraries last year. About 13 million used the available 11,229 public computers in Michigan libraries to do everything from search for a job to plan a vacation or shop. Our goal is that the 25 percent of residents who don’t have home Internet service or printers can take advantage of this convenient service. Library patrons can get help with ExpressSOS.com from our customer service representatives by calling toll-free at 888767-6424 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Other customer-friendly alternatives include renew-by-mail and kiosks at some of our branches where you can renew your tabs; find a list at Michigan.gov/sos. A new pilot program at two Meijer stores is underway, which means customers can their milk, bread, eggs, maybe a fishing pole and their tabs in a single shopping trip. I encourage you to go online first so you can spend your time doing the things you love and with the people you love, not standing in line. (Ruth Johnson is Michigan Secretary of State.)
August 21-27, 2013 Page D-3
Classified Personal Finance Tips For Michigan’s Young Adults
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PERSONAL SERVICES MRS. LINN
BORN GIFTED READER
1. Set and maintain a budget. Effective planning and budgeting is a cornerstone to positive financial health. Set goals, create a budget and keep track of what you spend. Good budgeting and spending habits last a lifetime. 2. Start saving today. A sound savings plans may help ease financial stress. Even if you begin with a nominal amount, pay yourself first and put the money in a separate account so it can build over time. If your employer offers a 401 (k) or retirement plan, take advantage of it. The sooner you start saving, the better. 3. Take responsibility. Getting a loan, obtaining credit or using a credit card can be very helpful but it comes with an immense amount of personal responsibility to live up to your obligations in paying back a debt. On the other end of the credit is a creditor expecting repayment. Maintaining healthy debt levels and repayment practices provides significant positive or negative impact on your ability to get credit in the future. 4. Understand credit and use it wisely. When used properly credit can be helpful. If not, credit can become a difficult burden. From student loans to credit cards to auto loans: know the terms and conditions; shop for low interest rates; make payments on time; and understand the ramifications of making a late payment or missing a payment. Know the ins and outs of credit reporting and its impacts on building a good credit score, which is used to determine eligibility for future credit including auto loans and home mortgages. 5. Communicate. If you are in debt or need to miss a payment, don’t ignore the issue. Be proactive and contact the creditor or debt collector to discuss the situation and seek a mutually beneficial arrangement. If you are contacted by a creditor or debt collector, do not ignore them. Remember, they aren’t the enemy and communication to discuss the account, verify its accuracy and work on a plan for resolution can be very helpful. For more information about working with a debt collector visit www.askdoctordebt.org. 6. Protect your personal and financial information. Be careful about giving out information including a credit card, bank account, or Social Security number over the phone and online until certain of the authenticity of the other party. Monitor accounts and immediately report any suspicious or unauthorized purchases to your bank or credit card provider. Importantly, consumers should also monitor their credit report. If you believe your identity has been stolen, contact your local police department and visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft for information on what you should do.
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
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NOTICE OF HEARINGS REGARDING MATTERS TO COME
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Heading off to high school, college or the military is an exciting time and an important gateway for Michigan young adults to become more financially independent. In addition to hitting the books, learning essential personal finance skills can help along the road to success. “Good financial habits begin early in life and can help ensure a sound financial future,” said Michigan Association of Collection Agencies President Tom Terres. “Learning is a lifelong journey and we are never too young or old to start.”
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Page D-4
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August 21 - 27, 2013
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PUBLIC NOTICE
19460 Park Drive, Harper Woods, MI
DETROIT EMPLOYMENT SOLUTIONS CORPORATION A Michigan Works! Agency, in cooperation with the DETROIT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
HELP WANTED
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Senior Financial Analyst
PARTNERSHIP. ACCOUNTABILITY. TRAINING. HOPE (PATH) PROGRAM SERVICE PROVIDERS THIS IS NOT A NOTICE OF EMPLOYMENT The Detroit Workforce Development Board (DWDB) is directly responsible and accountable to the Workforce Development Agency, State of Michigan (WDASOM) for the planning and oversight of all workforce training and services in the workforce development area. Effective July 1, 2012, the Chief Elected Official, the DWDB, and Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) became parties to a Governance Agreement dated June 28, 2012 pursuant to which DESC became the depository and primary administrative and fiscal agent for workforce development funds available to the Board for use and disbursement in the local workforce development area. DESC, a Michigan Works! Agency, is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide Partnership. Accountability.Training. Hope. (PATH) program services to Families Independence Program (FIP) applicants and recipients.
AFI seeks Senior Financial Analyst (Detroit, MI), to provide essential support to monthly/quarterly reporting as well as the forecasting/planning process as follows: prepare key reports and work with business partners to understand and provide key information on their results; help prepare the key materials for senior leadership; work with Finance Director on additional adhoc requests, among other duties. BS and 3 yrs. exp. Please send resumes to: AFI, L. Hodgdon, Senior Recruiter, 440 S. Church Street, Charlotte, NC 29202.
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The PATH program (formerly known as the Jobs, Education and Training [JET] program), is a joint partnership between WDASOM, DESC, and the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS). The objective of the PATH program is to provide FIP applicants and recipients with employment-related services, training, and supportive services to obtain and retain employment. DESC is responsible for providing these services to FIP applicants and recipients who live in the Detroit area.
Advertise your product or recruit an applicant in more than 100 Michigan newspapers! Only $299/week.
Proposals will be accepted from those organizations demonstrating a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing the services requested in this RFP for projects of similar scope and size. Eligible prospective vendors include public and private non-profit agencies, private-for-profit organizations, units of local government including community colleges and universities, and faith-based and community organizations of demonstrated effectiveness. Small businesses, minority-owned firms, women’s business enterprises, labor surplus area firms are encouraged to apply.
STATE ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER 15 Chief of Southern Field Operations
The contract period will be from January 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. The contract will operate with funds from TANF, State of Michigan General Fund/General Purpose funds, and other sources of funding that may become available to DESC during the Program Year. Based on performance, contingent upon the availability of funds, and at DESC’s sole discretion, contracts may be extended for up to two (2), one (1)-year Program Years (PY 2014 and PY 2015). All questions regarding the RFP shall be submitted by email no later than August 22, 2013, 4:00 p.m. to the attention of: Robert E. Shimkoski, Jr., Manager Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation rshimkoski@detempsol.org TELEPHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALL INQUIRIES MUST BE VIA EMAIL. A Pre-Proposal Conference is scheduled for August 27, 2013, 3:30 p.m. at the following location: Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation 707 W. Milwaukee – 1st Floor Conference Room Detroit, MI 48202
All Bid Packages for this RFP will be sent via email only. Bid packages will not be available for hardcopy pickup and will not be mailed by U.S. mail. Requests for the RFP package may be emailed to Robert Shimkoski, Jr., Manager – Planning Unit at rshimkoski@detempsol.org. In order to receive an RFP package, qualified vendors must submit the following information via email: company name, address, office phone number, fax number, contact person’s name, and valid email address. Sealed bids must be received at the DESC’s Planning Unit, 707 W. Milwaukee – Second Floor, Detroit, Michigan 48202, no later than September 6, 2013, 4:00 p.m. Each vendor is responsible for ensuring that its bid is received by DESC on a timely basis. Late bids will not be accepted. DESC shall not extend the due date for bids on the basis that the U. S. Postal Service or another mail courier has lost or failed to deliver the bid. DESC is not responsible for bids delivered to the wrong location. Faxed or emailed bids will not be accepted. Bids received late will be returned unopened.
All proposals submitted by 4:00 p.m. local time, September 6, 2013 will be publicly recorded on September 6, 2013, 5:00 p.m. at DESC, 707 W. Milwaukee – First Floor Conference Room, Detroit, MI, 48202. This will be the vendor’s opportunity to be informed as to which organizations submitted responses to the RFP. Responses received will not be available for review DESC, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, does not discriminate in employment or in the provision of services based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, height, weight, genetic information, marital status, arrest without conviction, political affiliation or belief, and for beneficiaries only, citizenship or participation in any federally assisted program or activity. Auxiliary aids and services will be made available upon request to individuals with disabilities (TTY Number: 1-800649-3777). Information contained in this document will be made available in alternative format upon written request to DESC.
7. Active military have special privileges. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) allows active military and, in a few cases, non-service members, to suspend or postpone certain civil obligations. A lender, creditor or insurer is prohibited by law from taking any adverse actions against military personnel because they exercised their rights under SCRA, which can only be exercised while engaged in active duty; including full-time training; annual training duty; and attendance at a service school while in active military service.
DAVE BING, MAYOR DAVID BAKER LEWIS, ESQ., DWDB CHAIRMAN CALVIN SHARP, DESC BOARD CHAIRMAN PAMELA J. MOORE, DESC PRESIDENT/CEO JOSE REYES, DESC CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER/PROGRAM FUNDED BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, STATE OF MICHIGAN AUXILIARY AIDS AND SERVICES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES (TTY NUMBER: 1-800-649-3777)
AUGUST IS CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH AND SAFETY MONTH
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The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division is seeking to hire a Chief of Southern Field Operations responsible for assisting the Parks and Recreation Division Chief in the administration and supervision of the Southern field operations for the Parks and Recreation Division. This position is also responsible for management and operations of southern Michigan State Parks and Recreation Areas, trails, boating facilities and partnerships. Please visit the State of Michigan Civil Service website at www.michigan.gov/ mdcs and click on “State Jobs”. Select the State Administrative Manager 15 position within Natural Resources. In order to be considered for this position you must follow the directions on the Civil Service website and submit required information and college transcripts as noted. NOW HIRING! TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS. JOIN CRST’s brand new training school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! Relocation assistance provided. Call: 866-486-7582; email: mknoot@crst.com GORDON TRUCKING– CDL-A DRIVERS NEEDED! UP to $1,000 Sign On Bonus! Starting Pay Up to $.44 cpm. Michigan Regional Available. Full Benefits, No East Coast. Call 7 days/wk! TeamGTI.com 866-950-4382
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POLICE AND FIRE EMERGENCY DISPATCHER Chesterfield Township The Chesterfield Township Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Emergency Dispatcher, who will be responsible for receiving calls for service, dispatching police, fire and EMS units and performing specialized computer functions. Applicants must be at least 19 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, type 30wpm, have an excellent driving record and possess the required skills and abilities including keyboard I computer and organizational skills. Starting salary is $31,886.40, plus excellent fringe benefits and retirement plan. Prior training and experience as a police and fire emergency dispatcher is not required to apply but hiring preference may be given to those with prior experience. Qualified applicants must successfully complete an oral examination and comprehensive background investigation. Satisfactory completion of drug, medical and a psychological testing is also required following an offer of employment. Applications may be picked up in person at the Chesterfield Twp Police Dept (46525 Continental Dr., Chesterfield, Ml 48047), the Chesterfield Twp Municipal Offices, or to obtain a printable version online visit the Police Department website at: www.chesterfieldpolice .org Applications must be entirely completed and returned to the Chesterfield Township Municipal Offices, to the attention of the Clerk’s Office, at 47275 Sugarbush Rd. Chesterfield, Ml 48047 by August 30, 2013, at 3:00p.m.
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August 21-27, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page D-5
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lifestyle
As Labor Day approaches, the jazz world focuses on Detroit Festival to help enrich the culture and make a positive effect on metro Detroit communities,” said Valade, chair of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation Board of Directors. “The incredible elements of the evening — the music, setting and incredible talent of these artists — are a true representation of the big band jazz genre, making it a not-to-bemissed event.”
Ursula Walker By Buzz thomas
One of the things I most look forward to on my annual calendar of “must do” signature Detroit traditions is my trip downtown for the Detroit Jazz Festival during Labor Day weekend. For 34 years the Detroit Jazz Festival has had the eyes of the jazz world all focused on Detroit as the epicenter of America’s truest artistic contribution. Few people know that just a few short years ago, the Jazz Festival was nearly lost to us, due to the horrible downturn in our economy. Even fewer probably know that the new Jazz Festival was saved due to an endowment created by local philanthropist and jazz lover Gretchen Valade. Thank you, Gretchen! To say the Detroit Jazz Festival is special is an understatement. It’s world renowned. Detroit, we are the proud owners of the largest free jazz festival in the world. Even more special perhaps, the Detroit Jazz Festival is a major cultural institution providing year-round concerts and educational programming. For the third year, the Detroit Jazz Festival, presented by Chrysler, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House and the Ford Motor Company Fund, are hosting a signature summer event as part of the De-
August 21-27, 2013 Page D-6
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
troit Jazz Festival’s Community Series — “Detroit Divas Sing, Sing, Sing” on Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m. With the majestic Ford House and expansive Lake St. Clair shoreline providing an elegant backdrop, the memorable big band swing era will come to life with a concert featuring three Detroit vocalists – Ursula Walker, Jeannine Course-Miller and Barbara Ware along with Detroit trumpet legend Johnny Trudell. Regarded as one of today’s finest trumpet players, Trudell has performed with many world-renowned artists including Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross. Joining the three divas on stage will be an upand-coming protégé and winner of the Detroit Jazz Festival’s 2013 Youth Vocalist Competition, Re’Vana Stanfield, who was selected after an Aug. 8 performance at the Dirty Dog Jazz Café in Grosse Pointe. Re’Vana is a 2013 graduate of Detroit School of the Arts and will be attending Clark Atlanta University this fall. She is also a standout member of the 201213 Detroit Public Schools – Detroit Jazz Festival AllCity Jazz Ensemble. “Beginning traditions such as this annual performance and partnership with the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is another way for the Detroit Jazz
The music, and the historic Ford House estate will not only enchant the audience; its 87-acres along Lake St. Clair creates a unique and picturesque location for enjoying music in a relaxed, non-traditional setting. “Combining Detroit’s rich jazz history with the history of the Ford House makes this a unique and special event. With native Detroit divas and the upand-coming Youth Vocalist winner, we are offering the chance to experience an authentic Detroit jazz experience,” said Kathleen Mullins, president, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. “We’re proud to be a part of this entertaining, inspiring and magical evening.” I believe the Detroit Jazz Festival is one of Detroit’s most special signature events. Detroit is home to some of America’s most revered jazz musicians and clubs, a legacy we can all take great pride in. If you want more information on this year’s festival, or to see its lineup of more than 100 international artists, visit Detroitjazzfest.com. I’ll be downtown celebrating Detroit’s jazz legacy soon. Will I see you? Buzz Thomas is the former Democratic floor leader of the Michigan Senate and now co-founder/president of Thomas Group Consulting in Detroit.
STAR CHART Leo Season (July 23 – August 22) Symbol: The Lion Ruling Planet: The Sun – center of our universe Element: Fire – passionate, dynamic, active Quality: Fixed Mission: Hunting for a Lion Queen Famous Leos: President Barack Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Ealy and Halle Berry Leo You’ve probably wanted to spend a little more time alone but it is likely other more pressing social and/ or family demands just won’t allow that. A strong sense of obligation means you’ll have to put your own needs to the bottom of the list in order to deal with the needs of others. Love probability: 99% Lucky Numbers: 18, 34, 29, 28, 4, 8 Virgo You know you have the ability to expand and enhance your horizons don’t you? Your work life can take a positive turn if you draw a thorough plan from information you already have. Look for allies amongst those in positions senior to yours Love probability: 32% Lucky Numbers: 42, 43, 6, 10, 4, 26 Libra Situations beginning now will be cooperative and helpful to you as they progress. A general atmosphere of getting along together prevails and will continue to if you just go with the energy at hand. Taking it easy and letting things happen will let opportunities continue to grow. Love probability: 41% Lucky Numbers: 22, 29, 43, 28, 47, 8 Scorpio This could be a fun time
Lions add experience following disappointing loss
socially, but much depends upon the effort you put forth into motivating and influencing others. They are apt to rely too much on your personal energy and expertise in the planning of social gatherings. Love probability: 15% Lucky Numbers: 26, 4, 22, 5, 46, 40 Sagittarius A significant conversation, learning from another person, and getting your own ideas and perceptions across to others is likely. You may hear from someone who has important information for you, or feel a pressing need to write or call someone else in order to bring some matter in the open. Love probability: 97% Lucky Numbers: 23, 46, 40, 45, 7, 31 Capricorn This week is filled with thought-provoking discussions about controversial topics, unusual or offbeat ideas, or “whacky” concepts. The tempo of your life is increasing and may leave you feeling frazzle. You are quite restless at present; you may say things, which leave others stunned. Love probability: 49% Lucky Numbers: 16, 31, 36, 20, 39, 27 Aquarius A good time for small adventures, but don’t push it into weirdness. New tastes and experiences are easy to come upon and, once tried, may stick with you for a longtime. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, but don’t go overboard. Love probability: 22% Lucky Numbers: 32, 1, 25, 36, 47, 5 Pisces This can be a time for exposing and talking about hidden, intensely private or secret subjects. Your
mind is very probing and your conversations and interactions with others are intense. Love probability: 56% Lucky Numbers: 34, 32, 8, 28, 14, 24 Aries You put extra energy into thinking about and organizing your work and professional life. Decisions you make now are likely to work out well, as you are clear and objective. Gathering information regarding your career or long-range goals is also favored. Love probability: 44% Lucky Numbers: 36, 45, 27, 7, 40, 35 Taurus Send requests through channels and things will flow more easily. Feelings and desires may tug and roil around you, and trying to cut an even balance may be a challenge. Love probability: 98% Lucky Numbers: 31, 27, 7, 42, 21, 36 Gemini You have a lot of mental energy and are eager to “attack” intellectual or conceptual problems. You are likely to come up with a clever solution or a very workable plan, especially if you brainstorm with others. Love probability: 41% Lucky Numbers: 47, 40, 15, 21, 2, 28 Cancer The itch to break away from the normal path and do something radical may have to be resisted but it shouldn’t be ignored. Perhaps it’s just what’s needed, but only if you do it with decisiveness and clarity, as you probably won’t be able to take it back Love probability: 63% Lucky Numbers: 43, 8, 44, 26, 21, 42
Crossword Puzzle 8/21 THEME: GEOGRAPHY 101
DOWN 1. Hi-___ 2. Montreal baseballer 3. Ethiopean currency 4. Omit or suppress 5. *On a map 6. Cash cache 7. Bonanza find 8. Similar to giraffe but smaller 9. Tarantino’s “____ Bill” 10. Not in action 11. Believe 12. Nemo’s friend
forgetful
15. Shrinking ______ 20. To modify a book into a screenplay, e.g. 22. Slight amount 24. Get off an airplane
By Nick Hopson The Lions’ loss to the Browns seems to have inspired Jim Schwartz to sign some veteran experience to the roster. The Lions have a fairly young defense which features few players over the age of thirty. The linebacker and corner positions are especially saturated with inexperience. To add depth and experience at linebacker the Lions signed free agent Rocky McIntosh to a one year deal. McIntosh was a second round pick back in 2006 out of Miami. He has no shortage of starts as he started 77 games over the first seven years of his career. McIntosh was on the Washington Redskins for six seasons up until 2012. Last year he played in all 16 games for the St. Louis Rams. He was primarily a two down player for the Rams playing in forty one percent of their defensive snaps. The Lions currently have a position battle at one of their outside linebacker positions. The
battle seems to be between Ashlee Palmer and Tahir Whitehead. McIntosh could push these players to the next level as well as push Travis Lewis for a roster spot. The Lions also went out and signed cornerback Rashean Mathis. Mathis has been in the league for 10 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. During those 10 years he was able to make a pro bowl in 2006 and become the Jaguars franchise interception record holder with 30 interceptions. Mathis suffered a torn knee ligament in the 2011 season and hasn’t been the same since. The Lions hope that he can get back to being the player that he used to be. He could come in and help the Lions at corner or shift over to safety if needed. Mathis expressed he’s open to anything. He said that he is willing to play wherever he is needed. He referred to himself as a “savvy vet” who has seen it all. Mathis signed a contract on Saturday and the practiced both on
25. *Most populous country
Saturday and Sunday. The last veteran signing was on the defensive line. The Lions signed defensive tackle Justin Bannan who started fifteen games for the Denver Broncos last year. The 11 year veteran has played for four teams including the Bills, Ravens and Rams. Bannon has played in different defensive schemes over the years, having experience in both the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses. Jim Schwartz called him a run stopped who can give the Lions better depth. The Lions host the New England Patriots on Thursday for their third preseason game. The third preseason game offers fans the best look at the up coming team. Starters usually play the whole first half as they get ready for the season It will be interesting to see in the Lions can slow down Tom Brady and the Patriots’ passing attack. The presence of the new Lions’ veterans can only help.
26. South Korean port 27. a.k.a. Tangelos 29. Eagerness
* Visit www.michiganchronicle.com for the solutions
31. “____ me the money!”
ACROSS
43. Shamu
1. He had no cause?
44. Nigerian money
32. It may get you to first base
6. Also
46. Dharma teacher
33. *_____ Mountains
9. Captain ____
47. Chinese restaurant staple, pl.
34. Flirt
48. Founder of Scholasticism
38. Form of wrestling
50. Winningest Bowl coach
45. Even though
13. Napoleon’s stay on St. Helena, e.g. 14. Aggravate 15. It killed the radio star?
Super
36. Bone-dry 42. Chip dip
52. Marble ___
49. No ___
53. First in baseball, e.g.
51. Hang around
55. Distress signal
54. Up or down step
18. More ill
57. *Tallest mountain
56. Type of edible ray
19. Trying experience
61. *Deepest lake
21. *”Geographia” author
64. Japanese-American
57. “National Velvet” author ____ Bagnold
23. *Mouth to a river, e.g.
65. American Gas Association
16. Serving of parsley 17. Actress ___ Thompson
24. Call someone
58. *Tropical rainforests contain ninety percent of the world’s ____ species
25. PC “brain”
67. Like unspoken agreement
28. Stupor
69. Garment enlarger
59. “___ quam videri” or “To be, rather than to seem (to be)”
30. *Gobi or Kalahari, e.g.
70. Octopus’ defense
60. Instrument type
35. Os in XOXO
71. Olden day anesthetic
61. To be very hot
37. Livens up
72. It shows ownership
62. Yearn or pine
39. Pang
73. Poe’s “The Murders in the ___ Morgue”
63. Told an untruth
40. *Capri, e.g. 41. Anklebone
74. High-pitched
68. Give it a go
66. Bearded antelope
August 21-27, 2013 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • Page D-7
I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream inspired millions of African Americans to reach for the stars. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the African American Contractors and Developers who work with us, celebrate the 50th anniversary of King’s “I have a dream” speech and the great 1963 march on Washington DC. We continue to fight to keep his dream alive in Detroit. Detroit Economic Growth Corporation working hard to turn the city around.
George Jackson President & CEO
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Page D-8 • THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE • August 21-27, 2013