NEIGHBORS Leather, Luxury Goods And Fashions For Every Taste In Northwest Detroit ROOTS. B1
Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 83 – No. 14 | December 11-17, 2019
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Progress, growth and new initiatives highlighted at 9th annual State of Macomb County Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel tonight delivered his 9th annual State of the County address at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. The event, which was presented by Ascension Macomb-Oakland, covered a wide-range of topics, including community metrics, economic investments and quality of life initiatives. For example, Hackel highlighted the revitalization of the Clinton River, which was once called one of the most polluted and unusable waterways in the state. Through collaborative efforts and with the help of grant funds, the river is now clean, clear and connected. “In my first year as county executive, we made it a priority to champion our freshwater assets,” he said. “We launched the Blue Economy Initiative with the intention of improving water quality and public access. Nowhere is our success more evident than with the Clinton River.” The waterway is now a recreational asset, with nine public launch sites for kayaks and canoes. During his address, Hackel announced plans to increase this access. “This has been a remarkable environmental transformation, and it is often said that success breeds success,” he said. “So I am pleased to announce, with the assistance of FCA US LLC and other sponsors, we are adding two new access points in Clinton Township and Harrison Township.” Hackel then shared how quality of life can be influenced by public safety, and how criminal justice reform must be a priority. He pointed to initiatives led by the judiciary, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and human service organizations as examples of what can be done in this arena. “Our judges have created specialty courts focused on the unique needs of veterans and people with substance abuse or mental health challenges,” he said. “Studies show that these specialty court programs reduce recidivism rates as much as 50 percent.” According to Hackel, several other efforts will likely add to this trend, including the recently enacted “Raise the Age” legislation, community corrections pre-trial programs that are providing treatment and monitoring alternatives
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Shawn H. Wilson, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan
Reimagining the Future: Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan Receives $2M Grant to expand Community Impact
By Patreice A. Massey Thirty-four percent of Southeastern Michigan’s youth live in poverty. Seventy percent of those youth will remain at or below poverty levels as adults. The statistics are hard to swallow but Shawn H. Wilson, president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan (BGCSM) has not only digested them, he’s working to combat them. Wilson has dedicated his time to reconceptualizing the Boys & Girls Club’s purpose to encourage greater community impact. “We had to look at the big picture,” said Wilson. “We service about 15,000 kids annually. That puts us in a unique space where we are not only giving them a safe space to go after school, we can also provide them access to skills that will help them move up the economic ladder.” It is with that mission in mind that Wilson and his team decided to reimagine the Boys & Girls Club experience. The “makeover” started with the Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus (Dauch Club), a 30,000-square-foot club that boasts a music and video production studio funded by rapper Big Sean’s Sean Anderson Foundation. Plans also include a barber shop/salon, a test kitchen, laundromat for community use and an innovation lab where young people can learn everything from coding to 3D printing.
“Our mission is to create a world-class experience for our youth, so we started talking with the community about what that would look like,” Wilson said. However, the BGCSM is not stopping at the youth. They’ve taken things a step
further by creating a co-working space where parents and adults in the community can start or work on their own small businesses. The Dauch Club’s new adult memberships with co-working space and career pathway programs is a part of a pilot site launch spurred by community stakeholders. Wilson hopes to reimagine all eight of the BGCSM stand-alone centers and
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Mayor Duggan Joins New Climate Mayors Steering Committee to Guide Citywide Climate Action Mayor Mike Duggan has joined the newly launched Climate Mayors Steering Committee, a group of twenty-four mayors across the nation who collectively will serve as a leading voice in efforts to further climate action. The Steering Committee represents the more than 400 cities across the U.S. that make up the Climate Mayors coalition. The City of Detroit joined the Climate Mayors Coalition in 2017, as Mayor Duggan agreed to adopt, honor and uphold the Paris Climate Agreement goals. As a member city, Detroit has committed to bold climate action and has followed through on it by: • Launching the city’s first Sustainability Action Agenda in 2019, • Passing a greenhouse gas ordinance that commits the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from city operations by 35% by the year 2024 and 100% by the year 2050,
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There is also an area for pop up shops where kids can sell their creations thereby teaching business related skills like marketing and sales while also encouraging entrepreneurship.
• Committing to enhancing energy and water efficiency at
Duggan. “I’m honored to have been asked to join this group of leaders to share our learnings with other cities around the country.”
Mayor Mike Duggan city-owned facilities, and • Leading successful efforts to shut down the city’s trash incinerator and announcing an expansion of recycling services for residential and commercial properties. “Climate change affects everyone, and action can’t wait. Detroit is committed to doing its part to reduce emissions and plan for the future in a way that prioritizes community health, the vitality of our neighborhoods, and access to opportunity for all Detroiters,” said Mayor Mike
The Steering Committee will work alongside the Climate Mayors’ Chair, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chairs, Mayors Madeline Rogero, Sylvester Turner, and Martin J. Walsh to highlight the importance of cityled climate action in creating healthier, cleaner, and more equitable and sustainable cities. The Steering Committee will also work to build membership and more deeply engage their regions, as well as showcase the impactful work of existing Climate Mayors. After President Trump announced his initial plans to withdraw from the landmark Paris Agreement in June 2017, more than 300 mayors joined the Climate Mayors coalition, pledging to uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement in their cities and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The network has since grown to include 438
mayors, both Democrat and Republican, who represent cities ranging in size and region and show the overwhelming support for climate action among the majority of Americans. Today’s Steering Committee launch builds on the leadership of Climate Mayors across the country who continue to lead on building a healthier and stronger clean energy future, regardless of the decisions made at the federal level. “Cities across our country and around the world see the impacts of climate change firsthand -- and we stand front and center in the fight to address this crisis with every tool at our disposal,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “No matter what happens on the national level, cities know we cannot afford any more debates or delays, so we will continue to act to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, protect our most vulnerable residents, strengthen global health, and create a green economy that works for everyone.”
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