Michigan Chronicle Digital Edition 5.5.21

WCCCD Earns Acclaim with

ACEN Nursing Accreditation – Story inside WAY N E C O U N T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E D I S T R I C T ’ S

Michigan Chronicle NURSING PROGRAM EARNS ACEN ACCREDITATION Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Notes District’s High Standards During Challenging Period

Vol. 84 – No. 35 | May 5-11, 2021

Wayne County Community College District’s Nursing Program received affirmation of its accreditation status with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The review commission particularly cited the “flexibility, courage, and resiliency demonstrated by [WCCCD’s] nursing program faculty and leaders, and their institutional colleagues during the global pandemic.” The peer review also offered a note of thanks to the District for “maintaining high standards while providing outstanding support to the students and your communities.”

President Biden’s Joint Address to Congress and His Plan For America

Accreditation is a rigorous and lengthy process by which a program is evaluated by a group of its peers (“peer evaluators”) in order to determine its quality. The peer evaluators perform this The 2020 presidential election evaluation by conducting a site visit, after which an was one fordecision the books. riddled accreditation is madeItbywas the ACEN Board of Commissioners.

When a with accusations ofnursing voterprogram fraud,holds po-ACEN accreditation, it means that ACEN recognizes that a litical upsets shifting traditional red nursing program meetsaa violent set of Standards and can be states blue, and insurrectrusted deliver quality education. tion onto the country’s capital; a new

By Megan Kirk

winner emerged and presented one of the “Our mostnursing diverseprogram cabinetsprovides in presidentialhands-on history. training, President Joseph R. clinical skills Biden clinched country’s popupractice and the patient care teamwork training to prepare ourasstudents,” lar vote and took his seat the nation’s leader for the next four years.

The President stacked his L.campaign said WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis Ivery. “The recent on promises student accreditation bylike ACENeliminating assures southeast Michigan’s loan debt,systems climate control healthcare that WCCCDregulations, is providing them and policies.

Still, as he with immigration well-trained, nursing professionals.” crosses his 100th day in office, Americans are starting to form an opinion on his leadership and execution of his campaign platform.

WCCCD received a successful reaffirmation of their nursing program from the ACEN until Fall 2025.

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WCCCD, the largest urban community college in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with six campus locations and specialty campuses, including the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), the Curtis L. Ivery Health and Wellness Education Center, and the Outdoor Careers Training Center. The District serves nearly 70,000 students annually across 36 cities and townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to the continued development of new programs, workforce transformation, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services.

One-on-One with Detroit Mayoral Candidate

Anthony Adams

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. The practice of establishing and maintaining a universal standard of training for nurses began in 1893, and ACEN continues to provide specialized accreditation for all levels of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs located in the United States, U.S. Territories, and internationally). The comprehensive peer-review from ACEN is a voluntary quality review, which led to the verification of quality teaching, learning, and viability of its Nursing program to prepare students for careers in healthcare.

Inheriting a country in the throes of a national and international health pandemic, social and civil unrest, and racially divided, President Biden got to work on earning the country’s trust. For some, it seems to have paid off. In a CNN poll conducted by SSRS,

59 percent of those who participated believed the President is doing a good job thus far at keeping his campaign promises. He has an overall approval rate of 53 percent. During the same period during their presidencies, former President Barack Obama held 63 percent, and Donald Trump stood at 44 percent.

Rankings aside, some believe the President has yet to take any sizable actions towards advancing the nation.

Here in Detroit, community members are still waiting for the President to make good on his campaign promises.

“In his first 100 days he has made good on none of his promises and is doing nothing of substance he is doing what most politicians do to get in office. Biden is only in office because he is still riding high off President Obama’s name,” says K. Johnson, a local Detroiter.

In his first address to the Joint Sessions of Congress, the President gave his audience a fact-check of his administration’s accomplishments during the first 100 days, including surpassing his goal for vaccinations, stimulus checks rental assistance, and increased enrollment for the Affordable Care Act. Still, some Detroiters feel the President is simply resetting the country to before Donald Trump’s reign.

“President Biden’s performance in

See 100

By The Michigan Chronicle Editorial Board

those experiences are what separates me from any other candidate.”

According to former Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams, the good people of Detroit deserve better, and that is what the long-time politician wants to provide to the city that is practically his heartbeat.

Listed as the most dangerous city in the nation by the FBI in 2019, Detroit’s elevated crime rates were addressed with tips to combat the issues while addressing poverty levels, which he said are related.

Adams shared his political views during an interview with The Michigan Chronicle staff inside Real Times Media’s Studio 1452 recently. There, he spoke at length of his passion behind infusing fresh ideas to his beloved city that he’s served for over 30 years in a variety of roles.

Adams said that the city should redefine its approach to addressing crime and shift its focus from criminal prosecutions to civil infractions.

Under Adams’ campaign slogan, “We Detroit. We Deserve Better,” he divulges what is at the center of his platform’s message: “the people who live in the city of Detroit www.wcccd.edu … deserve much more than what they are getting.”

“The people who have been through thick and thin, the people who have struggled, the people who have paid high tax rates, high insurance rates… suffered through crime … we can do much, much better for the people who live in the city. We can expect more for ourselves and we deserve more,” he said.

Adams is described as a progressive leader ready to change the status quo of the current Mayor Mike Duggan administration.

“We must be progressive in our approaches,” Adams said previously.

Adams outlined his four central campaign pillars: crime, equity, the senior citizen population and improving the quality of life of residents.

Adams would bring a versatile background to the position if elected. He has worked with former Mayor Coleman A. Young as an executive assistant and under Kwame Kilpatrick, where he said that he left his position as the then-deputy mayor unscathed after Kilpatrick’s legal troubles. He also has experience serving with the Detroit Public Schools District and the Detroit Water Department in varying capacities, coupled with his work as an attorney in the legal realm.

“I do have so much experience understanding what government is and what government should be and how government should serve the people,” he said. “These experiences have allowed me to have much broader experiences … and understanding of how we really need to do things the right way in the City of Detroit, and I think

“Part of what is happening in the City of Detroit is we criminalized a lot of conduct and what we’ve got to begin to do is decriminalize a lot of things that actually occur in the City of Detroit,” he said, adding that young people hanging out in parks after dark might receive misdemeanor convictions -- what they need are lesser-punishable sentences.

He added that misdemeanor convictions on their record make it difficult for them to get jobs.

“We’ve got to change how we actually enforce different laws in the City of Detroit,” Adams said, adding that traffic infractions or equipment violations have a direct result of people living in poverty and not being able to fix their car.

“Why do we continue to criminalize that type of conduct?”

Adams said that the mayor needs to be the face of how residents are policed and the police chief would follow suit.

From community intervention specialists working on helping residents before a situation escalates to more residential involvement on city happenings -- Adams wants to bring about real change that gets the residents fired up for what could be on the horizon if he’s elected.

Getting ahead also means being financially stable and receiving potential support from the government. Adams wants to bring about change in the form of policy advancements including a universal basic income living wage.

This would help boost the residents (a large percentage) who are bringing home roughly $27,000 annually in comparison to the state of Michigan’s average residential income being over $50,000.

“We are already under income in the city,” he said, adding that a large percentage of the population are essential workers -- another set of residents are working out-

See ANTHONY

ADAMS page A2

DAYS page A2

WHAT’S INSIDE

‘We Want to See You Thrive:’

Denise Fair Speaks to Residents on Combating COVID-19

By Sherri Kolade Denise Fair, chief public health officer for the City of Detroit, does not have a magic wand to combat the coronavirus.

Millennial Moms in Business City.Life.Style. B1

$1.00

But Fair does have something else: practical measures she says will help combat the virus. And armed with statistics and safe-keeping protocols, she did discuss ways to reduce the alarming high COVID19 positivity rates in the city (and Denise Fair regionally and beyond) which is a growing concern among local leaders and residents alike.

During a recent virtual interview with Fair at Real Times Media’s Studio 1452,

she and Michigan Chronicle’s Digital Anchor Andre Ash discussed the city’s vaccination efforts and potential (tried and true) ways COVID-19 could be minimized.

“It’s going really well -- people still want to be vaccinated,” Fair told Ash of getting residents vaccinated. “We’re getting an ample supply of vaccines (drive-thru and walk-in). (We) expanded our efforts and are going into the community launching Saturday clinics with local churches … in the city and in schools.”

Fair said despite the city’s robust effort, so far only 25% of Detroiters have been vaccinated and are “lagging behind” in the rest of the counties.

Local statistics show exactly how far the city is behind vaccination rates in comparison: • Oakland County has a vaccination rate of 48%

• Macomb County has a vaccination rate of 39% “We have a long way to go and I think we’re headed in the right direction,” she said.

Fair said (during the city’s Neighborhood Vaccine Week) that more vaccination campaign efforts are being pushed and the focus is now “not just access but education.”` “We want to make sure we get questions answered,” she said, adding that in mid-April the city held town halls with over 9,000 callers who had questions.

“To me, that means people are craving knowledge.”

They also discussed the federal recommendation to pause the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (due to blood-clotting issues) and how the city is handling the vaccination shift.

The United States health officials are

See COMBATING

COVID-19 page A2

Page A-2 • michiganchronicle.com • May 5-11, 2021

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100 Days From page A-1

his first 100 days was undoing what Trump built.

I would like to see him do more than undo what is already done,” says LaDawn Duckett, an employee in the auto industry.

During the joint address, Americans also heard a detailed plan for tacking the next 100 days and beyond. Detailing the American Jobs Plan, an interactive to help drive the nation’s economy, the President promised to create jobs to get Americans back to work.

“The American Jobs Plan is going to create millions of good paying jobs. Jobs Americans can raise a family in with what my dad says ‘a little breathing room,” says the President.

The President nudged Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act on his desk for signing to ensure equality and opportunities for women are available and paid on the same scales as male counterparts.

The pandemic is one sweeping criterion the President is being graded on during his first 100 days in office. According to the same CNN poll, 66 percent of Americans polled agree the President is handling the crisis well. As some states continue to see a decrease in positive cases, other states are on an uptick.

Although cases are rises in some states such as Michigan, access to the vaccine is widespread.

For Detroit, vaccination sites are beginning to see a slow down in appointments or those returning for their second shot.

Despite the slow down, the President was able to meet his goal of 100 million vaccines going into the arms of Americans.

Upon entering office, less than one percent of Americans were vaccinated.

Now, more than a quarter of the American population is fully vaccinated.

Still, a long way to go, the urgency to become vaccinated is soaring as variant strain cases cause spikes in the sick.

“Today, 90 percent of Americans now live within five miles of a vaccination site. Everyone over the age of 16, every-

Combating COVID-19 From page A-1 requesting for the immediate halt of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after six recipients were found to have a rare blood clot disorder, according to reports.

The FDA and CDC announced recently that they are recommending the pause. The FDA said as of April 12 more than 6.8 million doses of that vaccine have been administered in the U.S. The FDA and CDC are looking into data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the vaccine.

“Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” reads the statement from the FDA. “Treatment of this specific type of blood clot is different from the treatment that might typically be administered.”

“CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases,” the FDA statement reads on. “Until that process is complete, we are recommending this pause.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for an emergency use authorization in February.

Fair said that so far, of the 125,000 Detroiters vaccinated, 98% of them received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and only 2% received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Also, Detroiters who were scheduled to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should already keep their appointments -- another two-dose vaccine will be available.

Throughout the week of April 12, Detroit was going to administer Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to residents.

“Based on the recommendation from the CDC and FDA, the Detroit Health Department is halting the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further notice.

The city has a sufficient supply of Moderna and Pfizer to vaccinate everyone who had an appointment scheduled this week at the Northwest Activity Center or the neighborhood clinics for a J&J shot,” Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair said in an earlier published emailed statement.

“There is really no best vaccine -- the best vaccine is the one available to you,” she said, adding that the city was swift in switching over vaccines.

“We quickly pivoted … of an abundance of caution.”

Participants will receive an appointment for their second dose three to four weeks later. Appointments at the TCF center and Saturday community centers are unaffected by this announcement. They have always been receiving Pfizer/Moderna vaccines.

When it comes to getting back to normal, Fair said that it is “hopefully soon” but in the meantime, she is going to keep “preaching the same thing” about the importance of wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands, and getting vaccinated.

“I think people are tired and want to get back to their normal lives of backyard BBQs -- that might not happen for a while until we double down on our efforts; follow rules and get vaccinated and we can get to community immunity,” she said.

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one is now eligible to get vaccinated. Go get vaccinated, America,” says President Biden during the address.

The CNN poll also shows the President’s approval rates are up in various categories. Fifty-four percent of Americans believe the President is doing well in environmental policies and racial injustice issues. Hitting the middle range, 51 percent approve of his handling of the economy, 50 percent for taxes, and 48 percent agree with his dealings on foreign affairs. Still, critics of the President are not happy with what they have seen.

“He can be a man of his word and make good on the promises that he made before getting into office. Honestly I don’t expect much from Biden because he’s been in politics all these years and now all of a sudden he cares about the African American community and police brutality when he sat by all these years and did nothing,” Johnson says.

The President also unveiled a COVID relief package and a new family plan that will impact childcare, offer free community colFair added that herd immunity equates to about 70% of Detroiters being vaccinated.

“Hopefully we can get to that sooner rather than later,” she said. “We have made it easy for Detroiters to get vaccinated.”

That ease comes in the form of one phone number to call: 313-2300505.

“Please stay focused, follow the safety precautions,” she said adding that she understands as a Black woman there is still some vaccine hesitancy but it’s time to buckle down even as “there is mistrust in the community.”

“Save your life; arm yourself with knowledge.

Make the best decision for yourself. … We just want to see you thrive … and get vaccinated,” Fair said.

For more information visit https://detroitmi.gov/ and search for the Detroit Health Department.

Note: At the time of print the CDC Recommends Use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Resume as of April 25.

Per the CDC website: What you need to know: CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine resume in the United States, after a temporary pause.

Reports of adverse events following the use of J&J/Janssen vaccine suggest an increased risk of a rare adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Nearly all reports of this serious condition, which involves blood clots with low platelets, have been in adult women younger than 50 years old.

A review of all available data at this time shows that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks.

However, women younger than 50 years old especially should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event and that there are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen.

CDC and FDA will continue to monitor the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines.

Seek medical care right away if you develop any of the symptoms below after receiving the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.

lege, and a police reform bill named George Floyd.

Still new to the role, President Biden is charging forward with his plans for America.

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Anthony Adams From page A-1

side the city at underpaying jobs. “We have a lot of different federal programs.”

Adams said the standard income in the city could be bumped up so that the average resident makes $40,000 from funding sources through a more “robust” human service agency to help the “under-resourced” and “overtaxed” residents. From being overtaxed to blight issues, Adams said the answer to solving home-related issues is twofold: keep people in their homes and promote homeownership.

“Detroit used to be a beacon of hope for homeownership -- you cannot build wealth in a city if people are renting,” he said adding that keeping people in their homes stabilizes neighborhoods.

From an economic standpoint, Adams said that equity in the city is a myth with the current administration with the 80 percent Black city receiving only about 5 percent of the contracting opportunities.

“We’re getting minuscule dollars,” he

said adding that it is time to see “who is actually getting paid.” “Detroiters are not getting paid … I’m unabashedly supporting Detroit Black businesses pure and simple. I believe that they have been left out. I believe they have not been included and I believe we can change that.”

Detroit’s Mayoral Election is Tuesday, November 2.

LEADERS DO WHAT’S RIGHT

DTE is taking bold steps

to address climate change and ensure affordable, reliable energy. Like building the largest wind and solar installations in the state and using cleaner natural gas.

Now, we’re accelerating our efforts — tripling renewables, and cutting carbon emissions in half over the next ten years. Because leaders do what’s right, not what’s easy.

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Roots.

| May 5-11, 2021

Justice for George:

Forgotten Harvest

How Black People Can Heal After Verdict

By Sherri Kolade After the verdict was handed down that former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of unarmed Black man George Floyd, Black communities let out a symbolic sigh of relief.

Justice had prevailed.

Set to Open New Facility

We celebrate the continual healing of Blackness itself, but we are still reminded of how far we have to go as Malcolm X truths decades before could have easily been written on the day that Chauvin’s guilty verdict was made known.

“We are not fighting for integration, nor are we fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as human beings...In fact, we are actually fighting for rights that are even greater than civil rights and that is human rights.” - Malcolm X (“Black Revolution”) How do we exactly fight for our rights, still, and seek healing in this racist-tinged world full of people who don’t like you simply because of the color of your skin?

We heal first, according to www. healthline.com.

Because racism isn’t a one and done type of thing, Black people face racism in a myriad of ways that can, over time, build up into harming side effects. That needs to be released in ways listed below.

Validate Experiences That Are Racist When a Black person faces racism or racist experiences, find ways to heal from that through different support services whether it be with a circle of friends, family, the church or working with counselors.

Celebrating Blackness Black is always beautiful and finding ways to celebrate our blackness is important every day of the year.

Confronting the Source and the System that Allows or Finances Racist Behavior Learn more about the companies you purchase from – find out what organizations and causes they support and to ensure that they align with your values. If not, support business, Black-owned or others, that are committed to racial equality and justice.

This helps Black people become empowered knowing that your money does not ultimately help finance the systems and people who are intent on killing Black people, and gives allies the information they need to support equality.

michiganchronicle.com

By Megan Kirk

three sites into one.

Over the last 30 years, Forgotten Harvest has helped combat hunger for people across the city of Detroit. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has set out to provide fresh and healthy food options while also finding solutions for and fighting against barriers to access food and proper waste management. Now, it is expanding into a new space to help support more metro Detroiters and provide greater assistance to the community it serves.

Housed in Oak Park, Forgotten Harvest celebrated 30 years of service during the height of the pandemic last year. Despite the health crisis, Forgotten Harvest continues to provide roughly 138,000 pounds of food each day to its partners who help to distribute it to families in need across Detroit and its surrounding cities.

“We want to make sure it gets served at a high level and with the kind of respect that comes with us loving on our community and serving our people and our families,” says Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest.

Moving to a bigger space, the food center will be in a new 77,000-squarefoot distribution facility, volunteer center and headquarters. Still housed in Oak Park, the new Forgotten Harvest facility will provide more emergency food resources and a better-balanced variety of food options to the community. The organization will also be able to improve daily operations by consolidating from

“This transformational initiative will enable Forgotten Harvest to improve the nutritional mix of food by 300 percent and increase our capacity to rescue and distribute 50 million pounds to 90 million pounds of emergency food,” says Mayes. “The project will create better health and quality of life annually in outcomes for the 400,000 plus children, families and seniors we serve throughout southeastern Michigan, helping those who reside in urban areas such as the City of Detroit and Pontiac, as well as many suburban and rural communities”.

The new center will include adequate space for proper social distancing of volunteers and a larger storage space for food distribution. Now in the public phase of the Solutions That Nourish Campaign, the organization is gearing up to unveil the facility which is set to open its doors in spring 2022.

“We are thrilled to be heading into the public phase of our Solutions That Nourish Campaign,” says Mayes. “This has been several years in the making and we are looking forward to enhancing our business model to provide more resources and a more balanced and equitable nutritional mix of food to the communities we serve.”

Thanks to an anonymous $3 million dollar challenge gift, the campaign debuted its leadership phase in 2019 and has since been able to secure critical gifts to begin the campaign. The Campaign has raised more than $12 million

of its $17 million dollar goal with plans of hitting the mark before the public opening of the facility.

“The new Forgotten Harvest campus will be our distribution center of the future,” says Forgotten Harvest Board Chair Rick DiBartolomeo. “Our continued vision and mission of creating a food security network for metro Detroit’s hungry will happen right here.

Many thanks to all those that have contributed so far to the success of this transformational initiative.”

Although the pandemic has greatly affected day-to-day life, business and finances, it has also help bring attention to food shortages and insecurities.

Feeding America reports 42 million people across the country will face hunger because of the pandemic. With organizations like Forgotten Harvest, the hunger epidemic for families across the city is diminishing.

“We want to make sure we can get as much food out, but it is also as equitable a distribution of food in different categories so that people can have as many meals as possible with the food that we are sending out to the communities,” says Mayes.

Forgotten Harvest broke ground on the new location in November 2020. The campus is on 10 acres and the distribution facility will have 15 truck bays, refrigerated and freezer food storage, food processing and repack areas, administrative offices, ample parking for a fleet of 36 large trucks and parking spaces for 200 volunteers and staff.

Talking Reparations Reparations focus on the material conditions of the descendants of enslaved people beyond finances, according to the article.

“For example, it includes healthcare in response to the chronic illnesses that are a direct result of slavery and its aftermath.”

Let’s talk more about that and get on the political train to ensure this happens.

Black Mental Health When a wrong is acknowledged,

See HEAL page A-4

Incentives and Vaccines: Companies Offer Perks for Vaccine Coverage

By Megan Kirk After a strong push and a running start, recent reports show the COVID-19 vaccination rate for Michiganders has significantly dropped. In an effort to rally more residents to become vaccinated, many employers are offering incentives to workers if they are able to show proof of receiving the Pfizer, Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, questions of bribery, ethics and security come to mind after several institutions have implemented vaccine incentives.

Companies across the country are offering employee perks to those who choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Announcing just this year, McDonald’s is offering employees both on a corporate and restaurant level up to four additional hours of paid time off. The grocery-giant Kroger will give

anywhere else vaccines are being offered.

workers a $100 bonus if any of the 500,000 employees across 35 states is able to present proof of vaccination. Darden Restaurants, the parent company behind eateries like Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze, will pay employees a total of two hours of pay for each dose of the vaccine, totaling four hours of extra pay.

Corporations are not the only entities looking to provide a reward in exchange for the vaccine. Colleges and universities across America are offering perks to students and allowing them back on campus for their vaccination. UNC Greensboro in North Carolina recently concluded a raffle that would give winners 10 free meals in the school’s cafeterias, ten text book scholarships to cover the cost of books for class and one lucky student will win free housing for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year.

“We’ve continued to meet to discuss all matters of issues related to COVID-19, the pandemic and what we should be doing in response as a university,” says M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University. “I asked the group to think about just a minimal incentive that would thank students for getting vaccinated and kind of nudge them just a little bit.”

M. Roy Wilson Locally, Wayne State University announced the school will upload $10 to students’ accounts if they are able to upload proof of vaccination by the May 7, 2021, deadline. Once uploaded, the funds will be able to be used immediately. Students are welcome to get the vaccine at the school’s student clinic or

With over 26,000 students enrolled as of fall 2020, the university could potentially pay over $250,000 dollars assuming every student takes advantage of the incentive, sparking questions of where the funds will be sourced from.

“The Dean of Students office has a student activities fund so we are using that source,” says President Wilson.

The Detroit Public Schools

Community District (DPSCD) is also offering teachers and other qualified personnel the opportunity to earn an additional $500 for proof of complete vaccination. Recently announced in a letter, Superintendent for DPSCD Nikolai Vitti also stated teachers would earn extra sick days in addition to the financial gain.

Although many companies and institutions are offering incentives for the vaccine, there still exists a strong hesitancy from workers who have yet to decide their stance on the vaccine. According to research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management in February, despite the push from employers to become vaccinated, 28 percent reported they would still choose not to get the vaccine, even if it meant losing their jobs.

See INCENTIVES page A-4

Page A-4 • michiganchronicle.com •

Incentives From page A-3

“Our research shows a stark divide in perceptions surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. We could see a real ‘vaccine vortex’ and a potential financial firestorm impacting employers who need a vaccinated workforce to sustain their enterprises, and those who are likely to avoid the vaccine at all costs,” says Alex Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM Chief Knowledge Officer. “The number

Heal

From page A-3 it must be fixed. As all people become more aware of racial injustice, Black people are better able to hold them accountable.

Beyond diversity and inclusion training, Black people require psychosocial support as they work through trauma, according to the article. The professional guidance of Black mental health practitioners is important and sometimes essential to healing.

“So is having the space to care for our mental health on a day-to-day basis. We ask a lot of ourselves. We can support each other by normalizing taking care of our individual and collective mental health,” according to the article.

May 5-11, 2021

of employees who indicate they will not get the vaccine, even at the risk of losing their job, coupled with the large number of employees who said they would be willing to accept a reduction in salary in exchange for permanently working from home, raises a series of important questions for organizations.”

For some, the issue of legality and ethics come to mind as companies continue to unroll incentive plans to coax employees towards vaccination.

Although small in its approach, Wayne State is unconcerned in the matter.

“I think that the ethics comes in when you start getting into incentives that a reasonable person would not take because it’s large. That, to me, is coercive. Ten dollars for lunch is minimal,” says President Wilson.

Despite a dip in Michigan’s vaccination numbers, employers and institutions are striving to create a safe space for all.

COVID vaccines continue to be administered across the city. The state currently stands at 30 percent for residents who are completely vaccinated.

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Mrs. ELMA W. PEDDY – 101 YEARS

Happy Mother's Day

Missionary Prophetess Queen A mother like no other. You’re the wind beneath our wings and a kind soul that cares for us through everything. Amazing you are and amazing you will forever be. There would be no life for us if you didn’t sacrifice time and effort into our existence. May this mother’s day reward you with life and memories of all that makes you who you are, a Queen. Happy Mother’s day Ma, to you and all the mother’s, and a special happy mother’s day from your grandson Josiah.

Former Miss NAACP of Detroit.

rs. Elma W. Peddy, was born in Yazoo, Mississippi on May 04, 1920 to the parents of Rev. and Mrs. David Willis, and she was the second child of five. As a young child attending high school, she became active in the Glee and Drama Clubs and traveled throughout the State of Mississippi along with her siblings touring as a glee club.

She married the late Mr. William Adolph Peddy and four children were born to this union. They moved to the Boston-Edison District in Detroit, Michigan in July 1958 where they raised their children and exposed them to the arts, culture, educational, and civic opportunities.

Mrs. Peddy attended Oakland Community College, Highland Park College of Nursing, Madonna College of Nursing, and Wayne State University.

Subsequently, graduating as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. A major career accomplishment was her development of the Nursing Model that trains Nurse Practitioners.

She, along with her Family established the Peddy Players Theatre Company which trained and developed children, youth, and adolescent’s musical art forms, singing poetry reading and academics. Later, thousands of youths were trained under the tutelage of Mrs. Elma W. Peddy and the Peddy Players Theatre Company

Mrs. Peddy has served in leadership capacities in her church, community, and sorority. Mrs. Peddy has performed in an exemplary manner for Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated, where she has served for over 70 years.

She has served in leadership capacities at the local, regional, and national levels of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated, where she was inducted into Alpha Chapter and later graduated to Beta Chapter where she has served for approximately 65 years. A mighty accomplishment was serving as the Regional Director of the Northern Region, which is the first region of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc.

Emphasizing Rest One of the most important practices that’s growing in popularity in the Black community is rest.

“It’s a part of self-care but also a critical component of community care.

We automatically associate rest and relaxation with holidays and days of observance,” according to the article. But we need to make rest a part of everyday life. “Activism can easily take the place of hobbies and leisure, so rest must become an intentional practice.”

Content provided by www.healthline.com.

M

A SERVANT LEADER, SERVING FOR AND WITH: Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc., Kellogg Youth Foundation, Metropolitan Baptist Church, NAACP, Michigan Nursing Association, Top Ladies of Distinction, Wayne County Citizens Board, North Carolina AT&T Alumni Detroit Chapter, Detroit Considine Recreation Board, Historic Boston-Edison Association, and the Spirit of Detroit.

Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Inc. BETA CHAPTER – April 26, 2021 Youth Talk with the Royal Family's: Princess Malinda, Missionary Prophetess Queen, Prince Kevin II

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Money.

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New TechTown Fund to Assist Detroit Black-Owned Tech Firms

By Megan Kirk

TechTown Detroit recently announced the kick-off of its new Startup Fund to help Detroit-based Black tech founders to get their companies off the ground and thrive.

Donations to the startup fund are currently being accepted to provide grants of up to $10,000 to Detroit-based Black tech founders to help their companies off to a good start.

The TechTown Startup Fund is designed to cover the financial gap many tech businesses experience at the earliest stages between idea validation and tangible products. Without funding that often comes in the form of cash injections from friends and family or bank loans, many business owners are forced to give up on their dreams and walk away from their businesses. This Fund supports these growing businesses across what is known as the startup valley of death.

“Black business owners often face critical and nearly insurmountable financial obstacles when starting or expanding their businesses. We find this especially true in the technology sector where Black entrepreneurs are still fighting for their seat at the table,” said Ned Staebler, president, and CEO of TechTown Detroit. “These grants are one way to help bridge the funding gap for our clients.”

The racial funding gap is stark. Federal Reserve numbers show that more than 80 percent of white business owners receive at least a percentage of the funding they request from a bank, while only 66 percent of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous or people of color) business owners can’t say the same.

When BIPOC-owned firms do get funding, the amounts tend to be about $30,000 less than comparable white-owned businesses, while their interest rates are about 1.4 percent higher.

The TechTown Startup Fund will provide much-needed funds to support highly-qualified Black-owned alumni of TechTown’s tech entrepreneurship programs and Capital Access Program (launching late spring) that are struggling to find capital. Applicants will target grants to meet a specific milestone that will take their company to the next level and unlock more traditional funding sources. The milestone could be the creation of a prototype or revenue-generating minimum viable product.

“Many of our Black-owned, local tech businesses are on the verge of significant progress,” said Marlo Rencher, director of technology-based programs for TechTown.

“Especially after the challenges of the past 12 months, we need to take concrete actions to ensure we proactively build a tech ecosystem that truly represents Detroit. We’ve already engaged in this type of work at TechTown with clients like Livegistics, but this fund will formalize the process and open it to the community for crowdsourcing.”

Rencher told The Michigan Chronicle during a follow-up interview that the tech ecosystem works differently than a lot of other businesses because oftentimes tech companies need capital before their revenue and profitability streams start to come in.

“In terms of wealth, a lot of Black folks who are … starting a company might not have access to that quick, easy capital [others might have],” she said. “That wealth gap makes it difficult for people … to scale to success.”

Livegistics solves logistics problems for heavy civil and demolition construction businesses by providing a digital platform that makes it easier for multiple companies working on the same project to track their progress.

With TechTown’s support, founder Jus-

See TECH

TOWN FUND page A6

Detroit Duo Launches Network for Black Small Businesses

By Megan Kirk

A local Detroit pair, Andre Bartell and Omar Dismuke, have teamed up to create the ultimate business marketplace to help Black-owned businesses regain a sense of normalcy while growing a budding network of businesses.

Businesses are beginning to see a small glimmer of hope one year after the start of the pandemic which wiped out a number of neighborhood momand-pop shops. While many businesses closed, other Black-owned businesses continue to face systemic and racial discrimination along with financial inequalities. Combined together, these issues help continue to lessen the success rates for Black businesses across the country.

The Detroit Business Center is the brainchild of Andre Bartell, an entrepreneur and owner of a printing company in Metro Detroit. Through years of professional and entrepreneurial experience, the creation of the new business network reaches beyond the assistance he can provide alone. Establishing a network for not only Black businesses but small businesses led by women, minorities and disabled veterans alike, The Detroit Business Center will act as a one-stop-shop for business knowledge.

“When people want to find out about businesses, financing, loans, business development, marketing or anything dealing with business, we want them to come to the marketplace,” says Bartell. “Instead of searching around for particular businesses, we’re bringing everything under one roof.”

The idea to form the network originally hatched some years ago. However, after shifts in key players, the site never saw the light of day. Now, with the stars aligned, the DBC is a reality.

“The idea was visionary close to about 20 years ago when we first got into the online platform. We tried to launch it for many years, but we just couldn’t find the right team,” Bartell says.

As the platform already existed prior to the pandemic, COVID provided the perfect storm to reintroduce the brand and push Black businesses during a time when extra encouragement was needed.

“This platform has been available for a number of years now. The pandemic, it’s an opportunity for us to really launch it and really take advantage of it,” says Bartell.

The site helps customers shop around for the best business to fulfill

their personal and professional needs.

It will give business owners the opportunity to connect with local resource providers, post jobs, source leads and interact with customers and other entrepreneurs. Shifting gears to an online business was a seamless transition for the entrepreneur.

“It was easy for us to make the transition to an online process that’s something more than a directory, but a marketplace where everybody comes to shop,” he said Founding the Detroit Business Center came as a collaborative effort from the LunarX Agency and QmeLocal. Together with Bartell, the entities collectively formed to make an even greater impact on Black businesses and the community at large.

“It was during the pandemic that we kind of intersected and my team, we were developing strategies and different packages to help the small businesses throughout this time,” says Omar Dismuke, co-founder of LunarX. “We thought it was the perfect opportunity to help Andre get his idea online by building the platform.”

No stranger to helping businesses along their path to success, Dismuke

See NETWORK page A6

Why Coworking Spaces Aren’t Dead Yet

By Sherri Kolade

the virus,” Hatcher, who is functioning at about 90%, said. “It’s been quite a journey.”

Felisha Hatcher, an owner of shared office workspace Co:ology on 18940 E. 9 Mile Road in Eastpointe, might as well be the face of resilience.

Working Together and Apart

After battling the flu and COVID-19 for over three weeks in February, she faced mild to severe complications with breathing, congestion, a persistent cough, fatigue and the unnerving possibility that she wouldn’t make it.

“Feeling helpless, all I could do was sleep, continue my regime of herbs and supplements, pray and allow my body to heal,” she told The Michigan Chronicle recently.

Before Hatcher was ill, she and her husband busied themselves planning events to end the quarter but they decided to keep the business closed for safety reasons.

“We didn’t want to risk any chances of exposing anyone. Thankfully my husband and daughter tested negative and did not contract

It’s been a full year already for Hatcher, who reopens in April, and she is hoping to recoup some of the losses her company’s experienced due to the pandemic that caused them to remain closed for most of 2020.

After originally opening their home office in 2016, it wasn’t until 2018 that they formed Co:ology and began to offer shared office workspace.

“After two years, we were finally building our client base, securing local and national contracts, expanding our community outreach and preparing to offer new services, and then we were hit with COVID,” she said, adding that events and contracts were canceled and all future plans were on hold with “no clear answer of what was next for us.”

Co:ology typically had intimate groups

See COWORKING

SPACES page A6

Page A-6 • michiganchronicle.com • May 5-11, 2021

Coworking Spaces From page A-5 of about 30-40 guests pre-pandemic. Post COVID-19, with social distancing health regulations in place and capacity limits, their traffic has been “reduced drastically.”

“We stopped all private events [a main source of income] and focused solely on services for our meeting rooms with three to four guests at a time,” she said, adding that with the return to work happening she remains optimistic that people are still looking for amenities like hers.

“I remain hopeful that the upswing will bring in much-needed revenue for small businesses,” she said, adding that Co:ology, has a large community base that has been “amazingly supportive” throughout this ordeal. “We look forward to re-opening in April and getting back to serving our community. What we’ve learned through this: Resiliency is our greatest asset...2020 was a great teacher.”

Network

From page A-5 formerly led brand development for Dayton Business Center.

The Detroit native is using his work through LunarX to propel Black businesses forward, close the digital divide in urban and underrepresented areas and create unity amongst Black business entities.

“Local business owners will now be able to network, connect and collaborate with one another inside of one comprehensive platform,” says Dis-

muke. “The marketplace helps accomplish one of our goals of narrowing the digital divide in the area.”

The Detroit Business Center will offer high-level analytics to provide a range of data, including small-business representation by volume, employee count, industry and revenue.

The network will also partner with banking institutions and government entities for financial assistance and access to programs.

The Detroit Business Center also welcomes home-based and online companies.

Tech Town Fund

those funding sources are ... as you are building your business,” Batts said.

tin Turk was able to access the startup funding he needed for their technology compliance and security audit. This Blackowned, Detroit-based company is now able to scale and partner on major contracts with a Fortune 500 company. Without it, Turk would have been forced to make hard decisions.

“It is imperative that we step up and support these businesses, so they can create jobs and drive our economic recovery,” said Staebler. “Whatever individuals can give —whether that is $5, $500 or $5,000 — will go a long way toward supporting a project that benefits us all.”

From page A-5

Dawn Batts, a capital strategist at TechTown, said that if a tech company doesn’t have a rich uncle, aunt or cousin, TechTown is helping bridge that gap.

“Our intent is to help people understand when and where

To contribute to the TechTown Startup Fund, visit techtowndetroit.org.

Applications for the TechTown Startup Fund will be available for eligible businesses beginning in August. Updated information will be shared at techtowndetroit.org.

A California-based law firm, JD Supra LLC, reported that the benefits of coworking spaces in a COVID-19 world are huge, with numerous companies still having their employees come to work a couple of times a week or month.

“This new working reality may lead many companies to eliminate much of their office space.”

The law firm added in a published article that coworking spaces allow for companies to “decentralize offices” and allow employees to access conference rooms and other services, “or simply to get out of the house” while still being closer to home.

It added that there is, seemingly, a slight dichotomy to using a public co-working space during COVID-19 where social restrictions are in place. But with safety adjustments and changes made to these spaces coupled with shifting employee/employer needs, coworking spaces and “the office sharing concept will likely thrive.”

According to www.allwork.space: • About 35,000 flexible workspaces exist in the world today.

• The world market value of flexible workspaces is roughly at about $26 billion.

Office Space 2.0 Karen Burton, the owner of SpaceLab Detroit, a downtown coworking space, is all too familiar with the sting of having to close her company’s doors last year.

“It’s been a little difficult over the last year or so,” Burton said. “Some of the shared workspaces are struggling -- people, they are used to working at home. They are hesitant about being around other people.”

Burton added that shared coworking spaces are all about being around other people and sharing ideas – with some of her clients coming in occasionally while others work from home.

She, too, has meeting spaces or meeting rooms at reduced capacity for people who want to get out of the house and in a “new environment.”

“We are getting some traffic but it is nothing like it used to be,” she said of her facility that opened in June 2017.

Burton also upped her cleaning and sanitizing protocol, added air purifiers throughout the facility, along with self-screening/reporting of COVID-19 symptoms upon check-in.

After shutting down last March and reopening, they never “really closed down” fully because they have a virtual office and mail handling business.

“A lot of people receive their business mail here so we were open for a few months just for a few hours a day,” Burton said, for people to pick up their mail.

“We still have quite a few members -- we’ve retained a lot of our members, people are just working from home,” she said, adding that there are still times when people need to get together to meet and collaborate on projects. “That is when we see people wanting to have meetings.”

Burton added that she hopes people will come back to the office and also use coworking spaces like hers.

“We’re hoping that while people are still working at home, they will be using our meeting rooms and conference rooms and using the offices,” Burton said. “That they feel safe enough to come in ... whether they need to get out of the house for a day, get different scenery or ... get some work done.”

Burton said overall, she and others are concerned about how workspaces are changing, but forging ahead despite the uncertainty.

“We as an industry are having to pivot and listen and learn how people are using workspaces,” she said, adding that she strongly feels there will be a permanent hybrid work from home option with employees coming into the office on a rotating basis. “We’re preparing for things like that.”

For more information visit https://www. co-ology.com/ and https://spacelabdetroit.com/.

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May 5-11, 2020 • michiganchronicle.com • Page A-7

WAY N E C O U N T Y C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E D I S T R I C T ’ S

NURSING PROGRAM EARNS ACEN ACCREDITATION Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Notes District’s High Standards During Challenging Period

Wayne County Community College District’s Nursing Program received affirmation of its accreditation status with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). The review commission particularly cited the “flexibility, courage, and resiliency demonstrated by [WCCCD’s] nursing program faculty and leaders, and their institutional colleagues during the global pandemic.” The peer review also offered a note of thanks to the District for “maintaining high standards while providing outstanding support to the students and your communities.”

Accreditation is a rigorous and lengthy process by which a program is evaluated by a group of its peers (“peer evaluators”) in order to determine its quality. The peer evaluators perform this evaluation by conducting a site visit, after which an accreditation decision is made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners. When a nursing program holds ACEN accreditation, it means that ACEN recognizes that a nursing program meets a set of Standards and can be trusted to deliver quality education.

“Our nursing program provides hands-on training, clinical skills practice and patient care teamwork training to prepare our students,” said WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery. “The recent accreditation by ACEN assures southeast Michigan’s healthcare systems that WCCCD is providing them with well-trained, nursing professionals.”

WCCCD received a successful reaffirmation of their nursing program from the ACEN until Fall 2025.

WCCCD, the largest urban community college in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with six campus locations and specialty campuses, including the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), the Curtis L. Ivery Health and Wellness Education Center, and the Outdoor Careers Training Center. The District serves nearly 70,000 students annually across 36 cities and townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to the continued development of new programs, workforce transformation, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. The practice of establishing and maintaining a universal standard of training for nurses began in 1893, and ACEN continues to provide specialized accreditation for all levels of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs located in the United States, U.S. Territories, and internationally). The comprehensive peer-review from ACEN is a voluntary quality review, which led to the verification of quality teaching, learning, and viability of its Nursing program to prepare students for careers in healthcare.

www.wcccd.edu

May 5-11, 2021

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Page A-8 • michiganchronicle.com •

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Where City Meets Life and Life Meets Style

B1 | May 5-11, 2021

michiganchronicle.com

Jonique’ Pharr, 34

Two children: Son and daughter Founder and CEO of J.Inspirations Mentor Best Mom Advice: Make sure you allow time for yourself. It can be challenging balancing everything and we find ourselves pouring into so many different areas in our lives; thus, needing to replenish ourselves. You can’t give what you don’t have so be intentional about giving yourself a moment so you can continue to be present and productive.

Most Lit Parental Moment: The most rewarding moment I’ve had in parenting is when my husband was conducting a mock interview with our five-year-old son for school. He had to ask him a series of questions and one of the questions he asked was “Who is your best friend?” Without a pause to think, he immediately answered “momma.” I ran in from the kitchen with the biggest smile on my face and responded “aww Pooh, you’re my best friend too.” With my beautiful daughter, my most rewarding moment aside from all of her milestones is when she said mama instead of dada first.

Celebrity Parenting Style: Rebecca Pearson (NBC’s “This Is Us”)

Millennial Moms in Business

By Megan Kirk Motherhood comes with its own set of ups and downs, but when you couple it with running a household alone or with the help of a partner and a full-time business, it is taken to a new level. These moms have shown why they deserve to be honored for holding down the home and the office. CEOs in their own right, these moms are making the work/life balance look easy.

Danielle Dunham, 33

One daughter EXP Realty and Sold by Danielle Realtor Best Mom Advice: As a single mother juggling a high demand career the best advice I can give is to find balance, include them in your world and make schedules.

Most Lit Parental Moment: The most rewarding experience in parenting is watching my daughter grow up. I see so much of myself in her. I love to see her figure things out and learn new things. I have seen her work through certain situations, and I am in awe daily.

Sadé Harper, 34

One son, Kaleb, 7 Founder of Sold By Sadé Realtor and Real Estate Investor Best Mom Advice: Carving out time for your kids is the most important part. It seems like some days I wake up and all I’m doing is working and the next day, I’ll look up and be like where did you learn that from?

I have to make sure I’m spending that time with my baby.

Most Lit Parental Moment: When I see this boy acting like me! There are several different things but watching him develop over time into his own person has just been like, oh my God. It’s almost like being a child again. I get to relive my childhood again with him and it’s fun.

Celebrity Parenting Style: I’m a cross between Tasha Mack (“The Game”) and Claire Huxtable.

A Celebration for the Black Mothers Helping Raise a Nation

By Sherri Kolade What’s the love of a Black mother?

Flood’s Bar & Grille Co-owners Cristina Byrd, left, and Stephanie Byrd are looking forward to serving up new brunch options on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, this year.

Photo provided by David Rudolph

Is it the large helping of soothing hugs or empathetic backrubs after a weary day at school (or work) while you soak in all her brilliant wisdom as a child, and even now?

Maybe it’s the home-cooked meals that leave your soul full and belly stuffed all the while trying to squeeze in that extra piece of perfectly-baked sweet that she lets you indulge in every now and then?

Or might it just be her innate understanding of how to lovingly handle you without a word like in times past?

Where down the family line, Black mothers of old also stealthily helped their children heal in times of danger or fear when the world was too much for a Black child.

It’s everything and more.

The love of Black mothers goes deep beyond what can be expressed or uttered at times, yet we hear every word with our bodies and feel it in our souls.

They are cherished and remembered this month and beyond for putting in the work, sacrifice and centuries of love to uplift the next generation of Black women and men who know they can because their Black mothers already did.

With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday, May 9, The Michigan Chronicle is highlighting two local women doing something extra special for the mothers in the community.

Bringing it Back to the Church Mothers and Their Hats Doris Sharpe-Frasier, 72, comes from a line of sharp ladies -- it’s in the maiden name that she carries proudly after all.

Sharpe-Frasier, who was raised on the westside in the ‘50s and ’60s with her 12 sisters and brothers, said that she grew up going to church on Sundays seeing everyone decked out in their big, beautiful hats.

“When you wear your hat it changes the attitude when you come to church,” she told The Michigan Chronicle recently. “My mother and

my grandmother all wore hats in the church.”

Sharpe-Frasier said that during slavery, some enslaved women would wear hats to show how God has blessed them despite difficult situations.

“You came to church and dressed in your finest clothes,” she said, adding that the more blessed you looked showed how good God’s been blessing.

As the business owner/chef at Sharpest Eatery, Sharpe-Frasier is hosting a Hattitude 2021 Mother’s Day Gala from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at the Tireman Conference & Banquet Center, 8031 Tireman Ave. in Detroit.

The event is to honor and commemorate the history of Black women wearing hats in the church with brunch, a gospel program, a photo booth and vendors. Ladies are being encouraged to dress to impress for a “Sista Strut,” too.

Tickets are available for $40 and can be found by searching eventbrite.com;

See BLACK MOTHERS Page B-2

Page B-2 • michiganchronicle.com • May 5-11, 2021

Black Mothers From page B-1

tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event.

Sharpe-Frasier said that this typically yearly event was halted last year due to the pandemic but they are looking forward to restarting safely.

“This is an opportunity for women to be able to get together and show off their hats,” she said adding that growing up her father always told her and her sisters to live up to their last name.

“We would go and … always look sharp.”

Sharpe-Frasier has seven children of her own and 10 grandchildren. She added that her children and grandchildren are working in her business after she and her husband started it in 2008.

She said that her mother always told her to be proud of herself and to do for others. She took her advice while trusting God in the process.

“We were a family who [not only believed in God] knew God -- there is a difference,” Doris Sharpe-Frasier, the business own- S h a r p e - F r a s i e r er/chef at Sharpest Eatery, is hosting a said. ­Hattitude 2021 Mother’s Day Gala on Sat“My Mom Led urday, May 8, at the Tireman Conference the Way for Us” & Banquet Center. She is pictured with her Stephanie large family, including a lot of sisters. Photo Byrd, co-owner provided by Doris Sharpe-Frasier of Floods Bar & Grille, The Block and The Garden Theater, is continuing the legacy of her mother and father after they established Floods Bar & Grille over 35 years ago in Detroit. Byrd and her sister are now running the restaurant and looking forward to honoring other mothers with a special Mother’s Day brunch on Mother’s Day. “For Mother’s Day we have brunch at Floods for the first time ever,” she said adding that there will be delicious eats like a new special including lobster and grits, chicken and waffles, a lamb chop breakfast plate and more. “Brunch is a combination of our new brunch items plus our dinner items.”

Byrd said that it’s been such a hard year in the Black community especially, and with things opening back up she wants to safely get back to business while honoring mothers.

“People are ready to get out safely, she said. “We wanted to celebrate mothers -- they hold us together; build the family up.”

Byrd added that often in the Black community food is “our love language” and Black mothers are known for throwing down in the kitchen producing mouth-watering meals that show their children they care.

Byrd recalled that her own mother ran Floods and she watched and learned from her at a very young age.

“I watched her run the kitchen, run the whole entire bar,” she said. “I had an opportunity to watch her create a business in a male-dominated industry. That gave me a lot of encouragement and confidence to continue our family legacy. … My mom led the way for us, me and my sister.”

For more information visit www.floodsdetroit.com.

Cinco de Mayo in the City: A Taco’s Shop’s Spin on a Classic

By Megan Kirk Get ready to spice up Cinco de Mayo with a little help from Detroit Taco Bar. The city’s only taco bar-style restaurant is helping to ring in the Mexican holiday while chef and owner, Mushey Glenn adds a new twist on a traditional staple.

Launched in 2019 on Detroit’s west side in the North Rosedale Park community, Detroit Taco Bar has stood for two years. Launching as the second restaurant for Chef Glenn, who also owns The Pasta Bowl just blocks away, the restaurant takes tacos and adds an urban spin. Complete with jerk chicken birria, catfish and classic versions like chicken and beef, the neighborhood restaurant also serves Mexican street corn, elote, in plain, Cheeto and Hot Taki flavors.

“Detroit Taco Bar is my version of Mexican food.

We have Tex-Mex. Any time we touch something, we put our souls in it. I wanted to do a bar where you can build your taco your own way,” says Chef Glenn.

Mushey Glenn

Graduating from Henry Ford’s culinary program, the chef is on a mission to provide tasty, quality food to Detroiters and to those who live in surrounding communities. Aside from feeding the community, the restaurant is looking to spread awareness of healthy culinary options helping families with food insecurities obtain access to information and get access to a better quality of living.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the restaurant plans to have deals and specials to satisfy any appetite. The restaurant will also celebrate a milestone on that day. In addition to their tacos, the restaurant offers classic cuisines like burritos, quesadillas and a guacamole that is made fresh in-house each day.

“We celebrate everything. Cinco de Mayo is officially our two-year anniversary. I plan on having some music going, introducing some taco specials. We’re just going to have a good time that day,” says Chef Glenn.”

The pandemic is forcing a new normal when it comes to in-door dining. While some have jumped back into the swing of reservations and fancy dinners, others have remained leery and reserved. As restaurants struggle to recover amid the on-going pandemic, the landscape has drastically changed forcing owners to pivot their business. Open just shy of one year at the top of the pandemic, it’s been a struggle for this fairly new venture.

Opting for a private fiesta is also a viable option to ring in the holiday. For those looking to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at home, Chef Glenn offers the restaurant’s catering services for custom orders and family favorites. The owner also gives some pointers on how to make tacos for the whole family to enjoy.

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“We can create a taco bar for them! Play with the flavors. Go explore your city and check out southwest Detroit to purchase some authentic seasoning,” says Glenn.

Choosing to shop local to support the city’s growing food security community., the entrepreneur is committed to providing patrons with excellent service, employment opportunities and the chance to eat fresh, locally sourced meats and produce. Due to the pandemic, a shortage of goods from producers hit and caused access to plummet while the cost of supplies has doubled.

As a result, the costs of the neighborhood favorite have slightly gone up, but the chef promises the same quality.

“I didn’t want to go up on my prices, but it was either go up or close. I can’t tap out. I’ve spent my life savings to live out my dream,” says Chef Glenn.

Urging customers to come out and support a local small business, the owner is hoping customers can help spread the word and tell the stories of community eateries that are not often recognized.

“Livernois is beautiful. Midtown is beautiful.

The Fashion District is getting all the attention but if we’re not open and, in the community, the neighborhood won’t exist,” says Chef Glenn.

“I wanted to bring a different spin to the taco but keeping it local and keeping it affordable. Mothers today don’t have time to cook. I’m reachable, I’m accessible,” says Glenn.

May 5-11, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com •

Page B-3

That’s My Girl:

Why Female Friendships Are Vital

By Megan Kirk In 2020, the hit series “Girlfriends” re-emerged as the ultimate Black female sitcom. Spanning the friendship of four extremely different Black women, the show explores every level of sisterhood -- the good, the bad and the ugly. However, “Girlfriends” shines a bright light on the importance of having a close friend circle to laugh, cry, celebrate and elevate with.

Friendship is a concept that begins early in life. For Black women, bonding over the Black experience, hair, nails, clothes or men are all common spaces to dwell. In childhood, friendship is simple. As adults, friendships can often enter murky waters, but still stand the test of time. For women, it is especially vital to have a solid group of friends to rely on for the highs and the lows of life.

Often, the earliest relationships established outside of the home are those with close friends. For some women, maintaining close female ties can prove to be a daunting task. However, even on the worst days, your girl posse is there for brunches, girl dates, vacations and random photoshoots across the city.

Establishing bonds early will help to form lifetime partnerships with those held near and dear. Although time is not an indicator of sincerity or closeness, it can be a way to measure the strength of the relationship.

“I’ve had my longest friendship for 27 years. We met in kindergarten and immediately we were friends. It could’ve been we were both dark skinned with braids or just the vibes. And we went to school together all the way up until we got to college,” says Kimara Oku.

Bring it Back to the Bedroom (for Sleep) At times the only sane source of news and advice, a functional relationship with female friends can elevate the happy times but also help with times of drama and pain the happy times. Friends can help weed out situations and are there when a romantic relationship ends.

However, to keep the friendship steady, having common ground, understanding and good vibes will go a long way.

“The main things a group of female friends need to have, always, are honesty, support, accountability and love to best make the sisterhood go round,” says Arielle Fletcher who has maintained the same friend group for over 10 years.

Friendship circles can also help to bring dreams to reality. Pushing you to be the best version of you, girlfriends act as a personal mirror reflecting the good, the bad and ugly.

“Having a group of females friends truly help mold you to be your best self. Personally, they are there with pasta and wine to comfort you when those tough days are thrown at you, or champagne to help toast to our accomplishments,” says Fletcher. “Professionally, the good saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ is so true.

“Knowing these women have helped place myself and the rest of us in front of the right people to excel our careers or use our connections to best promote our small black businesses ventures.”

Similar to birth sisters, best friends will fight and make up like an ever-lasting loop. Just as in romantic relationships where it’s important to never go to sleep angry, it is equally as important to clear the space of rumors, fallouts and bad energy. Remaining open and vulnerable with your close friends will help to add humility to the relationship and grow the sister circle to include more baddies with the same agenda.

“We’ve been through a bunch of fall outs but usually one of us reaches out to apologize,” Oku says. “She calls me out on my stuff a lot and I still love her. I have other girlfriends I’ve made that have been lasting friendships. I met my other best friend through her.” says Oku. Platonic friendships between men and women, while work, often do not provide the same level of love, compassion and understanding. Women, as natural nurturers, come with a certain ease that is unmatched.

“She taught me how to be a friend and the fact we’ve been friends for so long helps me to continue to try to maintain all my other friendships because I know important it is and how helpful and pure friendship can be. A friendship with a woman in particular is amazing because they get me in a way my male friends don’t,” says Oku. The various forms of friendship all help to play a major role in life, but a circle of friends who turn to family are the real key. Having a girl gang can be just the thing you are missing.

By Megan Kirk It’s time to bring some magic back into the bedroom. No, not that…. This magic will help better your sleeping habits by creating a calming and restful sanctuary in your room.

Frankly, people are probably tired of hearing, and talking, about the COVID-19 pandemic. So, after a long day of work where do they retreat?

More than likely it’s to the bedroom once the television is off and the day is done.

So, it only makes sense that the boudoir is set up for sleeping success. To get optimal rest, www.healthline.com provided some tips you can easily follow to do just that.

Increase Bright Light Exposure During the Day Your body’s natural time-keeping clock (known as your circadian rhythm) keeps your body from going out of whack. It needs natural sunlight or bright light during the day to keep the circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration.

For people with insomnia, daytime bright light exposure improved sleep quality and duration. It also reduced the time it took to fall asleep by 83 percent. If bright, natural lights are not possible, invest in an artificial bright light device or bulbs.

Reduce Blue Light Exposure in the Evening That means you, you late-night texters. Exposure to light during the day is beneficial, but nighttime light exposure has the opposite effect -- it tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which helps you relax and get deep sleep.

There are several popular methods you can use to reduce nighttime blue light exposure.

These include: • Wear glasses that block blue light.

• Download an app such as f.lux to block blue light on your laptop or computer.

• Install an app that blocks blue light on your smartphone. These are available for both iPhones and Android models.

• Stop watching TV and turn off any bright lights 2 hours before heading to bed.

sumed late in the day, can stimulate your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night.

In one study, consuming caffeine up to six hours before bed significantly worsened sleep quality.

Reduce Irregular or Long Daytime Naps A power nap is, well, powerful, but it can negatively affect your sleep if they are too long or irregular.

Consider Supplements Several supplements can cause relaxation and help you sleep, including: • Ginkgo biloba • Glycine • Valerian root • Magnesium • L-theanine • Lavender Make sure to only try these supplements one at a time to boost sleep.

Don’t Drink Alcohol Having a couple of drinks at night can negatively affect your sleep and hormones.

Alcohol is known to cause or increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring and disrupted sleep patterns. It is recommended that you avoid alcohol before bed as it can reduce nighttime melatonin production and lead to disrupted sleep patterns.

Optimize Your Bedroom Environment Many people believe that the bedroom environment and its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights and furniture arrangement. Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and long-term health issues.

Also, to make a better bedroom environment, try to minimize light and artificial lights from devices like alarm clocks. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean and enjoyable place.

Then you can get some good, well-deserved rest.

Don’t Consume Caffeine Late in the Day

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Yes, you probably need an afternoon boost during the long day, but caffeine, when con-

Content provided by https://www.housebeautiful.com/ and https://www.healthline.com/.

Go for a walk (and don’t bring your phone)!

By Sherri Kolade The pandemic isn’t the only thing that can leave you feeling tired.

Work and the overwhelming dayto-day responsibilities can wear one down during the 40-hour (at least) work week. Take these seven tips to unwind, de-stress, and let the good Lord lead you to relax in time for the 5 p.m. (or ­whenever you finish) wind down with these tips provided by The Blissful Mind.

What should be a walk in the park, can be if done right. Get out and breathe in some fresh air and get a little exercise going which can lift one’s mood dramatically. Leave your phone at home, and let yourself zone out away from Netflix and social media notifications.

Turn off email alerts.

When off the clock, don’t check your work email. It can be hard to resist but don’t do it (unless there is a work-related emergency) and you can thank us later.

Schedule fun into your weekdays.

Remember hobbies? Get back into it.

Dust off those old records, the forgotten puzzle pieces or pick up a new hobby.

Something fun like a mini-adventure with your kids and other loved ones. With the world opening back up there is fun to be had everywhere.

Make dessert.

What better way to enjoy your evenings than with some delicious homemade brownies? Exactly, there is no better way. Making something with your own two hands is a great way to relieve stress and take your mind off your to-do list, and you get to enjoy your creation afterwards. If you’re feeling healthy and don’t want to bake anything, make something up and just go with it.

Take a (free) online course.

Take advantage of free and inexpensive online resources out there. From nutrition to fitness, from painting to photography, and everything in between.

The options abound without you ever having to leave your house.

Pamper yourself.

You have to give yourself some love now and again. Most of us reserve Sundays for a nice pampering sesh, but it can be just as important to treat yourself on a weekday. Schedule self-pamper days and stick to it, you deserve it.

Classifieds

May 5-11, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-4 ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Western Michigan University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

seeks a Senior Research Associate in Portage, MI. Position requires a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Civil Engineering. Position also requires: 1) Ph.D. dissertation evaluating structural behavior under high speed winds & enhancing performance by using innovative construction materials; & 2) One peer-reviewed journal publication improving capacity of structural elements under severe load conditions.

Job duties: Conduct research in structural engineering. Develop laboratory facilities to study performance & behavior of construction materials including wood, steel, concrete, & composites. Design construction assembly with innovative materials to mitigate damage sustained during natural hazards such as extreme wind & earthquakes. Evaluate & simulate performance of structures subjected to severe wind & seismic events. Publish results of research in peer-reviewed journals & present results of research at international & national conferences. Prepare technical reports to private & governmental funding agencies. For complete position description, minimum requirements and application procedures, visit our website at: http://www.wmich.edu/hr/jobs. Only applications submitted through this site will be considered.

Posting #0605573.

The Senior Alliance 2022 Annual Implementation Plan Public Hearing Notice The Senior Alliance, Area Agency on Aging 1-C will host a public hearing to gather input on the organization’s Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP). The plan outlines activities the agency is pursuing to achieve goals in service delivery to persons aged 60 and older in southern and western Wayne County.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public hearing will be held remotely on the Zoom meeting platform.

The 2022 AIP Public Hearing will be conducted on Monday, June 14, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

Information on how to join the meeting by Zoom can be found at www.thesenioralliance.org or by calling 734-727-2058 prior to June 14, 2021

WMU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities and all other qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

The draft 2022 AIP will be made available for public review online at www.thesenioralliance.org beginning on May 28, 2021. The public hearing will include a brief overview of the draft 2022 AIP, followed by public comment. Written comments will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Monday June 14, 2021. Written comments can be emailed to advocacy@thesenioralliance.org or sent via U.S. mail to:

The Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority is seeking a qualified roofing contractor to perform the following work at the CAYMC:

The Senior Alliance Attn: AIP Public Comment 5454 Venoy Rd Wayne, MI 48184

Scope of Work • Remove designated area (approximately 800 square feet) of damaged roof pavers and dispose of off the premises (storing any salvageable pavers for later re-use) • Inspect the exposed roofing membrane thoroughly and repair as necessary • Overlay the existing field seams with new 5” wide EPDM flashing membrane • In the exposed roof area, install new drainage composite mat to provide a foundation for the new vegetated roof system

The Senior Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) established in 1980 and designated by the Michigan Commission on Services to the Aging as the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the 34 communities of southern and western Wayne County. As the state designated Area Agency on Aging, The Senior Alliance is the link to information, resources and services for over 200,000 older adults.

HELP WANTED

• Over the new composite drainage mat, install a layer of custom growing medium specifically formulated to support the new vegetation • Over the new growing medium, install new Sedum FeatherMats, pre-vegetated in Bulletproof plant mix • Redistribute salvaged pavers from the stockpiled inventory on the roof to areas of deteriorated pavers in the balance of the roof, as necessary • Gather and dispose of any job-related debris

Operations Analyst – Detroit, MI Accounts Payable Specialist – Detroit, MI Financial Analyst – Detroit, MI IT Manager – Detroit, MI IT Helpdesk Technician II – Detroit, MI

Project Site: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center 2 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48226 Site Visitations may be scheduled by emailing mike.kennedy@hines.com.

Interested parties may receive a complete RFQ package by emailing mike.kennedy@hines.com.

Interested parties will be required to submit a response no later than noon on Friday, May 18, 2021 to mike.kennedy@hines.com.

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL 2021/22 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Highland Park, Mi. will hold a Virtual Public Hearing Monday, May 17, 2021 7:00 p.m.

To consider the Proposed 2021/22 Operating Budget The hearing will be held via Zoom due to Wayne County Emergency Covid-19 order, members of the public can join at the following link: www.zoom.us/join and entering ID 361 243 988 or by telephone in the U.S. dial (for best quality use the number closet to your current location) (346) 248-7799 or (669) 900-6833 or (253) 215-8782 or (312) 626-6799 or (929) 205-6099 Proposed budget may be viewed at the City Clerk’s Office Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Or by visiting www.highlandparkmi.gov

Notice of Budget Hearing The Detroit Achievement Academy (MI PSA) shall hold a public budget hearingfor its 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 annual operating budgets on June 8th at 6:00pm; visit website below for up-to-date location information.

A copy of the budget is available for public inspection at: www.detroitachievement.org/budget PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED Simulations Engineer BorgWarner Inc. seeks a Simulations Engineer in Auburn Hills, MI to support advanced projects in the areas of vehicle propulsion system simulation, among other duties. Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering and one year of experience in the job offered or related. Please send resumes to: Ms. Felicia Fowler, Resume Processing/JO#11549961, BorgWarner, 3800 Automation Avenue, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

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MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

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Technical Accounting Manager, SEC Reporting Department

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CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF SUPERIOR ENTRY LEVEL FIREFIGHTER APPLICATION PROCESS The Charter Township of Superior will be accepting applications beginning Monday, May 3rd, 2021 through Monday, June 7th, 2021 for entry level firefighter. This process will be used to establish an eligibility list for 2 years. Duties of a firefighter include work in the protection of life and property; to operate and assist in maintaining equipment, apparatus, and facilities; and to participate in rescue and fire prevention activities.

Information on testing opportunities can be obtain by contacting Schoolcraft College Testing Center at 734-462-4806. Interested candidates should contact the Charter Township of Superior Human Resources Department, 3040 N. Prospect Rd., Superior Township, MI 48198, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday or via email to nancymason@superior-twp.org. Application must be received by the Human Resource Department no later than 4:00 p.m., Monday, June 7th, 2021.

REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY • Must be a minimum of 18 years of age • Must be a U.S. citizen • Must have a high school diploma or equivalent • Must have a valid Michigan driver’s license with good record and no more than 6 pts in the last 5 years PROOF OF THE FOLLOWING MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION • Michigan Firefighter Training Council Firefighter I & II Certification • State of Michigan or Equivalent Emergency Medical Technician— Basic License • Valid certificate of completion of Conference of Western Wayne written and physical agility testing. (All certifications must be valid at time of application and job offer) • Photo Identification will be required for all phases of the application process and should be submitted with application packet.

COMPLETED APPLICATION PACKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OUTSIDE OF THE MAY 3rd, 2021– JUNE 7TH, 2021 TIME FRAME.

WHITE CHAPEL CEMETERY

PROFESSIONAL HELP WANTED

Warren, MI, General Motors. Analyze &evaluate psgr vehicle interior safety syss incldg air bags/assemblies incldg brackets, ramps, housings, retainer rings; safety belt syss incldg buckles, pretensioners, dynamic locking latch plates, anchor plates, upper stays, gas generators, &webbing; &steering wheel syss incldg armatures, switch controls, electronic control units, decorative trim, using Teamcenter VisMockup, UGNX &E2 tools, to obtain technical data incldg dimensions, tolerances, material, &part drawings using assy reqmts. Evaluate global cmpnt &tooling costing using Magics &GMCO$T tools &estimate vehicle cmpnt &supplier tooling costs through anlys of content of raw materials; metal, plastic &rubber/foam cmpnt mfg processes incldg stamping, injection molding, thermoforming, machining, welding, painting, chroming &heat treatment eqpmnt for cmpnt mfg facilities &required cmpnt volumes. Evaluate &validate efficiency of supplier stamping &injection molding production lines, tools, diesets, fixtures &gauges, to ensure near net shaped manufactured part durability, robustness &strength according to actual &expected piece cost. 24 mos exp as Engineer, Assist. MgrVendor Tooling, Dpty Mgr-Vendor Tooling, or related, evaluating global psgr vehicle stamped cmpnts tooling costing incldg body structure, chassis sys, or safety belt sys, &estimating supplier tooling costs through anlys of content of raw materials, &cmpnt mfg processes incldg stamping, injection molding, thermoforming, machining, welding, &painting eqpmnt for cmpnt mfg facilities &required cmpnt volumes. Mail resume to Ref#45092, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

For a full list of qualifications please visit https://wmenergy.com/careers-2/

CEMETERY PLOTS

Brenda Green City Clerk ANNOUNCEMENTS

Join Our Team

Walker-Miller Energy Services is hiring!

Several Positions Are Ready to be filled by Extraordinary Individuals!

General Motors, Detroit, MI. Prepare, analyze, &update financial disclosures included in U.S. SEC filings of Forms 10-K &10-Q. Analyze SEC disclosures incldg Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements such as Debt, Pensions &Other Postretirement Benefits, Restructuring &Other Initiatives &Mgmt Discussion & Anlys.

Research U.S. GAAP guidance on complex accounting issues incldg, adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), &adoption of ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts w/ Customers”, as incorporated into Accounting Standards Codification 606, related to Revenue Recognition, affecting GM &ensure disclosure reqmts are met regarding all newly issued Accounting Standard Updates. Assess &document completeness of company’s disclosures for compliance w/GAAP &SEC disclosure standards. Lead team of 5 accountants engaged in preparation of financial reporting docs for filing w/ U.S. SEC. Organize &maintain financial records to support filing financial docs that public companies are required by law to disclose, such as balance sheet statements, income statements, statements of equity &statements of cash flows for investors. Collect &examine support to enable all required executive signatures &certifications as mandated

by SEC. Implement, test, &maintain financial controls for strict Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 compliance mandated for publicly traded companies. Bachelor, Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce, or Finance. 24 mos exp as Finance Manager, Controller, or related, drafting &updating financial disclosures included in U.S. SEC filings on an annual &quarterly basis incldg pension &postretirement benefits, preparing journal entries &ensuring US GAAP compliance for global pension, post-retirement &postemployment benefit obligations of organization, &implementing &testing financial controls for strict SOX compliance mandated for publicly traded companies, or related. Mail resume to Ref#1359, GM Global Mobility, 300 Renaissance Center, MC:482-C32-C66, Detroit, MI 48265.

Two Plots available $1,675.00 each or $3,150.00 for two (2).

313/ 467-6977

Published Every Wednesday

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

313 963-5522

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Classifieds

May 5-11, 2021 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-5 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Legal Notice

MacDowell Preparatory Academy Attention: Food Service Management Companies The MacDowell Preparatory Academy is requesting proposals for school food service management services. The Food Service Management Company will provide management services according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and guidelines as well as State of Michigan Department of Education policies and guidelines.

A copy of the RFP will be available by email at eruiz@promiseschools.org by May 14, 2021. No pre-bid meeting will be held. All proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 4:00 pm on June 4, 2021. Hard copy proposals should also be submitted to:

MacDowell Preparatory Academy 4201 W. Outer Drive Detroit, MI 48221

Giving a Gift With Meaning This

The MacDowell Preparatory Academy’s Board of Education reserves the right to accept or reject any and/or all proposals or to accept the proposal that it finds, in its sole discretion, to be in the best interest of the school district.

Mother’s Day

CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK COUNTY OF WAYNE, STATE OF MICHIGAN PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BROWNFIELD PLAN OF THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS IN THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City Council of the City of Highland Park, Michigan, in order to consider the adoption of a resolution approving the Brownfield Plan for the City of Highland Park Brownfield Redevelopment Authority pursuant to Act 381 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 1996, as amended, will hold a public hearing on Monday, the 17th day of May, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., prevailing Eastern Time via Zoom at the following link: www.zoom.us/join and entering meeting ID 361 243 988 or by telephone in the U.S. dial: (for best quality, use the number closet to your current location):

(346) 248-7799 (669) 900-6833 (253) 215-8782 (301) 715-8592 (312) 626-6799 (929) 205-6099

or or or or or

However, handwritten notes are a beautiful way to capture meaningful moments and create something tangible that goes beyond the digital. In the past, writing by hand was an integral part of daily life -- letters were written to soldiers overseas, travel journals and diaries were kept, and cards were sent to celebrate birthdays. Today, we have to be much more intentional about crafting these handmade mementos.

This year for Mother’s Day, get inspired by the art of handwritten communication and celebrate Mom with one of these lasting keepsakes: • Tap into Nostalgia: Does your mom still have your kindergarten macaroni art or hand-drawn valentines lovingly tucked away in a drawer? Take her for a sweet trip down memory lane by compiling a scrapbook or memory box of your childhood masterpieces. Make sure to include a handwritten note from the present day for a heartfelt finishing touch.

• Feed Mom’s Soul: Preparing food and sharing meals is one of the most common ways families connect.

If your mom has a collection of handwritten recipe cards, consider binding them into a cookbook, complete with a title page inscription from her favorite kitchen helper (you!). Not only will it make her feel like an accomplished chef, it’ll preserve these treasured treats for the next generation of kids and grandkids to enjoy.

The property to which the proposed Brownfield Plan applies is the property located within the City bounded by LaBelle Street, Hamilton Avenue, Davison Freeway, and Thomson Street.

Maps, plats and copies of the proposed Brownfield Plan are on file at the office of the City Clerk for inspection during regular business hours.

At the public hearing, all interested persons desiring to address the City Council shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard in regard to the approval of the Brownfield Plan for the City of Highland Park Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. All aspects of the Brownfield Plan will be open for discussion at the public hearing.

FURTHER INFORMATION may be obtained from the City Clerk.

This notice is given by order of the City Council of the City of Highland Park , Michigan.

Brenda Green City Clerk

(StatePoint) In today’s world, intimacy can sometimes be sacrificed for immediacy. We often send texts or emails, rather than hand writing letters, cards or notes.

• Capture the Everyday: The first step to preserving treasured memories is to record them. Gift your mom some stunning stationery, a sturdy leather-bound journal or even high-quality card stock and encourage her to do some writing of her own. Journaling is proven to be an effective tool for relaxation and self-reflection. For moms who give so much of themselves to their families, a lovely journal might be a welcome invitation to spend some much-needed time with herself. Pair your gift with a smooth-writing, long-lasting gel ink pen, like the G2 from Pilot, to ensure Mom’s words flow as effortlessly as her love.

• Give Mom the Ultimate Upgrade: Complete Mom’s gift and make sure she’s ready for any writing task with a Decimo fountain pen. The slimmer barreled cousin to Pilot’s classic Vanishing Point fountain pen features a unique, retractable design and a rhodium plated 18K gold writing nib that is as durable as it is sophisticated.

However you celebrate Mom this year, be sure to skip the e-card and handwrite something from the heart, instead.

By embracing the art of the written word, you can create lifelong memories and treasured heirlooms this Mother’s Day.

Tuscan Chicken Pierogy Skillet Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 45 minutes Servings: 4 1 box Mrs. T’s Pierogies 4 Cheese Medley 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness kosher salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 bag (5 ounces) fresh baby spinach 2 cups diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional, for garnish 1 tablespoon cold water 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch fresh basil, for garnish crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish

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Celebrate All-Star Moms with a Simple, Delicious Meal (Family Features) From big things like juggling a career and family priorities to little things like writing lunchtime love notes, there are so many ways moms lift up their families and the people they love every day. In today’s world, where multi-tasking has taken on a whole new meaning, it’s clear moms deserve to be celebrated.

One of the easiest ways to do something special for the all-star mom in your life is to make her a homemade meal and enjoy some quality time together around the dinner table. For those in need of inspiration, consider a delicious option like this Tuscan

Chicken Pierogy Skillet for an easy, elevated, sure-to-impress dish that comes together in 45 minutes.

The key ingredient: Mrs. T’s Pierogies, which are pasta pockets stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes, cheesy goodness and other big, bold flavors. Found in the frozen food aisle and available in 13 flavors, in full and mini size varieties, they can be boiled, baked, sauteed, fried or grilled. They are easy to prepare, which means less time in the kitchen and more time together.

Visit mrstspierogies.com to find more recipe inspiration to celebrate mom.

Boil pierogies according to package directions. Drain then toss pierogies with 1 tablespoon olive oil to keep from sticking.

In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook 8-10 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate, cover and allow to rest 5-8 minutes. Slice thin.

While chicken rests, lower heat to medium-low and add remaining oil to same skillet. Add garlic, spinach and tomatoes; saute 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Season with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream and 3/4 cup Parmesan. In small bowl, whisk cold water and cornstarch then stir into pan. Simmer 4-5 minutes until thickened and creamy.

Return chicken and pierogies to skillet and toss to combine. If desired, top with additional seasonings, to taste. Garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.

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