Hamtown Confidential

2007-03-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

Postcard from Columbus...

2006-11-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

We're here. We're alive...

2006-09-07T17:09:00.000-04:00

Did somebody say YARDSALE?

2006-07-07T00:32:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't get the e-mail, we're participating in the mother of all Hamtramck yard sales this Saturday, July 8. Come by and spend freely. The proceeds from everything we sell goes to the Poland trip fund (we haven't been back there in over 4 years).

Columbus is awesome. We'll get some pictures and notes up soon enough as soon as we move out of box city.

Meanwhile, here's the detail-packed text of the yardsale e-mail alert sent far and wide on Thursday:

Friends and fellow pack rats,

Just tipping you off to what may be the biggest, best moving/garage/yardsale of the summer in Hamtramck or ANYWHERE ON EARTH!

This Saturday, July 8th there will be a multiple-family sale at the southeast corner of Caniff and Ellery.

The sale officially gets under way at 10AM, but I thought I'd tip the hand a little early and provide a thorough list of what we're selling.

(Please note that all proceeds from the following items directly benefit our Go Polska! Trip Fund. ALSO please note that this isn't a total and complete list of items for sale; other participants have their own items, including, but not limited to, a sailboat. Yes, a sailboat).

No reasonable offers refused. Heck, in most cases, no UNreasonable offers will be refused, either.

So here's a peek at our (Mike & Gosia's) stuff:

OFFICE GEAR AND COMPUTERS
iMac DV desktop computer with CD burner and color inkjet printer.
Funky and functional Mac IIsi desktop computer with printer and scanner.
Retro cool computer desk.
Old school rolling office chair.

YARD & GARAGE STUFF
Garage door opener, new in box, never installed.
1 set of EZ Ramps
I Bag of oil-soak-up stuff, unopened.
Several bags of seed and soil.
Several plastic flower boxes
Nice Little Tikes play structure.
Wide selection of Woven Baskets.

AUDIO/VIDEO
DVD player with replacement remote.
VCR with original remote.
Small, but high-quality selection of VHS tapes and DVDs (note: lots of Cohen Brothers).
Many new Ikea modular 20-CD storage racks
32-inch non-working color TV (in fine working order until as recently as two weeks ago).

BABY ITEMS:
Electric baby bottle warmer.
Aventi Microwave bottle sterilizer.
Brand new Aventi breast pump (sorry).'
Deluxe Baby Swing.
Supercool Intelli-table baby learning toy.
Infant carseat with two bases.
Diaper Genie.
Nice selection of baby toys.

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & FURNITURE
6-foot tall steel closet,
Adjustable two-bar clothing rack.
Nice four foot by four foot low corner table.
Vintage blond woodgrain end table.
Vintage pole lamp.
Two small bookshelves.
Several utility shelves.
Sturdy old TV stand (good for 19" TV and smaller).
Plastic Sterilite dresser and Storage Drawers.
Hidden-leaf kitchen table with four chairs.
Older painted kitchen table with four chairs.

KITCHEN & BATH STUFF
Insulated coffee carafe, new in box.
Multi-blade kitchen slicer/grater/chopper.
Various kitchen gadgets.
2 lazy-susans.
Foot spa with infrared heat and many attachments.
Motorized back massager.
Shower caddies.

FUNKY OLD STUFF AND VINTAGE
Beautiful Vintage Revere 8mm Projector
Free-standing roll-down movie screen.
Vintage 8mm camera and plenty of gear.
Vintage slide projector.
Vintage Elextralux Vacuum Cleaner
Vintage Table Fans.
Vintage Toaster.
Vintage 1930s typewriter.
Vintage chandelier.
New Ikea dining room light
2 Vintage Sunburst clocks.
Collectible sci-fi magazines.
1974 Addams Family Lunch Box
60s Plaid Aladdin Metal Lunchbox
Hundreds of New Yorker Magazines, early 90s to present.
Tons of random paperbacks and hardcover volumes.
Plenty of interesting Bric-A-Brac.
60s vintage suits and ties.

SPORTS AND MISC.
Old reel blade pushmower.
Reconditioned vintage 3-speed city bike with basket.
Several 4' x 8' x ½" sheets of subflooring.
Birdcage.
Full-cardio exercise machine.
Old wooden skis.

Hello, Columbus.

2006-06-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

More on this later. But for now, an invitation to anybody reading:

Our Friends in Hamtramck,

We're not certain how far and wide the news has spread at this point, but it chokes us up to say that a great opportunity in Columbus, Ohio is taking us away from our beloved hometown of Hamtramck.

Shocking, but true.

Happy for us? Mad as hell at us? Just want to hang out with a bunch of cool people along with us?

Then let this serve as an invitation and reminder that you're invited to an informal, (yet no-less riotously fun) get-together for all of our friends.

The time is this Saturday, June 10 at 9PM. The place is New Dodge Lounge at 8850 Jos. Campau.

Again, it's a super casual cash-bar situation. All you need to bring is yourself and a few bucks for a round or two.

We hope to see you there. No RSVP is required, but if you're so moved, reply here with a comment or call us up: 313-871-1107.

Thanks. For everything, and then some. We miss you already.

With love,

Mike & Gosia & Milosz & Klara

See you there.

In other news, up is down, black is white...

2006-05-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

...and yes, those are monkeys flying out of my butt.

Municipal Finance Expert Louis Schimmel Joins Mackinac Center

“Lou’s arrival could not be more fortuitous”

For Immediate Release

Contact: Michael D. LaFaive, Director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative, Phone: (989) 631-0900

MIDLAND — The Mackinac Center for Public Policy today announced that Louis H. Schimmel Jr. has joined its staff as director of municipal finance. In that capacity, Schimmel will work with distressed communities and provide fiscal analysis for other Mackinac Center projects as needed.

"Lou brings more than 40 years of municipal financial expertise to the public policy table," said Michael D. LaFaive, director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative at the Center. "His knowledge of local government spending, taxation and debt will prove invaluable as we expand our research in municipal finance."
Schimmel served as court-appointed receiver for the city of Ecorse, where he helped eliminate a $6 million deficit. He has also worked as an emergency financial manager in the city of Hamtramck, where he eliminated a $2.9 million deficit. In both cases, Schimmel relied on a combination of privatization and labor negotiations to strengthen city finances.

"Lou’s arrival at the Center could not be more fortuitous," said Lawrence W. Reed, president of the Mackinac Center. "Michigan’s one-state recession has severely impacted many municipalities. Lou can show local officials how to reorganize their spending priorities to keep their books balanced without demanding more money from taxpayers."

Schimmel recently reviewed the city of Sylvan Lake’s finances, the kind of analysis he will likely provide to other municipalities in his position at the Center.

Schimmel believes Sylvan Lake is fundamentally well-run, but he still recommends steps to improve the city’s financial position. The report is available on the Center’s Web site at http://www.mackinac.org/7705.

This I gotta hear...

2006-05-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

A loyal reader passed this along. I'm always the last to know nowadays...

I will be delivering my 2006 State of the City address on Sunday, May
21 at 2:00 pm at the Hamtramck Public Library. Everyone is invited.

Mayor Karen Majewski

Seriously, though. I've been madly engrossed in non-Hamtramck things of late. Is that why my heart aches so?

Dear Mister Editor,

2006-04-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to picking up last week's Citizen and I read some things about Louis Schimmel that got me all riled up.

Imagine that.

Here's the letter I wrote to the editor:

As a longtime—and oftentimes lonely—critic of former Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel I didn’t think I could be disheartened any further with regard to his dubious tenure here in Hamtramck.

Well, recent reporting in The Citizen has fixed that.

We’ve read shocking tales of uncollected taxes, commingled funds, unfulfilled grants and general incompetence in labor relations, staffing practices and basic policy-making.

In short, as a state-appointed dictator, Louis Schimmel got away with all the things any self-respecting dictator would: everything.

Of course, Schimmel’s job never would have existed had the state not created Act 72. With act 72, came the EFM, and with our elected officials’ inability to compromise on a budget, came Schimmel.

Back in 1999 it seemed that the only thing our council and mayor could agree upon was Schimmel. Each party believed, with all of his and/or her heart, that Schimmel would see things THEIR way. And for a moment, each party had their day.

Schimmel imposed much of then-Mayor Zych’s agenda, cracking down on city workers, privatizing trash pick-up and so on. Zych was vindicated. Then Schimmel soured on the mayor and waged open war on him, and then later, his supporters. And thus, Zych’s foes were vindicated.

Meanwhile, Schimmel enjoyed his immunity to the hilt, empowered to do everything within his abilities to pay off Hamtramck’s debt. Key phrase there: everything in his abilities. As a bonds man, the only ability Schimmel brought with him was the ability to issue bonds. Which is all he did to pay off our debt. Issue bonds. Very, very slowly.

Well, here we are in 2006, every bit as much in the hole as we were when Schimmel showed up, and Schimmel, well on his way to a million dollars richer, has cantered back to Waterford a hero in the hearts of his Republican benefactors and a handful of deluded residents.

Can we lay a finger on him for his misdeeds? Fat chance. Over the course of Schimmel’s stay, our state legislators and governor worked extra hard to make Act 72 more and more airtight and Schimmel extra, extra-untouchable.

And let’s not forget what Schimmel’s bosses in Lansing recently told our mayor and city manager with regard to the mess Schimmel left us with, and I paraphrase: “You’re on your own, suckers!”

In many ways Lansing is right: we were suckers. Suckers to think someone from Lansing could fix our problems for us. Suckers to forget that democracy is hard work. Suckers to think that there are shortcuts.

Here’s what I know about shortcuts: shortcuts like state control only end up cutting one thing: our own throats.

Okay, that’s pretty dramatic. But not by much.

I, for one, trust our current crop of elected officials and their charges in City Hall to get us out of this mess. I have to. As a citizen in a representational democracy, all I can do is work hard to elect the best leaders I can and then work even harder to see that they do a good job.

With Schimmel, we not only wasted a lot of time and money, we short-circuited our very system of government. We put our elected leaders out of work and drove many more good people away from the process.

For the time-being our elected leaders have their jobs back, and involved citizens are wandering back to the table, cautiously. But the effort it will take to get all of our community’s resources engaged again will be vast, and the timeline, urgent.

There’s a lot to do, and we’re going to need a lot of help doing it. But let the big lesson stick: the first and last place we must look for solutions is in the mirror.

Mike Rehfus
Hamtramck

Bringing the (environmental) terrorists to justice.

2006-04-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

Looks like the long arm of the law might have caught up with one of the region's most notorious (suspected) polluters. From the Michigan Attorney General PR newswire:

LANSING, Mich., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney General Mike Cox announced today that he has filed charges against Norman Aardema, the owner of Midwest Waste Services, a Hamtramck-based medical waste incinerator facility, for directing his environmental consultant to create and falsify Air Permit Preventative Maintenance Reports to conceal excessive air emissions.

"Michigan is blessed with priceless natural resources," said Cox. "It is simply inexcusable for anyone to attempt to pollute our air and put the health of Michiganders at risk. My office will continue to stand up for Michigan's environment."

The Air Permit Preventative Maintenance Reports are required by both the state and federal government to ensure the facility's compliance with their air permit and to regulate the exposure of particulate matter and carbon dioxide.

Aardema, a 51-year-old resident of South Holland, Illinois, was arraigned Tuesday morning by the Hon. Paul Paruk in the 31st District Court in Hamtramck. The three-count complaint included Uttering and Publishing, Forgery, and Conspiracy charges with a maximum penalty of 14 years. The defendant waived his right to a preliminary exam within 14 days and was released on a $5,000 personal bond.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Kudos and backpatting to the MDEQ, AG's office, and most of all, the legions of citizens and environmental groups--most notably Hamtramck's own illustrious HEAT--who have been fighting this fight for well on a decade.

Yes, Aardema is presumed innocent 'til proven guilty, and true enough, according to reporting in Waste News, Aardema pleads his innocence. But when you're considered so much of a polluter that even a Republican Attorney General finds it hard to look the other way, it's a safe presumption that your goose is fairly well cooked.

Well done (and that goes for the goose, too).

Jos. Campau's creamy delicious center.

2006-03-30T12:43:00.000-05:00

Polish Art Center is just about the greatest thing going in Hamtramck's Jos. Campau shopping district. Here's a rundown of some of their latest goings-on, passed along by loyal reader Don Binkowski:

Greetings, Spring has arrived!

We are very excited about hosting several events in our store over this Easter. We have the room now, and we are making good use of the new space. This Saturday is a must for your calendar!

April 1st Polish Art Center presents Cecile Wendt Jensen, author of "Detroit's Polonia" Cecile Wendt Jensen will be here to present her new book about the history of Polonia in Detroit titled "Detroit's Polonia" this Saturday, April 1st at 1:00p
Join us afterwards for light refreshments and the opportunity to buy a book and have it signed by the author. Cecile is a certified genealogist and teacher for over 30 years.

If you are unable to join us and you would like an autographed copy just give us a call. We'll be glad to reserve one for you. Call 888-619-9771

Pisanki Classes ~ Learn the age old tradition! We are hosting a series of Easter Egg decorating classes again every Saturday and Sunday here in Hamtramck in March and April. (Additional classes with enough students are possible, please call)

Learn the art of making Pisanki in a two hour class with a great teacher. All the supplies are included and the cost is only $10 per person. (class size is limited, registration is recommended)

Come to Hamtramck and Make a Day of it: Visit the many Restaurants, Bakeries, Deli's & Churches in our historic city!

Definitely drop by for these events (or for any other occasion), and tell 'em Mike from Urban Break sent you.

A case of defamation.

2006-03-21T17:17:00.000-05:00

Visitors to Hamtown Confidential these last few days may have noticed postings regarding libel and defamation law. As internet weblogs and online discussion become more and more prevalent in our culture, the topic of laws governing free speech come to the fore more and more often.

In fact, Hamtown Confidential is no stranger to allegations of defamatory speech. And until several issues pertaining to claims of defamation can be sorted out, the management here regrets that readers will be unable to view or contribute commentary to this blog.

Sadly, threats of defamation lawsuits generally result in this type of chill-effect on free discourse.

Again, Hamtown Confidential sincerely regrets any inconvenience.

In the interim, it’s been deemed important for us all to better understand the sometimes highly subjective laws that govern discourse in a free society.

In theory, defamation laws, which pertain to harmful speech in both the written (libel) and spoken (slander) form, allow private citizens to recover damages caused by speech that causes tangible and measurable harm. Harm is the key: the defamation must come at a cost. We can’t threaten each other with defamation just because one’s language rubs the other the wrong way.

Only by showing that the defendant’s speech was done with malice, or intent to harm, and that said malice caused a deliberate and specific injury or monetary loss, can damages be awarded to the plaintiff.

In practice, defamation litigation seldom leads anywhere. Rather, some suggest the threat of defamation is more often used as a tool to silence undesirable speech than to recover actual damages.

Why? For the simple reason that, while it is easy to establish the general criteria of defamation, it is exceedingly difficult to demonstrate actual damages resulting from a clear intent to harm.

Further driving down the success rate in defamation suits is that the defenses and privileges of the defendant are far more liberal than the tools afforded to the plaintiff. In defamation claims, the burden of proof falls heavily on the plaintiff.

In fact, defamation litigation is so hard to win, and the harm brought by defamation lawsuits so severe, that in many cases it is easier for a defendant to demonstrate damages as a result of a frivolous defamation suit than it is for a plaintiff to show harm from the initial act of defamation

Welcome to the United States of Arbitration, people.

So, perhaps you were wondering, “What are the basic requirements of a defamation case?”

Let’s turn it over to the folks at Freedomforum.org to fill us in:

A defamation plaintiff must usually establish the following elements to recover:

1) Identification: The plaintiff must show that the publication was "of and concerning" himself or herself.

2) Publication: The plaintiff must show that the defamatory statements were disseminated to a third party.

3) Defamatory meaning: The plaintiff must establish that the statements in question were defamatory. For example, the language must do more than simply annoy a person or hurt a person's feelings.

4) Falsity: The statements must be false; truth is a defense to a defamation claim. Generally, the plaintiff bears the burden of proof of establishing falsity.

5) Statements of fact: The statements in question must be objectively verifiable as false statements of fact. In other words, the statements must be provable as false.

6) Damages: The false and defamatory statements must cause actual injury or special damages.

And now, back to us.

About the only area where libel claims consistently yield fruit for the plaintiff is the area of wrongful denial of employment.

If it can be proven that a defamatory remark by a reference or previous employer contributed to the denial of a job to a qualified job applicant, that applicant has a case to sue the parties responsible for the harm brought by the defamatory remarks.

It’s rarer and rarer for jobseekers to bother putting references on their resumes and rarer still for prospective employers to check those references. Former employers rarely comment on the specifics of a former employee’s conduct for fear of reprisal from the slighted worker.

How might this play out in the real world?

To help give life to the legalese, please indulge Hamtown Confidential with a case study.

=========================

Our case study involves two neighbors, John Doe and Jane Roe.

John Doe is the administrator of a blog. John Doe is also an applicant for a job in City Hall.

Jane Roe is a self-proclaimed political watchdog and has posted comments anonymously on John Doe’s blog critical of John Doe’s motives and deeds.

The identity of the anonymous poster is immediately clear to John Doe, and he replies accordingly with the intention of assuaging the concerns of Jane Roe. Jane Roe, upset that John Doe has publicly identified her, responds with a clearly defamatory message.

The text from Jane Roe’s message appears in plain text below. After each paragraph of Jane Roe’s message, in italics, and utilizing the criteria published by Freedomforum.org, we see how Jane Roe’s message may satisfy the criteria of libelous and defamatory speech against John Doe.

So here begins our study.

------------------------------------------

Jane Roe: “Why assign a personality to an anonymous post?”

Taken in the context of the post being replied to, this passage confirms the identity of Jane Roe. Additionally, an analysis of IP logs, posting habits and general linguistic forensics positively identified the true identity Jane Roe.

Jane Roe: “If you could address the points without trying to ‘kill the messenger’, you might earn some credibility.”

This passage implies malice on the part of the John Doe and serves to establish a revenge motive. The subsequent pattern of malicious assault by Jane Roe on the integrity and reputation of John Doe is clear and deliberate.

Jane Roe: “First of all, you said, ‘I wrote nothing of [former city official referenced in previous message] that could not be cited in his public comments and his own campaign literature.’”

The “you said” establishes Identification; since this was posted in response to a post by the openly-identified administrator of the blog--John Doe--it is clear to whom Jane Roe is directing her defamatory comments.

Jane Roe: “Please cite where and when (or in what piece of literature), [former city official] ever stated that he has a ‘deep-seated personal dislike for people who were not born and raised in [our city]’, as you said. Those are your words, not his."

In a subsequent post, the exact line of text from the former city official’s campaign literature was cited, verifying the candidate’s position and words were his own, not John Doe’s. This ad was published in the official paper of record and widely read by the electorate, most certainly by a politically-aware citizen such as Jane Roe. The assertion that John Doe was perpetuating a lie is clearly an attempt by Jane Roe to damage John Doe’s reputation.

Jane Roe: “Secondly, you stated that, ‘In our mad rush to help [our city] I would be surprised if we didn't bump and jostle and pinch a few toes along the way.’ Was that supposed to justify or excuse your personal attack (as well as [third party referenced in previous message]) against [former city official]?

Here, an innocuous phrase used by John Doe is turned around by Jane Roe to imply malicious motives on the part of John Doe in a definite attempt to damage the reputation of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “Really, aren't you trying to help yourself to a city paycheck?”

A leading and belligerent question used to establish foul motives on the part of John Doe, and yet another attempt by Jane Roe to damage John Doe’s reputation.

Jane Roe: “Truth be told, didn't the personnel department determine that your application for [the City Hall job] should not be considered because it did not satisfy the requirements listed for the job?”

In actual events, the personnel department was acting in error, but Jane Roe’s question here gives no room for that possibility and establishes a falsity of fact and another assault on the reputation of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “That's according to the documents, which are public record, at city hall. I certainly didn't make it up to try and discredit you.”

In fact, Jane Roe never closely viewed the personnel documents in question. The clear intent of Jane Roe is to discredit John Doe and suggest that he is benefiting from improper hiring practices, another attempt to damage the reputation of John Doe. This claim comes close to establishing a falsity of fact, but more important, it begins to establish the possibility of damages, the key element to a "successful" defamation lawsuit.

Jane Roe: “Isn't it true that you have never been employed as…[role defined in City Hall job in question]?”

Jane Roe was likely aware that this was not a de facto requirement for the job opening in question. In fact, the applicant who eventually attained the position never previously held that position. This is another attempt to damage the reputation of John Doe and further evidence of damages as a result of defamation.

Jane Roe: “Isn't it true that there are/were a number of qualified, experienced applicants, who do possess the required credentials? Please, tell me what criteria is/has been used to eliminate them from consideration?”

A series of questions that John Doe couldn’t possibly know the answer to, therefore, leading and rhetorical questions intended by Jane Roe to damage the reputation of John Doe. Should a correlation between these published remarks and the denial of John Doe’s hiring be established, a claim of damages in excess of the the base salary of the City Hall job in question could confidently be made against Jane Roe.

Jane Roe: “Isn't it true that you are a crony of the council; And that you've been an avid supporter of their slate for quite some time?”

Jane Roe’s use of the pejorative “crony,” and the rhetorical question with regard to prior political support, are meant to establish a criminal relationship between the members of the council (the hiring body) and John Doe (job applicant). Yet another attempt by Jane Roe to damage the reputation of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “Isn't it also true that when a [member of city commission] contacted a councilman to request the opportunity for [said city commission] to advise the council (at some point during the selection process), that [private third party] e-mailed her to keep her nose out of it?”

Another leading and rhetorical question to which John Doe couldn’t possibly know the answer, and another bid by Jane Roe to damage the reputation of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “Wouldn't [the individual holding the City Hall position in question] work closely with the [previously mentioned city commission]? Why should [private third party] assume an advisory role in the process, to the exclusion of anyone else?”

One leading question and one rhetorical question both intended to establish questionable political relationships, and another assault by Jane Roe on the integrity of the John Doe.

Jane Roe: “Do you really need a corrupt political mob to get a job?”

A leading and rhetorical question implying criminal behavior on the part of John Doe, and a clear and undisputable attempt by Jane Roe to damage the reputation of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “If I'm wrong, show me which observations do not apply to the equation.”

A final leading question from Jane Roe intended to tie together the previous questions to serve as the coup de gras on the integrity of John Doe.

Jane Roe: “Please, don't make it a personal issue.”

A contextual confirmation of Jane Roe’s actual identity.

------------------------------------------

So, should John Doe choose to file a claim of defamatory speech, in this case libel, against Jane Roe, he would have to support such a claim with six criteria. As noted above, much evidence exists to support the claim of libel against Jane Roe:

1) Identification: The plaintiff must show that the publication was "of and concerning" himself or herself.

Given the context of the message posted by Jane Roe, and to whom the message was addressed, proof of Identification is satisfied.

2) Publication: The plaintiff must show that the defamatory statements were disseminated to a third party.

Given that the message from Jane Roe was posted in a public forum, proof of Publication is satisfied.

3) Defamatory meaning: The plaintiff must establish that the statements in question were defamatory.

Given the numerous and direct accusations of impropriety and the generally corrosive tenor of the message from Jane Roe, proof of Defamatory meaning is satisfied.

4) Falsity: The statements must be false; truth is a defense to a defamation claim. Generally, the plaintiff bears the burden of proof of establishing falsity.

Repeatedly Jane Roe distorts publicly knowable facts with the intent of condemning the actions and behavior of John Doe. Further, Jane Roe strongly implies John Doe’s involvement in criminal activity, another claim that is patently false. The proof of Falsity is satisfied.

5) Statements of fact: The statements in question must be objectively verifiable as false statements of fact. In other words, the statements must be provable as false.

Conversely, Jane Roe does, in fact, make statements of fact that are objectively false. Proof of Statement of fact is satisfied.

6) Damages: The false and defamatory statements must cause actual injury or special damages.

The main thrust of the message from Jane Roe was to demonstrate John Doe’s lack of fitness for a job for which John Doe was in the midst of applying. John Doe was eventually denied this position. Should it be proven that Jane Roe’s message played a role in this denial of employment, John Doe might fairly seek monetary damages in excess of the salary range of the job in question, as well as damages that may relate to injury as a result of this denial. Proof of damages may well be satisfied.

=========================

Fortunately for Jane Roe, she would have a deeper toolbox of defenses and priveleges to disprove John Doe's claims of defamatory speech.

And fortunately for all of us, this case study is only that: a case study.

The courts are choked with lawsuits as it is. And as our economy grows bleaker, and Americans grow more desperate, it seems as though petty lawsuits are the hottest growth industry around.

As far as petty lawsuits go, libel and slander suits—especially among neighbors—most certainly rank among the pettiest.

Do defamation suits have a place?

In cases where monolithically powerful figures abuse their position to cause clear and irreversible harm to greatly weaker foes, then yes, it’s good to have a bigger club to wield in one’s defense. Especially when the threat of defamation is made to silence the press.

But when the threat of libel and slander are tossed around at the first prickling of discomfort, this blog would have to side with former Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black who, when weighing the merit of libel laws against the larger guarantee of the First Amendment that no law may restrict free speech, opined:

”No law means no law…as such, all libel laws violate the First Amendment.”

Thank you for listening.

Defamation v. Free Speech

2006-03-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

More on defamation and the First Amendment from Freedomforum.org.

Former Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black wrote passionately that no law meant no law and that, as such, all libel laws violate the First Amendment.

And more:

Even truth was no defense to a libel prosecution. In fact, some commentators have used the phrase "the greater the truth, the greater the libel" to describe the state libel law.

And more:

If the plaintiff is merely a private person, the plaintiff must usually only show that the defendant acted negligently. If the private person wants to recover punitive damages, he or she must show evidence of actual malice.

And More:

Basic requirements of a defamation case
A defamation plaintiff must usually establish the following elements to recover:
· Identification: The plaintiff must show that the publication was "of and concerning" himself or herself.
· Publication: The plaintiff must show that the defamatory statements were disseminated to a third party.
· Defamatory meaning: The plaintiff must establish that the statements in question were defamatory. For example, the language must do more than simply annoy a person or hurt a person's feelings.
· Falsity: The statements must be false; truth is a defense to a defamation claim. Generally, the plaintiff bears the burden of proof of establishing falsity.
· Statements of fact: The statements in question must be objectively verifiable as false statements of fact. In other words, the statements must be provable as false.
· Damages: The false and defamatory statements must cause actual injury or special damages.

Defenses and privileges

There are numerous defenses and privileges to a defamation claim. Many of these vary from state to state. Sometimes, a particular party has carte blanche to make certain statements even if they are false. This is called an absolute privilege. Other privileges can be established as long as certain conditions are met. Some of the more common defenses and privileges include:

· Truth or substantial truth: Truth is generally a complete defense. Many jurisdictions have adopted the substantial-truth doctrine, which protects a defamation defendant as long as the "gist" of the story is true.

· Statements in judicial, legislative, and administrative proceedings: Defamatory statements made in these settings by participants are considered absolutely privileged. For example, a lawyer in a divorce case could not be sued for libel for comments he or she made during a court proceeding.

· Fair report or fair comment: This privilege varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Generally, it provides a measure of protection to a defendant who reports on the deliberations of a public body, such as a city council meeting.

· Libel-proof plaintiffs: This defense holds that some plaintiffs have such lousy reputations that essentially they are libel-proof. The theory is that one cannot harm someone's reputation when that person already has a damaged reputation.

· Rhetorical hyperbole: Some courts will hold that certain language in certain contexts (editorial/opinion column) is understood by the readers to be figurative language not to be interpreted literally.
· Retraction statutes: Nearly every state possesses a statute that allows a defamation defendant to retract, or take back, a libelous publication. Some of these statutes bar recovery, while others prevent the defendant from recovering so-called punitive damages.

On freedom of speech...

2006-03-17T20:45:00.000-05:00

From The First Amendment Center on the threat of libel and defamation lawsuits:

"There is much unsettled and unsettling about an area of the law that so profoundly affects how journalists do their job and how people get their news. On the one hand, libel suits are a necessary recourse for those who believe that they have been wronged by the press. On the other hand, even the threat of a libel suit can serve as a subtle censor of the press."

Read on...

THIS is what America looks like.

2006-03-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

Why do right-wing Republicans fear immigrants so much? Because immigrants stand up for their rights!

Solidarity, my friends. Election Day and every day. We are a nation of immigrants, and it's time to take our country back from those who would pretend otherwise.

Today I stand with the HFT.

2006-03-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

Judging by their track record up to this point, I have been, to say the least, leary of the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers. But if THIS press release can be believed, I find myself on their side in demanding the preservation of Adult Ed in Hamtramck.

Strange days indeed.

Most peculiar, momma; strange days indeed.

One more thing I have against the suburbs:

2006-03-02T15:09:00.000-05:00

From the AP news today:

Boy, 12, Sticks Gum on $1.5M Painting

DETROIT - A 12-year-old visitor to the Detroit Institute of Arts stuck a wad of gum to a $1.5 million painting, leaving a stain the size of a quarter, officials say.

The boy was part of a school group from Holly that visited the museum on Friday, officials say. They say he took a piece of Wrigley's Extra Polar Ice gum out of his mouth and stuck it on Helen Frankenthaler's "The Bay," an abstract painting from 1963. The museum acquired the work in 1965 and says it is worth about $1.5 million.

The gum stuck to the painting's lower left corner and did not adhere to the fiber of the canvas, officials told the Detroit Free Press. But it left a chemical residue about the size of a quarter, said Becky Hart, assistant curator of contemporary art.

The museum's conservation department is researching the chemicals in the gum to decide which solvent to use to clean it. The museum hopes to make the repair in two weeks and will keep "The Bay" on display in the meantime, she said. "Our expectation is that the painting is going to be fine," Hart said.

Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and says his parents also have disciplined him.

"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.

Adieu, Lou: The Freep.

2006-02-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

News of Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel's resignation is trickling across the wires this morning.

Un petit mot in today's Detroit Free Press states in part:

Schimmel tackled the city's $2.5-million deficit. One method was squeezing concessions from unions, including accumulated sick and vacation days.

"I don't think Hamtramck's problem was money, it was management," he said.

For once I would have to agree with Lou: with a better manager in Hamtramck, our financial emergency could've been resolved much, much quicker.

(It took Schimmel six years to balance Hamtramck's books, while Flint's former Emergency Financial Manager knocked off a tenfold debt in around two years flat).

Schimmel RESIGNS: The Press Release.

2006-02-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

As breathlessly reported here mere moments ago, Hamtramck's former Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel has officially thrown in the towel.

The text of the official press release is as follows:

For immediate release:
 
February 23, 2006
 
Contact:City Manager, Donald Crawford
Phone 313-876-7700
 
SCHIMMEL ANNOUNCES RETURN OF FULL LOCAL CONTROL TO HAMTRAMCK CITY OFFICIALS.
 
Louis Schimmel, Emergency Financial Manager for the city of Hamtramck, announced today that he is stepping down from his position.  “My work here is done,” said Schimmel.  Schimmel has served in his position as Emergency Financial Manager since December 2000.  In November 2004, Schimmel relinquished control of day-to-day city operations to the city’s elected officials.  Schimmel has worked in a limited capacity for the past fifteen months conducting labor negotiations with the city’s labor unions.
 
“This is a happy day for the citizens of Hamtramck,” said Mayor Karen Majewski.  “We wish Mr. Schimmel all the best in his future endeavors and thank him.  My colleagues and I are ready to do the job the People elected us to do,” Majewski added.  
 
Hamtramck has seen steady growth in the past five years.  The city remains a destination for those seeking vibrant nightlife, ethnic restaurants and livable neighborhoods.  Says Schimmel, “I am very proud of the work I have done and the changes that have occurred these past five years.  I am confident that I leave the city in capable hands and that its future is as bright as it ever has been.  Hopefully my work and the work of the dedicated individuals that helped me these past few years have contributed to that bright future.”

Schimmel RESIGNS.

2006-02-23T15:24:00.000-05:00

A Hamtown Confidential scoop, people.

A top-level city administration official has confirmed that Louis "Bud" Schimmel has officially tendered his resignation.

A former bonds man and protege of Republican Governer John Engler, Louis Schimmel served as Hamtramck's state-appointed Emergency Financial Manager from 2000-2004. While Schimmel relinquished local control in late 2004, up until today's announcement he continued on as sole negotiator of city employee contracts.

Rumblings of malfeasance in his latter duties have intesified of late. At this time it is unclear if this ultimately led to his resignation, but there is an air of optimism amongst the city administration and employee unions that good faith negotiations will be completed despite (and some might speculate because of) Schimmel's departure.

More details and tearful retrospection in the days to come.

Until then, let's revisit a recent analysis of Schimmel's legacy, seen here on Hamtown Confidential.

Happy Fat THURSDAY.

2006-02-23T09:29:00.000-05:00

Just got an e-mail from the missus reminding me that today is Fat Thursday (Tłusty czwartek, as my old skool homies say): the authentic pre-Lenten, let's-eat-Pączki Polish holiday.

Incredulous? We refer you to the definitive source for all information in the universe, Wikipedia.

But really, who needs an excuse to eat Pączki?

(Yes, Pączki are available today and every day of the year in Hamtramck. Head down now and beat the rush).

Stand together, Hamtramck. Stand together.

2006-02-16T14:08:00.000-05:00

As Europe roils with religious tension, the US has remained quiet.

Or has it?

A recent spate of violence has touched Hamtramck's Muslim community. In the past several days, a string of robberies and muggings has affected residents and businesses along predominantly Bangladeshi Conant. Perhaps more troubling, the congregation and cleric of Al-Islah Islamic Center on Caniff near Campau have been victims of recent attacks, the Mosque itself falling prey to several acts of vandalism.

The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News have reported on the incidents, local TV news has followed suit, and--shades of the Call to Prayer Debate two years ago--the story is entering the national consciousness.

Questions arise.

Is this violence linked to the unrest in Europe, or is it merely a crimewave striking a specific geographic section of the city?

A rash of robberies and muggings has occurred along the the city's northeast border with Detroit, an area marked by a profusion of Bangladeshi residents and Muslim-owned businesses (through, contrary to some reports, Ghandi Restaurant was NOT robbed). But it bears mentioning that muggings have been up sharply across the town--two people known personally by the author have been mugged in the last week or so, both of them caucasion males, both near the north end of town close to Carpenter.

As for the attacks on the congregation of Al-Islah Mosque and its Imam, those appear to be crimes directed specifically at Muslims.

Operative word here: "appear."

I think we should bring all the investigative powers at our command to bear, and considering the interest taken in this crimewave by the FBI and the State of Michigan, working in concert with our local police, the investigation should be swift and fruitful.

A more local question then must be asked with regard to the prospect of increased violence against Muslims: is this an extension of Hamtramck's larger and ongoing ethnic tensions? Groups of black youths have been identified as the culprits in this latest string of crimes. This is consistent with the sad trend of African American v. Muslim violence in the schools.

And a more practical question can be asked: what are we prepared to do as a community to prevent further violence and restore the confidence of dozens of victimized residents?

In addition to the aggressive investigation of the Al-Islah violence mentioned above, I hope two more things happen right away:

One, a joint meeting of the city's Human Rights commission, Mayor, City Council, City Manager, Police Chief, School officials and leaders from Hamtramck's multi-faith community and neighborhood associations. Honest dialog must be initiated now, lest suspicions and agendas begin to fester.

Two, a meaningful show of police presence in the areas affected by the recent robberies and attacks. If necessary, foot patrols by the reserves and increased patrols by the County Sheriff along Conant and Campau, both of which are county roads.

The testimony is sobering. The crimes, shocking. The prospect of a violent religious schism in our tiny town, too sickening to consider.

Square your stance, Hamtramck.

Now is the time for neighbors to stand together against the forces that would tear us apart.

But if we take these recent incidents to heart and learn real lessons from them, we will emerge from this stronger than before.

And that's pretty friggin' strong.

How do you spell "FURIOUS"?

2006-02-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Apparently no longer concerned with merely trashing the futures of our city's children, now it seems the Hamtramck Public Schools is setting its sights on the parents.

According to stories published today in both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, the Hamtramck School Board is prepared to vote to eliminate Hamtramck's Adult Education programs.

Who stands to lose from this decision? Only Hamtramck's huge immigrant population, which, basically, is all of us.

In fact, The Free Press article quotes teachers who contend that the decision is not based on fiscal issues so much as old-timer v. new-comer politics.

To this point, a survey, conducted between me and myself, shows that in fact not a single member of the Hamtramck School Board has children even remotely close to school age, let alone a child attending Hamtramck Public schools. (The School Board-appointed Recreation Commission fits this same profile, but that's a rant for another day).

Even more outrageous, an audit of the Schools shows that, contrary to the assertions of School Board President Joan Boruszko, the program is not a financial burden on the district. On the contrary: the audit shows the district UNDERSPENT funds budgeted for the programs. From the Freep story:

A school audit revealed that only $191,265 was spent for the program out of $198,644 of state funding allocated for it. Another grant, the English Language Civics Grant, was $72,654, but the district spent only $19,617 of that, despite having 250 people on the waiting list.

When are we going to tell our schools to stop squandering our tax dollars along with the well-being of Hamtramck's families?

Addendum: according to a commenter in attendence at the meeting, the issue may be a dead one. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned.

As the baloney flies.

2006-01-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

Last week the Detroit Free Press reported on the dubious hiring of accused taser-wielding Hamtramck cop Ronald Dupuis, today The Freep editorializes on the issue.

In short, the Freep cries "baloney" over Hamtramck police chief Jim Doyle's assertion that, under Emergency Financial Manager Lou Schimmel, funds weren't allocated for thorough background checks on new hires.

The Free Press has a point; uncovering a record as bad as Dupuis' shouldn't have been too tall a task, unless he pulled the whole "references available upon request" trick on his CV.

At the same time, the Freep, along with most every other local news outlet, habitually gives our man Schimmel a colossal free pass.

Which reminds me of a story the Free Press ran just a few days ago: Flint's EFM was just given the old "mission accomplished" nod by Governor Granholm.

It would seem Flint's EFM was the kind they were thinking of in Lansing when the EFM law was cooked up in the first place: Flint's big bossman solved a $26 million dollar financial crisis in about 2 years flat, and if memory serves, he did it for a meager per diem and expenses.

Lou "Bud" Schimmel, on the other hand, arrived in Hamtramck in 2000 staring a $2.5 million deficit in the eye, and it took him took four years to crack it, averaging 'round $100K a year take home pay, I might add.

Still, after four meticulous years on the job, Lou still asks the turgid (one can only hope rhetorical) question: "Will [Hamtramck] Thrive Without [an] Emergency Financial Manager?"

The lesson? EFM's are not necessarily bad, but some EFM's are far, far worse than others.

Regrettably, Lansing didn't learn much from the Lou Schimmel experience; they gave him sole negotiating powers over union contacts. Oh: at his old rate of pay. Even better: those negotiations are going very, very poorly.

How poorly? The Citizen recently reported a political deathbed confession by outgoing mayor/former president of the Lou Schimmel fanclub Tom Jankowski, and I'll have to paraphrase: "Lou's the wrong guy to negotiate the union contracts."

And in the light of recent reporting, it would seem Lou's police chief James Doyle has turned the sharp knives on his former boss, too. Et tu Jimmy?

But what should one expect: there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is City Manager Donald Crawford, and he also happens to have Lou's little negotiations deal in his sights.

All (local) politics aside, The Free Press is mighty quick to question Doyle's claim of underfunded background checks, and I surmise it's due to the local media's larger love affair with Lou Schimmel.

Will the love light fade as Lou canters off into the distance in the general direction of Waterford for good?

In my humble opinion, that sun set years ago.

Coming soon to a police force near you.

2006-01-19T10:55:00.000-05:00

More delightful news about Hamtramck via the Google News Alert today: a follow-up on the firing of (allegedly) taser-happy Hamtramck cop Ronald Dupuis in today's Detroit Free Press.

Harkening way back to December, perhaps you recall the zany story of a cop who tasered his partner because she refused to pull over for a pop. The likelihood of recall is good, considering the story was picked up by literally hundreds of news agencies, besmirching the good name of Hamtramck in every timezone on the planet.

In short, the story in today's Freep chronicles Dupuis' "checkered" past, Dupuis having cycled through 7 law enforcement agencies in 10 years time. In the article, Hamtramck police chief James Doyle concedes that at the time of Dupuis' hire, the city was under state control and funds were not allocated for adequate background checks on job applicants.

Another shining achievement in the Schimmel legacy. Thanks, Lou. No really. Continue enjoying our money. You've earned it.

But stepping back a paragraph: "...Dupuis having cycled through 7 law enforcement agencies in 10 years time." This would suggest that background checks or no, hiring standards and practices seem to be universally subterranean.

Still, this is Hamtramck, right? Bottom of the barrel is good enough for us peasants.

It should be noted that there are seemingly enlightened individuals in our community who contend that Dupuis' firing was politically motivated.

My advice to Dupuis' apologists: get your heads out of your respective asses and read the Freep article.

Let the record show: Dupuis is a bad cop. Period.

And maybe I'm not chummy enough with enough cops to feel otherwise, but as a taxpayer, a citizen, a husband and father, I personally apply far more stringent standards to our police force and will apologize for no cop who abuses our trust.

But maybe we should snuggle up to this cold comfort: the fact that Dupuis has been hired and rehired by department after department suggests there are far wider quality-control issues endemic to local police forces, not just ours.

If you wonder what some of those problems may be, ask the cops you see moonlighting as bouncers in local nightclubs or drinking at corner bars until 6 in the morning.

But then again, you may want to bite your lip.

These dudes are packing tasers.

There's always time for art.

2006-01-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

Konrad Maziarz has passed along another tidbit related to library goings-on (that's where he works, y'now): an art opening by artist Craig Paul Nowak.

Konrad passed along the artist's from-the-hip press release:

Hi, I know that this is a verly late notice, but it's better late then never right? Anyway, here is a flyer for my show at the Hamtramck Library on Caniff. The times are a little early, so we're planning on having a closing reception. If anybody can make it, the closing reception will be on february 10th or 11th from 4:00 - 6:00pm. I hope to see everybody soon.

Take care,

Craig Paul Nowak

Thanks Craig and Konrad!

Based on the attention I've been able to devote to my blog of late (super-busy with famdamily and work), I can definitely relate to the filename of the flyer art supplied by Craig: "singlejournalentry.jpg"

Good luck all!

Loco for photos of local politicos?

2006-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Dzekuje bardzo (thanks a bunch) to Konrad Maziarz for passing along THIS ALBUM of Inauguration photos.

We'll have our snaps posted ASAP, na prawda (f'real).

We shut the mother down.

2006-01-10T08:13:00.000-05:00

This just in...

Mike

Just in case you've not heard the news! You'll notice that public comments were a deciding factor is denying the permit.

I sincerely thank you for your support and participation in helping to make Hamtramck a safer healthier place to live.

Rob Cedar
HEAT - Hamtramck Environmental Action Team Hamtramck City Councilperson

Last year, standing together in a community-wide effort led by Concilmember Rob Cedar and the Hamtramck Environmental Action Team, we squelched Michigan Waste Services' permits to burn medical waste in Hamtramck.

This year, we kibboshed their autoclave permit.

The short story: Michigan Waste Services is out of business in Hamtramck.

Cheers all around people. This was a lengthy, hard fought battle reaching well back into the 90s.

A message to all other polluters and bad-neighbor businesses: don't mess with Hamtramck, or any other place you think is too poor or too desperate to say no to your meager, filthy pennies.

This is not only a victory for Hamtramck, it is a huge blow against economic and social injustice everywhere.

In a very real way, it's shocking how long it took to nail Michigan Waste Services in all their various incarnations. Denying their permit would've been a slam dunk had they been doing business in closer proximity to wealthy people. It's safe to assume that the Michigan Waste Services of the world never even consider building in the Bloomfields and Troys of America. They like to dump their wares on lower income minority enclaves such as Hamtramck and the forgotten parts of Detroit.

Not this time.

Wielding a lethal combination of spine, soul, savvy and singlemindedness, Hamtramck stood together and ran the MWS mob out of Dodge.

Again, good work to all those who stood up, spoke out, flyered, door-knocked, marched, lobbied, wrote letters, and on occasion chained themselves to things.

And by the way, kudos to Rob Cedar and the Hamtramck Environmental Action Team and all their sympathizers, collaborators and minions.

It's a sunny day in Hamtramck, and we can all breathe a little easier.

And deeper.

(MDEQ Press release below).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2006

Contact: Robert McCann
(517) 241-7397

Permit Application Denied for Hamtramck Medical Waste Facility

The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that it has denied the air use permit application submitted by Michigan Waste Services for its medical waste autoclave located in Hamtramck. The decision was reached after careful consideration of comments received during the public comment period, a public hearing, and Michigan Waste Services' past performance at the site.

"This company has simply not demonstrated the effort to comply with the same environmental safeguards that all other businesses in Michigan operate under," said G. Vinson Hellwig, Chief of the DEQ's Air Quality Division and decision maker on the permit application denial. "While we all share a goal of helping businesses grow in Michigan, we cannot put the health of a community at risk in the process."

The DEQ received a number of comments on the proposed permit, including comments from neighboring residents expressing concern over the company's history of noncompliance with environmental regulations. In April 2005, the DEQ began the process to revoke Michigan Waste Services' operating license due to similar compliance problems and concerns from the community.

The DEQ may deny a permit application if the equipment for which the permit is sought will not operate in compliance with the rules of the DEQ or state law.

#####

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

That's MADAM Mayor to you...

2006-01-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

On January 1, 2006, in a ceremony held at the Hamtramck Public Library, Hamtramck's newest batch of elected officials was sworn in to office, including the city's first woman-mayor, Karen Majewski (by the way, that's the Honorable Judge Paul Paruk leading the oath as Imam Mirsad Hasecic from the Bosnian Islamic Center looks on). More commentary and photos in the days to come. Hopefully this will keep you going for now.

Happy New Year, indeed!

2006-01-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the diligent efforts of us big-hearted Hamtramckans, Epstien the dog has made it home safe! From the comments section from the original post:

Hooray! Epstien has been found! Word has it he was hanging out at Smalls. God bless the folks at Smalls for taking him in.
1/01/2006 10:39 AM

Good work, people. This is going to be a good year.

Shut off the computer and go find Epstien!

2005-12-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

The best friend of a friend of Hamtown Confidential has gone missing! Open your eyes, heart and window shades and help bring him home.

From the email:

Hi,

It's Tuesday night...Epstien my dog has been missing since this morning. I'm looking for him all over.

...He's a black shepard...he looks just like a german shepard but is almost all black. He is a little lame and walks funny. He has his tags and a black collar. He wouldn't hurt anyone if approached. Please let anyone you know in the area that he is missing and to call if they see him or have any information.

He is very old and has dementia. He may not respond to his name. He will not bite anyone if they take him by the collar. You can forward this to anyone in hamtramck or the area.

Thank you.

Monica

Special thanks to Sophia Raptis and Sean Bieri for the tip.

Go, John, go!

2005-12-20T16:37:00.000-05:00

Representative John Conyers, Jr., who in Washington represents our congressional district (and is pictured above giving yours truly the double thumbs-up at the 2005 Hamtramck Polish Day Parade), has published a report that many are seeing as the first definitive overture to the impeachment of President George Bush.

My words of advice to President Bush: "When you find yourself on the wrong side of Hamtramck, you'd best get to worrying."

Election day redux.

2005-12-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

Back in February I posted some photos taken during the special election for the Charter, and one shot in particular caught the eye of Center for Civic Participation, a voter-advocacy project. Currently, it is the main photo on the homepage. Click through to the ccp.org site, and behold a glimpse of democracy, Hamtramck style.

It's (possibly) payback time

2005-12-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

Just got a Yahoo! news alert that WDIV is reporting that a suspect apprehended for a stabbing in Ypsilanti may be the party responsible for a vicious attack on an elderly woman in Hamtramck eleven days ago. UPDATE: The Ann Arbor news reports on the arraignment of the suspect.

May the wheels of justice turn deliberately and fairly. And should the suspect be proven guilty of slashing the face of an 84 year-old woman outside a beauty salon around the corner and up the street from my home, may I be allowed first dibs on kicking his ass into the next millenium.

I am perfectly serious.

Who is Badge 37?

2005-12-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

Below, a Hamtramck resident, who for the time-being shall remain anonymous, shares a tale of intimidation at the hands of a member of the Hamtramck Police, who for purposes of his very own choosing, opted to remain anonymous throughout the whole incident.

Again the question shall be asked: Who is Badge 37?

"Hamtramck police car 107 has driven by my home a total of five times since my altercation with the officer (Badge 37) at 4:30 PM today (December 9, 2005). It was only 5:05 PM and I was talking to Rob Cedar during most of this time.

"When I asked the officer for his name, he would not give it to me. The officer had been harassing me for shoveling snow that was in the street, into the center of the street, which was in front of my home.. The officer told me that it was unlawful and disrespectful to the residents for doing that.

"Immediately, I phoned Councilman Cergenski and I explained what was going on, and as we were speaking I walked across the street to where the officer was parked and watching me for several minutes. I asked the officer his name, but he declined to give it to me and then I asked him to speak with Cergenski, but he declined to do that as well. This conversation was taking place while the officer was illegally parked near a fire hydrant in front of Post 1 on Holbrook

"Does the Hamtramck Police Dept. really need to conduct a surveillance because a resident is shoveling snow with a shovel onto the street?

"A few minutes later the officer drove in front of my home where he was now double parked in front of my house. We had exchanged a few words regarding his duties, taxes,pay,residency and good residents trying to keep the city clean. I was speaking with Sam my neighbor during this time. I told the officer that he was being disrespectful to the residents because he was blocking traffic and he should go to Fraser and get a job because he's not wanted here in Hamtramck. Then the officer stated that he should arrest me for disturbing the peace. I replied to Badge 37 that I would love to see him arrest me! He then drove off only to begin his drive-by's.

"What is this officers name and what is his arrest record like?

"How is a handicapped 83 year old man supposed to park in front of his home, get out of his car, and walk in 4 inches of snow when the man can barely pick his feet up when he walks?

"What happened to the "public servant', when it appears that we should be servants to the police?

"Oh by the way, I did finish my mission of shoveling the snow into the middle of the street. It only goes to show that our cops couldn't catch a purse snatcher in a wheel chair!"

To serve and protect?

2005-12-08T07:09:00.000-05:00

I don't get my news off the TV, and even if I did, I'd never, ever get it from the local news.

But thanks to the miracle of the internets and Google news alerts, I learned that Channel 7 is reporting that a Hamtramck cop, Ronald Dupuis of Allen Park, is being fired for shooting his female partner with his taser device. The incident, which occured over a month ago, was triggered, so to speak, by a trivial argument between the two.

At my most uppity, this incident would be infuriating enough for me to demand a top-down house-cleaning in our Police Department.

Short of that, I'll just call it unbearably sad.

If crime is a cancer to a small town, bad publicity with regard to crime is a bullet wound.

Bad publicity about crimes perpetrated by our own Police? That's a hand grenade.

Since the initial posting of the Channel 7 report, over 100 news outlets have seized on the story. Expect that number to double by the time you read this.

But this is Hamtramck. Living here, there's always a deeper, more personal level. Here's mine: I've experienced the police work of the victim in this story firsthand.

The female officer tasered was Prema Graham. Officer Graham was the first-responder on the scene back in 2001 when I was injured in a vicious car accident a block from my house. She saw to it that a bloodied, broken and unconscious sap made it safely to the ambulance. She dropped by Urban Break on occasion, and we even named a coffee drink after her.

In short, Prema is one of the good ones.

Mend well, officer Graham. This whole thing makes us wonder why we're in Hamtramck, too.

Bloody Monday.

2005-12-05T17:54:00.000-05:00

Hamtown Confidential has just learned of a shakeup of key personnel in Hamtramck City Hall. From our trusted source:

"Don't know if you heard yet, but Crawford fired Kennelly and then Barnett (who tried to get Kennelly back). Apparently Crawford was fed up with Jay's incompetence and Barnett's withholding of information."

Longtime City Hall watchers will recognize the names, but to recap for the outsiders, the Crawford in question is Hamtramck City Manager Donald Crawford. The two he fired, Jay Kennelly and Bill Barnett, were both longtime appointees of former Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel.

Both Barnett and Kennelly enjoyed the support, and some might say protection, of outgoing Mayor Tom Jankowski, who hired both onto his own staff shortly after taking office in January 2004.

Bill Barnett served as the City Controller for most of his time in City Hall, but Jay Kennelly saw many job titles throughout his tenure. Initially hired as Community and Economic Development Director, Kennelly at various times wore the hats of Tax Assessor, Assistants to the DPW Superintendent and Operations Director, and lastly, a staffer in the Building Safety department.

Kennelly drew quiet controversy for being, shall we say, less-than-engaged with his appointed tasks.

City Council made several attempts to relieve Kennelly of his post and were met with stiff resistance from Mayor Jankowski and Bill Barnett. On one notable occasion, a visibly agitated and seemingly intoxicated Jankowski confronted Council to protest an attempt to fire Kennelly. Jankowski denied being drunk, but admitted to directing profanity toward Councilmembers in the publicly televised meeting. Shortly after the incident, the official DVD recording of the meeting went missing.

Both Kennelly and Barnett drew fire for partisan foot-dragging over the course of the Schimmel years. Most recently, Councilmembers accused Barnett of withholding financial information during the formulation of the current city budget; a charge with which City Manager Donald Crawford apparently concurred.

There are two sides to every story, but we you can look forward to plenty more to this one.

Stay tuned.

Write to live, vice versa.

2005-11-25T16:27:00.000-05:00

Friend of Hamtown Confidential, local scribbler and all around bon vivant Walter Wasacz is launching a PR push for a very promising writing workshop run by upstanding Hamtramckan Gary Saganski. Here's the offical word:

Writing for Your Life…

…is a community-government stories project for young immigrant adults.

Classes will be taught at the Hamtramck Public Library by faculty from Henry Ford Community College and Wayne State University. Teachers will help students develop college-level writing skills through:

• written personal biographies about families going through the immigration experience. Instructors will assist students in ways to tell their stories in written form;
• how to use their personal experience to participate in community or civic life;
• putting this work together into a theatrical performance, to be staged by the Planet Ant Theatre Company in Hamtramck; • a video taping of the performance to be aired on cable community access television. Classes, to be held once a week, begin in January and are free. The starting date for classes is to be announced.

An informational meeting will take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 at the Hamtramck Public Library, 2360 Caniff. 313-365-7050.

Sponsored by: The Hamtramck Public Library and the Corporate Training Division of Henry Ford Community College

Will travel, have pen, eh? This definitely sounds like a project worth knowing about. So spread the word(s), people.

Calling All Turkeys.

2005-11-21T13:24:00.000-05:00

Confirmed: Friendship House and its subsidiary foodbank, Harvest House, DO need Thanksgiving turkeys.

This call to action was spurred by an email passed along by a loyal reader...

"...While listening to the 2 AM news on 950 AM, an announcement was made that Friendship House, a food kitchen operating in Hamtramck for 76 years, sent their funds to Katrina Relief. Having done that, they now find they cannot feed the locals, the job they were commissioned to do. They either need money or turkeys. However, I have found that just dumping a load of frozen turkeys on people is not a good idea. I have no idea of their food storage capacity. Whether they would be able to unfreeze large turkeys in time for Thanksgiving, or even if they need money or other supplies. Have you ever heard of Friendship House? I never knew it existed..."

For the record, Friendship House and the Harvest House foodbank are vital and tireless guardians of community well-being. Harvest House (sometimes referred to by the locals as Hamtramck Harvest) recently moved into its new location at 9540 Conant, and volunteers are on site to accept any and all donations.

Especially turkeys.

For more information, contact Wanda or Kim at Friendship House at (313) 365-5561, or bring your bird and other donatables by 9540 Conant, attention Julie Vollmer or Mr. Murphy.

And tell 'em Hamtown Confidential sent you.

Oh, why bother.

2005-11-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

Why do we vote? Hint: it has little to do with deciding elections, or so posit authors Stephen J. Dubner & Steven D. Levitt* in this article published in last weekend's New York Times Magazine.

*Authors of the popular book Freakonomics. Worth a look, if you haven't seen it already.

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for...

2005-11-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Results for November 8, 2005 General Election
Hamtramck, MI (Canvass Board Certification Pending)

MAYOR
.........PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL|V%TE
Jankowski.095|.204|.158|.201|.115|.077|.089|.245|.1184|.43%
Majewski..160|.285|.187|.314|.150|.118|.127|.240|.1581|.57%
Write-In..001|.005|.000|.001|.001|.000|.001|.002|.0011|.--%
TOTAL.....256|.494|.345|.516|.266|.195|.217|.487|.2776|100%

CITY COUNCIL 2-YEAR SEAT
.........PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVBC|TOTAL|V%TE
Ahmed.....102|.233|.163|.231|.091|.100|.126|.111|.1177|.19%
Boluk.....097|.138|.077|.123|.075|.066|.057|.204|.0837|.13%
Hussein...056|.192|.111|.191|.041|.069|.094|.043|.0797|.13%
Nowa'ski..119|.237|.172|.226|.174|.055|.080|.352|.1415|.23%
Shulgon...092|.158|.109|.171|.089|.046|.074|.182|.0921|.15%
Zwolak....091|.164|.133|.170|.115|.054|.067|.285|.1079|.17%
Write-in..000|.000|.001|.002|.000|.001|.000|.000|.0004|.--%
TOTAL.....577|1122|.766|1134|.585|.391|.498|1177|.6230|100%

CITY COUNCIL 4-YEAR SEAT
.........PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVBC|TOTAL|V%TE
Algazali..076|.219|.130|.240|.072|.138|.139|.094|.1108|.19%
Cedar.....099|.217|.135|.189|.107|.058|.090|.233|.1128|.19%
Colonna...086|.169|.116|.135|.085|.036|.078|.190|.0881|.15%
Hood......131|.115|.077|.174|.072|.051|.046|.190|.0857|.15%
Klein.....096|.175|.129|.185|.104|.057|.075|.166|.0987|.17%
Trzin.....078|.172|.118|.143|.108|.045|.078|.175|.0917|.16%
Write-in..000|.003|.001|.000|.004|.001|.000|.002|.0011|.--%
TOTAL.....566|1070|.706|1066|.552|.386|.492|1051|.5889|100%

SCHOOL BOARD
.........PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVBC|TOTAL|V%TE
Bal'czak..069|.171|.105|.145|.094|.060|.056|.218|.0918|.22%
Hyska.....079|.169|.095|.150|.065|.041|.089|.127|.0815|.19%
Kales.....074|.122|.094|.145|.048|.053|.079|.074|.0689|.16%
Miller....088|.086|.069|.141|.043|.049|.046|.082|.0604|.15%
Puchalski.095|.206|.149|.202|.142|.064|.072|.251|.1181|.28%
Write-in..000|.004|.001|.000|.000|.001|.002|.000|.0008|.--%
TOTAL.....405|.758|.513|.783|.392|.268|.344|.752|.4215|100%

Yellow = Wins seat | AVCB = Absentee ballots | Percentages rounded to nearest point.

10 year renewal of 18-mill non-homestead tax (Schools)
......PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL|V%TE
YES....176|.309|.185|.263|.144|.106|.119|.207|.1509|.61&
NO.....063|.116|.117|.177|.092|.057|.074|.263|.0959|.39%
TOTAL..239|.425|.302|.440|.236|.163|.193|.470|.2468|100%

10 year renewal of 1-mill non-homestead tax (Schools)
......PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL|V%TE
YES....175|.291|.177|.269|.146|.108|.121|.198|.1485|.60%
NO.....067|.143|.127|.171|.094|.055|.079|.275|.1011|.40%
TOTAL..242|.434|.304|.440|.240|.163|.200|.473|.2496|100%

Blue = Measure passes | AVCB = Absentee ballots

TOTAL VOTES CAST v. TOTAL REGISTERED VOTERS
...........PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL
Registered.1217|1843|1316|2357|0978|1022|1064|.n/a|.9797
Turned Out.0260|0514|0353|0523|0271|0213|0229|0501|.2864
Percentage..22%|.28%|.27%|.22%|.28%|.21%|.22%|.n/a|..29%

-----------------------------
In case you were wondering...

PCT 1 - Housing Administration Bldg
PCT 2 - St. Ladislaus Parish
PCT 3 - Community Center
PCT 4 - City Hall
PCT 5 - Senior Plaza
PCT 6 - People's Community Services
PCT 7 - Holbrook Cafe

The tale of the tape.

2005-11-05T21:02:00.000-05:00

Readers of the local shopper Main Street were met with a surprise this past week.

Scattered in amongst the candidate ads there was an endorsement from long-time political gadfly and disabled WWII combat veteran Ted Tokarski:

There's a shocking element to this ad, but it has nothing to do with the combination of candidates endorsed (which it must be said, is pretty shocking).

Stepping back a few days prior to publication, it seems that Tokarski had been letting his feelings be known around town about his intended endorsements, and the mayoral candidate he endorsed last time around--now incumbent Tom Jankowksi--had apparently gotten wind of Tokarski's intention to endorse challenger Karen Majewski.

At some point in the past week, according to Tokarski, Mayor Jankowski felt compelled to leave a message of concern on Tokarski's answering machine.

On the tape, a man identifying himself as Jankowski struggles through a slurred string of obsenities, ultimately threatening to "whack" the recipient of the message.

Tokarski has turned a copy of the tape over to the police, and fellow residents of the Senior Plaza have been treated to performances as well. At the discretion of Tokarski's attorney, the tape has been released to the media (and just about anybody else, it seems).

An expurgated transcription of the tape is as follows:

"Uh, yeah mother------. It's Jankowski. That's, uh you f---ing old c---sucking fart. You want to start rumors about me and I'll f---ing whack you."*

It should be mentioned that Mr. Tokarski is not a man without his own controversies. He has been a party to many politically-charged issues involving the Hamtramck Housing Commission going back decades. His former list of foes includes Preserve Our Parks, former Mayor Zych and his Executive Housing Director Fred Zajdel. It stands to reason Tokarski is at odds with the current Housing administration as well.

To quote a trusted source on Tokarski, "Nobody in this town has pure motives."

Still, should the tape be authentic, no matter how upset Jankowski might have been about a political endorsement, one has to wonder what value there might be in threatening to execute a disabled veteran. Especially when such a threat may constitute a felony under the Homeland Security Act.

The unexpurgated recording of this message can be found HERE. WARNING: This recording contains language that many may find deeply offensive. If you must listen, do so at your own discretion.

UPDATE: The local media have seized on the story, Channel 4 running a piece on November 7 and posting THIS article on their website the next day.

* UPDATE 2: Special thanks to the The Citizen for clarifying the [unintelligible] speech on the transcript.

Sign Chronicles, Part 5.5.

2005-10-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

Looked up the block this morning and saw this:

What gives?

Check Sign Chronicles Part 5. Scroll down a bit. You'll know where to start reading.

What's it all mean?

Beats me, though an obvious stab is that nine days to go until the General Election and folks have already had enough of all of these politicians.

And yes: I put them all back up.

She said, he said, she said.

2005-10-30T16:22:00.000-05:00

Local freelance scribbler Joann Galuszka says that the campaigns of Incumbent Mayor Tom Jankowski and City Council hopeful Tim Nowakowski are affiliated.

Nowakowski campaign spokesperson Pamela says it ain't so.

But Joann stands by her source: Mayor Jankowski himself.

Will we ever get to the bottom of this? Who knows. But Joann and Pamela are hashing it out HERE.

Sign Chronicles, part 6; Leaflet Edition.

2005-10-29T16:24:00.000-04:00

Just received an email from an individual out canvassing this afternoon.

Uglier and uglier still...

We caught some people delivering anonymous (hence, illegal) smear sheets on Karen (Majewski), Rob (Cedar), Scott (Klein) and Shahab (Ahmed) about an hour ago.

We confronted them and (supposedly) talked them out of continuing. We appealed to their principles and Christianity.

We have photos. A middle aged black woman, who said her name is Anne Smith seemed to be leading a group of 4-5 young guys, at least one of whom was said to be her nephew.

She said the person who hired them was a black male. The nephew said they met him in front of Rite Aid and he promised to pay them $30/hr.

They had already worked (at least) from Holbrook to Evaline on the west side of Campau. We confronted them on Charest, the other side of Campau. The woman promise to stop.

Should you see any of them, please confront them and appeal to them to stop and let them know that you know this info.

UPDATE: For the curious, our neighbors over at Hamtramck Star have posted the masterpiece.

Sign Chronicles, part 5.

2005-10-25T12:24:00.000-04:00

As of this post, the General Election is exactly two weeks away.

Here's where it starts to get ugly.

At some point on Monday, October 24, vandals struck the bank of political signs hung along the fence of Family Donut at the corner of Caniff and Conant.

Longtime Hamtramckans will tell you this is all just a part of local political tradition. Some newer residents even laugh it off as a victimless, "ignorable" crime.

I'll go out on a limb here and call it something else:

Disgraceful.

Perhaps my value system is tragically out of synch with that of society at large, but I've taken a stand against this kind of behavior many times over the years.

Two instances come to mind.

Instance #1: During the 2001 Primary I was among a number of volunteers canvassing outside the Library. At one point in the day, a couple of little boys peddled up and commenced to vandalize a candidate's sign that had been placed on private property adjacent to the polling place.

Most all of the other canvassers cheered the kids on. I approached the boys and asked them to stop.

The little vandals complied and moved along, and for the next 10 minutes I weathered a storm of verbal abuse from the other canvassers.

One canvasser (currently running for office) informed me that way back when, bar owners would place a bounty on the signs of specific candidates and neighborhood kids were encouraged to collect.

I called the idea shameful, saying the practice makes us all look bad and sends a bad message to kids. Another canvasser (currently a candidate, and at the time canvassing for a candidate currently running for office) mocked me and told me that unless I had kids I was in no position to comment.

Well guess what: four years later I have two kids and my opinion has indeed changed:

I find the whole business really, REALLY shameful.

Instance #2: Just up the block from our house there's a peculiar sight: on one lawn you'll find a "Solidarity" slate sign, a "Majewski for Mayor" sign and a "Re-elect Jankowski Mayor" sign.

Last Wednesday morning, as I was heading out to work, I noticed that the slate sign had been knocked down and dragged up the block. I picked it up, took it back to the lawn and re-planted it, pausing to dust off the Majewski sign which had apparently taken a beating as well.

The next day, on my way out to work, I noticed that once again the slate sign had been knocked down. So again, I picked up the sign, put it back on the lawn, re-straightened the Majewski sign, and continued on to work.

Friday morning, before I even stepped out the front door, I anticipated what had seemed to become the inevitable: slate sign knocked down, Majewski sign kicked around, Mike re-plants slate sign, straightens Majewski sign and goes to work.

So, I walked out the door, down the steps, and looked up the block. I saw something peculiar:

The slate sign was intact, the Majewski sign was intact, but the Jankowski sign was gone.

A closer look revealed that the Jankowski sign was lying on the ground where it had been knocked down.

I paused to parse the vast moral/ethical dilemma.

Approximately two seconds later I found myself walking over to the Jankowski sign, picking it up, planting it back in the lawn, and heading off to work.

True story.

Sappy as hell, but true.

The Freep speaks again.

2005-10-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

From the Editorial page of today's Detroit Free Press:

Important Choices Nov. 8

Check the records when deciding your vote

...
Hamtramck
First-term Mayor Tom Jankowski and City Council President Karen Majewski easily emerged from a four-person mayoral primary. The new part-time mayor will serve a four-year term at an annual salary of $7,080.

Jankowski, 45, did a credible job of working with state-appointed emergency financial manager Louis Schimmel to pull Hamtramck out of debt. But he is not completely comfortable with Hamtramck's new city manager form of government, which will diminish the mayor's powers. KAREN MAJEWSKI, 50, a curator for Orchard Lake Schools, better understands the mayor's new role, the need for more sophisticated management and the city's growing diversity. She's the best choice for Hamtramck now.

Give 'em Hell Martha!

2005-10-17T14:01:00.000-04:00

From the Detroit Free Press:

Lawmaker takes up an insurance crusade
Urban areas hit unfairly, she says

By DAVID EGGERT
Associated Press Writer

LANSING -- It was Martha Scott's worst day in the Michigan Legislature.

Frustrated with high insurance rates in Detroit and other urban areas, the Democrat from Highland Park joined a debate over eliminating an unpopular new fine on drivers who couldn't show proof of insurance when they were pulled over. Insured motorists would get a break under the legislation, but the uninsured would face even higher penalties than before.

Scott was livid.

"The major reason most of these motorists either fail to purchase insurance or allow their insurance to lapse is because of the exorbitant cost of insurance coverage in this state," she told Senate colleagues.

Scott then proposed banning insurers from basing rates on where their customers live. The bid failed.

"The Bible says the poor will be with us always," she said. "But we don't have to keep making them poorer, do we?"

The day was March 16, 2004. Scott hasn't stop talking about insurance since.

In the ensuing 17 months, the 69-year-old has stood on the Senate floor nearly 140 times to criticize home and auto insurance rates. Scott speaks about the issue every day she's there. She has missed only 13 session days during that time.

She often uses her five minutes of speaking time to tell about residents who visit an insurance Web site she set up. One day she talks about someone whose auto premium doubled after moving from Grosse Pointe Park to Hamtramck. Another day she mentions a Detroiter who can't find coverage on a Ford Escort for less than $300 a month.

Every day the Senate is in session, she stands up to drive the point home again.

"I do believe people are finally realizing that I'm not going away," Scott told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Her crusade finally is bearing results.

Last week, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Democratic lawmakers unveiled legislation to cut annual auto and home insurance premiums by 20 percent. Although Republicans call the move impractical and purely political, Scott is receiving much of the credit for pushing the insurance issue.

"She is no longer visibly alone," Lt. Gov. John Cherry said at an insurance rally last week on the Capitol steps that drew about 100 people.

Scott organized the rally to again call for an end to the practice of charging higher rates in one neighborhood or ZIP code than in an adjacent area. She says she'll keeping speaking on the Senate floor until Republicans who control the chamber take up her legislation.

Scott, a former Highland Park mayor who worked at Michigan Bell for 26 years, also has fought for more clothing funding for children on welfare and domestic violence training for Friend of the Court employees.

"She has been on the battlefield," says Rep. Michael Murphy, a Lansing Democrat. "She has kept this (insurance) issue in the forefront, would not allow it to be placed on the back burner."

Democrats say high insurance rates are a statewide problem that are especially burdensome in urban areas, including Detroit. Detroit residents pay the highest average auto insurance premiums in the country. The city's rank as the nation's most impoverished big city means many residents face a double whammy -- high premiums and little money to pay them.

According to Runzheimer International, a Wisconsin-based consulting firm, the Detroit area's average annual insurance premium is $5,162 -- more than $1,000 higher than the nation's second-most expensive city, Philadelphia. New York is fifth-most expensive at $3,127.

Scott says that has to change. She's fiercely critical of insurance companies, accusing them of taking advantage of Detroit drivers.

"We're here to help," says Scott, who joined the Senate in 2001 after serving in the Michigan House from 1995-2000. "That's what government should be doing. Not giving people anything but just being fair to them."

Most Republicans don't buy Scott's logic.

"My instinct is to leap up every day and respond to her," Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee Chairman Mike Bishop says of Scott's daily speeches in the Senate. "I think members understand where she's coming from. She's venting her frustrations."

Bishop, R-Rochester, says Scott's legislation ignores economic realities such as Detroit's high rate of stolen vehicles. He says Scott, who is black, is race-baiting and acting irresponsibly.

Doing away with geographic-based risk, Bishop says, would lead to slightly lower rates in Detroit and other cities while causing gigantic rate increases for people living elsewhere. Bishop, who thinks rates are too high in general, says one solution is addressing Michigan's auto no-fault system, which insurers say requires them to provide the most generous medical coverage in the country.

Michigan is the only state to require unlimited, lifetime medical benefits, according to the Insurance Institute of Michigan.

Peter Kuhnmuench, the group's executive director, says rates in Detroit and other cities reflect the underlying risk to insurers. Auto premiums are linked to theft rates, traffic congestion, road conditions, stolen stop signs, fraud, more expensive repairs and higher health care costs in urban areas, says Kuhnmuench, who has met with Scott but not gotten much closer to seeing eye-to-eye with her.

Scott isn't backing down.

She says it's "unconscionable" that she pays $3,300 a year to insure her Chrysler 300 while a lawmaker colleague told her he pays $1,800 to insure three vehicles.

"It's all about fairness," Scott says of her plan to continue her daily pleas for lower rates. "They wouldn't hear from me if they just start taking up the bills."

Pulaski rides again.

2005-10-10T12:35:00.000-04:00

Props to one of America's greatest heroes, and the number reason I wish I were Pol-Am.

Father of U.S. Cavalry Gets Hero's Burial

By RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press Writer
Mon Oct 10, 9:20 AM ET

The Polish nobleman regarded as the father of the American cavalry finally received a hero's funeral on the 226th anniversary of the Revolutionary War battle in which he was mortally wounded.

However, the mystery continues over whether the remains buried Sunday are those of Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski, a hero in Poland and among Polish-Americans for his sacrifice.

"Certainly from a historical standing it was overdue," said Francis X. Hayes, the Savannah businessman who organized the burial. "His remains were just unceremoniously sealed up in the monument. This gave him the kind of ceremony he would have received had he been in Poland."

Chatham County Coroner James C. Metts Jr. had exhumed the remains in 1996 when the monument was dismantled for repairs. After eight years of trying, investigators failed to extract a complete DNA sequence to compare with a living Pulaski descendant found in Poland.

A draft report by Metts' team, made public in June, concluded "the mystery remains unsolved." It also said "strong circumstantial evidence does suggest that the remains are Casimir Pulaski."

The unsolved mystery, though, did not halt the funeral. More than 700 people filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist for a memorial Mass.

A regiment of Polish cavalrymen on horseback escorted the casket in a procession through the streets, followed by a riderless horse with empty boots in the stirrups.

Polish Bishop Tadeusz Pwoski read funeral rites beneath the marble obelisk built to Pulaski in 1854, sprinkling the flag-draped casket with holy water and dirt from the gravesite.

Janusz Reiter, Poland's ambassador to the United States, said it doesn't matter that the remains were never proven to be Pulaski's.

"This is considered by most people in Poland to be absolutely irrelevant," Reiter said. "The opinion of the experts is divided. This is a question of whether you believe or don't believe."

Pulaski came to America in 1777, exiled from Poland after helping lead an uprising against Russian incursion. Recommended by George Washington, he took command of the colonial cavalry.

After his legion of 600 troops helped fight off the British at Charleston, S.C., Pulaski headed to Savannah for the ill-fated battle to reclaim the captured city. He fell mortally wounded by grapeshot from a British cannon on Oct. 9, 1779.

The bones had been entombed inside the marble monument in 1854 after they were discovered in an unmarked grave at the former family plantation of William P. Bowen. Bowen said his grandmother and aunt told him the grave was Pulaski's.

However, other historical accounts — from two officers who served under Pulaski — say the general was buried at sea after dying on a ship bound for Charleston.

Metts, the coroner, said nine years after he exhumed the remains, he needed to see them returned to the grave.

"I feel it'd be sacrilegious if I didn't," Metts said. "It would be sort of letting Pulaski down. It's time to put him to rest, with well-deserved honors."

Local laundry service.

2005-10-07T09:37:00.000-04:00

Every now and again the foibles of our little town bubble up to a wider consciousness. The current issue of the Metrotimes includes a piece about Hamtramck's churning political climate written by Hamtramck freelancer and frequent Main Street contributor Joanna Galuszka. The piece is linked above; the text, pasted below.

Twenty-four hours after posting the piece, I've formed a few opinions.

First off, I'm struck by the fact that Jankowski gets the lions' share of mic-time and is allowed the privilege of framing most all of the issues. Further, in the one case where Majewski is allowed the chance to frame an issue--the call-to-prayer debate--Jankowski is given a generous platform for rebuttle. But then, none of this should be surprising considering the author's connections to George Kristy's Main Street publication, historically a mouthpiece for Jankowski.

I'm also struck by the amount of credit given to former Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel, though this follows the Metrotimes' previous support of Schimmel, as well as the oft-sourced Jankowski, who up until recently seemed to be an across-the-board supporter of team Schimmel.

I'm sure if Ms. Galuszka had spoken with our new City Manager she would've gotten a less generous assessment of Schimmel's budgeting/management skills and the long term impact of his reign--Schimmel's potentially calamitous negotiations with the Firefighters coming first to my mind.

Lastly, it's apparent that quite a few charges are leveled at the Solidarity camp by Jankowski supporters with no space provided for rebuttle. It also begs a mention that the Jankowski supporter quoted second-to-last has been an employee of tavern-owner Jankowski. It would also seem fair to allow a reply to candidate Hood's assertion that Council has accomplished nothing, but then I suppose most folks realize that hyperbole is a candidate's best friend.

This highlights my "big" observation: it seems the author couldn't drum up a single political independent in all of Hamtramck. If this is really true, I'd say the old-Hamtramck political divisiveness is still in play, and candidates are still capitalizing on it.

The latter reminds me of one of my favorite political statistics: about a year ago, Americans were polled on whether George W. Bush was, as promised during his campaign for President, "a uniter, not a divider." The sample was evenly divided, 50% sayings "yes," 50% saying "no."

On the whole, I'd say there's a noticable slant to the piece. Not surprising, really. I'm a big boy. I know how journalism works, especially the free-weekly kind.

Still a month to go until Election Day, though. I look forward to the Metrotimes revisiting this topic.

And so the story begins...

Same game
Despite changes, Hamtramck elections remain rough

Hamtramck may be emerging from an extreme municipal makeover, but its politics are as ugly as ever. Maybe not that ugly — but with a hotly contested mayoral race under way and six City Council seats all up for grabs, it’s far from pretty...

Click through to the story HERE.

The fun is over.

2005-09-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

What remains of the playscape at Veterans' Memorial Park on Hamtramck's southend. Photo taken September 28, 2005 by Richard Hyska.

Approximately one week ago, vandals set fire to the playscape at Veterans' Memorial Park on Hamtramck's southend. The playscape was purchased by the Recreation Department two years ago at a cost of $183,000. The funds were collected from the recreation millage.

The black substance on the ground is what remains of a shock-absorbing material; loosely packed rubber derived from shredded tires. Some community leaders advised against the use of this material, which many believe contributed to the severity of the fire.

A little over half the structure is completely destroyed, but the playscape may be total loss.

The park is leased from the City of Hamtramck by the Hamtramck Board of Education which oversees operations of Hamtramck Recreation Department.

It has been learned by Hamtown Confidential that City Manager Donald Crawford surveyed the site today with several city officials and expressed an openness to a return of the Recreation Department to City control.

Seven days after the blaze, however, no clean-up efforts have been implemented, and the potentially toxic site remains accessible to children.

Sign Chronicles, part 4.

2005-09-26T21:20:00.000-04:00

It was reported to Hamtown Confidential that in the early hours of Sunday, September 25, there was a break-in on Mitchell St. involving the car belonging to Sahnbul Hwalson Sunim, founder and spiritual leader of The Detroit Zen Center. The center is located at the corner of Mitchell and Casmere streets.

The car was ransacked, but one curious item was discovered in the vehicle: a very conspicuously placed "Tom Jankowski for Mayor" campaign sign.

The incident, including the detail about the Jankowski sign, was reported to the Hamtramck Police. At the time, the officer entering the incident report couldn't recall any similar incidents, though a scan of a recent issue of The Citizen reveals a Crime Log item wherein patio furniture had been stolen from a resident's yard and a "Jankowski for Mayor" sign left in its place.

This latest revelation is baffling to even the most hardened cynic. The better angels of our nature says both incidents were merely pranks.

But while no details are known at this time about the stolen patio furniture, two previous items may shed light on the Zen Center incident.

Item one. In October 2003, in the final weeks leading up to the General Election contest between then Incumbent Gary Zych and Challenger Tom Jankowksi, a "Tom Jankowksi for Mayor" sign had been wired to the Casmere street gate of the Zen Center without the prior consent of the center. It was evident that a number of Zych's signs had been torn down in the immediate vicinity and at the approximate time of the placement of the Jankowski sign on the Zen Center. The Zen Center removed the Jankowski sign.

Item two. A representative from The Zen Center recounted an incident from 1998 involving a confrontation with Jankowski. Early in Gary Zych's first term as Mayor, the Zen Center had been contracted to renovate the office vacated by longtime Mayor Robert Kozaren. At one point Jankowski made a violent entrance to the work area to protest the activity--Jankowski was said to have kicked open a door, initiating a shouting match with the workers. Jankowski was a Kozaren appointee to the Zoning Board of Appeals at the time. Zych later reappointed Jankowski to the ZBA, Jankowski's only city appointment prior to his upset of Zych for Mayor in 2003.

Harmless prank or old-school Hamtramck political thuggery?

What do you think?

More to come...

Klara Barbara Rehfus

2005-09-18T15:55:00.000-04:00

Born 9.18.05 at 12:20PM. 7lbs 11oz, 21" long.

Sign Chronicles, part 3.

2005-09-14T14:16:00.000-04:00

A look at today’s issue of The Citizen boasts a front page story familiar to readers of this humble blog: “Police Report: Mayor Accused of Sign Theft".

The article covers the events alleged in a Police Report filed early Saturday, September 10. According to the report, a resident of Yemans St. witnessed Mayor Tom Jankowski and an unidentified female accomplice stealing "Majewski for Mayor" campaign signs from the lawns of several Yemans St. residences. Then, according to the witness, Jankowski and the female fled to Jankowski’s bar, Whiskey in the Jar, and that later the stolen signs were found in the dumpster behind the bar.

The Citizen’s coverage adds a few interesting details beyond what you’ve read here, including names, quotations and a denial by Mayor Jankowski. Mayor Pro Tem and filer of the police report, Karen Majewski is quoted as saying “This is basically lawlessness. It’s just not acceptable. It may seem like a small thing, but it is not.”

Overall, a fine article. Until I can motivate myself to transcribe it (not likely), I encourage readers to pop down to the corner store and pick up a copy of this week’s Citizen.

But moving on to our continuing coverage (commentary), according to a Hamtown Confidential source close to the Police Department, the detective assigned to the case is committed to action on the matter, and should evidence merit, will positively bring charges against Jankowski.

The biggest hitch to the investigation at this point, however, may prove to be an unwillingness for the witnesses to follow through in the face of real or perceived intimidation.

We would all hope that that glare of the spotlight would encourage any witness to stand up and demand justice. But outside of my Pollyanna perspective, there’s a darker legacy to Hamtown.

My source reflects:

“Old-timers in Hamtramck and their kids tend to be cowards when it comes to this sort of thing, and not without good reason. There has been a long history of retaliation and when you don't have much, as in money and possession, you don't want to lose what you've got. And rely on the cops? Forget it, one or more of them are probably related to the evil-doer. Hamtramck is home to the bully…”

Sobering words from a reliable source.

More to come…

Sign Chronicles, part 2.

2005-09-13T11:12:00.000-04:00

According to several trusted Hamtown Confidential sources, the Hamtramck Police Department will in fact be investigating a police report implicating Hamtramck Mayor Tom Jankowski in the theft of a political opponent's campaign signs.

Hamtramck Police Detective Ben Bielecki has been assigned to the case.

Bielecki will be investigating claims made in a September 9, 2005 police report that Jankowski and an undidentified accomplice were seen removing several "Majewski for Mayor" lawn signs from the yard of a Yemans St. home. According to that report, the duo fled with the signs into Whiskey in the Jar, a Yemans St. bar owned by Jankowski. Later, it was reported, the signs were retrieved from a dumpster adjacent to the bar.

One source following the investigation claims that the signs are currently undergoing analysis for a fingerprint match, and that it is likely that Jankowski will be brought in for identification in a police line-up.

But another source with experience observing the Hamtramck Police doubts much action will be taken, reasoning 1) Detectives will argue that they have far more serious cases to investigate, and 2) Historically, cases of a political nature are not given serious follow-up.

Despite all that, however, the source concedes, "But you never know..."

Apparently there is some negative subtext between Jankowski and the Police. What it is, specifically, is not widely known. By all appearances, Jankowski retains the good graces of Hamtramck's Finest.

It is possible that Jankowski's loyalties to former Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel play a factor; Schimmel is in charge of negotiations with the Police unions, and Schimmel's penchant for hard-ball bargaining tactics is well-known.

More developments as they come...

Sign Chronicles, part 1.

2005-09-11T22:59:00.000-04:00

It has been brought to the attention of Hamtown Confidential that Hamtramck Mayor Tom Jankowski has been implicated in the theft of several of his opponent's campaign signs.

In a police report filed in the evening of Friday, September 9, 2005, a witness describes seeing Jankowski, along with an accomplice the witness could not identify, take several "Majewski for Mayor" lawn signs from in front of a Yemans St. house. According to the report, Jankowski and his accomplice were seen running with the signs into Whiskey in the Jar, a Yemans St. Bar owned by Jankowski. The witness reported that the stolen signs were later found in a dumpster adjacent to the bar.

The matter is currently under investigation. It is unclear at this time whether Hamtramck Police will turn the matter over to the State Police due to the political nature of the allegations.

Two seperate prior assault allegations against Mayor Jankowski were investigated by the Michigan State Police and dismissed by the County Prosecutor due to a lack of evidence.

With regard to the current allegations, it is believed that the signs retrieved from the dumpster outside of Whiskey in the Jar have been retained and will be examined for fingerprints.

According to The Detroit Free Press, Jankowski has a prior arrest for vandalism.

More to come...

Reader submission: Spongeclock Foodpants.

2005-09-07T14:35:00.000-04:00

Loyal Hamtown Confidential reader Sean Bieri submits this snap from this past weekend's festivities, and passes along this humble disclaimer:

Hey Mike,

Most of my festival pictures were pretty blah, but I thought this one might be blog-worthy.

Sean

Sean: Consider it blogged.

And keep 'em coming, fellow Hamtown Confidantes...

How I ended my summer vacation.

2005-09-06T23:14:00.000-04:00

Scenes from the Hamtramck Labor
Day Festival and Polish Day Parade.
September 4 & 5. 2005. Hamtramck, MI.

August is a good month to lay low, especially when you’re in the final countdown for baby number two, but how could I say goodbye to summer in Hamtramck without a word and picture or two about the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival and Polish Day Parade.

Contrary to conjecture (see the entry below) the festival, by what I saw of it on Sunday afternoon, is not “dangerous.” The event appeared to be clean, safe and popular, and at no time did I feel menaced by punk rockers.

Overall, no major complaints; just a few little ones, easily addressed by next year’s festival committee. The weather was PERFECT. Let’s keep this part the same.

Being a party including a roving, energetic 23 month-old and a profoundly pregnant lady, we devoted about an hour and a half to the festival and stuck mainly to the midway.

There was a bit of frustration and confusion regarding the whole tickets/cash conundrum; the rides required tickets while games and refreshments were cash-only. The confusion was amped up a notch as one traveled south toward the bands/booze/food section of the festival. Along the somewhat decimated stretch of Campau near Casmere the ticket-to-ride rule was challenged by a fun moonwalk attraction, climbing wall and extreme trampoline-type thing, alas, all cash-only attractions.

Note to the organizers: next year go all-tickets or all-cash please, or at least liberalize the refund policy for tickets.

The noise at that point was a bit unbearable as there were two bands playing simultaneously. Furthermore, the crowd appeared dense and stroller unfriendly, so we turned back. Perhaps all the ethnic food was south of Casmere, but it was all garden-variety carnival grub to the north. We supped on a cinnamon and sugar elephant ear and went thirsty, the rest of our cash locked up in ride tickets. It was a happy-thirsty, though.

Another gripe: the apparent dearth of cultural diversity in the acts performing. Also, as a parent, I would have appreciated more and/or better organized activities for kids. I recall this being better-handled in years past. If these activities were scheduled or occurred, there was nothing I could easily find about the fact in the Citizen-printed program.

My greatest gripe? The festival as planned was awfully generic and forgettable. I’d like a more “Hamtramck” affair next year.

Having said all that, I will keep exclusively positive memories of the festival. Gosia documented Milosz and I enjoying a lovely, if not terrifying, couple of rides on the merry-go-round. Milosz loved all the sights and sounds and everywhere babies, babies, babies! We had a nice chat with Hamtramck’s pop-culture hawk Steve-O, City Council Candidate Stephanie Collona, and repaired to the Polish bookstore Ksiegarnia Eden for cookies and conversation with proprietor Danuta.

We made it home by 6pm tired, giddy and smelling of delicious fried delicacies.

Monday was the day I was waiting for: the Polish Day Parade! Gosia opted to stay home and rest (these pregnant ladies have NO stamina), so Milosz and I went stag.

We got to Campau close to 1PM, but the parade was nowhere in sight. This allowed us to cruise around unimpeded and greet familiar faces. We said hi to Chip from The Citizen, on the scene with his camera. We stopped by to chat up my old neighbor Mike at Detroit Threads. The parade, in ways, is bittersweet for me; it was always a big, exhausting day at the coffeehouse.

The past behind us, Milosz and I finally found ourselves settling in with old friends in front of New Palace Bakery.

After some wait, sirens shrieking, the parade began creeping our way.

Right off the bat, Hamtramck’s “Pimp my Patrol Car” made a big splash. I, for one, am a huge supporter of this car, and I think we’d be better off with about 10 more of them. Why? A seargent of the Boston mounted police, when asked why the city still had mounted cops, explained: “Because nobody ever comes up to pet a cop car.” I think you can follow my logic of why our pimped prowler is a good thing.

Soon along, we had our first politician sighting. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, who in my picture here appears to be sticking his tongue out. With good reason. I shouted to him to give us the jail tax back. He said “Jail Tax?” and I clarified the $800,000 the County took back from our hosting agreement for Dickerson Prison. I assured him the County would never miss it but we do. He smiled and continued on, the claps and whoops of my fellow parade-goers sending him on his way.

Parade Marshal Judge Paruk shouted me down from his plush convertible, and along came a whole gaggle of local politicos, have mercy on their souls. Mixed in with the bunch were new City Manager Donald Crawford and CEDD Erik Tungate. Welcome to Hamtown, fellas.

We were blessed with a pair of Levins, Carl and Sander, Carl shouting “look a camera,” causing the duo to stampede toward the lense.

In all, quite a few players from the Big Leagues were out in force: Lt. Gov. Cherry, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative John Conyers, all fools for my little camera.

Things got a little more out of hand when State Senator Martha G. Scott (an old acquaintance from the coffeehouse days), driving her own car, stopped and demanded I bring Milosz over for a kiss. This caused a near 24-bagpiper pile-up behind her.

The rest of the parade was a blur of unicyclers, seminarians, Polish Dancers, the UAW Local 235 DJ rig, and the perennial favorite Tom Mix and his Wonder Horse.

My favorite sight at any Polish Day Parade is what follows it: thousands of Hamtramckans and their friends falling in procession and marching up Campau toward the festival.

For me and Milosz, it was a two man procession back home for one hell of a nap.

Don't look back in anger.

2005-09-06T09:57:00.000-04:00

Like anything else in our little town, the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival invites its share of scorn and controversy. Below is an e-mail that was forwarded to me Saturday afternoon by a frequent e-pen pal who, for the moment, shall remain anonymous:

Mike,

Not having attended recently, I am unable to comment but I forward the remarks of my cousin in Warren:

“I don't know the last time you attended the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival, but believe me you are not missing anything. What started out years ago as a celebration of Hamtramck and Polish culture has turned into something I would not take my family to again. The whole atmosphere is now one of beer and booze, decadent punk rock bands (look at the entertainment line up), and cheap junk being sold in the booths. I was actually afraid last year when we ventured to the "festival" after dark. The same crowd that is now attracted to the many "Polish" bars that feature punk rock in the evenings, now comes to party at the festival. Many get staggering drunk and a Hamtramck police officer, that I attend church with, calls it their nightmare weekend. Hamtramck has changed, and not for the better.”

My reply…

Beauty and beastliness are in the eye of the beholder.

One point I'll speak to in regard to your cousin's comments; the inclusion of so-called punk bands—a recent phenom and one that has actually brought a more diverse, monied, and dare I say, suburban brand of festivalgoer-did not necessarily bring a rough edge to the Hamtramck festival. I can recall a festival well on 5 years ago interrupted by rumbles, gun shots and tear gas. Polka bands dominated the lineup that year.

If the Hamtramck festival is getting more "dangerous," it's only the result of a negative feedback loop that desperately needs to be broken. Hamtramck has been struggling with perception issues relating to safety for several years. No disrespect to the cop friend, but describing this vital festival as a "nightmare weekend" doesn't help. I often wonder whether a police officer who says such things about Hamtramck actually lives here.

Then I think about the residency statistics and safely deduce "no."

MR

A couple of days later I stand behind my reply.

The numbers are in...

2005-08-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

Results for August 2, 2005 Primary Election - Hamtramck, MI

MAYOR.....PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL|VOTE%
Fabiszak...012|.019|.010|.010|.008|.001|.002|.026|.071.|04.22
Hafeez.....016|.025|.042|.042|.004|.029|.016|.003|.142.|08.44
Jankowski..067|.127|.075|.102|.061|.029|.025|.215|.701.|41.68
Majewski...060|.119|.099|.134|.080|.035|.045|.192|.764.|45.62
Write-In...000|.000|.000|.001|.001|.000|.001|.001|.004.|00.24

Yellow = Advances to General Election | AVCB = Absentee ballots

COUNCIL...PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVBC|TOTAL|VOTE%
Ahmed......055|.121|.085|.139|.046|.035|.048|.072|.601.|14.42
Boluk......061|.069|.048|.068|.053|.041|.029|.166|.535.|12.84
Hussain....040|.114|.055|.105|.025|.033|.030|.018|.420.|10.08
Nowakowski.052|.119|.091|.125|.093|.022|.031|.269|.802.|19.24
Shulgon....040|.075|.066|.100|.063|.023|.028|.160|.555.|13.32
Singer.....043|.065|.048|.090|.033|.031|.028|.073|.411.|09.86
Trick......036|.027|.019|.030|.011|.010|.006|.038|.177.|04.25
Zwolak.....044|.083|.069|.082|.072|.020|.027|.264|.661.|15.86
Write-in...000|.002|.000|.000|.003|.000|.001|.000|.006.|00.14

County Proposition P (Parks Millage)
PROP P..PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL|VOTE%
YES......090|.106|.069|.101|.069|.042|.043|.141|.661.|44.30
NO.......049|.119|.099|.150|.073|.032|.035|.274|.831.|55.70
Blue = Measure defeated.

Precinct..PCT1|PCT2|PCT3|PCT4|PCT5|PCT6|PCT7|AVCB|TOTAL
Totals.....157|.291|.191|.292|.157|.099|.091|.453|1731
Carried by Jankowski | Carried by Majewski

-----------------------------
In case you were wondering...

PCT 1 - Housing Administration Bldg
PCT 2 - St. Ladislaus Parish
PCT 3 - Community Center
PCT 4 - City Hall
PCT 5 - Senior Plaza
PCT 6 - People's Community Services
PCT 7 - Holbrook Cafe

Thanks to my unnamed source for the early numbers, the City Clerk's office for the precinct reports, and Steven & Hillary over at Hamtramck Star for blogging me and presenting the results in snappy bar graph form.

Election Day, August 2, 2005

2005-08-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

Just a few glimpses of the polls from this morning before I scurried off to the air-conditioned splendor of the corporate suburbs. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves for now, save to say that 1) Yes, politicians still do kiss babies 2) The modern scanned ballot machines are not infallible, and 3) Everybody is in a good mood on election day at 8:30AM.

The mayor dodges a bullet.

2005-07-27T15:46:00.000-04:00

This just in...

Prosecutor won't charge mayor

July 27, 2005

BY CECIL ANGEL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Hamtramck Mayor Thomas Jankowski will not be charged after a woman accused him of groping and punching her in one of the city's bars three months ago, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy announced Tuesday.

"The biggest relief now is that my political opponents are going to have to focus on running the city and not on running me down," Jankowski said Tuesday.

He heard the news thirdhand from a friend who saw the story on television, he said.

"I was surprised," he said. "I didn't expect it to happen this fast."

The decision came a week before Hamtramck's mayoral primary. An investigation of the incident by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges, Worthy said.

The incident in question took place April 24.

Lisa Fair, 29, of Roseville was in the 88 Avenue Lounge, 10200 Conant at Belmont in Hamtramck, when she said Jankowski reached between her legs and touched her crotch.

She claimed Jankowski punched her in the eye when she complained about his behavior that night.

The mayor denied the assault and Hamtramck police turned the investigation over to state police.

Two days later, Fair filed a civil lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Jankowski.

"I think everything that was done by the plaintiff was for a financial bonus," said Doraid Elder, the lawyer representing Jankowski in the civil case.

In June, Jankowski filed a civil lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court against Fair, who he said abused the system for personal gain.

Her attorney, Jason Malkiewicz, promised Tuesday to comment on Worthy's decision but did not return a call Tuesday night.

Worthy also said Tuesday there was insufficient evidence to charge Jankowski in an incident last year. City Councilman Charles Cirgenski accused Jankowski of hitting him in September 2004 at the Belmont Bar, 2669 Yemans, in Hamtramck.

Jankowski's spokeswoman Darci McConnell said, "Obviously we're pleased. The mayor has always maintained these incidents didn't happen.

"It's unfortunate it played out as it did, but the end result was what we always thought it would be."

Jankowski was relieved at the decision. "You could see in a lot of people's eyes, they wanted to believe the worst. It was tough -- not being able to come out and tell my side of the story. I said in the beginning, it wasn't true."

Contact CECIL ANGEL at 313-223-4531 or angel@freepress.com.

Sunflowers.

2005-07-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

Heatwaves. Politics. Dog attacks. Cop Attacks.

Sometimes in Hamtramck you just have to stop and smell the sunflowers.

Click HERE to view a slideshow of our sunflowers, from pre-garden state in March, the April snowstorm (a week after we planted the seeds), the first seedling break-through in May, on through yesterday, July 23 when they topped out at a shade over 9 feet tall.

Did I mention you'd need a step ladder to stop and smell the sunflowers?

And to think it all began with couple of packets of Greystripe Sunflower seeds purchased from the Al Harmain fruit market.

All in all, the best 40¢ we've ever spent.

The Freep weighs in.

2005-07-12T07:20:00.000-04:00

From the Editorial page of the Detroit Free Press:

Hamtramck council president is the best choice for mayor

July 11, 2005

Hamtramck, a vibrant and diverse Detroit enclave, is emerging from a financial crisis with a new city manager-dominated government that will diminish the powers of its elected mayor. The part-time mayor's job now pays $20,000 a year, but that will fall to about $7,000 in the new term, which extends to four years.

Nevertheless, the mayor will continue to play an important part in representing Hamtramck. City Council President KAREN MAJEWSKI can better serve this city of 24,000 in that role than incumbent Mayor Thomas Jankowski.

Jankowski, 45, who owns a local tavern, is finishing his first term. He was probably the right person for his time. Grasping the gravity of Hamtramck's financial condition, Jankowski worked with, instead of against, state-appointed emergency financial manager Louis Schimmel, who had to make unpopular cuts in city government and services to pull Hamtramck out of debt. Jankowski is generally pragmatic with a genuine affection for his hometown. But he is not completely comfortable with Hamtramck's new form of government, viewing the city manager position as simply another department head. It is not. Hamtramck politics are rowdy enough without unnecessary friction between the mayor and new city manager.

Moreover, allegations that Jankowski groped and struck a woman in a bar and punched a city councilman are, unfair or not, distractions the city doesn't need, even though Jankowski has not been charged.

Majewski, 50, a curator for Orchard Lake Schools with a doctorate in American studies, will represent the city in a professional manner. She understands the need for sophisticated management and won't try to overstep. Majewski appreciates Hamtramck's diversity and showed it during the Muslim call-to-prayer debate.

The third credible candidate is Mohammad Hafeez, 50, a training specialist for the City of Detroit, Hamtramck's former income tax director and a former college professor. He is active in the Islamic Association of Michigan. Energetic and idealistic, Hafeez is a welcome voice in Hamtramck politics, but he lacks the experience or political skills to be mayor.

Karen Majewski is Hamtramck's best choice.

Two Mikes don't make a wrong

2005-07-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

A hearty thanks to Citizen Publisher Mike Wilcox for the mention in this week's installment of his popular Mad Mike's Meanderings column. Most of Mike's current column is dedicated to a host of reader complaints regarding a previous MMM column about an amusing anecdote involving Wilcox, his son, a hammer and Wilcox's "pee pee."

But back to me.

A good chunk of Mike Wilcox's current column is dedicated to yours truly and this humble 'blog and a letter of mine that was more or less published in last week's Citizen.

To recap, last week I posted a criticism of The Citizen for neglecting to publish my letter-to-the-editor, a conclusion I drew in error from an e-mail received last Tuesday from Editor Charles Sercombe suggesting my letter had been held in its entirety. When I finally obtained a copy of The Citizen last Friday morning I found that my letter had in fact run, albeit in a form edited to remove remarks relating to the mayor and City Hall. Upon discovery of this, I tempered my initial criticisms here on Hamtown Confidential. I allowed, however, my initial assertion that my letter had been purposefully edited.

The (controversial?) excised paragraph is as follows:

3) And lastly, a comment on a revelation made in Council Notes that City Hall may in fact be operating without a certificate of occupancy due to a refusal to comply with fire codes. My mind reels with snarky remarks, but I'll land on this one: Our mayor lied when he promised to run City Hall like he runs his business; his bar is much, much safer. (And thankfully, the beer is much, much colder).

Not exactly a smoking bombshell of an allegation, unless you're accusing me of slipping in an unpaid ad for Whiskey in the Jar.

Well, in a series of late Friday afternoon e-mails with Citizen Editor Charles Sercombe it was determined that the paragraph in question had been edited out for purposes of space by the production artist, and that no directive had been made by Wilcox or anybody else to remove the paragraph.

I was ready to accept this explanation on the condition that the missing paragraph would run in the current issue. Sercombe was agreeable to the idea but warned that Wilcox was a wee bit testy about the whole matter.

I've yet to locate the above-quoted copy in this week's paper, but I'm willing to give myself more time to inspect every page.

But back to Mad Mike Wilcox's remarks about me in this week's Citizen: below I excerpt those that pertain to me, and intermittently insert cheeky commentary of my own.

Hey, Wilcox has his bully pulpit, I've got mine.

Charitable Disclaimer: The internet is no substitute for good old-fashioned newsprint. Promise that when you've finished reading this 'blog you'll run right out to your local merchant to purchase a full copy of this week's Citizen.

Deal? Deal.

So here goes, Wilcox's remarks, as printed in the "Mad Mike's Meanderings" column found on page 6 of the July 6, 2005 issue of The Citizen, appear in white, while my pithy remarks, posted here and now, appear in yellow:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I received additional criticism from another source last week. Mike Rehfus, an independent contractor who was paid to produce graphics for THE CITIZEN until he recently quit to take a full-time job, in his website, Hamtown Confidential, accused this newspaper and me specifically of refusing to print his letter to the editor.

Two plus years of my life boiled down to one unwieldy sentence; how romantic. I like to think that I did much more than "produce graphics," but then, Wilcox is correct: that's all he paid me to do. The rest--redesigning the paper top to bottom and establishing consistent and professional design standards; designing and building countless ads; designing and building well over 100 consecutive issues; writing headlines and editing copy for fit; authoring an opinion column; creating a revolving feature for local cartoonists; and overall, elevating the look, feel and quality of the paper to a respectable level--all that was "on the house."

He went on and on about how I, refused to print the letter, because it was critical of the Mayor of Hamtramck, a so-called political ally, and one that contributes a lot of money to the newspaper through political advertising.

If I recall correctly, I made only one mention of the mayor; the original draft of my tirade accused Wilcox of sucking up to the Hamtramck Public Schools and Lou Schimmel in equal measure. As for the mayor's advertising contribution to The Citizen, I direct this week's sharp-eyed readers to ads for our mayor's re-election efforts on pages 2, 5 and 12, the latter ad, in fact, running without the "Paid for by..." disclaimer as required by campaign finance law.

I think Mr. Rehfus got it all wrong. First, his letter was printed. How he could miss it, is beyond me. There it was in plain sight on the Opinion Page.

I missed the letter because I didn't buy the paper until Friday: my bad entirely. The only part of the letter not in plain sight was the part referencing the mayor. That paragraph was edited out.

Secondly, and Mr. Rehfus knows this, I have NEVER demanded that editor Chip Sercombe pull an opinion or letter or portion thereof, from THE CITIZEN.

And how could I know this? I was an independent contractor. My job was preparing graphics.

Chip writes all editorials, I do not write any.

Odd, I don't recall accusing Wilcox of writing editorials, though come to think of it, the schools editorial from a few weeks back with all the typos and strange grammar didn't seem to be written in Chip's trademark style. Nor did it seem the style of the Citizen's Senior Staff Writer, who I do know writes editorials on occasion. But alas, I'll take Wilcox at his word; perhaps he doesn't write editorials. Unless we count the odd "Another Voice" editorial which ran in the final issue of The Citizen before the General Election in 2003, in which the Publisher (Wilcox) endorsed our current mayor, effectively undermining the opinion of the Editorial Board who saw fit to endorse the incumbent.

Third, I would not consider myself a political ally of The Mayor.

(See above)

We worked together at the Hamtramck Labor Day festival. Big deal.

Fair enough; if we're talking about 2003, it was a terrible festival (2004 showed vast improvement, though).

He has has (sic) always paid the going rate for advertising and I have never contributed to his political campaigns.

I don't recall suggesting Wilcox was cutting deals on political ads to the mayor. A Freudian slip perhaps? As for not contributing to the mayor's campaign, I suppose questionable endorsements technically don't count.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UPDATE: I originally posted this about 9 hours ago. Still no sign of the excised paragraph in this week's edition of The Citizen. I still owe it to myself to give it more time. I'll fill you in when I find it.

As ALMOST seen in The Citizen

2005-07-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

A guy so busy with his square-ass corporate day job that he barely has time to update his own blog (me) manages to set aside the time to draft a letter to the editor of the local newspaper (The Citizen), and they print it.

Sort of.

A portion of my letter making a lighthearted reference to City Hall was excised. Was it for purposes of space, or was my letter censored in a ham-handed effort to protect a political ally of Citizen Publisher Mike Wilcox?

Jumping to conclusions is reckless. But sometimes it's just too tempting...

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Letter to the Editor written for publication in the June 29, 2005 issue of The Citizen newspaper:

Hello again Citizen and Citizen readers. Just checking back in with the old gang there in the newsroom, sending along best wishes and a little bit of commentary on recent issues. After all, back in the final issue of The Citizen I produced as Art Director, Joe Zilch, Jr. DID say my two cents would be missed. Well, it’s been a few weeks. Here’s about six cents-worth:

1) The layout seems to be finding its groove of late, though I need to point out a misplaced story in the last issue; the piece “Schimmel gives thumbs down to council’s budget” somehow got placed on page three when clearly it was intended for pages six or seven, or rather, the “Opinion” section. Sorry, Lou: the charter passed by us pesky voters doesn’t call for the department heads left unfunded by the Budget Board’s proposed budget. In fact, I’d say making a conscious effort to sign contracts for non-chartered department heads undermines the will of the voters who approved our new charter (heaven help any city official found guilty of doing something like that). I do celebrate Lou’s candor when it comes to who’s the best man for contract negotiations (Lou). That sort of self-serving arrogance is pure old-school Hamtramck, and as this paper would point out, the sort of bull-headed behavior that got Hamtramck in such a mess in the first place.

2) Moving on to page six and my old friend Zilch, I do pass along my condolences regarding the publication of the previous issue’s unedited editorial praising Hamtramck Public Schools’ recruiting initiatives (“Competition could ring the bell for public schools,” The Citizen, June 15, 2005). Indeed, there were plenty of troubling spelling errors in there, as well as a few style gaffes (the term “advertisement campaign” went out of fashion with rumble seats) and a touch of sloppy fact-checking to boot (HPS loses about $6,000 per charter school defector, not $600). Ironically, this same issue featured a full-page ad by HPS touting the exact same initiative as the editorial in question, and the HPS ad, too, boasted a fairly egregious typo (Hamtramck spelled “Hamtrmack,” in a headline for the third week running). In the end, I identify with the author of the editorial and the ad writers at HPS; a full-page newspaper ad is worth a nice chunk of change. Given a choice between counting my money and editing my copy, I’ll take the money every time.

3) And lastly, a comment on a revelation made in Council Notes that City Hall may in fact be operating without a certificate of occupancy due to a refusal to comply with fire codes. My mind reels with snarky remarks, but I’ll land on this one: Our mayor lied when he promised to run City Hall like he runs his business; his bar is much, much safer. (And thankfully, the beer is much, much colder).

That’s it for now. Until my next letter, bear in mind that for better or for worse, at least one guy out there is reading.

Mike Rehfus
Former Art Director, The Citizen
Hamtramck
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Behold the power of the press.

A New Polish Flag, Unfurling on a Porch Near You.

2005-06-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

But a few flags of Poland found on the
nifty "Flags of the World" website. Top
to bottom: The Polish National flag, the
Polish State Flag, the Kashubian flag,
alternate design for Catholic Church flag,
PolishUnited Worker's Party flag, Salt
Miner's flag andthe ever-popular
Solidarinosc (Solidarity) flag.

Good news: we've purchased a new flag and will be putting it up tomorrow. Tomasz will be somewhat pleased.

Until then enjoy some fun flag facts about the various flags of Poland from the Flags of the World website:

The Polish National Flag

The national colors are white and red in two horizontal parallel strips of equal width and length, the upper strip being white and the lower red. Both strips linked together make up the national flag whose length-to-width ratio is 8:3.

The Polish flag dates back to the mediaeval pennants. At first it was all red with a white eagle. Such a flag, or rather a banner, was at the side of King Wladyslaw Jagiello during the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The red and white colors appeared together as late as the 17th century. The banner of Zygmunt III Vasa (d. 1632) consisted of three strips: the upper and the bottom ones being red, and the one in the middle - white. The banners of Wladyslaw IV (d. 1648) and Jan Casimir (d. 1668) were made up of four strips - the upper and the third from top being red and the second from top and the bottom one being white. The banners bore the official crest of the State. During the reign of August II (d. 1706), white ribbons were introduced in the army (according to the Saxon pattern) as the signs of prime national color. They were attached to the left side of the headgear with ornamental pins. During the Four-Year Sejm (1788-1792) first red-and-white ribbons appeared. The Sejm formally introduces Polish national colors during the November Uprising, on February 7, 1831. The colors were white and red, and were used in the national uprisings of the 19th century is the form of white-and-red ribbons. They were officially recognized as state colours in 1919 after Poland had regained her independence.

The State Flag of Poland (with eagle)

The state flag of Poland is with the (coat of arms)...(the) flag's only change during the communist period was the removal of the crown from the head of the eagle on its arms. The current version returns the crown. ...This version is still the state flag, but it may now be an alternate useable by anyone. The presence of the crown on the eagle is interesting since the Polish monarchy ended completely in 1795, and was constitutionally limited for many centuries before that, yet each Polish flag since has included the crown, with the above mentioned exception.

More about the state coat of arms:

The Polish Eagle (has borne) the Crown since the 10th century. There is an image reported on coins minted by Boleslaw the Brave, the first Polish king. The Crown symbolizes independence from any authority. In the middle ages there were two main in Europe political powers: the Papacy and the German Empire, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation). German (Teutonic) tribes always fought with the Western Slavic tribes, finally they won war with the Velete Confederation and established German rule in Brandenburg. Brandenburg, Rügen and Vorpommern were ethnic Slavic lands till late 11th century. Old Slavic name for Berlin is Brenna (Velete capital) and for Magdeburg is Dziewin. Boleslaw the Brave met German Emperor Otto III in Gniezno (first Polish capital) in the year 1000. They signed a Peace Treaty, which was broken by the next German Emperor Henry. Polish Bill on the CoA is probably the world's oldest bill on the CoA still in use. The bill was given by King Przemysl in 1294. Since the 10th century the crowned eagle was used only by sovereign rulers and governments of Poland.

The Kashubian Flag (Black and Yellow bars)

Kashubia [Kaszuby] is a hilly region (the "Kachubian Swiss") located in the provinces of Gdansk and Slupsk. "Kashubian is the most differentiated dialectal form of Polish, and is considered in Poland as a regional language, now at risk of extinction."

Catholic Church Flag, Alternate Design (Blue over white)

Religious flag spotted throughout the country of horizontal white/blue-- often next to a Vatican flag stripped of its coat of arms.

Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR (Polish United Workers' Party flag (Solid red)

(The flag) of (the) political parties under (the) communist regime in Poland 1948-1989 Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, PZPR (Polish United Workers' Party, i.e. communist party). ...Plain red flag. Called "workers' movement flag" or "international workers' movement flag".

Flag of the Salt Miners (Green bar over black)

(Seen in) salt mines near Krakow - in the underground chapel there are Polish, Vatican and miners green over black flags, There is also a white-yellow vertical banner... flag is not only for the salt mines but for all the miners, primarily the coalminers, so numerous in Poland. (During) demonstrations protesting closures of those mines (Welcome to European Union)...these flags were in abundance.

Solidarity Flag (National flag with Solidarnosc "signature" in white bar)

...Lech Walesa's party which struggled for liberty: Polish flag with the Solidarnosc signature on the white stripe.

And a dissenting view:

"Solidarnosc" ("Solidarity") is not the party, but trade union. The full name is: Niezalezny Samorzadny Zwiazek Zawodowy "Solidarnosc" (Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity"). Created 1980. Flag of "Solidarity" is plain white with the signature. White-red bicolor with signature on white stripe might be used during anti-communist demonstrations in 1980s, but was never official flag of "Solidarity".

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2005-06-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

Top: Our house as we found it this morning,
Polish flag missing. Bottom: A photo of our
house as it typically appears, with both US
and Polish flags on display.

Something disturbing happened last night: our Polish flag was stolen from our front porch.

From damage to the porch soffit, it appears the flag was forcibly removed. Upon discovery of this, I promptly filed a police report.

We'd been flying both the US and Polish flags for some time now. My wife is a Polish National. I'm a US citizen. Our son (along with his sister, due in September) is a US citizen, but we intend to raise him with a full grasp of his Polish heritage. Flying both flags is a part of this.

We fly our flags respectfully and in full accordance with the flag code. I actually enjoyed a spirited debate on this topic last summer with a dear family friend.

More about that later.

Right now I have a new Polish flag to buy.

Hardest Working Daylillies in Hamtramck.

2005-06-06T11:09:00.000-04:00

Day Lilly pandemonium.
Caniff Ave., Hamtramck, MI.
June 6, 2005.

A couple of summers ago Kido (aka Keith Pielack) from the Zen Center performed some righteous landscaping for us. The most noticeable aspect? Monster-sized Daylillies out front along the boulevard strip.

Actually, only half of the crop is monstrous, measuring 5 feet to the top of the stem and climbing. This is a result of a 24-hour growth cycle thanks to the super-bright streetlight in front of our place along the eastern property line.

Thirty feet to the west, it's a little more civilized, where distance from the streetlight collaborates with the shade from a bountiful maple tree to keep the lillies at about 24" in height. We'll be lucky if those even produce stems.

In addition to the lillies, Kido also laid down an 18" course of pavers along the curb. The bricks were salvaged from stones originally beneath Warren Ave. Aside from looking cool, this is highly functional come snow-shovelling season. We park on the street year-round, and the bricks allow us to clear a path alongside the car, which is essential when stuffing and extracting babies and groceries.

The Daylillies were chosen for their heartiness and resistance to road salt. As you can see, they've passed the test.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anybody with a healthy 3-6 foot boulevard strip. While technically it is city property (along with the first foot of your lawn between the sidewalk and your house, so I hear), it can be easily justified as making good on my maintenance responsibility. But, heaven forefend, if the sewer should ever need to be ripped up, I'm ready to kiss it all goodbye.

In the meantime, it offers much-needed green, gives me less lawn to cut, and provides endless joy to the mobs of kids who habitually break off the stems on their way to and from summertime hijinx. But that's all just cosmic payback for all the plantricide I committed as a young nipper.

Still I beg, children: be gentle. Be gentle.

Church Bulletin Revelations.

2005-05-22T21:46:00.000-04:00

The May 22, 2005 Newsletter from
Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic
Church in Hamtramck, MI, and the
fascinating primer on Islam included
therein.

This morning I learned all sorts of new things about Islam.

My source? The Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church newsletter and the fascinating four page primer on Islam folded into every issue, courtesy of our friends at American Catholic.

The piece, entitled "Catholic Update; Islam - What Catholics Should Know" is a highly effective treatment of perhaps the touchiest hot-button issue of the day. And the writer of the tract is no slouch, either. She is Sister Mary Margaret Funk, O.S.B., a member of Our Lady of Grace Monastery, author of four books and executive director of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue.

You might be surprised at how embracing of Islam this document is, especially considering the venue. But then again, back during the peak of the Call to Prayer battles of '04, the most un-inflamed members of the community were the clerics.

Here are some highlights:

"Our challenge as Catholics is to get to know more about our Muslim brothers and sisters. As the bishops at Vatican II wrote, Although in the course of the centuries many quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Muslims, this sacred Synod urges all to forget the past and to strive sincerely for mutual understanding."

"I was privileged to be present when an imam showed us the inflections he had learned, and, as he moved through the recitive, I was reminded of our Gregorian chant, which also has its pauses, inflections and distinctive rhythm and premodern notation based on the range of the human voice with no accompaniment. I am struck by the absolute grasp of and reverence for the Quran communicated by Muslims. The name Allah, after all, is simply the Arabic word for God, the one God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam."

"When the call to prayer is sounded you have to stop what you are doing and go to chapel or the mosque. There is no fudging or promising to pray twice as hard later. You have to leave your computer, your hoe or your basket. There is a higher power that rightfully claims your time, over and over again, demanding you to acknowledge your submission and allowing you to respond yes over and over again: God is God and I obey. This is a right relationship."

"There is a direct link between fasting and almsgiving. The observant Muslim is called to surrender (the word Islam means surrender) again not in idealism, but in actuality and at an ordinary level. Fasting is simply seen as what it means to be a Muslim. In other words, these practices are not, as Christians might imagine, the higher practices of a saint. They are the expected minimum activity of ordinary people."

"To be a Muslim is to be beyond ethnic identity, and the pillar of this pilgrimage tells the story and incorporates each member, each generation and the people as a whole into the revelation given to the Prophet. The total experience is one of surrender. Each person feels what it is to be a descendent of Abraham under God.

"It is my belief that the desert of the pilgrimage expected of every Muslim is not unlike the protracted solitude in the desert, where the monastic faces his or her inner demons and surrenders his or her ego to God in utmost humility. Christ, too, before the advent of his ministry is driven by the Spirit into the desert to be tested (Mark 1:12). The desert clarifies the mind and purges the soul; it is real and symbolic."

Check out the whole document at the American Catholic site.

My opinion? This is an incredibly worthwhile perspective on a very tough issue. The Islam/Christianity collision is something we as Hamtramckans are prevailed upon to confront--or at the very least acknowledge--on a daily basis, and this document, read and understood, would put us many steps closer to understanding--and digging--each other.

And YOUR opinion would be...