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House Democratic Leader-Elect Tim Greimel Announces Staff
(See article Page 11)
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
The
Pontiac News
A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
VOL. 3 ISSUE 6
How to Stop
School Shootings
Lafayette Place Development in Downtown
Pontiac Now Open For Business
The new home of
Lafayette
Place
Lofts,
Lafayette
Market
and
Anytime Fitness is now open
for business. The development’s commercial offerings,
available to both residents
and the community include
the Lafayette Market, which
specializes as a fresh foods
market, caterer and café, and
the Anytime Fitness center
and juice bar. Both fill a
significant need in the
community.
(Article Continues
on Page 11)
Developer, City of Pontiac team up
to renovate The Strand Theater
By Ryan Felton
Pontiac-based developer and the city of
Pontiac have teamed up to renovate the Strand
Theatre in the city's downtown area.
West Construction Services, which also owns
and operates the recently opened Lafayette Place
located downtown, and the city will leverage the
$7 million in public funds spent to secure Federal
Historic Tax Credits for an unfinished $10
million investment on the theater from 2002,
according to a news release.
The federal credits, along with grants, tax
credits and private equity, will be used to
complete the project.
The theater, at 12 N. Saginaw St., has sat
vacant since 2004. It was originally designed by
local architect Leo John Heenan.
The Strand is set to reopen in 2014. Plans call
for live theater, musical performances, films, and
community and private events.
Lafayette Place, a $20 million redevelopment
of the 80,000-square-foot former Sears, Roebuck
& Co. department store that was built in 1929,
houses the Lafayette Lofts, Lafayette Market and
Anytime Fitness.
(see articles page 3 and 4)
Michigan Senate OKs new
emergency manager legislation
By Associated Press
The Republican-led Michigan
Legislature cleared the way recently for
GOP Gov. Rick Snyder to sign a
replacement for an emergency manager
law struck down by voters, delivering
another punch to Democrats still reeling
from this week's passage of right-towork legislation limiting unions' power.
The Senate approved the legislation
mostly along party lines that contains
key provisions from the rejected law but
comes with more choices for local
school districts and communities
deemed by the state to be in a financial
emergency. The House passed the bill
Wednesday night.
The new version proposed by Snyder
and GOP legislative leaders gives four
options to those governments: accepting
an emergency manager; undergoing
bankruptcy; going through mediation;
and entering a consent agreement
similar to an existing one between the
state and Detroit.
The legislation also includes a
$770,000 appropriation to cover
managers' salaries, a provision that
would prevent a second defeat at the
polls because spending bills are legally
shielded from referendums.
(Continued on Page 11)
L Brooks Patterson Puts Out
Call for Best of the Best
Nominations for the 2013 "Elite 40
Under 40" are open until Dec. 31.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks
Patterson launched his Elite 40 Under
40 initiative last year to identify
outstanding professional and executive
leaders who have achieved excellence
in their field before the age of 40.
Individuals may submit nominations at
www.AdvantageOakland.com.
The
winner will introduce Patterson at his
2013 State of the County address on
Feb. 7, 2013.
(Article Continues on Page 5)
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The Pontiac N ews
Page 2
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
Editorial
Publisher R. Frank Russell
The Pontiac News extends Seasons Greeting, Happy
New Year, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah to all of our advertisers, readers, supporters, the people of Pontiac and
surrounding communities and others who read and/or
support our publication.
Kudos to The Pontiac City Council members for your
resolve to do the right thing for our city. Special Kudos to
the vigilant private citizens who attend and speak out at
City Council and School Board meetings ..keep on doing
what you do.
Keep up the good work Kyle Wesberg of West
Construction Company, thank you for opening a Quality
Food Market in Downtown Pontiac… and we are all
looking forward to the re-opening of The Strand Theatre in
2014.
Important News About
The City of Pontiac
The
Pontiac News
PUBLISHER & CONTENT EDITOR
R. Frank Russell
CONTENTS & NEWS EDITOR:
Elaine Smith-Wright
AFRICIAN CORRESPONDENT:
Kofi Annorh
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Elaine Smith-Wright,
Rev. James Keys, Quincy Stewart III,
Randolph Carter, Kevin McCormick,
Adam Polk, Brenda Canty-Carter
Kenny Anderson, Kathleen O'Quinn
PHOTOGRAPHER: TBD
ADVERTISING MANAGER: TBD
CIRCULATION MANAGER:
Rahim Russell
OFFICE MANAGER:
Mar y C. Russell
DESIGNER & PRINTER:
Michigan Web Press
CONTACT INFO:
TELEPHONE: 248-758-1411
FAX: 248-758-1412
PO Box 431412, Suite #1
Pontiac, MI 48343
www.thepontiacnews.com
[email protected]
Let us not forget the inimitable Lonnie Mitchell of
Mitchell’s Clothing in downtown Pontiac..keep up the
good work Lonnie, you are a great asset to this community.
Our prayers are with the Mayor and members of the
Charter Revision Committee as you pursue the monumental tasks of moving our city forward and revising our
City Charter.
Thanks former and current City of Pontiac Employees
for giving us your best…..we pray that the retiree Pension
Fund and healthcare funding issues are handled appropriately.
THANK YOU PONTIAC FOR SUPPORTING THE
PONTIAC NEWS FOR 5+ YEARS
• Pontiac Pension Board restructured by Emergency Manager
Louis Schimmel. Pontiac Pension board for city employees
recently dissolved and restructured, new board to study privatizing
the 150 percent funded pension plan and using the surplus to fund
retiree health care.
• 18 Organizations Share $35,500 in Oakland County Casual
Day Donations
(See article on Page 5)
Kenneth R. Burch, Sr. P.C.
Attorney At Law
PERSONAL INJURY
Auto and Truck Accidents
Wrongful Death Cases
Medical Malpractice
Premises Liability
All accident and serious injuries
WE HAVE MOVED
See New Address Below
Office - 248-338-1242 • Fax - 248-338-1051
Email - [email protected]
295 West Huron - Pontiac, MI 48341
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The Pontiac N ews
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
Page 3
A Point of View
We know how to stop school shootings
By: Ann Coulter
© Human Events Ann Coulter Letter
In the wake of a
monstrous crime like a
madman’s mass murder of
defenseless women and
children at the Newtown,
Conn., elementary school,
the nation’s attention is
riveted on what could
Ann Coulter have been done to prevent
such a massacre.
Luckily, some years ago, two famed
economists, William Landes at the
University of Chicago and John Lott at Yale,
conducted a massive study of multiple victim
public shootings in the United States
between 1977 and 1995 to see how various
legal changes affected their frequency and
death toll.
Landes and Lott examined many of the
very policies being proposed right now in
response to the Connecticut massacre:
waiting periods and background checks for
guns, the death penalty and increased penalties for committing a crime with a gun.
None of these policies had any effect on
the frequency of, or carnage from, multiplevictim shootings. (I note that they did not
look at reforming our lax mental health laws,
presumably because the ACLU is working to
keep dangerous nuts on the street in all 50
states.)
Only one public policy has ever been
shown to reduce the death rate from such
crimes: concealed-carry laws.
The effect of concealed-carry laws in
deterring mass public shootings was even
greater than the impact of such laws on the
murder rate generally.
Someone planning to commit a single
murder in a concealed-carry state only has to
weigh the odds of one person being armed.
But a criminal planning to commit murder in
a public place has to worry that anyone in the
entire area might have a gun.
You will notice that most multiple-victim
shootings occur in “gun-free zones” — even
within states that have concealed-carry laws:
public schools, churches, Sikh temples, post
offices, the movie theater where James
Holmes committed mass murder, and the
Portland, Ore., mall where a nut starting
gunning down shoppers a few weeks ago.
Guns were banned in all these places.
Mass killers may be crazy, but they’re not
stupid.
If the deterrent effect of concealed-carry
laws seems surprising to you, that’s because
the media hide stories of armed citizens stopping mass shooters. At the Portland shooting,
for example, no explanation was given for
the amazing fact that the assailant managed
to kill only two people in the mall during the
busy Christmas season.
It turns out, concealed-carry-holder Nick
Meli hadn’t noticed that the mall was a gunfree zone. He pointed his (otherwise legal)
gun at the shooter as he paused to reload, and
the next shot was the attempted mass
murderer killing himself. (Meli aimed, but
didn’t shoot, because there were bystanders
behind the shooter.)
In a nonsense “study” going around the
Internet right now, Mother Jones magazine
claims to have produced its own study of all
public shootings in the last 30 years and
concludes: “In not a single case was the
killing stopped by a civilian using a gun.”
This will come as a shock to people who
know something about the subject.
The magazine reaches its conclusion by
simply excluding all cases where an armed
civilian stopped the shooter: They looked
only at public shootings where four or more
people were killed, i.e., the ones where the
shooter wasn’t stopped.
If we care about reducing the number of
people killed in mass shootings, shouldn’t
we pay particular attention to the cases
where the aspiring mass murderer was
prevented from getting off more than a
couple rounds?
It would be like testing the effectiveness
of weed killers, but refusing to consider any
cases where the weeds died.
In addition to the Portland mall case, here
are a few more examples excluded by the
Mother Jones methodology:
– Mayan Palace Theater, San Antonio,
Texas, this week: Jesus Manuel Garcia
shoots at a movie theater, a police car and
bystanders from the nearby China Garden
restaurant; as he enters the movie theater,
guns blazing, an armed off-duty cop shoots
Garcia four times, stopping the attack. Total
dead: Zero.
– Winnemucca, Nev., 2008: Ernesto
Villagomez opens fire in a crowded restaurant; concealed carry permit-holder shoots
him dead. Total dead: Two. (I’m excluding
the shooters’ deaths in these examples.)
– Appalachian School of Law, 2002:
Crazed immigrant shoots the dean and a
professor, then begins shooting students; as
he goes for more ammunition, two armed
students point their guns at him, allowing a
third to tackle him. Total dead: Three.
– Santee, Calif., 2001: Student begins
shooting his classmates — as well as the
“trained campus supervisor”; an off-duty cop
who happened to be bringing his daughter to
school that day points his gun at the shooter,
holding him until more police arrive. Total
dead: Two.
– Pearl High School, Mississippi, 1997:
After shooting several people at his high
school, student heads for the junior high
school; assistant principal Joel Myrick
retrieves a .45 pistol from his car and points
it at the gunman’s head, ending the murder
spree. Total dead: Two.
– Edinboro, Pa., 1998: A student shoots
up a junior high school dance being held at a
restaurant; restaurant owner pulls out his
shotgun and stops the gunman. Total dead:
One.
By contrast, the shootings in gun-free
zones invariably result in far higher casualty
figures — Sikh temple, Oak Creek, Wis. (six
dead); Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va. (32
dead); Columbine High School, Columbine,
Colo. (12 dead); Amish school, Lancaster
County, Pa. (five little girls killed); public
school, Craighead County, Ark. (five killed,
including four little girls).
All these took place in gun-free zones,
resulting in lots of people getting killed —
and thereby warranting inclusion in the
Mother Jones study.
If what we care about is saving the lives
of innocent human beings by reducing the
number of mass public shootings and the
deaths they cause, only one policy has ever
been shown to work: concealed-carry laws.
On the other hand, if what we care about is
self-indulgent grandstanding, and to hell
with dozens of innocent children being
murdered in cold blood, try the other policies.
Ann Coulter Letter Copyright © Human
Events | One Massachusetts Avenue, NW |
Washington, DC 20001
ATTORNEY EARLENE R. BAGGETT-HAYES
THE LAW & MEDIATION CENTER
110 North Perry Street, Pontiac, MI 48342 • 248-454-9660• [email protected]
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A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
The Pontiac N ews
Page 4
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
10 ways to put brakes on mass shootings in schools
By Nicole Saidi, CNN
(CNN) -- A gunman opened fire last
Friday in a Connecticut elementary school,
killing 26 people, 20 of them children, police
said. It was one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
CNN Readers posted more than 2,000
comments in response to questions that were
asked of them in a story examining immediate shock and anger surrounding the incident. They looked at what problems might be
involved and how society might go about
solving them. Here are 10 of the most
popular suggestions.
1. Strengthen gun laws
A lot of the posts were related to guns.
"When are you going to wake up and realize
that you need to restrict the use of guns in
your country?" asked Emma Mitchell.
Commenter Susan Chapman suggested
changing the idea of a "right to bear arms" to
a "privilege to bear arms." She said she
believes responsible gun owners will appreciate ground rules.
"Privileges have to be earned, they aren't
a given," she said. "Prove that you are
mentally stable and have a reasonable need
to own a gun. Make gun owners undergo
mandatory training; locking up your gun,
loading and unloading safely, storing bullets
separately, practices that make gun ownership safer. Give police powers of inspection checking gun safes, safe storage, training.
No one can buy a gun without a training
certificate in addition to background checks.
No Internet sales of guns or ammunition and
no walking out with the gun the same day."
Robb1371 suggested cracking down on
gun crimes.
"If you have been already convicted of a
gun crime, the second time around, throw the
book at them. Repeat offenders need to be
locked up a very very long time."
2. Keep gun regulations the same or relax
them
Some said expecting people to give up
gun use is unrealistic.
"There will never be a way to get rid of
guns in this country," LostinSLC1969 said.
"Honestly I think it would come down to a
civil war if that really was pushed hard. All
we can do is find a way to help stop and
prevent the violence from happening. Look
for the signs that cause people like this to do
this and work for ways on prevention."
Another reader said it's difficult to regulate guns.
"There are countless gun laws on the
books already and any additional ones will
only serve to keep honest people honest,"
said Independent4sure. "Criminals are criminals because they have no regard for the law
and could care less whether guns are banned
or not. Your logic is rather simplistic or just
plain ignorant and it's sad that others seem to
agree with you."
3. Arm the schools
A user called Censor Til Sin said it might
be a good idea to have armed people in
schools just in case.
"These shootings are happening in Gun
Free Zones," the commenter said. "The
shooters know that the people there will have
no way of defending themselves and that is
why these tragedies are happening in these
zones. We need to give the teacher's defense
so it will discourage these psychopaths from
shooting there. There is great evidence that
greater gun control means more gun violence
(because the bad guys still get guns and they
know the good guys are unarmed)."
But Brandon Butler disagreed.
"Look," he wrote, "Are you seriously
saying teachers should start having guns in
elementary schools? Then what if a teacher
has a bad day? Come on, this is irresponsible
reasoning! If this man wasn't able to get his
hands on a gun, he either would have used a
knife and probably not killed a single person,
or he would have given up on the entire plan
and just committed suicide."
4. Improve school security
To better prevent future crimes, some
readers like Katz advocated defensive measures.
"Though I am for stricter gun control for
automatic weapons, I think we should have
stricter security in schools, no matter how
nice and safe an area seems to be," Katz said.
"Let's get some metal detectors or something, and require every person to go through
the security checks, even if the staff knows
them. Especially since, as this case proves,
many people who commit these crimes are
not just random strangers."
This person compared schools to airports.
"I think schools should have security
entrances with armed guards and metal
detectors similar to courthouses and
airports," said Scm. "It is no longer acceptable for it to be harder to get on a plane than
it is to walk into a school."
5. Cut down on violence in the media
Some readers were concerned that
fictional violence might be having real-world
effects.
"If they want to ban guns, why not ban
them in movies, television, and video
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games?" asked reader Bill Smells. "Why do
we allow the media and entertainment industries to glorify weapons and killings? If we're
going to start regulating and banning
weapons, why not start by aggressively
banning and preventing the abuse of
weapons in media."
"Why do we allow our children and
young adults to buy video games that put
them in the position of being rewarded for
shooting and killing other players? I think it's
time Hollywood enact their own selfimposed ban on using weapons in any films
or television productions. This would definitely reduce all kinds of violence. So why
haven't they taken this bold and progressive
step yet?"
6. Improve mental health care
A commenter named brocore was one of
many readers who said the issue stretched far
beyond weapons and into the people who
commit crimes.
"Pushing the blame onto guns diverts it
from where the real need is: better, more
comprehensive mental health services and
facilities; addressing these issues in their
infancy when they're first manifesting in
childhood or puberty instead of assuming 'it's
just a phase' or 'they'll grow out of it;' not
kowtowing to drug manufacturers by
prescribing anti-depressants or whatever at
the first sign of trouble; getting people to
understand that they won't be punished or
cast out or labeled weird for seeking help."
7. Think about the families, not the
shooter
"Quit sensationalizing the tragedy," wrote
a reader named Stupify in what ended up
being the most-liked comment. It was a list
of five suggestions mainly asking for the
perpetrator to be be ignored in favor of a
focus on the family.
"Never mention the perpetrator's name;
let them die in an anonymity," the
commenter wrote, adding, "Focus only on
helping the families of the tragedy."
The post also expressed skepticism about
attempts to control weapons: "Bad people
will do bad things. The only real control one
can hope for is taking away whatever motivation or reward the person has for doing
them, and even then, they may try."
8. Focus on parenting
A commenter named Joe Gesa responded
to Stupify's comment and said that young
people are being affected by our culture and
need better preparation for the challenges of
life.
"We have raised an entire generation on
the theory that we must protect their selfesteem at all costs," Gesa said. "Then, while
mom and dad had better things to do, we sat
them in front of Grand Theft Auto and
completely desensitized them to violence.
So, if we stop shielding kids from every
possible disappointment in life, so that when
they face one, they are prepared for it; if we
take the XBox away once in awhile; and if
we actually talk to our kids occasionally, we
might prevent some of this crap."
Another reader said children need to be
taught how to love other humans.
"Utopian futures, while nice to think
about, are unattainable," said user Kandric.
"Humans -- by their very nature -- are
chaotic and violent. The best way to reduce
violent outbreaks is by teaching our children
kindness, empathy and love. Take the time to
be a parent. Sure, more gun control will also
help, but only marginally. The real problem
is the parenting, rather lack thereof."
9. Bolster kids' social skills
Autumn Boyer said it seems like the
young people of "generation Y" (sometimes
also called "milennials") are living their lives
on screens. Kids are playing video games
and relying on social media instead of
communicating face-to-face, Boyer said, and
pronouns are embedded in product names.
The point: Concentrating too much on technology and the self harms the ability to
understand others' emotions.
"Society and the media program gen Y
and the upcoming Google generation that 'it's
all about you' (i.e. iPods, MySpace,
YouTube, Wii, etc), meanwhile, our kids are
not developing critical communication and
coping skills, and are stunted socially,
psychosocially and/or emotionally due to
being 'detached' and 'disconnected' from
each other by living life through the virtual
world (rather than the real world) of
screens."
10. Watch out for one another
User brocore said society is most responsible of all, and especially having "empathy
for every side."
"We can immediately label the shooter an
insect or whatever pejorative you prefer, but
that doesn't help," they said. "You can't fix
the problem by casting these people out as an
other. They're us, and we're them."
11. What else can we do?
It's your turn to speak. Would you like to
propose your own solution, or do you have a
story to tell us about preventing violence in
schools? Send your comments to [email protected] .
HELP YOUR CHILD GET BETTER GRADES
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and The Student Success Kit Today
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The Pontiac N ews
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
Page 5
What’s Happening In Oakland County
Patterson Puts Out Call for
Best of the Best
Nominations
for the 2013
"Elite 40 Under
40" are open
until Dec. 31.
Oakland County
Executive
L.
Brooks Patterson
launched
his
Elite 40 Under
40 initiative last
year to identify
outstanding
professional and
L. Brooks Patterson executive leaders
who
have
achieved excellence in their field before the
age of 40. Individuals may submit nominations at www.Advantage Oakland.com. The
winner will introduce Patterson at his 2013
State of the County address on Feb. 7, 2013.
"During our inaugural year of the Elite 40,
we learned there are a tremendous number of
young individuals who have achieved notable
success while living or working in Oakland
County," said Patterson. "We believe the next
class of Elite 40 will be exceptional."
Patterson is seeking nominees who have
demonstrated outstanding leadership, initiative and dedication in pursuing their careers
and helping their communities, such as Hajj
Fleming, the 2012 Elite 40 winner. Fleming
said being the top of the first class of
Patterson's Elite 40 has offered him the kind
of exposure that has enabled his company,
Brand Camp University, to continue to grow.
"What separates this award from others is
the opportunity for warm introductions with
influencers, key stakeholders and the business community in Oakland County where I
live, work and play," Fleming said. "L.
Brooks Patterson is providing entrepreneurs
such as myself the opportunity to grow their
names and businesses."
Three finalists will receive passes to
various Oakland County events such as the
2013 Economic Outlook Luncheon with
University of Michigan economists George
Fulton and Donald Grimes; the 2013 Oakland
County Business Roundtable (BRT) breakfast; the 2013 Quality People/Quality County
(Q2) breakfast; and the 2013 Brooksie Way
Half Marathon & 5k Race.
All 2013 Elite 40 will be invited to attend
Patterson's 2013 State of the County address
with a guest; be featured on Oakland
County’s new job attraction site,
AdvantageOakland.com; sit on the various
BRT committees; and be ambassadors for
Oakland County's Department of Economic
Development and Community Affairs.
Nominees must be younger than age 40 as
of Feb. 7, 2013. They also must be residents
of or work in Oakland County. The deadline
to submit nominations is 11:59 PM Saturday,
Dec. 31, 2012. The judging committee will
review the nominations from Jan. 7-28, 2013.
When the judges choose the 2013 Elite 40
Under 40, they will announce the three finalists so the public can choose the winner by
online voting from Jan. 28 – Feb. 1, 2013.
The winner will be announced at the 2013
State of the County address.
18 Organizations Share
$35,500 in Oakland County
Casual Day Donations
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks
Patterson distributed $35,500 among 18
southeast Michigan organizations during a
ceremony in the lobby of the Executive
Office Building. The funds were raised by
county employees over the course of 2012
from Casual Day donations.
"The generosity of our county employees
is exceeded only by their professionalism
and commitment to serve the residents of
Oakland County," Patterson said. "Casual
Day is one of many ways our employees give
back throughout the year."
Casual Day recipients for 2012 are:
American Diabetes Association - Bingham
Farms
Baldwin Center - Pontiac
Child Abuse and Neglect Council (CARE
House) - Pontiac
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Metropolitan
Detroit Chapter - Troy
D-MAN Foundation - Rochester Hills
Donate Life Coalition of Michigan - Ann
Arbor
FernCare - Ferndale
Give-A-Christmas Year Round – Royal
Oak
Grace Centers of Hope - Pontiac
Helping Hearts Helping Hands - Clarkston
Kids Kicking Cancer - Detroit
McLaren Children’s Health Services Pontiac
Oakland County Pioneer & Historical
Society - Pontiac
Oxford/Orion FISH - Orion Township
Rainbow Connection - Rochester
Rebuilding Together Oakland County Farmington Hills
Toys for Tots - Waterford
Walk the Line to Spinal Cord Injury
Recovery - Southfield
In addition, another $16,200 was given to
14 other organizations or people during the
course of the year, including the families of
West Bloomfield Officer Patrick O'Rourke,
who was killed in the line of duty Sept. 9,
and James Cram, Patterson's security officer
who was injured along with the county executive in an Aug. 10 automobile crash. That’s
a total of nearly $52,000 donated by county
employees this year to help those in need.
The Casual Day program allows
employees in participating departments and
divisions to wear jeans or dress casually on
Thursdays or Fridays for a minimum donation of $1. Since its inception 20 years ago,
Oakland County employees have donated
well over a half million dollars, touching the
lives of thousands of people. No taxpayer
funds are used in the casual day program.
January 2013 business workshops offered by Oakland County
Business owners and entrepreneurs who
need assistance are encouraged to attend
seminars offered by the Oakland County
Business Center. Unless otherwise noted, all
programs take place at the Oakland County
Executive Office Building Conference
Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of
Telegraph in Waterford. For pre-registration
and
location
map,
visit
www.AdvantageOakland.com/expand or call
248-858-0783.
Advanced Legal Series (New)
Creating Beneficial Relationships with
Customers, Contractors and Suppliers
January 8, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
This workshop analyzes the legal and
“practical” aspects of creating mutually
beneficial relationships with customers,
suppliers and other third parties. Participants
will learn how to minimize their potential
liability when selling products or services or
working with others, how to establish affective payment terms, how to reduce “foreseeable risk and potential loss”, how handle
most delays, cancellations and all other foreseeable objections and how to resolve potential conflicts and disputes. This workshop is
well suited for new and existing businesses
that already serve, or are ready to serve,
customers or engage contractors and other
third parties. Fee: $40
LARRY
JONES
CPA
(248) 333-7414
CEED Microloan Orientation
January 9, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Discover the requirements and process
necessary to apply and obtain a microloan.
Many small businesses face obstacles when
trying to obtain a business loan. The recognition of the serious need for working capital
for existing businesses, start-up or expansion, equipment purchases, and job creation
is not the priority it once was. If you have a
need for alternative financing consider the
Microloan Program. This workshop is free,
but pre-registration is required.
Business Research:
Feasibility to Expansion
January 9, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Thinking of starting a business and want
to research your business idea? Are you a
business owner who wants to benchmark
your profit margin and other measures
against similar size businesses? Do you want
to identify market trends and opportunities to
grow your sales? Are you looking for new
customers or to diversify your market base?
Business Research shows you ways to find
your ideal customers, your competitors,
perform competitive analysis and more.
Presented by Oakland County Market
Research and an Oakland County Public
Library business reference librarian. This
workshop is free, but pre-registration is
required.
Fundamentals of Writing a Business Plan
January 16, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
A business plan is a document that serves
A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
your needs and the needs of others
(investors, bankers, etc.) who may require
information from you about your business.
Workshop participants will learn what
elements are commonly found in effective
plans and will work on developing each of
these for their own business. Assistance in
the process as well as information on
resources will be provided. Fee: $40
Legal and Financial Basics
for Small Business
January 29, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Legal & Financial Basics outlines the key
legal considerations for entrepreneurs operating Michigan businesses. Learn how to
select the best legal entity given your
management structure, potential liability and
tax consequences; safeguard your proprietary interests while serving customers, and
working with suppliers and contractors; and
establish short and long term succession
plans. This workshop is free, but pre-registration is required.
Future Workshops - February 2013
6: Fundamentals of Marketing Your
Business
7: Business Research: Feasibility to
Expansion
13: CEED Microloan Orientation
14: Team SBA Financing Roundtable
20: Fundamentals of Starting a Business
27: Women's Business Certification
Orientation
27: Fundamentals of Writing a Business
Plan
The Pontiac N ews
Page 6
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
How To Celebrate Kwanzaa 7 Steps
Kwanzaa is a holiday invented in 1966 by
Dr. Maulana Karenga (founder of the Black
Power group "Us Organization") through
which African Americans can connect with
their heritage and culture. It's celebrated
from December 26 through January 1, with
each of the seven days focusing on one of
seven core values, or Nguzo Saba. A candle
is lit on each day, and on the last day, gifts
are exchanged. Since Kwanzaa is a cultural
holiday rather than a religious one, it can be
celebrated alongside Christmas or
Hanukkah, or on its own, although Karenga
wished for it to be celebrated instead of
Christmas and Hanukkah, as he felt these
holidays were simply symbols of the dominant cultures in America.
The seven principles or Nguzo Saba are a
set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana
Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes
a different principle.
Unity: Umoja (oo–MO–jah)
To strive for and maintain unity in the
family, community, nation, and race.
Self-determination: Kujichagulia
(koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah)
To define ourselves, name ourselves,
create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
Collective Work and Responsibility:
Ujima (oo–GEE–mah)
To build and maintain our community
together and make our brother's and sister's
problems our problems and to solve them
together.
Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa
(oo–JAH–mah)
To build and maintain our own stores,
shops, and other businesses and to profit
from them together.
Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH)
To make our collective vocation the
building and developing of our community
in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)
To do always as much as we can, in the
way we can, in order to leave our community
more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee)
To believe with all our heart in our
people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders,
and the righteousness and victory of our
struggle.
Seven (7) Step
Celebration Process
1. Decorate your home or the main
room with the symbols of Kwanzaa. Put a
green tablecloth over a centrally located
table, and on top of that, place the Mkeka
which is a straw or woven mat that symbolizes the historical foundation of African
ancestry. Place the following on the Mkeka:
• Mazao — fruit or crops placed in a
bowl, representing the community's productivity.
• Kinara — a seven-pronged candleholder.
• Mishumaa Saba — the seven candles
which represent the seven core principles of
Kwanzaa. Three candles on the left are red,
representing struggle; three on the right are
green, representing hope; and one in the
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Phoenix Residential Services, a family oriented community based organization.
Phoenix Residential Services provides support services to its clients ensuring that they
receive optimal standards of living.
The following Services are offered to provide for
the mental, emotional and physical well-being of our clients:
Vocational exploration • Transportation • Financial budgeting
Semi-independent • Independent housing • Psychiatric referrals
LICENSED AND CERTIFIED STAFF
Services are administered by licenses and certified individuals who take pride in
working with specialized populations.
The business was started in 1972 with only two facilities; it has expanded to seven
group homes with fifty employees. Through the Leonard’s efforts Phoenix Residential
services excels at providing the most comprehensive services in Southeastern
Michigan.
The Leonard’s also sponsor two scholarships and a bible ministry. Established in memory of John and Ethel Leonard, Mary and Rev. W.L. Harris and Julie Leonard
Donaldson, The Harris/Leonard Education Fund, provides health services to applicants that have medical and emotional disabilities. The Wright/Williams Family
Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to deserving students based on financial need.
They have given over one hundred and seven scholarships. The Leonard’s have also
provided over 100 bibles in the city of Pontiac through their bible outreach, The
Charles & Demetra Leonard Bible Outreach. For information about Phoenix
Residential Services call 248-338-3743 or 248-332-0607.
center is black, signifying the African
American people or those who draw their
heritage from Africa.
• Muhindi — ears of corn. Lay out one
ear of corn for each child; if there are no children, place two ears to represent the children
of the community.
• Zawadi — various gifts for the children.
• Kikombe cha Umoja — a cup to represent family and community unity.
2. Decorate around the room with
Kwanzaa flags, called Bendera, and
posters emphasizing the seven principles.
You can purchase or make these, and it's
especially fun to make them with the kids.
• See How to make a flag for details on
flag making. Click here for detailed instructions on how to color in the Bendera.
• If you or your children enjoy making
flags, try making African national or tribal
flags in addition to the Bendera.
3. Practice the Kwanzaa greetings.
Starting on December 26, greet everyone by
saying "Habari Gani" which is a standard
Swahili greeting meaning "what is the
news?" If someone greets you, respond with
the principle (Nguzo Saba) for that day:
• December 26: "Umoja" — Unity
• December 27: "Kujichagulia" — Selfdetermination
• December 28: "Ujima" — Collective
work and responsibility
• December 29: "Ujamaa" — Cooperative
economics
• December 30: "Nia" — Purpose
• December 31: "Kuumba" — Creativity
• January 1: "Imani" — Faith.
• Non African-Americans are also
welcome to participate in greetings. The
traditional greeting for them is "Joyous
Kwanzaa."
4. Light the Kinara daily. Since each
candle represents a specific principle, they
are lit one day at a time, in a certain order.
The black candle is always lit first. Some
people light the remaining candles from left
to right (red to green) while other people
alternate as follows:
• Black candle
• Far left red candle
• Far right green candle
• Second red candle
• Second green candle
• Last red candle
• Last green candle
5. Celebrate Kwanzaa in a variety of
different ways. Pick and choose some or all
of the following activities throughout the
seven days of Kwanzaa, saving the feast for
the sixth day. Kwanzaa ceremony may
include:
• Drumming and musical selections.
• Readings of the African Pledge and the
Principles of Blackness.
• Reflections on the Pan-African colors,
discussions of African principles of the day,
or recitations of chapters in African history.
• The candle-lighting ritual of the Kinara.
• Artistic performances.
6. Have the Kwanzaa Karamu (feast)
on the sixth day (New Year's Eve). The
Kwanzaa feast is a very special event that
brings everyone closer to their African roots.
It is traditionally held on December 31st and
is a communal and cooperative effort.
Decorate the place where the feast will be
held in a red, green, and black scheme. A
large Kwanzaa setting should dominate the
room where the feast will be held. A large
Mkeka should be placed in the center of the
floor where the food is placed creatively and
made accessible to all to serve themselves.
Before and during the feast, an informative
and entertaining program should be
presented.
• Traditionally, the program should
involve welcoming, remembering, reassessment, recommitment and rejoicing,
concluded by a farewell statement and a call
for greater unity.
• During the feast, libations are to be
shared from a communal cup, the Kikombe
cha Umoja, passed around to all celebrants.
7. Give out the gifts of Kuumba.
Kuumba, meaning creativity, is highly
encouraged and brings a sense of selfsatisfaction. The gifts are usually exchanged
between the parents and children and are
given out traditionally on January 1st, the
last day of Kwanzaa. Since the giving of gifts
has very much to do with Kuumba, the gifts
should be of an educational or artistic nature.
s
d
r
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c
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Star R
570 Auburn Road • Pontiac, MI 48342
Open Monday Through Saturday 10AM – 5PM
Women Clothing • Human Hair
Hair Ornaments • Cosmetics
Greeting Cards
Mylar & Latex Balloons
Music CD’s • Books
“Stop In and Take a Look”
248-338-3080
Mr. Charles Warren - Owner
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December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
The Pontiac N ews
Page 7
It Is Important To Get Involved In Government
It is very
important that
we take time to
become actively
involved in the
political process.
How often do we
really vote with
knowledge of
the candidates,
their parties, the
issues, or the
overall impact of
Brenda Carter
our
vote?
Secretary School
Historically,
District City of
people tend to
Pontiac
align themselves
with legislators who are able to communicate
their point of view. For instance, a candidate
for the Board of Education may run because
they want to see an increase in student
achievement. The questions should become,
what is student achievement, how is it
obtained, what barriers would the potential
candidate face when attempting to affect
student achievement? Does the potential
candidate have the background knowledge to
embark on such a quest? This applies to all
levels of government from the executive/
legislative sides of the federal government to
the strong mayor/city council form of governance here in Pontiac.
On the federal level there is the executive
(or presidential) side, and there is the bicameral legislation. The executive side has
direct authority over all agencies. The agencies /programs create budgets which are sent
to the President. The President needs the
approval of the House of Representatives
and the United States Senate before he can
pass the budget, thus the problems
Washington is experiencing with the fiscal
cliff. The President of the United States is
elected at-large. This means he is elected by
the entire voting population of the United
States. The House of Representatives and
the United States Senate are elected by their
districts.
The concept of “federalism” is defined as
“A principle of government that defines the
relationship between the central government
at the national level and its constituent units
at the regional, state, or local levels.” The
United States has a federalist structure with
the central government being in Washington
and the constituent units being its states,
counties, municipalities, and school districts.
States have some degree of sovereignty.
This means they follow the general structure
of Washington, they too have an executive
side (governor) and in the case of Michigan,
a bicameral legislation (both Michigan
House of Representatives and the Michigan
Senate). State Representatives are elected
every two years, but unlike the senators on
the national level, state senators are elected
every four years at the same time as the
governor. There are distinct functions that
set the national and state governments apart,
more than this brief article will allow.
Local governments, unless exempted by a
Home Rule Charter, are “Creatures of the
State”. This means, in essence, that local
governments are legislated by state laws and
statutes. Pontiac has a strong mayor form of
governance which mimics the governing
structure of the state and national government. The city of Pontiac functioned
successfully for years during the economic
boom on the 1990’s. However, the decline in
manufacturing after September 11, 2001,
began the steep descent into Pontiac’s financial crisis. In 2007, Pontiac went into
receivership. The democratic process was
circumvented because the state requires a set
of criteria before a municipality is deemed
incapable of managing its own affairs. I
believe this was accomplished largely by
Dillon’s Rule, which in essence says, being
that local governments are creatures of the
state, what the state gives, the state can take
away.
The city of Pontiac’s has a Home Rule
Charter, but the charter was circumvented
with the enactment of Public Act 4 (aka the
Emergency Manager Act). This Act gave
state appointed financial managers the ability
to make decisions over most affairs of local
governments. Last November, PA-4 was
repealed but PA-72 (aka the Emergency
Financial Manager Act) took its place. This
Act gives state appointed financial managers
the ability to make decisions over all financial affairs of a local municipality or a school
district. There are many speculations on how
the city of Pontiac and Pontiac School
District ended up in this fiscal crisis, but the
most prevalent is the lost of the manufacturing base. The city of Pontiac revenue
sources come from three areas: property
taxes, income taxes, and state revenue
sharing. Each of these sources declined
steadily with the loss of the local automotive
industries. Another externality was the
exodus of taxpayers. Many former residents
were forced to leave Pontiac to seek employment.
It is very important to understand the
difference between public sector and private
sector budgets. Private sector companies are
driven by profit; therefore, they seek stockholders to help them fund their projects.
Public sector companies are service driven
and their funding sources comes from grants,
and on the local level, property taxes.
Pontiac has both, property and income taxes.
So when Pontiac lost jobs and its manufacturing base, the remaining taxpayers’ property values declined dramatically, and so did
the revenue coming into the city of Pontiac.
This coupled with some controllable issues
led to the current fiscal crisis.
It is very important that the citizens of
Pontiac fully understand how government in
the city and in the school district works. It is
critical that we know who we are voting for,
and most importantly, the impact of our vote.
There is a difference between private and
public sector companies. Government
(public sector) companies derive their
funding from grants, property and income
taxes. Taxpayers do not have a choice, they
have to pay taxes. Stocks (in the private
sector) are optional.
When Pontiac lost its manufacturing
base, and citizens sought work elsewhere,
the remaining residents were left with the tax
burden of maintaining the city. Pontiac is not
alone. These crises are happening on the
national, state, and local levels all around the
country. It is important that we know that
our elected and appointed officials are
knowledgeable about these challenges, it is
also important that our elected and appointed
officials are continually provided with the
necessary skills to navigate through these
critical times. Finally, it is important that we,
as residents, take the time to become actively
involved in all phases of our government.
Bill of Attainer
The
Constitution of
the
United
States, Article I,
Section 9, paragraph 3 provides
that: "No Bill of
Attainder or ex
post facto Law
will be passed."
The Bill of
Attainder Clause
was intended as
Councilman
an
implementaRandy Carter
tion of the separation of powers, to safeguard against legislative exercise of trial by legislature." U.S. v.
Brown, 381 U.S. 437, 440 (1965).
NON MEMBER NEED NOT APPLY
Citizens by not being part of a "unions" are
under constant brutal attacks by imposed
“Taxes and Fees” punishment on the taxpayer,
without benefit of trial. The elected officials
and Unions made contract that the citizen was
to be a cosigner, whom could not sit at the
“table,” besides Sunlight is the Best
Disinfectant for Transparency or based on the
following quote “The argument against the
idea, framed by Northwestern University's
Zev Eigen, is that labor negotiations are "an
elaborate dance" that's very hard to
perform effectively in the spotlight. The deal
was made because it was the traditional role of
a court, judging an individual case, to impose
punishment.
Michigan Supreme court’s “heard the evil”
but it’s, decision was wrong and slithering “see
no evil, speak no evil” in agreement with the
federal government has freedom to raise the
eligible retirement age for social security,
forcing workers to wait longer to retire. If
retirements contracts were indeed sacred and
untouchable, we would all be able to sue the
federal government for breach of contract for
changing our retirement age.
OPINIONS
Advisory opinions are addressed in section
8 of article III of Michigan’s Constitution,
which provides that “[e]ither house of the legislature or the governor may request the opinion
of the supreme court on important questions of
law upon solemn occasions as to the constitutionality of legislation after it has been enacted
into law but before its effective date.” The
Court has discretion in responding to such
requests and has declined many requests for
advisory opinions.
"Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and
laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are
contrary to the first principles of the social
compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. ... The sober people of America are
weary of the fluctuating policy which has
directed the public councils. They have seen
with regret and indignation that sudden changes
and legislative interferences, in cases affecting
personal rights, become jobs in the hands of
enterprising and influential speculators, and
snares to the more-industrious and lessinformed part of the community." James
Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
Supreme Court cases construing the Bill of
Attainder clause include:
• Ex Parte Garland, 4 Wallace 333 (1866)Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wallace 277 (1866)U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437 (1965).
• Nixon v. Administrator of General
Services, 433 U.S.425 (1977)-Selective Service
Administration v. Minnesota PIRG, 468 U.S.
841 (1984). Many more!!!!!
The “WE THE PEOPLE” not “we the
government” need to ensure that government
officials conform to the law. It rests upon the
PEOPLE to keep public corporations, their officers, agents and servants strictly within the
limits of their obligations and faithful to the
service of the citizens and taxpayers.
SUE THE AGENTS OF THE STATE
The Court limited the effect of Hans somewhat in the 1908 case of Ex Parte Young. The
Court allowed a suit for injunctive relief against
a state official reasoning that if a state official
violated the Constitution he can't be acting on
behalf of a state, which can only act constitutionally. Thus, state officials--but not states-might be sued when they violate the
Constitution, even when they do so in the name
of the state.
TAXPAYER STANDING
Michigan Constitution under equal-protection guarantees and our Representatives did
violate and are evading issues system of checks
and balances whereby taxpayers can hold
public officials accountable for their acts.
REASON TO FILE SUIT
While the choices of how to spend the
public’s money are choices that the elected offi-
A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
cial enjoy, the political branches of our government and the state courts have a duty to guard
the state constitution and to intervene at the
behalf of pissed off taxpayers when resources
are being “Gifted” and spent on matters that the
constitution forbids or on projects that have no
public purpose.
GIFT CLAUSE
Michigan Statute Gift Limits Definitions /
Exceptions §15.342 §4.414
A public officer or employee shall not
solicit or accept a gift or loan of money, goods,
services, or other thing of value for the benefit
of a person or organization, other than the state,
which tends to influence the manner in which
the public officer or employee or another public
officer or employee performs official duties.
"Gift" means a payment, advance, forbearance, or the rendering or deposit of money,
services, or anything of value, the value of
which exceeds $25.00 in any 1-month period,
unless consideration of equal or greater value is
received therefore. Gift includes a payment,
advance, forbearance, or the rendering or
deposit of money, services or anything of value
to aid the defense of an official in the legislative
branch or an official in the executive branch
against a legal action not directly related to the
governmental duties of the official.
Detroit Museum of Art v. Engel, 187 Mich.
432 (1915); Bay City v.
Treasurer, 23 Mich. 499 (1871).
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
“The Rhode Island provision states that the
See bill on Page 14
Page 8
The Pontiac N ews
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December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
The Pontiac N ews
Page 9
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The Pontiac N ews
Page 10
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
The National Black Church Initiative’s
African American Family Circle Initiative
A Ten-Year Plan
The National Black Church Initiative
(NBCI), a coalition of 34,000 churches, is
committed to strengthening the African
American family by repairing the damage
created by unmarried parents, weak moral
standards, and years of neglecting to address
this truly pressing societal issue. The family
unit is an essential component in the fabric of
American life and the success of the Black
community depends on the Church’s vigorous
defense of the traditional family. Studies have
shown that children thrive on the love and
support of two parents – it is this basic fact that
propels NBCI to take action to protect the
family by safeguarding and promoting
marriage between a man and a woman,
educating African Americans on the importance of health and financial responsibility,
involving therapy to repair at-risk relationships, preventing violence, and creating new
standards for families nationwide. It is time to
stand up for the family and create a better
future for our children.
NBCI feels that African American families
are at a critical crossroad – the Black family is
in worse shape now than at any other point in
American history. We can ill afford to continue
down this path that has proven to lead to
violence, poverty, moral depravity, and failure.
Success stories abound – Obama being a
shining beacon for the potential for success no
matter what your skin color. It is time for the
majority of African Americans to follow this
example and reverse trajectory of the African
American family. NBCI, through this African
American Family Circle Initiative, will educate
Blacks nationwide utilizing Family
Strengthening Circles – summits composed of
leaders in good standing with the Black
community and the Black Church. These
Family Circles will address issues germane to
each specific community and tackle education,
relationships, intimacy, and health through
individual, marital, and societal counseling to
enact real change for this population so tragically in need of attention.
Robert M. Franklin, President of
Morehouse College and author of the groundbreaking book Crisis in the Village: Restoring
Hope in African American Communities[1],
lays out a blueprint for the Black Church on
what needs to be done to bring healing to our
community. The Black Church has the ultimate responsibility to the family – if the Black
family fails so does the Church. This is why
we have made the conscious decision to use Dr.
Franklin’s book as a guide to repair the structural damages to the Black family, community,
and church.
In his introduction, Dr. Franklin clearly
outlines the difficulties discussing this pervasive problem – these difficulties are likely why
the NAACP, the Urban League, and other
organizations have failed to create any workable plan properly addressing the core issues
facing the African American family. Their
policy directives and ineffective programmatic
approaches continue to fail the Black community as they are not adequately connected to the
one entity able of cohesively addressing the
African American community – the Black
Church. The Black Church clearly recognizes
the historical contributions that these organizations have made which allow us to continue to
shape the agenda but in some respects these
organizations are part of the reason why the
Black family is in such a poor state.
A perfect example of this is the NAACP’s
California Chapter’s support of Proposition 19
– the legalization of marijuana. Their support
is due to their inability to extricate itself from
the wishes of the liberal, white supporters and
their confusion that this is good for African
Americans. They believe that because African
American men are arrested more often than
white men for possession of marijuana that it is
a benefit to the community to de-criminalize
marijuana possession. No one is talking about
the message that this sends to young African
Americans – some of which are uneducated –
in California and nationwide. Legalizing the
possession of small amounts of a drug with
proven health risks that damages the fabric of
families is not the solution to disparate arrest
rates. Reducing drug use among African
Americans IS the sure-fire way to eliminate
this problem for African Americans and this is
an example of the shortsightedness of organizations whose aim is supposedly to uplift the
Black community.
In his assessment addresses the scope of the
issues facing the African American family, Dr.
Franklin says the following:
Clearly there are multiple spheres of crisis
and challenge. As Ralph Ellison once
commented, ‘Trying to deal with the Negro
problem apart from dealing with America’s
problem is like trying to do brain surgery with
a switchblade.’ Heeding Ellison, I will attempt
to speak directly to the crisis within African
American villages. This makes sense because
most of the Black population is now urbanized,
and, unfortunately, those urban centers are
highly segregated by race and class. In
response from the occasionally asked questions, ‘What is the Black community today?’ I
respond: ‘Wherever people of African descent
are in the majority, whether by choice or
circumstance, and they identify with the historical struggle for freedom, that is a Black
village.’ But while focusing on Black communities and experiences, I’d like to peer further
and more deeply into those dimensions of
crisis that African Americans share with other
communities. Again, the big conversation is
about common good. Some challenges are
distinctive to the Black community but most
are not. And I would argue that our shared,
common ground must become the basis for
collective action on behalf of the larger public
good. Indeed, whatever common ground we
can find or claim in this troubled time is a high
moral achievement.”
‘Wherever people of African descent are in
the majority, whether by choice or circum-
stance, and they identify with the historical
struggle for freedom, that is a Black village.’
The Black Church has the ultimate responsibility to the family – if the Black family fails so
does the Church.
While the decline of marriage is clearly an
American problem, statistics point to the
glaring truth – African Americans are disproportionately devaluing the importance of
marriage nationwide. The marriage rate for
African Americans has been dropping since the
1960s and today has the lowest marriage rate
of any racial group in the United States.
According to the 2001 US Census, 43.3% of
Black men and 41.9% of Black women in
America have never been married, and Black
women are least likely in American society to
marry. These figures are double that of white
men and women. Between 1970 and 2001 the
overall marriage rate has dropped, overall by
17%. However, for African Americans during
this same time period, the marriage rate
dropped a staggering 34%.
There are those who point to historic racism
as the root of the decline of the African
American family – even going so far as to
assert that it was due to the oppressive practice
of slavery which first disbanded Black families
in America. While slavery was truly a repulsive and hateful chapter in American history
and does contribute to many pervasive race
issues continuing to plague our nation, slavery
did not cause the current breakdown of Black
families. According to sociologist Andrew J.
Cherlin, “A black child was more likely to
grow up living with both parents during the
days of slavery than he or she is today.”
For those that disagree on how the African
American family has reached this low, while
interesting and occasionally relevant, reasons
do not change the fact that the Black family is
failing. Author Amy Wax asserts the following
in her book Race, Wrongs, and Remedies:
Group Justice in the 21st Century, “That
Blacks did not, in an important sense, cause
their current predicament does not preclude
charging them with alleviating it.” Wax
outlines her point in the interesting anecdote:
“In 1987, a rich philanthropist in
Philadelphia ‘adopted’ 112 inner-city sixthgraders, most of them from broken homes. He
guaranteed them a fully-funded education
through college if the kids would refrain from
drugs, unwed parenthood, and crime. He even
provided tutors, workshops, after-school
programs, summer programs, and counselors
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when trouble arose. Forty-five of the kids
never made it through high school. Thirteen
years later, of the sixty-seven boys, nineteen
were felons; the forty-five girls had sixty-three
total children, and more than half had their
babies before the age of eighteen. Crucially,
this was not surprising: The reason was culture.
These children had been nurtured in communities with different norms.”
As Ms. Wax puts it, one of the first steps is
to “stop focusing on the past, think about
culture rather than structure, and criticize
failure and emulate success”. NBCI, a champion for the rights of African Americans and a
defender of solutions which propagate the
success of Blacks nationwide, knows that the
solution to this problem begins and ends with
the Black community. As a member of Black
society we hold the necessary tools to rebuild
our own families.
Marriage is an essential component for
successful families. Today, across all races,
more than 6.8 million opposite-sex unmarried
couples lived together in 2008. This family
trend seems to affect African American children specifically at a disparate rate - the latest
look from the US Census Bureau shows that
only 32% of Black children live with both
parents as opposed to 78% of white children.
While these overall statistics paint a grim
picture for marriage, African American women
are specifically suffering from low marriage
rates and the unavailability of marriageable
Black men. As reported by ABC News, a Yale
study indicates that 42% of African American
women have yet to be married compared to
only 23% of white women. Additionally, the
2000 US Census counted 1.8 million more
African American women than black men.
The conclusion here is simple – there are less
Black men to go around and the ones that
remain aren’t marrying Black women.
While the marriage rates for African
Americans are shocking, even more alarming
is the marriage rates in high-income brackets.
For 25 to 29 year olds earning $100,000 or
more annually, 93% of African Americans and
nearly 100% of Latinas are single! These
statistics illuminate another surprising facet of
marriage and divorce – for these high income
earners ($100,000+) in the 30 to 34 age
bracket, 36% are divorced compared to 6% of
white women of the same age and income.
These statistics are disheartening for successful
African American and Latina women – you’re
more likely to be single or single and/or
divorced with only the tiniest statistical sliver
of hope for marriage.
Marriage has several important benefits to
the woman and man involved – financial
stability, health benefits, extended family
support systems, etc – but most important is the
marriage’s effect on the children who result
from this union. As the statistics above have
illustrated, marriage is not a component of
every family and the participants of these nonmarital unions do suffer significantly. The true
victims, however, are the children – and there
are more of these ‘victims’ than ever before.
From his book Crisis in the Village: Restoring
Hope in African American Communities,
Robert M. Franklin discusses the burdens on
marriage, parenting, and family life as a result
of poverty. “Father absence (men who have
not seen their children during the past year or
more) in poor communities is approximately
40% and the non-marital birthrate in African
American communities hovers at around
70%.”
Story to Continue in next Issue……
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
The Pontiac N ews
Page 11
Michigan Senate OKs new emergency manager legislation
By Associated Press
The
Republican-led
Michigan
Legislature cleared the way recently for GOP
Gov. Rick Snyder to sign a replacement for
an emergency manager law struck down by
voters, delivering another punch to
Democrats still reeling from this week's
passage of right-to-work legislation limiting
unions' power.
The Senate approved the legislation
mostly along party lines that contains key
provisions from the rejected law but comes
with more choices for local school districts
and communities deemed by the state to be
in a financial emergency. The House passed
the bill Wednesday night.
The new version proposed by Snyder and
GOP legislative leaders gives four options to
those governments: accepting an emergency
manager; undergoing bankruptcy; going
through mediation; and entering a consent
agreement similar to an existing one between
the state and Detroit.
The legislation also includes a $770,000
appropriation to cover managers' salaries, a
provision that would prevent a second defeat
at the polls because spending bills are legally
shielded from referendums.
As with the rejected law, the manager
would have the power to change or cancel
contracts, but local officials also could
develop an alternative plan provided it
generates equal financial savings. Should a
local government choose an emergency
manager, the state would pay for the
manager, and local officials would have the
option of removing the manager after one
year and with a two-thirds vote of its
governing body.
The state has been operating since under
a previous law that gives managers fewer
powers, but leaders argue it's inadequate to
deal with failing cities or schools.
Snyder and other backers of the plan
argue adding the choices and other steps to
provide more local input respect the will of
the voters.
Democrats see it as a blow to democracy
because it subverts local control. They say
it's the same as the rejected law with an
opportunity for distressed communities to
"pick their poison."
Highland Park Democratic Sen. Bert
Johnson offered several changes that failed
to garner support, including one that would
have enabled a consent agreement between
the state and financially struggling local
government that's "binding to both parties"
and lasts for no more than two years.
"What we need is a partnership," he said.
"We do not need a dictator in Lansing."
Hillsdale Republican Sen. Bruce Caswell
said he voted no because he was "following
the dictates" of his constituents who voted
against the emergency manager bill.
Opponents also contended the measure
was being rushed similar to the way right-towork legislation reducing union strength
sailed through the legislative process in
recent days amid widespread protests at the
Capitol. But supporters noted that the emergency manager bill was considered during a
committee hearing this month.
Senate Majority Leader Randy
Richardville disputed critics' claims that it's
merely a rehash of the failed law with
poisonous extras.
"There are very different paths they can
take," he said. "These are usually people who
are in a situation that has a financial emergency. They're saying, 'Don't help us, don't
help us, and you give us another option, we
don't like that either.' The problem isn't being
solved."
Richardville said the only option some
local officials are leaving themselves is
State Representative
Tim Greimel
names chief of staff,
legislative director,
press secretary
House Democratic Leader-Elect Tim
Greimel (D-Auburn Hills) has named
three key staffing positions. Adrian
Hemond has been named chief of staff,
Katie Carey will continue as the press
secretary for the House Democratic
Caucus, and Amy Beard will serve as
Greimel's legislative director and deputy
chief of staff. Greimel will become the
leader of the House Democratic Caucus
on Jan. 1, 2013, and the position of the
newly named staffers begins then as well.
"I look forward to working with
Adrian Hemond, Katie Carey and Amy
Beard to advance the House Democratic
Caucus' goals of improving the economic
stability and quality of life for middleclass families in Michigan," Greimel
said. "Several policy decisions have been
made recently that hurt our families,
school kids and seniors, and we will
work hard starting Jan. 1 to get Michigan
back on track."
Most recently, Hemond worked as an
account executive for the Energy
Systems Group, a sustainable energy
company. Before that, Hemond was an
associate at Governmental Consultant
Services Inc. and served as the appropriations coordinator for the Michigan House
under Rep. George Cushingberry (DDetroit). He also previously served as a
legislative assistant for Rep. Marsha
Cheeks (D-Detroit). Hemond has also
been a professor of political science at
Saginaw Valley State University and
holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in
political science from Michigan State
University.
Carey, who is currently press secretary for the House Democratic Caucus,
has previously been the press secretary
for the Michigan Senate Democrats, a
legislative aide for Rep. Jeff Irwin (DAnn Arbor), spokeswoman for former
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and communications director for former Lt. Gov. John
Cherry. Carey earned a bachelor's degree
in political science from Grand Valley
State University.
Beard, currently serving as Rep.
Greimel's legislative director, will
continue in that position and add the
duties of deputy chief of staff. Beard has
also served as the legislative director for
Rep. Phil Cavanagh (D-Redford
Township) and a legislative aide to
former Rep. Kate Ebli (D-Frenchtown
Township). Before that, she worked as a
scheduler and event organizer for
Governor Jennifer Granholm's reelection
campaign in 2006 and the Granholm
inauguration in 2007. She holds a bachelor's degree in social science from
Michigan State University.
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bankruptcy.
"And they'll have the option to choose
that if they want, but I don't think they'd be
representing their people very well if they
did that," he said.
The new emergency manager proposal
was announced last week on the same day
that Michigan Treasurer Andy Dillon said
he'll likely order a review of Detroit's municipal finances, a 30-day process that could
lead to a state takeover of its largest city
that's deep in debt and has a budget deficit of
more than $200 million.
Since the spring, Detroit and the state
have been partners in a consent agreement
that allows limited state oversight of Mayor
Dave Bing's fiscal restructuring plans. Tied
to the deal is millions of dollars in bond
money held in escrow by the treasurer's
office and released to Detroit when certain
benchmarks are achieved.
The deal averted the placement of an
emergency financial manager in Detroit.
Managers are in place in Benton Harbor,
Ecorse, Flint, Pontiac and Allen Park, as well
as in the Muskegon Heights, Highland Park
and Detroit school districts.
The Pontiac N ews
Page 12
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
NEW YEAR, SAME MESS
Only Realistic Dialogue Will Change Our Condition
By Quincy Stewart III
As I reflect
back upon the
year 2012, I see
similarities with
1962, now some
fifty years ago. In
1962, people of
color
were
fighting for open
housing. Can we
live anywhere we
want to today? In
1962, people of
color were fighting for civil rights and Dr.
King was trying to push President John F.
Kennedy and later on Lyndon Johnson for a
civil rights bill. Today, we are again fighting
to preserve civil rights and in the case of
Pontiac, trying to regain them after the
fascist Public Acts 72, 4 and now the new
House Bill coming down the pike, which
closely resembles the previous two bills.
Back in 1962, Pontiac was segregated down
racial lines and today the only dissimilarity is
now Pontiac is divided down race and class
lines. Jobs were plentiful with regard to
General Motors, today there are no jobs. BIG
Dissimilarity right there…
Though there are some stark differences
between 1962 and 2012, the fifty year span
does reveal that outside of jobs we are in the
same boat as then. As a matter of fact, with
all the money that was made working for
General Motors for nearly seventy-five to
eighty years, what as a community do we
have to show for it… some boats… some
cars? A few clapboard houses or some land
up north? What investments were made into
the community with all those billions of
dollars that flowed through our hands from
the 1930’s, 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s and 70’s?
Churches are all that we have to show for it?
Not one store left or one manufacturing plant
of our own…no parallel institutions which
would have created employment and
sustainable wealth in the Pontiac black
community is the epitaph which is inscribed
across the tombstone of black economic
development in Pontiac.
When my parents came here from
Cordova, Alabama and Chapel Hill, North
Carolina during the mid-1940’s right after
the war, seeking the “promised land” of the
north, they didn’t need an education, they
didn’t need a resume. Mama got “day work”
and my dad ended up working for the water
department and the reason he got that job
instead of the plant was because of his skills
as a heavy equipment operator as a quartermaster truck company sergeant during world
war two. The rest of his contemporaries by
and large worked at the various plants.
Though still philosophically working class
and poor, this cohort was immediately
injected into the middle class. My age cohort
now in our early to mid-fifties is extensions
of that age group journalist and writer Tom
Brockaw referred to as the “greatest generation.” We were afforded the Basic
Educational Opportunity Grants, we worked
for the CETA program (Comprehensive
Employment and Training Act) and many
other gains made by either the Civil Rights
Movement or the subsequent Black Power
Struggle shook loose government resources
which gave my generation a leg up on
college, jobs and also pacification of our
ability to extend the Black Power Movement
into nationalism and Pan-Africanism. As was
said in the movie, “I’m Gonna’ Get You
Sucka’”, “We went in with guns and we
walked out with jobs.”
So here we are in 2013 and civil rights are
slowly eroding and the masses are blind to
the beginnings of fascism taking root. They
say if you tell a lie 11 times or more it
becomes true in the eyes of the masses. The
lie that dissolution of union bargaining
power is good for workers is a lie… period.
One need go no further than how Wal-Mart is
treating its workers in China to see that or
look back at history at the Triangle Shirt
Factory and fire to see how unions were
needed and still are. The fact that regionalization, which is another word for privatization of poor communities and their tax
dollars funding corporate interests is seen as
a good thing is a LIE. State control over
municipalities with Public Acts 72 and 4 and
the new legislation forthcoming being good
for communities is a LIE. It rapes cities like
Pontiac and turns our tax dollars into an
ATM machine for private entities. It creates
total unemployment for the people who live
in cities under this racist and fascist law and
creates employment for people who do not
and would not ever live there. Leon
Jukowski as mayor is a LIE. He is not a
mayor. He is a paid staff member/consultant
of the State of Michigan’s Emergency
Manager, Louis Schimmel, plain and simple.
He gave up that seat when he accepted blood
money from Schimmel. He is not the mayor.
Lastly, we must begin to have truthful
dialogue about these conditions and stop
trying to be politically correct or pleasing to
those maintainers of the status quo. Our talks
must be frank and factual. Only then can we
begin to take correct, succinct and decisive
action to not only counteract this slow march
toward totalitarianism, but to plan ahead in a
proactive way, with layer after layer of
contingency as was done at the Mackinac
Center for Public Policy and how they pulled
off the most effective heist of the public trust
in recent memory. The only other parallel
event like this occurred from the mid 1930’s
to the early 1940’s when Nazi Germany
finally came to the fore. What we are seeing
is the bricks in the foundation of complete
corporate rule being laid. In 2013 let us begin
to tell the truth…the cold hard truth and it
will be the saving grace for future efforts at
liberation.
Richard T.
Taylor, P.C.
Attorney At Law
General Practice
Specializing in Criminal Defense,
Family Law and Civil Law
28 N. Saginaw, Suite 912
Pontiac, Michigan 48342
Email - [email protected]
Phone # 586-481-5981
Fax 248-338-2222
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The Pontiac N ews
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
Page 13
Sports
Pontiac High School Wrestling - Phoenix Pride
Jamell Humphrey
2012 Regional Qualifier
Deishawn Stewart
2012 State Qualifier
Devoniere Jackson
2010 All-County Team
Deon’dre Polk
2010 All-State
Pontiac High Wrestling Roster
Never Catch Us On Our Back
Charles
Walker
Pontiac Wrestling History
• Bill Willson won the 1967 Class A State Championship.
• Steve Szbol Coached at Pontiac Central High for 42 Years.
• Jon Brown was the first coach in Oakland County history to coach a four time Oakland
County Champion.
• Pontiac Northern - Tyrone Logan was the first four time Oakland County Champion. He
was state champion in 1988.
• Pontiac Central - Marvin “Tweet” McClellan was state champion in 1977.
• Pontiac High - Deon’dre Polk was the first all-state wrestler and athlete in 2010.
Pontiac High School Wrestling - Staff
Athletic Director:
DeAndre Shepard
Assistant Athletic Director:
Joe Carr
Head Coach:
Adam Polk
Assistant Coach:
Georgio Bellentine
DENTAL ARTS COMPANY
Universal Hair Design
308 S. Blvd West, Pontiac
Introduces
Shatoria “Tori” Simmons
&
The Half Off
Fall Special
50% off any service
Call 248-858-7333
for an appointment.
DENTISTRY BY JEFF MARTIN, D.D.S.A
Beautiful smile takes more than just brushing
91 N. SAGINAW •PONTIAC, MI 48342
248-332-4240
Affordable Family Dental Care
A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
The Pontiac N ews
Page 14
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
U.S. Rep. Gary Peters speaks out against GOP Effort to
Defund Food Assistance, Unemployment Insurance and
Protection Services for Abused Children
In House Floor Speech, Peters Argues Against GOP’s “Plan B” Fiscal Cliff Legislation
Washington, D.C. U.S. Congressman Gary
Peters gave a speech on
the floor of the House of
Representatives arguing
against
the
GOP’s
proposed “Plan B” fiscal
cliff legislation. If signed
Gary Peters into law, this disastrous
legislation would cut
SNAP food assistance by 36 billion, cut off 2
million Americans from Unemployment
Insurance Benefits on January 1st, and eliminate Social Services Block Grants. The
Social Services Block Grant that the GOP is
trying to eliminate makes child care more
affordable for the parents of 4 million children, funds child abuse prevention and
response efforts that protect 1.7 million children, and finances foster care for 451,000
children victimized by abuse or neglect.
PREPARED REMARKS:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this
rule and the underlying bills.
In the dead of night - five days before
Christmas - House Republicans released
legislation they are rushing to the floor to gut
Bill from Page 7
“general assembly shall have no powers,
without the express consent of the people, to
incur state debts… nor shall it in any case,
without such consent, pledge the faith of the
state for the payment of the obligations of
others.” Rhode Island is not alone; another 47
state
constitutions
contain
similar
provisions–that are often neglected or
subverted.”
I’m I the only one who doesn’t believe in
political process, but there is little doubt that
millions of dollars and credit currently being
spent on public projects to beautify downtown,
make movies etc. And do other useful things –
instead of fully funding the needs of public
such as community center for instance – might
be well receive with majority support. But the
fix is in without constitutional constraints to
kick the can down the road for the current
generation and robbing the next generation.
Michigan’s Constitution mandates that the
governor and Legislature balance the budget.
funding for healthcare, food assistance and
other vital social services.
Christmas is a season for giving, but
sadly Republicans are taking.
Taking food off the table from millions
of American families that are struggling in
these tough economic times by cutting food
assistance by $36 billion.
Taking the unemployment lifeline away
from more than 2 million Americans who are
trying to get back on their feet.
Taking funding away from block grants
that provide protective services for abused
children.
And why would Republicans insist on
taking away so much from our constituents
during this holiday season? So they can give
an average $50,000 tax break to millionaires.
I urge my colleagues to stand up for
millions of children, workers and families
that are facing a real cliff - vote no on the
rule and the bills.
BACKGROUND:
Late Wednesday, House Republicans
introduced a new sequester-replacement bill,
H.R. 6684, that is expected to be voted on
Thursday evening in addition to Speaker
Yet, these “off book” financial obligations have
been hidden from the taxpayers. Therefore no
taxpayer financial burden exists.
Employee compensation packages and
retirement benefits have risen without the
corresponding savings or investments to pay for
these promised obligations this obligates future
taxpayers to cover these past costs without
receiving any benefits or services.
Unions exist to fight for their members, not
to advocate for policy that is in the best interest
of taxpayers. This why it is incumbent on the
Legislature to have the authority to weigh all
spending requests equally in the context of the
priorities of all taxpayers and citizens and not
be cut out of budget decisions totaling millions
of dollars.
Judge Thomas M. Cooley held that a
government could only tax its citizens for
“public purposes.” Cooley recognized that railroads {{RANDY aka (unions}} to be exclusively private property, owned, controlled, and
operated by a private corporation for the benefit
of its own members” (Salem, 20 Mich.
Andre L. Poplar,
Attorney at Law
Criminal, Personal Injury
& Family Law
New address & phone numbers:
28 N. Saginaw St, Suite 911
Pontiac, MI 48342
248-874-1911 Phone
248-318-2217 Cell
248-874-1919 Fax
[email protected]
www.AndrePoplarLaw.com
Boehner’s “Plan B” to extend tax cuts for
income below $1 million. Together, these
bills would put the burden of the Fiscal Cliff
on the backs of Americas’ most vulnerable.
• Deep Cuts to Food Assistance: The
measure reduces funding for the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) by an estimated $36 billion over 10
years. These reductions are achieved by
decreasing SNAP benefits and the number of
individuals eligible for SNAP benefits and
by accelerating the termination of a temporary increase in maximum benefits enacted
as part of the 2009 economic stimulus law.
• Repealing Social Services Block
Grant (SSBG): The bill includes provisions
that reduce spending by $16.7 billion over 10
years by repealing the Social Services Block
Grant Program. The program currently has a
permanent authorization of $1.7 billion per
year. Social Services Block Grants are
provided to states to operate a number of
assistance programs for low-income and
elderly individuals. SSBGs fund a variety of
initiative for children and adults including:
daycare, protective services, special services
to persons with disabilities, adoption, health
related services, transportation, foster care,
substance abuse treatment, housing, homedelivered meals, independent/transitional
living, and employment services. Michigan
received over $56 million in SSBG allocations in 2009.
• Slashing Children’s Health Care: The
measure reduces spending by $1.4 billion by
eliminating state maintenance of effort
requirements for Medicaid and the
Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP). Under the health care overhaul,
states are prohibited from modifying their
Medicaid eligibility for adults until the state's
health insurance exchange becomes operational. The bill repeals the requirements
immediately upon enactment. It also reduces
spending by roughly $400 million in 2013 by
repealing the existing CHIP performance
bonus program.
•
Eliminating
Unemployment
Insurance for 2 million Americans: By
doing nothing to extend federal unemployment benefits, which will expire the week
after Christmas, two million Americans
nationwide will immediately lose all UI
benefits. This includes over 90,000 unemployed workers in Michigan.
477–479)..
The public purpose define: "(T)he term
'public purposes,' as employed to denote the
objects for which taxes may be levied, has no
relation to the urgency of the public need, or to
the extent of the public benefit which is to
follow." Id., 485.
Justice Thomas M. Cooley struck down the
law on the grounds that railroads were a private
enterprise and the public funding thereof
violated the Michigan constitution. The principles which formed the basis of taxation.
Michigan Supreme Court (1870), 488–489.
forever.
When you use a more realistic investment
rate assumption GENERAL EMPLOYEES
RETIREMENT SYSTEM BOARD OF
TRUSTEES FEBRUARY 22, 2006 minutes.
Repeat after me!!!!
1. It must be used for a public purpose.
2. If imposed specifically on a locality (as
opposed to a statewide tax), the tax must be of
benefit for the locality itself.
Cooley stated that "what the state as a political community cannot do it cannot require the
inferior municipalities to do. When the case is
found to stand entirely about taxation, state
burdens and township burdens are alike
precluded' no township vote and no township
majority however large, can affect the principle." Michigan Supreme Court (1870), 496.
Regarding public pensions, most obvious
legal ground under contract law is mistake of
fact. The legal rule to make a contract while
holding a belief that isn’t true, you make a deal
to buy a Picasso for ten million dollars, but it
turns out that the painting is not a Picasso. "The
mistake doctrine" or "fraud" You can get out of
the deal.
Regarding high public pensions, did the
pension board understand investments? And
have knowledge to maximized return of investments because the mistake made, fundamental,
and huge: that on the grounds that pension
funds “would” generate average annual returns
of 7.5 to 8 percent or more into the future,
A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR
Trustee Mr. ……… asked how the GERS
fund ranks compared to peers. Mr. ……. stated
that the average funds performed at 2.1% for
the quarter with the GERS fund performance at
1.7%. However, he commented that it is difficult to do a fair comparison given the current
asset allocation distribution. The real world as
opposed to the overly optimistic rate of 7.75%,
Needless to say, pension contributions are escalating, chewing up more and more resources,
resulting in the further deterioration of our
streets, sidewalks, parks, trees, and the rest of
our infrastructure. This has turned out to be,
ahem, not true. Because of L.I.B.O.R. London
Interbank Offered Rate is the average interest
rate estimated by leading banks in London that
they would be charged if borrowing from other
banks.
The lower Libor is, the higher is the price or
evaluations of floating-rate debt instruments,
such as CDOs [Collateralized Debt Obligation],
and thus the stronger the banks’ balance sheets
appear. Does this mean that the U.S. financial
systems can only be kept afloat by fraud that
harms purchasers of interest rate swaps, which
include municipalities advised by sellers of
interest rate swaps, and those with savings
accounts?
Obviously, the politicians will say NO and
continue the fraud. The harm to people from a
collapse far exceeds the harm in lost interest
from fixing the low interest rates in order to
forestall collapse. We are doing our best to
create profits for the banks that will permit us
eventually to unwind the fraud and return to
normal. The political structures have been left
to act as subordinate partners in the big banks’
schemes — the tail is wagging the dog.
The Pontiac N ews
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
Page 15
Great Lakes Academy Continues to Gain Academic Recognition.
Pontiac, Michigan – The staff and
teachers at Great Lakes Academy are a
team of professionals who are dedicated to
building excellence in each and every one
of their students. Their dedication and hard
work is evident in the rankings that they
have recently been recognized for. “Over
the past three years we have consistently
doubled our ranking on the state of
Michigan top-to-bottom list. Students who
have been with us since February 2011
have made significant gains in reading
since the implementation of our Balanced
Reading Program. In fact, from February
2011 through September 2012, 85% of our
students have made at least 1.5 years of
growth and improvement in their reading
level”, stated principal Michelle Parham.
In addition to record improvements in
reading scores, student of Great Lakes
Academy have achieved high standings in
the state assessment for mathematical
skills. Students of the academy so
improved their scores in the area of mathematics on the State of Michigan MEAP test
that the academy was awarded a bonus of
$30 per pupil.
“Our objective remains to be the area’s
finest learning institution. We will continue
to grow our academic program and add to
our extracurricular programs as well. One
such addition came in the form of a letter
recently received announcing our official
membership in the National Junior Honor
Society. We have also become a member of
the national Destination Imagination
competition and will be preparing our
students to compete in upcoming state and
national competitions”, added Michelle
Parham.
For more information, visit www.greatlakesacademy.org or contact Michelle
Parham at 248-334-6434.
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The Pontiac N ews
Page 16
December 21, 2012 - January 3, 2013
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