Tristate TaeKwon Do 6th Annual Picnic

The Tristate TaeKwon Do and King's Kempo Class of 2009 will be at Pulaski Park, June 6, 2009 from 12:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. demonstrating their mastery of martial arts, weapons, breaking and self-defense.

Stop by and support the kids. You might be inspired to sign up for classes.


Master Douglass breaking concrete with his head.

Holbrook Elementary Town Hall

On Friday, May 29, 2009, Holbrook Elementary School will be holding a Town Hall Meeting from 3:45p.m. to 5:00p.m. in the school auditorium.

Learn about exciting news for next school year. Mr. Niczay, Superintendent of Schools will be the featured speaker along with Mr. Zygmontowicz, Principle of Holbrook Elementary School.

There will also be an Arabic translator.

Refreshments will be served and there will be a raffle to win a food basket. The class with the most parents in attendance will win a classroom pizza party.

Official Listing of Candidates

The following is a list of the candidates for the August 4, 2009 election primary.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

ABDUL ALGAZALI*

AKM RAHMAN

KAREN MAJEWSKI*

ROBERT A. ZWOLAK

TARAS P. NYKORIAK

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

ALAN M. SHULGON*

ANAM AHMED MIAH*

ARIF HUSKIC

BEVERLY TRAN

DARLA D. SWINT

KATHY KRISTY

KAZI MIAH

MOHAMMED HASSAN

SCOTT KLEIN*

STEVE SHAYA

TOM JANKOWSKI

WILLIAM HOOD

* denotes incumbants

City Council Agenda for May 26, 2009

New Secretary For Southend Block Club

Greetings,

My name is Louis (also go by Louie) and I am the new secretary for the
South End Block Club, for Hamtramck.

This is a preliminary note giving you my contact information:

louis.privette@gmail.com
(313) 549-5340

The next block meeting will be held on Thursday, June 11th at 6:30PM at:

People's Community Services
Hamtramck Neighborhood Center
8625 Joseph Campau St.
Hamtramck, MI, 48212.

Map Link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8625+Joseph+Campau+St.+Hamtramck,+MI,+48212.&ie=UTF8&ll=42.393417,-83.052864&spn=0.010649,0.027637&z=15&iwloc=A

Please forward this message to any of our South End neighbors who you
believe would like to be involved in our club. Hamtramck citizens and
friends are also welcomed guests.

Please note that I have not added your email address to a mailing list
and cannot do so without your expressed permission. Please reply to
this message if you would like your email address to be added in order
to receive correspondence for SEBC activities and meetings. Please
specify what email address you would like to be used for this purpose.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Free Fax Number and Voicemail

This is a site that allows people to sign up for many free services. You may register for a free fax number allowing faxes to go directly to your email, which also is a great way of converting documents into pdf.

For those who may not be able to afford phone service, you can sign up for free voicemail that you can access via your email. If you do not have home computer access to your email, you can go the Hamtramck Public Library on Caniff and sign up for your library card to access computer usage to check your email and voice messages.

This is a great service when seeking employment, as you will always know that you will never miss a message.

Free Cell Phone For Low Income Individuals

SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers.

You receive 40 minutes a month for free, then may purchase additional minutes for a minimum charge.

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/home.aspx

Hamtramck woman claims Lucky 7s prize!

LANSING, May 8, 2009 - More winners have come forward since Wednesday to claim Lucky 7s raffle prizes, including Joan Ruszkiewicz of Hamtramck. The lucky woman purchased her ticket on St. Patrick's Day and must have had the luck of the Irish on her side because her raffle ticket was worth $70,000!

Ruszkiewicz purchased the winning raffle ticket at Head Coach Bar, 12001 Conant, in Hamtramck.

Other lucky winners claiming $70,000 prizes include the E & J Lottery Club, who won on a ticket purchased at Dominick's Market, 7025 E. Mich'n Ave., in Saline and six anonymous players who won on tickets purchased at Ford Tel Service, 23645 Ford Rd., in Dearborn; Ernie's Beer & Wine, 13167 N. Saginaw Rd., in Clio; Ionia Shell #4380, 342 N. Dexter St., in Ionia; Thrifty Convenience Store, 140 N. Saginaw St., in Pontiac; M59 & Ormond BP, 3685 Highland Rd., in White Lake; and CVS Pharmacy, 25380 5 Mile Rd., in Redford.

Winners claiming top $700,000 prizes include Kimberly Nadjkovic of New Era, who purchased the winning ticket at Wesco #23, 5685 W. US Highway 10, in Ludington and anonymous woman from Alma, who purchased a winning ticket at purchased at Southfield Fuel Stop, 26450 Lahser, in Southfield.

Additionally, Jennifer Harris claimed $70,000 on a ticket purchased at TJ's Party Store, 1208 Fort St., in Lincoln Park; Colleen Morrison claimed $70,000 on a ticket purchased at Meijer #172, 3883 E. Grand River Ave., in Howell; and an anonymous player claimed $70,000 who won on a ticket purchased at the Red Wagon Shoppe, 1613 Livernois Rd., in Troy.

The Lucky 7s Raffle is the Michigan Lottery's 11th Raffle to date. Featured were two prizes of $700,000 each, 18 prizes of $70,000, 1,800 prizes of $700 and 18,000 prizes of $70.

Over 95 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players and commissions to retailers. In fiscal year 2008, the contribution to schools was $740.7 million. Since its inception in 1972, the Lottery has contributed more than $15 billion to education in Michigan.

For additional information, please visit the Lottery's Web site at www.michigan.gov/lottery.

May 15, 2009 - State Police Participate in Operation C.A.R.E. All-American Buckle-Up Week

Contact: Sgt. Jill M. McKelvey, Traffic Safety Division, (517) 336-6121
Agency: State Police

EAST LANSING. In advance of the Memorial Day holiday, Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers are joining state police and highway patrol agencies from across the United States for the annual Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) All-American Buckle-Up Week, May 18 ? 25, to remind motorists of the importance of wearing a safety belt every trip.

"Michigan motorists have already experienced the benefits of wearing a safety belt," stated Col. Peter C. Munoz, director of the MSP. "Our state boasts the highest safety belt use rate in the nation at 97.2 percent, and traffic fatalities have dipped to their lowest point since 1925."

Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the Michigan State Police and Indiana State Police, and is one of the nation's longest-running traffic safety initiatives. Today, it includes state and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Quebec Police Force and the Virgin Islands.

During this same period, troopers will also take part in the statewide Buckle Up or Pay Up: Click It or Ticket safety belt mobilization that runs through May 31.

"Remember to start your travels with safety in mind by buckling up and driving responsibly," Munoz added.

Michigan Child Support Program Launches MiCase Web Site

May 15, 2009

Parents who pay or receive child support in Michigan now have a convenient and secure Web site to review their payment and case information - www.michigan.gov/MiCase.

The MiCase Web site provides custodial and non-custodial parents access to individual child support account information, while reducing the state's costs for providing this information. Parents can view online payment summaries, amounts owed, child support case information, scheduled hearing dates and Friend of the Court contact information.

Parents who want to use MiCase can follow the directions on the Web site to sign up for an account. Within a few days of signing up, they will receive their MiCase ID and secure password in the mail. The ID and password are required to access information about each person's individual child support case on the Web site.

"Consistently paying child support ensures that children have a good safety net and can avoid poverty," said Ismael Ahmed, director of the Department of Human Services. "Our aim is to make the process as convenient as possible for families."

MiCase is another tool to improve customer service in the child support program. Employers who assist in collecting child support from non-custodial payments use online and phone payment options. Parents can use automatic deposits or debit cards to receive payments and search the online database for unclaimed child support money at http://www.michigan.gov/childsupport

"We want to make the process of paying, receiving and accounting of child support as easy as possible for parents," said Marilyn Stephen, director of the Michigan Office of Child Support. "MiCase continues our commitment to offer the most cost-effective tools for our customers."

Spring Clean is Saturday

That's right folks, it's finally here. Saturday is the Spring Clean.

The town party kicks off at 10:00 a.m. at the People's Community Center on the corner of Jos. Campau and Danforth. Come by and get on a clean team.

There will be entertainment and food for all.

This is the best opportunity to meet your neighbors and community leaders. What better way of enjoying the beautiful outdoors of Hamtramck and getting in shape at the same time.

And if you just can't seem to make it, you can still be a part of the Spring clean by getting out there and cleaning up your yards, streets, and alleys.

Southend Block Club Meeting: May 14, 2009

Greetings All!

This is just a friendly reminder that the South End Block Club will be meeting this Thursday
People's Community Center
6:30 PM

We will be electing officers-so if you want to run think of a few words to say.

Below you will find an agenda for the meeting.

Tell a friend. Tell a neighbor. Tell the world.

Mike D.

SEBC
South End Block Club Agenda
5/14/09
6:30 pm

Welcoming

Sergeant Tripp (if available)


Nomination of officers
President
Vice president
Secretary

Moment for candidates to introduce themselves
Cast 2 ballots/names per person
Top vote receiver-President
2nd top vote receiver- Vice President
3rd most votes-Secretary

Begin building drug and or abandoned house list

Hamtramck clean up recruitment
Saturday May 16 2009
Meet at People’s Community Center
@ 10:30 am


Open Floor For Discussion

Next meeting June 11th 6:30 PM
People’s Community Center

Governor Jennifer Granholm In Hamtramck

On April 22, 2009 at the Hamtramck City Library, Governor Jennifer Granholm was introduced by Mayor Karen Majewski to present the state's economic recovery plan.

What is more importantly overlooked is the Governor's ability to transform the state office into one of outstretched arms. Not only does the Governor possess the ability to travel around the world to invite new economies to the state, but she can, while talking to the people of Hamtramck, reach out to Washington, to remind us that we are important in the rebuilding of the future of the nation and the world.

If you were not able to attend the event, you can always send your comments and concerns directly to the Governor at:


http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995-65331--,00.html

or here for constituent services:

http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-35316---,00.html

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
PHONE: (517) 373-3400
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 - Constituent Services
FAX:(517) 335-6863

Help To Stop Lead Poisoning In Homes

Detroit Free Press
April 22, 2009

The Wayne County Health Department is among groups sponsoring two dinner meetings on lead abatement for residents and landlords in Highland Park and Hamtramck.

The two cities were selected for the informational meetings because they have some of the highest percentages of homes built before 1950 in the state. Older houses put residents at higher risk of exposure to lead.

The meetings, at which pizza and pop will be served, are to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Hamtramck meeting is to be April 30 at Peoples Community Center, 8625 Jos. Campau Ave. The Highland Park meeting is to be May 7 at Ernest T. Ford Recreation Center, 10 Pitkin.

Hamtramck Citizen Is Reborn

Beverly Tran
April 23, 2009

As the impact of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 2005 and the effects of the local economy works its way into the mainstream of local newspapers, we need to welcome the Hamtramck Citizen to its new cyber venue: http://www.hamtramckcitizen.com

This is not the end, it is just the beginning...

Throughout the many years, the Hamtramck Citizen has made it possible for the people of the city to keep in touch with local news. It has been the voice of the most unique city in the nation, giving the residents the ability of being heard on a national level.

So, let's celebrate the transformation of the Hamtramck Citizen to the internet!

The only thing I, personally, regret is that it was once reported that I was a doctoral candidate of Wayne State University. I am honored for the recognition of my skills, knowledge, and abilities (a.k.a. skas), but, alas, just like the Hamtramck Citizen, I have higher mountaintops to climb.

Stayed tuned...

3C7 Neighborhood Watch

We’ve seen some of the graffiti past its ugly face again in certain places of the city. You can rest assured that those poor designs will be gone. Can you get involved enough to make a phone call. All you have to do is call the listed number, leave a messages and tell us where the graffiti is and we will handle the rest.

Graffiti Hotline
313-281-8150

Report suspicious activity (NO NAMES!!!)

If you know of, or see any suspicious or malicious activities please call and report them. All callers will be anonymous contact the Hamtramck Police Department, 313-876-7800

Events that you should attend:
Coffee hour with Your Congressman Bert Johnson
1st Friday of the Month (8:30 - 9:30 AM)
Location: Cafe 1923, 2287 Holbrook

Come join our 3C7 community blog which will speak on many issues of our block club.
http://groups.google.comgroup/3C7Association

To be added to 3C7 Neighborhood Watch email listing, email:
roninhamtramck@yahoo.com

Home Heating Credit Helps Those In Need

From the 3C7 Block Club

I’VE SPOKE WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO’VE USED THIS
PROGRAM AND IT REALLY WORKS. TAKE A LOOK!!

Eligible low-income customers may receive funds from the State of Michigan to apply toward their DTE Energy heating account. To qualify, you must meet the Home Heating
Credit guidelines based on household income, number of exemptions and heating costs. Call 866.200.2386 to see if you qualify.

Please have your dependents' Social Security numbers and total 2008 household income available when calling. Download the forms from the Michigan Department of Treasury Web site at michigan.gov/heatingassistance

The Michigan Department of Treasury by calling 800.367.6263 and request the forms be mailed to you Any Michigan Department of Treasury office Request your total heating costs from November 1 to October 31. If you are a registered user of my.dteenergy.com, you may view your Heating Cost Report online. File your Home Heating Credit claim as soon as you know your annual household income.The deadline for filing is September 30. You do not need to file an income tax return to qualify for this program. View the income guidelines.

FBI Offers $20,000 Reward for the Location of Tangena Hussain

Press Release
For Immediate Release
April 22, 2009 FBI Detroit
Contact: Special Agent Sandra R. Berchtold
(313) 237-4218

FBI Offers $20,000 Reward for the Location of Tangena Hussain

Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Detroit, Michigan, announced that a $20,000 reward is being offered for the location of Tangena Hussain.

On October 2, 2008, at approximately 9:30 pm, 2-year old Tangena Hussain was reported missing from a gas station located at 20500 Greenfield Road, Detroit, Michigan. An exhaustive search was conducted in the area surrounding 8 Mile and Greenfield, as well as the Hamtramck and Detroit neighborhoods near the residence where Tangena Hussain lived. On Friday, April 10th Tangena would have turned 3 years old.

The FBI and Detroit Police Department are requesting the public’s help in locating Tangena Hussain. Anyone who has any information regarding the location of Tangena Hussain is encouraged to contact the FBI, Detroit Field Office at (313) 965-2323 or the Detroit Police Department at (313) 596-1240.

Hamtramck International Bazaar Begins

Spring is in the air when the City of Hamtramck announces its Annual International Bazaar. In its second year, anyone can rent a table for 5 bucks and join a city wide, outdoor shopping extravaganza every last Saturday of the month.

Getting bigger every year, this is a great opportunity to make a few extra dollars selling those unused items sitting around the house collecting dust, or a chance to start up your own small business.

If anyone is interested, contact Eve Doster Knepp at 313-876-7700 ext. 327, and she will help you get ready for a great summer!

Graffiti Removal April 18, 2009 @ 10:00 a.m.

Hello Neighbors,

Regarding graffiti: I set up a time to remove it on the 4/18, 10:00 am @ Commor and Lumpkin. We are asking for volunteers to meet us. We have the supplies.

We were selected by the Detroit Agricultural Network for a cluster wide workday on May 5th. That means the tool bank and volunteers will converge on our site and get it started as a community garden. We have to build a fence and still need to have the soil tested. I will know more after tomorrow.

Rachel Hewitt may start a garden on her block.

Graffiti removal is getting coordinated between the citizens and the city. Procedures, forms etc.

The lot was cleaned up on Carpenter but the guy next door keeps dumping his trash there.

The garage door was actually replaced because someone had busted it up. Looks like a break in. They replaced it the next day.

City cleanup is coming, May 16th and we decided to clean up the front of the houses and the alleys. Folks really wanted to cleanup the alleys and get rid of all the shrubs/trees. Ron Orr has been traveling around the city and noticed that our alleys are the worse.

I have talked to the city manager regarding empty houses. They are working on it. There seems to be money to be made available for our city to tear down houses or buy/rehab and sell those that are worth it. I'm not sure of the specifics but i will look into it.

See you on the 18th? Please respond if you plan to help on the 18th.

Slainte,
Tom

Southend Block Club Meeting: April 9, 2009

HAMTRAMCK SOUTHEND BLOCK CLUB

Spring 2009 Agenda
April 9, 2009

Over the winter, formal meetings at the People’s Community Center were not scheduled. Instead, a more informal gathering process of “living room” meetings took place.

Scheduling conflicts and previous obligations make it difficult for everyone to find a convenient time to meet. Therefore, an internet blog, Hamtramcknow, was established for more readily accessible information, resources, and input. The web address is:

http://www.hamtramcknow.blogspot.com

email address:

hamtramcknow@gmail.com

Hamtramck Spring Clean is scheduled for May 16, 2009. Residents of the Southend are excited to have their children participate in the event and to receive honorable awards celebrating their civic involvement.

The Southend has sponsored the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus shelter. This entails periodic picking up litter and placing it in the DDOT provided receptacles of which they will remove and provide cleaning supplies. The process is still being finalized.

Hamtramck City Council elections are set for August. The Southend will encourage voter participation in the planning of registration and political educational events.

A formal Southend meeting has been scheduled for April 9, 2009 @ 6:30 at the People’s Community Center at the corner of Jos Campau and Danforth.

We look forward to “springing” into action!

Beverly Tran
President

Protecting Your Personal Online Information

04/01/09

The FBI just released valuable information on how to protect yourself from the latest on line scam called "Spear phishing".

Customers of a telecommunications firm received an e-mail recently explaining a problem with their latest order. They were asked to go to the company website, via a link in the e-mail, to provide personal information—like their birthdates and Social Security numbers. But both the e-mail and the website were bogus.

It’s a real-life, classic case of “phishing”—a virtual trap set by cyber thieves that uses official-looking e-mails to lure you to fake websites and trick you into revealing your personal information.

It’s also an example of an even more mischievous type of phishing known as “spear phishing”—a rising cyber threat that you need to know about.

Instead of casting out thousands of e-mails randomly hoping a few victims will bite, spear phishers target select groups of people with something in common—they work at the same company, bank at the same financial institution, attend the same college, order merchandise from the same website, etc. The e-mails are ostensibly sent from organizations or individuals the potential victims would normally get e-mails from, making them even more deceptive.

How spear phishing works. First, criminals need some inside information on their targets to convince them the e-mails are legitimate. They often obtain it by hacking into an organization’s computer network (which is what happened in the above case) or sometimes by combing through other websites, blogs, and social networking sites.

Then, they send e-mails that look like the real thing to targeted victims, offering all sorts of urgent and legitimate-sounding explanations as to why they need your personal data.

Finally, the victims are asked to click on a link inside the e-mail that takes them to a phony but realistic-looking website, where they are asked to provide passwords, account numbers, user IDs, access codes, PINs, etc.

Criminal gain, your loss. Once criminals have your personal data, they can access your bank account, use your credit cards, and create a whole new identity using your information.

Spear phishing can also trick you into downloading malicious codes or malware after you click on a link embedded in the e-mail…an especially useful tool in crimes like economic espionage where sensitive internal communications can be accessed and trade secrets stolen. Malware can also hijack your computer, and hijacked computers can be organized into enormous networks called botnets that can be used for denial of service attacks.

How to avoid becoming a spear phishing victim. Law enforcement takes this kind of crime seriously, and we in the FBI work cyber investigations with our partners, including the U.S. Secret Service and investigative agencies within the Department of Defense. But what can you do to make sure you don’t end up a victim in one of our cases?

* Keep in mind that most companies, banks, agencies, etc., don’t request personal information via e-mail. If in doubt, give them a call (but don’t use the phone number contained in the e-mail—that’s usually phony as well).
* Use a phishing filter…many of the latest web browsers have them built in or offer them as plug-ins.
* Never follow a link to a secure site from an e-mail—always enter the URL manually.
* Don't be fooled (especially today) by the latest scams. Visit the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and "LooksTooGoodToBeTrue" websites for tips and information.

Resources:
- How to Protect Your Computer
- FBI Cyber Investigations
- Latest E-scams and warnings
- Be Crime Smart website

Project Clean and HATCH in Hamtramck

We gather volunteers to join forces with various groups, organizations and events all over the city to work towards a cleaner and more viable Detroit.
Project Clean and HATCH in Hamtramck on April 4th

Please join us for a rare afternoon project for our first project of the year. We will be assisting HATCH, the Hamtramck Artists Collective, with refurbishing their new home. HATCH has assumed ownership of the old Hamtramck Police Station and will be turning the building into artist studios and collective meeting rooms. There are items that need to be removed and disposed of (or recycled) before Hatch can use the facilities. And the front yard needs to be prepped for landscaping, too.

The building has some very wet floors (due to a few roof leaks), so dress accordingly. Wear old clothes you won't mind getting dirty, along with sturdy shoes that can handle a bit of water. Bring work gloves and something to drink or snack on.

If you have any questions or want to volunteer, please email Mike at clean@detroitsynergy.org

Date: Saturday, April 4th

Time: 1:00-4:00pm

Location: 3456 Evaline Street (4 streets south of Caniff and 1/2 block west of Conant) | Hamtramck

Please note: Evaline is one-way heading east. The building does not have parking facilities. If there isn't any street parking available you should be able to park at Hamtramck City Hall, across the street from the building.

For more info on HATCH, please visit http://www.hatchart.org

Want to Help Out More with Project Clean
than Just Volunteering at an Event?

We are looking for people to be Event Leads, and it's a lot easier than you might think! These volunteers would take on responsibilities of coordinating an event, which includes (but may not be limited to):

1. Gathering information on an organization and/or event.
2. Making contact with volunteer coordinator of organization/event and scheduling a work date and location.
3. Advertising for event by collecting info for the DSG website and emails.
4. Recruiting volunteers.
5. Being the point person the day of the event.

If this is something you are interested in, please contact Mike at clean@detroitsynergy.org

For more info on Project Clean, and a listing of all of our past events, visit the project web page at http://www.detroitsynergy.org/projects/clean

Free ACT and SAT College Practice Testing

Getting into college can be a challenge these days, so it helps when there is an opportunity to practice and prepare. The Princeton Review is offering ACT and SAT free preparation testing in May.

The ACT, a universally accepted for college admission, is curriculum-based. The ACT is not an aptitude or an IQ test. Instead, the questions on the ACT are directly related to what students have learned in high school courses in English, mathematics, and science. Because the ACT tests are based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are generally more comfortable with the ACT than they are with traditional aptitude tests or tests with narrower content.

The SAT, also, a universally accepted college admission test, is a combination of reasoning and subjective testing.

The importance of scoring is not limited to college admission, because it also allows students to access scholarship funding.

The Princeton Review of Ann Arbor is offering free ACT tests from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 9 and free SAT tests from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 16 in Ann Arbor, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, East Lansing and Novi.

Students can register for the sessions by calling 734-663-2163 or visiting: www.PrincetonReview.com/Events.

If you cannot make it, you can still take practice tests online at: http://www.testprepreview.com/sat_practice.htm

3C7 Block Club Meeting, Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Just a reminder that there will be a 3C7 Block Club meeting this Wednesday, March 11th@ Peoples community center on Caniff,7:00 p.m.

Agenda items:

*Community Garden

*Police Report

*Further discussion on a radio patrol

*City wide cleanup May 16, 2009

Thanks and hope to see you there.

Tom Stackpoole

Spring Clean is May 16, 2009

Spring Clean is May 16, 2009

You know when Spring is here when the annual city-wide clean up is officially scheduled. That's right, the time is almost here to get out the house and get ready to have fun and clean your neighborhood! What better way to get to know your neighbors and your city than by filling up dumpsters, bags, and shovels with the surprises mother nature has revealed by melting the winter snow.

The city has designated two centers of operations where you can go join up and find out what needs to be done:

(1) South Side at Peoples Community Center, on Jos Campau/Denton; and,
(2) North Side at Acts 29, on Caniff/Botsford.


Preserve Our Parks will be out in force cleaning up the route of the Hamtramck Trail that day, from Veterans' Park to the viaduct.

Even if you cannot make it to this neighborhood party, you can still enjoy being proud of the city by just picking up the trash in the front of the houses, cleaning up the alleys, removing graffiti, and whatever else you can see needs to be cleaned around your house, like pulling weeds or planting flowers.

You do not have to live in the city to participate. Bring your friends and families, tell your schools and churches, invite as many people as you know to show off your neighborhood.

If anyone is interested in sponsoring and donating to the city-wide Spring Clean event, please contact Eve Doster-Knepp,Hamtramck City News Events Coordinator, who will also be generating more information in the coming weeks. She can be reached at (313) 876-7700.

Spring Clean Is Coming Up

The city wide cleanup is set for Saturday May,16, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Flyers will be provided and the city's new events coordinator, Eve Doster-Knepp is in charge.

There is another meeting set for April 24th, 3:00pm at the 3rd floor conference room City Hall to give us an update.

The city is organizing the general setup: such as dumpsters, bags, shovels gloves, trucks sweepers etc. They are soliciting for sponsorships and donations.

There are 2 locations to meet and jump off from : The south side @ Peoples Community Center on Caniff and the north side @ Acts 29 on Caniff/Botsford.

The way i see it , the block club's role is to get more volunteers from the neighborhoods. We need to decide (in each area or block club) exactly what we want to do. That is , just pick up the trash in the front of the houses, clean up the alleys, remove graffiti etc.

I believe the key is to get the word out to our neighbors and secure volunteers. The more people we get out there the more we can accomplish and it is a powerful symbol to see neighbors working together.

Last year, on the north side, we had 50 volunteers participate from a church in Troy but maybe 10 people from Hamtramck. The previous year, it was similar. There were probably more volunteers from outside the city than citizens.

A general comment i hear about block clubs, is "i didn't know there was one." or "Where/when do you meet"

I think we need to do a better job of getting the word out and getting our neighbors involved. This is a good opportunity for us to increase block club participation.

Take care and I hope we can all make this event a success.

Tom Stackpoole

Karate Comes To Hamtramck

Karate Comes To Hamtramck

By Beverly Tran
January 30, 2009


The uniqueness of Hamtramck is not just in how warmly it embraces the diversity of its people, it is now in how the city has welcomed diversity with a new business. On January 24, 2009, Mayor Karen Majewski, in a room filled with astounded onlookers of all ages, together with some of the world’s greatest martial artists, attended the official opening of Tri-State TaeKwon-Do Federation, the city’s first traditional Korean Karate Dojo, under the leadership of Master Gary B. Douglass, 5th Degree Black Belt and Senior Instructor Mohamed Alashwal, 2nd Degree Black Belt.


(From the Right: Sensei Gary Douglass, Mohamed Alashwal
and Craig Daniels, Hamtramck Recreation Department, Director)

Students and Masters demonstrated techniques of speed, form of self-defense in hand-to-hand combat and breaking concrete slabs. “Teaching discipline of the powers of body and mind to youth is a way of encouraging them to stay in school and reinforce studying habits. In today’s world, it’s getting harder and harder to be a teenager and we are here to guide them with the tenants of Tri-State TaeKwon-Do Federation: courtesy; integrity; perseverance; self-control; and, indomitable spirit”, says Sensei Douglass.

Here is what others had to say:
Stephanie Barnes (left), age 11, Red/Black Belt: “It’s awesome! It has lots of tools to learn.”

Stephanie’s Karate mom and dad: “We are so proud of the kids that come and learn about themselves. They are taught more about discipline and not about fighting. The kids learn about being leaders without violence.”

Monica Michalik, (right) age 12, Brown Belt: “After school, there were no activities to do. It was by word of mouth I came by to see the class, and wanted to stay. I have been with Master Douglass for 2 years.”

Michael Woo, age 21, Blue Belt: “I’m speechless. Here I can keep up to date and learn many other forms of martial arts like Muay Thai and grappling.”

Mayor Karen Majewski: “I see a wonderful opportunity for our seniors and our young to become more physically active.”


(From Left To Right: Grand Master B.C. Yu, 9th Degree Black Belt,
Mayor Karen Majewski, and Grand Master George Calhoun, 9th Degree Black Belt.)

Sensei Alashwal, a recent graduate of Hamtramck High School, who is now a Wayne State University student in the Nursing Program, is proud that he has decided to remain in the community and work to get youth off the street and back in the classroom. Below are two of his students demonstrating their skills.


Sensei Douglass trains the body and mind, ages 4 to 104, 6 days a week. He has developed specialized courses for the youngest ones called “Little Ninjas”, cardio fitness, tournament competitions and belt advancement testing for the others. The Master is ready to start partnering with the Hamtramck Police and the Schools by incorporating the Kids Safe Network with the city’s leadership through his youth programming. Douglass and Alashwal have been teaching at the Hamtramck Recreational Center for the last 10 years.

TaeKwon-Do Federation is located at 9725 Conant, Hamtramck, MI 48212, just North of Holbrook. For more information contact Master Douglass at: 313-875-KICK or visit http://www.tristatetaekwondo.com.

Beverly Tran is the Hamtramck President of the South End Block Club and has been consulting with Tri-State TaeKwon-Do in community economic development and crime prevention programming. Contact her at 313-522-8213 or email: tranbeverly@gmail.com.