Pontiac Fire Department Eliminated After 179 Years

PONTIAC’S Walker D. Russell Achieves Dream of Playing in The NBA, as a Detroit Piston (see page 3 inside) The February 3 – February 13, 2012 Keirrah Russell-Musgraves Pontiac News The Great Lakes Academy A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR VOL. 2 ISSUE 13 Spelling Bee Champ Pontiac Fire Department Eliminated After 179 Years See story by Darryl Fowlkes inside Page 2 Pontiac Gets Boost from County, State and Federal Experts Oakland County, Oakland University , included Keynote speaker Youngstown, Ohio. At Learning.” The workshops were facilitated and Oakland County Michigan Works in Jay Williams, Executive the time, Williams spoke by Oakland Literacy Council, Oakland conjunction with Pontiac Sesquicentennial Director- U.S. Dept. of about the need to take County Michigan Works!, and Ann Arbor- celebration Presented Symposium & Labor, Office of action “from the bottom based Center for Michigan respectively. In Workshops on “What We Can Do to Move Recovery for Auto up,” and encouraged the Center for Michigan workshop, the facil- Pontiac Forward” Communities & Workers; grass root organizers to itator asked the panelists to respond to a Among the speakers…Lou Glazer, Lou Glazer, President of take responsibility for presentation about public education via a President of Michigan Future, Inc.; Jay Michigan Future, Inc.. their communities as was special hand-held device. The answers will Williams, Exec. Director-U.S. Dept of Labor The symposium culmi- successfully done in be tabulated and integrated into a larger Office of Recovery for Auto Communities & nated in the afternoon Lou Glazer Jay Williams Youngstown , a city often state-wide report to affect future policy on Workers. with a series of interac- compared to Pontiac . He education in Michigan . “It’s a bottom-up A third symposium focusing on Building tive public workshops. All activities and subsequently was appointed by President interactive opportunity for community Pontiac through Public, Private and Citizen workshops were free and open to the public. Barack Obama to the new Department of members to have their voices heard about Partnerships was held on January 28 at The Jay Williams was a well-received speaker Labor post. He is returning in his new role to public education,” stated Courtney Lafayette Grande in Pontiac . The morning at the first Pontiac Symposium in June of discuss Pontiac ’s participation in the Thompson of Center for Michigan , who lineup of notable speakers began at 8:30am 2011 when he was the Mayor of recovery for auto Communities. Williams facilitated the workshop. presentation was be followed by a Q & A The series of symposiums are part of response panel that included Mayor Leon Pontiac ’s Sesquicentennial activities, and Jukowski and City Council President Lee are spearheaded by former state legislator, Jones. Lunchtime speaker was Lou Glazer, Hubert Price, and O.U. retired professor, Dr. former Deputy Director of the Michigan Geoffrey Brieger. “The time for talking is Department of Commerce who is also over; we now need to see direct outcomes as regarded as one of the leading thinkers on a result of these symposiums,” commented strategies for improving Michigan ’s Brieger. “Given the presenters, particularly economy. Jay Williams, I would hope that we can begin After the morning presentations three to further move the City of Pontiac towards interactive afternoon workshops took place economic diversification and recovery,” simultaneously focusing on Community- added Price, who is also the Chairman of the based Job Creation, Adult Literacy, and “A Greater Pontiac Sesquicentennial Community Conversation on Student Commission. Register Today www.ocedc.net Oakland County Women In Leadership Summit Friday February 10, 2012 • 10:30 am until 3pm @ Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac at Centerpoint Secretary of State Ruth Johnson Keynote Speaker Judge Denise Langford-Morris Panel Moderator Diverse Panel of Women Speakers (Details Page 16 Back Cover) Page 2 The Pontiac News February 3 – February 13, 2012 179 Years of Automotive Heritage Pontiac’s Bravest in Pontiac By Darryl Fowlkes Walter Moore and Roger Minard from By Ron Gay The subjects are broad and relate to 1968 – 1976. The last three remained the anything regarding transportation history, Pontiac’s Bravest is what the Pontiac only black firemen until Orlando Burton The Motorcities National Heritage except aviation, that took place here. Was Fire Department used to be known as. Jr. was hired in 1982, which was followed Area is a group responsible for programs your family part of the Great Migration to But as of February 1, 2012, that state- by 13 others as part of the largest group of that inform citizens of automotive history. work in auto plants? Do you work in a ment will come to an end. An end that we fire fighters to ever be hired at one time in Cities such as Detroit, Flint, Ypsilanti have building left over from the automobile hope will be temporary and not permanent. September of 1983. already been involved in this federally heyday? Did the union change your To put this all in perspective the USA In this group was the first woman to funded program, placing 130 - 2’ x 3’ signs family’s life? Did someone work on the will be celebrating 236 years of ever be hired as a firefighter, Ms. Wilvern around their communities telling the railroad? Pontiac is steeped in transporta- FREEDOM, the State of Michigan just Yarbro and with the change of the stories of their city as they relate to the tion history. It was the truck and bus celebrated 175 years as a state in January, minimum age limit requirement there were automobile industry. capital for years. The “Rosa Parks Bus” the City of Pontiac celebrated its a few 18 year old men hired that had just The next phase of this Wayside Exhibit was built here by Pontiac workers. During Sesquicentennial (150 years) in March graduated from high school. project, coming to a close very soon, will WWII Pontiac women took to the factories 2011. From 1983 to 2008 there were 45 black create another batch of signs for communi- to produce many different types of military This means that the Pontiac Fire firefighters that were hired to the fire ties that qualify. So far, Pontiac has not vehicles, including the “Duck.” Department is 4 years older than the State, department. Some did full service and taken part. I am writing this article to Individuals, community groups, busi- and 29 years older than the city. retired, some found other jobs or died off inform residents and friends of Pontiac nesses, churches can all be involved in For almost 180 years there was an duty after leaving the department. that we have a chance to be included in creating a sign to represent their story. For entity known as the Pontiac Fire And only person in the history of the this very important project to locate as more information please contact Ron Gay Department protecting the citizens of fire department to pay the ultimate price many historical signs as we can gather at 248 762 3511, [email protected]. Pontiac. with his life was black, Mr. Tracy Karlton support for in Pontiac. The Pontiac Fire Department began on Williamson on September 7, 1988. April 23, 1833 as a "bucket brigade". In In October of 2011 an announcement April 1840 when a fire broke out in the was made that changed the history of the The city, the bucket brigade was unable to stop fire department FOREVER. A “merger” Pontiac News PHOTOGRAPHER: TBD the fire from destroying most of the busi- agreement by the EM Louis Schimmel was PUBLISHER & CONTENT EDITOR ADVERTISING MANAGER: Leon Scott ness section. made with the Waterford Fire Department R. Frank Russell CIRCULATION MANAGER: Rahim Russell This fire led to the organization of the that would end the Great 179 year history CONTENTS & NEWS EDITOR: OFFICE MANAGER: Mary C. Russell first real Fire Department. of the Pontiac Fire Department. Elaine Smith-Wright DESIGNER & PRINTER: Michigan Web Press It was not until 1967 that a black person With intervention from the federal level AFRICIAN CORRESPONDENT: CONTACT INFO: Kofi Annorh TELEPHONE: 248-758-1411 was hired to the fire department. this will not be the permanent end, and the CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: FAX: 248-758-1412 Mr. Daniel Sowell was hired as the first PONTIAC FIRE DEPARTMENT will Elaine Smith-Wright, PO Box 431412, Suite #1 Rev. James Keys, Quincy Stewart III, Black Fireman in Pontiac’s History. return to the GREATNESS it had for 179 Pontiac, MI 48343 He was followed within by Fred years!!!!!!! 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Affirmative Action Institution Y6151-AH Monday-Saturday 8am-9pm • Closed Sunday A POSITIVE NEWS SOURCE WITH A LOCAL FLAVOR February 3 – February 13, 2012 The Pontiac News Page 3 Pontiac People in The News Walker D. Russell, Jr. Achieves his NBA Dream By Dave Pemberton and plenty of doubters along the way, but he Russell’s future this season is far from Of The Oakland Press kept his dream alive and worked hard to guaranteed, but Pistons coach Lawrence As the son of a former NBA player, some make it come true.

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