'Winter Glow' Kicks Off the Holiday Season with Plenty of Cheer
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3020 Caniff, Hamtramck, MI 48212 • (313) 874-2100 Hiirram Wallkerr Annuall Holliidayy Diinnerr Show Volume 2 No. 50 Hosstteed att tthee December 10, 2010 Ameerriiccan--Polliissh One Medium Ceentturryy Cllub 50¢ 1-T1-Toppingopping Varriiouss Arrttiissttss $ Sat..,, Dec.. 11th Pizza 1sstt actt att 3::30,, diinnerr Valid Everyday ssttarrttiing att 4::45 33204 Maplle Lane 5 Stterrlliing Heiightts TTarriiffff $50 peerr peerrsson,, beevveerraggeess iincclludeed Forr iinffo callll HAMTRAMCK 586--264--7990 11401 Joseph Campau www.DannyDLive.com www.hamtramckreview.com • e-mail [email protected] (313) 365-5000 — HAMTRAMCK'S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD — For now, the city looks ‘Winter Glow’ kicks off to loans By Charles Sercombe Bankruptcy or accept a state loan? the holiday season with Lay off a dozen cops and firefighters? Those were the choices the plenty of cheer City Council analyzed, de - bated and wrung their hands By Charles Sercombe deer on display. over. The winter and holiday sea - For inner-city kids, it was a And over. son got a warm reception last rare opportunity to get in For over six hours. Saturday – even if temps out - touch with a taste of the On a Saturday. side were unseasonably country. Kids could pet But honestly, by the second chilly. ducks, sheep and chickens in hour of the day-long ordeal, it The 16th annual “Winter a closed pen and get up close was clear that City Manager Glow” took over the Ham - to the huge horses used to Bill Cooper was leaning to - tramck High School Commu - pull three carriages. ward accepting a state loan. Quick Hits nity Center Saturday – For others, the sound of Not that the city actually featuring a petting zoo, horse- “clip-clop” through the neigh - had a choice. Today (Friday, Dec. 10), drawn carriage rides, ice carv - borhood was like a live sound - Yeah, that’s right, no choice our buddy John “Hippo” ings, games, crafts and, of track of Christmas. at all. More like: take the loan or wait to go broke. Hypnarowicz is holding course, a visit by Santa. The event was sponsored Santa must have been on a by the Hamtramck Recreation If the city decided to go his annual Christmas without a loan, layoffs of cops party for Special Ed kids. budget this year because out - Commission and was free to side there were only two rein - the public. and firemen would have been Sadly, this is John’s last necessary – a possibility that year to hold the party be - had many residents on edge cause he is now retired. throughout last week. You see, John drove a bus By the end of Saturday, for the public school dis - though, no cop or firefighter trict for over 30 years, lost his or her job. and during that time he Let’s back up for a minute also drove Special Ed for those of you who are un - students around town. Continued on page 2 As you can imagine, he struck up many friend - New traffic law ships with the kids. So, likely to have here’s to John for spread - ing the Christmas mes - no effect sage of good will to all. By Charles Sercombe Thanks, John, for your Just as the city is scram - many years of selfless bling to find more sources of service. money, a new state law is threatening to shut down a major revenue stream. Recently, state legislators This week passed a law that forbids punishing police officers for not issuing enough traffic in history tickets. Many police depart - ments have what’s com - • Horace Dodge died in monly called a quota system 1920. He and his brother where officers have to write a John were responsible for certain number of tickets per building the Dodge Main shift. plant, which was Ham - In an effort to save jobs in tramck’s number one em - Hamtramck’s Police Depart - ployer for decades. ment, officers have promised to issue at least $60,000 a • Hamtramck’s Rotary month in traffic tickets. Offi - Club – once a mighty lion cers are allowed to work in the national organiza - overtime to enforce traffic tion – was formed in laws. The department brings 1923. in about $1 million a year from the program. • The former site of Sources in the department Hamtramck High School say officers working traffic was dedicated in 1918. patrol are expected to write The school used to be lo - at least two tickets per hour. cated on Hewitt St. The There is already a law on the books that technically school was almost a block could shut down traffic en - long. forcement. The law, Act 85, Source: Hamtramck Historical Commission Continued on page 6 Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Get Your Ad In Our Christmas (12-24) or Year End (12-31) Issues! Tell your customers “Happy Holidays,” “Merry Christmas” or “Thank You for Your Business.” 11650 Jos. Campau Call Today! (313) 874-2100 Hamtramck (313) 368-0500 Mon-Sat. 6am-11:30pm 3236 Caniff St. • Hamtramck 48212 2 Hamtramck Review Phone (313) 874-2100 Friday, December 10 , 2010 BUYING ANTIQUES & ART For now, the city looks to loans One Item to Continued from front page aware of what’s going on overtime to meet minimum one side of the room and uni - binding labor arbitration to entire estate! here. You see, several weeks staffing levels. Essentially, it formed firefighters scattered try his luck there to get con - Fair Dealings ago, it became increasingly would cost the city more throughout. Also in atten - tract concessions. Since 1983 Call Alan clear the city was going to be money to meet that staffing dance are city hall employ - During this time, the city 1 1 broke by the end of this com - / requirement than it would ees, appointees and will also be fighting Detroit in 313-972-1010 1 2 / 5 ing January. have saved. concerned residents. a lawsuit. Hamtramck is 248-515-8815 Buy • Sell • Trade Broke as in no money to So, with no major contract It’s hot in the room and suing Detroit for withholding pay city employees or any concessions, Cooper asked tensions sometimes swelled tax money from the GM Pole - bills. Broke as in $3.3 million state officials for permission into sharp exchanges. town plant. Hamtramck has in debt. to file for bankruptcy since After three hours of going had an agreement with De - DECEMBER 24, 2010, ST. ALBERTUS So … the city asked the cities cannot independently back and forth, the council troit to share tax money from HISTORIC CHURCH WILL HAVE MIDNIGHT state if it could file for bank - take that course of action on took a break, came back for the plant, but now Detroit MASS (PASTERKA) AT 12:00 P.M. says it has overpaid Ham - DOORS OPEN AT 11:00 P.M. tramck several million dol - CALL TERRY lars during the past several (313) 527-9321 years. OR JEAN Hamtramck has asked for (313) 664-0257 proof of this allegation but Detroit has refused to pro - vide any documentation. In As required by AFSCME contract, the City of Ham - the meantime, Detroit is tramck is in the process of creating a List of Eligibility holding onto $3 million that for accounting positions. Experience related to ac - normally would have gone to counting procedures and general ledger maintenance Hamtramck. preferred. Complete job description available online The next few months could at www.hamtramck.us. Applications are available at also offer a change of opin - City Hall or on the City’s website. Send completed ion on whether the city can applications via mail to HR Dept., file for bankruptcy. Gov.- 3401 Evaline, Hamtramck, MI, 48212, Elect Rick Snyder has yet to email: [email protected] weigh in on whether Ham - or fax: (313) 872-0399. tramck can file for bank - Respond by 12/17/10 - 4:00 p.m. Qualified appli - ruptcy. cants will be notified of testing date and location. The (Editor’s note: Snyder has City of Hamtramck is an EEOC employer. also refused to say what he The City Council held a rare Saturday morning work session to discuss whether to lay off plans to do about a number police officers and firefighters or accept a state loan to float for another year. So what hap - of issues.) pened? Hint: no police officer or firefighter lost their job. The year 2011 is looking like a pivotal one for Ham - ruptcy. That way, City Man - their own. about another two hours and tramck – a city that has Formerly Knights of Columbus ager Bill Cooper said, the city But the state said no. In then took another break to toughed out many challeng - could toss out union em - fact, Gov. Jennifer Granholm go into a special council ing times in the past. ployee contracts and be able said the state’s hands are meeting. to purchase a less expensive tied until the city is ab - In that meeting it was de - Hamtramck Police health insurance plan. solutely broke. cided, still after much more Vehicle Auction Weddings ~ Graduations ~ Birthdays Cooper said he has asked Of course since this in - debate, to direct City Man - Wed., December 15, 2010 ~ Parties ~ Meetings ~ All Occasions city employees for major con - volves lawyers, others dis - ager Cooper to look into at 11:00 am at Boulevard & Newly Renovated Hall tract concessions. So far, agree. state loan options. Trumbull Towing, 2411 only City Hall employees As an alternative, the state But there was also a deci - Under New Management Vinewood, Detroit MI 48216 have taken the brunt of cuts. offered the city four options sion to cut about $1 million We Cater For All 1993 CADILLA 1G6KS52B0PU802651 The firefighters recently to accept a loan.