A new state-of-the-art recycling plant is under construction on Denton St., next to the county jail. The facility will recycle office products and light metals. It also means 40 to 50 new jobs will be created.

By Charles Sercombe

Recycling is coming to Hamtramck in a big way.

But not in the way you would think.

This isn’t about home recycling.

It’s about a huge plant that will sort out paper, plastics, Styrofoam and other office waste products, as well as light industrial metals, and turn them right around into more of the same.

The process produces very little waste product going back into Mother Earth. At least, this is what the people behind Hamtramck Recycling LCC say, and at this point there appears to be no reason to doubt them.

The plant is now being built on Denton just west of the Dickerson Wayne County Jail.

For those of you who have been here awhile, you might remember that cool looking all-glass factory building you could see while cruising down Hamtramck Dr., which is just south of Denton.

Well, that old glass building came down to make room for a new $7 million facility.

The promise of this plant and facility is that it’s not only contributing to the greening of America, it’s also adding jobs. About 40 to 50, says Jason Friedmann, the city’s Director of Community & Economic Development.

The jobs don’t pay much, but it’s a little better than minimum wage, around $8 to $14 an hour, Friedmann says.

Details about the expected property taxes that the city will collect were not immediately available. But the company is receiving a 50-percent tax abatement on property and personal taxes for the next 12 years.

Friedmann said considering the fact that the property previously wasn’t bringing in any tax dollars, it’s a “100 percent” growth deal for Hamtramck.

By about spring or summer, production should begin.

Lt. William Diamond said firefighters are concerned about what will happen to their department if a state-appointed emergency financial manager takes over Detroit or Highland Park.

By Charles Sercombe

As Pontiac firefighters marked the last day of the Pontiac Fire Department on Wednesday, Hamtramck firefighters had mixed feelings.

Actually, there seems to be confusion among firefighters over who to blame for the department’s closing: Pontiac Emergency Financial Manager Lou Schimmel or firefighters with Waterford Township, or Pontiac firefighters themselves?

Let’s back up a bit.

A few weeks ago, Pontiac firefighters voted in favor of combining their department with Waterford in order save their jobs.

By all accounts, it was an emotional vote and a decision that wasn’t made easy. One firefighter was quoted in the media saying it was like having a gun put to their head: Agree to the deal or risk losing their jobs.

Waterford firefighters also said they were told to accept the deal or that they, too, would be folded in with another city.

On Wednesday, Pontiac’s Fire Department was no more. Forty two Pontiac firefighters were hired on by Waterford.

In Hamtramck, the events that happened just 30 miles north did not go unnoticed. The firefighters posted several comments and news links on their Facebook site.

Some in the department criticized Waterford firefighters for forcing the issue.

Lt. William Diamond, the president of Hamtramck Firefighters’ union, Local 750, said it was about “one local (union) taking over another.”

“It wasn’t a merger,” he said. “It was a takeover.”

Pontiac EFM Lou Schimmel, who was once Hamtramck’s EFM, said he needed to close the department in order to save $3 million. Pontiac faces a multi-million dollar budget deficit.

Diamond said he fears what’s to come if an EFM were to be appointed to Detroit or Highland Park.

“Hamtramck as an entity would be gone,” Diamond said. “The state could make Hamtramck a neighborhood of Detroit. It’s not a good thing for unions in the state.”

Hamtramck firefighters have plenty of reason to be worried.

City officials are projecting a $3.4 million budget deficit by next June. The solutions to balance the budget are questionable at best.

But so far, there is talk of proposing to take over police and fire services in Highland Park.

Diamond said his union members are open to that, but it has to be “on our terms.”

Is Hamtramck in any position to dictate terms?

Well, two weeks ago we asked Highland Park Mayor DeAndre Windom what he thought of the proposal.

He rejected the idea of Hamtramck’s Police Department taking over patrols because it is a mostly white force that would be patrolling in a mostly African-American city.

However, Windom said he is open to discussing fire protection services.

Diamond has another suggestion.

He wants city officials to ask voters to approve a special tax millage dedicated to supporting police and fire services.

“That’s guaranteed money for public safety,” he said.

Ah, but that comes at a steep price. Public safety eats up about $8 million in the city’s budget. Each additional mill placed on the property tax would generate $200,000, said Finance Director Nevrus Nazarko.

At $8 million, it would require voters to approve an extra 40 mills. That increase is not something property owners could afford. Instead, it will take a drastic overhaul of union contracts, said Finance Director Nevrus Nazarko.

“You need to change,” said Nazarko. “It’s not like the 1990s.”

A couple of years ago, city officials discussed asking voters to OK a public safety tax. The issue never went anywhere.

But we’d like to bring it back up because the city’s budget is heading for a crisis, and the thought of losing our public safety to Detroit or somewhere else is scary to say the least.

If voters were to OK five extra mills on the property taxes, the city would raise about $1 million. Now, that’s not enough to carry the full weight of both departments, but it would go a long way toward lightening the load.

We understand these are tough times for many families, and raising taxes now might even end up driving them out of their homes.

But we all have to realize what’s at stake. Losing our public safety would mean the end of a safe city – and then we would all lose out.

Raising taxes wouldn’t be the only answer, though. Our police and fire unions would also have to agree to overhaul their contracts. The city would need to have a two-tier hiring system, where new-hires earn considerably less and receive fewer benefits.

It would also mean the end of a fixed guaranteed pension plan. Ferndale just did this with its Fire Department, so this concept isn’t coming out of left field.

Recently, city councilmembers met in a budget work session to see where Hamtramck is heading. We are looking straight at a $3.4 million budget deficit by next June.

There were some ideas tossed around, but clearly, time is running out.

And since that meeting, we have heard of little forward movement on some of the proposals made at the meeting.

Now is not the time to sit on our hands and wait. Let’s be proactive and, at the very least, allow voters to decide what to do. We could get a millage proposal on the May ballot.

Let our voters have a chance to weigh in on Hamtramck’s survival.

Dr. Thaddeus “Dr. Ted” Radzilowski is the Co-Founder and President of the Piast Institute here in Hamtramck.

By Alan R. Madeleine

Who he is: Dr. Thaddeus “Dr. Ted” Radzilowski is the Co-Founder and President of the Piast Institute here in Hamtramck. His C.V. is long and distinguished. He holds a Doctorate degree in History from the University of Michigan, and his specialization is Poland and other central and eastern European nations, prominently including Russia.
He has lectured in both Europe and North America, and has published over 100 times, including journal articles, scholarly papers and monographs. He is involved with a number of other organizations, including the University of Michigan (as a Visiting Research Professor) and the Polish National Congress (as the Michigan Director). He is a past president of the Polish American Historical Association, and is on the Editorial Board of the Polish Review.

Radzilowski has served as the acting director of the Immigration Research Center at the University of Minnesota, and, in 1999, was presented with the Cavaliers Cross of the Polish Order of Merit by then Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski for his “distinguished contributions to the dissemination of Polish culture in the world.”
We sent him some questions, and he was kind enough to provide quick and timely responses.

Give us, please, just the briefest background on the Institute, its mission and purpose, and how you, yourself came to be involved with it, for the uninitiated. Is this the only Piast Institute to be found anywhere, or are there others in other cities, states, and/or countries? I see that Piast was the surname of the first Polish dynasty – is there any other significance to the name of the Institute, beyond honoring that heritage?

Dr. Radzilowski: Yes, this is the only Piast Institute in the U.S. We chose the name Piast because we felt that, if we are to tell the Polish story, we should start at the beginning. Piast is the name of the legendary founder of Poland, who gave his name to the first dynasty (ca. 966 ABE to 1385 ABE).

The Piast Institute is a national research, data analysis and policy institute for Polonia — the Polish Community in the U.S. Its key aim is to provide Polonia organizations and institutions with the tools and information they need to accomplish their goals and missions.

We are not in competition with any other Polish organizations. Our mission is unique. In the process, we seek to propagate the Polish Story in Europe and America. We also address, in a distinct way, the issues of the public perception of Poland and Polonia, and anti-defamation. In 2011, we spent three months in negotiation with Yahoo to eliminate words such as “Polish death camps” and “Polish concentration camps” from its stylebook, and to explain the importance of avoiding those words in their training protocols.

Last fall Yahoo, which reaches 345 million people per month, agreed to those requests. During the controversy of Jan Gross’ book “Fear,” we developed a highly acclaimed international symposium on the issue (see http://analysisoffear.com).

Does the Institute keep a regular schedule of events? I didn’t notice any listed under your Facebook page (and congratulations on keeping up a Facebook page, by the way). Do you get many calls or visitors, and if so, what are they usually inquiring of you? Do you maintain any kind of a library, or records library? Do you sponsor, or co-sponsor, other events outside the Institute proper? If so, what sorts of events are they?

Dr. Radzilowski: We sponsor occasional lectures, exhibits, symposia and discussion groups. We have co-sponsored events with the Koscuiszko Foundation, The Polish Consulates General in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles; The Taube Foundation, The Hamtramck Public Library and Michigan State University.

Many of our events take place in New York, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
We have an excellent research and reference library of several thousand books and files on all sorts of issues on which we are doing, or have done, research (about 20 linear feet worth).

We get questions by phone, letter or email several times a day about data, or historical or current information on Poland and Polish American topics.

What’s new with the Institute these days, or what’s being planned, or “in the works,” if anything? Your Facebook page, in addition to stating that you’re a “research service,” also (and primarily) indicates that you are a “market research consultant.” What does that normally entail? That is, what “markets” are people having you research for them, if I may, and what are they then doing with the research results after you provide them back to these clients? I assume that you charge for this service, but perhaps I’m mistaken?

Dr. Radzilowski: In addition to our historical research, we are a national Census Information Center. Also, we do research in a variety of other public and non-proprietary databases.

The CIC, or Census Information Center, is one of our most important and active departments. Among our capabilities and activities, I believe the CIC affords one of the most salient ways we are valuable to the Polish Community. No one knows Polonia as we do, nor has the tools to analyze it that we can deploy.

In 2005, we organized a demographic research center on the Polish-American population within the Piast Institute. In 2006, the center was named an official Census Information Center by the United States Census Bureau, with a special charge to study the Polish American Population. It is one of the 56 CICs in the country, and rated one of the best and most active in the U.S.

The Piast CIC has done a number of major studies, including a demographic profile of Polish Americans in the U.S., state by state, in 2007, which won recognition as one of the best studies of the year done by a CIC. Among our more recent studies is an analysis of the Polish-American vote in the 2008 presidential election, based on a survey of 900 voters and a study of over 60 precincts in six states. The study was commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a follow up to the election study, we did an opinion survey of 1,400 Polonia leaders and activists in 44 states on civic and community involvement, ethnic values and current public issues. It was published as Polish Americans Today in 2010. It has since gone through three printings. Copies were obtained by the Polish Government and distributed to the Presidential Chancery, the heads of all Ministries and the leadership of the Sejm (Poland’s equivalent of our House) and Senate.

The CIC has also done marketing studies for Polish businesses, and area demographic analysis for Polish-American parishes in Detroit, Cleveland, Akron, and Albany. To support its activities, it has also done studies for outside groups.

These include demographic and cultural analyses of ethnic, racial, and religious groups, alcohol abuse, and culture in several Southeast Michigan Counties for agencies which deal with drug and alcohol prevention, and also a study of the characteristics of young women aged 16-21 in three Detroit zip codes who have not completed high school.
We are currently doing an analysis of variable crime rates for Wayne County. We also do surveys on request at the local, as well as the national, level.

We do not usually charge for casual requests for information that take only a short time to answer. For longer and more complex requests, we do charge hourly for our work, but at rates far below normal for profit groups. And, we give a discount to non-profit organizations.

Since the market research we do is proprietary, we are under obligation not to reveal the specific nature of the surveys or the target groups.

The world is changing as we speak, and Europe, or the EU — of which Poland has been a member since 2004 – is already having grave financial problems with some of its member states. Does any of this influence any future plans for you, or the Institute, in terms of any direction you may want the Institute to go in the future, or any further services you may want to start offering to your usership moving forward?

Dr. Radzilowski: Our mission is of serving the Polish-American community. We do not expect, therefore, that the changes in Europe will significantly change what we do. It will mainly require us to keep abreast of the nature and meaning of the changes, so that we can accurately respond to the questions and concerns of the news media, students, Polish community and others we serve.

When that plane went down in Russia on April 10, 2010, that was carrying so many members of Poland’s government and other dignitaries, it must’ve been a shock. Did you have any extra duties or provide any out-of-the-ordinary services, related to that terrible incident?

Dr. Radzilowski: We assumed the task of organizing a memorial for those who had died so tragically. This work was done by Executive Vice President Virginia Skrzyniarz, and Father Bogdan Milosz of Queen of Apostles. Over 300 people attended the memorial service and procession at the City Hall and Father Milosz’s Church. We brought a representative of the Polish Consul General from Chicago to speak.

On a lighter note, do you travel much, to Poland or elsewhere? When was the last time you went to Poland? What in particular do you love about the country itself? What part(s) of the country were your own relatives from? Anywhere in Poland, or elsewhere in the world, that you still hope to get to see?

Dr. Radzilowski: My paternal relatives came from Raciaz, near Plock in central Poland and Poznan in western Poland. My maternal relatives both came from the Jaslo area in southeastern Poland.

I have visited Poland over 20 times. My favorite place (and my favorite city in the whole world) is Krakow. It is a magic place. I was last in Poland three years ago, to give a paper in Lublin at the annual meeting of the World Society for the Study of Religion and Society.

I would love to re-visit Vietnam, where I served as a soldier. My service was with Vietnamese troops and I still mourn, daily, the fate of a Vietnamese soldier, Vu van Cam, who became a dear friend.

Please take time here to add anything you like that I didn’t think to address.

Dr. Radzilowski: I have not spoken much of the work that we do locally with the Hamtramck community through coalitions, such as the Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition and the Hamtramck –Highland Park Lead Abatement Coalition. These coalitions, which we either created and/or led, have contributed immeasurably to the welfare of our community. They are the work of my colleague, Executive Vice President Virginia Skrzyniarz.

In addition to managing the Institute and organizing its activities, she also acts as a consultant on both capacity building and management skills development to Polonia groups, and other local organizations and other ethnic groups.
She has worked with groups in three states. Her experience includes prior service as the executive director of two major non-profit groups in the Detroit area — one of which she founded.
Thanks so much for your time, Dr. Radzilowski.

The Piast Institute is located at 11633 Jos. Campau at Casmere. Their phone number is (313) 733-4535, and they can be emailed at info@piastinstitute.org. They are also to be found on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

Leka Horn has brought soul food to Hamtramck at the venerable Clock Restaurant, a longtime Hamtramck landmark.

“Bless this bread, bless this meat. Bless this belly, ‘cause I’m gon’ eat!” – The Reverend Williams, from the 1997 film “Soul Food”

By Alan “Deep South” Madeleine

It seems like just a short time ago that we did a piece on the grand reopening of The Clock Restaurant, after a number of fits and starts and false hopes.

Now, it’s reopened again, in its latest incarnation as a soul food palace.

We spoke with Leka Horn, the owner, after the lunch rush had quieted down. There was still plenty of noise in the background, and Horn says that the restaurant is doing “way better than it was before.”

“We’ve been reopened for about a month and a half now,” Horn said. Asked how she came to acquire the building, she said, “It’s legally complicated. Actually, I’ve owned the building since the 90s.”

When she couldn’t keep someone in there to pay the rent, she decided to take matters into her own hands. This, in spite of already operating one restaurant out on Woodward in Highland Park, called The Classic Café Coni Island. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because that restaurant unfortunately was in the news twice in 2006, due to a couple of unrelated murders that occurred there that year, including a spectacular gangland-style hit involving assault rifles.

One can hope that this location will prove somehow less, well, dramatic.

The other restaurant is where Horn first introduced soul food. At that point, it was a gimmick she tried only during the week, but it ended up doing very well. When she opened up this place, well, she figured it was worth a shot.

“We already had these items on the menu – chicken, pork chops, liver. We just started cooking them southern style,” she laughed. “And I added some side dishes, like yams, (collard) greens, green beans, black-eyed peas.”

Customers have really responded to the addition, she claims.

“Just this morning, I had this man give me a big hug. ‘Thank you for having soul food,’ he said to me,” she went on, laughing again.

She works, she says, seven days a week, 16 hours a day on average. As in its other versions, the restaurant is open 24 hours, ‘round the, well, clock.

Asked if she could ever remember Hamtramck having a soul food restaurant in the past (something even my crotchety old editor couldn’t even spill out of his musty, shriveled and ancient brain), she mentioned a man that she knew who used to do soul food out of the Americana Market.

(Editor: You’re fired.)

“It was a fish market,” she said.

He was doing well with the idea, until his cook ended up in jail. Why wouldn’t he just start it up again with a new employee?, I wondered, and she wondered back as well.

Asked if she was afraid the parking situation might start to deteriorate if the former Shadow/Ice Bar ever follows her lead and reopens, she answered comically one last time.

“We hope we won’t have any room in the lot because of our own businesses’ success,” she said.

In any case, she seems to have her finger on the pulse – or the stomachs – of Hamtramck.

The Clock Restaurant is located right in the same place it has been for the past 50 or so years, at 11444 Jos. Campau.
Their phone number is (313) 366-2244. Again, they are open 24 hours, ‘round the clock. So step on in.

• Note that the crime report for Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 was missing.

From Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012

 At 11:18 p.m. the night before, three men were arrested for auto theft at Nagel and Casmere.

 At 1:19 p.m., a man was arrested at a home in the 2200 block of Hewitt for domestic assault.

From Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012

 At 11:47 p.m. the night before, a woman reported that her 14-year-old child was missing from here residence on Jos. Campau. No other information was noted.

 At 12:20 a.m., a man was arrested for obstruction; location was not noted.

 At 10:36 a.m., a man reported his 2008 Cadillac Escalade stolen from the area of Jos. Campau and Goodson about 12 hours prior. It was learned that the Detroit Police impounded his vehicle earlier, while it was presumably parked somewhere in Detroit.

 A vehicle backing into a parking space at Jos. Campau and Belmont struck a pedestrian who tried to cut behind the vehicle to cross the street. The driver was apparently not charged. The victim was treated by Hamtramck EMS at the scene.

From Monday, Jan. 23, 2012

 At 12:30 a.m., a man and a woman were arrested for interfering and assault and battery of an officer after causing a disturbance during a traffic stop at Jos. Campau and Evaline.

 At 12:31 a.m., a woman in the 12000 block of Oklahoma reported that an unknown person or persons threw a brick through her front window and tried to set her vehicle on fire. Hamtramck Fire Dept. responded. Vehicle had to be towed away.

 A 1998 Buick Park Avenue previously reported stolen was recovered by police at Moran and Carpenter.

From Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012

 At 1:31 a.m., 1998 Dodge Stratus reported stolen from Wayne State University area was recovered on the 11400 block of McDougall.

 A man on the 3800 block of Dorothy reported that his federal tax refund check had been stolen. The IRS reported it had been cashed somewhere in California.

 At 1:11 p.m., a man was arrested at the Secretary of State office on Jos. Campau after he threw a computer to the floor and displayed aggressive behavior. It was unclear from the report whether the computer was one belonging to the Secretary of State or was his own.

 At 3:50 p.m., a man was arrested for retail fraud at the Sunoco station at 9500 Conant. The man also had a Hamtramck warrant out for his arrest from a prior matter.

 At 4:10 p.m., a man walked into the station to file a complaint that another person he had contracted to do some insured repairs at a home in the 2400 block of Hewitt had forged both his, and his father’s, names onto an insurance check in order to cash it, then additionally failed to complete the job.

 At 9:32 p.m., a man walked into the station, accompanied by his brother, to report that an unknown party had damaged the brother’s 2009 Chevrolet Van while it had been parked in the lot at Mackay and Holmes.

From Wednesday, Jan. 25:

 At 12:24 a.m., a man was arrested for possession of drugs with intent to deliver at Carpenter and Fleming.

 At 8:56 a.m., a man called from the Islamic Center at 11345 Jos. Campau to report that, at precisely 3:02 a.m. (presumably according to timed video surveillance), a white male approximately 30 years of age made entry into the building through the roof, and stole $3 and a Sony camera. He was wearing a thin, dark jacket over an army sweatshirt.

 At 12:16 p.m., a man was engaged by police for being visibly under the influence of drugs at Gallagher and Caniff.

 At 12:52 p.m., a person working for a realtor called to report the theft of gas lines from the basement of a house on the 2600 block of Pulaski.

 At 5:09 p.m., a woman was arrested at 9023 Jos. Campau for shoplifting. There was also a warrant out for her arrest with the city from a prior matter.

 At 9:35 p.m., a person at Walter’s Party Store at 12197 Conant reported that a person cashed a bad check.
From Thursday, Jan. 26:

 At 10:19 a.m., a woman reported the theft of an air bag from her vehicle in the 12100 block of St. Aubin.

 At 12:15 p.m., a teacher at Hamtramck High School reported having been assaulted by a student at the school.

 At 3:47 p.m., a man was arrested at his workplace at O’Reilly Auto Parts at 9197 Jos. Campau for embezzlement.
From Friday, Jan. 27:

 At 12:52 a.m., a man was arrested for domestic violence.

 Officers responding to a report of a naked man seen in the 10200 block of Conant found the man, and had him transported to the Detroit Receiving Hospital Crisis Center. No further comment.

 At 4:10 p.m., officers arrested two juveniles from Detroit after they tried to commit what appears to be a second robbery at knifepoint of a man on Commor near McDougall. About half an hour later, police took a report of a second, successful robbery by suspects matching their description, from a man, which had occurred earlier at Commor near Charest.

 A man in the 9300 block of Charest reported being assaulted by his girlfriend at his home.
From Saturday, Jan. 28:

 At 2:26 a.m., a woman was arrested for drunk driving following a traffic stop at Holbrook and Dubois.

 At 4:09 p.m., a man reported the theft of his 2003 Hummer H2, while it was parked in front of Discount Fish Market at 12195 Jos. Campau with the keys left in it.

Mac Saleh, left, of the state PTA goes over some organizational information with a parent at Holbrook Elementary School where 30 parents met to form a local PTA.

By Charles Sercombe

The word is getting out.

School is the place to be.

For parents.

A new group of parents have formed a Parent Teacher Association in the public and charter schools, and are seeking to get more parents involved.

So far, 50 members have joined. Leaders of the new group recently met with the Hamtramck Public School Board to announce their effort.

The Review spoke with one of the organizers, Fateh Obaid, who said so far the group is composed of mostly Bangladeshi and Arab-American parents. But Obaid said he wants a bigger cross-section of the city to join.

He said the group formed to help students succeed in school and be able to move on to college.

“The bottom line is making our kids successful,” Obaid said. “Without education, you’re locking them out of jobs.”

Obaid concedes that it will be a challenge to get more parents involved because of their work schedules.
“It’s hard to find free time,” he said. “Some parents work 12-15 hours a day.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a group of 30 parents met at Holbrook Elementary School to elect officers of the PTA formed at the school, and to get some direction from a representative of the Michigan PTA.

Mac Saleh, of the state’s PTA, said the local PTA is “the voice of the parents.” He said parents have a keen interest in their children’s education.

“They feel that parents are not represented, have no voice in their children’s education,” Saleh said.

School Principal Russell Robinson welcomed the parents’ involvement.

“This is really exciting,” he said.

(Want to get involved? To join or form a PTA, call Fateh Obaid at 313-213-4139.)

Hamtramck’s finances look really good.

Well, for the fiscal year of 2011 — which ended last June 30 — that is.

That was the word from the city’s audit company, Alan C. Young & Associates. Jay Wilds, who represented the company, met with the city council Tuesday night and gave a brief overview of last year’s city budget.

It was one of the few years that the city received a spotless audit. And it’s a year that city officials will sorely miss by the end of this fiscal year on June 30.

That’s because there is a $3.4 million budget deficit looming ahead, and so far, there is no clear way to dig out of that financial hole.

But back to 2011.

The city finished the year with a $2.7 million surplus, which in government jargon is called a “fund balance.”

That surplus was made possible by a one-time only event. The city settled its dispute with Detroit officials over a tax revenue sharing plan involving the GM Poletown plant.

If you look deeper into the audit, the city was actually not doing all that well. It finished the year spending $300,000 more than it took in.

The bulk of the budget, 67 percent, was spent on police and fire service, which also included all of the pensioners from those two departments.

Most of the revenue, 52 percent, came from property taxes.

In total, the city collected $17.3 million in revenue, and spent $17.6 million in 2011.

Savor the moment, city officials.

Rich Pyle: Rocker and pawn star.

When it comes to good food and great times, Hamtramck has plenty to offer. In this column, we’ll talk about what’s happening at our bars, restaurants and other events that can be found throughout the city.

By Alan R. Madeleine

Rich Pyle is one of the undisputed stars of the hit truTV series “Hardcore Pawn,” filmed in Detroit at American Jewelry and Loan on Greenfield Rd., near Eight Mile.

This you may already know, but were you aware that he is also the drummer with SuperLast, a hard rock band currently gaining some, dare we say, national momentum? Certainly, Rich’s celebrity status doesn’t hurt in bringing awareness to his and his bandmates’ music project. And, they’re coming to Hamtramck this weekend (see details at the end of the article)!

We shot him some queries by email, and he obliged us by hustling some well-thought-out answers back in no time flat — which this procrastinating writer dearly appreciated.

Let’s briefly start with what’s currently making you the most well-known, before we jump ahead to questions about the band, and that is, your longtime association with Les Gold and American Jewelry and Loan.

How did you get into the business initially? Did you know Les from somewhere else prior, or did you just apply for a job like anyone else? What are your areas of specialty?

Pyle: I went to high school with the jeweler, Jeff West, who worked at the shop repairing jewelry on the weekends. It seemed like a cool place to work, so I asked him to get me a job after we graduated, and I’ve been there ever since.

Because of my background in music, my area of specialty was obviously musical instruments. With my gift for gab, it turned out that I was a pretty decent salesman, as well.

How has your life changed since the show came on?

What’s it like dealing with the fame? Do you get recognized much on the street? Are you happy with the recognition?

Pyle: Life — both in and outside of work — has changed quite a bit since the success of Hardcore Pawn. On the job, we get people in from all over the world for photographs, autographs and memorabilia, which is quite a change because we never even sold a T-shirt before this whole thing started.

We even get famous sports athletes and Hollywood celebrities who come into American Jewelry to meet us because they are our fans. That in itself is really weird

I do get recognized out on the streets, and it doesn’t bother me at all because I am a people person and enjoy meeting new people.

What’s a typical day like now, at work? I don’t imagine the cameras are rolling the whole time you’re open, every day – are some people disappointed because they come in solely to be on TV – and then, you’re not taping that day?

Do you have to screen out the fame seekers first in the parking lot — you know, the ones who really don’t have anything to sell, but just want to try to get their mugs on the show? Does every other mook in town come in trying to pick a fight?

Pyle: My typical day at work is as it has always been, but now I have a camera in my face recording every single move I make.

We do have people come in that want to experience the “behind the scenes” viewing of the show. We don’t have to deal much with people wanting to visit to just get on TV, as the production crew handles that.

Remember, we are filmed from open to close six days a week, but you are only getting 1 percent of what is filmed and, of course, the most exciting events are the ones that get televised.

It does seem that there are a lot of angry people that come into the store, but that isn’t necessarily the case.

Now — on to your band. I listened quickly to parts of a couple of the tracks your Myspace site links up to. I’m not the biggest fan of pop nu-metal, but I have to say that I love the clean production on the records and I like the fact you’re a bit more melodic in a way that almost recalls some of the 70s hard rock I grew up with.

Who would you list as the bands’ influences, and who were your personal ones, if there’s any difference?

Pyle: My personal influence is Rush. Neil Peart is like a god to me, as probably with most drummers.

As far as the band goes, our influences are pretty diverse. To name a few: The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and (up through the years) some Chris Cornell, STP (Stone Temple Pilots), Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters.

Do I remember right, that you were friends first, and then sort of came together for what sounds like was meant to just be some loose jamming initially, but then which grew into something more.? Can you tell that story, very briefly?

Pyle: It actually started off as being a recording project — a few of us had never even met (at that point). When I went to the studio and met Tim Reamer (one of our guitarists and our keyboard player), we realized that we went to the same school, but neither of us knew that the other played an instrument.

The recording went smoothly. The chemistry between the band members was so strong that here we are, three years later, getting ready to release another album.

If the band starts to break big — and it could — how does that impact the day job (I imagine that some, or all, of the other guys could have the same issues)? Does Les let you go on tour for three (or six) months a year every year, or do you just keep it local and let “them” come to you?

Pyle: If the band has opportunities in the future, we will address that as it happens. So, if anyone out there reading this wants to sponsor a tour for us, our ears are open.

Are you working on another record yet? Anything you can say about it?

Pyle: Yes, we are currently in the studio. The new album is a little edgier, more personal, and it’s a better reflection of each of us.

It’s also allowing us to showcase each individual on one track or another. With our first album, we were brought in by the late Tim Barnes to play our parts in the studio, with limited creative input.

The tracks we are laying down now are 100 percent ours. We’ve given the new songs a test drive with our audience before recording them this time, and have had a lot of positive feedback.

How many times, roughly, have you guys played live together now as an official “band”? Have you played Hamtramck before? Or, where else around town have you gigged?

Pyle: As an official band, we’ve played out several dozen times. We’ve played DTE, opening for Def Leppard and Heart after winning the Detroit Fox Rocks competition, where we won by fan vote, beating out 70 other local bands. (Hey! I saw you at that show! — Ed.)

That is a huge honor, because there is so much great talent in Detroit. We’ve played The Machine Shop, The Crofoot, The Pike Room, Hardrock Café, The Blind Pig, The Token, Blondies, Planet Rock in Battle Creek, New Way Bar, All Around Bar, Rack ‘N Roll, U Detroit Café, Simon’s After Dark, Trenton Street Fair, etc.

Last spring, we traveled to New Hampshire to perform at Laconia Bike Week with Jackyl. This was by special invitation from Jesse Dupree of Jackyl and Full Throttle Saloon, which is also a truTV reality show.

We’ve also performed with Great White, Robert Bradley, and Gary Hoey to name a few others.

Did any of your, or the band’s, equipment come from American Jewelry and Loan? From some poor schmoe who couldn’t afford to come back and get it in time, or from people who just sold the stuff outright because they needed cash fast?

Pyle: I have not bought any cymbals from a music store other than American Jewelry in the past 20 years. It would be stupid for me to go anywhere else because it is so much cheaper at the pawn shop. A lot of musicians get their equipment from us.

If there’s anything else I didn’t address, feel free: Take your shot! Thanks for your time, and good luck at the gig!

Pyle: SuperLast has five band members: Mike Azuri, lead vocals; John Quiroz, lead guitar and vocals; Tim Reamer, guitar, keyboards and vocals; Tim Downs, bass guitar and vocals; and, me, of course, on drums. For booking inquiries, contact our manager Tracey Linden at (734) 341-1626.

SuperLast, featuring Rich Pyle from the show Hardcore Pawn on drums, headlines a gig this Saturday night, Jan. 28 at the New Dodge Lounge, along with Bison Machine and Citizen Zero on the bill. The New Dodge Lounge is located at 8850 Jos. Campau, a couple blocks south of Holbrook on the east side of the street, across from the Checkers burger joint. Show starts at 8 p.m. $5 cover.

This week’s Hamtramck Crime Log is compiled from police reports from Sunday, Jan. 15 through Tuesday, Jan. 24.

From Sunday, Jan. 15:

 A man was placed under arrest for domestic assault, resisting officers and on a warrant for carrying a concealed weapon after fleeing on foot from officers investigating a disturbance in the 2300 block of Edwin.

 A man from Vasser, MI was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital after officers found him unresponsive at Jos. Campau and Faber from an apparent heroin overdose, based on evidence they collected.

 An employee of Al Baraka Enterprise at 11621 Conant reported that an unknown person broke into the business and stole an HP computer, a Dell computer and $40 in cash.

 A man was arrested in the 3000 block of Hanley for obstructing officers.

 A man was arrested in the 2300 block of Wyandotte on multiple charges related to a hit-and-run accident he is believed to have been involved in.

From Monday, Jan. 16:

 Late Sunday night, a man was arrested for domestic violence, malicious destruction of property and obstructing officers who were investigating a disturbance on Yemans near Gallagher.

 A hit-and-run at Caniff and Klinger was reported.

 A man was arrested by Birmingham police officers on a Hamtramck warrant accusing the man of a four-count felony charge for check fraud.

 A man was arrested in the 3300 block of Edwin for a domestic violence charge.

From Tuesday, Jan. 17:

 Late Monday night, a woman reported being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend at her home in the 11400 block of Mitchell. The man fled before officers arrived.

 A woman in the 12000 block of Oklahoma reported that someone broke the antennae off her satellite dish.

 A 1997 Ford Taurus was reported stolen from in front of a home in the 11400 block of Moran.

 A resident of a home in the 1900 block of Trowbridge reported that (an) unknown suspect(s) entered said home through a rear window, and stole two pair of Air Jordan tennis shoes valued at $180 apiece. Officers found no evidence of forced entry.

 A person on foot outside of their vehicle, suspected of being under the influence of drugs near Conant and Holbrook, was transported by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hospital, and their vehicle was impounded.

 A person in the 12100 block of Dequindre was arrested for aggravated assault after a police investigation at the scene. Two pistols were confiscated and tagged as evidence.

 A resident of a home in the 2600 block of Holbrook reported being contacted by a presumed phone scam operation and asked to provide her checking account number and $350 to receive a $2 million sweepstake award.

 A woman reported that her son had phoned from the Dallas, Texas area and threatened to have her killed by persons living nearby to her.

From Wednesday, Jan. 18:

 A man living in the 2200 block of Faber reported that his residence had been broken into sometime during the prior afternoon, although he could not tell if anything was missing at the time of his call. He noted that there was damage to his rear door.

 A Hamtramck man was arrested for leaving the scene of an injury accident, drunk driving and driving while his license was suspended for an incident near the high school where he is accused of striking a student and three vehicles before speeding off. The student who had been hit was treated and released the same day. The man’s vehicle was impounded. (See corresponding article)

 A man was arrested for domestic assault after he allegedly pushed a female cousin down the stairs at a home in the 2200 block of Danforth. The victim was transported by EMS to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

 A man reported that someone took the catalytic converter from off his 2001 Chevrolet during the time between 10 p.m. the night before and 2 p.m. today. Location not given.

 A man reported that his 2004 Hummer H2 had been stolen. Location not given.

From Thursday, Jan. 19:

 Late Wednesday night, a man was picked up from a Redford Police station, where he was being held on an outstanding Hamtramck felony warrant.

 Steve Shaya of the DPW reported another missing manhole cover, this time in Veterans Park.

 A man was arrested at the CVS store at 9300 Jos. Campau for shoplifting after he attempted to leave the store without paying for several items. It was discovered that he had another outstanding Hamtramck warrant for a similar offense, as well as an outstanding felony warrant with the Wayne County Sheriff’s office.

A woman was arrested at the same CVS store for retail fraud after she attempted to leave the store without paying for several items.