By Ian Perrotta

                This week’s Crime Log covers Thursday, May 2 through Wednesday, May 8.

Thursday, May 2

·         At 12:10 a.m. a person was arrested for arson and domestic violence following an incident in the 11000 block of Moran.

·         At 9:43 a.m. an agent of Children Protective Services faxed over a complaint of child abuse.

·         At 10:13 a.m. the principal of a school in the 2300 block of Burger reported that two students had assaulted each other.

·         At 11:50 a.m. a man reported that an unknown person took the license plate off of his brother’s car while it was parked in the 3200 block of Jacob.

·         At 12:43 p.m. a woman reported that an unknown person took her red bike from the 3300 block of  Caniff.                                                                                                                                                         

·         A Jacob Street juvenile was reported as a runaway at 5:11 p.m.  Officers located him a short time later and returned him to his guardian. 

·         At 10:49 p.m. the entire afternoon shift and midnight shift responded to the 2400 block of Burger for a situation. A man was petitioned and committed to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he received further treatment for cuts received during an earlier altercation with family members.

·         At 11:09 p.m. a woman came to the station and reported that a man had choked her until she passed out after a verbal altercation occurred in the 11400 block of Mitchell. The woman refused medical attention.

Friday, May 3

·         At 4:14 a.m. officers located an open door after a building check in the 9000 block of Jos. Campau.  The interior of the building was checked and cleared. The building appeared to be vacant and was unable to be secured.

Saturday, May 4

·         At 2:16 a.m. a person was arrested for disorderly conduct in the 11000 block of Jos. Campau.

·         At 3:29 a.m. a person reported being assaulted by four black males all described as 20-25-years-old, 6’ tall and wearing dark clothing.

·         At 9:54 a.m. a man from the 3800 block of Dorothy reported his 1998 Dodge Dakota was stolen. 

·         At 10:59 a.m. a man from the 11500 block of Fleming reported his mail was being stolen.  A suspect and a suspect vehicle were named in the police report. The victim has a PPO against the suspect.

·         At 11:56 a.m. a man reported his license plate was stolen from his vehicle while it was parked in the 2400 block of Hewitt.

·         At 1:37 p.m. a man was arrested in the 2200 block of Goodson after he assaulted his roommate.              

·         At 3:42 p.m. a victim reported her prescription pills were stolen by her granddaughter.                                                                                                 

·         At 7:19 p.m. a male notified officers that his girlfriend was deceased at their residence in Hamtramck. The Wayne County Medical Examiner was notified and took custody of the body.

Sunday, May 5

·         At 3:16 a.m. officers were flagged down by a victim who stated her vehicle was broken into while it was parked in the west Jos. Campau alley near Evaline.                             

·         At 12:20 p.m. a man walked into the police station and turned over an ATM card that he found at the Huntington Bank ATM.  An Internet search did not turn up owner, and the card was tagged into evidence for safe keeping.

·         At 3 p.m. a business in the Hamtramck Town Center called to report multiple harassing phone calls. The business owner further stated that the phone calls have been happening for over a month.

·         At 6:03 p.m. a Detroit resident reported that someone stole his vehicle while it was parked in the 9600 block of Conant. Shortly after, the owner called the station stating he recovered his vehicle in Detroit. The owner drove the vehicle to the station so officers could visually inspect the vehicle.

·         At  10:15 p.m. an unidentified male was assaulted by two unknown males. The unidentified male was transported to DRH by DMC Ambulance Services.

Monday, May 6

·         At 9:30 a.m. a woman reported that her daughter ran away from home.

·         At 11:30 a.m. a resident reported that his 2003 Mazda was damaged while parked in the 11700 block of Charest overnight.

·         At 12:32 a.m. a woman in the 2600 block of Belmont reported that a package was stolen after the mail was delivered to her home.                                                

·         At 5 p.m. an Edwin resident reported that her daughter attempted suicide by ingesting prescription pills. EMS arrived on scene and transported the daughter to the hospital.

·         At 9:22 p.m. a family member of a Lehman resident called and stated that the person was not home but the lights and a radio were on and that the door was open. Officers entered and cleared the residence, finding no one inside with no forced entry damage. The residence was secured upon clearing.

Tuesday, May 7

·         A man was placed under arrest in the 2600 block of Holmes after threatening a female with a knife. Narcotics were also recovered.                                                                                                

·         At 3:52 a.m. a Hamtramck resident reported that the suspect who stole her cell phone in February had submitted photos of her to Facebook and to everybody in her list of contacts.

·         At 1:16 p.m. a Hamtramck resident reported that someone fraudulently cashed his paycheck    

·         At 6:39 p.m. a victim came into the station and reported her wallet was stolen out of her purse while shopping at in the 9300 block of Jos. Campau.

·         At 7:39 p.m. a victim reported the window of his vehicle was destroyed by a BB gun while it was parked in the 2200 block of Goodson.

·         At 7:46 p.m. a victim reported damage to his vehicle while it was parked in the 11600 block of Lumpkin.

·         At 8:23 p.m. a victim reported her dog was attacked in the 9500 block of Mitchell.            

·         At 8:27 p.m. a victim reported being assaulted by her ex-girlfriend in the 5100 block of Yemans.

Wednesday, May 8

·         At 12:34 p.m. a person was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license following a traffic stop at Evaline and Conant.     

·         At 10:09 p.m. a man was arrested at Conant and Harold after traffic stop for driving without a license.

·         At 3:04 p.m. a victim reported that someone stole copper wiring and fled in a tan 1997 Ford minivan, license plate 895 6E4

·         At 5:09 p.m. officers responded to the 3000 block of Lehman for an open door. Officers notified               the desk, which then notified DPW that the back door and one window needed to be boarded up.

·         At 5:45 p.m. a victim came into the station and reported her juvenile son’s bicycle was stolen from her residence in the 2400 block of Danforth. A juvenile suspect was named in the report.

·         At 7:30 p.m. a credit card was found in the 12000 block of Conant and turned in by a good Samaritan

Hamtramck firefighters say the city needs a full-time department because houses here are close to one another. Waiting for on-call firefighters to arrive would lead to a fire spreading to another house, they say.

By Charles Sercombe

          For some Hamtramck firefighters, it’s do as we say, not as we do.

Hamtramck firefighters have insisted in the past that the only way Hamtramck can be protected is by having a full-time staff in the station.

However, in a review of the 18 communities – including the City of Hamtramck — that the department’s 26 firefighters live in, only seven of the communities have full-time staffs.

In the other communities, the departments are staffed by paid-on-call firefighters, or by a combination of a small full-time staff aided by paid-on-call firefighters.

          In the past year city officials have been struggling with how to overcome an ever-increasing budget deficit. One suggestion to lower costs is to restructure the Fire Department.

          Currently, the department eats up $5 million of the city’s total budget. There is a projected $3 million deficit expected by June.

          With little room to cut in the budget, some city officials have looked at ways to trim at least $3 million from the Fire Department’s budget.

          One way would be to resort to copying how other communities handle their fire protection by having a core group of full-timers and a majority of firefighters being on call when needed.

          Hamtramck firefighters insist, however, that plan can’t work in the city because of the density of housing. In other words, with Hamtramck’s housing stock being crammed within a few feet of each other, a fire in one house could quickly spread to another.

          In the rural and suburban communities that most of the city’s firefighters live in, that’s not the case.

          The president of Hamtramck’s firefighters’ union, Matthew Wyszczelski, said it’s all about timing.

          “With a full-time staff we can manage a fire in a timely manner,” Wyszczelski said. “We don’t have the luxury of time.”

          Wyszczelski also said that a paid-on-call method would require having a lot of people living close by and available at a moment’s notice.

          “You don’t have a lot of trained people here,” Wyszczelski said.

          But Acting City Manager Kyle Tertzag said if the paid-on-call system works in other communities where a majority of Hamtramck firefighters live, it can work here.

          “After telling the folks in Hamtramck how vital it is to have a full-time department, when they (Hamtramck firefighters) choose where to live, they don’t have that kind of fire system,” Tertzag said. “By them choosing to live elsewhere, that tells me those systems are not bad at all.”

          The future of the Hamtramck Fire Department has become a heated topic in recent weeks. It appears that an emergency manager will be appointed to take over financial control of the city.

          Tertzag said it’s his understanding that the state plans a major overhaul of the Fire Department.

          Just what that means remains to be seen.

          Wyszczelski said he realizes that depending on who is appointed the department could be either wiped out and replaced with the service of another community, or there could be a type of manager who works with the department.

          Wyszczelski questioned the managerial decisions being made now concerning the department. He pointed out that the city has refused to hire an additional four firefighters whose salaries would be covered by the federal SAFER grant that was awarded to the department.

          The two-year grant is now reimbursing the city for the salaries of eight lowest-paid firefighters. There is room to cover the costs for four more firefighters, but they would have to be new-hires.

          Tertzag said that he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to hire more firefighters at this point if in three months an emergency manager eliminates the department. 

          “That’s not fair to the new-hires,” he said.

          But at a budget work session with the city council on Tuesday night, Fire Chief Paul Wilk pointed out that hiring four more firefighters would eliminate the need to budget an extra $50,000 in overtime.

          Councilmember Tom Jankowski urged Tertzag to consider that move, saying it would be up to the new-hires if they want to take the risk of being unemployed in a few months.

          Wilk and Wyszczelski also say the city is missing out on collecting up to $20,000 a month by providing ambulance service. Tertzag canceled the department’s ambulance service recently because the department’s two ambulance vehicles are unreliable and need repairs.

          He contracted out the service with DMC, which provides the service free of charge to the city.

          Tertzag said the department had been bringing in $10,000 a month from the service, but noted that there are costs to the city to pay firefighters extra to man the ambulances and for the vehicles’ maintenance.

          “It isn’t free to run,” Tertzag said.

          Plus, Tertzag said, the DMC service offers higher-quality care because their crews have advanced training.

          For instance, Tertzag said, one man’s life was saved by a DMC crew because they had the ability to give the man medication right away. The man was having a heart seizure.

          Hamtramck’s ambulance crews are not certified to give patients medication.

          Even if city officials wanted to restructure the Fire Department at this point, their hands are tied because of the firefighters’ labor contract with the city. Their contract runs out in another year or so.

          However, under the state’s emergency manager law, it’s unclear if contracts could be torn up. Because the state’s emergency manager is new and has not been challenged, it’s likely that any drastic action will result in a legal battle.

            That’s right: “Advancing Hamtramck.” It’s my new motto.  It is also the slogan by which I hope to help transform this city.

            The main definitions of the word “advancement” include, “to move forward; proceed,” “to improve or make progress,” and “to grow or rise in importance, and/or status.” Thus, synonyms for “advancement” are (1) progression; (2) development; (3) acceleration; and (4) betterment.

            But before I expound further on the significance of these four words, I wish to make an important announcement.

            Hello, Fellow Hamtramckans!

            My friends, today I am declaring my candidacy to be your next Mayor of Hamtramck.

            I’ve been planning my run for mayor for the past few years. I see that our city is in desperate need for leadership and innovation — the very qualities that can drive us ultimately down the road to success and prosperity.

            I am often asked whether Hamtramck can survive, and furthermore remain a sovereign entity. The answer to that question — of course — is that it must.  And it will!

            Progression, Development, Acceleration, and Betterment will be the four building blocks of my campaign. They will form the foundation of, and be the driving force behind, my plan to recreate Hamtramck.

             You may well be asking yourself, why are you running? What is your specific plan for the city? Do you have the experience that is needed to propel us forward?

            Being raised in Hamtramck, and living here all my life; having attended three separate public schools from kindergarten on up (Dickinson East, Kosciuzsko, and Hamtramck High), and graduating  in 1991, I have deep, deep ties to this wonderful city.

            I remember being a kid growing up in the 80′s here in town, and playing in the alleys — how clean and proud this city once was. I want to restore the pride in our city.

            With my experience both in commercial development and as an active real-estate broker, I understand what it takes to increase our tax base: strong economic development. I believe that empowering small businesses is the key to keeping Hamtramck a strong city, with its own special and specific identity. Which brings me to the point where I explain my plan for the city.

            And that is this: by the end of my first term in office, I plan to have helped create the conditions for your property values to increase by 25%.

            This will, obviously, bring more revenue into the city coffers in turn, thus helping insure our public safety, the viability of our schools, and the overall desirability of Hamtramck – and without the necessity of asking voters for one more dime in taxes.

            Preserving public safety must be our first priority, and that means keeping both our police and fire departments our own. As a former chairman of the city assessor’s board, I am familiar with the factors that are used to valuate properties, and how these values then impact the city’s overall financial picture. Increasing property values will make the city stronger and healthier.

            Small businesses are the lifeblood of any neighborhood or town, and Hamtramck’s most successful businesses are known all over the greater Detroit metro area. That ready identification is one of the starting points in what will be the major marketing of our city to the suburbs, and beyond. Increased tourism, from both near and far, will also help increase our tax base, and thus enhance the city’s image. This, in turn, will boost residents’ morale, and spur better services for residents, improving everyone’s quality of life here.

            It would be all too simple to dwell on the negativities of life, or point fingers and cast blame on one another. I believe this is counter-productive and a complete waste of energy. I want to channel my energy into bettering your lives, by providing you with a safe and clean city.

            Certainly, two things that will turn the tide for our city are to repair the basic infrastructure, and to maintain a strong police force. I want to employ the concept of officers on bicycles, to help protect the downtown areas and main streets. Downtown businesses will benefit strongly from this program, and then word will get out that Hamtramck is a great, safe place to run a business.

            We need to incrementally begin restructuring and repaving all the streets and alleys. Rebuilding the infrastructure will also help accelerate business development and better the quality of your lives.

            We must do these things in an orderly fashion , in order to build and draw in businesses from the outside. Without an improved infrastructure, without cleanliness and a strong police force, we will not be able to adequately market or appeal to corporations to come here. Blight must be dealt with immediately, and we must show the slum lords that we mean business, through the use of fines and even the potential of jail time.

            In truth, I want to chase all the slum lords from out of this city, and restore the quality of life that you the residents so richly deserve. You want experience in the mayoral race: my vast experience in multiple businesses right here in this town will help to create a city we can all enjoy, and again be proud of.

            On a related note, it’s been four years now that The Review has been in business. Thanks to all the residents – and by the grace of God — it’s running strong and flourishing.

            When I began this enterprise, some were skeptical about my perceived lack of experience in owning and running a paper. Well, the answer to how I achieved a successful local media stronghold was by applying common sense and running my business as efficiently, and self-sufficiently, as possible.

            The key to any successful business is intensive marketing. Examine the business models of just about any Fortune 500 company; believe me, this strategy works.

            I will do the same for Hamtramck, and I will make it work here, too.

            I also want to make it very clear that, in the interest of the newspaper’s integrity and impartiality, and out of respect for the residents who have always supported this paper, we will not endorse any candidate for mayor in The Review. Other endorsements will still take place including for the race for City Council. I have therefore made the decision to pass over the baton as endorser to Charles Sercombe, my editor and a long-time student of this city’s political landscape.

            In summary, I wish to say to you that we are all in this together. However, when the city is experiencing corruption, or an emergency manager takeover (for a second time); a broken infrastructure, low morale, dirty parks, an unfinished historic museum, to name just some of our ills; then our normal lifestyles, in fact our city’s very existence as we know it, are put at grave risk.

            I promise you this: that I will have the best interests of the city at heart, and will complete the work that should have been completed for the past 20 years or more.

            Under my leadership, and with the help of those who I choose as delegates, we will have the best parks, a powerful police force, a clean city (from the street to the alleys), repaved streets and alleys, the removal of all blight, planting of trees throughout the city, a bike trail, a skateboard park at Veterans Park; we will see baseball restored, police officers patrolling on bicycles, adequate and functional lighting at night, and much more.

            I am asking for your vote on August 6th to be your next Mayor. Let’s make Hamtramck the city it once was — and more.  And better. As it was in the days of Albert Zak, so shall it be in the coming days when I am your elected mayor.

            A clean city, a prosperous city. A city we can all proudly call home.

            May God bless Hamtramck, and all of you!

   By Charles Sercombe

          The countdown has begun for this year’s field of political candidates running for local office.

          As of Thursday, the day The Review went to press, there were 18 candidates who have either pulled petitions or have turned them in.

          Anyone thinking of running for city council or mayor has until next Tuesday (May 14) to file a petition. Candidates who may have second thoughts about running have until May 17 to withdraw from the race.

          So far, one would-be candidate, Mark Hausner, who is a member of the DDA, withdrew his petition for city council.

          Councilmember Tom Jankowski has yet to pull a petition for re-election. But don’t hold your breath because Jankowski says he’s not running again. Jankowski has previously served one term as mayor, and is finishing up his first term as a councilmember.

          The reason for his departure?

          “It’s a personal decision,” he said. “It’s basically a matter of time and how much time I can contribute to the city.”

          As for a possible return to public office in the future, Jankowski said “anything’s possible.”

   His step down from the council means his seat is wide open for grabs, making a total of four seats in the running.

          One of the seats, however, is only for two years, as opposed to the normal four-year term. That’s because Councilmember Cathie Gordon has resigned from her seat to run for mayor.

          She doesn’t actually leave the council until Dec. 31 of this year, at which point the winner of that election takes over.

          As of Thursday, there are three candidates who pulled petitions for the two-year seat, with Beverly Tran being the only one to file for it.

          Councilmember Mohammed Hassan pulled petitions for both council seats as well as for mayor. He decided to run for mayor.

          The field for the mayor’s position includes Councilmember Abdul Algazali and Review Publisher John Ulaj.

          Mayor Karen Majewski is seeking re-election but has yet to file. She is in her second term as mayor.

          Councilmember Gordon also has yet to file for the position despite having already resigned from council.

          For political junkies, this year’s election promises to be an exciting one. The Bengali community, which has proven to be the dominate voting bloc in recent years, will likely be the deciding factor in who survives the August Primary, and ultimately, who takes office.

          The question is, will the strength of the Bengali voting bloc prove to be a slam dunk, or will it be edged out by other voters?

           The blame game.

          That’s what some folks in town played when a state financial review team visited here last week. The community was able to meet the team and offer comments about the city.

          Only a handful of residents were on hand, however, because notice of the meeting went out late. But nevertheless the comments we heard were telling.

          Some wanted to blame past city officials while others blamed present day city officials for causing the financial mess the city is facing.

          Curious thing though. What people didn’t seem to realize is that the financial review team was not created to assign blame to any one person or persons. It’s here to determine whether there is indeed a true financial crisis.

          If the team decides there is, it’s then up to the governor to take action.

          Pointing fingers here in Hamtramck is an obsession with some folks. What they fail to realize, though, is that the majority of Hamtramck’s spending is dictated by labor contracts or grant guidelines.

          There is very little discretionary spending for city officials.

          And what some people forget is that Hamtramck, like many communities, was hit with a perfect storm of financial setbacks: state revenue cuts and shrinking tax collections because of the collapsed housing markets and the loss of manufacturing taxes.

          In other words, Hamtramck is not alone in trying to balance its budget. In fact, it’s impossible and it’s not the fault of anyone.

          What we have to concentrate on going forward is how to make ends meet. That’s going to take a dramatic overhaul of how the city provides basic services.

          We can guarantee one thing: folks are not going to be happy with the changes that will come.

          Blaming city officials for the city’s financial struggle is nothing more than scapegoating for political reasons.

By Ian Perrotta

                This week’s Crime Log covers Wednesday, April 24 through Wednesday, May 1.

Wednesday, April 24

·         At 11:22 p.m. officers investigated an open door at a residence in the 1200 block of Nagel. The residence was checked and secured.

Thursday, April 25

·         At 12:24 a.m. a person was arrested for possession with intent to distribute following a traffic stop at Jos. Campau and Caniff.

·         At 12:18 p.m. a man reported that another man threatened to blow up a school in the 8700 block of Jos. Campau because he did not get a job offer.

·         At 2:06 p.m. a female passenger was arrested for a Hamtramck warrant after a traffic stop at Caniff and Dequindre.

·         At 4:26 p.m. Child Protective Services faxed over a complaint regarding a child abuse case that occurred in the 3200 block of Lehman.

·         At 5:19 p.m. a Hamtramck resident reported that someone opened an account in his name.

·         At 6:44 p.m. a male juvenile was assaulted in the 12000 block of Selfridge by two other male juveniles. Both suspects fled the scene.

·         At 11:20 p.m. a person was placed under arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated following an accident at Lumpkin and Poland.              

Friday, April 26

·         At 2:52 a.m. a resident in the 3000 block of Holbrook reported the break-in of his residence. Forced entry was made through a rear door.

·         At 3:34 a.m. a resident in the 3100 block of Lehman reported the theft of his white 2007 Dodge Charger from in front of his residence.                                                                                  

·         At 11 a.m. a man reported that his cell phone was stolen by force by a black male with a street name of “Man Man,” approximately 17-years-old, wearing a white baseball cap.

·         At 11:28 a.m. a victim reported a break-in at her residence in the 11700 block of Mitchell.

·         At noon a resident of Hamtramck reported a man impersonated an officer and demanded money from the victim to cancel a warrant that did not exist. The victim paid the suspect $3,610.

·         At 12:18 p.m. a man reported the lug nuts were stolen from the wheels from his Dodge minivan while it was parked in front of his residence in the 2400 block of Danforth.

·         At 12:43 p.m. a female was arrested for domestic violence at her residence in the 2600 block of Trowbridge after she assaulted her ex-boyfriend, with who she has a child in common.

·         At 3:41 p.m. a man reported that his deceased father’s gun was stolen from his residence in the 2400 block of Danforth.

·          At 11:10 p.m. three people were arrested for disorderly conduct following a disturbance in the 11000 block of Lumpkin.

Saturday, April 27

·         At 2:16 a.m. two people were placed under arrest for disorderly conduct in the 11000 block of Jos. Campau.

·         At 2:58 a.m. a person was placed under arrest for possessing a replica firearm following a traffic stop at Jos. Campau and Casmere.   

·         At 6:56 a.m. a Trowbridge resident walked into the station and reported his 2007 Jeep was stolen while it was parked in front of his residence between midnight and 5 a.m.

·         A hit-and-run occurred at Conant and Carpenter.

·         At 3:07 p.m. a woman reported being robbed of her purse in the 2600 block of Caniff. The suspect was a black male, approximately 17-years-old, with a large build, approximately 6’ tall, wearing a black Nike hoodie with a white Nike swoosh logo.

·         At 4:05 p.m. a man was arrested for driving without a license, possession of narcotic paraphernalia and having a stolen license plate after a traffic stop was conducted at southbound I-75 and Caniff. The man also had three warrants.

·         At 9:35 p.m. a person was placed under arrest for possessing an open intoxicant and a possession of narcotic paraphernalia after the same was investigated at Jos. Campau and Holbrook.    

Sunday, April 28                                                               

·         At 5:03 a.m. a female was arrested at southbound I-75 at Clay for possession of narcotic paraphernalia after a traffic stop.

·         At 10:55 a.m. a man reported that an unknown person took his 1988 Toyota Corolla, plate: 11623 McDougall between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. on today’s date.

·         A female was reported missing from 11330 Conant after family members were unable locate her for almost two days.

·         A Danforth resident was petitioned into the Detroit Receiving Hospital Crises Center at 6:43 p.m.

·         At 11:30 p.m. an intoxicated female was arrested at PNA hall on a Hamtramck warrant.

Monday, April 29

·         At 12:05 a.m. a man was arrested in a Detroit stolen vehicle at Conant and Caely.

·         A juvenile reported receiving threats from an ex-boyfriend.      

·         A juvenile was assaulted by juveniles at Caniff and Charest at 3 p.m. 

·         A Detroit resident was placed under arrest for two 31st District warrants and driving with a suspended license during a traffic stop at Conant and Caniff at 4:03 p.m. 

·         An officer took a break-in report in the 3200 block of Poland. A resident was away from 4/21 until this date and found his basement window pushed open and several electronic devices stolen.

·          At 11:47 p.m. a man was placed under arrest during a traffic stop at Caniff and Buffalo for two Macomb County warrants.

Tuesday, April 30

·         At 12:15 a.m. a woman reported that someone damaged her vehicle while it was parked in a parking lot in the 9700 block of Conant.              

·         At 2:33 a.m. a man was placed under arrest during a traffic stop at Jos. Campau and Goodson for driving with a suspended license.

·         An agent of a business in the 9100 block of Jos. Campau reported the theft of his iPhone from behind the front counter at approximately 11 a.m.

·         Two males were placed under arrest after officers observed them stealing aluminum siding off a house in the 2300 block of Faber at 2:50 p.m. 

·         Three juveniles were placed under arrest after officers observed them fighting at Trowbridge and Jos. Campau at 3:15 p.m.

·         The owner of a house in the 12000 block of McDougall reported that someone changed the locks between 4/20 and this date.

·         A man was placed under arrest at the station on a 31st District warrant.

·         A juvenile reported that while in a store in the 3200 block of Caniff another juvenile known to him grabbed a ten dollar bill from his hand and fled the store at 8:46 p.m.      

Wednesday, May 1

·         At 1:07 a.m. a man was placed under arrest during a traffic stop at Fleming and Carpenter for driving without a license and possessing an open intoxicant.

·         At 2:24 a.m. a man was placed under arrest in the 2400 block of Neibel for trespassing after he was caught inside an abandoned home.                         

·         At 5:23 a.m. a woman was placed under arrest during a traffic stop at Edwin and Alpena for driving without a license and an outstanding 31st District warrant.                                                             

·         At 3:35 a man reported his adult son missing from their residence in Hamtramck for approximately five days.

·         At 4:45 p.m. family members reported through a translator that their mother was malnourished and was in fear for her well-being. Officers went to her Hamtramck location and she was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital.

·         At 8 p.m. a landlord reported his tenants stole furniture after being evicted off his property in the 9600 block of Dequindre.  

By Charles Sercombe

          Could this be the beginning of the end of the Hamtramck Blowout?

          This year’s attendance seemed to be down by half, some said, and there is plenty of blowback coming from bar owners and fans of the music festival.

          The reason for the dramatic downturn, many said, was that festival organizers, The Metro Times, expanded the event to include Ferndale.

          “That’s what happens when you split it in two,” said Mikel Smith, the owner of Detroit Threads.

          Hamtramck’s portion of the Blowout happened last weekend and this weekend it’s Ferndale’s turn.   

          Smith sold wrist bracelets for the Blowout and said that in past years he would have a line of people out the door waiting to purchase them. This year, he said, there was one 10-minute rush.

          “The rest of the evening there were just stragglers,” he said.

          Metro Times Publisher Chris Sexson told The Review that attendance was indeed way down this year.

          “Spreading the bands over two weekends, we expected it to be down,” he said.

          Sexson denied there is a plan to move the festival out of Hamtramck to Ferndale, which is what some in town believe is in the works. Sexson said the expansion was needed to bring in more revenue. He said turnout in Hamtramck has been trending down in recent years.

          “There has to be evolution,” he said. “This year we made a bold move. We just want to keep it going.”

          Cathie Gordon, who owns New Dodge Lounge and is a city councilmember, said she was offended when Sexson told the council the festival was expanding into Ferndale.

          “We’re hungry, we need this festival. Ferndale doesn’t,” she said.

          Sexson also stirred up some resentment in a quote he gave to the Oakland Press. He told the paper that one reason he included Ferndale is because “… I’ve found, even among some of the younger music and creative people, that some people don’t want to go down there, the same as some people might not want to go into downtown Detroit. It’s just outside of their comfort zone.”

          In response, the owner of Lo and Behold, a used record and book store on Jos. Campau, is holding his own music festival tonight (Friday, May 4) called “How I learned to stop worrying and love Hamtramck.”

          On the store’s Facebook page, the owner said:

          “For the performers not accepted to play in Ferndale,

“For people who want to see good bands play for free and need not the hassle of security guard scrutiny over overpriced bracelets,

“For those of us who remember when it was called the Hamtramck Blowout and want it to stay that way,

“For those of us who played over the weekend to a crowd divided cuz half the normal attendance decided not to ‘step outside of their comfort zones’ and stay in the suburbs until the following weekend,

“For Hamtramck who needs this little economic stimulus more than Ferndale ever did or ever will

“For those who want to keep this party a party and not an uptight business venture for those north of the border,

“For those of us who feel a responsibility to our community and carry too much love and pride for what little we have no matter how f***ed up or weird it might be to people who probably will never understand anyway,

“I encourage Hamtramck to keep this party here regardless if the name’s Blownout of town or not, we’ve hosted it and will continue to do so.”

Sexson said that it seems no matter what he says, “It’s damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”

“We’re just trying to save the festival,” he added.

   Now that the annual Metro Times Hamtramck Blowout has come and gone, it’s time to take stock.

          Bar and hall owners say that this year’s Blowout was a fizzle, with about half the number of people attending, compared to previous years. They lay blame for this directly on The Metro Times for expanding the festival for another week in Ferndale.

          Splitting the festival with Hamtramck hosting the event one week and Ferndale the next appears to have diluted Hamtramck’s attendance.

          Having said that, The Metro Times has every right to do what it wants with this private festival.

          We take interest because this event is a huge promotion for the city, and we welcome the thousands of visitors who stop by here. The Blowout is also a much needed economic shot in the arm for some of our bars, which count on this event and the Labor Day Festival to make it through the year.

          The Metro Times has enjoyed a lot of goodwill from the city, so, yes, the community at large has a right to be concerned.

          It doesn’t help that MT Publisher Chris Sexson was quoted in the Oakland Press about his reason to expand the music festival into Ferndale, saying there are some who don’t want to venture down here because it’s “out of their comfort zone.”

          That quote has generated a lot of criticism.

          Sexson told Hamtramck City Councilmembers that the reason for the expansion is that the magazine needs to tap into new revenue streams.

          Considering the above quote, we have to wonder if the plan really is to leave Hamtramck behind.

          The Metro Times can do what it wants, but we think Hamtramck offers a unique spice to the festival that cannot be duplicated in the suburbs – even “Funky Ferndale.”

          What we take from all this is that bar owners, city leaders, The Metro Times and music lovers need to discuss the future of this festival. This year has shown that splitting the festival in half is not working for Hamtramck.

Expect to be inconvenienced for the next few months as DTE Energy finishes up a gas line and sidewalk replacement project.

By Charles Sercombe

          It’s orange barrel season.

          DTE Energy is about to finish up the gas line replacement project that it began last year, as well as install permanent new sidewalk slabs to replace those that had to be dug up for the project.

          DTE was not able to pour permanent sidewalks last fall because cold weather was fast approaching. Instead, the utility company installed “temporary” slabs.

          Even that effort was undermined when cold weather hit the area earlier than expected. That meant a number of sidewalk slabs were left empty, forcing pedestrians to walk on gravel-filled, uneven areas.

          Hamtramck Director of Public Works Steve Shaya said he expects the project to be completed by July at the latest.

          Although many residents were inconvenienced by the project last summer, on the plus side many of the city’s broken sidewalks are being replaced for free.

          DTE’s sidewalk replacement project will also coincide with a city-funded sidewalk repair project that is about to start up.

          City officials are putting together a map of where the repairs will take place. Homeowners have no need to worry about being socked with a sidewalk repair bill in this case.

          The city is dipping into a $2.5 million state fund for street and sidewalk repairs to pay for the project.

By Charles Sercombe

       Have an overdue traffic ticket, outstanding water bill, or way overdue on your business license?

          Rest easy, because Hamtramck has a deal for you during the month of May. It’s an amnesty program being called “Make it Right in May.”

          It doesn’t mean you get off free from paying the bill. Instead, most late fees and penalties will just be waived.

          The city and the Hamtramck 31^st District Court are teaming up to make it easier for people to make amends with any overdue violations.

          The 31^st District Court part of the program includes all parking tickets, civil infractions and misdemeanor files with outstanding judgments through Dec. 12, 2012.

The court will waive its $30 late fee, 20 percent penalty fee, bench warrant and show cause fees. Add it all up, and it amounts to a significant savings. 

This also includes misdemeanor files in arrest warrant status. Payments must be made in full and personal checks will not be accepted. 

          And just in case you think all of this is a trick to get you into City Hall and hustled off into the police station clinker, the city is offering a “Safe Surrendering” program in which you can go to Corinthian Baptist Church on May 11 or 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and take care of matters there.

          Corinthian is located at 1725 Caniff, just west of I-75.

          Otherwise, you can go directly to the 31^st District Court during regular business hours.

          Individuals that have been sentenced by the court and who currently have a warrant for their arrest will have the $30 late fee, 20 percent penalty fee, bench warrant and show cause fees waived. Individuals that have not been arraigned will be allowed to post a bond and will be given a court date.

          On the city side of things, you can clear things up by calling the appropriate city department at (313) 876-7700 and making payment on past due bills without penalty.

          Some of the late city bills include dog licenses, building permits/inspections, water bills and income tax filings.

          Don’t have the cash now? That’s OK, just whip out your credit card and deal with the monthly payments. If you blow off this amnesty program you can face the possibility of being arrested.

          So, be sure you can enjoy the summer and pay up now.