Virtually GOOD People Moving On

Folks:

School board members bow out
Of The Daily Oakland Press

When Pontiac voters receive their ballots for the May 3 school board election, they will quickly notice that there are no incumbents.

Neither school board secretary Eirther Shelmonson-Bey nor trustee Sandy-Michael McDonald, whose terms are about to expire, will seek to be re-elected.

Citing a desire to spend more time with her family and the desire to achieve personal goals, Shelmonson-Bey, one of the more outspoken members of the board, said her time as a trustee is coming to an end.

"I've made a contribution," said Shelmonson-Bey, who has served a total of 11 years on the school board. "It's just basically time for me to move on. I have grandchildren and a family. I want to spend more time with my family and more time on me."

Shelmonson-Bey served eight years as a school board member, from 1993 to 2001, and was again voted in as a trustee by her peers three years ago after The Rev. Archibald Mosely resigned his position a year into his term. Shelmonson-Bey ran unopposed in a 2003 election for the remaining two years of the term.

"She's been an officer seven or eight times. That's a big loss," said School Board President Richard Seay. "When you have someone with that kind of experience in dealing with school district issues, she'll be missed."

McDonald, who is also director of Pontiac's Downtown Development Authority, said he plans to still remain an advocate for the children and the school district.

"I'm comfortable with my contribution (to the school district)," McDonald said. "I'll be a stronger advocate on behalf of the community and the district than maybe I was perceived to be as a trustee."

McDonald and Shelmonson-Bey's decision not to run for re-election opens the door for nine possible candidates who will seek to replace them.

The official candidate list includes: Steve Alvarado, Alma Bradley, Jack L. Bressler, Damon O. Dorkins, Beverly A. Garrison, Tommaleta Hughes, Cynthia Berrios Officer, Herman Proby and Donald W. Watkins.

"I don't particularly have a favorite," Seay said. "We met, as we do annually, with all of the candidates, and every one of them impressed me with their commitment to children.

"I don't think there are any yes men or yes women in the group. Whoever they are, they have some awful large shoes to fill."

Virtual Education Concept

Folks:

If it has virtual in it............I'm committed to publishing it here. Besides this is really something that is a Virtual Hit for our Youth and their 21st Century educational pursuits!

http://www.ive.kbcc.cuny.edu/

Best,

Jim

A VIRTUAL RISK?

Folks:

District agrees to buy land
Of The Daily Oakland Press

The Pontiac school board debated for more than 90 minutes before trustees decided to purchase from the state a 28-acre plot of land formerly known as the Clinton Valley Center, Fairlawn Center campus.

The sale price for the parcel will be $1.95 million - an amount considered far below market value - with the money coming from the district's general fund.

School board members voted 5-2 vote to proceed with the purchase. Trustee Chris Northcross cast one of the dissenting votes.

"I think it's going to come out that I was for the Fairlawn purchase, but against the method we're using to pay for it," Northcross said.

Northcross added that he thought money for the purchase was to come from the district's educational trust fund, an account with about $11 million in it that was acquired by the district as payment for several lawsuits.

However, board members decided to buy the land using money from the district's general operating fund.

"We ended last fiscal year with about an $11 million surplus," said Terry Pruitt, assistant superintendent of business services. "That's our fund balance, money that we would have generated over and above any of our expenses for the year. The board has a policy of trying to maintain a 10-percent fund balance, and for the last few years they've been able to do that."

School officials plan to build a school on the land, most likely, another high school.

"Clearly, the intent is to develop it," Pruitt said. "I don't think anybody has decided that it's going to be (a new) Pontiac Central High School.

"I think we're years away from that. "It's wise at this point to leave our options open. It's an excellent option with proper acreage for a nice school campus."

As part of the resolution to buy the Fairlawn Center campus, school officials plan to use money from a proposed $99.9 million bond proposal - an election is scheduled for May 3 - to pay the cost of the land, placing nearly $2 million of the bond money back into the general fund.

However, the proposal, which calls for the building of a new middle school and two elementary schools among other things, does not include money set aside for the construction of a new high school.

That means, "We're going to have to go for another bond," Northcross said. "It might be another five or six years, (but) I believe we should be regularly going out for a bond as we need to replace buildings."

With a debate in question about where the money was expected to come from, school board members only passed it after a second attempt was made with an amendment to the resolution.

School board members were unable to table discussion for another meeting because the district had to inform the state of its intent to purchase the property by Monday.

"For the future of Pontiac schools, I'm happy it went through," said school board Secretary Eirther Shelmonson-Bey. "We have to attract students to stay in business, so we have to strategically look at where we house students."
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Community of 50 a Virtual Who's Who of Pontiac Polotics

Folks:

City awaits funding answers at meeting
Of The Daily Oakland Press

The fate of the partially finished downtown Streetscape and the Strand Theater were hot topics at a meeting of the Committee of 50 Tuesday.

The projects - both seen as key to downtown revitalization - will be before the Downtown Development Authority at tonight's meeting. It starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Pontiac Growth Group building at 8 S. Saginaw next to the Strand, where construction work is on hold.

The Committee of 50, consisting of business and community leaders, had the biggest turnout of the past several months because of concern over the city's financial crisis and how it will affect downtown revitalization. They are asking Mayor Willie Payne and Finance Director Ed Hannan to give a status report at the April meeting.

The nonprofit Strand Theater group has already been informed it will not receive the final $2.5 million-$2.9 million expected from the Pontiac Growth Group because of shortages in funds there. The group is now looking for state and historic tax breaks and grants to finish the $10 million project. The group is also conducting fund-raising for equipment and operations.

In addition, the committee was told the completion of the $6.3 million Streetscape is on hold until it can be determined whether funds for the Downtown Development Authority project will be available. Expected new tax revenue generated by the Tax Increment Finance Authority and the DDA are less than expected. An audit is under way.

However, a news bulletin was distributed from Payne's office Tuesday afternoon that informed businesses the Streetscape project will resume this spring with construction of curbs and sidewalks on South Saginaw between Huron Street and the Phoenix Plaza.

Funding of the Streetscape has caused confusion. Last year, the council voted unanimously to withdraw $8 million from a Silverdome/Detroit Lions settlement, which can only be used for recreation. Of that, $4 million went to help complete the Strand Theater, $2 million went to make a payment on the debt on the Phoenix Plaza and $2 million went to parks and recreation.

Making the payment on the Plaza freed up Tax Increment Finance Authority funds so the authority could take over the DDA's annual $1.4 million payment on the original construction debt of the Phoenix Plaza for the remaining three years of the 30-year debt.

In turn, this was to free up DDA tax increment money to be used for the Streetscape and start a loan fund for businesses. There was also a proposal that TIFA, not the DDA, would make payments on the $10 million in 2004 Phoenix Center repairs to give the DDA time to do projects and increase its tax revenue.

Now, it is unclear how much tax increment money is available.

The Streetscape on both North and South Saginaw was a promise made to businesses who have remained downtown during slow economic times waiting for revitalization.

All street and sidewalk construction work was done last year on North Saginaw and street lamps were recently installed. When weather improves, trees and plants, and matching benches, trash containers and news boxes are to be put in.

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A Virtual SMART Idea!

Folks:

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Government's role shapes fight on state's faith-based plan

Pro: Governor's initiative helps build a bridge between government and religious communities

By Rev. Edgar Vann

This past week, with many representatives of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths looking on, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed an executive order creating the Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives. This historic moment launched the building of a more formidable bridge between government and the faith community.

The governor says the state funds programs and creates policies, while the faith community touches and impacts lives. The faith community also touches souls, and usually its touch is so much more effective because it is personal and more lasting.

Government has a priority to protect the vulnerable and shares a sense of "unifying values" to serve "the least among us." This new office will help to facilitate the leveling of the playing field for some of the most result-oriented service providers to compete for funding to help address the significant needs in our state.

The governor should be commended for such an effort. The separation and isolation of religious institutions have only led to stagnation. The pervasive challenges that we face require the use of new and creative delivery systems and new relationships that improve the capacity and strength of anti-poverty efforts. The new reality mandates a change in conversation and a new emerging ethos of collaboration.

This funding does not promote religion, but rather acknowledges that faith-based organizations bring tremendous and unique strengths to the table that cannot and should not be ignored.

Government has not always succeeded by throwing trillions of dollars toward poverty programs and urban renewal initiatives. Experience has taught us that initiatives must be designed to meet measurable outcomes and not just idealistic and bureaucratic objectives. By establishing this office and selecting a competent director and staff, the governor has strengthened the safety net in uncertain times.

There are outstanding national models of community and faith-based programs that work. Boston's "10-point Coalition," working in tandem with law enforcement and juvenile agencies, transformed a violence-ridden, at-risk public housing project into a safe haven and a viable community.

Houston's "Power Center" is an engine for empowerment, making a significant contribution to the economy and stability of that community.

The Meta House in Milwaukee specializes in treating and servicing the needs of women addicted to drugs.

All across America, in spite of separation of church and state arguments and opposition from various places, faith-based efforts work.

As a matter of fact, it's nothing new. Catholic charities and the Salvation Army are examples of longtime beneficiaries of government dollars.

In this new state initiative, government will not lose its identity by collaborating with people and institutions of faith, nor should people and institutions of faith lose their identity as both work cooperatively to meet the needs of people everywhere. With hopelessness rising, uncertainty proliferating, jobs evaporating, families unstable and children underserved, we must have the wisdom to build bridges that unite us instead of walls that divide us.

The Office of Community and Faith Based Initiatives will tap into the unique strengths of these groups. Faith-based groups transmit character-building approaches to address social ills; offer a safe haven; and are the principal community organizers.

The government dollars for these state programs come from taxes that people of faith pay, like anyone else. The governor has said, "This is not about a particular faith. This is about serving the citizens in the most effective way." Well said. Optimize the services. Level the playing field. Strengthen the collaboration. Touch the people, and do the work.

The Rev. Edgar Vann, a News Faith and Policy columnist, is pastor of Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit



Sunday, March 20, 2005

Government's role shapes fight on state's faith-based plan

Con: Government restrictions will eliminate spirituality that makes religious programs work

By Rev. Robert Sirico

Many clergy gathered at a conference in Lansing last week where Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced the creation of a new state office for faith-based programs. One news report had the governor saying state government and religious groups "sing out of the same hymnal" when it comes to caring for the poor and vulnerable.

I'm not sure what hymnal they're using in Lansing, but I know the governor's statement gravely misrepresents the proper role of both church and state. It also misses the essential point about parceling out government funds -- whether the source is the state or federal treasury -- to faith-based organizations.

Governments at all levels have for decades contracted with church-affiliated organizations, such as Lutheran Social Services or Catholic Charities. These organizations go to great lengths to separate their services from their religious mission, and not always in a manner that is beneficial to the poor.

It is contrary to the nature of religious charities to draw a stark line between their faith and their works. Churches and other faith groups assist those in need not because they wish to become an appendage of the state, but because their faith demands it.

Where faith-motivated service sees the person as a living icon of God, the state sees a case number or a client. Faith-based help for the poor and needy often works best when material help has proven a failure. That's because religious groups understand how to address the deepest needs of the spirit. The government is clueless here.

Religious groups that have won government funding have often wound up regretting the red tape and lack of flexibility that comes with receiving taxpayer dollars. One of the sessions at the governor's Lansing conference was titled, "Grants, Contracts and How to Become a Vendor with the State of Michigan." This is very revealing of the bureaucratic mind-set. Is there a church, synagogue or mosque in this state that views its mission as just another vendor of state services? For Christians, who understand the Church as the Body of Christ, this mentality is a disaster.

Granholm has already served notice that, in her faith-based system, churches won't be able to preach the Gospel while delivering services or hire people based on their religious belief. Does the state then reserve the right to dictate to religious groups that they must hire even those who do not share their most fundamental beliefs, or beliefs that are antagonistic to their faith?

That is precisely what has been the issue with faith-based programs since their inception. What the state seems incapable of understanding is that religious groups should be free to make hiring decisions based on their deepest beliefs about God and the human person. Those who want to use the coercive power of the state to restrict the hiring practices of religious groups are in fact the ones seeking to impose an ideological belief on others.

Religious leaders who might be seduced by state funding should also understand the fiscal and political realities. First, faith-based initiatives -- whether federal or state -- do not represent new money. They merely allow religious groups to compete for government funding. The state, by the way, is in a severe funding crisis.

Second, faith-based initiatives are promoted by politicians, not saints. Politicians do things for political ends and expect just compensation for their favors.

Effective private charities focus on human and spiritual, not just material needs. Religious groups would do well by shunning faith-based funding and the state control that comes with it. That way, they can answer obligations of faith with a free conscience.

The Rev. Robert Sirico, a News Faith and Policy columnist, is president of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids.

A Virtual WHAT it MIGHT LOOK LIKE

Folks:

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Students' ideas take shape from Troy to Plymouth

Metro teens add their voices to boards and councils

By Amy Lee / The Detroit News

Getting involved

Several communities in recent years have placed teens on municipal boards to get a younger perspective on everything from city growth to libraries to historic preservation. Some cities also have youth councils, which are boards made up entirely of kids 18 and younger. Teens interested in serving their community on boards and commissions can contact the following officials to find out more.

Birmingham: Seaholm High School students can contact community services liaison Cheryl Shettel at (248) 203-3702.

Farmington Hills: Call Youth & Family Services at (248) 473-1841 for information about the Mayor's Youth Council or on opportunities to sit alongside adults on city boards.

Northville: The city's Youth Advisory Committee can be reached at (248) 374-0200.

Plymouth: The city's Community Youth Advisory Commission can be reached at (734) 354-3201.

Royal Oak: The city's Youth Assistance office can be reached at (248) 546-8282.

Southfield: Call the city's clerk's office at (248) 796-5150.

Troy: Applications are available on the city's Web site, or by calling the community affairs department (248) 524-1147.

FARMINGTON HILLS -- Concerned that there was nothing to do in their city, a group of students raised $60,000 and turned the unfinished second floor of the Farmington Hills Ice Arena into an attractive teen hangout.

The sleek, 3,500-square-foot space now draws crowds on weekends, thanks to the kids' group called the Mayor's Youth Council.

"I want to make sure that my opinion is heard because if I don't get out there, maybe other people will and I'll lose the chance to make a difference," said Laura Miller, a sophomore who got active partly because "my mom always wants me to sign up for stuff I can put on my college application."

Farmington Hills is one of a growing number of communities that are turning to students for input on how to improve their towns, either by appointing them to formerly adult-only boards or to youth-only advisory committees. Novi this month joined cities such as Northville, Plymouth, Troy and Birmingham in finding new ways to get student input.

For cities, it's a chance to get a younger perspective on issues as diverse as library services, city beautification and historic preservation. For kids, it's a chance to have a say.

"I definitely have some opinions and beliefs that would benefit the city, and I know other kids do, too," said Chris Jodoin, 15, a sophomore at Novi High School who is excited about the opportunity.

"We're the future and what they do right now affects us. We should have a say in it," Jodoin said.

Novi's City Council agreed to allow 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to become nonvoting members on four of the city's 15 appointed boards and commissions.

"This is a chance for them to be more civic-minded and be able to participate and share their thoughts on how they want their community to look," said Lynne Paul, Novi councilwoman who pitched the proposal. "I've said many times before that as hard as I try to think like a teenager, I just can't."

Evolving from grief

In Farmington Hills, the growing youth involvement began when a car accident killed classmate Dan Lee in front of the high school. A group of students persuaded the city to install a left-turn sign at 12 Mile and Rollcrest in front of Harrison High School.

"Kids pushed and brought that to the forefront," and adults became more accepting of student input on city matters, said Todd Lipa, the city's director of youth and family services.

In communities where student involvement on boards has developed, school districts often serve as a liaison between the city and the students who want to participate. Students typically apply in writing for a position. Some communities ask students to write an essay about their concerns and how they can assist board members.

Commitments range from quarterly meetings to weekly meetings, depending on the board. And not all students can be counted on to dedicate the time, said David Waller, who has worked with several student advisers during his 11-year tenure on Troy's planning board.

"Showing up -- that's the dilemma. It's not often apparent the level of commitment a student will have," he said. "But regardless, I applaud it. We have to keep trying to impress upon them the value and importance of what we do."

Troy a leader

Troy may be a model for students involved in their community. Students serve on an all-teen Troy Youth Council and can also apply to serve as a nonvoting member of 14 adult boards. The city began appointing kids to adult boards in 1999.

Kids have offered advice on everything from traffic issues near the high schools to entertainment and activities at the Troy Daze festival to an analysis of open space and wetlands within city limits.

The city's two student library board advisers can largely take credit for the library's ongoing initiative to become a wireless hot spot, enabling anyone with a laptop computer to link up to the Internet from anywhere in the 50,000-square-foot library, said library director Brian Stoutenburg.

"They want to be wired all the time," he said. "We love having them because a large part of our clientele is our teenagers and they're traditionally very difficult to serve because, well, we don't know anything about them."

Library board teen advisers Lauren Andreoff, a junior at Detroit Country Day, and Chang Chen, a junior at Troy High School, are vocal and persistent in their desire to see Troy's library become "technologically more avant-garde," as Stoutenburg put it.

"They're maybe not as familiar or comfortable with technology as we are," Andreoff, 16, said of her counterparts on the library board.

She got involved with the adult board because she spends much of her time doing homework or studying at the library.

"Being in a leadership position and being involved makes me feel like I'm doing something to help the world around me," she said. "I've always been interested in what goes on behind the scenes at the library and the things they have to deal with. The community there fits me."

Aiding Birmingham, Plymouth

Familiarity drew Kyle Astrein, 17, a senior at Birmingham Seaholm High School to serve her city's popular downtown. Astrein's family owns Astrein Jewelers and the teenager also works part time at the upscale retail shop Caruso Caruso.

Astrein served on the city's principal shopping district board, which is made up of about 15 retailers and community members. She felt retailers were missing out on the cash teens have to spend, even in the pricey downtown boutiques.

The group was willing to listen to her concerns and Astrein said she could sense a slight change in the downtown vibe after about a year.

"I saw the new advertising around Birmingham move away from being so sophisticated to having a more youthful and broader feel," she said.

In Plymouth, teens have undertaken their biggest challenge -- to design and raise more than $75,000 to replace a toppled fountain in Kellogg Park. Members of the city's youth advisory commission held a design contest and, in February, selected an 11-year-old girl's submission for the design of the new Fountain of Youth, as it has been dubbed. The teens hope to begin fund raising in April.

"It will take time and a lot of money, but it's just weird there without the fountain," said Sarah Pursell, 14, a freshman at Plymouth Salem High School. "We've never done anything this big, so we're pretty excited. We'll do anything to make this happen."

You can reach Amy Lee at (248) 647-8605 or alee@detnews.com.

Keeping their EYE on the Virtual Ball!

Folks:

Group focusing on city's vitality
Of The Daily Oakland Press

The Committee of 50, made up of influential business and community leaders, will not let the financial problems and political controversies of the city divert its focus on revitalization of downtown Pontiac, said the Rev. Doug Jones, the group's chairman.

The committee will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Welcome Missionary Baptist Church, 143 Oneida, south of W. Huron near North Oakland Medical Centers. Jones is encouraging anyone who would like to join and move the city forward to come to the meeting.

The optimism for the revitalization is beginning to wane because of recently revealed deficits, which include an estimated $5.2 million to $14 million in the general fund, as well as an estimated $6.9 million in funding that was projected for projects by the Tax Increment Finance Authority.

The shortage of funds has made it impossible to provide the $2.9 million to complete the $10 million renovation of the Strand Theater, which is 70-75 percent complete.

However, despite their differences over finances, Mayor Willie Payne and the City Council agreed to give nods to a brownfield plan that will help the volunteer theater group get a state tax break and possible historic and other tax breaks. It does not give the Strand any further city financing.

Jones is concerned the shortage in tax-increment funding may also hold up the streetscape that finally got under way last year at the north end of Saginaw. The streetscape will be started this spring on the south end of Saginaw to the Phoenix Center and is slated to be completed by August in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise and city festivals.

No change has been announced. The authority has entered into a contract with Plante and Moran to audit the tax-increment funds to determine what the status is before making any decisions on what projects can be done.

However, city Finance Director Ed Hannan said there is enough to make payments on all of the bond debts for projects throughout the city.

"We need to continue to see what we can do to move things forward," said Jones, who is also the city's Woodward Dream Cruise chairman. "The areas we want to focus on are the Strand Theater, the library and how to maintain downtown businesses."

"The city is in financial straits and there is so much going on with council and the mayor, hopefully, as a committee, we can come together. There are still things to focus on. I was really happy to see the council really believes in the Strand and we need to keep the push on that.

"We will look at the Streetscape. The half they did really looks good. Maybe we can spiff up the other end of Saginaw and we can talk about what we will do to keep the progress going," Jones said.

The Streetscape includes sidewalks, benches, trees and trash receptacles on Saginaw Street, the city's main downtown artery.

Other goals of the Committee of 50 are creating, developing and sustaining new and existing businesses, opening the door for minority and majority businesses, bringing the residents of Pontiac to downtown, and renewing a sense of pride, ownership and participation in the downtown.

For more information, call Jones at (248) 335-8740.
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A Virtual Success!

Folks:

Lighthouse helps Unity Park shine
Of The Daily Oakland Press

PONTIAC - The Unity Park Neighborhood revival around Lighthouse of Oakland County is the most ambitious project ever undertaken by the agency.

Since its beginnings in 1992, Unity Park has undergone a complete revitalization with the partnership of Lighthouse, volunteers and donations from the Building Industry Association of Southeastern Michigan, corporate sponsors, and residents.

The neighborhood is bounded by Woodward Avenue on the west, Auburn on the north, Martin Luther King Jr. on the east and the railroad tracks just south of Osmun to the south.

County Commissioner Mattie McKinney-Hatchett, a resident of the neighborhood since 1970, and City Council President Everett Seay, both give Noreen Keating, Lighthouse of Oakland County president and chief executive officer, credit for identifying the community's needs, formulating a program to meet them and then carrying out the plans.

Initially, the activist residents of the bedraggled urban neighborhood were a small group.

But they joined forces and grew, eventually partnering with Lighthouse of Oakland County to create the new Unity Park Neighborhood out of an aging one suffering from crime and blight.

Beverly Garrison, 64, has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years and was the neighborhood association's first president.

"There's been a lot of tearing down of homes and lot of building up," said Garrison.

Like other Unity Park residents, Garrison said there has been a drop in crime and a rise in property values.

Joe Heaphy, executive director of Lighthouse Community Development, said the neighborhood has improved so much that real estate agents are again working in the area and private companies are building homes there. Among the Lighthouse volunteer partners are members of the Building Industry Association of Southeastern Michigan and Oakland Schools building trades students.

According to a CNNmoney RealEstate report, the Unity Park ZIP code, 48342, which also includes part of downtown Pontiac, has the 10th fastest rising property values in the nation. The median price of a home is $68,000, which is up 39.6 percent in five years through the third quarter of 2004, according to the report.

Garrison raised her four children in the neighborhood. Before Lighthouse got involved, she said, "A lot of the houses were raggedy. It was more like a slum. That's the way I saw it moving in here from Ohio.

"When I first lived here, we went through a thing with young gangs, the 'Black Disciples,' (and) the era of busing when our children were bused to the other side of town ..."

She said her children went to three elementaries and three different junior high schools under the busing plan.

"They seemed to adjust. Three graduated from Pontiac and the youngest from Cranbrook," she noted.

"There's been parks built up," Garrison continued. "It's a cleaner neighborhood. People have moved out and people have moved in."

She cited the construction of new homes, the new senior citizens complex and the new Lighthouse building that opened in 2001 as examples of the renewal.

Hatchett became involved with Keating when the Pontiac Area Transitional Housing residential program for homeless mothers and their children started in 1991.

"One of the things Noreen Keating needs to get recognition for is she had the vision to see that we needed to help single parents, women, a concentrated program to move them to a more constructive level," Hatchett said. "Without intervention, we'd continue to have babies being born and women not being homeowners or getting an education or training."

The apartment selected and renovated inside and out for the PATH residential program had been drug-infested, Hatchett said.

"I've seen the whole tone of my community change and I believe my own property values has gone up because of the renovation of homes and building of new homes just in my pocket alone. Noreen and Lighthouse deserve a lot of accolades for that."

Seay said he remembers that in 1985, crime was rampant and "we weren't tearing down houses that should have been torn down. When a new house was built, it was like big-time news.

"I did studies on infant mortality on the east side and found that blight and crime is a root cause. I was in the paper saying, 'How can you allow this to happen?' And the only organization (leader) that called me was Noreen.

"She wanted to do a plan with not only the physical aspects but the human aspect of it.

"Noreen, Unity Park, Eirther Shelmonson-Bey and Citizens District Council 7 and various mayors - we knew if it was going to work for Pontiac, it would have to work over there (in Unity Park). That was the proving ground."

Seay said the program covered every aspect of the quality of life.

"The spin-off has been that other people are clearing land. People are coming back and living within the community," he said. "After I'm gone and Noreen's gone, (neighborhood and Lighthouse) will continue. This is beyond the politics.

"What we've got over there is a fraction less than a miracle. That's what happens when everyone's working together."
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A VIRTUAL DILEMMA

Folks:

Batten down the hatches..........

State plans to audit city
Of The Daily Oakland Press

The state Department of Treasury plans to do its own audit of internal controls of the city's accounting books.

Terry Stanton, spokesman for the treasury department, said the audit will be done to assist the financially struggling city, which has a deficit of $5.2 million in the general fund from the 2002-2003 audit that was recently completed.

"We welcome them," said Lewis Vaughn, chief assistant to Finance Director Ed Hannan. "This is not like a witch hunt or anything like that. It is what they do.

"We have the material ready that they requested. They are going to do an internal control audit. Internal controls are the processes and procedures we have in place to safeguard the assets. The state routinely does this for several communities."

Documents circulated by officials indicate the deficit could be as high as $11-14 million.

Preparations are being made to do the 2003-2004 audit that was to be given to the treasury department at the end of December.

In addition, revenue for the Tax Increment Finance Authority, which has projects throughout the city, is short an estimated $6.9 million from what was projected. The authority has contracted with Plante and Moran to do a special audit of its funds.

In reaction, the City Council approved a resolution last week to allow Wayne Belback, the council's legislative auditor, full access to the city's computerized Banner financial system.

The council has complained for months that it does not have adequate information about the city's financial status even though it controls appropriations.

To improve the situation, city administration has met with treasury officials to propose a deficit reduction plan and has a contract with the Plante and Moran auditing firm to assess accounting methods and train employees to meet auditing requirements.

Mayor Willie Payne and Hannan, the finance director, said they hope state auditors will allow the problems to be solved internally with the help of Carl Johnson, a Plante and Moran auditor who has worked with Flint and Highland Park in solving their financial difficulties.

"The city has a deficit and is late with its audit" for the 2003-2004 fiscal year, Stanton said. "If there are any problems with internal controls, we will send a report to the city. The city will give us a sense of how they will remedy any issues we bring up.

"There are a number of audits we do annually and it keeps units out of further trouble."

Stanton said the state is not ready to put the city into receivership.

"We work with local units throughout the year to help determine if there is an issue and how to remedy it so there isn't any need for emergency" remedies such as receivership, he said.

Councilman Joe Hansen distributed information at a council meeting last week than indicated the deficit from audits in 2001 and 2002 were the first for the city since at least 1995.

The information was gathered by Belback at Hansen's request. The general fund had a deficit of $373,172 in 2002 and $5.099 million in 2003.

Belback's data shows the total fund balance - combining the general fund balance and the budget stabilization fund after city audits - was $4.9 million in 1995. It went up to $10.4 million in 1998, and dropped to $2.5 million in 2002. In 2003, the fund balance was a minus $2.25 million.

Payne, who took office in January 2002, said the deficit in the 2002 budget would have come from 2001-2002 - before he took office. He noted it in his first state of the city address.

He said the budget numbers Belback gathered may have looked better than they really were because at that time the problems in the comptroller's office were not known.

But his political opponents say if he was aware of the deficit when he came into office, he should have done more to correct them by this time.

A Virtual Faith Based Initiative by Governor Granholm

Folks:

Granholm launches her own faith-based initiative
Of The Associated Press

LANSING - Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants state government to work with religious groups to help the needy, despite concerns the move could violate the First Amendment restraint on government-established religion.

The governor on Monday created a state office of community and faith-based initiatives to enlist religious organizations to recruit mentors for foster children, provide lower-cost prescription drugs and fight substance abuse, Granholm said.

"Our lives on Earth are not about those with the most cars, but those with the most compassion," the Catholic Democrat told a state-sponsored symposium on faith-based programs.

Much like President Bush's push for faith-based initiatives, however, Granholm's plan worries the American Civil Liberties Union, which says it could promote religion and violate the federal and state constitutions.

Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan, said it wouldn't be acceptable for a food bank to require people to pray before receiving their food if the food bank received government funding.

She also called the faith-based office a "potential minefield" because the state will have difficulty knowing whether some faith-based groups have discriminatory hiring practices.

"Some may not want to hire people of different faiths, different genders," she said.

Granholm said criticism of her program is unwarranted.

"This is not about a particular faith. This is about serving the citizens in the most effective way," she said after her speech.

"I can't imagine people criticizing an effort to try to recruit mentors for children who may have no parents. ... I can't imagine any organization criticizing an effort to reduce the cost of health care for senior citizens. And if they are criticizing that, I say bring it on."

Granholm said the office won't endorse a particular religion or approve of any discrimination. The main goal is to strengthen families and protect children, she said.

Granholm used Christian, Islamic and Judaic teachings to remind more than 700 clergy and community leaders at the symposium that government has a duty to care for society's most vulnerable.

The office will serve as the single point of contact for community and faith-based groups wanting to use state programs or dollars to provide social services. Granholm said it will formalize the outreach efforts that her administration has aimed for two years toward churches, synagogues, mosques and religious groups.

Bishop Nathaniel Wells Jr., pastor of Holy Trinity Institutional Church of God in Christ in Muskegon, said government dollars have long been given to groups like Catholic Social Services and The Salvation Army. He said Granholm's office could help notify organizations of available federal funding.

President Bush has pushed a faith-based initiative nationally, trying to give religious organizations equal footing with nonsectarian groups in competing for federal contracts. So far, the effort has stalled in Congress.

A Piece of Real Virtual News / Digital Divide

County seeks free wireless access

Businesses would receive incentives; residents would get free use throughout Oakland
Of The Daily Oakland Press

Being able to access a computer anywhere in the county will make workers more efficient and help attract high-tech companies.

That's part of the pitch high-tech companies heard from Oakland County administrators Monday as they launched a project to make wireless access available - and free - from anywhere in the county.

The county invited businesses for the 45-minute presentation, laying out what officials envision and asking businesses to build the countywide network.

Administrators want free access available throughout the county so people without access can use it to qualify for high-tech jobs.

"The goal is to create the work force of tomorrow," said Oakland County Deputy Executive Phil Bertolini. "If they never had access to the technology to begin with, how are they going to take advantage of those jobs?"

Several hundred business representatives attended the presentation, the first in a series of meetings.

The goal is to launch a pilot project by September and have the wireless network in place by the end of 2006.

The county plans to accept proposals in April for participation in building the network but stresses that it doesn't want to own the wireless network.

The county contribution is access to Oakland's estimated 2,400 towers, government offices, public schools, traffic signals and poles, as well as the county's 500 miles of fiber-optic lines.

In exchange for use of public facilities without charge, businesses are being asked to build a network that includes a basic level of free service anywhere in the county.

Under the county proposal, businesses would be able to sell advertising or charge fees for faster or enhanced access.

Administrators plan to meet with the county's 61 cities, villages and townships to arrange for use of municipal light poles and local traffic signal poles as other wireless broadcast points.

"I'm convinced the time is right for the county to go wireless," said County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.

Also joining in the effort is the state's Michigan Broadband Development Authority, which has helped finance wireless access projects in other parts of the state, including Jackson, Benton Harbor, the Saginaw Bay area and Rose City.

To help expand wireless service, the authority offers a combination of low-interest loans and grants to businesses.

"We look at the initiative in Oakland County as building on (what the state has already done)," said Bob Filka of the authority.

"We look forward to making ourselves available."

The VIRTUAL "Sky Has Fallen" Legacy

Folks:

Say it isn't so........

Pontiac residents deserve better from their leaders

Web-posted Mar 13, 2005

Pontiac residents soon will become familiar with the word "nonfeasance." It means failure to fulfill an obligation.

And it will describe far too much of what has not been going on in the city's government during an as-yet-undetermined number of years.

Mainly the city administration has not managed to keep track of how much money it has collected from taxpayers, has not returned much excess money collected as income tax and has continued to spend money, regardless.

This not a situation that can been blamed solely on Mayor Willie Payne or the current City Council. Predecessors left a mess behind. But Payne has been in office for more than three years.

Now, the municipality, seat of one of the most prosperous counties in the nation, faces a debt estimated at anywhere from $5 million to more than $30 million. That is in the context of an annual budget of some $230 million.

The wonder is that no checks have been returned marked "insufficient funds." Then again, perhaps some have, and we haven't heard about it.

Council members have repeatedly demanded an accounting but were not so concerned about fiscal responsibility that they thought of postponing buying themselves new cars - a strange city entitlement - or of denying themselves city-paid travel.

This isn't simply a matter of not keeping up with the paperwork. Spending decisions involving public tax dollars were made without significant public input in some cases, including the building of an entertainment stage atop the Phoenix Center parking garage.

Money that otherwise would have gone to such public bodies as Pontiac schools, Oakland County and city government was diverted under a special state law to the open-air theater. It was spent as cash in what amounted to secrecy.

The project was a surprise to everyone except those appointed to handle such money.

More than $10 million was involved, and it turns out some of that had been intended for completion of the vital Strand Theater and the rebuilding of sidewalks, lighting and so forth downtown.

Instead, it went to a stealth project that, to add insult to injury, is apt to create a noise pollution problem in the city center.

Now, City Hall faces substantial spending cutbacks, no doubt involving layoffs of many employees who provide services to taxpayers.

It is either do it now or run the city into the ditch to be rescued by a stern state takeover.

The truth is that a lot of taxpayers would like to see just such vigorous shaping up by an outsider of what has become an almost hopelessly disorganized and incompetent enterprise.

At Pontiac's City Hall, officials have not only lost track of the money, they've lost control of events, as in the case of the parking deck project.

Meanwhile, the Pontiac Silverdome twists slowly in the winds of indecision as City Hall ponders two mediocre offers for the sale of one of the most valuable pieces of property in the state. Unfortunately, the city has no municipal confidence, as well as little competence, and no doubt will accept one of them.

Pontiac, basically, is a fine city, and its residents do not deserve this.

Mayor Payne on the Virtual State of the City

Mayor plans to cut city's deficit

Web-posted Mar 8, 2005

By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY

Of The Daily Oakland Press

Mayor Willie Payne promised future prosperity in a state of the city address that was positive in the midst of budget deficits.

Payne said major reductions will be incorporated into a comprehensive 2005-2006 deficit reduction plan developed with the City Council.

The city has a deficit of at least $5.2 million in the general fund.

"It is safe to say that any plan that incorporates a reduction of major proportions will be painful to all involved. Yet it is something that we must do ourselves, as our pain will certainly be greater if it must be done by others," the mayor said.

He cited several successes during the past year, including new police programs, new housing, new development and a downtown stereoscope under way.

Payne also announced Oakland Plaza medical clinic, planned on an 18-acre site adjacent to Great Lakes Crossing, has partnered with General Electric. As a result the planned 40,000-square-foot medical facility planned by Dr. Chukwudi Okonmah has evolved into a 200,000-plus-square-foot state-of-the-art fully digitalized ambulatory care facility.

"It is the first of its kind in the nation... The unique showcase for demonstrating outpatient care of the 21st century will regularly host GE clients from around the country and the world," he said.

In addition, Payne also reported his office is launching a 20-20-20 program with the school district that includes a "City-Wide Quiet Time from 6:30-8 p.m. during which parents will eliminate distractions such as televisions, radio, telephones and visitors and reserve 20 minutes for reading, 20 minutes for math and 20 minutes for quality time, plus dinner."

"We have to stay positive," said Council President Everett Seay. "We've got the dots, we've got to connect them. The state has said it will work with us on this. Services will continue," he said.

But former Deputy Mayor Leon Jukowski, was not so generous.

"He's got some really serious problems and ignoring them won't make them go way," he said.

Conway Thompson, who led an unsuccessful recall campaign against Payne, noted the mayor said early in his administration he knew there was a deficit but never had an audit done to determine the city's financial standing.

"You running your household, would not be writing checks without knowing how much is in the account," Thompson said.

Sol Conference 2004 Message Virtually Lives On!

Folks:

Something wonderful is unfolding in the community thanks to the STUDENTS and TEACHERS whom particpated and delivered their message at the Sol Conference 2004. This is a very good thing for the youth in the City of Pontiac.

Students offer ideas on education

"One student says teachers need to interact more, rather than just talk"
Of The Daily Oakland Press

About 50 Pontiac high school students demonstrated Wednesday that, like politicians, school administrators, teachers and parents, they too have a few ideas about education reform.

"We don't want the teacher to just stand in front of us and talk our heads off," said Pontiac Central junior Jessica Griggs. "We want to interact."

Griggs and other students shared ideas about helping students achieve as part of a day-long event sponsored by the Pontiac-based National Civility Center.

Established in 2000, the nonprofit organization works to help individuals and institutions advocate for a broad array of improvements in their communities.

Executive Director Kent Roberts said he organized Wednesday's event, as well as three others statewide, to prepare for a series of education reform conferences being organized by Michigan State University, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan Department of Education.

"I told them that I'd be happy to take part in that, but on one condition - that I go to the experts first," Roberts said.

The former teacher noted that high school students can offer insightful and even profound ideas about improving student achievement - some that mirror suggestions being made by politicians and education experts.

"You've got to have faith that they will come up with the same recommendations, but they'll frame it in a better context," Roberts said. "It will be depoliticized."

Pontiac Central High School senior Kayla Henke said schools need to ensure a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students.

"If you feel accepted or if you feel like you're going to be laughed at if you get something wrong, that affects how much you're going to participate," she explained.

Students also suggested: Educators and politicians need to place less emphasis on standardized test outcomes; all teachers should demonstrate a passion for their work; and society, in general, should appreciate that different students learn in different ways.

A number of students said the responsibility of making academic achievement gains also lies in the hands of students themselves.

"I feel if more students were involved in school ... more teachers would want to put more into their work," said Meosha Lewis, a Bethune Alternative High School junior.

Roberts said a number of students who offered their thoughts on Wednesday will be invited to make presentations at coming education reform conferences. Those events are scheduled later this month and in April.

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