Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944
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"Your mother really raised you guys right." Those were the words spoken from my new doctor as we finished talking during my annual mammogram appointment. Wow, I said as I began to reflect on the sentence and my mother at the same time. Those words came from a stranger, my new doctor of fifteen minutes. I thought about what she said as I walked to my car from the beautiful Karmones Cancer Institute in Downtown Detroit. I immediately called my sister, Ingrid, to talk about how that statement was...
According to the City of River Rouge, soil samples were taken at three locations on the east side of the City last summer. The locations were Belanger Park, John Jakubowski Park, and the Great Lakes Athletic Fields. The findings were that each location had levels of lead that were above the 400 ppm level. According to the information from River Rouge, it stated, "Several of the samples, however, exceeded The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy's (EGLE) most restrictive res...
There has been so much going on in our lives and our communities. Within the pages of the Telegram News, I try to encourage our readers to get involved in their communities. We do a good job at keeping you focused on an issue, but now we have to figure out a way to do many things at once. It starts with having a conversation and keeping the lines of communication open. Here is my attempt to prioritize our efforts that will help our families improve. Since it is so much going on, I am suggesting...
During the River Rouge Council meeting on March 7th, it was announced that Belanger Park will only be open for fishing. The Park area has been closed off and orange safety fencing has been installed around the outer area of the park. That includes the play area, two of the picnic shelters and the bond fire area. During initial conversations with the EPA, it was stated that some of the soil samples that were taken last year revealed a level of contamination. A decision was made to close the park...
March was Reading Month - Telegram News Publisher, Gina Wilson Steward, took time to read to students at River Rouge Public Library. The book she chose was 'All Are Welcome'....
Say goodbye to ZOOM meetings for now. The Executive Committee of the Western Wayne County NAACP Branch is inviting the community to their first In-Person General Membership meeting since 2020. The meeting will be held at Christian Faith Ministries located at 27500 Marquette in Garden City. They are looking forward to seeing people from the community and members that they haven't seen in a few years. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm, so come a little early to fellowship before the meeting...
There are so many people that have written a book. Our Black History Series – Spotlight on Local Authors- has been a hit so we are going to continue it. The emails and calls that we have received from local authors has been encouraging and enlightening. I knew that people have something to say, because I do. What I didn't know was that people have taken the next step to have their words published. The Telegram will continue to run the 'Spotlight on Local Authors' throughout the year. If you a...
Happy Black History Month! It's no time like the present for you to learn your history. Most people know about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and Madame C. J. Walker, but there are so many others that helped to shape our country and our lives. I grew up in a household that focused on learning about Black history. We played Black History Bingo, had Black History Trivia games and my parents made sure we visited museums to learn about our history and took trips to expose...
The third Monday of January is the day that the nation recognizes the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The United States passed the legislation to make it a Federal Holiday in 1983. But the first observance nationwide wasn't until 1986. During many of the talks I have done in his honor over the years, I encourage people to honor his life and celebrate the accomplishments that were made during his short life throughout the year. I decided to use the Telegram to do just that. Although I...
On January 16th, the Dearborn Heights Community and Cultural Relations Commission held its 2nd annual Walk Of Service for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This event started at one o'clock in the afternoon in Annapolis High Schools' gym. They had a handful of speakers, such as Superintendent of District 7 Dr. Ty Weeks, President of Western Wayne County NAACP Gina Wilson Steward, and keynote speaker Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden. All these fantastic speakers talked about...
Over the last two months I have been watching my dad's diet. No he is not on a diet, but his doctor has instructed us that there are some things that he needs to remove from his normal meal plan (diet). The doctors said, 'no processed food, no caffeine and no salt'. Well for the months of November and December I have controlled his food intake thus, also controlling mine. He was a Pepsi drinker, but during these two months, he has had one (1) Pepsi. (I let him get a treat last week) He drinks...
There is always so much hype during this time of year as people prepare for Christmas Day. I do not get into the big commercialization of Christmas Day celebration. Christmas Day is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, so we should be giving him gifts…But that’s another column. I believe Black Friday (shopping and spending lots of money) should be every day, but it should start in our own communities. There are businesses within all of our communities that are just waiting for your business. They pa...
On the surface, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act sounds like a win for news organizations that remain committed to providing vital information for their communities. It also sounds suitable for the survival of important local news. However, like many pieces of legislation that float around Capitol Hill, flaws abound. Intended to support local journalism, the bill introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) would create a link tax on social media platforms. The bill suggests lawmakers...
The Inkster Deltas hosted their ' 1 Day- 2 Serve -3 Ways' on November 20th. They collected items at a Hustle For Turkeys event held on Friday, November 18th. At this event, they had an instructor who facilitated hustle-line dances for all (60) participants who attended. Each attendee was asked to bring non-perishable items as donations. The items were then distributed to local churches on Sunday, November 20th. They collected over 300 nonperishable items for donation that night along with...
Where do you get your news from? Do you get snippets from your friends or clips from that have just been copied from other people. It's time to get your news from your local community newspaper, the Telegram. We have been providing news to the Metropolitan Detroit community for over 78 years and I don't take that for granted. I appreciate all of our subscribers, advertisers and municipalities that believe in the Telegram. Each week, the Telegram Newspaper strives to share information about what...
I have realized that one of the most important things that is missing In our cities is ‘community engagement’. Some of the major issues that are affecting our homes, community, state and the nation can be resolved when people get involved. I’m sure that you will agree that the issues of Crime in the city, Illiteracy, Funding and Education in school districts, Prison to Pipeline, Blight, Lack of Faith and Low Voter turnout are issues that need to be addressed. If you agree with me, then I ask,...
It's time to celebrate the 78th Anniversary of the Telegram Newspaper. We consider us to be the Biggest Little Paper in town. There comes a time when you look back over your past and you just say Thank You. I know I do that daily. I thank God for good health, vision, good family, loyal readers and supporters of the Telegram. We have come a long way and my heart just expands when someone calls and tells me that they enjoy reading the articles within the pages of the Telegram. (Yes, some people...
Twice a year I publish a column 'We must hold our Elected Officials Accountable". As I rally with the community members and we discuss the issues that are important to them, I see the fire in their eyes. They are passionate about so many things. Their concerns range from salaries of the city attorneys, property being sold in the community, police stops & police interaction, councilpersons voting the influence of the Mayors, diversity of city hall employees, growing number of marijuana...
I sometimes ponder on the question, what is the responsibility of elected officials? I believe that their main responsibility is to represent the people in the area where they were elected. Whether it is a city council, state representative, governor, etc., they are to represent the people. However, there are times when elected officials seem to vote their own agenda. They may vote to pass legislation that will benefit their friend's company and sometimes they may vote not to support the best...
All cities in Michigan will have a General Election on Tuesday, November 8th. I know it is not the Presidential election, but it is important that you exercise your right to vote. It is time to learn about the candidates who are running to represent you. The positions that they are trying to hold has more of an effect on your daily lives than the presidency. The positions are Mayors/Supervisors, City Council persons/trustees, Clerks, Treasures and Judges. Take some time to get to know the candid...
The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber (SWCRC) hosted its sixth annual Women of Achievement Awards on Friday, October 14. The event was held at Crystal Gardens in Southgate. Main sponsors for the event were Beaumont Health, PNC Bank, Wayne County Community College District, and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency. The event showcases exceptional women in business and community leadership in the downriver region in four separate categories. President and CEO of SWCRC Ron Hinrichs...
River Rouge is undergoing a major political change. There will inevitably be new people in mayoral, treasurer, city council, and school board positions. The race is on. The polls will be opening on November 8th. The neighborhood has been redecorated with signs and banners, and candidates have held events pushing their campaign. The auditorium of River Rouge High School was home for a public forum hosted by the Western Wayne County NAACP and Just Transition. All candidates on the November 8th...
The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber will proudly recognize some of the most outstanding women in our region. The event honors women in Downriver business leadership, and inspires our next generation of female leaders. The honorees are; Gina Wilson Steward - "Kyle F. Stack Leadership Award," Jessica Bazner - "Entrepreneur Award," and Lisa Rutledge - "Unsung Heroine Award!" The Chamber will also honor an emerging young professional in our community with the "Distinguished Young Woman...
Her goal is to make sure River Rouge is a better city for all of it's residents. She says that her education, corporate work experience, her experience as a small business owner, relationships with stake holders throughout Wayne County and the State has prepared her to become the next Mayor of River Rouge. Ms. Wilson as she is called by most people in the community where she grew up has been a positive role model to many of the young people in the Millennial age group. She was their tutor and...
I watched a group of young people over the last few months and I began to ponder the question, why are they activist? Were they born with the Activist gene or did they become activist because of the associations that they have had. After thinking about it for a while, I decided that it is probably a combination of both. I watched these young people stand and speak so eloquently about things that they want to change in their communities and in the colleges and schools that they attend. They...