75.0
DETROIT
C R 2:.
JEWISH NEWS
27676 FRANKLIN RD
SOUTHFIELD MI 48034 - 8203
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UHS Buses Score Poorly
Vehicles receive low grades on state inspections.
RUTH LRTMANN STAFF WRITER
nited Hebrew Schools
Transportation—whose
vehicles bring more than
500 Jewish children to
school each day — is
scoring low marks with
the Michigan State Police
Department.
For the past three years,
routine state inspections have
reported defects with UHS
buses, including: "oil leaking
all over engine, no brake
lights, play in right king pin."
Inspectors have "red tagged"
many vehicles and given UHS
Transportation a "poor" rating
— the lowest possible score.
There is disagreement as
to whether "red-tag" violations
threaten passenger safety.
Michigan State Police officials
who inspect the buses claim
red-tag defects endanger, or
have the potential for endan-
gering, people on board.
Leaders of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, which runs UHS
Transportation, say buses car-
rying passengers are safe.
Federation officials also say
they take red tagged buses off
the road until necessary re-
pairs are made.
The Michigan State Police
is investigating this claim.
State law prohibits vehicles
with red tags from transport-
ing passengers.
"It's clearly our policy to get
buses off the road, if judged un-
safe, until they're restored to
safe operating conditions," said
Federation Planning Director
Larry Ziffer, who sends his chil-
dren to Akiva Hebrew Day
School on UHS buses.
UHS Transportation's new
executive director, Bruce
Schjolin, who has been on the
job for about a month, says he
doesn't know if, prior to his
tenure, red-tagged buses were
operated contrary to state law.
Mr. Schjolin says he will not
allow red-tagged buses on the
road.
"If I find anyone pulling
those kinds of shenanigans,
they'll be finding another gain-
ful place of employment," he
said.
BUSES page 10
nide
BUSINESS
Automobile Wars
Car dealerships adjust to the changing times.
Page 30
WASHINGTON
Black-Jewish Tension
A resolution in Congress widens the gulf
Page 56
HEALTH
Not Without A Fight
Young adults find illness bolsters their will.
Page 70
Contents on page 3
Creating a chosen and thriving world south of 8 Mile Road.
oar: , 22
Remembering Life At Central High
Milton Landau writes about a different era of Jewish life.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
othing tasted as good as a direction by Arthur Rose and starring the
Vem.or's mixed with vanil- Birmingham Templesingers, Central High:
la ice cream. A streetcar The Musical includes real and imaginary vi-
ride cost six cents. A great gnettes about life at the old school.
Mr. Landau, who graduated in 1948 from
day was hanging out at the
Cream of Michigan in the Central, spent his boyhood years on Clements
afternoon and listen-
ing to the radio in the
evening.
And at the core of it
all for every Jewish teen was Central High.
In the 1930s-1950s, thousands of
Jewish students passed through the doors
of Central High. Located at Linwood and
Burlingame in the heart of the Detroit
Jewish community, Central was one of
three schools in a single complex that in-
cluded Durfee Intermediate and
Roosevelt Elementary.
Milt Landau calls his days at Central
some of the best of his life. But instead of
just waxing nostalgic with a group of old milto n Landau
friends, he decided to write about his alma
near Linwood. Like everyone else in the neigh-
mater.
On April 8, Mr. Landau's Central High: borhood, he lived in a small flat with no air-
The Musical will make its world premiere at conditioning and no TV set.
the Birmingham Temple. Featuring musical MILT page 6