The 'Other' Issues

Questions about schools and race simmer
in Southfield City Council primary.

ii.

To promote understand-
ing, the city, through its
community relations depart-
s in many
ment, has co-hosted a num-
Michigan cities,
ber of multicultural events.
the Sept. 14 pri-
These include a series of
mary for four city
International Cafe nights
council seats in Southfield
featuring dinner, dancing
includes debate over improv-
and entertainment from a
ing city services while reduc-
single foreign country or
ing both crime and taxes.
region as well as the
But the contest also is
Original Old World Market,
African American and Caucasian Christians.
a three-day multicultural bazaar featuring crafts, arr
surfacing some latent issues of ethnic and racial rela-
-, —\
"Southfield represents a mix of different com-
food and dancing from a number of countries.
tions as well as clarifying a tension between the city
munities," said Jewish Community Council
government and the school board.
"We celebrate our diversity, our multiculturalism
Executive Director David Gad-Harf. They live
and we strive for understanding through these events,"
The issues have drawn a large field of candidates.
together as neighbors.
said Nimrod Rosenthal, the city's community relations
Four of the seven council member terms are set to
"For the community to move forward, there has
director. "The events have been very successful."
expire; three are four-year terms and one is a two-
to be good cooperation among the groups. It is in
The city government and the school system's gov-
year term.
the best interest of the Jewish community to have
erning body have experienced a different kind of
Sidney Lantz, Myron Frasier and Sylvia Jordan
neighborly relations with its fellow Southfield resi-
tension in the past decade, mostly over perceptions
are seeking re-election while Joan Seymour is not.
dents," he said.
of the quality of education and responsibilities to ,(
Others in the primary are Roy Bell, Jonathan
youth programs.
Brateman, Cedric McSween, Jr., Eleanor
Joint committees and projects have
Smith, Kevin Threatt, Marilyn Williams
helped to ease the strain, as has mutual
and Robert Willis.
cooperation in helping to pass the library
The primary will narrow the field to
millage last spring.
four. The top three vote getters in a run-off
Kenson Siver, director of public infor-
in November will get four-year council
Voter guides for Southfield's primary election for city
mation for Southfield Schools, said that
positions, while the last-place finisher will
clerk and city council, scheduled for Sept. 14, are
on a day-to-day working relationship,
earn a two-year term. Additionally, five
available at City Hall and both public libraries in
there is good rapport between the school
individuals are competing to fill an unex-
district and the city. We don't always agree
pired term of two years for city clerk:
Southfield. The League of Women Voters Oakland
on issues and budgets and, on an individ-
Nancy Banks, Gail Simpson, Joan Seymour,
Area prepared the guides. The league is a nonpartisan
ual level, there may be some politics.
Barbara J. Stallworth and Karl Woodward.
political organization that neither supports nor
"I think that is normal," he continued.
With a population of 75,000, the city
opposes any candidate for political office.
"I think things are characterized as worse
has enclaves of Jews, Muslims, Armenians,
"
than they are.
Indians and Chaldeans side by side with

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR
Special to the Jewish News

Voter Guides Offered

"

9/3
1999
1.2 Detroit Jewish News