"I had two neighbors," Flam said,
"who hadn't spoken to each other in
years because a tree on one's property
always dropped leaves on the other's.
In another case, a person complained
the cement wasn't poured correctly for
his driveway. He showed a photo of it
to the contractor, who settled the
matter in five minutes."
Rosenthal, a mediator for seven
years, stresses three points for a medi-
ator's role: be neutral, listen, and
search for the issues. "We've had
employees who felt they were treated
unfairly by their employer and could-
n't get their problem solved through
their human resources people, or even
the union grievance system, but it was
settled here," he said.
Ascher was "looking for things to do"
after he retired and heard about the
OMC through colleagues. He has
mediated several cases of religious and
racial discrimination, caused by people
using ethnic slurs or jokes. His other
cases included "a disabled person who
claimed he was passed over for promo-
tion because of his disability two gay
men who argued over their property,
and an Egyptian and a Pakistani who
had a dispute over a leased taxi cab that
subsequently was wrecked."
The OMC's success rate has caught
the attention of reporters on the local
television channels, who get pleas
from viewers for help in resolving dis-
putes with commercial companies.
Other key services provided by the
OMC are mediation trairiing work-
shops for business professionals and
peer mediation/conflict resolution
training for youth. During the past
school year, the center gave training at
15 schools and organiiations and did
two 40-hour workshops for adults.
"Peer mediation training teaches
youngsters to act as third-party neu-
trals to assist their schoolmates in
resolving disputes," said Bonnie
Hanes, OMC's youth training coordi-
nator. "This results in enhanced self-
esteem, increased self-confidence,
greater ability to deal with peer pres-
sure among students, and — above all
— decreased violence."
As keynote speaker at OMC's 10th
anniversary dinner party recently,
Oakland County Circuit Judge
Edward Sosnick reminded attendees,
"A dispute is a problem to be solved
together, not a combat to be won." ❑
Oakland Mediation Center can
be reached at (248) 338-4280.
hether you're a wife, a mother, or a daughter,
get regular breast screenings.
If not for you, for them.
Breast cancer can be nearly 100%
curable if detected early. That's why
the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
Institute has made their expertise
even more convenient with two
state-of-the-art prevention centers.
At both centers, you can schedule a
mammogram, receive educational
information, and more.
To schedule an appointment,
call 1-800-KARMANOS. You owe it
to yourself. And your family.
BARBARA ANN
CANCER INSTITUTE
xvww.karmanos.org
Troy, The Somerset Collection South
2801 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite B-020
1111•111
VIS4
CELEBRATION
CONNECTION
DIRECTORY .o
in our
Classified Section
Berkley, 28105 North Woodward Avenue
25040 Southfield Rd • Southfield, MI 48075
248-569-5000.
Summer
0
•
0
Fax 248-569-5801
(Daylight Savings Time)
Sunday
Monday - Wed.
Thursday
Friday
8:00am - 6:00pm
7:30am - 7:00pm
7:30am - 9:00pm
7:30am - 4:30pm
6/16
2000
113