Metro

IShlepping' Out
To The Suburbs

Detroit mayor charms many, stirs
others at JCC gathering.

Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News

neighborhood and was "thoroughly
familiar" with Durfee Junior High
School and Central High, attended by
many old-time Jewish suburbanites.
he late Coleman A. Young,
He pointed out he has visited the JCC
who served five terms
a few times previously and took a trip
as Detroit's first African-
to Israel while a member of the State
American mayor, usually maintained
House of Representatives — before
a confrontational style with the
becoming, at 32, the
northern suburbs, often
youngest mayor of any
telling various people to
large U.S. city.
"hit Eight Mile and keep
"As long as I shlepped
on going north." Current
all the way out here to
Mayor Kwame M.
Maple and Drake, I want
Kilpatrick has changed
to tell you everything I can
all that, often ventur-
about Detroit and answer
ing into the suburbs to
your questions," he said.
maintain a good rela-
Beatrice Barnett of Oak
tionship and dialogue
Park put Kilpatrick even
with Detroit's neighbors.
more at ease by telling
Kilpatrick, saying
him she and her husband,
he was proud to "suc-
Mayor Kilpatrick: "My
Sam, a local bandleader,
cessfully negotiate the
administration's goal
still go into Detroit,
roundabout" at Maple
is to reconnect all
attending the opera,
and Drake in West
of you with the city
Bloomfield, "hit" the
that you're all familiar Detroit Institute of Arts
events and other cultural
Jewish Community
with."
activities downtown.
Center in West
"Most of us here grew up in Detroit,
Bloomfield Nov. 28, charming a recep-
went to school there and still consider
tive audience of about 150, many of
ourselves to be Detroiters at heart:'
them members of the JCC's Institute
she said.
for Retired Professionals, which spon-
sored his appearance.
Coming Together
Speaking without notes and wear-
"My administration's goal is to recon-
ing a double-breasted sport jacket
nect
all of you with the city that you're
and slacks instead of his normal pin-
all
familiar
with ... remove the cloud
striped suit, he impressed the crowd
of
fear
that
sometimes
hangs over
— although there were some skeptics
Detroit
so
that
you
won't
be afraid to
regarding the Detroit school system
come
into
the
city
...
and,
above all,
— with his rapid-fire delivery, sense
stop
the
division
of
black
versus
white,
of humor and overall imposing pres-
that
carries
over
from
the
old
riots,
ence. He later posed for some pictures
when it comes to living and working
and signed autographs.
together',' stated Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick, 37, who was first elected
"There are many people, companies
in 2002 as Detroit's mayor, elicited
and
projects that are now energiz-
laughs right away by randomly using
ing
what
I call the 'NEXT Detroit'
the Yiddish expressions "shmigeggi"
and
making
it a great place to live
and "shlepping" that he said were
,
'
he
added, citing Quicken,
and
work'
given to him by Quicken Loans
Compuware,
the
expanding casi-
Chairman Dan Gilbert of Franklin,
nos,
Tech
Town
near
Wayne State
whom he referenced several times
University,
the
DIA
renovation,
the
in describing the rebirth of Detroit.
Book-Cadillac
Hotel
remodeling,
the
Gilbert announced recently that
Fox
Theatre
district
and
others.
Quicken would move 4,000 jobs to a
He revealed the city is working with
new downtown headquarters from
private
investors to build a modern
Livonia.
The mayor also said he was raised
on LaSalle Street in a former Jewish
The Suburbs on page A19

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December 6 2007

A17