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CHEF* Steve's Deli, Elwin & Company, Henry Ford of West Bloomfield Hospital, Detroit Jewish News, Best Homes Title Agency, Phil Klein Insurance Group, Schneiderman & Sherman, Jeff & Matt Barker MAITRE D'* Stage Deli, Panera Bread, Fran Bell, Art Fishman Burning Bush Fund, Miller Vein, Baked Impressions LINE COOK* Tony's Deli, Lulu's Coney Island, Market Square of Bloomfield, Huerto Tequila Bar, Johnny Pomodoro's Fresh Market, Goren, Goren & Harris, Market Basket of Franklin *As OF 1-19-15 Sunday, January 25 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm At The Corners, 2075 Walnut Lake Road, WB Proudly supporting the efforts of: I Am My Brother's Keeper Ministries Detroit Homeless Shelter, Young Adult Group of Temple Shir Shalom, Shir Shalom Religious School Scholarships, The Rainbow Connection: Making Dreams Come True for Children with LifeThreatening Illnesses ecisonD.4-p, 18 January 22 • 2015 metro Grassroots from page 16 measures, building maintenance, com- munity outreach, revenue generation and children's programming to reach a younger audience. The group then divided into sub- groups to brainstorm suggestions under each category, with the goal of coming up with concrete ideas to be presented to JCC/Federation leaders. After some time for discussion, each group reported its findings. Suggestions included creating a more transparent dues structure that can be accessed online, fundraising on social media, reaching out to synagogues and agencies for support, increasing rental opportunities for JPM, improving the facility's website and designing targeted marketing to attract more members. The two-hour meeting ended with subgroup leaders tasked with turning in ideas to Aronson and Tobin. Another Highlights From Second JCC Public Forum 0 n Jan. 13, Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit lay and profes- sional leaders held a second public forum to elicit comments about the possible closing of the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC in Oak Park. About 125 people attended. Here are some highlights. "We need to go back to the commu- nity and ask for support:' said Larry Schon of Oak Park. "When the pool and gym were built, the JCC had par- lor meetings throughout community and people supported it. No one has asked since. We are not mega-donors, but we will give more help than you think." Aviva Gordon of Oak Park sug- gested that JPM consider closing a day or two a week or having shorter hours on slow days to save money. She also felt JPM could do a better job of rent- ing space for private functions. Dennis Nordmoe of Huntington Woods, executive director of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives that runs a community cen- ter in southwest Detroit, who is not Jewish, said, "I love it here. I've made many friends here, but sometimes I'm the only one here. Patrice Morris This is a relatively Orthodox commu- Phillips nity — why do you meeting to continue the work was set for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at JPM. "From my own vantage point and most in leadership, we salute a grass- roots effort as long as it continues to be constructive said Matt Lester, chair of the JCC Oversight Committee. "It is cer- tainly appropriate for the biggest stake- holders in that area to mobilize for the good of that facility. There were a lot of smart, dedicated people [at the forums]. "One thing they asked for, which was not unreasonable, was some time. On one hand, it's entirely appropriate; it took many years, if not decades, for the problem to be fully realized. We have been at it for slightly over a year. It is not unreasonable to give some time, and we are open to working together. "But we have to be pragmatic and real- istic about what we are confronted with. This is not a small financial problem." ❑ need to be open on Saturday?" At the first forum, Patrice Morris Phillips of West Bloomfield spoke about the importance of the JCC to her family. Her parents, Lester and Jewell Morris, gave a significant naming gift to the Oak Park JCC in memory of their son, Jimmy Prentis Morris, who died in a car accident at age 13 in 1965. "My dad loved it here; he came here all the time:' she said. "The day he died he wanted pictures hung here of my brother. This was my parents' life. On behalf of my family, I want to thank all of you for your support ... And I want to thank [JPM Director] Leslee Magidson and her staff for a phenomenal job." Brian Siegel, immediate past JCC president, was part of the leadership panel at the forums and looked back at the process. "We want to discuss all the great Brian Siegel ideas that were offered and get a better handle on where the process is going to go from here',' he said. "We do have a greater understanding of the connection and passion people have for [JPM]. "The fundamental financial prob- lems of the JCC still exist so that issue has not gone away. We are charged with balancing a budget that is still $1 million under water. We have to close that [gap]. We have a lot of good ideas." ❑ Contributing Writer Barbara Lewis contributed to this report.