viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com Ask Attorney Ken Gross about... nostalgia Catering The Riot S Your Your Legal Financial Issues Issues ummer was coming that June with the delicious promise of being the same as many I’d known reportedly had happened on Belle Isle, the island park in the Detroit River. Some kind of fight. It spread across the bridge to city before. streets. And now we were hear- Our elementary school would ing that people around town were be out the week after next, and harming each other. we’d soon fill our days inventing In a tableau of Americans’ ways to fill our days. rights, the lieutenant and my The canvas awning already was mother acted out the Third up over the porch, turning the Amendment to the U.S. front of our house into an open- Constitution, which assures that air shelter where we were safe “No soldier shall be quartered in from heat and rain. any house without the consent of Norman Prady But this June, we’d soon learn, the owner.” It didn’t matter to the our covered porch would pro- Constitution that we were renters. tect us from more than sun and storms. “Yes,” Mother said, “you may use our Summer vacation would start differently. porch. Where are you boys going to sleep?” The final days of school would be canceled. “They have cots for us at the high And we’d hear that soldiers were headed school.” our way. “What about food?” Our house was on the corner of Tuxedo “Field rations. And they’ll probably send and Lawton. Its location appealed to the us sandwiches.” National Guard lieutenant who was scout- Mother laughed. ing sentry positions throughout the neigh- “Sandwiches? Sandwiches? Just wait borhood. He especially liked the corner- until you taste my stuffed cabbage rolls. pieces of our porch and the front-steps And my baked chicken. And how about enclosures. Large, square brick columns slow-roasted beef brisket? If you’re still with concrete slabs on top. He thought here Friday night, you’ll have brisket. If that one of these would be ideal for setting not, you’ll have it before.” up the automatic rifle, in its time a most To teenage boys from Owosso, a town potent of military weapons. possibly famous only for being the birth- It was a Tuesday when the lieutenant place of Thomas Dewey, it probably made and his squad arrived at our house. They’d as little sense as it did to me that Mother come to Detroit from their home base in was planning menus in the face of death. Owosso to join with other federal troops With each morning came new dining sent by President Roosevelt. bulletins from Mother. There was talk of Three days before — the evening of baked fish, Swiss steak and homemade Saturday, June 20, 1943 — something beet borscht with boiled potatoes. “How The Prady house with its awning- covered porch at Tuxedo and Lawton avenues in Detroit often do you boys get chopped chicken liver in Owosso?” What are the chances that Thomas Dewey’s mother made chopped chicken liver? By the time the riot would end, 34 per- sons would have been killed, about 500 would be reported as injured, almost 2,000 would be arrested and property damage would total millions. “Thanks for everything,” the lieuten- ant said one afternoon some days later. “Thanks and goodbye.” The fighting in the streets had ended and orders had come for all the troops to leave. In a blink, the porch was hollowed out. That evening, we sat quietly on the glider. It was a different porch without the automatic rifle. “I was going to make chicken soup,” Mother said in rhythm to the squeak of the glider’s hinges, “with matzah balls. Maybe make stuffed kishka. You know, there’s still plenty of food in the house. They could have rioted a few more days.” * Norman Prady, 82, is a journalist and author living in Berkley. letters A Walk For Israel Ally Remembered Regarding the May 26 “Walk For Israel” article (page 14), I am pleased to point out that the Greater West Bloomfield Republican team (GWBR) was a sponsor for the third year. Our float this year was dedicated to the memory of steadfast Israel supporter and GWBR board member and officer Sheldon Blair. Sheldon was very active in the Walk for Israel and inspired us with his courage. Do NOT use your IRA or Retirement to Pay Credit Card Debt. Elderly clients often come to our office seeking help with their debt situation. In almost every case, before they have come to see us, they have withdrawn retirement funds - IRAs and 401ks - to pay bills. I cringe at this. It is a terrible mistake. Retirement funds are there to provide the supplemental income beyond social security that is needed to cover living expenses through retirement. When we stop working – our income is capped but inflation and our lifespans are not. You must make sure retirement funds are used wisely. IRAs and retirement funds are protected in bankruptcy – which means you can keep that money and eliminate the credit card debt. Another little known fact is that a normal creditor cannot garnish or levy on your social security income. These two facts – combined – mean that you should NOT use your retirement funds to pay down debt. If you’re retired and in this situation – you should come see us right away. If your parents are in this situation – you need to take action now. When their funds are exhausted, providing for their support is on you. “You can’t just keep paying until you’re broke.” THAV GROSS has been solving problems since 1982. Be sure to tune in to Law and Reality – Sunday mornings at 11 AM on TV20. William J. Rauwerdink GWBR Board Member West Bloomfield Letters to the Editor: We prefer letters that relate to articles in the Jewish News. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Brevity is encouraged. Letters published will include the name and city of residence of the writer. Letters submitted must contain the name, address, title of the writer (if applicable) and a daytime phone number. We prefer emailed letters. Please email to letters@thejewishnews.com. (Letters sent by U.S. Postal Service must be hand-signed and mailed to the Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034.) thavgross.com ‡ lawandreality.com 30150 Telegraph, Suite 444 Bingham Farms, MI 48025 June 23 • 2016 5