By R Enlow
terror
attack
I
DETROIT - Residents of
the John Smith Hou ing Project
and member of tbe New
African People's Organization
(NAPO) called for tbe �nd of
police brut lity bein con-
. dueled in th nam of fighting
dru .
Dun..g a pre conlerence
1 y, A 8, tt Smith
t �ir",_�� •• ItIIw:,
. tn mayoral race
By
DETROIT During July
hen national ttention was
centered on the city of Detroit
s 'result of the annual
AACP Convention, the
Detroit Free Press as well the
local televisio edia focused
h avily on the deterioration of
the city' neighborhood and
commercial distri ts.
On the day that the
AAACP Convention began,
the Free-Press published their
fmdings from a 'report on the·
conditions of abandoned
home , former indu trial and
commercial ites. This report
stated that over 15,000 of tbese
st ures were abandoned in
the city, many of which posed
serious health and security risks
to the area population.
The e grim report along
with WXYZ' coverage of­
group of Detroit citizens
demoli hing an abandoned
home, served great nation­
al embarrassment to the
Coleman Young administra­
tion.
Young, who faces the most
serious electoral opposition in
his tenure as mayor, has been
challenged by the other can-:
didates who allege that he is not
concerned with the quality of
life in residential and commer­
cial districts beyond downtown.
In response to . expOsure
and criticism, the city ad­
ministration has embarked on a
public relations program to
alter tbe image of the city. The
handsom and weir-written
newsletter called "Mayor's
Message", i its July 1989 issue,
sa that the administration has
begun an intensive effort to
reduce the number of aban­
doned structures by 20% over
the next year.
"At the direction of Mayor
Coleman Young, the depart-.
�
ment of Public Works will over­
see the demolition of 3,000
blighted propertie over the
next 12 months, nearly twice the
number knocked down last
year: the newsletter said. In
regard to the demolition effort,
Mayor Young w quoted
saying th t ."this will be the
largest off'Cn ive against open
and dangerou buildings in the
city's history.·
Young admini tration
. spokesperson claim that they
, are battling neighborhood
decay on three simultaneou
fronts by extending grants to
low-income re iden for home
rehabilitations; providing low­
interest loans for home im­
provemen ; and demolishing
homes that are beyond repair.
Pointing to thre recently
formed detroit eighborhood
Investment' Corporation
(DNIC), which w launched by
Co ti do 24
her residence on V ughri in t
compl x when a f!olice c r
pulled up with two officers leap­
ingout.
Steele id she atched
Co 7
. Ho ley:
OIilS an ,do mo
s. RIGGS
.Oooes '1#denl _
OET OIT - I iah Thomas
is provi he i a Ileal champ this
,weekend by ponoring an AII­
Star Benefit g me with
proceeds going to Detroit
I Public Schools sports. .
But Little Rock Baptist
Church pastor, th Rev. Jim
Holley, said be could do more,
crming the Pisto . a planta­
i n basketball team.
"It's a typical plant tio b -
bail team and we all auld
every di turbed beea e of
hat," Holley said.
M t of the Piston me-
oers are while wen the
woer, the management and the
ache , b all bu one the
layer are blac , he . d.
A recent inci inv
�he Pi tons' Public Rei ion
opartment nd Detr it's
Idest Black puhlica ion
t ifi s the plantation b ket­
ail team mentality, Holley . d.
Going int the final our
ames the Ml higan Chro . cle
for '