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8-14,1990
oeial or
ouehing
er/di e joe ey
he lives of many
ByV Whit
The smooth voice that you
hear on radio station WQXC in
Otsego, Michigan is of Eugene
Bowen, a night-time disc jockey
j mming the airway every
Friday and Saturday on the
erglow Program. Gene, bet-
r own Gene B on his
program, maintains audiences
from Kalamazoo, Grand
Rapids, and Cassopolis.
He was born in Anderson,
South Carolina and comes from
a family of five. Gene's father,
sisters and one brother are
still living. His mother and a
brother are deceased.
He graduated hom Central
High School in flint and has
lived in Michigan since 1957.
Gene has been married to his
wife, Helen Denise, for 10 years
and h ve two sons, Andre, 8,
d Erik, 4.
Gene has a Masters degree
in Social Wor from Western
Michigan University, 'i0n­
centr ting on policy planning
and dministration; a BA de­
gree in Hum Services and an
A.A. ,degree in Social Work
Corrections, both from Ferris
State Univer ity. He was voted
Social Worker of the Year with
a 3.9 GPA from Ferris State.
He has worked as an Adult
Services Worker Cia VIB,
Youth Specialist, Fo ter Care
Wor er and in Children Protec­
tive Services, all at the
Kalamazoo Departme t of So­
cial Services.
He ha also worked as a
, counselor/casewor er at the
Gene ee County Youth Ser­
vices Bureau i Flint; interven­
tionist home/school at the
Kalamazoo Public School Sys­
tem; counselor, OCYS at Ferris
State University; Youth
Specialist at Park Place
Halfway House nd Academy
H If way House', both in
Homeless
P 1
tification from WHU Vice
President athaniel Thomas.
Thomas said because he
refused to produce 1.0. for the
officer he tepped off the
porch, th officer Jlegedly at­
t c ed him from behind. He
said he was handcuffed, taken
lo the eighth police precinct and
ch rged with interfering with
lice duties.
April 3, found WHU mem­
bers back t the residence on
Prevost. Penn said the purpose
of returning to the home to
protest against HUD and City
official who failed to make
good on promises of h mes for
the homeless.
Thom said HUD Project
M nager Letitia Bailey from.
Tuc er and Associates Realty
. ,
Kalamazoo and he was a
security supervisor with Rev.
Jesse J c on's Campaign at
the Hyatt Regency Hotel in At­
lanta, where he also assisted
'with recruitment volunteer and
voter registration.
Gene is a natural when it
comes to helping other , he
does public speaking to youths,
encouraging them no to get in­
volved in drinking and using
drugs.
Gene is presently employed
at MCR Industries of
Kalamazoo as a Clinical Social
Worker, providing group and
individual therapy, assisting
client needs, supervising
psychosocial support group
leaders and is chairper on for
agency case records and client
advisory committees.
He is also involved in a men­
tor program at Arcadia
Elementary School in
Kalamazoo spending time with
Black children; affiliated with
the Kalamazoo County Com-
mission on Aging; the youngest
member of the Governing
Board for the South Central
Commission on Aging; volun­
teer coordinator of the One
World Childrens Festival; and,
on the Planning Commission for
the festival, with events held an­
nually.
One of his aspirations is to
direct a youth program, dealing
with Black youth.
He says to Afrrican
American youth: "You must get
an education and think oflearn­
ing and earning. for we need
more brain po er and less back
power."
His hobbies are disc jocking,
spending time with his family
and fishing.
Gene says, "working at the
grass roots organizations is very
rewarding because we must
help each other."
We salute Eugene' Bowen.
Best wishes for continued sue­
cess.
Company arrived stating that
the home, believed by WHU
member to be the property of
the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD),
belonged to her.
. Thomas said Bailey'
produced deed saying he
purchased the property the
night before. In a phone conver­
sation, Realty owner Charles
Tucker Jr. said the home had "
not been purchased yet, that
HUD homes go on the auction
bloc twice month on Wed­
nesdays. Bailey could not be
reached for comment.
Tucker said his realty i
under contract with the Federal
Government to oversee HUD
properties within his zip code
area. He said, although reluc­
tant to, he phoned police at
HUD Chief Property OFficer
Richard Haehl's instruction.
He said it is the policy of
tlan Le dersblp Council
(SCLC), will 'be In Detroit
from April 8-10 to ch ir the
SCLC rprln no rtf Meet­
ing. Lowery'S peaking
eng gement re the kick-off
'toa CLCc p i n to com-
. b t· e- n ti m of
D ro iven y tb
medhi. The nr t event i
r lIy on Sund y, April 8 .t
the Feltow 'hipChapel, 19S5S
. W. Me Ichol In Detroit, at
4 p.m. On Mond y, April 9,
Dr. Lowery will hit dru
abu e while 'peaklng to uu­
dent t Detroit' Mumford
High ,School rrom I :00 pm to
2: f) pm. Conclu ion will he
a r lIy at the New Bethel
R ptist Church, 84S0 A .. in-
ood, on Tue 'day, April 10,
at 7:30 pm.
H UD that any realtor oversee­
ing HUD property must legally
notify the police in cases of il­
legal entry in one of its hom .
He said he is willing to uggest
a plan of action to assist WHU'
housing situation,
WHU member Richard Wil­
liams said he informed Tucker
that all HUD homes were on
10% of the inventory promised
WHU by HUD Secretary J ck
Kemp in October 1989. He said
this action as in defiance to
Kemp's broken promise, which
. WHU has in writing.
WHU member say that
HUD, Jack Kemp, Coleman
Young, Tom Lewis or some­
body.better start keeping their
promises or they will be right
back in that same house tomor­
row.
As of midday, April 4, WHU
members remained incar­
eerated.
GENEBOWEN .
"
ayor meets with
Hom less ,Union'
By R Enlow
Correspondent
Detroit- Mayor Coleman
Young reconvened the mem­
bers of the Wayne County
Union of the Homeless (WHU)
as scheduled, 0 March 23, to
discuss the results of their
recent trip to Philade phi ,
taken in I an effort to develop a
Tran itional Housing Progr
for Detroit's homeless, similar
to one th reo
• WHU President Wayne Pip'­
pin said after throughly examin­
ing the Philadelphia Program,
WFlU officials found that it w
not what the Union perceived
transitional housing.
He . d Phil delphia h a
program called Dignity House,
W re an individual undergoes
four of orientation before
being allowed to move into one
of the 200 cquired homes or
partippate in one of 60 Section
Eigh Certificates' ued there
Plppi said hi group
presented an information pack­
age to Mayor Young which ad­
dressed the Union's method of _
intent. He aid WHU i re­
que ting two ho Young pre­
vio yagreed to give them,
well a building large enough
to house 30 men, women, nd
childfen for a period of no I
than ix mo ths and no longer
than one year.
He said t the end of that
period, transient per ons can
move directly into permanent
homes given WHU by the City,
followed up by the outreach
committee and upport group
for approximately two ye.ar .
After the two year period has
elap d, if the inidividual or
familly has demonstrated ade­
quate responibility, WHU will
negotiate a Ie e with option to .
buy the home they currently
reside in.
He s . d th facility must also
be equipted with enough extr
rooms for office space, cl
rooms, dayc re rea, drug
abus counseling, job training
education, and social services.
He id in der to eliminate
th problems inherent' ot er
. homel programs, WHU in-
tends to h ve full tenant p -
ticipation in the ccessment of
their problems, needs, concerns
and goals.
Pippin . d although Young
has not yet put anything in writ­
ing, the prospects of obtaining
building to implement this
program remain hopeful.
He aid Black Pearl Res­
taurant proprietor, Gerri Smith
offered the Union use of a
vacant building she owns in the
Erskine/Brush area on
Detroit's eastside, on the basis
of a five year lease.
However, Pippin said WHU
Attorney John ,Robinspn d­
vi ed against lea ing the
property, he id the entire
vicinity' an historical district
and will oon undergo est ora­
tion.
Pippin said $17 million in
federal grants for transi . on
housing nationwide is du on
April 21. He said a member of
the Mayor's staff, Carol Gold,
has been assigned to work with
WHU in finding federal sup­
port.
Pippin said each qualifying
program will be funded for a
period of fiv year. He . d 0
far, the YMCA"and the Coali­
tion on Tempor ry Shelters
(COTS) in Detroit h ve been
sited for such grants.
Young has scheduled
another meeting with the Union
on April"7, designated to dis­
cuss in detail, the proponents of
the Union's proposal.
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