Helm had no comment.
Brooklyn driver
to testify
NEW YORK -A report
Sept. 5 aid the driver of the
c r that illed an African
American child in Crown
Heights, setting off days of
rebellion, will tell a grand
jury he hit the gas pedal in­
stead of th bra e as hi car
went out of control.
The New Yor Daily
News said the Hasidic
driver, YosefLifsh, 22, was
e pected to tell hi version
of events to the Grand Jury
Sept. 5.
The panel is expected to
vote soon whe ther to
charge Lifsh with criminal­
ly negligent homicide i
the death of the Black
child, Gavin. Cato, 7.
Sharpton's late,
motion
dismissed
N w YORK-The Brook-
-ly state Supreme Court Ju -
tice dismissed a motion
Sept. 4 to remove the
Brooklyn District Attorney
from the' case of the Hasidic
driver killing a 7-year-old
Black child.
The motion was filed by
Attorney Colin Moore and
activist Rev. AI Sharpton
on behalf of the mother of
the slain seven-year-old
Gavin Cato.
When neither Moore, the
mother or Sharpton ap­
peared for the 2 p.m. hear­
ing on the motion, the judge
dismissed the case for non­
appearance at 2:45 p.m.
Ten minutes later,
Sharpton appeared and on
being informed of the dis­
l missal angrily vowed to
· take the case to an appel�te
court.
· National
Baptist
Convention
opposes
· Thomas
WASHINGTON,' D,C.
· The National Baptist Con­
vention, USA, the largest
African Am rican or­
ganization, urged the
I Senate Sept. 4 to reject
Black federal judge
Clarence Thomas for a seat
. to the Sup rem t.
The co ve ntio n]
33,000 churches and
million Black members, ac­
cused President George
, Bush of "packing the bench
with ideologue who would
rather blame the victim of
society than give them the
tools that give access to the
\ frui ts of our democracy. "
The Baptists vote, taken
at its 111th annual meeting
here, capped a day of
recriminations over a con-
ervative group'
television advertisement at­
ttac ing Democratic
senators who are expected
to figure in the debate over
Thomas' nomination.
orter
o
Correspoltde,,'
HIGH D PARK-Candid t
for m yor running in th Septem­
ber 10 prim ry in Highland P
including th pre ent Mayor Mar­
th G. Scott, the current City
Council P ident Li ey Porter,
Rodney Watts, Anna R. Peeple ,
and Ti tus McClary 11 pond below
to questions about their plans for
the city. Two of th candid at
could not be located in time for
deadJin : Scotty Wainwright and
former State Repre entative Ethel
Terrell.
Candidate were asked what
they felt th mo t important i . u
were and how they would deal
with them.
MARTHA G. scorr felt the
key is ues were crime, abandoned
homes, and public services.
She said she was not going to
emphasize "what I am going to do,
but what I did."
G RANT HAVE also been
provided for a new hopping cen­
ter, and she is consulting with firms
to take the project on.
She added that she al 0 worked
hard to prevent businesses and ser­
vices form leaving the city. C�­
ler, she stated, has not withdrawn
as many employees as they pre­
viously announced, because she
CRIM , HE SAID, was
down 26%. While the city has the
secon gest crime rate in
Michi an, she said, "It is still 26%
less than when I took office."
She deal t wi th abandoned
homes by getting $7.6 million in
state and federal funding to deal
-
COUNTRY' STYLE - Country/blues ar1:i t Glemie Durnil and the
American All Stars entertained the alcohol/drug free audience at the
Alano Club, 18600 Wyoming, Saturday, Augu t 24. (photo by N. Scott)
Det'roit students excel
The Detroit Chapter of Black
Data Proces ing Associates an­
nounces the five winners in the local
computer competition. They are:
Kobie Burrell of Martin Luther
King; Courtney Davis of Osborn;
Sunil Philip and Tramale Turner of
Cas Technical. and Nare h Vyas (a
econd time winner) of Renai ance
High School.
These tudents attended the
BDPA National Conference August
14 thru August in New York to
demonstrat their abilities with tu­
dents from cro the country in a
final computer competition. They
al 0 participated in a mini con­
ference de igned for the students and
a career fair with representative
from many corporations.
BDPA i a non-profit organiza­
tion with membership open to all.
We have been in the community for
many years ponsoring computer
literacy eminar, local computer
competition, career fairs, UNCF
fund rai er , adopt-a-school
programs, computer camp , career
and per onal development
workshop.
, In the midst of economic difficul­
tie BOP A is triving to help inner
city youths by offering alternatives.
Being a non-profit organization the
group seeks the upport of everyone,
from large corporation to in­
dividuals, to keep our children from
ettling for what th "street" have to
offer.
"No gift i too mall." To donate
or for more infoanation on Black
Data Proces ing As ociates, contact
us at 65 Cadillac Square, Suite 3200
Detroit, MI 48226 or -phone (313)
965-0193.
or .
He a1 0 believe more ttention
hould be given to in dequ ies in
the ater Department ervi and
problems in Highland Par ed
lion.
Watt Charges that the busi­
n e that came into th ci ty under
Scott' Administration failed to
make up for the 10 caused by
1 of Chrysler jo
L OUG
OT D
that both Scott and Porter opposed
the Chry ler deal, he aid there was
not an "adequate response" to the
I of revenue.
He al 0 expr ed doubt that
Scott could find busin which
would participate in a hopping
center.
"Businesses follow people,"
Watt aid, stating that people
would be attracted by a "clean,
safe, city, free of crime" which bad
a good educational ystem.
Watts charged that when the
police and fire service were com­
bined in the Public Safety Depart­
ment, there was inadeq te train­
ing for officers and a la e degree
of attrition.
He would like to see Public
Safety Department divided into
eparate police and fire depart­
ments again, and feels that this
could be done without incurring
new pension debts by "opting out
of Act 78."
WATTS WANTS TO 'make
those found guilty of mis­
demeanors perform community
services, Noting that garbage
employee do not pick up garbage
if it falls from the can or overflows,
Watts suggested that a cadre of
community service workers could
perform this function without in­
terfering wi th union contracts.
He also promised to ticket busi­
nesses that did not clean up the
areas around their buildings.
Watts stated that one reason for
high water bills is inadequate
water lines, making it impossible
for water to get to homes, but
charging residents for water they
did not get Fixing water line was
necessary to provide new housing
and it could also help Highland
Park gain income by eIling water
to the suburbs.
Watts said that many vacant
houses are owned by the state,
depriving the city of revenue. He
would hold annual auctions of the
housing and find new ways to
rehabilitate the houses. He says
the Private Industry Council can
train people in lumbing, painting
and bringing them up to code. He
would like to see grant writers paid
on a percentage of the grants they
gain or at least a flat rate to save the
city money.
Housing could be given to
people who promise to live there
and rehabilitate it at nominal fees.
WATT ADDED he would try
to get meetings between city and
school board officials to see how
schools could be improved.
Although he concedes that the
mayor has no power over educa­
tion, he states he would use his
influence and power of persuasion
to get universities to assist with the
educational process,
LINSEY PORTER says the
mo t important issues are Public
Safety, the demolition of
dangerous structures and the city's
financial situation, ulting in a
deficit
Porte ould deal with budget
problems by hiring a "qualified
aDd oompe Dt finance and deputy
ott
u
that
failure to do thi resulted in failure
to deal with fire on at le t four
bloc .
He would stop working Public
Service officers on an 12 hour day,
which, he believes "burns them out
mentally and phy ically." He
would al 0 add a traffic depart­
ment to increase revenue and
prevent peeding and other viola­
tions threatening residents' safety.
"Officers want to work for me,"
he said. "They know I will treat
them as human beings."
At least for now, Porter does not
want to provide Public Safety,
warning this would lead to claims
of pensions from retired police and
firefighters and "very co tty legal
battl we would surely lose."
In dealing wi th abandoned
structures, Porter aid be would
hire a rehabilitation speciali 1 to
"look at what can be rebabb d and
what cannot be saved."
HE WOULD adopt a "reali tic
approach" to demolishing build­
ings and at least board up all
facilitie that could not be fixed or
destroyed.
He suggested attempts to add to
the budget by turning the city into
an "enterprise zone, tt providing tax
advantages to busine se and
forming a "business incubator pro­
gram" giving busine se more
land. As they expand.
ANNA R. PEEPLES feel the
most important issues are cleaning
the city, "law and order" creating
more housing and getting more
jobs often through creative ap­
proaches.
"A lot can come form little
things," she said.
Peeples would clean the ci ty
precinct by precinct, tarting wi th
the worst ones first, i uing warn­
ings first.
She would actively recruit
young people for an auxiliary
police cadet program to not onJy
help with law enforcement, but
neighborhood programs, .and en­
courage young people to have a
sense of pride. .
HE WOULD study shelter
programs New York implemented
for·the homeless and see about et­
ting grants from th Mott Founda­
tion and other programs for per­
manent housing.
She would like to ee poor re i­
dents rehabbing the houses they
live in and believes money might
be saved by agreements with con­
struction firms tearing down a
building, enabling them to keep
the bricks and lumber as a "trade
off" for lower prices.
She would like to beautify
Highland Park lots by arranging
wild flowers in particular patterns,
saving city money.
She also plans to hire a person
skilled in Public Relations to Ii ten
to citizen complaint, "turning
negativene into po itivene "
and preventing community ho -
tility and violence.
She would top 12 hour day
chedule for Public Safety of-
ficers, noting, "Everyone to
leep 0 much or they're not thin -
ri bt
in Ii
n rm 1 hum n in
in "mini cam
on dru ho e giving warnin t
criminal who ar "n t hard re"
o that they can top rimin I c-
tivitie prior to rre t, tting
people ut 0 th dru busin nd
cuttin down the ca e 10 d, to
m it mo m n eabl.
She would li e to prepare •
young P ople for job by working
with the chool y tern to give
them e tra credit for volunteer
wor at city hall. Thi would not
only ave city founds but help
them get job e p rienee, job kill .
and an und tanding of employer
expectations.
She plans to en ourage retire
to volunteer and help train the:
young p opl. In going through :
Highland Par be noted h was.
impres ed with "the large amount
of killed people we have in High­
land Par ."
"We have to start with the gras
root , because that is where a lot of
things have wilted," be aid.
Peeble favors encouraging
busines e to beautify their areas •
and al 0 to give di counts to city
re idents, providing them with an
in entive to hop in Highland
Park.
.
'rrru Me E the �
main issue a unemployment.
crime, the city' 2 million defi it.
anc.t low rate of pubJic ervice .
He would try to solve un-:
employment by onvin ing
foreign automobile companie to
go into Highland Park. He would •
work with the Michigan Depart­
ment of Commerce and the U.S.
. State Department on thi .
He would try to cut crime by:
setting up a firm policy on drug
and making it known drug will'
not be tolerated in the' city. He.
would start programs like Citizen.
Patrols and Neighborhood Watch
and would work to ensure people
have trust in the department when •
they call.
"They don't have trust now," be
aid.
He would try to cut co ts by
examining city positions, noting
that many were treated when the
city was twice the size it i today. �
He would try to cut the legal •
staff and contract out lawyers,
paying a flat rate per case, rather :
than by the hour, in order to cut the
money pent in law suits.
.
lIE WOU D LOBBY the:
tate to aid the ch 01 y tern, cut- :
ting the rate of taxation.
He would p ed up publ ic er­
vice , in ludin police [ire and
arba olle tion, by "putting'
pride back," making city:
employee recognize "thi i their:
community, they are not an oc- ;
cupying force.
Poor'
children hit
MACKI A I LAND -
State budget cuts and the
rece sion that began last
ye r are hitting
Michigan's poor
children particularly
hard with dire conse­
quence for the future,
University of Michigan
researcher aid.
"If policy maker and
the public f il to take
thoughtful actions to
resolve the state' fiscal
crisis, Michigan's most
vulnerable citizens may
well be 10 t," said Ira M.
chwartz, professor of
ocial work nd director
of the U-M Center for
the tudy of Youth
Policy.