Fourteen y
M da Kin
nted to enroll r four-
ye r-old d u ter in a nee
nd m ic cl . She could
not find one in her Bron
neighbor ood nd the com
mute to nhattan too
long. The olution to th
problem obvio: open a
community center for the
neighborhood. And th t'
ex ctly hat this determined
Blac oman did.
"I reaJly warned tbcir wlrle
mlfr*i1iFx'edwlk'qp1, "
Kimcy-� a fimltz
pltiic sdm acIrz. "I .,
provide 1U1lIing�"
She called her community
center "Mind-Builders."
Sh: leamod k> write Jd>lic
scvk:e�m1
., gcmR pmticity ftx'�
cmt:r. AmI it waked! The gnn1
� a 1laewm
so much inaa;t, t.bl-BWdeIs
��'q
mt
EVEN TIlOUGH Mind
BWdeIs started on a small sale, it
1& grown in i effim � �
Kimey-Lamb's diItdioo it has out
grown i� origiml mm: and SC2WS
over HXX> young people and
fam1ics every year. �-Bui1deIs
offcJs IumtU activities, rooo-
ing violin. . c dr8Im'
well fmnily
prograrrs, �arx1 cnne�
A rc:a-nt additim k> � <r
ganizatioo k IUitive YWh
Tro\4)C,a�artsP4>tIIll
rot only gives � a dJure
k> write, prOO\I% m1 perform in
their own nuical produc:ti<u but
asoservesas prcgIJUq,�
ab\fiC am tr\IUl;,)' � pro
gram, It'sa45-minuleperlbnnarre
with � am dmr.e, M �1l as
dIama. � Troqlel& traYelledall
over � <nIlby and appeat� on
�n:ws.
� Pa;i!iVe YOUIh Troqle's
impor1ant � 1Blcrs place after
� performarx:e is OYer. A dinical
�tlcacha�ionwith
� � � ttan., talk
about what optiom tme me in tmr
lives and what messages they
lc:arred from k performm:e. �
years perfonnaIre is called "C0m
mon Thread" and deals with
�rsinagroup�wooare
thinking about peer pressure, �
future, tmr dreams am 00w .,
achieve tmn.
Through i� many prosTcum,
Mim-Builders has something to
o�r each yo��r wbo walks
tIuoughi�doors, ��r�or�
has a k>ugh attitude or cones from
a slWOrti\e environment.
"Mind-Builders has worked
with � from p¥ m1
� mOD," says Ms. Kimey
Lamb. "It's mt j\lit a progmm for
tromlod youth, but a place wice
y� pccple from all areas <X life
can learn fian each ottx:r am ac
quire � kilb am support reces
-sary k> becorre leaders. "
IF MS. KINSEY-lAMB bOO .
not unlertakcn � task k>aea� this
W1iq� otplization, tln&OOs of
� would mve very few
positive q>tiom that challenge tlI:ir
min1s am spiri� am make them
stme k> do am be tlI: best MiOO
BuiJdeJS �lqx:d from �rvision
of building �rs' self-eseem
and self� am speaks to
herstrong beliefin rollcctive poten
tial. We sin1>ly Jr.ed k> �1l our
chikben OYCI' am over again that
they can adJie\Ie anything.
� Kimey-Lani> offcts 1M
advice, which� 1m laken �ISelf,
to yotmg>IeJS: "&neve in yourself
and realize that it doesn't lake a
special petSOIl, but talers a tte�n-
, dous curount of �rgy ani rom·
mibrenl am willingness k> learn.
Take chaIxxs - they'n: �
experieors. Use them and do it
betlereach tim: you sk:p out tlI:re."
HIGHLAND PARK
ighland Par er
10,000 owor
acri ce
at city hall
By FLODEAN S. RIGGS
Staff Wtffw
Earl Wheeler gave up a
well-paying job with the state of
Michigan to. come work as the
Ombudsman for the city of Highland
Park.
"I thought the city needed me,"
Wheeler said. "Success is not what
you have, but what you do with what
you have. I have (so much)
confidence in the new mayor (that I
decided to do it.) I
Originally from Chicago,
Wheeler, 60, has traveled around the
world a couple of times, visiting
Africa at least five times. But he
proudly ays that Highland Park is
where his heart belongs.
Hi faith in the city is what
motivated him to accept Mayor
linsey Porter offer to be the city's
Ombudsman and leave a position in
Lansing that paid him $10,000 more
annually in salary.
HE WORKED as a department
analyst for the state Department of
Mental Health until he began his new
post in Porter's administration
March 2.
When asked why he came back to
Highland Par where he has lived
with hi wife and children since
1960, to work at city hall, he
responded,
"That's simple: this is my home,"
Wheeler said.
"I work for satisfation, not for
money."
Revamping the city's image is
one of the key things Wbeelerwishes
to do during his term as
Ombudsman.
"The perspective of Highland .
Park has to be changed," he said. "I
want to be a person who makes a
difference. "
Wheeler doesn't think that the
city's reputation is the only thing that
needs to be cleaned up. He wants
ci nzens to vol unteer to li terally clean
the streets of the city, he said.
Wheeler's job position has a new
title but his responsibilites are very
similar to a human relations director,
a position previously abolished by
former mayoral administrations
including Martha Scott and Robert
Blackwell.
HI DUTIES range from
encouraging self-determination
among citizens to investigating
C?mplai�ts from citizens relating to
Cl ty seIVlces.
Working at Highland Park Oty
Hall, 30 Gerald, is not a first for
Wheeler. For about two years in the
late 1970s he worked as a human
resources admininstrator for the city
and was responsible for the
administration of four
divisions.Certainly Wheeler is not a
new face around the Detroit area"
having worked with youth gangs
during the 1970s and delivering
heated speecbes such as the one
du�ing Mayor Linsey Porter's
inauguration at Highland Park High
EARL WHEELER
School. mayoral administration.
Wheeler lit a match under th� �eet Wheeler is' a complex gentleman
of every one in anendaece raising in a complicated position who hopes
them out of their seats to a standing he can "fiU a void within the city that
ovation with the words "it's healing (has been there for the last four
time," obviously touching the right years. "
nerve of a group tired of the old
Highland Park
Chamber
Of Commerce
--- Announces --
March Chamber
Luncheon Meeting
Thur.day, March 19, 1992 -12 noon
Mother'. Golden Grill - 13e28 Woodward
, ..
PUBUC SAFETY - MUNICIPAL ISSUES & YOUR BUSINESS
. John Mattox, director
Public Safety Dept.
Earl Wheeler,
Ombudman
TH OMBUDSMAN has
similar functions to the old city
Human Relations Department,
hich wu abolished by former
Mayor Robert B. Bl ell.
Both former mayors Blackwell
and Martha G. Scott were accused of
violating the charter by DOt haviag a
Human Relado Department, be
cause of provision mandating that
there be such a department with a
paid director.
Some believe that by appolntina
such a Ombudsman, the new Mayor
New Directory of African
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D al rl ( 18.
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