Event: Hearing on Federal Consent Decrees, Thursday, July 26, 2007
Time: Court Hearing at 9:00 a.m. Demonstration, Press Conference, 11:00a.m.
Sponsors: Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality
Contact: (313) 963-8116; FFJRadio@yahoo.com

DCAPB Calls For Demonstration Against the City Administration’s Attempt to Halt Enforcement of the Federal Consent Decrees

Since 2001, the Detroit Police Department has been under both a Department of Justice investigation along with two subsequent Federal Consent Decrees related to the use of lethal force and the deplorable conditions existing in the lock-up facilities.

In 2003 District Judge Julian Cook appointed Kroll Associates to monitor the city’s compliance with the reforms ordered by the Consent Decrees. After four years the City of Detroit remains largely out of compliance with the changes ordered by the Consent Decrees.

On Thursday, July 26, a hearing will be held on the City’s motion to undermine the changes mandated by the Consent Decrees. We are asking the public to attend this hearing and later demonstration beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Federal District Courthouse on Lafayette and Washington Blvd. A demonstration and press conference will be held after the hearing beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality seeks to point out the irony of the City’s efforts in light of the 40th anniversary of the 1967 rebellion which was sparked by actions carried out by the police. In order to bring genuine peace and stability to Detroit, it is necessary rebuild confidence and credibility in police-community relations.

Distributed By: The Pan-African Research and Documentation Center
50 SCB Box 47, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202
Email: ac6123@wayne.edu

…buildings and the culture they contain are so important that America is about to spend tens of billions of dollars to rebuild and safeguard New Orleans.

In Detroit, we have pretty much squandered our heritage of historic architecture. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of important older buildings have been torn down since World War II. In their place, we’ve gotten little more than surface parking lots and, in some cases, not even that.

Compare aerial views of Detroit from the 1950s and today and you’ll see a startling difference. The city has been thinning out at a steady rate, with fewer buildings remaining decade after decade.

New Orleans demonstrated long ago that historic buildings and districts proved the perfect counterbalance to the hustle and sprawl of suburbia. Historic buildings tend to be more solidly built, are sized more for human scale and address the street and neighboring buildings in a more genial way.

Suburban structures, whether office buildings, malls or whatever, tend to sit by themselves amid acres of parking. Historic urban buildings tend to hang together to create a lively environment for pedestrians and tourists.

Even today, Detroit is losing more historic architecture daily. The famed Statler Hotel on Grand Circus Park is mostly gone, wrecking crews hard at work. With Super Bowl XL coming in February, contractors appear poised to demolish some of the historic mansions in the Brush Park district to make way for more parking lots.

New Orleans takes its past seriously. That city will be rebuilt.

Will Detroit?

—–

From the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Detroit’s urban core boasts a rich array of architectural treasures reflecting its role as a major station on the Underground Railroad, an industrial powerhouse, the world-famous “Motor City,” and the home of Motown–but today, many of these treasures are threatened by neglect and a lack of vision. The Statler Hilton Hotel is currently being demolished and the Madison-Lenox, a 2004 11 Most Endangered site, was demolished last month.

—

“Detroit’s builders gave the city a legacy of great architecture, but decades of neglect have put much of that legacy at risk,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. “With the right incentives for rehabilitation and a firm commitment to preservation and reuse, Detroit can strengthen the economic vitality of its downtown and give its historic buildings the spotlight they deserve.” Read More

The Ilitches, who own hockey’s Detroit Red Wings, baseball’s Detroit Tigers and the Little Caesar pizza chain, have said that they thoroughly investigated the possibility of restoring the Madison-Lenox and that it would not be viable. They say they have received no serious offers from potential developers.

This city disgusts me.

Judge Allows Demolition of Detroit Hotel

Madison-Lenox Hotel – America’s Most Endangered Historic Places

DetroitBlog – Dust in the Wind, Eve of Destruction

DetroitFunk – Madison-Lenox Video

DetroitFunk – Kwame the Destroyer

DetroitFunk – Madison-Lenox Attacked

Notes from Away – Depression, angry and grumpiness

Notes from Away – It Is Gone

Notes from Away – There is No Fight

Notes from Away – Demolition Day

Time Magazine has taken notice of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick—and it’s not for its Person of the Year award.

Kilpatrick was named one of the nation’s worst big-city mayors in the newsweekly’s survey of 29 municipal executives. The magazine, which hits newsstands today, said it consulted with urban experts, at least one of whom zinged the mayor for spending $24,995 of city money to lease his family a Lincoln Navigator that was as red as the ink on the city’s balance sheet.

Time quoted Governing Magazine Executive Editor Alan Ehrenhalt as saying Kilpatrick had “a tin ear for symbolism.”

The City Council may be dancing to a brand-new beat come election time.

Martha Reeves is circulating petitions to run for the Detroit City Council.

“I think I’ve had a very good opportunity to travel the world and to observe things,” she told WDIV-TV Friday. “I’ve always been a good team player and I figure I’ll be an asset on our city council in Detroit.”

—

Reeves, 63, said she wasn’t put off by the sometimes volatile nature of city council meetings.

“I think that our city council could probably get along better if they had a little music,” she said. “And I’ll get them to dance in the streets.” (Ouch!)

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas’ hits include “Dancing in the Street,” “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” and “Nowhere to Run.”

—–

Professor Michael Chanan (University of the West of England) and George Steinmetz (University of Michigan) have produced a unique documentary about Detroit and its ruination.

The film is a collaboration between Professor Chanan, who is a seasoned film-maker, and sociologist George Steinmetz, with music by the composer Michael Nyman, who is well known for his many film scores.

A special screening of “Detroit: Ruin of a City” will take place at the Redford Theatre on Tuesday, April 5 at 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00). Tickets are $3.00 at the door and proceeds will benefit the non-profit MCTOS/Redford Theatre and Motor City Blight Busters. 

This will be the first presentation of this story within the city of Detroit and, appropriately, it will be held in the beautifully restored auditorium of the last operating neighborhood movie palace in Detroit.

—–

Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, according to American Community Survey (ACS) data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. This exceeds the two weeks of vacation time (80 hours) frequently taken by workers over the course of a year. For the nation as a whole, the average daily commute to work lasted about 24.3 minutes in 2003.

—

In a ranking of large cities (with populations of 250,000 or more), New York (38.3 minutes); Chicago (33.2 minutes); Newark, N.J. (31.5 minutes); Riverside, Calif. (31.2 minutes); Philadelphia (29.4 minutes); and Los Angeles (29.0 minutes) had among the nation’s highest average commute times. Among the 10 cities with the highest average commuting times, New York and Baltimore lay claim to having the highest percentage of people with “extreme” commutes; 5.6 percent of their commuters spent 90 or more minutes getting to work. People with extreme commutes were also heavily concentrated in Newark, N.J. (5.2 percent); Riverside, Calif. (5.0 percent); Los Angeles (3.0 percent); Philadelphia (2.9 percent); and Chicago (2.5 percent). Nationally, just 2.0 percent of workers faced extreme commutes to their jobs.

—–

Here are the top ten 2005 Best Walking Cities:

1. Arlington, VA:  On the cusp of the nation’s capital, it may come as no surprise that 23 percent of the city’s workers use public transportation to get around.  Keeping on their feet may be a way of life, since 35 percent of Arlingtonians walk for exercise.
2. San Francisco, CA: Getting to work by foot is not uncommon for this city by the bay with nine percent of residents walking and two percent biking.  The walking-conducive city touts 32 percent of its residents walk for exercise and 35 percent buy some type of athletic shoes.
3. Seattle, WA:  It’s not too far-fetched to expect a healthy lifestyle from residents living in Seattle.  A whopping 35 percent walk for exercise and 36 percent buy some type of athletic shoes.
4. Portland, OR:  Residents of this Northwestern city spend a good deal of time on their feet walking their dogs.  Close to 22 percent are dog owners.
5. Boston, MA:  For many Bostonians, walking to work or using public transportation is a way of life with 45 percent of the population doing one or the other.
6. Washington, DC:  Getting around the nation’s capital by subway or bus is preferred by 35 percent of the district’s residents.  And when they are not working, 11 percent are playing sports or walking for fitness.
7. New York City, NY:  Getting around the Big Apple is easy for New Yorkers with 51 percent of residents using public transportation and 12 percent walking to work.
8. Eugene, OR: Walking is a way of life for 32 percent of residents living in this Oregon city.  Whether it’s walking the dog or pushing a stroller, twenty-two percent are dog owners and eight percent own baby strollers.
9. Jersey City, NJ: Public transportation or walking is how 47 percent of the people who work in this gritty town get around.  And when they are not working, 12 percent of the residents play sports or exercise once a week.
10. Denver, CO:  This versatile city lends itself to those in search of an active lifestyle.  Eleven percent of residents walk for fitness or exercise and 12 percent play sports or exercise once a week.

—–

Meet the new ballpark. Same as the old ballpark. And put in an order now for Opening Day 2012, when the Red Sox will become the first major league team in history to celebrate 100 years in the same ballpark.

—

Today the Red Sox owners officially will announce what has been apparent for quite some time. They will tell the world that Fenway Park is going to be their home for the indefinite future. They will unveil plans for more ballpark work and accompanying neighborhood improvements.

—

It’s a major victory for the “Save Fenway” demonstrators who were mocked by the likes of me and others when they first organized their grassroots campaign. I compared them to the Japanese soldiers found in the Philippines still fighting months after World War II was over.

—

Put away the TNT and the wrecking ball. Fenway is saved.

It’s good to hear that some cities value their historic sporting venues.  Now, what do we do with Tiger Stadium? 

—–