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Who’s Packin’ Heat On City Council?

Renee Prewitt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:50:30 +0000

BY ROCHELLE RILEY
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Come January, a majority of the Detroit City Council will be packing.

When seven of nine newly elected or re-elected council members held their first joint conversation with the news media, they talked budget cuts and efficiency. But three also revealed that they have concealed-weapons permits and carry guns. A fourth confirmed later that he does, too.

And the Rev. Andre Spivey, pastor of St. Paul AME, said he plans to get his CCW permit before Thanksgiving.

"My members have been telling me for years to get one, before I even ran for council," he said. "It’s not an indictment upon the citizens of Detroit but just for my own personal assurances. I was concerned that the city of Detroit not turn into the wild, wild West, but I’ve talked with several incumbents, and the office presents some challenges. I don’t feel I have to use it, but I’ll feel more comfortable having it."

The disclosures that Gary Brown, Kwame Kenyatta, Charles Pugh and James Tate are usually armed (Pugh was wearing his gun in the WWJ studios for last Thursday’s conversation) arose as members answered questions about whether to save the city money by giving up council security details.

Personal police protection

The Free Press reported in February that, despite the city’s $300-million budget deficit, the council has a full-time, nine-officer police unit. Eleven cities surveyed by the Free Press with populations and government bodies about the size of Detroit’s limit security for their members mostly to council meetings. None have a designated unit.

Former council President Monica Conyers’ security team traveled with her on business trips to San Francisco, Atlanta and Orlando because the council president gets security service from the time he or she leaves home until they return at night.

Council members also can request individual security when they feel threatened.

Pugh said he has received death threats, and Kenyatta said that members sometimes must ward off irate citizens. Tate said that as the spokesman for the police department, he used to be mistaken for a homicide detective.

"If good-hearted people can confuse me with an officer, then people with ulterior motives would mistake me for one as well," he said. (He has had his permit for two years.).

Council members Brenda Jones and JoAnn Watson said they have neither permits nor guns. Watson, who with member Ken Cockrel Jr., didn’t attend the conversation, said later that her "preference of protection is spiritual."

Cockrel said personal security is a private issue.

"That’s just one of those damned if you do, damned if you don’t questions," he said.

Like Pugh, Cockrel said he has received death threats, though most came last year "from people who saw me as out to get the mayor."

No laughing matter

The disclosures elicited some nervous laughter in the WWJ studio in Southfield last Thursday. But newly elected Saunteel Jenkins was not laughing about the gun issue at the session sponsored by WWJ and the Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Jenkins, whose 14-year-old brother was a victim of gun violence, said carrying guns sends the wrong message.

"When I say I’m anti-violence I mean it," she said the next day. "It’s an indication of the failure of leadership in this city when people think that the only way to protect themselves is to strap on a gun. That’s exactly where we don’t want to be in this city, taking the law into our own hands. It made me kind of sad.

"I wished I had spoken up" at the studio "and said, ‘This is no joking matter.’ … We don’t want this to be what we become."

It is quite the conundrum: To carry or not to carry in a city where gun violence is as prevalent as Temptations music, so mundane that children are used to it.

"I know firsthand the impact of gun violence," Jenkins said. Guns are "why we have a greater level of violence than any other industrial country because we have more guns on the street. You can’t do a drive-by stabbing. Seven kids at a bus stop wouldn’t get stabbed. Part of the solution to Detroit’s problems is getting guns off the street."

But Spivey said the matter may be a practical one.

"I’ll be coming home later more often," said the minister, who added that his wife will be trained with him in firearm use and safety. "I hope no one will be out to hurt me or any councilperson. But we’re in a different age."

So a new council that has appeared determined to get along and to agree on most issues may have one that divides them: whether to leave their guns at the door.

VIDEO: Navy Ship a 9/11 Legacy

Renee Prewitt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:49:06 +0000

Bobb Sticking Around as DPS Financial Manager

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:48:30 +0000

Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced a commitment this morning to extend the contract of Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools emergency financial manager. She said his “zero-tolerance approach is exactly what the doctor ordered.”

The contract has not been finalized and details were not available.

Granholm and Bobb were joined at Davis Aerospace High School in Detroit by NAACP President Wendell Anthony and Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson, who each praised the decision to keep Bobb an additional year after his current $260,000 deal will end March 1. Bobb said financial details of his extension will be finalized later.

Bobb said he expects to use the extra time to work on sustainability.

He said the district has an emergency not only in finances — but also in reading, attendance, security — and in some instances, parenting.

Bobb thanked the governor and quoted his grandmother who said, “Once a job has begun, never leave it until it’s done.”

Bobb and other officials used today’s announcement as a platform to speak in favor of Proposal S, the $500.5-million bond measure that will appear on the ballot Tuesday.

Granholm appointed Bobb to oversee the troubled district’s finances starting in March.

Granholm said Bobb is addressing a “deficit of hope” as well as the district’s $259-million budget deficit.

Dolores Smith-Jackson, a school activist and co-chair of the Yes on S campaign, said Bobb’s extension should give voters confidence that the bond funds will be properly spent.

“He’s going to get the job done,” she said.

Bobb has closed 29 schools and is restructuring the district to help save money and improve academics while boosting enrollment.

VIDEO: Michelle Obama Hula-Hoops At “Healthy Kids Fair”

Renee Prewitt — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:19:13 +0000

div class=”story_credits”>By Hello Beautiful October 22, 2009 1:40 pm

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a “Healthy Kids Fair” on the South Lawn of the White House. The event promoted exercise and healthy eating for about 100 kids and parents from local elementary schools. Cooking demonstrations of healthy meals were conducted, as well. The First Lady ran an obstacle course, jumped rope and hula hooped an impressive 142 swivels before her hula hoop hit the ground. Check the video and photo gallery below!

First Lady To Appear On Jay Leno

AUDIO: Usher 911 Call – “My Car Has Been Keyed”

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:53:39 +0000

Posted Oct 14th 2009 6:30PM by TMZ Staff

Usher was cool, calm and collected when he called 911 back in September — accusing his “ex wife” Tameka Raymond of vandalizing his truck.

During the call, Usher explains to the operator that he had called cops the night before to file “a complaint because of potential domestic violence between me and my ex wife.”

He then tells the operator that when he woke up the following morning, a person who was fixing a flat tire on his truck noticed that it had been keyed up on the side. During the call, Usher never directly accuses Tameka — but insinuates that the scratch occurred as a result of the incident the night before.

As TMZ first reported, cops investigated the situation, but determined there wasn’t enough evidence to make an arrest.

GALLERY: Pacino in Town as Kevorkian Movie Films

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:10:17 +0000

By JASON CARR – myfoxdetroit.com

PONTIAC, Mich. (myFOXDetroit.com) – HBO is in town shooting the movie “You Don’t Know Jack”. In the film, Al Pacino portrays Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Thursday, he was in character in the blustery cold outside the Oakland County Courthouse.

“He looks just like Jack Kevorkian,” said FOX 2′s Kam Carman. “He’s a little guy, but he’s incredible.”

After a dozen takes, we observed Pacino walk back to his chair with that oh so familiar swagger. It’s Scarface’s Dr. Death. Michael Corleone turned assisted suicide advocate.

In the film, Kam plays a reporter, hair and fashion courtesy of the 1990s. She’s star struck meeting her director. “I’m shocked because, first of all, Barry Levinson is directing. I had no idea. So then, I fell apart,” said Carman.

Levinson has directed movies such as “Rain Man,” “Good Morning Vietnam,” “The Natural” and “Diner”.

Jessica Cooper, who told Kevorkian no one is above the law, says the movie guarantees Dr. Jack’s infamy.

“He brought these issues to light, and, to that, he deserves a tremendous amount of credit. They were things that people were never able to talk about publicly and they did, but he stepped over the line,” Cooper said.

After two hours, Pacino’s takes were over and, still in Dr. Jack makeup, he made a beeline for his waiting car.

3 Runners Die In Detroit Marathon

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:04:12 +0000

BY KORIE WILKINS
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Three men died this morning during the 32nd Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon, police and race officials have confirmed.

One of the men, 26, collapsed at the finish line and later died, at about 9:20 a.m.

Another man, who was in his 30s, collapsed at Michigan Avenue and 1st at about 9 a.m. He was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital where he was pronounced dead, said Detroit police spokesman John Roach. And at about 9:05 a.m., another man, 65, fell and hit his head at Michigan and 3rd. He was also taken to Detroit Receiving, where he was pronounced dead.

“It’s not clear if he experienced any medical condition prior to falling,” Roach said.

The fatalities were the first in the race since 1994, when 42-year-old Samuel Grafton of Troy, a veteran runner who had completed the San Francisco Marathon three months earlier, dropped dead of a heart attack at the 22-mile mark. Grafton’s death was the only other recorded death in the race’s history.

“On a day when so many people bring such energy and challenge themselves to do their utmost, this news is very difficult to hear,” Free Press editor and publisher Paul Anger said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families.”

Rich Harshbarger, vice president of consumer marketing for the Detroit Media Partnership, said it is unknown if the men were running the full or half-marathon.

There are at least six medical stations on the course, Harshbarger said, and emergency personnel were on the scene within seconds.

Harshbarger said every entrant signs a medical release form and runners are encouraged to talk to their doctors about the race.

Deaths at marathons are relatively rare, occurring in about one in roughly 67,000 participants or 1 in 100,000 participants, according to various studies. About half of all deaths happen in the last mile.

The Chicago marathon has had three deaths since 1998 and there are approximately four to six deaths nationwide in marathons annually.

The most recent death at a marathon happened Oct. 10, when a 23-year-old man collapsed and later died at the 25 mile marker.

The deadliest day of long-distance running occurred during the 2008 Great North Run half marathon (13.1 miles) in England in 2005, when four male runners died on an unusually warm and humid September day. That event has seen seven runners die since it was started in 1981. It typically draws about 35,000 runners.

More than 19,000 were to participate in today’s event in Detroit.

Mattel Introduces Black Barbies With More “Authentic Features”

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:47:11 +0000

KTLA News
- 9:34 AM PDT, September 29, 2009

“Grace”, “Kara”, “Trichelle” (Courtesy Mattel Corp.)

EL SEGUNDO — Barbie is getting some new friends. Mattel announced Tuesday that it is launching a line of black dolls with more “authentic facial characteristics” than the company’s dolls have featured until now.

The dolls, which are part of the “So In Style” line have “fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinctive cheek bones and curlier hair,” according to the world’s biggest toymaker.

Mattel said its new “So In Style” line is intended to “celebrate the diversity of African-American Girls and encourage positive themes.”

“So In Style” was developed and inspired by Barbie designer of 12 years, Stacey McBride-Irby, an African-American mother of two who wanted to create a line of dolls more reflective of her daughter and community.”

The line features Grace, Kara and Trichelle, “three best friends who are all about fashion, fun and friendship. Each of the dolls features its own unique personality and style and reflects one of three varying skin tones,” it said.

Each of the three dolls has a little sister.

McBride-Irby said she was inspired to create black fashion dolls that her then-4-year-old daughter could relate two when she watched her play two years ago. She said she wants the new dolls “to not only be an authentic representation of my community and culture, but to also encourage girls to be inspired and dream big.”

The “So In Style” doll will cost $19.99 for a big and little sister set and $7.99 for the little sister alone. A hair-styling set that will allow girls to curl, straighten and style their dolls’ hair will sell for $24.99.

Roland Martin Named Broadcaster Of The Year

Renee Prewitt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:22:17 +0000

From BlackAmericaWeb

Journalist and author Roland Martin, senior analyst for “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” will be named Broadcaster of the Year by the Rainbow PUSH coalition at this week’s 10th Annual Creating Opportunity Conference in Atlanta.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of Rainbow PUSH, will present the award to Martin on Friday, Oct. 16 at its Keep Hope Alive Gala.

“Roland Martin’s coverage and analysis of the 2008 election was outstanding, as is the commentary he provides every night on CNN, and now on ‘Washington Watch with Roland Martin on TV One,’” said Jackson. “His reporting and commentary indicate that he has his finger on the pulse of African-American thought, and is a respected voice of our community. Roland has a unique way of connecting with people. He is generous, intelligent and persuasive. So many people look up to him and say, ‘He speaks for me.’ We want to honor Roland for his work, and we present this award to laud his pursuit of excellence in journalism.”

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