Let’s make the Labor Day Festival the party of the century

Hamtramck, ask yourself a question:
Do you want the upcoming Labor Day Festival to be “The Party” of the year in celebration of Hamtramck’s 100th anniversary of becoming a city?
Or not?
It has come to our attention that festival organizers are having a tougher-than-usual time in drumming up financial support from the city, particularly from the Downtown Development Authority.
We have pointed out repeatedly that the city needs to step up and throw more support to the festival. Instead, city officials don’t seem particularly enthused.
Some background: The festival was the brainchild of former Mayor Robert Kozaren, who started it in 1980 when the city’s largest taxpayer and employer, the Dodge Main plant, suddenly announced it was closing shop.
That was devastating news to the community. Typical of Bob Kozaren, he decided that residents sure could use a reason to celebrate being Hamtramckans.
Well, the festival was a smash hit, and the city eventually worked out its financial woes.
Bob had that “can do” spirit about him, despite whatever adversity he, or the city, faced.
For years, the festival was privately run by Kozaren, and when he faded from the scene, other volunteers took over.
For a very brief time, the city controlled the festival.
But for the last several years, it’s been run by volunteers. And those volunteers now have to beg and scrape for every penny they can get to put on this festival.
Volunteers have to do this, not city officials.
Can we just stop this yearly struggle once and for all, and just dedicate some money to this celebration?
If not every year, how about at least this year, because of the city’s centennial?
Do we want to celebrate our 100th birthday or not?
Come on folks, let’s rekindle that Bob Kozaren “can do” spirit and, well, do it!
Heck, a centennial happens only once in 100 years for, gosh sakes. Seems like a big deal to us.
Posted June 24, 2022