Seminar will cover how to survive tough financial times

By Ian Perrotta
Review Staffwriter
Does the slumping economy have you down? This Sunday (Nov. 22), things may start to look up. That’s when a city-wide civic engagement campaign begins with a presentation and workshop at People’s Community Services.
Mayor Karen Majewski will kick-off the free event, which focuses on the topic “Finding Opportunities During Recessionary Times.” Starting at 2 p.m., the program will feature two guest speakers who will relate their own areas of expertise to the problems and situations concerning Hamtramck. The meeting will then break-off into subgroups that can discuss possible ways to create opportunities for civic engagement. After that, attendees will regroup to discuss how to implement their ideas. There will also be a question and answer session.
One speaker is Kiran Cunningham, the Kurt D. Kaufman Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College. An action researcher and consultant, Cunningham’s area of expertise includes using action research to initiate social change. In the past she has created ways to bring a range of community members into the discussion of community improvement and worked to put the resulting concepts into practice.
The other speaker is Hanna McKinney, a Professor of Economics and Business at Kalamazoo College who also serves as vice mayor of Kalamazoo. An expert in urban economics and local public finance, during her 12 years in local government she has worked to bring many innovative initiatives to the city.
The event is organized by Alex Maysura, a Master of Social Work intern with the Hamtramck City Council from Wayne State University. A longtime Hamtramck resident and business owner, Maysura is currently completing his degree requirement in community action and organization under the direction of Councilmember Catrina Stackpoole.
“It’s important for the people of Hamtramck to attend this meeting,” says Maysura, “because it’s their community and they should have a say in what goes on.”
The presentation will take place Nov. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the People’s Community Services Center located at 8625 Jos. Campau. The event is open to the general public and all residents concerned about the future of Hamtramck are encouraged to attend.