Year in Review: Our look back at the last six months of 2025 headline

The Hamtramck Historical Museum received a financial boost thanks to a state grant.

By Charles Sercombe
Welcome back to our annual Year in Review. This week, we continue our look back at 2025’s last six months of the year.
So, grab a favorite beverage, hunker down somewhere and enjoy the ride.
JULY
Hamtramck police investigator Dave Adamczyk threatened a defamation lawsuit against the mayor.
In a city council meeting, Mayor Amer Ghalib said that Adamczyk had committed a crime while serving as an officer here several years ago.
Adamczyk resigned from the department back then, but he was never charged with, nor convicted of, a crime. He was recently rehired by the department.
Talking about Adamczyk, Ghalib said:
“When you bring somebody back and you know that he has a criminal history, and you know that they come back to just get our resources. …
“A person comes back and starts recording his boss from day one, why? Why would you keep recording people? So you can catch something to start a Whistleblower initiative that you are used to? Easy money. This is going to change. No person with a criminal background will be hired again.”
Ghalib had been critical of Adamczyk for secretly recording Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri, recordings which have led to the chief being put on paid administrative leave while the FBI investigates whether he violated any laws.
Adamczyk’s attorney, Jonathon Marko, sent the council an email a couple of weeks ago, demanding the mayor “cease and desist” from calling Adamczyk a criminal, and publish a written apology on the city’s website, as well as verbally apologize by the next council meeting.
Mayor Ghalib did not respond after Marko’s email was read out loud, but City Attorney Odey Meroueh replied, saying:
“We deny those (slander) allegations and we will deal with them in due time.”
Hamtramck’s election season was officially off and running.
As usual, there are some unique quirks among some of the candidates – namely: “Who the hell is Mister Bangladesh? Is this for real and legal?”
That question was posed on social media by Joni Sobczak.
In short, yes, there is a Mister Bangladesh, and he’s for real and, yes, he answers to Mister. But how did he go from being named Tuhin Chowdhury to being Mister Bangladesh?
Mister Bangladesh explains:
“I changed my name after becoming a USA citizen, which was at the time I lost my Bangladeshi passport,” he told The Review. “I always respect my USA identity, and I believe that I am American. And I am ready to sacrifice my life for America.”
As it turned out, the first-time candidate didn’t have much luck on election day. Maybe change your name to “Mr. Hamtramck”?
It was time to celebrate.
That’s because, finally, it was smooth driving all the way through town on Caniff – one of the city’s main roads.
The last segment of the years-long Caniff repaving was finally completed, and the street became fully open to traffic.
That last leg of the repaving of, and infrastructure replacement on, Caniff was done between Gallagher to Conant, and was scheduled to be completed this week after allowing the freshly poured concrete to cure for the past couple of weeks.
In all, Caniff now has had its water and sewer lines (which run underneath the street) replaced from the I-75 service drive to Buffalo, and then the street repaved with concrete, to the tune of about $6 million for the entire stretch.
The project was funded through a federal and state grant, and it was started a few years ago beginning with the first of three sections, from I-75 to Jos. Campau.
The Hamtramck Historical Museum was one of 20 state-wide projects to receive a state grant.
The museum was awarded $95,558, one of the smallest of those state grants – but then, it is a smaller museum with a relatively small budget, payroll and etc.
Joe Kochut, the current president of the HHM, explained how the money will be spent.
“The grant specifically was for capital; that is, renovation of the 100-year-old facility,” Kochut said.
“These (renovations would) include roof replacement, repair of the elevator, repair of the access stairs to the basement, abatement of asbestos in the presently unused basement, wall and plaster repair and painting, floor repair, and replacement of the large upper windows on the front façade of the museum.”

A federal court ruled in favor of the city’s right to ban the display of pride flags on public property.

A federal judge dealt a death blow to those seeking to have the pride flag displayed again on a city flagpole.
Federal judge David Lawson said the city was within its rights to ban the pride flag.
The mayor and council, who are all-male and all-Muslim, said they banned the flag in order for the city to remain “neutral” in matters that could be considered politically divisive or socially controversial.
Their position reflected the city’s changing demographics and growing socially conservative viewpoints. A number of people in the city objected to displaying pride flags because they believed it was promoting homosexuality.
Mayor Amer Ghalib called the court ruling a “great victory” for the city.
“Your mayor and council were on the bright (sic) side of history,” Ghalib said on his Facebook page.
He also said that this court decision was a defeat of “the deep state.”
Ghalib did not elaborate on who or what constituted the “deep state,” but he has often criticized former Mayor Karen Majewski and her supporters for, in his view, trying to undermine the city administration and his position as mayor.
Ghalib continued on Facebook: “And we will triumph in other cases against the lying, deception, and incendiary falsification from centers of influence, the deep city state, etc!”

“Trust your leadership and don’t be fooled by the fake media that works to discredit all accomplishments in our city.”

AUGUST

Speaking of the mayor, the U.S. State Department’s biography of the mayor raised some questions about how he legally immigrated here.
The State Department recently put together a short biography of Ghalib, in preparation for him to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the next ambassador to Kuwait.
According to the State Department (and past interviews with the mayor), he came here from Yemen at age 17, apparently alone, and then went to work in a factory, making plastic parts – working 8 to 10 hours a day.
On top of that, he went to Hamtramck High School, from which he graduated in 2000.
It’s an inspiring story of an immigrant coming here and working hard to make a better life.
Ghalib’s background story, however, raised a few questions, such as how he was able to travel here alone at age 17. Did he have a student visa? Or a visa that allows him to work here?
The Review reached out to Mayor Ghalib for an explanation but, as usual, he did not respond.
For the second time in The Review’s 16 years of publishing, a new owner took over operations.
Michigan Independent Media Group, based in Grand Rapids, took ownership of the paper last Friday.
In a press release, the MIMG said:
“The Hamtramck Review has been acquired by the Michigan Independent Media Group (MIMG) as part of its growing effort to preserve and revitalize community-focused journalism across the state. The publication will be operated by Buried Lede Media.
The new publisher of The Review is Lonnie Scott, CEO of Buried Lede Media.
“The Hamtramck Review is a vital thread in the fabric of this community,” Scott said.
Sarah Leach, a Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist and veteran editor who has led multiple Michigan newsrooms, including The Holland Sentinel and the Ottawa News Network, serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing media operations. She is also Editor-in-Chief of The Review.
The acquisition is part of MIMG’s broader effort to sustain local news outlets through community partnerships, philanthropic capital, and modern operational support.
*****
After a couple of years of speculation and investigation, two Hamtramck city councilmembers were charged with felony election fraud and ballot harvesting in the city council race of 2023.
Councilmember Mohammed Hassan, 57, faced three felony charges:
• Count 1: Forging a signature on an absentee ballot application
• Count 2: Election law forgery
• Count 3: False statement on an absentee ballot application
Councilmember Muhtasin Sadman, 26, who is in his first term, faced the following charges:
• Count 1: Forging signature on an absentee ballot application
• Count 2: Election law forgery
• Count 3: Unqualified elector attempting to vote
• Count 4: Unqualified elector attempting to vote
• Count 5: False statement in an application for absentee ballot
Several of the charges carry a maximum of five years in prison.
Charges against Sadman were eventually dropped after two key witnesses failed to appear in court to testify.
Hassan is still facing charges. Future court hearings are pending.
*****
The Hamtramck Bangladesh community was in the spotlight that month with a festival dubbed “Desi Festive Nights” on Jos. Campau.
Besides being a celebration of the Bangladesh community, the main attraction was a line-up of performers also from Bangladesh – including a metal band, if you can imagine.
Vendors offered tons of colorful native clothing, and an eye-popping variety of Bangladesh food favorites.
A lot of credit goes to the Bengali community for rejuvenating Hamtramck in the sleepy 1990s, when a number of enterprising souls brought the Conant business district back to life.
By the 1980s, Conant had become one empty storefront after another – both a mockery, and an ugly reminder, of a Hamtramck that had once been a thriving community.
The Bengali community continues to thrive in the city, with some members since becoming city councilmembers.
*****
Hamtramck’s election scandal continued to widen.
In the latest development, surveillance recordings were made public showing Councilmember Abu Musa as a passenger inside a vehicle, with an unidentified driver who could be seen stuffing bundles of absentee ballots into a drop box across from city hall.
The recordings show Musa handing ballots to the driver, who in turn puts them into the drop box.

The question of ballot harvesting became a focal point in the August primary election.

Reached by phone by The Review, Musa denied it was him who was putting the ballots in the drop box.
“Did you see me drop them off?” Musa said. “I was in the car.”
It was pointed out to Musa that it appears he is handing ballots to the driver, which prompted Musa to end the conversation, saying: “I’ll talk to you later with more details.” He then hung up.
Musa, the only incumbent seeking re-election to council, was the top vote-getter in the recent primary election, with former councilmember Nayeem Choudhury trailing not far behind.
Both received the majority of their votes via absentee ballots, with Musa getting 843 absentee votes out of his total of 1,129.
The matter was turned over to state investigators, but so far there have been no legal repercussions.
*****
The City of Hamtramck began warning residents that undercover police officers will be aggressively ticketing anyone seen littering in Veterans Park.
Littering is a civil infraction. Fines can be levied on adults or juveniles, and can run as much as $500 by ordinance.
To educate the public, the City of Hamtramck produced a short video they posted onto their Facebook page.
In this 90-second video, city employee Omar Thabet begins by noting, “As we all know, littering has been an issue all across our city.
“And now, specifically at our parks, police officers will be going around and ticketing residents… (whether) you’re an adult or a juvenile, with tickets up to $500. So, make sure we keep our city clean.”
This is followed up by a little chat from the deputy police chief Andy Mileski, who adds “Recently, littering has become a major issue in the city of Hamtramck and in the parks.
“Please, do not litter, as you could get up to a $500 dollar ticket.”
*****
Heads were rolling in city hall.
At a city council meeting, the council agreed to fire City Manger Max Garbarino.
Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri and police investigator Dave Adamczyk are next on the chopping block.
Garbarino had been on paid administrative leave for about a month, along with Altaheri and Adamczyk.
All were under an internal investigation, by a legal firm hired by the city council, after allegations of wrongdoing. The results of this investigation, which has so far cost the city over $300,000 — and could possibly end up costing $500,000 or more — found serious issues of wrongdoing with both the police chief and police investigator Adamczyk.
As for Garbarino, he was criticized for recommending the chief hire investigator Adamczyk, and for not acting soon enough to take disciplinary action against Chief Altaheri.

SEPTEMBER
In a surprise move, City Councilmember Khalil Refai said he was resigning as the second-in-command to the mayor.
On Facebook, Refai – who is finishing his first term, and did not seek re-election this year – announced he is stepping down as Mayor Pro Tem, which is the councilmember who chairs council meetings when the mayor is absent, and who would be the replacement in case a mayor leaves office.
In his post, Refai criticized fellow councilmembers for firing City Manager Max Garbarino. Refai abstained in that vote.
“I was elected by the citizens of Hamtramck; they put their confidence in me to make the right decisions within council, decisions that protected our city and its residents, not ones that would put it at financial risk. And I take this responsibility seriously,” Refai said.
*****

The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival was another wet and wild weekend celebration.

As usual, Hamtramck celebrated the end of summer with its yearly Hamtramck Labor Day Festival.
This year, festival organizers proved that if they build it bigger, the crowd will get, well, bigger too.
And wetter.
We’re talking especially about the Canoe Race.
Despite the expanded area, the folks who showed up for this gawkfest still formed a shoulder-to-shoulder, water-balloon-throwing mob just this side of being criminally out of control.
The setting for this year’s festival could not have been more picture-perfect: Sunny skies and mild weather.
As usual, the live bands and performers attracted thousands of fans – and, frankly, once again we can say that no one beats Hamtramck when it comes to musical offerings.
Hear that, Arts, Beats and Eats?
Hamtramck’s pride flag dispute has been settled – at least, legally.
Federal Court Judge David M. Lawson dismissed a lawsuit, filed by two former members of the Hamtramck Human Relations Commission, who were seeking to overturn the city’s ban on displaying a pride flag on public property.
In his 12-page opinion, the judge basically ruled that the city has the right to control what flags are displayed.
City Attorney Odey Meroueh said the ruling “confirms that Hamtramck has the right to decide what it communicates on its own property.”
Former commissioner Catrina Stackpoole said that, while the lawsuit is over, the debate will continue.
“Disappointed and sad that the court refused to see the underlying motive was religion,” Stackpoole said. “The case may be over in the court but not over in the court of public opinion.”
*****
Improvements to Veterans Park continued.
In the latest development, Dan St. — the road leading to Hamtramck’s historic baseball stadium — was repaved.
But that’s not all. The stadium’s parking lot (long a potholed hazard) and the road leading to the larger parking lot east of the stadium, as well as that parking lot, were all also repaved.
The project cost was over $2 million. Those repair funds came from various grants and state monies.
The roads and parking lots have long been in urgent need of repaving.
The upgrades were done under the supervision of the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy.
Here’s what the conservancy had to say about the project:
“Please rest assured that we are committed to completing this project to the highest standard, and with minimal disruption to your daily routines.”
*****
Back in January, City Councilmember Abu Musa was stripped of his rank of being second in charge of the council.
That’s when three fellow councilmembers voted to remove him as Mayor Pro Tem, which is the person tasked with being in charge when the mayor is not available, or resigns.
It was a contentious meeting, with Musa accusing fellow Councilmember Mohammed Hassan, who orchestrated his removal, of being corrupt.
“He rigged the election,” Musa said at the time.
Hassan insisted he meant nothing personal against Musa. Hassan justified his motion because Musa is getting paid by taxpayers but sleeps during meetings.
Flash forward to now, and the council did an about-face and re- appointed Musa, after Councilmember Khalil Refai resigned from the position.
Over the better part of the past year, the once-united council started to fracture, and some councilmembers began to turn on each other.
Why?
It’s never been entirely clear, other than suggesting a possible behind-the-scenes power struggle.

OCTOBER
Hamtramck might be the only city in the whole U.S.A. that ever celebrated the repaving of an alley with a party.
Or, as the old saying goes: “Only in Hamtramck.”
But, to be fair – and not make it seem silly — this was no ordinary alley.
The alley in question runs along Goodson next to Veterans Park, and serves as a throughway for neighborhood residents to get into the park. For years, it was potholed and dicey for pedestrians to walk on without, perhaps, spraining an ankle.
The host of the celebration was the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy, who described it as a way to “bring this alley back to life.”
The two-hour party featured chess games from members of Bumbo’s Chess Club (Hamtramck’s Bumbo’s bar) and the Wise Guy’s Chess Club (from Highland Park).
Also to be enjoyed were lessons on Frisbee throwing and a jump rope station.
*****
The upcoming Nov. 4 city election became much more interesting.
Two city council candidates who didn’t make the final cut in the August Primary Election, Joe Strzalka and Diane Elizabeth Frkan, ran write-in campaigns to give it one more shot.
Also, former city council candidate Lynn Blasey, who failed to win a seat on council two times in other years, threw her hat back into the political ring to seek the top job as mayor, also as a write-in candidate.
Strzalka, who is a former councilmember and now retired from the U.S. State Department, said he was getting feedback from some voters that they were going to write his name in anyway.
“There are many people who feel there were irregularities in the primary, and they have no legitimate candidate to vote for,” Strzalka said. “This way, people can still vote in the general election without voting for a person believed to have committed election fraud.”
As it turned out, none of them came close to being elected, which is the typical outcome for write-in candidates.
*****
A mysterious foul odor wafted through Dickinson East Elementary School that raised both health concerns and questions about the school district’s response.
A teacher at the school, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, brought media attention last week over a sewer stench that caused a number of teachers and students to complain.
According to a Channel 2 Fox News report, district Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler said that the odor came from a malfunctioning sump pump in the school’s boiler room, but that it was only temporary.
Larson-Shidler told the news station that the problem had been taken care of, and that repair crews acted on the matter promptly.
The teacher told The Review that, while the odor had largely been abated, it still lingered.
“The smell is not as bad,” the teacher said. “It’s to the point where we can actually work in the office.”
The teacher said this issue highlighted more than just a problem with the building, it also illustrated a “lack of transparency” from the administration.
*****
Former Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri officially parted ways with the city.
At a city council meeting, a separation agreement was reached with Altaheri that gave him five months’ worth of salary and allowed him to say he was resigning.
That payout amounted to about $50,000.
The former chief, in turn, agreed to drop his lawsuit against the city.
Altaheri had served in Hamtramck for about a year before he had a falling out with the city manager.
The chief’s downfall came after an internal investigation alleged several wrongdoings – including some that have reportedly caught the attention of the FBI, although it cannot be confirmed yet whether he is under investigation.
*****
Mayor Amer Ghalib’s past actions, as well as some old comments on social media, may have undermined his chance to be confirmed as the next ambassador to Kuwait.
After a brutal hearing with the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, it appears Ghalib lacks the majority support to get his nomination out of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and on to final Senate approval.
Ranking committee member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, introduced all four ambassador nominees, including Ghalib.
But Shaheen singled out Ghalib in her introductions, saying:
“I am very concerned about some of the statements that you have made — and, frankly, what appear to be antisemitic views.”
During the next 40 minutes, Ghalib, who was nominated by President Trump seven months ago, faced a barrage of questions from both Democratic and Republican senators about his past comments.
At one point in the confirmation hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D- Connecticut) summed up Ghalib’s chances of being confirmed by saying: “You dug your hole deeper today.”
Ghalib told The Review: “Whether they confirm me or not, it would be an honor for me either way. I’m happy to answer the call and serve our community and our country from anywhere the president or the community asked me to. This is just the beginning of my journey.”

NOVEMBER
Hamtramck’s election was over, but, this being Hamtramck, there was intrigue.
For the moment at least, Adam Alharbi was the winner of the mayoral election.
However, there was still a chance the results could be overturned because 150 absentee ballots could not be counted due to missing or non-matching signatures, and one precinct had to be totally recounted by Wayne County because of faulty tabulation.
As it turned out, after the county counted the ballots in question, Alharbi won the election by a slim six-vote margin. As the days and weeks went by, however, it would become clear that the election was still far from being over.
In the city council race, Abu Musa won another term, with former councilmember Nayeem Choudhury coming in second and a newcomer, Yousef Saed, filling out the third seat on council.
The council remained all-male and all-Muslim, however.
Mayoral candidate Muhith Mahmood subsequently called for a recount that actually ended up benefiting Alharbi. The recount showed that Alharbi won by 11 votes.
Hang on, though; it still wasn’t over. Mahmood went to court to have an additional 37 absentee ballots counted. Those ballots were found, after the election, in the city clerk’s office.
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers deadlocked on a vote, 2-2, to have the ballots counted, which meant that, by law, those ballots could not be tabulated.
Mahmood argued unsuccessfully in Wayne County Circuit Court to include the ballots. A judge ruled that, since they were left unsecured, they could have been tampered with.
Since then, Mahmood has asked the state supreme court to consider his appeal. That matter is still pending.
This year’s election once again underscored how voters have turned to using absentee ballots (AV) instead of voting in person.
Out of the 4,509 ballots cast in the mayoral election, only 1,575 were from voters actually voting in person. The rest were cast via absentee ballots.
In the city council election, 3,023 AV ballots were cast out of a total of 4,624 ballots.
That trend has been increasing in recent years, and it has also resulted in accusations of ballot harvesting by some candidates and their supporters.
*****
For those who use the SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) bus service, it was announced that route changes were coming in January.
The public got a preview of the new routes at a hearing in the Hamtramck Public Library.
The proposed Hamtramck route would travel from downtown Detroit to Holbrook and then to Buffalo, which, at that point, would swing north toward Caniff, and then eastward.
Some questioned why SMART was not taking a left on Jos. Campau from Holbrook.

The short answer was that it was either deemed an unsafe turn, or that, at certain times of the day, it is posted as illegal to make that turn.

*****
Hamtramck veterans and friends at the PLAV Post 6 once again raised a toast on Veterans Day.
And, once again, it was noted that Hamtramck’s once-populous veterans community is now a shadow of its former self. The number of veterans here has dwindled down to a couple of dozen – maybe even less.
Veterans Day in Hamtramck was once a citywide observation, but as the years went on and the demographics changed, the significance of the day is now barely noticed.
Local elected officials who once clamored to share a microphone to honor vets no longer show up at any veteran holiday event.
At Post 6, vets gathered in front of a mural depicting the history of the U.S. military, where Post 6 Commander Mark Widzinski, himself a Vietnam War veteran, talked about the significance of the day and the contributions veterans have made to this country.
“The freedoms that we all enjoy did not happen by chance. There is a whole litany of freedoms that our military veterans have guaranteed for us,” Widzinski said.

DECEMBER
Hamtramck’s Passenger Recovery outgrew its location on Caniff and opened a new community center at 3901 Christopher St. – near the Fowling Warehouse.
We caught up with Christopher Tait, one of the directors, to get an update.
Tait: “Passenger was born out of my own experience as a touring musician struggling to find support for recovery from substance use while on the road. … Today, Passenger is dedicated to enriching the recovery journey through music and the arts, while offering a supportive space for both our community and those just passing through.”
*****
The Trump administration, through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, halted immigration from Yemen (and 18 other countries).
The administration suspended all immigration processes, including asylum and green card and citizenship applications, in order to “undergo a thorough re-review process, including a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to fully assess all national security and public safety threats.”
The administration has also imposed a travel ban from Yemen, along with those 18 other countries.
Former Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib, an immigrant from Yemen, endorsed Trump, a Republican, for president in the 2024 election. Ghalib influenced a number of other Arab and Muslim residents in the metro area to abandon the Democratic Party and get behind Trump.
He has repeatedly sidestepped commenting on the travel and immigration ban.
*****
In an expected move, City Clerk Rana Faraj hit back at the city after being placed on paid suspension.
She filed a 45-page lawsuit against the mayor, city councilmembers and Interim City Manager Alex Lagrou for suspending her, saying it was in retaliation of informing the state Attorney General about alleged election fraud committed by some councilmembers and their supporters.
The election fraud in question involves accusations of ballot harvesting.
Attorney Reno Arabo, of Marko Law, told The Metro Times that “Hamtramck is once again sending a dangerous message that if you expose misconduct, the city will come after you, not the wrongdoing. This lawsuit is about making clear that retaliating against an election official for enforcing Michigan election law will have serious consequences.”
Faraj was placed on paid suspension after the Nov. 4 election, when 37 absentee ballots were discovered in her office, still in their sealed envelopes, that had not been counted.
*****
State Republican legislators had a Scrooge-like Christmas message for Hamtramck and other communities.
The Republican-majority members in the state Appropriation Committee killed off funding, totaling more than $600 million, for various city and county projects throughout the state.
Hamtramck was on that list of communities that faced a huge, unexpected financial hit from the decision.
If the cuts remain, it will mean the city will lose about $5 million in funding for three projects:
• $2 million for a new DPW building
• $2 million for the parking lots/road in Veterans Park for the Historical stadium project
• $800,000 for a new fire truck

Worse yet, as of now, it appears Hamtramck will be on the hook to pay for the projects that are already underway.

*****
Well, that’s it for our trip through the year 2025.
And, with a new mayor, a revamped city council and new financial challenges, it looks like 2026 is shaping up to be another news-packed year.
Posted Jan. 9, 2026