A look back on the last half of ‘Year in Review’

Hate the city’s parking meters? You’re not alone, and city officials say they will get rid of them.

By Charles Sercombe
Welcome back to our annual “Year in Review.”
Last week, we looked at the first six months of the year; now, here’s what was notable, locally, about the second half of 2024.
Enjoy.

JULY
St. Ladislaus’ last Mass was likely the best attended in decades.
News of the church’s closing attracted hundreds of worshippers, many of whom had to stand for the two-hour service.
In many ways, the sermon was more like a funeral service, and, in a sense, it was. St. Lad’s, as it has been affectionately known, was Hamtramck’s oldest Catholic Church. The parish was created 104 years ago.
There is a lot of history packed into this parish. On one notable occasion decades ago, then-Pope John Paul II visited here, when he was still Cardinal Karol Wojtylo. Little did anyone know then that he would later be appointed Pope, let alone one who, in some ways, helped the Solidarity movement in Poland topple that nation’s communist regime.
Monsignor Charles Kosanke said that, just like in the case of a death, those who loved the church will go through the five stages of mourning: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.
Grief, he said, “is at play when we close a parish.”

After 104 years in service to the community, the St. Ladislaus Parish held its last Mass before closing for good.

One thing you can say about State Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck): he knows how to bring home the bacon to his district. This year, Aiyash, who has also championed expanding the civil rights of the LGBTQ community during his tenure, brought home to Hamtramck $7.3 million for various projects.
Those projects included:
• $2 million for the enhancement of Veterans Park, to improve recreational facilities and make general infrastructure upgrades in the area

• $2 million for upgrades to the Hamtramck Public Services Department, to provide safer and more efficient public services

• $1.5 million allocated for alley and sidewalk repairs throughout the city

• $1 million for infrastructure improvements to Hamtramck Public Schools

• $800,000 for the Hamtramck Fire Department for the purchase of a new fire truck, due to critical problems with the existing trucks

Last year, according to state records, Aiyash brought in $1 million for the Detroit Opera House and $260,000 for sidewalk and alley repairs here in Hamtramck.
Hamtramck likely won’t fare so well in the coming years. Aiyash decided not to seek re-election.

Hamtramck was not alone in being frustrated – heck, even angered – by the city’s Jos. Campau parking meters.
The City of Royal Oak, that trendy suburb just north of Hamtramck, also had the same parking meters and parking meter contractor, Municipal Parking Services, Inc.
People there had been bitterly complaining about how complex it is to use the meters, and how, despite when the meter system is not working, they still get tickets.
The upshot: Royal Oak officials booted the meters out.
But the damage had been done, and word was to avoid Royal Oak. That resulted in businesses suffering a loss of customers by anywhere from 20 to 50 percent.
That approximate percentage of loss in business has also been reported here in Hamtramck.
Hamtramck officials have said they will follow Royal Oak’s path and not renew the contract with the meter company when it expires in two years.
If the city follows through with that plan, however, it will represent a loss of about $250,000 in revenue per year in parking income, unless a suitable replacement is figured out.

Once again, the Hamtramck Board of Education decided to take a summer vacation this month, and not hold its regular monthly meeting in July.
They took this action despite a state law (MCL 380.11a, part 6) that requires all boards of education to meet at least once a month.
Violating this law carries a fine of up to $500 and/or a $500 fine for each board member.
So far, the state Michigan Department of Education has taken no action against the district.
The Review reached out to Interim Superintendent James Larson-Shidler and Board President Jihan Aiyash for comment, but neither responded.
Toni Coral, the president of the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, said, at that time, that the board should meet once this month, at the very least, “so new hires can be approved. That would allow for a more smooth orientation process. The board is making a hefty stipend, and one July meeting would send a small signal that they are earning their pay.”
This wasn’t the first time the board has violated state law regarding meeting monthly. In 2023, the board failed to meet three months out of the year, including in July.

The Hamtramck Board of Education wasn’t the only public body having a hard time getting all its members to attend meetings.
The city council wrestled with the issue of two councilmembers, Khalil Refai and Muhtasin Sadman, who had been absent for over two months.
Both of them were said to be taking care of family matters, Refai in Saudi Arabia (trying to straighten out his wife’s immigration status) and Sadman in Bangladesh (dealing with his father’s death).
While both submitted letters to the council announcing that they would be missing several meetings, their absences were never officially excused.
Councilmember Mohammed Hassan took issue with their absences and proposed excusing them, with the provision that, going forward, no other absences by the two would be considered excused.
Hassan said there has to be a limit on absences.
“It cannot be unlimited,” he said.
The two eventually returned.

AUGUST
Once again, Hamtramck City Councilmembers Mohammed Hassan and Mohammed Alsomiri had their hopes dashed to move up the political ladder.
Both lost their bids to unseat longtime incumbent Martha Scott on the Wayne County Commission, according to election results.
Scott, who turned 89-years-old in November, is a Democrat, and handily won that party’s primary.
In other election developments, there were some setbacks for local community leaders in two key races.
Mayor Amer Ghalib and others had endorsed Hill Harper over Elissa Slotkin, who was currently serving in congress, in the Democratic primary race for U.S. senator.
While Harper won here in Hamtramck, Slotkin outperformed him statewide, winning 76 percent of the state Democratic vote. She also won in the November election.
Community leaders also struck out in their support of Detroit City Councilmember Mary Waters for the Democratic primary for U.S. Congress in the 13th District. Again, she won here, but she soundly lost in the district-wide vote, insuring that incumbent Shri Thanedar would have an easy re-election this fall.
Local leaders here, most of whom are Muslim, declined to back Slotkin and Thanedar over their support of Israel, in light of the ongoing Gaza war.

Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed was dealt a setback in one of two lawsuits she filed against the district and teachers’ union.
Federal Court Judge Gershwin Drain dismissed Ahmed’s lawsuit against the union.
At the time and to this day, Ahmed continues to be paid, but she is not actually doing district work. District officials refuse to discuss her employment status, or why she continues to draw her yearly salary of about $220,000 per year.

Back in 2021, the Hamtramck Public School District was proud to announce that it had purchased two buildings to help expand services.
At the time, Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed praised the purchases, saying:
“The purchase of these local properties through the district’s general operating fund, in tandem with other improvements we are proposing across Hamtramck Public Schools, brings a sense of renewed hope for the future of our district, and is another step toward giving our students all of the tools they need to succeed.”
But instead of being a source of pride, or opportunity, the two buildings, one on Conant and the other on Jos. Campau, turned out to be white elephants that were never developed or used.
A major stumbling block in fulfilling that promise was that the worst of the covid pandemic hit in 2020 through 2021. For over a year, students were not attending school in person, but instead shifted to at-home virtual learning.
However, there were now serious discussions on preparing the Conant building to house administrative offices into the one on Conant, and selling the Jos. Campau building.
That move eventually came months later.

Rocker Jack White made an appearance at the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival, attracting a crowd of about 20,000 people. Photo by Sal Rodriguez

SEPTEMBER
Every year, it seems the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is the best one yet.
This past year was no exception. The verdict was unanimous: the festival was a smash hit, offered the best and most varied music line-up of the weekend (and all for free), and had good vibes that proved infectious.
There was only one complaint heard, and that was: why did the festival have to end?
The city’s own promotional campaign, “Discover Hamtramck,” called it “the most magical weekend in Hamtramck.”
On top of all that, Detroit rocker Jack White made an appearance on Monday, where he shared the stage with local faves The Hentchmen for a few tunes. His rumored appearance attracted an estimated crowd of 20,000 or more fans.

This year’s presidential campaign certainly had some unexpected twists, particularly with President Joe Biden dropping out of the election.
Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris took up the Democratic torch for the job.
Michigan was considered one of several “swing” states that could determine the outcome of the election, and one voting bloc here was primed to make a significant difference: Arab-Americans.
A number of Arab-Americans, including many here in Hamtramck, voted “uncommitted” in the Presidential Primary Election back in February, in protest of Biden’s continued support of Israel and its brutal invasion of Gaza.
Hamtramck’s largest voting bloc is now those of the Muslim faith. So how did the Muslim vote in Michigan play out?
Stay tuned for November (but we’re guessing you know that outcome already).

There are good neighbors, and then there are really good neighbors.
You can put Hamtramck Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri in the “really good” neighbor category.
How’s that?
A local CBS-TV news affiliate did a short feature on a situation involving the chief and his neighbor, Norbert Revels.
As CBS reporter Alysia Burgio pointed out, in introducing her story, this “showed how compassion can change a person’s life.”
The situation was, Revels’ roof was old and leaky. Despite saving and saving his money, he just couldn’t get near the estimated $10,000 cost to replace it.
That’s where the chief stepped in, deciding to lend a helping hand.
A local contractor, Ruben Gonzalez became involved, and he, too, got into the spirit.
“I believe in giving back,” he told the CBS reporter.
Long story made short, the job got done at no expense to Revels.
Chief Altaheri told CBS it’s not necessarily providing financial help to a neighbor or someone you know.
“Sometimes it’s just your words” that make a difference, he said. “Maybe you don’t have the money, but say something; things will happen.”

Former president Donald Trump receives a Certificate of Appreciation by the mayor and some members of the city council when he stopped by the Trump campaign office.

Like it or not, the 2024 presidential campaign was in motion to swing into town.
Mayor Amer Ghalib met privately with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Flint where there was a campaign rally, and he invited Trump to come to Hamtramck.
“It’s possible,” Ghalib said on his Facebook page. “We will hear from them soon. … We opened a channel of communication with the former president, and it will continue. We thought about the possibility of breaking the wall between the Republican Party and minorities.”
Ghalib said Trump asked for his endorsement, to which Ghalib said he replied: “I’m here to discuss that matter. That’s why I’m here. And so we agreed there would be further discussion and a possibility of opening an office in Hamtramck. …”
Previous to Ghalib’s summary of his meeting with Trump, he wrote on his Facebook page about the meeting:
“It’s a new era!
“Today, I had a closed meeting with President Trump for 20 minutes, before the town hall in Flint.
“We discussed many topics. I’ll discuss the details later. …”
Trump had been courting Muslims for their support, especially in Michigan where that voting bloc could make the difference in who wins the state.
Later in the month, Ghalib came out and fully endorsed Trump for president.

OCTOBER
Mayor Ghalib’s endorsement of former president Donald Trump paid off.
Ghalib met Trump at a campaign rally in Warren, and during that meeting, Trump complimented Ghalib by calling him “The greatest mayor in the world.”
Ghalib also hinted that there was a strong possibility of Trump visiting in Hamtramck.
And, indeed, that came true.
Trump and his entourage pulled up in front of the Hamtramck Trump campaign office at Jos. Campau and Pulaski, where Trump then spoke for about 45 minutes.
On a gorgeously sunny and 70-plus degree Friday afternoon, a crowd of about 100 people showed up to watch the arrival of the Trump motorcade, complete with police cars flashing their lights and sounding their sirens.
Those who attended the private meeting included Mayor Amer Ghalib, City Councilmembers Abu Musa, Khalil Refai and Muhtasin Sadman, and various city officials. A number of city employees were also on the scene, including officers and firefighters.
Ghalib, who had identified as a Democrat, made national news by endorsing Trump, despite Trump’s having instituted a travel ban against some Muslim countries — including Yemen, where Ghalib emigrated from –early on in his first term as president.
In an interview with WXYZ Channel 7, Ghalib seemingly brushed off that history.
“I may disagree with him about that. I know that Yemen was in the ban before, which is the country I came from. I hope that he will consider that the Yemeni people, the Yemeni neighborhoods in the United States, are some of the safest. The crime rates are some of the lowest,” he said.
Ghalib, and many other Muslims in the Detroit area, turned against President Biden because of his ongoing support for Israel, and his providing of military support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza where, at this point, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Anybody want to buy a used church?
If so, the former St. Ladislaus Church was put up for sale, but with one stipulation: it can’t be used for any “un-becoming use.”
So far, there have been no takers for the 9,200 square foot building.

It’s no secret that Hamtramck has some talented youth at work, and in a wide variety of academic, athletic and practical areas.
Two such youths, MstLabone Begum and Shuvomita Dey, who are students at Hamtramck High School, successfully wrote and published a book, titled “Sun-kissed.”
It is a children’s book that brings home a message to, literally, save one’s skin, as in, from the ravages of the sun’s UV (ultra-violet) rays.
Mst Begum explained how the book evolved:
“I had never been taught the value of sunscreen, which surprised me as a Bangladeshi woman moving to the United States. I used to get terrible sunburns every summer, and I never realized how many people thought they didn’t need sunscreen, due to their skin tone, until I started questioning them about it.”
The book is available from Amazon, and elsewhere.

The last phase of repaving Caniff from Jos. Campau to Conant could only be partly done. Reconstruction of the street will begin again in spring.

City officials found themselves in a rush against time as the last phase of Caniff reconstruction began, from Jos. Campau to Conant.
Why the rush?
With cold weather just around the corner, there was concern that the project would not be completed because of cold weather coming in, making it impossible to pour cement.
They were right to be concerned.
The street was repaved, but only to Gallagher, meaning the last leg of the project will have to wait until spring returns and concrete can be poured.

Hamtramck once again drew unwanted attention.
A 69-year-old man from Ohio, who had a history of mental issues, threatened to kill immigrants here in Hamtramck, according to the Hamtramck Police Department.
Deputy Chief Andrew Mileski said that William Darocha, who had a prior history of run-ins with the police, went to a Catholic Church in Toledo and asked to speak with a priest because “He was thinking of coming to Michigan to kill some immigrants in Hamtramck.”
The suspect was eventually arrested after officers in the downriver community of Taylor spotted his car. No weapons were found in the vehicle. He was extradited back to Toledo, where he faced a felony charge of making a terrorist threat.
“The threat was neutralized,” Mileski said.

Hamtramck Public Schools settled a lawsuit against a former assistant principal for almost $1 million.
Former Kosciuszko Middle School Assistant Principal Christina Adamczyk filed a whistleblower’s lawsuit a few years ago, saying that Superintendent Jaleelah Ahmed and a district administrator retaliated against her for raising concerns over how the district was complying with covid pandemic requirements.
Because of her criticisms of how they handled the health crisis, Adamczyk was demoted.
The Review received a copy of the settlement by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the school district. The district continues to face over a dozen other lawsuits filed by former employees.

Hamtramck Muslims’ support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waivered a bit when, at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, he called immigrants from Yemen “terrorists.”
Hamtramck is home to a large Yemeni population.
City Councilmember Khalil Refai, who is an immigrant from Yemen, said he was reconsidering his endorsement.
“Many members of the Yemeni American community were hurt and disappointed by the former president’s remarks,” Refai said..
“They now question the trust we placed in the Republican Party, feeling betrayed after we assured them that the party shares our conservative values.”
When asked about his reaction to Trump’s “terrorist” comment, Mayor Ghalib, who emigrated from Yemen, responded:
“I said in my endorsement that ‘we do not agree on everything.’ This is part of the disagreement between us.”
Ghalib later met with Trump, and said that the former president apologized for the remark and promised to not say that again.

NOVEMBER
Hamtramck Public School officials were crossing their fingers as election day neared.
They were concerned that voters would once again reject a millage tax renewal. And this renewal being sought was a big one: at 18 mills, that renewal represented $2.7 million per year in funding for the district to maintain its basic operations.
As it turned out, voters surprisingly approved the millage, most likely because the property tax is paid only by those who own commercial properties or rental dwellings.
Speaking of the election, Hamtramck stayed true to its blue Democratic roots.
But just barely.
While a slim majority of Hamtramck voters threw their support to Democrats, there was a sizeable voting bloc that went Republican.
Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib, who bucked Hamtramck’s long tradition of elected officials being solidly Democratic, was pleased.
“Mission accomplished. Congratulations, Mr. President,” he said on his Facebook page in reference to former President Donald Trump in his nationwide victory.
For decades, Hamtramck has been a Democratic stronghold. That tradition was shattered by a new demographic majority living here: Conservative Muslims.

Locally, the school board now has two new members: Linda Wolyniec and Mohamed Algaheim.
School Board President Jihan Aiyash lost her bid for re-election.

Wayne State University Anthropology students performed an excavation on Grayling St. to find artifacts from Hamtramck’s past.

Hamtramck is known for its colorful history.
Just ask Hamtramck Historical Museum Director — and retired journalist — Greg Kowalski.
He’s written over a dozen books about this city’s history. And he has said he has plenty more in him to bring to light.
It turns out that a lot of Hamtramck’s history is buried. As in, underground.
Some of those buried secrets are slowly coming back to the surface, thanks to the Hamtramck Historical Museum’s ongoing relationship with the Anthropology Department of Wayne State University.
That department, and its participating students, have already performed digs in a few locations in the city, and they were now wrapping up their current one at 2317 Grayling, the former site of Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church.
What wonders would be unearthed this time? Check with the museum to see.

Back on June 14 of 2021, at about 8 p.m., a group composed of both teens and adults was playing basketball in the street at Yemans and Buffalo.
Such a gathering often happened around that time.
But what happened next was decidedly not typical.
A vehicle pulled up, and suddenly about 30 shots were fired into the basketball crowd.
Marvin White, Jr., died after being shot in the back. Two other people were injured.
Eventually, Darnell Hill, 23, who had once lived in Hamtramck, was charged in the shooting, and was convicted by a Wayne County jury of first-degree murder and other felony charges.
Hill faced a maximum penalty of life in prison.
There is still an ongoing investigation into whether others were involved in the shooting.

Veterans at PLAV Post 6 drink a champagne toast on Veterans Day in honor of all military veterans.

Veterans Day ceremonies in Hamtramck may be a mere shadow of those in former years, but the spirit was still strong.
In recent years, the number of veterans who live here has taken a nosedive.
That’s because the bulk of them who once lived here have mostly either passed away, or moved away. And then the covid pandemic closed down many public gatherings for a while.
At one time, there were thousands of veterans living in the city, representing a powerful voting bloc.
Like Veterans Day, Memorial Day here in the city isn’t recognized in the way it used to be.
For the remaining veterans, and their family members and friends, who do still go out, a small ceremony was held on a Monday morning at PLAV Post 6 at Evaline and McDougall.
A short prayer was given, followed by a champagne toast exactly at 11:11 a.m. – representing the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — the moment World War 1 officially came to an end in 1918.

A “dark chapter” in the city finally came to its end.
For those who have lived here awhile, this may have seemed like déjà vu.
The city’s longstanding housing discrimination lawsuit came to a close.
Although the final ending of this lawsuit had been touted several times in past years, this time the lawsuit was truly over, and in fact concluded back in May when U.S. Magistrate Elizabeth A. Stafford issued an order of dismissal, thus ending a legal action that began in 1968. The lawsuit has the distinction of being the longest-running federal lawsuit ever.
Wayne County officials hosted a press conference inside the last-built housing unit.
“It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing,” said Wayne County Director of Economic Development Hassan Sheikh.
The lawsuit goes all the way back to the 1960s, when a couple of hundred African-American residents accused city officials of targeting the homes in their neighborhoods for demolition in the name of “urban renewal.”
Using federal money at the time, city officials razed dozens of houses to make way for this supposed development – development that never came.
That ill-advised ploy by the city would come to haunt city officials, and taxpayers, for decades.

DECEMBER
Patience, folks.
The last leg of the rebuilding and repaving of Caniff, from Gallagher to Conant, will have to wait until spring when warm weather returns and cement can be poured once again.
As predicted, cold weather came on quickly, putting the brakes on the project for a few months.
The good news of it is, traffic lanes are now open all along Caniff.
Now, can we all make a promise to keep the nice, new street relatively clean of litter?
Well, by the looks of it, that’s a big negatory. Come on, folks — do better.

Although President-elect Donald Trump didn’t win in Hamtramck, he did win the state.
And Mayor Amer Ghalib took some credit for that with his backing of Trump, and for convincing other Muslims and Arabs to follow his endorsement.
Ghalib is a Muslim immigrant from Yemen.
That voting bloc here in the metro area, particularly in Hamtramck, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, may have helped put Trump over the top in the state.
With the election over, Ghalib spoke at length, at a city council meeting, about the next step forward.
“Now that the election is over, we need to go back to focus on our unity, and working together to serve our people, our community,” Ghalib said.
“In Hamtramck, there is no loser, no winner. We all work as a team.”
Ghalib said the point of the local campaign extended beyond Hamtramck.
“Our mission was statewide, nationwide. It was accomplished,” he said.
Ghalib said his connection to Trump could pay off for the city.
“Hopefully, good stuff will come to our community,” Ghalib said. “Hopefully, we will use this line of communication with the president to serve our community and to help our community.”

We’ve all heard those annoying and ear-shattering modified mufflers that a certain subsection of young males enjoy inflicting on others.
City officials decided to do something about the nuisance, and passed a resolution outlawing those altered mufflers.
The mufflers, costing upwards of $400, are also illegal in Michigan. The state law states:
“A person shall not modify, repair, replace, or remove a part of an exhaust system causing the motor vehicle to which the system is attached to produce noise in excess of the levels established by this act, or operate a motor vehicle so altered on a street or highway.”
So, who likes these mufflers?
Brace yourself.
According to the National Library of Medicine “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man with higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.”

Wayne County says it is no longer operating its jail in Hamtramck and as a result will stop paying the city $1.4 million a year.

The worst case scenario of the Wayne County Jail saga here in Hamtramck played out as feared.
Wayne County stopped making its yearly $1.4 million payments to the city to operate the jail.
The county had been making those annual payments in lieu of paying property taxes.
The county was supposed to make its scheduled partial payment last week, but then city officials were told, two weeks prior, that the county was cutting off the money flow.
City officials are still attempting to negotiate with the county to continue the payments, but so far there is not much to report on the progress of those talks.
The county has been in the process of consolidating its prisoners into a new jail facility that just opened, located a few minutes’ drive south of the city.
Mayor Amer Ghalib said the city has a budget surplus that can absorb the hit for the next several years — although there is a deep-dive financial audit underway to determine exactly where the city’s finances currently stand.
Ghalib also accused the county executive office of playing politics, and exacting revenge for his endorsement of Donald Trump for president.
Wayne County elected officials are largely Democratic.
“It’s one of the consequences of the election, although Hamtramck voted for more Democrats, but it’s a collective punishment not understood at all,” Ghalib said.
What a year, eh?
Plenty of ups and downs and ins and outs. In other words, just another year in Hamtramck.
Next week, it’s back to the weekly grind, and, by the looks of it, 2025 is going to be another eventful year.
See you then!
Posted Jan. 3, 2025