City and schools team up

City and school officials held a joint meeting in December to announce a partnership to develop Veterans Memorial Park.

By Charles Sercombe
The city council and school board made history in December.
The two government entities, which have rarely joined forces in the past, held a joint meeting in the public library and agreed to partner up in the development of the city-owned Veterans Memorial Park.
The park has served as a recreation hub for the community, and the teaming up occurred to attract grants for renovation.
The park has seen a number of improvements over the last several years, but many agree it has a long way to go. One of the key developments would be to refurbish the baseball stadium, once home to the Negro National League back in the 1930s when African-Americans were barred from playing professional baseball with white players.
Acting City Manager Kathy Angerer called the stadium “one of the gems of the community.”
With the city and school board acting together, it is also hoped that funding from the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation can be made available. That foundation seeks to get youths more physically active.
The Wilson Foundation released a study in which a majority of the nation’s kids are overweight and not getting enough physical activity.
Dr. Leonard Rezmierski, who is liaison between the school district and Wayne County education resources, said there is a critical need to improve the health of children.
“This is about the health and well-being of our next generation,” said Rezmierski, who moderated the meeting.
Schools Superintendent Tom Niczay said the alliance will also help the Detroit City Football Club to expand its activities. The club leases Keyworth Stadium from the school district to host its semi-pro soccer team.
That partnership with the school district has allowed hundreds of thousands of dollars to be pumped into Keyworth for major improvements. The DCFC has turned out to be a sensation, attracting upwards of 6,000 spectators to each home games.
In parting, Mayor Karen Majewski said the partnership between the city and schools represents a “special place right now.”
“The energy is here, the commitment is here to do this.”
School Board President Magdalena Srodek added: “The opportunity has slapped us in the face.”