By Charles Sercombe
It looks like there will be a meet the candidates night after all this year.
But it won’t happen until the night before the election, Nov. 3, 6 p.m., at the Hamtramck Public Library.
The event is being organized by Fr. Lawrence Ventline and other local clergy members.
Ventline said he realizes the forum is last-minute, but he says he organized it after getting numerous requests.
“There’s a bunch of people who wanted it,” Ventline said.
The only local election is for school board, in which 15 candidates are seeking five seats on the board.
There are three regular termed seats that last for six years. The two other seats are to fill out the remaining terms of boardmembers who resigned. One seat has four years left, and another has two years remaining.
School Board President Titus Walters and long-time member Yvonne Myrick are stepping down.
Appointees Alan Shulgon, Eric Burkman and Evan Major are seeking to retain their seats.
Other candidates include: Mohammad Huda, Nasir Sabuj, Saad Almasmari, Dennis Lukas, Anam Miah, Ataur Khan, Anwar Almasmari, Cathie Gordon, Ripon Lasker, Omar Almasmari, Jackie Starr and M. Alwey Hussein.
Also on the ballot are the races for governor, U.S Senator, state Senator, state Representative and two seats on the state Supreme Court.
The format for the Hamtramck candidate forum is for local clergy to start the question and answer portion.
In other campaign news, the teachers’ union in the Hamtramck Public Schools is endorsing the following candidates for the regular six-year term: Alan Shulgon, Evan Major and Dennis Lukas.
For the term with four years remaining: Eric Burkman.
And for the term with two years left: Omar Almasmari.
It appears voters are off to an early start with over 600 absentee ballots already submitted to the City Clerk’s Office. The Michigan branch of Moveon.org has organized the Bangladesh community to vote by this method, said City Clerk August Gitschlag.
Susan Dunn
October 31, 2014 at 1:50 pm
I wouldn’t vote for Cathy Gordon for dog catcher !! She’s a liar & stabs people in the back!! She refuses to be accountable for her actions & what she says ! When confronted she denies saying what she did then tries to get out of it … Don’t fall for her well practiced BS!!! I said behind my comments…. It’s not opinion… It’s facts!!
Editor’s note: This comment was edited
Karen Majewski
October 31, 2014 at 3:41 pm
I would not vote for any candidate who does not appear at this forum. Anyone who thinks he or she doesn’t need to answer questions and present him- or herself to the public at large is showing disrespect to the entire Hamtramck community.
Roadman
November 3, 2014 at 7:50 pm
I luuuuuuv Cathy Gordon.
Susan Dunn
November 4, 2014 at 1:59 pm
Good for you Roadman… That tells me you really don’t know her!!