Mayor’s weekly Facebook chat focuses on COVID outbreak

There was a brief scare last week that the Hamtramck Post Office would be closed indefinitely because of an electrical problem. But it was back open on Monday.

By Charles Sercombe
The bad news: The number of COVID-19 cases in Hamtramck is on the rise.
The good news: The Hamtramck post office on Caniff Ave. is back in business.
These were the top issues that Mayor Karen Majewski addressed in her now-every-Monday-morning talk with the community, via a live Facebook posting.
This past Monday, Majewski started out with the startling announcement that the COVID outbreak had increased by 77 cases. However, the number of deaths remains the same, at 24.
“The increase in the last week has been really shocking,” Majewski said.
Majewski was one of those cases, she revealed recently, but says she has since tested negative for the disease.
She also noted that there have been complaints that some businesses are not enforcing mask wearing and social distancing. That has prompted the city to send people out to remind businesses to comply with the governor’s directive that the public must wear masks while in indoor spaces – such as businesses.
Majewski also said she has observed people wearing their masks below their nose, which is supposed to be covered.
(Those who wear glasses have complained that wearing a mask causes their glasses to fog up.)
The mayor urged the public to wear masks even while walking the streets.
“This is a small town. You’re never far away from other people,” she said.
As for the Hamtramck Post Office, it had been closed since at least last Friday due to an electrical failure. However, by Monday afternoon, the office was back open.
Majewski said there was initial concern that the post office would not address the repairs needed in a timely manner, or worse, that a decision could be made to close it permanently in light of recent cuts being made to the postal service.
The Hamtramck post office was built in 1935 during the Great Depression. The office, and the construction jobs it offered, were so welcomed that a parade was held when it opened.
On Monday, there was a sign on the front door saying there was still a problem with their “point of service registers.” It was not immediately clear what that meant, but people were making transactions at the branch’s service windows.
The mayor also let homeowners know that the city is cracking down on households that let their lawns grow too long – which is anything over 5 inches.
She said code inspectors are first issuing warnings, and if those are ignored, they are then followed by tickets and fines.
She said that keeping lawns tidy “is what your neighbors expect.”
With the moratorium on statewide evictions now over, there is concern that there will soon be a wave of renters being forced out.
There is help out there, Majewski said.
The state Housing Development Authority has an “Eviction Diversion Program” that works with renters and landlords to set up a payment schedule.
There is even assistance for landlords to meet their own obligation on their mortgage payments for their rental dwellings. Those landlords who qualify for the program can receive up 90 percent of the back rent owed them.
The Detroit office for this state agency can be reached at (313) 456-3540, or you can find out more by email at:
MSHDA@michigan.gov
If you try to reach the agency by phone, expect a long wait because of the high volume of calls.
You can also go online and search for the agency and the program.
You can catch Mayor Majewski’s weekly Facebook talks every Monday at 8:30 a.m., or see them at any time via Majewski’s Facebook page, or the City of Hamtramck’s Facebook page.
Posted Aug. 21, 2020