Cody Rouge meeting on January 31

On Tuesday, January 31, the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance will have their next community meeting from 5 - 7 p.m. This meeting will happen at the Don Bosco Hall (19321 W. Chicago), which is just north of the Warrendale neighborhood.

Dinner will be served.

Friends of Rouge Park to meet on Tuesday

The non-profit community group, Friends of Rouge Park, will hold their next general membership meeting on Tuesday, January 17. Everyone who is interested in the future of Detroit's largest park is invited to attend. This meeting will happen from 6 - 7 pm at the Don Bosco Center (9356 Westwood St. at West Chicago).

The agenda for this meeting will include an update from the City Parks & Recreation Department as well as:

• Update on Progress on the Scout Hollow Campground;
• Report from the National Kidney Foundation's work in the park; and
• Update on Detroit Water & Sewage Department's plan for Green Infrastructure in the park.

There will also be a general discussion of goals for 2017 as well as upcoming events in Rouge Park.

 

10 tips to prevent a rape

The following is a guest commentary from Ricardo Moore, who represents the Warrendale and surrounding neighborhoods on the Detroit Police Commission. This column is presented as part of the semi-regular Tip of the Week feature.

It has been reported by Detroit Police ChiefJames Craig that the crime of Criminal Sexual Conduct (Rape) has risen on the streets of Detroit. As Vice Chairman of the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, it is my mission to help keep every woman, man, and child safe from any and all criminal attacks. Please report all crimes that occur to the Detroit Police Department by dialing 9-1-1. When crimes are not reported, it gives law enforcement leaders lower crime data. Unreported or unknown crime is known as the Dark Figure of Crime.

Photo by Adina Voicu/Pixababy

I would like to thank Sgt. Darren Laur and his wife Beth for providing the following safety tips:

Awareness: Your first line of defense. Most people think of kicks to the groin and blocking punches when they hear the term “self-defense.” However, true self-defense begins long before any actual physical contact. The first, and probably most important, component in self-defense is awareness: awareness of yourself, your surroundings, and your potential attacker’s likely strategies.

The criminal’s primary strategy is to use the advantage of surprise. Studies have shown that criminals are adept at choosing targets who appear to be unaware of what is going on around them. By being aware of your surroundings and by projecting a “force presence,” many altercations which are commonplace on the street can be avoided.

Use your sixth sense. “Sixth Sense.” “Gut instinct.” Whatever you call it, your intuition is a powerful subconscious insight into situations and people. All of us, especially women, have this gift, but very few of us pay attention to it. Learn to trust this power and use it to your full advantage. Avoid a person or a situation which does not “feel” safe–you’re probably right.

Self-defense training. It is important to evaluate the goals and practical usefulness of a women’s self-defense program before signing up. Here are two tips:

1. Avoid martial arts studios unless you specifically wish to train in the traditional martial arts techniques and are prepared for a long-term commitment. Many women’s self-defense programs teach watered-down martial arts techniques that are complex and unrealistic under the stress of an actual attack;
2. The self-defense program should include simulated assaults with a fully padded instructor in realistic rape and attack scenarios, to allow you to practice what you’ve learned.

Escape: Always your best option. What if the unthinkable happens? You are suddenly confronted by a predator who demands that you go with him–be it in a car, or into an alley, or a building. It would seem prudent to obey, but you must never leave the primary crime scene. You are far more likely to be killed or seriously injured if you go with the predator than if you run away (even if he promises not to hurt you). Run away, yell for help, throw a rock through a store or car window–do whatever you can to attract attention. And if the criminal is after your purse or other material items, throw them one way while you run the other.

Your right to fight. Unfortunately, no matter how diligently we practice awareness and avoidance techniques, we may find ourselves in a physical confrontation. Whether or not you have self-defense training, and no matter what your age or physical condition, it is important to understand that you can and should defend yourself physically. You have both the moral and legal right to do so, even if the attacker is only threatening you and hasn’t struck first. Many women worry that they will anger the attacker and get hurt worse if they defend themselves, but statistics clearly show that your odds of survival are far greater if you do fight back. Aim for the eyes first and the groin second. Remember, though, to use the element of surprise to your advantage–strike quickly, and mean business. You may only get one chance.

Pepper spray: Pros and cons. Pepper spray, like other self-defense aids, can be a useful tool. However, it is important to understand that there can be significant drawbacks to its use. For example, did you know that it doesn’t work for everyone? Surprisingly, 15-20% of people will not be incapacitated even by a full-face spray. Also, if you’re carrying it in your purse, you will only waste time and alert the attacker to your intentions while you fumble for it. Never depend on any self-defense tool or weapon to stop an attacker. Trust your body and your wits, which you can always depend on in the event of an attack.

Home invasions: A crime on the rise. The primary way to prevent a home invasion is simply to never, ever open your door unless you either are certain you know who’s on the other side or can verify that they have a legitimate reason for being there (dressing up as a repair person or even police officer is one trick criminals use). In the event that an intruder breaks in while you’re home, you should have a safe room in your house to which you can retreat. Such a room should be equipped with a strong door, deadbolt lock, phone (preferably cell phone), and a can of pepper spray or fire extinguisher.

Avoiding a carjacking. Lock all doors and keep windows up when driving. Most carjackings take place when vehicles are stopped at intersections. The criminals approach at a 45-degree angle (in the blind spot), and either pull you out of the driver’s seat or jump in the passenger’s seat.

A travel tip. Violent crimes against women happen in the best and worst hotels around the world. Predators may play the part of a hotel employee, push their way through an open or unlocked door, or obtain a passkey to the room. As with home safety, never open your door unless you are certain the person on the other side is legitimate, and always carry a door wedge with you when you travel. A wedge is often stronger than the door it secures.

Safety in cyberspace. Although the Internet is educational and entertaining, it can also be full of danger if one isn’t careful. When communicating on-line, use a nickname and always keep personal information such as home address and phone number confidential. Instruct family members to do the same. 

Carrie Fisher and our dystopian future

Carrie Fisher - Photo by Riccardo Ghilardi

Earlier today, legendary actress and writer Carrie Fisher passed away at the age of 60. She joins Richard Adams, author of Watership Down who also died today at the age of 96, George Michael, and so many other high-profile deaths in 2016 that I have lost count.

Carrie Fisher doesn't have any particular connection to Detroit or the Warrendale neighborhood. Indeed, none of these deaths have any particular connect to Detroit nor the Warrendale neighborhood. However, I still need to rant about something and, well, this blog is my opportunity to do so.

It seems to me that the bankers and politicians who have screwed our world up will continue to live. Meanwhile, the artists like Carrie Fisher and others who have collectively made living in this world worthwhile are dying off rapidly.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is how the dystopian future begins.

Detroiters vs wolves: what matters more in Lansing

Gray wolf - Photo by Isster17/Wikicommons

It was this past Friday that Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation that would authorize wolf hunting in Michigan. This, by the way, was the fourth time in four years that there has been one legislative attempt or another to allow wolf hunting in this state.

I repeat, wolf hunting has resulted in four different pieces of legislation reaching the governor's desk in the past four years.

Meanwhile, legislation authorizing the D-Insurance program has been languishing in the Michigan Legislature for almost two years.

Hunting wolves has resulted in four different bills moving through the Michigan Legislature. However, when it comes to helping inner-city residents cope with out-of-control auto insurance costs, the Michigan Legislature can't be bothered to do anything.

This is frustrating, to say the least.

Based on all of this, I believe that it well past time for the City of Detroit to reexamine an issue that has been discussed for years now - that is, the City of Detroit to start its own insurance company.

Lansing isn't going to help Detroiters get affordable auto insurance. They are too busy worrying about whether or not people can hunt wolves in northern Michigan.

The insurance companies aren't going to help Detroiters get affordable auto insurance. Quite frankly, I don't think they even want to insurance anyone who lives in the inner city.

This is an issue where Detroiters need to help ourselves. And that means starting our own insurance company.

Reflections on life in a post-truth world

Photo courtesy of  DTTSP

There has been a lot of discussion as of late about fake news; how it has evolved from harmless site on sites like The Onion to something that has an increasing impact on our life. It has reached the point where social media sites like Facebook have launched an effort to combat the spread of fake news on its pages.

This proliferation of fake news, misinformation, and misinterpreted data has caused some to refer to our modern age as the "post-truth era." The extent to which this has become embedded in modern life was perhaps best exemplified when the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary named "post-truth" as their word of the year for 2016.

All of this makes me wonder more and more about how we got to where we are.

How did this become the so-called post-truth era?

How did we get here? How can we function in this type of an environment? How can we get back to a world where the truth actually matters?

I won't pretend to have all of the answers to this one. I will, however, mention that this phenomenon is not a new.

C.H. Spurgeon

Back in 1859, the British author and pastor C.H. Spurgeon published a compilation of his sermons in a book entitled Gems from Spurgeon. In this opus, he observed, "A lie will go round the world while the truth is pulling its boots on."

A lie will go round the world while the truth is still pulling its boots on. There's a lot of truth in that simple sentence, I believe.

In my opinion, what we now refer to as the post-truth era is merely the logical evolution of what Spurgeon opined about 157 years ago.

In Spurgeon's time, the telegraph was still a relatively new invention. Information could move vast distances in a short period of time. However, it was nothing like what we see today with the internet.

In the modern era, any liar with an internet connection can blast his or her misinformation around the world with a speed that Spurgeon could never have dreamed of. Plus, those lies can be shared with much less effort that it would take one to write a letter or send a telegram. Meanwhile, it still takes the truth the same amount of time to put its proverbial boots on.

I won't pretend to have a solution for the challenges of living in a post-truth world. I simply do not have such an answer to these questions.

I do, however, take a certain amount of comfort in knowing that other great individuals have muddled through similar challenges. Until I have an epiphany as to how to best live in a post-truth world, I invite anyone with a better idea to leave a comment below.

Editor's note: This post is a part of this blog's semi-regular Friday Focus series, which endeavors to highlight news and opinions that, in my opinion, don't get as much attention as they deserve.

Detroit finishes installing 65,000 new street lights

The relighting of Detroit – a city that just three years ago was in chronic darkness – has been completed on time and under budget. The Public Lighting Authority installed the last of 65,000 new LED streetlights earlier today. This marks the completion a massive relighting program that began in February 2014 after Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit City Council appointed a new board to lead the project.

A lit street in Detroit - Photo by Steve Koss

“For the first time in a generation, Detroiters can step outside at night anywhere in their city and have an expectation of a street lit to the national standard,” Mayor Mike Duggan said in a prepared statement. “They also can have the expectation that if a light goes out, it will be replaced within five days. This major accomplishment for our residents would not have been possible without the hard work of the professional staff and board we have at the PLA.”

Prior to the start of the LED project, about 40% of the city’s streetlights did not work, including entire neighborhoods in some cases. To bring relief to residents as quickly as possible, the Mayor worked with the PLA to reverse the original plan that called for lighting major thoroughfares first in order to light neighborhoods first and complete them a year earlier. The new plan also called for installing brighter and more energy-efficient LED lights, as opposed to the dimmer sodium lights.
The replacement of lights began in the city’s darkest ZIP codes on the far east and far west sides, and moved methodically across the city, eventually reaching the final destination: downtown Detroit.

At a ceremony held at dusk just east of downtown at Atwater and Riopelle, Mayor Duggan; President Obama’s budget director, Shaun Donovan; and other dignitaries joined with residents to turn on the last stretch of lights to be replaced in the city.

Dr. Lorna Thomas, chairwoman of the Public Lighting Authority, added that today’s celebration “is the culmination of three years of intense work that has brought order out of chaos with the city’s street lights and has created an effective solution to an issue that has plagued the city for decades. When we began installing new LED streetlights in Detroit’s neighborhoods in February 2014, many people thought what we were trying to do was impossible, because it had never been done. But we have done it. This an example of how government should work.”

“I’m proud of our staff and want to thank them for their dedication and long hours in relighting our city,” stated Nicolette Carlone, chief executive officer of the authority. “Their hard work is recognized in completing this monumental project on schedule and under budget.”

Prior to the formation of the Public Lighting Authority, Detroit’s street lighting system had been in increasingly serious disrepair, with minimal infrastructure investment having been made for at least the last 20 years. Approximately 40 percent of the lights in the system were not working for reasons that included copper theft, bulb outages, vandalism, obsolete technology, lack of repair staff and a lack of funds to pay for repairs.

“The completion of this project is an amazing step in Detroit’s comeback. It’s events like these that prove that this city is on the path to recovery and will continue to become an even better place to live, raise a family, and do business,” Governor Rick Snyder added.

DTE Energy has served as the owner’s representative overseeing the project from its beginning to completion.

“At DTE Energy, we are extremely proud to have assisted with the project to relight the City of Detroit,” said Trevor F. Lauer, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric. “For our residents, businesses, employees, and the surrounding communities, Detroit’s new energy efficient streetlights symbolize progress, safety, and a tremendous sense of pride in our invigorated and revitalized city.”

The Public Lighting Authority was authorized at the state level by legislation that passed the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder. The Detroit City Council approved the PLA’s articles of incorporation in February 2013. The authority was created to develop and implement a plan to get the street lighting system operating effectively and to provide a vehicle to secure the funds to make the badly needed improvements to Detroit’s public lighting system.
Twice as bright, more reliable

The LED lights the authority has installed on city streets are twice as bright as and more energy efficient than the high-pressure sodium lights that were replaced. In addition, the lights have a considerable longer life than high pressure sodium lights.

The PLA has eliminated the problem the old system experienced of copper theft by switching from copper to aluminum wiring. Aluminum has only a small fraction of the value of copper on the scrap market, making it unattractive to potential thieves. The new LED lights also do not require a copper coil at the base, as the old lights did, removing another target of thieves.

In another measure to improve reliability, the PLA has done away with the city’s old series-circuit lighting system, commonly known as “Christmas tree light” wiring, in which multiple lights were on one circuit – so if one light burned out, all the lights on that circuit would stop working. In the new lighting system, if one light goes out, the others stay on.

In addition, the authority has instituted a maintenance program that fixes lights that have ceased working within three to five days of the outage being reported. Under the old system, residents could wait months, if not years, for a street light to be repaired if it went out.

The authority financed the construction with a $60 million interim financing that was sold in December, 2013 and then a long-term fixed rate financing of $185 million that was completed in June of 2014. The bonds are being paid off through an annual allocation of $12.5 million from the city’s utility user tax. Citi served as the senior manager on the transaction. The bonds are being paid off through an annual allocation of $12.5 million from the city’s utility user tax.

“When the State of Michigan and the Public Lighting Authority came to us three years ago to help get the street lights turned back on in Detroit, we were happy to step up,” said Michael Corbat, chief executive officer of Citi. “Today, not only are the city’s streets safer, but the lights will stay on longer and use less energy. We’re honored to have played such a role in creating a brighter future for Detroit.”‎

The PLA is run by a five member board, all of whom are Detroit residents. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the Detroit City Council each appoint two board members, and the fifth member is picked by Council from a list of candidates provided by the Mayor.