Monday, July 9, 2012
Husain Bazzi raised the money and did the work to turn his neighborhood's deteriorating basketball courts into a great space for local kids to play.
While the hot summer days of late June meant hours of video games or watching TV for many youth, Dearborn teen Husain Bazzi spent his time enlisting the generosity of the community and the help of his friends to make Dearborn’s Hemlock Park a better place for kids to play. "I used to play at Hemlock's courts, and I realized that the condition was deteriorating," explained Bazzi. Looking to earn his Eagle Scout badge through the Boy Scouts of America, the 17-year-old Fordson High School senior decided that he would make fixing up the courts his community service project. But it involved much more than just fundraising. In addition to raising $800 to buy supplies to resurface and repaint the court, plus add new nets to the baskets, Bazzi and…
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Kristyn Taylor was instrumental in starting the group Dearborn Residents for Accountability, which serves the purpose of getting residents engaged in city issues.
Dearborn, like many communities, is facing a budget crisis–that’s no secret. With continued spending over revenue, the city will be in debt by 2015. But resident and law student Kristyn Taylor, for one, wasn’t going to sit idly by and watch the city she loves go broke. She wanted to be engaged in budget conversations. She wanted to understand what the city was spending money on and why. She wanted to help find solutions. And she wasn’t alone. Taylor was instrumental in developing Dearborn Residents for Accountability, a community group formed in late April around the idea of knowing what’s going on in their city. “It was really simple,” Taylor said of how the group got started, citing a suggestion to start a discussion group from fellow …
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Two women–cousins and Dearborn Relay for Life participants–explain why combating cancer is a personal, worldwide, and a family effort.
Donna Adams and Cynthia Wilson share a lot–they’re cousins, have optimistic outlooks on life, and they’re both cancer survivors. They’re also both involved with Dearborn’s Relay for Life, and will be continuing a 25-year tradition of relaying in various cities on Sunday, May 12, at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center when they continue the fight toward finding a cure for cancer. “Relay for Life and other organizations have really improved things,” Wilson says of their continual support of the organization, which raises funds for the American Cancer Society. “People are living longer.” “And living better,” Adams adds. It helps to continue the fight that the two women are very clear on why they do what they do: love for themselves…
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Dema Fawaz and her sister collected 500 books for Oakwood's Center for Exceptional Families, as well as advocated for the donation of bookshelves and organized the center's new library for youth.
There’s only one thing that Dearborn High School senior Dema Fawaz enjoys more than reading, and that’s helping others. But recently, the 17-year-old got the chance to honor both passions with a fundraiser she initiated for Oakwood’s Center for Exceptional Families. At her mother’s suggestion, Fawaz went to the CEF to explore volunteer opportunities. But she found a much greater calling during her visit. “I went there and loved it and the atmosphere and the staff were so friendly,” she said. “But I walked by the library and saw that they had no books, and I thought, ‘Something needs to be done about this.’” She and her sister Lara started by emptying their own bookshelves, picking out favorites they wanted to share with the youth at the …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Two students–one form Edsel Ford High and the other from Geer Park Elementary–capture the toll of bullying with art during poster contest.
Picture this: A tearful teen ponders the physical and emotional pain of having arrows in her back, or a hero asking his classmates to stand up to those that would hurt others. These two images are about to become very familiar in Dearborn Public Schools, local businesses, as well as at the state capital, as the designs named the winners of Dearborn's anti-bullying poster contest. The artists–Kaidhum Ganem from Geer Park Elementary and Hamzeh Abdorabe from Edsel Ford High School–were recognized at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. The boys received several certificates of appreciation from Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly, Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak, and state Rep. George Darany, who will take the framed posters to …
Monday, January 30, 2012
Matthew Lambert’s vision of a mural created entirely by young patients at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan provided an artistic outlet during a challenging time.
At the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, young patients are often facing frightening health issues. But this month, many of those children found an escape from illness, provided by 22-year-old Matthew Lambert, an alumnus of Edsel Ford High School and the force behind the Communal Experience Project. Made up of 132 small tiles individually painted by patients, a mural was installed Jan. 18 at the hospital by Lambert, with help from volunteers working for public arts project ArtCorps, and the hospital’s Healing Arts Program, which promotes well-being by using art. For Lambert, the road to creating the mural began when he was looking for a service project at Wayne State University, where he’s majoring in both art and psychology. “I wanted to …
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Isabella Fischer's photo will be featured among 25 other works at the Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A Dearborn elementary student's photograph was chosen as one of 26 youth-made works of art to be displayed in an exhibit at the Department of Education headquarters in Washington, D.C. Lindbergh Elementary student Isabella Fischer's photograph depicting the plight of Detroit's homeless population will be displayed through March 7, along with works of art in all mediums by dozens of students nationwide. Fischer's photo was the only work from a Michigan student. Works included in the Student Art Exhibit Program, now in its ninth year, were chosen from amongst winners of the 2010-11 National PTA Reflections contest. According to the National PTA, the contest provides an opportunity to highlight artistic talent among students of all ages. …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Oakman students hope sending letters to young cancer patients at CS Mott Children’s Hospital will help lift their spirits this holiday season.
Name: Asiel Al Salami, 10, and Alatiar Shahad, 11 School: Oakman Elementary School Accomplishment: Cousins Asiel Al Salami and Shahad Alatiar, both of whom are fifth graders at Oakman Elementary, asked themselves a question not many girls their age would ask: How can we give, instead of receive, during this holiday season? The answer to that question came quickly enough when the students approached Nadia Dakroub, the parent liaison at Oakman, to help them send letters to children at Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor who are being treated for cancer. “It’s sad to think the some kids will be in the hospital during the holidays,” said Al Salami. “We just want to do something that may make them happy.” Alatiar agrees. “We just wanted to …
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Will Klieber decorated 15 houses for the holidays on his block of Highview Street on the west side of Dearborn.
Like many Dearborn residents this holiday season, Will Klieber has decorated his home with outdoor Christmas lights and displays. The difference with Klieber, however, is that he didn’t stop spreading illuminated holiday cheer at his own abode. Instead, Klieber–a resident of the 1500 block of Highview–went on to decorate 14 different houses on his street. During past holiday seasons, Klieber said he has done only a few of the homes belonging to his neighbors. However, Klieber said he always felt motivated to decorate more homes, and this year set out to do as many as he could. The majority of his work this holiday season was done on a volunteer basis, he said, and the decorations used are mostly his own. “It makes you feel good when you …
Monday, December 19, 2011
Consummate volunteer Char Kernen sets an example for the Dearborn community.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Wendy Clem
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Monday, December 19, 2011
When it comes to familiar Dearborn faces, a well-known and welcoming one belongs to resident and ubiquitous volunteer Char Kernen. “It keeps me active and lets me gratefully give back for all I have been lucky to have,” the 67-year-old wife, mom and grandmother said of her favorite hobby. “Every time I walk out that door, I feel so blessed.” Raised in Northwest Detroit, the former Charlene Smale grew up with her single mom, Charlotte, and younger brother, Joseph. Although economic issues meant moving in with her grandparents until more financially secure, Kernen feels she was fortunate on many levels. “I could’ve had a real ugly life, but I didn’t, and I hold onto that,” she says. “Children need to know they are important. That’s …
bitsy08
10:09 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Not to diminish what Hussain Bazzi did, I have to agree with those who are asking about their tax dollars. I have another question. What about the tax dollars that were confiscated from the zoo? They're taking more money and yet someone from the outside had to come in and do fundraising to collect money and do the job the city should? Huh? more ›