Councilman Doug Thomas

Does Dearborn Councilman Doug Thomas live in Dearborn or Bonita Springs, Florida?

Dearborn resident and former council candidate Nancy Siwik says the councilman is a Florida resident and should be removed from office and erased from the November ballot because he is in violation of the City Charter.

Ms. Siwik presented the City Council with documents Monday evening that she says supports her claim that the legal residency of Councilman Thomas is a condominium in the city of Bonita Springs, Florida, and not Dearborn.

Ms. Siwik asked the City Council to have Dearborn’s legal department look into the matter and remove Thomas from his position as a councilman and from the November ballot because he is not a Dearborn resident, which is a requirement of Dearborn’s City Charter.

Ms. Siwik presented property data that shows Doug and Jane Thomas homestead a condo on 25900 Hickory Blvd., in Bonita Springs, which makes it their principal residence.

At the meeting Monday, Thomas said his Michigan Driver’s license proved he lived at 511 Elmwood in Dearborn, a property currently listed for sale at $239,000, according to documents Siwik presented council members Monday night. Thomas did not deny the existence of a home in Florida but said it was homestead in his wife’s name.

Council President Thomas Tafelski tried to bring the discussion to a close after those remarks from Thomas, saying it was becoming “political.”

Siwik took umbrage with Tafelski’s comment. She came back to the microphone and explained that her actions were not political, pointing out that she no longer was on the ballot for council and that she waited until after her primary loss to bring this news about Thomas into the open.

Before taking her seat, Siwik reminded council members that neither Michigan nor Florida law allows people to list more than one dwelling as a “principal residence” in order to take the tax exemptions that come with such a designation.

What action Dearborn’s legal department now takes next could determine the political career of Councilman Thomas.

Dearborn Mayoral candidate Michael J. Prus said Monday evening he still is very anxious to debate or have a forum with Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., to discuss in public his plans to help revitalize Dearborn.

We wrote here on these pages last week that Mr. Prus was a no-show at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Dearborn/Dearborn Heights. At the time, we did not know why Mr. Prus was unable to take part in the forum at Dearborn City Hall.  It turns out the mayoral candidate had a very serious case of bronchitis. The 50-year-old candidate still had a bad cough even when we we finally caught up with him Monday night.

“I was planning to attend all the way up to 2:30 p.m. on the day of the event,” Mr. Prus told us Monday night. “I went to my doctor and he said you have a severe case of bronchitis. When I told my doctor about the forum, he said ‘you aren’t going anywhere. You need to go home and go to sleep. You are contagious.’

“I am not afraid to debate,” Mr. Prus continued. “Why would I want to miss an opportunity like that? That would be political suicide. I was in no condition to do this.”

Mr. Prus said he is sorry he missed the opportunity to tell voters about his plan to revitalize Dearborn but he is hopeful he and Mayor O’Reilly will still have the chance to meet again in person for the benefit of residents. Mayor O’Reilly, in an earlier story in the Dearborn Press & Guide, told the paper he was willing to take part in a debate with Mr. Prus.

“I wish I could debate the mayor,” Mr. Prus said. “I have questions on how our tax dollars are being spent and why we have so many lawsuits against the city.”

Mr. Prus, a Dearborn resident of 40 years and a graduate of Dearborn Divine Child, works for the state of Michigan as a Department Analyst and state fidelity bonding coordinator, helping people who have trouble in their background find a job through bonding. He is married and he and his wife, Libby, have one son.

Dearborn City Clerk Kathleen Buda

Dearborn City Clerk Kathleen Buda is reminding residents that Monday, Oct. 5 is the last day to register to be eligible to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3. So if you aren’t registered, please make it a point to stop by the Dearborn City Clerk’s office to do so.

Buda says that those planning to vote absentee have until Monday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. to cast their ballot. Voters on that day must come to the clerk’s counter in Dearborn City Hall and vote there.

The Dearborn City Clerk’s office will be open on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be issuing absentee ballots on that day.

The Dearborn Public Schools and the City of Dearborn are offering seasonal flu shots for residents and non-residents alike.

The Dearborn Schools, in cooperation with the City of Dearborn Health Department, will hold two clinics: one on Friday, October 16 and second clinic on Tuesday, October 20, at the Dearborn Public Schools Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette. Nurses will provide flu shots in Room 12 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children 6 months to 18 years. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

“It is important for people to understand that this is a clinic to provide protection against the seasonal flu and not the much talked about H1N1 flu,” the school district said in a written statement. “Shots for the H1N1 strain of flu may be available later in October, but right now it is important to take the necessary steps to protect yourself from the seasonal flu.”

Meanwhile, the Dearborn Health Department is offering both flu and pneumonia shots.

Flu shots can be obtained on a walk-in basis at the Dearborn Health Department during regular business hours.

The Health Department is located inside the Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave.

The department’s regular business hours are: Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The Health Department is closed on Thursdays.

A Health Department nurse will offer seasonal flu shots each Thursday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the senior citizen wing of Dearborn’s Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

If you have Medicare Part B, the cost of your seasonal flu shot will be covered under that plan. Just be sure to bring your Medicare Part B card when coming for a flu shot.

For those without Medicare Part B, the cost for a flu shot is as follows:

— Senior citizens (age 65 and older) – $15 for Dearborn residents and $20 for non-residents.

— Adults (ages 18 through 64) – $20 for Dearborn residents and $25 for non-residents.

— Children (ages six months to 18 years) – $10 for Dearborn residents and $15 for non-residents.

Photo identification is necessary to verify residency status. Payment can be made in cash or by charge (MasterCard or Visa; no debit cards).

For more details, call the Dearborn Health Department at 313-943-2090.

Dearborn officials are alerting residents that the city has no relationship with a private insurance company that is contacting homeowners trying to cover the costs of emergency repairs of water service lines on private property.

Some homeowners may have received information recently in the mail from the insurance company.

The City of Dearborn does not make recommendations regarding the purchase of insurance policies. However, homeowners may be interested to know that out of the 33,000 households in Dearborn, only two to four a year are affected by water service line emergencies that require extensive repairs.

A water service line is the pipe on your property that brings fresh water into your home from the city’s water line, which is usually in the street.

Christopher and Megan Soroka at their 9th wedding anniversary in 2006 at the Ritz Hotel in Dearborn.

On Jan. 2, it will be three years since Christopher Soroka’s wife, Megan, was murdered by a disgruntled ex-employee at Cheli’s Chili Bar in Detroit.

For Megan’s husband, Christopher, each hour and each day still remains a struggle.

“It doesn’t get easier,” he said recently. “It actually gets worse.”

In the blink of an eye, he says, Megan’s life was taken and, along with her life, he lost his, too.

But he says his wife Megan, a 1975 Dearborn High School graduate, also positively touched a lot of other people’s lives in metro Detroit and Dearborn, where Christopher still lives today.

So this Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Dearborn Hills Golf Course, he is holding a golf outing in his wife’s honor, the third such event since her death. As animal lovers and owners of Shih Tzus, proceeds from the outing will go to a Shih Tzus Rescue in Royal Oak, he says.

“Megan was a very positive person,” he says. “She was a little ball of fire and touched a lot of people. This golf outing is a good way to bring people together to share their thoughts and memories.”

Christopher, who owns The Bar, 16010 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, tells this story of how he met his wife, Megan.

“We met in October 1996 and were married May 31st 1997,” he says. “Our first date was at a small table outside the main dining room at the Ritz (in Dearborn). In May we were married at that table. Megan and I knew of each other 14 years prior to our meeting. After about a year together, we were discussing places we have been because we knew some of the same people. We both had attended an opening of a club named the Vault in Detroit some 15 years earlier. I told Megan I saw her there. I went on to describe what she was wearing the color of her hair and how it was cut and who she was with. Megan never left me since that day.”

Christopher continues to run The Bar, a place they purchased together in 2004. But it hasn’t been easy, he concedes. Megan worked there when she was just 18 years old and it was called The Holiday Bar. So there are naturally a lot of memories there.

“It is very difficult to be in Dearborn, particularly a business she used to work at and one we took on as an endeavor together. I love this city but it is hard to be here.”

Even so, Christopher continues to keep The Bar going, thanks to a great staff of workers and the memory of a wife whose view on life was always from the perspective that the glass was half full.

While the golf outing for Megan is sold-out for this Saturday, those who want to make a donation in Megan’s name to the Shih Tzus rescue in Royal Oak can do so by clicking HERE.

Tickets are still available for Dearborn’s “Smoke on the Grill” charity fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 1 from 4-7 p.m. at Ford Field Park. Tickets can be purchased at the park.

The event, which includes dinner, drinks and entertainment, benefits Dearborn Public School students through the Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) and the Dearborn Goodfellows.

Call Gary Kuhlmann at 274-4499 for tickets.

Dearborn mayoral candidate Michael J. Prus was a no-show Tuesday evening at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Dearborn/Dearborn Heights.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr., was on hand to face his challenger in the City Council Chambers but without Mr. Prus the LWV decided to cancel the forum rather than hold a question and answer session with just Mayor O’Reilly.

It isn’t entirely clear why Mr. Prus — who ran unsuccessfully for Dearborn mayor in the 2007 special election (he had 63 votes to O’Reilly’s 16,060 in that election) — was unable to attend Tuesday’s forum.

Mr. Prus earlier sent a letter to Mayor O’Reilly inviting him to take part in a series of debates. Let’s hope the two can find another evening to discuss the many challenges our city faces.

Separately, the forum for the 14 city council candidates did take place in the City Council Chambers as scheduled.

The home of Dearborn City Councilman Robert Abraham suffered severe fire damage Saturday night in a blaze believe caused by an electrical failure.

No was home at the time of the fire, except the family’s pet dog, Dublin. The animal was killed in the blaze.

The fire did considerable damage and it will be at least six months to a year before the family can return to their home. Councilman Abraham said fire officials told him the blaze appears to have started in the basement ceiling and kitchen floor. The blaze was so severe by the time Dearborn Fire arrived at 8:54 p.m. that the entire kitchen essentially fell into the basement. An official determination by the Dearborn Fire Department on the exact cause of the fire should be known in a week or two.

Councilman Abraham said while the fire to the family’s home and the loss of their pet dog has been hard on he and his wife and their children, they are grateful no one was injured in the fire. He said the outreach from neighbors and people in the community offering their support to he and his family has been heartwarming and greatly appreciated.

“We have had overwhelming support from the community,” he said. “We are so very fortunate . . . Thank God no one was hurt or home at the time. We lost a lot but we will get through this.”

Abraham said many people have offered gifts of financial assistance to his family, as well.  While those offers are sincerely appreciated, he said the family invites anyone interested in making such a gesture to instead give a donation to the Dearborn Animal Shelter in Dublin’s memory.

Those interested in making a donation to the Dearborn Animal Shelter can do so online at www.dearborn-animals.com, by phone at 313.943.2697 or by mail to Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter, 2661 Greenfield, Dearborn, MI, 48120.

Our prayers and support go out to the Abraham family.

Less than five months after the Dearborn School Board of Education approved a budget that included $10.2 million in cuts, the district now could be forced to slash an additional $6 million this school year as a result of actions by our elected officials in Lansing.

And if that isn’t bad enough, for the 2010-2011 school year the state of Michigan could be eliminating as much as $500 per student.

In a recent letter to his staff, Dearborn School Supt. Brian J. Whiston outlined what the school district could face in the coming days. Below is a copy of the letter:

Greetings,

The State of Michigan has only a few days until the October 1 deadline to finalize the state budget and I’m sure that information coming out of Lansing has changed since this letter was drafted. However, despite the ever changing news, I would like to take a brief moment to try and recap where we are as a district regarding our budget and what the news from Lansing will mean to all of us here in the Dearborn Public Schools.

Where the District stood as of September 3 in regard to the 2009-10 Budget

Budget assumptions made to create the 2009-10 budget:

                       Original (6/30/2009)       Revised (9/3/2009)

Compensation      $5,000,000                               $5,000,000

State Aid Reduction($100/pp)  1,800,000                —-

State Aid Reduction($265/pp)      —-                     (4,800,000)

Stimulus Restoration($265/pp)    —-                      4,800,000

31-a At-Risk Reduction(25%)         —-                    1,500,000

Pension Increase(16.54% to 16.94% )1,000,000        400,000

Inflation(benefits, utilities, etc)  1,000,000               1,000,000             

Special Education (Act 18 deficit) 1,000,000            1,000,000

2009 Fund Balance      750,000                            750,000

 TOTAL Deficit     $10,550,000                           $9,650,000

Here is brief explanation of each item:

• $5 million in compensation – The district will spend $5 million more in 2009-10 than in 2008-09 to pay for the salaries of all employees.

• $1.8 million state aid reduction ($100/per pupil) – At the time the 2009-10 budget was being put together (January – June of 09) the district was told by sources in Lansing to expect anywhere from a $75 to $125 cut in per pupil funding (called the Foundation Grant). We chose to use a $100 figure in building the budget. The actual reduction in per pupil funding is $265 per student. The state of Michigan will use federal stimulus money to “plug” that hole and make up the $265 cut to keep per pupil funding at the 2008-09 level. Please read the information below to understand how this has changed in the last few weeks.

• 31-a At-Risk reduction – Originally these funds were not going to be touched but, over the summer, 31-a funds became a target for reductions. The district was told that 25% of 31-a funding could be cut.

• Pension increase (16.54% to 16.94%) – This is the amount the district pays to the state that goes into the pension fund. Again, back in the spring of 2009, we were being told to expect a 1% increase. There is actually good news here as the increase is only going to be .4 %.

• Inflation (benefits, utilities, etc.) – This is a projected increase in expenses due to inflation.

• Special Education (Act 18 deficit) – The county provides Special Education services to students in all districts through a series of “Center Programs.” A few years ago voters in Wayne County approved a millage that covered the cost of these Center Programs. However, expenses will once again outpace revenue and the county will be asking each school district to “pay them back” for the use of the Center Program. The district projects that we will need to pay the county $2 million from the general budget in 2010-11. The plan is to take $1 million from the general budget this year and $1 million next year to cover the $2 million.

• 2009 fund balance – The district used $750,000 from the fund balance for the 2008-09 budget. If we don’t reduce the 2009-10 budget by $750,000, we will once again be short.

The original projected deficit for 2009-10 was $10.5 million. After revisions to the revenue and pension assumptions, the total deficit was reduced to $9.6 million. Since the number is based on estimates we chose to reduce $10.2 million and use that figure as the projected deficit amount.

What has happened since June?

Over the summer the House of Representatives passed a state budget for 2009-10 and then State Senators went to work on their version. A committee made up of both Senators and Representatives are working to finalize a budget to present to the Governor for her approval. The following shows how the current budget discussion in Lansing will impact Dearborn Public Schools. The budget discussions in Lansing are changing by the day and by the hour. The information below could look the same or very different before the October 1 budget deadline in Lansing. We will continue to keep you updated as information becomes available.

Where we are at on September 23 with the 2009-10 Budget

Current discussions in Lansing regarding reductions and their impact on our district:

             Possible Reduction, Option C

 31-a At-Risk      $1,500,000

$218 per pupil     $4,000,000

GSRP                $1,623,000

                       $7,123,000

Already budgeted  ($1,500,000)

                         $5,623,000

Carry over            $2,000,000

TOTAL Reduction  $7,623,000

Here is brief explanation of each item:

• 31-a At-Risk – The discussion in Lansing has once again turned to cutting part or all of the 31-a funding our district receives. This money is used to provide support and instruction to at-risk students across the district.

• $218 per pupil – In the first set of numbers the federal stimulus money was used to keep districts from losing per-pupil funding. However, even with federal stimulus dollars the state doesn’t have enough money to provide the current level of funding and therefore needs to reduce the Foundation Grant by $218.

• GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program) – The GSRP program is for children who are not yet in kindergarten but have been identified as being academically at-risk. This program is structured instruction taught by certified teachers that make sure children enter kindergarten at the same academic level as their peers. The proposed cut would eliminate the program.

• Already budgeted – In June, and again in September, the district made assumptions on state revenues. The September revision assumed a $1.5 million reduction in state funding. This amount was part of the $9.6 million deficit and expenses were already reduced to address the $1.5 million projected loss.

• Carry over – This amount is being carried over from the 2008-09 budget due to several reasons including a reduction in revenue late in the year, planned cuts that were not fully implemented, and unanticipated costs.

• Total Reduction- Depending on what budget proposal lawmakers in Lansing finally agree to, the district could face $7.6 million in reductions. This is above and beyond the $10.2 million that was already cut from the 2009-10 budget when it was approved back in June. It’s important to remember that state law sets our budget year starting July 1 while the state’s budget year begins October 1. The state provides us with the money to operate but has not determined how much they are going to give us until we are one quarter into our fiscal year.

What are we doing now?

The district administration, including all principals, has been working since late August to identify additional areas to reduce the budget. Even if all funding is restored we still have a structural problem that will continue to impact our budget year after year until it is addressed. In addition, any federal money that was used to make up shortfalls in the 2008-09 budget and the 2009-10 budget will not be around for the 2010-11 budget. It is very likely that the 2010-11 school year will be hit with a big reduction in per student funding, possibly as much as $500 per student.

Although we face some difficult decisions, I am confident that the recommendations from our staff, principals and administrators will continue to focus on improving instruction and providing a quality education to the students in our district. How we run our district and how our students attend school may look different, but please know that the work of our district, educating children, will always drive our budget decisions.

Regards,

Brian J. Whiston

Superintendent