Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 99

ELECTION 2001 32 DETROIT FREE PRESS WWW.FREEP.COM 5B WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 2001 TTT7f TROUBLED CITV Hamtramck namiwly returns Zyc Infighting at City Hall had led to a state takeover By CECIL ANGEL FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER Although they did not run as a slate, the remaining council candidates John Justewicz, Bernard Bator both incumbents Kathy Kristy and Roberta Olko, and Julia Boluk have often been critical of Zych. Justewicz, with 1,467 votes, and Kristy, with 1,561 votes, won the other two council seats. The City Clerk's race was low key compared to the others. Those candidates were Daniel Finwall, with 1,431 votes, and Robert Cwiertniewicz, the winner with 1,560 votes.

There was at least one sign of the ethnic tension that marred the November 1999 election and re sulted in a federal examiner being appointed to monitor the city's elections through Dec. 31. 2003. Ahmed, a Bangladeshi immigrant who could become the city's first elected Muslim officeholder, said a man threatened him near a polling place. lie said he's "going to put me in a box alter the election and send, me where I come from," Ahmed said.

One of the federal monitors reported the incident to a U.S. Department of Justice official. Contact CECIL ANGEL at 313-223-4531 or angel a fnvprrss.com. emergency financial manager, Louis Schimmel, since November 2000. Schimmel has control over all matters connected to revenue and spending.

Zych, an instructor at Lawrence Technological University, said he believes a new majority on the City Council could mean an end to all the fights. The slate was made up of incumbent Joseph Strzalka, Shahab Ahmed, Robert Cedar, Chuck Cir-genski and Jay Jurma. Cedar, Strzalka, Cirgenski won council seats. The votes were 1,405, 1,593 and 1,484 respectively. Zych still savored his victory.

"In sports if you win by a point, you win, and it isn't very different in politics," he said. Fiddler, who as City Clerk had to announce her defeat to dozens of residents at City Hall, said the close vote highlights the political division in the city. But "everything will be OK," she said. Zych secured a second victory when three members of his slate won their City Council seats, gaining a majority of the five spots. In the past two mayoral elections, Hamtramck voters chose Zych but gave his opponents a majority on the City Council.

But that majority was never the overwhelming majority needed to override a mayoral veto. Often stalemates resulted. A former hairdresser, Fiddler was the city's first female city clerk and was certain she would be the city's first female mayor. But in the short term, it doesn't matter much who is mayor of Hamtramck since the city has been under a state-appointed As voters went to the polls Tuesday in Hamtramck, the big question was whether this election would bring peace in city government instead of the paralyzing infighting that led to a state takeover. The answer wasn't apparent.

Mayor Gary Zych defeated his challenger, longtime City Clerk Ethel Fiddler, 1,655 to 1,650. Both Fiddler and Zych say there will likely be a recount. But MAYORAL RACE DOWNRIVER, THE POINTES Challengers win 3 mayoral seats Pitoniak returns in Taylor; Farms official out By DAN SHINE FREE CRESS STAFF WRITER man (Butch) Ramik, a retired police officer. Pitoniak has been mayor for nearly five years and also is a former state representative and councilman. Ramik, 52, had run unsuccessfully for mayor in 1993 and council in 1997.

GIBRALTAR: Longtime council member Richard Kuhn Jr. was elected mayor, edging Kathy LaPointe by 36 votes. Kuhn, a 58-year-old paramedic, touted his leadership and ability to bring people together. The incumbent, Chris Carroll, decided not to run for re-election. GROSSE POINTE PARK: Carl Jarboe won re-election as municipal judge, narrowly best- ing Dean Valente.

This will be Jarboe 's third term. In the race for City Council, incumbents Shirley Kennedy and Samuel Nouhan were reelected but James Robson beat incumbent Margot Parker for the third seat. GROSSE POINTE FARMS: The only council incumbent, Lisa Gandelot, finished a distant sixth in an eight-person field. Gandelot may have been the victim of voter backlash after it was recently revealed that the Farms council had purchased two homes to turn into a parking lot without alerting neighbors. The move angered many residents.

Three Downriver incumbent mayors were bounced from office by voters on Tuesday. In Lincoln Park, Steve Brown beat Mayor Craig Sochocki. In Trenton, challenger Gerald Brown ousted Mayor Pat Hartig. And in Ecorse, Mayor James Tassis lost to James DiTrapani. Taylor Mayor Gregory Pitoniak was re-elected by a 3-to-2 margin.

During the race for Lincoln Park mayor, Brown, the 33-year-old City Council president, said Sochocki had been a divisive figure and has stalled progress. Brown, who works in Wayne County's Department of Management and Budget, said he knows how to better work with people. Sochocki, 43, beat longtime Mayor Frank Sail in 1999. Elsewhere: TRENTON: Hartig, who served one term as mayor, lost to Brown, 53, a retired Trenton police chief. Brown spent 29 years on the police force the last seven as chief said he has the experience and leadership to be a strong mayor.

Hartig, 45, also served on the Planning Commission for five years. TAYLOR: Pitoniak beat Her Photos by PAUL GONAl tl VIDELA -'Detroit Free Press Ten-year Mayor Walter Moore, left, was defeated by police officer Willie Payne, right, at Pontiae's polls Tuesday. Payne wins Pontiac squeaker Moore loses by 69 votes, plans recount By HUGH McDIARM ID JR. FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER WCCC I Millage question awaits voters' answer down, but other social indicators illuminate Pontiae's problems. Infant mortality rates are alarming, for example, and public schools still rank near the bottom in standardized tests.

Developing the former Clinton Valley Center property, where mixed-use projects and a technology park are on the drawing board. Redeveloping neighborhoods in and around the former Lakeside Homes public housing complex. Mixed-income housing is planned for the area. Keeping the Silverdome from becoming a white elephant. The Detroit Lions are abandoning the dome early, and the city is embroiled in a lawsuit over the team's intention to break its lease.

Eventually, the dome may be razed to make way for a technology park or for anot her use. Diversifying downtown. Once a virtual ghost town, restaurants and nightclubs have brought some vitality to The Loop. Contact HUGH McDIARMlD JR. at or at nicdiarmidjra frcciwss.com.

scarcer, private investment harder to come by, and government money will dry up," Klemanski said. "A mayor will need to be a strong leader, need to bring folks together. Pontiac has not always been a place where everyone has been working together cooperatively." Local leaders often get too much credit when the national economy buoys local development, he said, adding that they also shoulder too much of the blame when national economics wreaks havoc on municipal budgets and services. "The mayor will have to be creative and take some risks," he said. "Some of those things may be politically unpopular, but I've always said being a local official isn't very much fun." Some key issues during the next mayoral term include: Facilitating the annexation and development of Bloomfield Township land.

Voters approved the land annexation in September for a proposed $2-billion development, but the project must survive more legal challenges before it gets going. Addressing social ills. Crime is political science professor at Oakland University. "My sense of it is part icularly with some of the hits Moore took in the newspapers that it was more a negative against Moore than a positive for Willie Payne," Klemanski said. The campaign turned bitter in the final week of the election, with Moore's campaign alleging in full-page newspaper advertisements that Payne's disciplinary record as a police officer was "shameful" and accusing the Pontiac-based Oakland Press of "hiding Willie Payne's record." Payne had characterized the Moore administration as being riddled with nepotism and favoritism, and concentrating on bringing in new development to the fringes of the city while ignoring the needs of the core neighborhoods.

The next four years will likely be trying for Payne as the impact of a national economic malaise hits home, Klemanski said. "In Pontiac, as well as many cities, resources are going to be Pontiac voters demanded change Tuesday, ousting 10-year Mayor Walter Moore in favor of Police Officer Willie Payne. Payne, 47, who won by 69 votes out of almost 10,000 cast seven-tenths of 1 percentage point said the election signals a need for a change in city government's attitude toward citizens. "People are ready for a change, for integrity, honesty and to see government work for them," he said. "This is a positive message from the community that they're ready for a change in leadership." Moore said he was disappointed by the close election, which brought out 23 percent of the city's voters.

But he won't concede defeat until a recount affirms the outcome. "It's not over until it's over," Moore said. "Our belief is it's not officially over." The vote may have been a statement of dissatisfaction with Moore, said John Klemanski, a attempt to piggyback on the mayoral turnout. In other Detroit ballot measures with 99.8 percent of precincts reporting: Proposal which would have changed the makeup of the Civil Service Commission and let the Human Resources Department be run by its director, trailed 82,790 to 66,862. Proposal which would prohibit the mayor from removing police commissioners without cause, won 97,136 to 54,757.

Proposal which would amend the charter to specify handling of citizen complaints against police, won 132,408 to 23,322. Proposal in which the city would borrow $20 million for 30 years to renovate the Detroit Historical Museum, won 90,830 to 62,004. Contact ERIK LORDS at 313-222-6513 or lonlsiafreeprcss.com. M.L. Elrick contributed to this report.

From Page IB and adult education programs, WCCC Chancellor Curtis Ivery said. If passed, it would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $75 a year. Last November, voters said no to WCCC when it sought tie same millage amount, but on a permanent basis. The (neasure raised the ire of some suburban voters who said they btlieved college officials scheduled the election to take advantage of an expected heavy Detroit mayoral turnout. Ros? Bogaert, chairwoman for tin Wayne County Taxpayers' Association, and others said the college pushed to get the millaye on the ballot this year, when many suburban areas in the county did not have major election contests, and when the heavyturnout to vote for mayor in Detroit would lead to more yes votesFor WCCC.

Ivdy said the school's pressing needs led to the push, not an CITY COUNCIL I Incumbents do ell in Detroit race DOING HIS PART mined she had misappropriated congressional and campaign funds. She was never charged with a crime. In 1991, Collins raised eyebrows when she claimed to be a member of Mensa, an organization for people ith very high IQs. Group officials said they had never heard of her. For reasons never explained, she once took a 400-pound Russian bear with her to the polls.

Evelyn Mann, 47, voted for McPhail and Collins at Cannon Recreation Center at East Warren and Cadieux. Mann said Collins "has been an advocate of this area all her life." As for McPhail: "I think she deserves a chance." The 77-year-old Mahaffey, who is hite, was first elected to the council ir973 and has long been one of the more popular politi cians in the overwhelmingly black city. Mahaffey was the top vote-getter in the primary field of 97 candidates. The top vote-getter in the General Election is elected council president, and Mahaffey appeared to have a good shot at regaining the City Council presidency she lost four years ago to Gil Hill, after1 holding it for eight years. A social worker by training, Mahaffey sometimes has opposed big development, favored the restoration of Tiger Stadium and opposed the demolition of the old J.L.

Hudson building. She has stressed neighborhood housing programs and social services, and is seen as a champion of the disenfranchised. "I'm absolutely delighted that the people have thought so well of my record and what I've done for the city," Mahaffey said. The council had three open seats. Councilman Clyde Cleveland announced his retirement earlier this year, Hill ran for mayor, and Councilman Nicholas Hood III also ran for mayor, but lost in the primary.

The council has come under -fire for what critics see as laxness and inability to serve as a check on the mayor. The nine members are elected at large, but a number of Detroiters support choosing at least some members by districts as a way to boost accountability. Council members serve four-year terms and are paid $81,312 a year. The council president gets an additional $2,000. Contact BILL McGRAW at 313 223-4781 or mcftratv'i fiwprcss.com.

From Page IB executive, and traded insults and charges of racism in 2000 with Mike Duggan, who defeated her for Wayne County prosecutor. "I'm going to do everything I can do to make something really happen," McPhail said Tuesday night. Collins has attracted admirers and detractors in her 30-year career as a public official, which included stints as a member of the Detroit School Board and state House of Representatives, where she sponsored legislation on fair housing and birth-control education. Collins served on the council before she was elected to Congress. She lost to Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in 1996 while under an ethics investigation that deter TOM PIDGt ONSpw-ai to the Free Press Iff TEHNDALE: Charles Saxton votes in a boot placed in the halivay at Roosevelt Elementary.

He served as an airborne radio opcator in the U.S. Air Fort during the Korean conflict..