MLive.com: Detroit grocers, Chaldean Chamber take proactive approach to dispelling ‘food desert’ persona – February 21, 2012
Published: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 10:29 AM
By Michael Wayland
The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce is taking a proactive approach to debunking the rumor that Detroit is a post-apocalyptic, “food desert.”
The chamber has teamed up with local grocers to create Detroit Independent Grocers, and launch its news website: MyDetroitGrocers.com.
“We made it a point to make sure that people are aware that there are independent grocers,” said Martin Manna, Chaldean American Chamber president. “They just don’t have the name ‘Kroger’ or anything else associated with them. But they’ve been serving the city for 40, 50, 60 years.”
The website – sponsored by the Southfield-based chamber, Country Fresh, Spartan Stores and U.S. Ice Corp. – includes an interactive map to find stores, as well as photos, videos and information for more than 75 grocery options available in Detroit.
According to the chamber, the average Detroit independent grocer has been serving the city for more than 30 years without government subsidies, such as other bigger chains have accepted in the past.
“The government is subsidizing these chain stores that are going out of business,” Manna told MLive.com, referring to numerous “big-box” stores that have since left the city.
“These are your own tax-paying dollars, and they’re doing this at the detriment of small business owners that haven’t taken subsidies.”
Manna said the chamber wanted to get involved because a large amount of its more than 800 members are independent grocers. However, the site caters to non-members as well.
To become a part of the group and website, the stores must follow a few simple, important rules: Provide a clean and safe shopping environment that adheres to the finest sanitation standards; supply a variety of high quality, fresh and healthy foods; offer fair and competitive pricing; and support and give back to the communities they serve.
“From produce to meat and dairy, our DIG stores take great pride in their stores and food offerings and in their longstanding tradition of serving the respective communities in which they each reside,” Manna said.
Joe Gappy, manager of Gigante Prince Valley Super Mercado, is one of the chamber members, as well as a new member to Detroit Independent Grocers.
Gappy’s father, Hani Gappy, 67, has owned the store at 5932 Michigan Ave. since 1975.
“There are a lot of super markets in the inner-city that have fresh products in their super markets,” said Joe Gappy, 43. “We sell everything from bananas, apples, orange to dresh cactus, jalapeno peppers and cilantro.”
Gappy, whose store has its own website, said he hopes MyDetroitGrocers.com helps raise awareness of the local grocers in the city because each has their own specialties.
His 25,000-square-foot super market specializes in Hispanic cuisine.
“Hispanics believe in eating fresh,” said Gappy, a Chaldean member of the chamber. “We have a huge selection of meats, produce and Hispanic bakery products.”
Manna said MyDetroitGrocers.com will have more videos and the ability for grocers to post their weekly specials soon.
Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland
© 2012 MLive.com. All rights reserved.
http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2012/02/chaldean_chamber_detroit_groce.html
WDET-Detroit: Food Dessert…or Oasis? – February 21, 2012
The Craig Fahle Show on WDET 101.9 FM
February 21, 2012
The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce has created MyDetroitGrocers.com, an online resource for Detroiters to find fresh, quality groceries in the city. The website represents more than 80 of Detroit’s Independent Grocers, storeowners who are dedicated to offering the best grocery options for Detroiters. Craig speaks with President of the Chaldean Chamber Martin Manna about procuring good produce in the city. 
PositiveDetroit.net: DIG Launches MyDetroitGrocers.com Showcasing Fresh Food Options In City – February 15, 2012
February 15, 2012 | Posted by Erin Rose at 11:30 AM
MyDetroitGrocers.com, a new website aimed at providing a resource for Detroiters to find fresh affordable food in the city, has launched this week. The site was created by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce to highlight the more than 80 significant grocery options available in the City of Detroit.
The website features an interactive map to show city residents how close they are to a high-quality, independently owned grocery store. MyDetroitGrocers.com also offers grocery store photos and video, grocer profiles and customer testimonials.
“All our grocer members are dedicated to providing quality, fresh food options for their customers as they have for decades,” said Martin Manna, President of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. “From produce to meat and dairy, our DIG stores take great pride in their stores and food offerings and in their longstanding tradition of serving the respective communities in which they each reside.
To be considered for DIG membership, all stores must:
– Provide a clean and safe shopping environment that adheres to the finest sanitation standards
– Supply a variety of high quality, fresh and healthy foods
– Support and give back to the communities they serve
– Offer fair and competitive pricing
– Continue the legacy of serving Detroit for more than 70 years
“There is perception and then there is reality,” added Manna. “Over the years, our grocers have spent millions building or renovating existing properties in response to community feedback and need. These grocers know their customers, carry what their customers want and run successful stores, day in and day out, in Detroit.”
The vast majority of Detroit’s independent grocers operate their stores with little or no government incentives, while continuing to serve and meet the needs of their customers.
http://www.positivedetroit.net/2012/02/dig-launches-mydetroitgrocerscom.html
dbusiness.com: Detroit Independent Grocers Launch Mydetroitgrocers.com – February 15, 2012
New website helps Detroiters find fresh foods and grocers.
SOUTHFIELD – MyDetroitGrocers.com, a new website aimed at providing a resource for Detroiters to find fresh affordable food in the city, has launched this week. The site was created by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and highlights more than 80 grocery options available in Detroit.
The website features an interactive map to show city residents how close they are to an independently owned grocery store. MyDetroitGrocers.com also offers store photos and videos, grocer profiles and customer testimonials.
“All our grocer members are dedicated to providing quality, fresh food options for their customers as they have for decades,” said Martin Manna, President of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce. “From produce to meat and dairy, our DIG stores take great pride in their stores and food offerings and in their longstanding tradition of serving the respective communities in which they each reside.”
To be considered for DIG membership, all stores must:
– Provide a clean and safe shopping environment that adheres to the finest sanitation standards
– Supply a variety of high quality, fresh and healthy foods
– Support and give back to the communities they serve
– Offer fair and competitive pricing
– Continue the legacy of serving Detroit for more than 70 years
“There is perception and then there is reality,” added Manna. “Over the years, our grocers have spent millions building or renovating existing properties in response to community feedback and need. These grocers know their customers, carry what their customers want and run successful stores, day in and day out, in Detroit.”
The vast majority of Detroit’s independent grocers operate their stores with little or no government incentives, while continuing to serve and meet the needs of their customers.
Now Hiring: Chaldean Community Foundation
The Chaldean Community Foundation is seeking candidates for hire to fill the position for an Immigration Attorney.
Some of the duties include: provide full representation and/or deliver legal advice to clients; file immigration
applications; provide consultations; prepare and file petitions; review federal, state and private grants;
communicate with USCIS and other immigration-related organizations.
Please send resumes to info@chaldeanchamber.com.
WDIV Detroit: Detroit grocery stores fight back – February 2, 2012
Coalition of volunteers found stores ‘dirty
Published On: Feb 02 2012 05:51:44 PM EST | Updated On: Feb 02 2012 06:56:17 PM EST
DETROIT – The owners of Detroit’s independent grocery stores are working to reassure shoppers there are dozens of
places to get safe healthy food in the city. This follows an investigation by a local coalition that found what it called too
many “dirty stores” in in the city.
You may remember the story from mid-January.
The Good Food, Good Jobs Coalition had about 100 volunteers visit
207 randomly selected stores that sell food in Detroit.
They ranged from supermarkets, to corner stores, to liquor stores.
Basically, any store that had a liquor license and the ability to accept
food assistance.
They found one-third of the stores had what’s described as “moldy
filth” on the walls or refrigerator tracks, 50 percent had dirty floors,
and about 20 percent were selling produce that was decaying. One volunteer told us, “We would hear stories about people …
finding expired baby food or expired meat.”
Also – the “dirty stores” were found more often in areas that had higher poverty levels or higher populations of
African-Americans or Latinos. At the time, Congressman Hansen Clark told us, “Just because you’re black that doesn’t
mean you should be buying bad food.”
Now, the Detroit Independent Grocers, working with the Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce have launched a
new upgraded website to help city shoppers find stores that are safe. It’s called mydetroitgrocers.com.
There are photos from dozens of stores, customer testimonials, and it can help you find the store closest to your home.
The Executive Director of the Chamber, Martin Manna, told us, “We visited all of them, we took photos of what they had to
offer they’re beautiful stores, just like they are in the suburbs.” He also said stores with too many complaints could be
removed from the site, but he expects customers to help regulate which stores are making the grade.
The chamber is involved because the vast majority of Detroit’s supermarkets are owned by members of the Chaldean
community.
While the investigation found 30 percent of the stores visited were perfectly fine, an owner of a store featured on the new
grocery website said that investigation still didn’t tell the whole story. Selvin Foumia of Glory Foods on 8 Mile said, “It’s just not a
good image for the guys that are doing the right job … Our shoppers at this location love us, they love the store, it’s beautiful,
its clean, everything’s fresh.”
Manna had nothing but praise for the stores on the website, he said, “These are people who work in the city, who employ
Detroiters and offer the best quality products at a good price, and they guarantee their freshness.”
C&G Newspapers: 2011: A look back – January 4, 2012
Lathrup Village, Southfield
January 4, 2012
2011: A look back
By Jennie Miller | C & G Staff Writer
SOUTHFIELD/LATHRUP VILLAGE — The last year has been a struggle for many municipalities as the country continues to weather an economic crisis and its ripple effects. But both Southfield and Lathrup Village were able to maintain city services while preparing for the future, with the hopes of positioning both communities for recovery and revitalization. The following is a snapshot of the ups and downs in 2011:
January
• Providence Hospital began a $5 million construction project to renovate its emergency department, including a 4,055-square-foot addition to the already 17,300 square feet of space.
• A proposed plan that would regulate medical marijuana dispensaries that wanted to operate in city limits was shot down by the Southfield City Council Jan. 18, with members citing a need for more research on the matter.
February
• After an uproar from local parents, the Southfield Board of Education moved to grandfather in high school students to a previous decision not to release funds to students wishing to attend a district with a closed enrollment policy.
• The Friends of the Southfield Public Library donated $10,000 to create a downloadable audio book collection.
• South Oakland Shelter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the homeless, outgrew its home in Royal Oak and moved daytime offices to a 10,000-square-foot building in Lathrup Village.
• The Southfield Fire Department was awarded more than $2 million in federal funds through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant for the hiring of 11 firefighters for two years. The matter proved controversial throughout the rest of the year, as the city did not accept the grant.
• Phyllis Macay, 59, a Southfield native, was killed by Somali pirates Feb. 22 after she and three other Americans were taken hostage during a sail around the world. Attempts by the U.S. military to negotiate had proved unsuccessful, but after the murders, the pirates were captured.
March
• Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence delivered the annual State of the City address March 7 at the Westin Southfield Detroit and highlighted a decade of accomplishments in the city during her tenure.
• An explosion that occurred in a chemistry classroom at Southfield-Lathrup High School March 8 left three students with minor injuries and the school closed for the remainder of the day. A supervised experiment in a chemistry lab had reportedly gone awry, causing a minor explosion and flash that burned ceiling tiles and cupboards.
• Southfield firefighter Curtis Nelson, 36, fell through the floor of a house fire moments after entering the residence to battle a blaze. He sustained minor injuries, was pulled to safety by his comrades, and was back on the job after being cleared from medical.
• Oakland County Parks green-lit the first phase of plans to improve Catalpa Oaks with $850,000 worth of renovations.
• Daphane Ramey, 28, of Southfield was murdered on the front porch of her home in the 27000 block of Marshall March 17, with her son and niece inside. The shooter, Michael Leonard Kitchens, 31, of Detroit, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, was found dead in his car in Royal Oak the next day of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
• James Randle and Kevin Huffman were found guilty of first-degree felony murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the June 17, 2010, murder of Venkata Cattamanchi, 35, of Troy. Two other defendants, Lynn Coggins and Jessica Ermatinger, each pleaded guilty to lesser charges of second-degree murder in exchange for their testimony.
• Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that some 6,557 residents moved out of Southfield in the last decade, with the total population dropping to 71,739, an 8.4 percent decline. Lathrup Village’s population dropped 3.8 percent in the last 10 years, losing 161 residents and bringing its population to 4,075.
• Northland Center welcomed the presence of highly trained German shepherds patrolling the mall to deter crime and help shoppers feel safe.
April
• The Michigan Department of Education released scores from the Michigan Educational Assessment Program for students in grades three through nine, and Southfield Public Schools showed mixed results. The data showed increases in all areas in the fifth grade, in math and social studies in the sixth grade, in math and science in the eighth grade, and in social studies in the ninth grade; but decreases in all areas of the third, fourth and seventh grades, as well as reading in sixth and eighth grades.
• The long-awaited Salvatore Scallopini opened its doors to the public April 4 in Lathrup Village, in what the city hoped would be the first piece of the puzzle of a redeveloped downtown district.
• Rakim Lane, 19, of Southfield was stabbed to death April 1 by Robert Tate, 24, of Southfield, a neighbor of Lane’s who said the act was in self defense. In November, an Oakland County jury found Tate not guilty of second-degree murder.
• Lathrup Village city officials began work on a Complete Streets ordinance, a program designed to provide safe and efficient roadways for all uses of travel.
• The American Heart Association held its annual National Start! Walking Day April 6, designed to get people moving in support of their health.
• A gun owned by controversial Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla., accidentally was discharged in a parking lot in Southfield April 21. He was in town for a planned protest at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn and in Southfield for an on-air interview at FOX2. No one was injured.
• Southfield firefighters rescued a dog that had fallen into the Rouge River and was found clinging to a logjam and howling for help April 27.
May
• Voters overwhelmingly supported a public safety millage May 3, with 83 percent of ballots cast in favor of a 4.9183-mill increase. Eleven million dollars will go toward police, fire and EMS services, and $2 million will go toward the Southfield Public Library, the Parks and Recreation Department and neighborhood streets maintenance.
• Southfield Police Chief Joe Thomas announced that he accepted a position with the U.S. Department of State heading up police officer training in Baghdad. His last day with the city was May 13. Four officers within the department were named acting chief in a shared capacity until a permanent replacement is found.
• The Southfield Freeway was closed May 16 to allow for the reconstruction of three miles of the freeway along with the repair and replacement of 24 overpasses. The freeway reopened the first week of October, three weeks earlier than scheduled.
• The city of Lathrup Village opened its first farmers market May 11, operating on Wednesdays through October.
• The ‘field Zone youth center in Southfield was recognized by the Michigan Municipal League with a Community Excellence Award.
• The Miracle League of Michigan baseball field in Southfield was hit by vandals, causing an estimated $60,000 in damage. Two juveniles were arrested in September in connection with the crime.
• Lawrence Technological University received an $11 million gift from retail pioneer Alfred Taubman for the construction of a new building on its campus as part of the engineering, architecture and life sciences complex named after the donor.
• The Southfield Material Recovery Facility announced plans for a $4 million renovation to increase efficiency and recycling volume. The facility provides recycling services to Southfield, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Walled Lake, Novi, South Lyon and Wixom.
June
• Southfield Public Schools handed out 800 diplomas to graduating seniors June 5 at Chene Park in downtown Detroit.
• The sixth annual Chaldean Festival was held June 10-12 on the front lawn of the Southfield Civic Center, complete with a full carnival.
• Marc Rosenthal, 59, of Novi was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole June 13 in the brutal murder of his sister, Ilene Moore, 63, of Southfield, whose body was found at Kensington Metropark Dec. 9, 2010. Rosenthal pleaded guilty to the crime.
• Members of the Southfield City Council, the Lathrup Village City Council and the Southfield Public Schools Board of Education sat down June 6 to discuss ways of weathering the economic storm together.
• The Southfield Regional Academic Campus was named the state’s top alternative education high school by the Michigan Alternative Education Organization.
• A Southfield woman was treated after being bitten by a rabid groundhog in the state’s first-ever reported case of such, Oakland County Health Division officials said.
• University High School Academy ranked 21st out of the top 25 schools to perform on the ACT college entrance exam portion of the Michigan Merit Exam, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
• The Simmons House at the Burgh Historical Park in Southfield underwent renovations funded by a federal grant, which also allowed for the creation of the Thomas N. Frommeyer Gardens at the park.
July
• Southfield Fire Chief Peter Healy retired for the second time from the city of Southfield after a 37-year career. Four individuals from within the department were named acting chief in a shared capacity until a permanent replacement is found.
• Following the retirement of Southfield Chamber of Commerce Director Ed Powers, a new leader emerged in Dean LaDouceur. His tenure lasted just a few months, however, and Tanya Markos-Vanno was appointed director in November. Chamber board members would not comment on the matter with LaDouceur.
• The American Heart Association recognized the city of Southfield as its 2011 Gold Level Fit Friendly Company for its efforts in promoting healthy lifestyles and spreading awareness about the importance of staying active.
• The city of Southfield kicked off the grant-funded Feral Cat Trap, Neuter and Return Program as a pilot community selected to control the feral cat colonies, a widespread problem in Oakland County.
• Theatre Bizarre founder and Lathrup Village resident John Dunivant was named a 2011 Kresge Artist Fellow by Kresge Arts in Detroit.
August
• Police arrested Bruce Harland Butler, 48, of Southfield in the hit-style murder of Mike Khmoro Aug. 5 after a 10-month investigation. The murder occurred Oct. 6, 2010, in the parking lot of Cronin’s Liquor Store in the 29000 block of Northwestern Highway. Butler is set for trial in Oakland County Circuit Court Jan. 23 before Judge Rae Lee Chabot.
• Eric Ostdiek, 43, of Troy, the varsity boys golf coach at Southfield High School, died in a golf cart accident at Copper Hills Golf & Country Club in Oxford.
• Seven Southfield Public Schools were identified as in need of improvement by the Michigan Department of Education, which released its Adequate Yearly Progress reports in August.
• Ken Siver, deputy superintendent of Southfield Public Schools and a member of the Southfield City Council, retired from the district Aug. 31 after a 50-year career in education.
September
• The 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was recognized.
• The Southfield City Council gave the go-ahead for the Police Department to renovate its shooting range using $56,000 in drug forfeiture funds.
• Rahim Lockridge, 38, was arrested after reportedly killing his wife, Kenyatta, 32, in front of their children Sept. 19 at their home on Potomac. The case is set for trial April 10 before Judge Nanci Grant in Oakland County Circuit Court.
• The Southfield City Council gave the go-ahead to Lawrence Technological University to build a 51,614-square-foot, two-story student housing facility at Circle Drive and 10 Mile.
October
• The annual International Festival was held Oct. 21-23 at the Southfield Pavilion, produced by the city of Southfield and the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit.
• The Southfield Public Library began offering downloadable books for Kindles, iPads, Nooks and smartphones.
• Southfield K-9 officer Aski, a 10-year-old German shepherd, retired from the force as Chase, a 22-month-old Dutch shepherd, took over the reins with handler Jeff Medici. The folks at Regal Towers donated the funds for another dog to replace a second retiring K-9 officer.
• Then-presidential hopeful Herman Cain made a campaign stop at Shield’s Pizza in Southfield Oct. 21.
• Five people suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene of a head-on crash on the Lodge Freeway near Telegraph at 4:15 a.m. Oct. 23. Police believe a 23-year-old Novi man was driving the wrong way on the freeway, causing the crash.
• Lathrup Village was touted as a model community that has positioned itself for revitalization during the annual conference of the Michigan Association of Planning in Grand Rapids Oct. 19-21.
• Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder made a special appearance at Lawrence Technological University Oct. 26, calling for funding to improve the state’s deteriorating infrastructure.
November
• Football legend Barry Sanders visited MacArthur K-8 University Academy Nov. 6, accompanying fourth-grader Andrean Akins, whose mother won a Verizon Wireless Show and Tell Contest.
• Voters elected incumbents Sidney Lantz and Myron Frasier to the Southfield City Council, as well as newcomer Jeremy Moss and former Councilwoman Sylvia Jordan. In Lathrup Village, Allen Weaks and Bruce Copus were reelected to council, along with newcomer MyKale Garrett-Johnson.
• Former Southfield Police Chief Joseph Thomas was named Southfield’s Citizen of the Year Nov. 10.
• Vice President Joe Biden was the keynote speaker at the annual fundraising dinner for Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, a Jewish day school with campuses in Southfield and Oak Park, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Nov. 13.
• A body found in the back seat of a burning car in Highland Park was identified as Helen Gale, 81, of Southfield, a longtime employee with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Police said a search of Gale’s home showed signs of a struggle. No arrests have been made in the murder.
• Five people were arrested Nov. 30 in a sting operation involving multiple units of law enforcement leading to charges of prostitution and human trafficking that used Southfield hotels for their operations. A preliminary examination is expected to begin Feb. 2 before Judge Shelia Johnson in Southfield’s 46th District Court.
December
• The proposed Carpenter Lake Nature Interpretive Center was put on hold after members of the Southfield City Council failed to override a veto by Mayor Brenda Lawrence of the project’s Nov. 14 approval. Council is still hopeful the project will eventually come to fruition, and is seeking to raise money for the $2.2 million project.
• Dominica Harris, 40, of Southfield and her four kids were treated to an early Christmas surprise Dec. 11 when the Yatooma Foundation for the Kids gifted them with clothes, toys, food, bedroom furniture and a check covering their mortgage, utilities and groceries for the entire winter. Dominica’s husband, Andrew McClellan, died in 2008 at the age of 43 after complications from abdominal surgery.
• Southfield police officers took 10 local youths on a holiday shopping spree, each one receiving a $100 gift card for use at Target at Northland Center Dec. 15 in the national Shop With a Cop program.
• Matt Prentice announced his plans to open Gastronomy: A Modern American Bistro, at One Town Square in a business park off the Northwestern Highway service drive. The restaurant was expected to open in spring 2012.
You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1108.
WJBK Fox 2 Detroit: Crime Stoppers Turns to Billboards to Solicit Tips in Unsolved Murders – January 3, 2012
Updated: Tuesday, 03 Jan 2012, 8:29 PM EST
Published: Tuesday, 03 Jan 2012, 6:59 PM EST
By Roop Raj
Unsolved murders are piling up in metro Detroit. Crime Stoppers has now launched a bold new effort to get people
to come forward and speak-up. Instead of billboards along the highway, those massive signs will be front and center.
“I’m praying that people do the right thing and speak out,” said Carol Smith, the mother of murder victim Darrell
Smith.
“My message to my dad is I love you, and I’m never going to give up fighting for you,” said Candace Khamarko.
Two families have a similar sad story that has their loved ones’ pictures on billboards.
We’ll start with Karim Khamarko. He was murdered at the Dollar Club Plus store he owned in Ferndale on
November 26, 2010. There is still no closure, nor any telling leads, so Crime Stoppers has put up billboards. There
are two of them in Ferndale strategically placed in the same area near where the crime happened. It’s a constant
reminder to someone who knows something.
“First of all, I never thought I’d see my dad on a billboard. I think it’s eye-catching. Someone maybe who
knows who did this to my dad will maybe drive by [or] walk by that billboard and see my dad’s picture and see
those words,” Khamarko explained. “Maybe it will get them to say… I have to do the right thing.”
Then there’s the family of Darrell Smith, who was killed in Detroit on July 12, 2011. The college student, who
was home taking care of his mother, went out with some friends and was shot in the back. His mother, father and
family friends are all hoping a billboard will help bring the killer to justice.
“Tips have been coming in, so I’m praying that justice will be served because nobody has the right to take a life,”
Smith said.
However, putting up a billboard does cost money, but not as much as you might think. It’s just about $200 for a
four week run. Crime Stoppers is hoping you will open up your wallets this new year and help a grieving family.
“We believe someone out there has some sort of information about who did this to my dad,” Khamarko said.
“He was a very good young man, and he didn’t deserve this. People need to do the right thing and speak out,”
Smith remarked.
One of the most important features of Crime Stoppers, you can get a cash reward, but you don’t have to leave
your name. Pick up the phone and call 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
West Bloomfield Patch: West Bloomfield Man Rings in New Year with Centennial – January 2, 2011
Sunday marked the 100th birthday of Iraqi immigrant Zia Oram, who celebrated the new year with 12 children and 79 grandchildren.
By Timothy Rath
January 2, 2012
Zia Oram rang in 2012 on Sunday in truly historic fashion. The five-year West Bloomfield resident and Iraqi immigrant celebrated his 100th birthday at Farmington Manor with family who came from all over the country to wish the Oram family patriarch a happy new year.
“He’s been counting every day through the whole year to see if he’d make it to this day,” laughed Christine Oram, a West Bloomfield resident and Zia’s 10th child. “His favorite saying is, ‘That which you measure in life is measured back to you.’ This whole party is a reflection to what he’s given his family, his faith and his community.”
The occasion was also marked with recognition from Pope Benedict XVI, President Barack Obama, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and local politicians and community leaders, including U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township), and Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Martin Manna, who was quoted in a news release extolling Oram’s virtues.
“A pillar of our community for more than 50 years, Zia showed his family and other Chaldeans the importance of dedication in achieving the American dream,” wrote Manna. “His 100th birthday is another in a long line of accomplishments, and we wish many more to an exemplary man.”
American dream fulfilled
Born in 1912 in the Iraqi village of Tel Kaif (population: 12,000) nine miles north of Mosul, Zia initially made his living selling goods including fruits, chicken and wheat to the villagers in his much-beloved Ford truck. He also worked for 35 years as a taxi driver in the village, where he stayed true to his Chaldean Catholic faith by transporting the orphaned, widowed and poor for free.
“He raised his children with the firm belief that faith and a strong work ethic would take you far in life, and I think that he personified that more than anyone I know,” Christine said.
In 1962, at age 50, Zia immigrated to the U.S. and moved to Detroit with his wife, Shamama, and eventually welcomed all 11 of his children who were born in Iraq — as well as some 400 other Iraqi immigrants — to work in Metro Detroit. He welcomed an American-born daughter in 1967 and worked for more than 10 years as an Elias Brothers/Big Boy restaurants employee in its warehouse operations, which Christine said were the best days of his working life in the United States.
“He came over here with nothing. He has no formal education and he can’t read or write. He can’t speak English. But, he made it,” Christine said. “He hasn’t only given us the blessing of 100 years, but he’s set up this American dream for all of us in his family and many more people.”
The family celebrated Sunday with traditional Chaldean dancing, food and prayer, as Christine said that all 12 children and 79 grandchildren were in attendance.
However, the partying isn’t quite over for the Oram family. Come April of this year, Zia and Shamama will celebrate 75 years together as a married couple.
“It’s truly a monument to faith and hard work,” Christine added.
http://westbloomfield.patch.com/articles/west-bloomfield-man-rings-in-new-year-with-centennial
Michigan Radio: Detroit’s Chaldean community fears for Middle East Christians – January 1, 2012
Politics
Detroit’s Chaldean community fears for Middle East Christians
9:01 p.m. | Sun January 1, 2012
By Sarah Cwiek
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Arab Spring revolutions have meant a year of anxiety for Metro Detroit’s Arab Christian community.
Most members of that community are Chaldean, mostly Iraqi Catholics. Southeast Michigan is home to the largest Chaldean population outside Iraq.
Martin Manna, President of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, says more than half of all Iraqi Christians have fled the country since the US invasion, and the Chaldean community has offered support for the refugees. 10-15,000 ended up in Michigan.
“Only a fraction have been allowed to come to the United States, which has also created a situation where community members have had to do whatever they can to welcome the refugees that have come to Metro Detroit.”
Manna says the Chamber’s non-profit arm is “doing what it can” to help the Chaldean refugees assimilate, but they’ve been “overwhelmed with need.”
When the Chamber’s non-profit arm set up a new office in Sterling Heights last year, they expected to serve about 400 people. They ended up serving about 8000.
In the meantime, Manna says Chaldean Americans are struggling to keep the pressure on the U.S. government to press for minority group rights in Iraq, and find long-term political solutions for Christians who remain in the Middle East.
http://www.michiganradio.org/post/detroits-chaldean-community-fears-middle-east-christians