The Reformer, February 21, 1971

              Public Library of South Bend

122 W. Wayne Street
South Bend> Ind. ^6601

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Proposed Model Cities Demolition Plan Hangs over
Neighborhood Businesses And Entertainment Centers

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See Map, Page Eight

The proposed and still ten-
tative "clearance renewal"
plan for the Model Neigh-
borhood will have a serious
impact on neighborhood
businesses, recreation cen-
ters, and culture if carried
out in its present form.

"Clearance renewal"
means that almost all build-
ings in the prescribed area
are torn down, followed by
an almost complete reuse
of the land.

The tentative plan pre-
pared under the direction of
Mr. Michael Obringer of the
Area Plan Commission for
the Model Cities Program
calls for the demolition of
almost all retail businesses
and recreation facilities -
restaurants, night clubs,
bars, pool halls, game
rooms - on Washington
Street between Olive and Elm
Streets; on Western Avenue
between Walnut and Scott
Streets; on Walnut between
Western and Colfax; onCha-
pin between Western and
Jefferson, and on the south
side of Linden between Olive
and Walnut.

Under the present time-
table, the plan to clear in
this area has to be ready
to send to the Department
of Housing and Urban De-
velopment in June of this
year. Any changes in the
nlan will have to occur be-
tween now and this date.

Mr. Obringer, and Mr.
John Torte of Crumlish-
Sporleder, consultant ar-
chitects on the complete
"Revised Land Use and
Thoroughfare Plan," ap-
peared before members of
the whole Model Neigh-
borhood Planning Agency
(MNPA) on January 11, 1971
and answered questions a-
bout clearance renewal, code
enforcement, and rehab re-

newal.

According to their an-
swers, both during and after
the meeting, the additional
facts became clear.

In clearance, a fairly large
area is cleared at one time.
Businesses which own their
own buildings are paid for
the loss of the buildings at
an arrived at price, but are
not paid for loss of business.
Businesses which rent in
buildings to be demolished
are not paid anything for

their forced closing.However
they are paid relocation ex-
penses.

The cleared and vacant
land remains unused or in
stages of development for
one to two years. During
this time streets and sew-
age lines are laid, and the
land to be used for commer-

cial, industrial, or private
residential purposes is sold
to private developers, us-
ually at the highest bid price.

Once new commercial, in-
dustrial, and residential
units are completed by de-
velopers they are sold or
rented to on an open market.

Questions were raised on

THE REFORMER

VOL.3 NO. 13 WHOLE NO. 103

A Community Conscience Newspaper

February 21, 1971

Black Congressmen Boycott Nixon Address

Twelve Black members of
the House of Represen-
tatives, all Democrats,
stripped President Nixon of
his "virtues" to show the
bare facts. Now he is naked
to the world.

The lawmakers, who pro-
ject a new challenge to Nix-
on's leadership, boycotted
the recent joint session of
Congress to hear the Presi-
dent's State of the Union
message in retaliation over
the President's 11- month re-
fusal to hear them discuss
"the pleas and concerns"
of their constituents.

According to a Capitol Hill
source, the White House re-
ply to the Congressmen's
request for an audience has
been; "Can't fit you in our
calendar. Will get back to
you soon."

Now, for their own calen-
dar, they are petitioning four
national television networks
and the Federal Communica-
tions Commission to provide
equal time for them to
respond to the President's
speech. They charge that the



Rep. John Conyers, Jr.,
Michigan, and Rep. Louis
Stokes, Ohio, not pictured,
are our neighbor s.

President does not know the
state of blacks within the
American union and there-
fore, cannot articulate their
concerns, let alone respond
to them.

The deepening gloom in
the ghettoes stem from un-
employment and drugs. The
victims feel they are victims
of a crisis that is not evok-
ing enough concern from the

Credit Union Annual Meeting
Kicks Off Expansion year

Forty members were in
attendance at the Fourth An-
nual Meeting of the West
Washington Association
Federal Credit Union on
Thursday, Feb. 11, at Pil-
grim Baptist Church. Dur-
ing the course of the even-
ing, four residents were wel-
comed as new members into
their neighborhood Credit U-
nion. After a report from
the Nominations Committee

chaired by Mrs. Margaret
WiUiams, the meeting was
first highlighted by the elec-
tion of four members to the
Board of Directors and two
members to the Credit (loan)
Committee. Newly chosen to
the Board were Mr. Lee Mc-
Knight and Mrs. Gladys Mc-
Kinney and to the Credit
Committee Mrs. Rubye
Paige. Carried over for an-
other two years on the Board

were the Rev. Daniel Peil
and Miss Edith Kyler and
on the CreditCommitteeMr.
S. Lawrence (Speed) Webb.

Following the elections,
refreshments were prepared
and served by Mrs. Freddie
Willis and Mrs. Jennifer
Williams. During the re-
freshments, keys were
picked from a pile to see
who could open a Treasure
Chest and win one of the

Winners at the West Wash-
ington Association Federal
Credit Union Annual Meet-
ing, held February 11th at
Pilgrim Baptist Church are
pictured here. From left,

Mr. William C. Ellison, Mrs.
Jessie Winters (holding the
now empty Treasure Chest),
Mrs. Joan Walker, Mr.
James Hockaday, and Mr.
Alfred Herring. The last

three persons are holding the
"super grant-prize sur-
prize" from Kreamo Ba-
kery. (See accompanying
story of who won what). Photo
by Milton Herring)

Boycott idea came from Rep.
William L. Clay from Mis-
-souri.

President.

If the petition is denied,
the lawmakers will consider
bringing a law suit against
the networks under the fair-
ness doctrine or staging
their own state of the union
presentation on the floor of
the House.

REFLECTIONS

The White House, trying
hard to get some significant
blacks to speak out against

prizes within. Mrs. Jessie
Winters won the grand prize
of $50.00 cash. The second
prize, $25.00 in goods, was
donated by Al's Food Mar-
ket and was won by Mr.
Alfred Herring. Mr. Wil-
liam EUison opened the
Treasure Chest and picked
the envelope with the $20.00
clothing certificate from Ro-
senbaum's Clothiers. Mr.
James Hockaday was the
first to open the Treasure
Chest and won the $10.00
certificate for purchases
from Perry's Pharmacy.
Mrs. Joan Walker was a
double winner. She won the
gallon of paint from the Buf-
falo Paint Store, and when
the Rev. Daniel Peil won
the "sur-prize" of a four
foot long loaf of bread from
Kreamo Bakery, he figured
that her family of ten chil-
dren would eat it up much
more quickly than he would
and gave it to her.

Before this, the members
had heard from President
Fitzgerald Smith on how the
Model Cities Program is
providing funds for the
Credit Union to operate an
office full-time and engage
two full-time employees
during the current year.
Hired as Manager is Mr. Ro-
man McClatcher and as Sec-
retary-Accountant is Mrs.
Jennifer Williams. They
(Continued on Page 3)

Rep. Shirley Chisholm, sole
woman, one of the Black bloc
members who will try to fill
the Black le?c!ership vacuum.

the discourteous action of
the lawmakers, could find
no one. Even the mild- man-
nered Negro capitalists
could not see fit to tongue
lash the new challengers.

President Nixon's unhelp-
ful action in areas, includ-
ing voting rights, legal aid,
health, education, and man-
power programs, has ang-
(Continued on Page 4)

how this type of progress
would effect Black and nei-
ghborhood businesses and
recreation centers presently
located in the prescribed
area.

It was pointed out that
neighborhood businesses are
able to operate, and charge
reasonable prices for pro-
ducts and services, because
they presently pay compara-
tively low overhead costs,
such as rent, in the now
existing older buildings. It
was estimated that many
would not be able to afford
the higher rents charged by
private developers for their
new units.

Based on past practices,
it was also considered un-
likely that any of the busi-
nesses would be able to re-
start after one to two years
of being out of operation.
When queried on this point,
Mr. Obringer said it was
possible to change the plan
to spot or "leapfrog" clear-
ance. This would involve
building new retail and com-
mercial units on vacant land
near the buildings to be
cleared. Businesses would
move into these new units
upon condemnation, and thus
would not lose customers or
income due to a break in
operations. However, such a
;hange in the present plan
requires the initiative of the
MNPA and its involved com-
mittees. It would involve
changing the present and ten-
tative "Revised Land Use
and Thoroughfare Plan."

Further 'nfrnvBtion
gathered from members of
the MNPA Economic Com-
mittee, the City Demonstra-
tion Agency, the Redevelop-
ment Department, the CDA
Housing Center, and the Ur-
ban League Consumer Action
Program.

Under the still tentative
clearance plan, those com-
mercial units still able, or
desiring, to operate in the
(Continued on Page 8)

Chambers family,
Grace Choir Perform
Sunday

The Chambers Family will
be presented in concert by
the Senior Choir of the Grace
A.M.E. Zion Church, 920
Napier St., Sunday, Feb. 21.

Mr. Orbry Chambers, the
father, has appeared in local
concerts and in other mid-

western cities. He is a
steward and member of the
Senior Choir of Olivet
A.M.E. Church.

His son, Vernard, per-
forms at professional and
community affairs and has
recently appeared in several
choral concerts. He is a
former member of: the In-
continued on Page 8)

The Chamber's Family Sin-
gers prepare for a concert
Sunday. Left to Tight, Mr.
Orbry Chambers, Venita,

and Venard. In front, Val-
erie.

Photo by Milton Herring