Share:
Font Size:
August 2021 Wayne County Executive Newsletter

Across the country, COVID-19 cases are once again climbing and Michigan is no exception. The delta variant is highly transmissible and unvaccinated individuals, including kids under 12, are particularly at risk.

The science is clear: the COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe, and effective in preventing spread in our communities. I urge everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine get inoculated as soon as possible.

All Michigan residents over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which is safe, effective, and available at no cost. Do your part for our community and get your vaccine (or your family's) today if you haven't yet!

Please visit WayneCounty.com/covid19, text 'WAYNE VAX' to 48355, or call 1-866-610-3885 for the latest information.

Wayne County Health Department vaccination clinics are located at:

ACCESS - Dearborn
6450 Maple St.
Dearborn, MI 48126
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM; 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Ecorse Senior Citizens Center
4072 W. Jefferson Ave.
Ecorse, MI 48229
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Faith Tabernacle Church
16548 Hamilton Ave.
Highland Park, MI 48203
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Flat Rock Community Center
1 Maguire Street
Flat Rock, MI 48134
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Hamtramck Health Center
9021 Joseph Campau Ave.
Hamtramck, MI 48212
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Monday - Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM; Wednesday 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM

Lincoln Park Community Center
3525 Dix Highway
Lincoln Park, MI 48146
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

River Rouge City Hall
10600 W. Jefferson Ave.
River Rouge, MI 48218
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Schoolcraft College
VisTaTech Center
18600 Haggerty Rd.
Livonia, MI 48152
Walk-ins Welcome
Only available for ages 18 and older
OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Wayne County Community College
Downriver Campus
21000 Northline Rd.
Taylor, MI 48180
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Wayne County Community College
Ted Scott Campus
9555 Haggerty Rd.
Belleville, MI 48111
Walk-ins Welcome
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Wayne County Community College
Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center
19305 Vernier Road
Harper Woods, MI 48225
Walk-ins Welcome
Only available for ages 18 and older
OPEN: Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 2:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Wayne Health Center
33030 Van Born Rd.
Wayne, MI 48184
Pfizer available for ages 12 and older
OPEN: Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

The toll-free number is managed in partnership with The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW).

Home-bound residents can contact their local community to schedule a vaccination. Click here for a directory to make a reservation through your city or township.


As residents continue to recover from the devastating flooding earlier this summer, our team has worked closely with local, state, and federal partners to assist neighborhoods through this process. I joined June Gov. Whitmer to announce the deployment of more than $10 million in emergency relief to help those affected by the June flooding.

If you and/or your family were affected by the heavy rain and flooding earlier this summer, FEMA assistance is available. Possible assistance includes grants for home repairs and temporary housing, loans to cover uninsured property losses, andprograms to help residents andsmall businesses recover from damages.

To locate a Disaster Recovery Center where you can ask questions and drop off documents near you, please CLICK HERE.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers will assist with:

  • Applying for assistance.
  • Learning more about disaster assistance programs.
  • Learning the status of your FEMA application.
  • Understanding any letters you get from FEMA.
  • Finding housing and rental assistance information.
  • Getting answers to questions or resolving problems.
  • Getting referrals to agencies that may offer other assistance.
  • Learning about Small Business Administration (SBA) programs.

These offices are located across Wayne County and are open seven days a week, 7:00AM to 7:00PM:

  • Kemeny Recreation Center, 2260 S Fort Street, Detroit, MI 48127
  • Maplewood Community Center, 31735 Maplewood Street, Garden City, MI 48135
  • Eton Senior Recreation Center, 4900 Pardee Ave., Dearborn Heights, MI 48125
  • Wayne County Community College, 19305 Vernier Rd., Harper Woods, MI 48225
  • Grosse Pointe Public Safety Building, 17320 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
  • Golightly Career and Technical Center, 900 Dickerson St., Detroit, MI 48215
  • Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126

Individuals and local business owners can also begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362, or through theFEMA App. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use a TTY call 800-462-7585.

The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Language assistance is available in: Spanish, Arabic, Creole, Lao, Mandarin, Russian, Samoa and Vietnamese. FEMA encourages callers to stay on the line if you do not hear your desired language.

The deadline to apply for disaster assistance is Sept. 13, 2021.

The Detroit Public Library's mobile libraries is also making stops in Detroit neighborhoods hit hard by flooding and providing internet access to help people file claims with the Detroit Water and Sewage Department, Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) and FEMA.

For a list of stops, go to https://bit.ly/detroitlibraryflood.

For further flooding assistance, please call the United Way's 211 service or visit mi211.org.


I was saddened to hear of Senator Carl Levin's passing last week. As the longest serving senator in Michigan history, Sen. Levin was a national leader who ably served as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and earned national acclaim for holding Wall Street accountable after the Great Recession. Yet he always remained devoted to his hometown. His support for redevelopment projects like the Riverwalk and M1 streetcar helped jump start Detroit's ongoing rebirth. On behalf of Wayne County residents, I want to extend condolences to the Levin family in this difficult time. We will remain grateful for Sen. Levin's lifetime of working to make the world--and our little corner of it--a better place.


TENE RAMSEY APPOINTED TO MICHIGAN COMMISSION ON SERVICES TO THE AGING

Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her appointments to the Commission on Services to the Aging, and I am proud to see that our own Tene Ramsey is one of those appointees. I can't imagine a better choice for this important position. "Tene" M. Ramsey, of Detroit, currently serves as an appointee with the Wayne County Inter-Governmental & External Affairs Department. She is the former director of the City of Detroit Senior Citizens Department and a former board member for the Detroit Area Agency on Aging. She holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from the Center for Humanistic Studies Graduate School and a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Wayne State University. Tene is reappointed to represent Democrats for a term commencing July 29, 2021 and expiring July 28, 2024. The Commission on Services to the Aging advises the Governor and Legislature on coordination and administration of state programs, changes in federal and state programs, and the nature and magnitude of aging priorities. The other Commission appointees include:
  • Euphemia "Sue" P. Franklin - Center Line
  • Joy Murphy - Kentwood
  • Dennis H. Smith - Marquette
  • Shirley A. Tuggle - Battle Creek
  • Robert C. Schlueter - Leland
Congratulations to all of the appointees and many thanks for the work they do everyday on behalf of Michiganders! Learn more about their work HERE.
PANDEMIC RELIEF Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wayne County Economic Development team worked hard to deliver relief for Wayne County residents, small businesses, and workers. One of those programs, Wayne County Cares, which provided $500 cash cards to workers affected by the state's public safety orders, recently earned recognition from the National Association of Counties with the NAC's 2021 Achievement Award.
COMMITMENT TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY When I first came to office, we had to make tough decisions to set the county on a sound financial course. Now, we are seeing the fruits of those decisions as Moody's upgrades Wayne County's credit rating. The agency notes that our years of fiscal improvements made this possible. Wayne County is a good investment because of the decisions we made. Those decisions are saving taxpayers money in the form of lower financing costs the county incurs during its normal operations. Learn more HERE.

Hamtramck Stadium is hallowed ground. Once the home field of the Detroit Stars, at least 18 Hall of Fame legends played here. It is one of just five remaining Negro Leagues home parks still standing. We recently celebrated the beginning of this gem's restoration in a grand style worthy of the park's history. It was wonderful to be on the field with the partners who made this project happen as well as legends like Willie Horton and former Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley, Detroit Tigers Akil Baddoo and Derek Hill, and the Tiny Tigers--who represent the future for Detroit baseball. This project could only happen with the hard work of many partners including the Wayne County Economic Development team and County Commission, the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation, the Detroit Tigers, Kresge Foundation, the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, the City of Hamtramck, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy, and many others.
Congratulations to the brand new Ecorse Commons Industrial Park, a new business site that will transform what was an eyesore into a source of nearly 200 good-paying jobs and place another Wayne County property back onto the tax roll. This new NorthPoint Development project is expected to include $33 million in investment and two Class A buildings totaling over 650,000 square-feet suited for air cargo, logistics/distribution, freight forwarding, and manufacturing users. The celebratory ribbon-cutting event was attended by:
  • Khalil Rahal - Wayne County Director of Economic Development and Assistant Wayne County Executive
  • Kamal Alsawafy - Business Development Manager, Wayne County Economic Development Department
  • Brent Miles - Chief Marketing Officer NorthPoint Development
  • Mayor Leroy Burcroff - Mayor of Romulus
  • Robert McCraight - Director of Public Service and Economics Development
  • Jeffery Lowrey - President of the Greater Romulus Chamber of Commerce
  • Chris Girdwood - Director of Aerotropolis
  • Kristi Hay - DHL station Manager
  • Don Hearn - CEO and President of Hearn Industrial
  • Jacob Busacker - Pitney Bowes Warehouse Manager
World Harvest United Church in Inkster recently hosted a community and family day. The Wayne County Health Department and our External Affairs team joined the fun to get information out to residents, including the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Thank you to Representative Helena Scott for hosting her Summer BBQ and Blues event at Eden Manor Senior facility in Detroit's District 7. Guests included Representative Tenisha Yancey, Representative Cynthia Johnson, Detroit City Councilman Roy McAllister Jr., and Tene-Dandra Ramsey on behalf of the Wayne County Executive Office.
Last month I joined Highland Park residents, Mayor Hubert Yopp, Commissioner Martha Scott and all of our great community partners to cut the ribbon on a new outdoor fitness court located behind the Ernest T. Ford Community Center. Through the relentless work of our Parks' staff and amazing partners, the fitness court will provide Highland Park with free fitness equipment, promote healthy living and help to create a greater sense of community. Soon the court will connect with the Joe Louis Greenway and Rouge Connector, which further connects our communities with healthy non-motorized transportations routes.
I was happy to join local leaders in Livonia for the July groundbreaking of Ashley Capital's new facility that will bring jobs and investment to Wayne County.
Across the county, neighborhood associations are doing incredible work. A few weeks ago, representatives from our External Affairs team joined an alley clean up organized by the Lombard's Neighborhood Association along with the University of Michigan on Detroit's Northwest side. They plan to repurpose the alleys into usable green space for residents in the area and already the positive impact is felt in the community.
Many thanks to Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for securing nearly $4 million in federal dollars for the Joe Louis Greenway. Wayne County Detroit Parks Director Beverly Watts recently joined Rep. Lawrence to discuss the importance of partnerships to make improvements like the Greenway possible for our community.

Wayne County's vibrant 43 communities are each unique in their own way, and no time is better than summer to experience all that they have to offer. Below is a snapshot of family-friendly events happening in August across our county.

Each week, our External Affairs team actively attends community and neighborhood association meetings and would love to join yours to share the latest in Wayne County news. Please email all relevant details to Kyle Lopes at klopes@waynecounty.com.


Copyright © 2021 Wayne County External Affairs, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Wayne County External Affairs
500 Griswold St Ste 1050
Detroit, MI 48226-4491