Highland Park, Michigan (Wxyz) -a 2.5 million dollar scholarship, which promised to promise the unpleased districts of Highland Park, was “permanently put on hold” shortly after President Donald Trump took office, said city officials.
Mayor Glenda McDonald calls the news “a stomach beat” to a city that was pulled more than 1,000 street lamps directly from the ground 14 years ago to pay a debt of $ 4 million with DTE.
Most of the city has been in the dark since then and have brought serious concerns about public security.
“My children can't play so well outside when the sun goes down,” said Shimekia Nichols, “because I literally can't see them in the courtyard.”
Nichols is also the executive director of the non -profit souladarity, which aims to bring clean energy sources to Highland Park, and said that the lack of lighting “basically puts an unofficial output lock on the city”.
But last year the city saw a glimmer of hope as part of the bidges administration when the Energy Ministry announced 31 million US dollars in clean energy grants for disadvantaged communities.
For Highland Park, it meant $ 2.5 million to bring back some of the light that was taken away and installed 30 sun lamps in the neighborhoods.
More than just lights, the grant would pay for other improvements that the city could not afford, such as replacing aging windows in the town hall together with a new HLK unit.
It would also have financed a new roof at the public security headquarters, where the police today identify raindrops.
“These are things that we need immediately,” said Mayor McDonald. “Not only something we only decided that we would apply and had no use.”
However, a change in the oval office changed the assets for Highland Park. Shortly after Donald Trump accepted his office, the city leaders learned that the grant they expected was doubtful.
“About a month ago we were told that this … was permanently put on hold,” said Damon Garrett, engineer of the city.
Mayor McDonald said the city believed that the grant “will not happen”.
Officials of the Highland Park stated that they had not received any reason that the scholarship disappeared.
A achieved by 7 News Detroit, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Energy, would only say that they “check all programs and comply with all laws and relevant court commands to ensure that projects that are financed by tax funds to expand the goals of Trump administration to improve energy access and to reduce energy compositions for houses and companies.”
“I can not imagine a reason to justify something that is really crucial and essential for a city like Highland Park,” said Shimekia Nichols.
These 30 street lamps would not have solved the light of Highland Park, she said it did better.
“Even if only a certain area is lit, it is a Hope light fire that we can burden our city again,” said Nichols.
Even without the help of the federal government, the city and its residents find paths to bring light back on their streets.
Soulardarity, the non -profit organization, could collect enough means to install 10 road lamps driven by solar, which they have in the ground as soon as the weather is heated.
Regardless of this, the city was awarded a grant by the state that should finance up to 50 street lamps by next year.
“Our citizens don't deserve to walk through the streets in the dark and not to be safe,” said McDonald.
Contact 7 investigators Ross Jones at Ross.jones@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.