Benton Harbor Five Years After
Five years after the civil unrest that took place in Benton Harbor, Governor Granholm toured the city yesterday to meet with city and community leaders and check on the progress of the healing that has happened in the intervening years. Back in 2003, the Granholm appointed the Governor’s Benton Harbor Task Force to implement a plan to bring positive change to the city, instituting programs to address the problems of high unemployment, housing needs, and poverty. Although Benton Harbor still faces challenges, the city is working diligently to improve quality of life and attract opportunity for all. WSBT in South Bend covers the story-
The governor attended a ribbon cutting ceremony with professional golfer Jack Nicholas to kick off the Harbor Shores project, a resort area designed to enhance tourism and bring new business and residential projects to the region.
Tuesday Granholm and professional golfer Jack Nicklaus cut the ribbon on a new transformation center in downtown. It will serve as the hub for information on the construction of Harbor Shores. It’s what Granholm calls a “signature project.”
“This is a community that is taking advantage of the shoreline, which is fabulous. It’s going to create jobs. It’s going to be a tourist destination as well as a quality of life destination,” Granholm said.
Unemployment is still a problem in Benton Harbor, but there are citizens who have utilized the help available and have found new careers.
But the governor heard success stories while on her tour Tuesday. Katherine Miller has lived in Benton Harbor for 35 years. When she lost her job, she turned to Michigan Works for job training. She returned to college and earned medical certification and is now employed at Lakeland Regional Health Center.
“I’ve seen change and the reason I’ve seen change is because I went out and I looked for change and I found it,” Miller said. “And I used programs that are out here. If people would just be resilient and come out, persevere, they can find change.’
The Governor’s Task Force became the Citizens for Progressive Change, a group dedicated to implementing the suggestions made back in 2003. Governor Granholm also visited some school children that are participating the group’s supplemental education program that was designed to give the kids some extra help and activities after school and during the summer.
“Holding the education bar high and getting those young people to jump over those new higher standards is something we can all focus with great intensity on,” said Granholm.
She asked the kids to promise her to reach for higher education.
“In front of the governor of the state of Michigan, [say] that, ‘I will go to college.’”
“I will go to college!” the kids echoed.
“Excellent!” Granholm said. “Do great things!”
Progress on housing needs was also part of the tour yesterday, checking in on the development made possible by the Habitat for Humanity Jimmy Carter Work Project that started in 2005. Benton Harbor’s City Manager said $165 million has already been used to upgrade personal housing and commercial development, bringing new homes and business to the area.
Benton Harbor has made some great strides towards success in the past five years thanks to the hard work of community and business alike, showing that when people come together and work for positive change, a city can heal and grow towards a better future!
