Questions:

1. Where did you celebrate?

2. What is your personal New Year’s resolution?

3. What are your hopes for the New Year?

Bill Bazzi

Dearborn Heights City Councilman

1. Celebrated with friends and family

2. To be the best I can be, and as I promised residents when I ran for election, to represent them and to do well for them.

3. I hope the Dearborn community will be brought closer than they have been for the last couple of years.

Amer Zahr

Adjunct law professor at University of Detroit Mercy and comedian

1. Dearborn.

2. To liberate Palestine this year.

3. For respectful debate in our large and diverse Arab American family in Dearborn.

David Turfe

Chief judge for the 20th District Court in Dearborn Heights

1. Celebrated at home with my family.

2. Good health to my family, friends and all people that are suffering from illnesses and to together rid hatred from people’s heart to allow for respect.

3. I hope 2018 brings understanding to all people around the world.

Rashida Tlaib

Former State Representative (D-Detroit)

1. With my two sons at home.

2. To be more present and intentional about my actions.

3. For women to feel safe in the workplace, for all Detroit neighborhoods to be included in the development of their own community, student loan debt to be significantly reduced, equality in Palestine, increase home ownership in Michigan by half and, more importantly, to see public schools succeed again.

Saad Almasmari

Hamtramck City Councilman

1. I celebrated the new year with my family because it was my birthday too. and I reached out to my community and wished them happy new year.

2. [To seek a seat in] The Michigan House of Representatives. I think it’s good opportunity for me to serve my community.

3. My hopes for this new year is safer environment for all Hamtramck and Michigan residents. Also, I hope to serve them as they expected me to.

Ali Jawad

Founder of Leaders Helping and Advancing Communities (LAHC)

1. Dearborn

2. My resolution is to be with my family more often

3. I hope that peace and
justice will prevail all over the world, especially in the Arab World.

Susan Dabaja

Dearborn City Council president

1. I celebrated with family and friends at a friend’s home in Dearborn.

2. In addition to spending more time with my extended family and an overall commitment to bettering myself, I made a personal commitment to read more books covering a wide range of topics, specifically biographies and nonfiction history.

3. We live in very interesting political and socially challenging times that has spurred much dialogue. It is my hope that this dialogue motivates people to get engaged, ask questions and to expect more locally, nationally and globally.

Mike Sareini

Dearborn City Council President Pro-Temp

1. At my home with my children and my mother.

2. I’m looking to stay in good health and look at forward to the graduation of my oldest son from pharmacy school.

3. I’m hoping for good health for all my family and children.

Dave Abdallah

Dearborn Heights City Councilman

1. Ironically New Year’s day happens to be my birthday, so the day before I went out to dinner with friends to Mint 29 on Monroe & Michigan Avenue. On New Year’s day, I spent time with my family having dinner, watching some TV, and I relaxed by smoking a cigar at the end of the night.

2. My New Year’s resolution is to continue working on my health by eating healthy and working out 6   days a week. My business resolution is to continue servicing my clients with the best service possible. Politically, I would like to continue serving the city of Dearborn heights as their councilman to the best of my abilities.

3. I would wish that our government and community organizations would focus more on the opiate abuse. I would also love for our community to focus on getting people more involved in the political process by voting more and volunteering for different governmental committees.

Abdul El-Sayed

Candidate for governor in Michigan

1. I was in Shelby Township enjoying a quiet New Years Eve with my wife, Sarah, and my five-week-old daughter, Emmalee.

2. To be the best father, husband I can be and to work out 5-6 times weekly

3. To build our movement in Michigan and fight for a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Fadel Al-Marsoumi

Hamtramck City Councilman

1. I celebrated new years in Hamtramck (My hometown) with my family. We all gathered in our living room and spoke about our positive and negative experiences in 2017. We then mentioned our resolutions and what we will improve on for the new year. Then we waited for the countdown! (this is a family tradition btw!!)

2. When thinking of new year’s resolutions, I focus on accomplishing goals, getting rid of bad habits and finding additional ways to better myself. This year I plan on graduating with both of my master’s degrees (MBA, Information Technology/Project Management) on June 23. I plan on having all of my school debt paid off by November. Lastly, but most importantly, I plan on upholding my duties as the newly elected councilman for the city of Hamtramck.

3. I hope to bring our diverse but divided city together so that we can overcome current financial and developmental limitations. I also plan on inspiring the youth to have a more active role in the future of our city.