Michigan’s largest brownfield – former Buick City – to be redeveloped for $17 million, $3.25 million coming from Flint’s ARPA funds
Oct26

Michigan’s largest brownfield – former Buick City – to be redeveloped for $17 million, $3.25 million coming from Flint’s ARPA funds

By Tom Travis A resolution that will allocate $3.25 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding towards Ashley Capital’s redevelopment of the Buick City brownfield was approved Oct. 24  by the Flint City Council. The City of Flint administration had submitted a resolution to allocate the funds. At the same meeting, the council voted to accept a $2 million grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation for the Ashley Capital project....

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A tale of two ARPA budgets – Council approves their ARPA budget and rejects the Mayor’s
Oct25

A tale of two ARPA budgets – Council approves their ARPA budget and rejects the Mayor’s

By Tom Travis In Monday’s meeting City Council approved their version of a budget to spend the remaining $60 million of the $94 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Back in June the Mayor and his administration had presented their version of an ARPA allocation budget. The council has not approved Mayor Neeley’s ARPA allocation budget. The council’s ARPA Allocation Plan includes $18.1 million in Community...

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Education Beat Analysis:  Two board meetings —  UM Regents, Flint Board of Education — reveal stark contrasts of function, dysfunction
Oct24

Education Beat Analysis: Two board meetings — UM Regents, Flint Board of Education — reveal stark contrasts of function, dysfunction

By Harold C. Ford [Editor’s note: Harold C. Ford, Education Beat writer for East Village Magazine (EVM) for nearly six years, attended two education board meetings within 24 hours. He was present at the University of Michigan (UM) Board of Regents meeting, held in Flint Oct. 20. He started to watch the You Tube recording of the Oct. 12 Flint Board of Education (FBOE) meeting Oct. 21 as he was out of the country and unable to attend...

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Whitmer touts infrastructure,  public safety, reproductive rights protection in Flint campaign rally with powerhouse Democratic lineup
Oct23

Whitmer touts infrastructure, public safety, reproductive rights protection in Flint campaign rally with powerhouse Democratic lineup

By Tom Travis “Are we gonna go backward or are we gonna put our foot on the gas?” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked a crowd of about 75 gathered for a campaign rally Friday at Union City Ball Park on Torrey Road near Flint’s Bishop Airport. Along with Whitmer was a powerhouse lineup of leading Michigan Democrats, many running for office, and Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the U.S. House’s Select...

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Commentary:  Facing enrollment and financial challenges, UM-Flint asks, what’s next?
Oct22

Commentary: Facing enrollment and financial challenges, UM-Flint asks, what’s next?

By Paul Rozycki “Academic politics makes me yearn for the simplicity of the Middle East.” -Henry Kissinger Could the University of Michigan-Flint go the way of Auto World?   Probably not. But there are more than a few who are worried that the Flint branch of the Ann Arbor campus could face the same fate as the downtown auto-based amusement center that was closed and demolished in the 1980s, after failing to live up to expectations. ...

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