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Commentary: Vote by mail is an idea whose time has come
By Paul Rozycki How do you want to vote this year? No, I don’t mean whether you like Democrats, Republicans, Joe Biden, or Donald Trump. I mean, how do you actually want to cast your ballot? It seems simple, but there are a lot of choices. It’s been done many ways Voting: It’s the most basic ritual of our elections, and it’s at the heart of what we call the democratic process. At one time, voting was done by voice vote in public, and others were given preprinted ballots by their parties (only later did the government provide the paper...
read moreRuth Mott Foundation adds $100K to “Restart” fund for Black-owned businesses; deadline June 7
The Ruth Mott Foundation announced today it is contributing $100,000 to a fund to help Black-owned businesses in north Flint that suffered economic hardship amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ruth Mott Foundation funds are for grants of up to $5,000 for Black-owned north Flint businesses that meet eligibility criteria. The program’s next application deadline is June 7. The grant will be made to the Genesee Chamber Foundation, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. The Ruth Mott Foundation funds will add support...
read moreWater pipeline replacement resumes as coronavirus restrictions ease
By Jan Worth-Nelson The City of Flint announced Tuesday that water pipeline replacement, paused the last two months by the coronavirus lockdowns, will resume this week. When work stopped in March, 9,554 lead or galvanized pipes had been replaced, part of the city’s infrastructure recovery from the water crisis triggered in 2014 when the lack of corrosion control in the pipes from Flint River water unleashed lead from old pipes into the bodies of Flint residents. What happened to the city, under state takeover at the time, was labeled...
read morePeaceful protestors at City Hall grieve deaths of Black victims, demand transformation
By Tom Travis A crowd of hundreds, many in masks, gathered on the lawn of Flint City Hall Monday night, the peaceful protest one in a series of weekend protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. State and local politicians and a stream of local activists spoke to a racially mixed crowd holding signs that said “Black Lives Matter,” “No Justice No Peace” and who raised their fists and cheered in support of the speakers. “We have long seen no justice from the death of Black people. We have also seen the...
read moreMayor Neeley creates Black Lives Matter Advisory Council, announces other city actions
Below is the full text of a press release issued by the City of Flint following a protest at City Hall Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced several of these actions during his remarks to the assembled peaceful group: Mayor Sheldon Neeley today announced a series of actions being taken by the City of Flint in response to the death of George Floyd. Upon speaking to multiple community members and listening to the crowds of peaceful protesters that have filled Flint streets, Mayor Neely worked with legal staff, the Flint Police...
read morePeaceful protests continue as Sheriff Swanson says, “No need to burn the city down–You can have your voice heard”
By Tom Travis For a second time in two days, protesters gathered Sunday night, this time in downtown Flint, to send their message that black lives matter and police brutality needs to end. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, who had drawn national attention Saturday for joining with the protestors on Miller Road, returned to be with the protestors again and promised, “We are with you.” A speaker set up in front of the Courthouse at Saginaw and Court streets blasted music all night, including “Changes” by 2pac,...
read moreFlint area residents take to the streets protesting injustice
By Tom Travis Along with thousands of others across the country, Flint residents took to the streets Saturday night voicing their protest of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Beginning around 6 p.m. lines formed at the Target store entrance on Miller Road. Protesters left the parking lot area and began entering the street blocking traffic. Chanting crowds swelled from less than 100 to over 200 protesters through the evening. EVM left the scene around 8:30 p.m. but the protest continued on until past 10 p.m. The racially mixed crowd...
read moreMayor Sheldon Neeley on the death of George Floyd: “In his face, I see my own”
The following statement came today from Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley: “The death of George Floyd haunts me. In his face, I see my own. I see my friends, family, and ancestors. I see Ahmaud Arbery. I see Trayvon Martin. I see a sea of faces whose names we will never know. In his death, I see our failures as a nation and society. I see the reality of our world. “It is a painful reminder that we must persevere in our fight for equality. More than talk, we must also be willing to take action. “As former chair of the Michigan...
read moreCity Council adjourns due to lack of quorum; budget session continues for 3 hours
By Tom Travis Facing a June 1 deadline for adopting a city budget, Flint City Council attempted to convene an electronic special meeting Thursday, but ran aground when not enough councilpersons signed in. The meeting was scheduled for 1 p.m. By 1:15 p.m. only four council members were present, so Council President Monica Galloway (7th Ward) adjourned the meeting due to a lack of quorum. Nonetheless, the panel stayed online for three more hours, discussing the budget with a group from city administration. Tbough the meeting was not official,...
read moreLand Bank seeks seasonal/temporary workers for $11/hour 40 hour work week on mowing and trash abatement crews
The Genesee County Land Bank (GCLB) is seeking Seasonal/Temporary employees to work on mowing and trash abatement crews. The details of the work schedule include $11/hour pay rate and 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. The positions will run from May 28 to Sept. 17. According to an email from the GCLB, the requirements for the job are that the applicant be at least 18 years old, have experience with landscape equipment such as trimmers, chain saws and zero turn mowers. Applicants will be expected to work an eight-hour shift which will...
read moreSecretary of State branch offices to reopen June 1 by appointment only
The following information was received today from the Michigan Secretary of State: “Secretary of State branch offices will reopen June 1 by appointment only for essential transactions not available online in order to continue to balance the need to provide critical services and protect public health. Beginning the week of June 1, all 131 branch offices in Michigan will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointment-only services for transactions including: Driver licenses and state ID transactions that must be done in...
read moreMTA announces rides for COVID testing; free testing at Shiloh returns this weekend
The City of Flint released the following information today following a brief televideo press conference. EVM Staff Writer Madeleine Graham contributed to this report. The Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) announced today it will offer rides for asymptomatic individuals seeking COVID-19 testing. In addition, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced drive-through testing will return for a second weekend, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (May 30 and 31) at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. Testing is free and there are no prerequisites...
read moreLand Bank aims to “make neighborhoods whole again,” new director Michael Freeman says
By Tom Travis The Land Bank of Genesee County owns, maintains and manages more than 15,000 properties in the City of Flint–a whopping 27 percent of the city’s land. Yet many in the community may not know what it is and how it has become a leading influence on the city’s landscape of abandonment and rehabilitation. Of those 15,000-plus properties, more than 9,000 are residential and nearly 300 are commercial. According to its 2018/2019 budget, the Land Bank, a nonprofit blend of public and private interests enabled by state...
read moreCity Council accepts a $550,000 C.S. Mott grant addition; Mayor scolds Council President for “ageist” attack on City Clerk
By Tom Travis The City Council approved a budget amendment for a grant extension of $550,000 from the C.S. Mott Foundation and passed a resolution for a tax abatement on a commercial property on the east side of Flint at a Tuesday evening meeting.. The Council also scheduled an electronic/video Special City Council meeting for 1 pm. Thursday, May 28 to discuss the 2021/2022 city budget. After the meeting Mayor Sheldon Neeley scolded Council President Monica Galloway for her behavior and treatment of longtime City Clerk Inez Brown. C.S. Mott...
read moreReview: Latest Flint book, “Poisoned Water” belongs in classrooms, libraries all over America
By Harold C. Ford “Flint was an example of the nation at its worst but also its best.” — Candy J. Cooper, Poisoned Water I’ve just added a fourth book to my personal collection of publications about Flint’s water crisis: Poisoned Water: How the Citizens of Flint, Michigan, Fought for Their Lives and Warned the Nation, written by Candy J. Cooper, with Marc Aronson, released May 19 by Bloomsbury Publishing. Cooper is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a Selden Ring Awardee for Investigative Reporting. An Ann Arbor native, she’s...
read moreWith masks, gloves, sanitizing in place, Flint Farmers’ Market plans phased reopening June 2
The Flint Farmers’ Market, closed to the public since March 28, is preparing to welcome back customers 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 2. At first the market will be open only Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the exception of Thursday, June 4 when it will be closed to allow the market to evaluate the re-opening procedures from the first trial date. Curbside pickup will continue to be available 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays through June, with pre-ordering open online 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. A notice from the market said 33 of the 44 indoor...
read moreCity Council to discuss budget, contracts in public tele/video session tonight at 5:30 p.m.
The City Council will meet by telephone and video conference tonight in a regular meeting. The City Council has been meeting by telephone/video conference since March when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put in place a Stay Safe, Stay Home order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Chief on the agenda will be a return to discussion of the proposed city budget, which is supposed to be adopted by the council by the first Monday in June. How the public and press can participate tonight: The public may participate in the council meeting by emailing comments...
read moreMore than 500 Flint residents get COVID-19 tested in two-day blitz
By Jan Worth-Nelson More than 500 Flint residents lined up their cars on the streets surrounding Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, moving slowly forward to get tested for COVID-19 on Sunday and today, Memorial Day. They were greeted by State Rep. Cynthia Neeley, a driving force in organizing the two-day event at her home church, and her husband, Mayor Sheldon Neeley. Both in masks, they walked up and down the line of cars, chatting with residents and saying thank you to those who came out for the free, no-pre-requisite test. The event was...
read moreCommentary: Mixed messages on COVID-19–whom should we believe?
By Paul Rozycki What’s your answer to any of these questions about the COVID-19 crisis? Should we wear a face mask or not? If so when? Will the summer heat kill the virus? Will hydroxychloroquine get rid of it? Will there be a vaccine by the end of the year? When should the nation begin to ‘open up’? When will I be able to get a haircut? What is an ‘essential service’? Should I go to my dentist or doctor for routine exams? When will my kids be able to go to school? Who’s in charge of dealing with the crisis? The president? The states? Every...
read moreFree COVID-19 testing for Flint draws 200 in first day at Shiloh Baptist
By Tom Travis Cars lined up in the blocks around Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Sunday for the first day of free COVID-19 drive-through testing sponsored by the Michigan National Guard, the State of Michigan, and the City of Flint. The testing continues tomorrow, Memorial Day, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the church, at 2120 N. Saginaw St. State Representative Cynthia Neeley proudly stood in the parking lot of Shiloh, which is her church, to announce, “This is a big moment for Genesee County and the City of Flint. We...
read moreMTA gearing back up, with precautions, helped by $19 million CARES Act grant
By Madeleine Graham As COVID-19 took hold in Genesee County with three Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) drivers testing positive, MTA suspended operations April 2. The suspended vehicles were for Ride to Wellness and the bus system, which included fixed routes and regional routes. This left many of the vulnerable in limbo to obtain rides elsewhere. Fortunately, many volunteers were able to service senior apartments in a cooperative effort to supply food. Getting to the grocery store remained an obstacle for many, however. The fixed...
read moreFree COVID-19 tests for all Flint residents available Sunday, Monday
This just in from the City of Flint: For Immediate Release To help get more City of Flint residents tested, the Michigan National Guard will operate a two-day, drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Flint. Testing will be available from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 24 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day) at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. The testing is available to any Flint resident. No appointment is needed. The testing is free and does not require a doctor’s order. Individuals...
read moreCouncil President Monica Galloway weighs in on Kate Fields’ actions and video meeting fracas
By Tom Travis City Council president Monica Galloway (7th Ward) expressed concern and “outrage” Thursday at how City Council Finance Committee Chair Kate Fields (4th Ward) led a Tuesday budget session. Galloway’s remarks came in a phone interview requested by EVM in follow-up to Fields’ actions during a Zoom session for council members and comments Fields made afterward to EVM. In that followup, Fields explained why she muted Galloway and Councilperson Eric Mays (1st Ward) and then removed them. In EVM’s article...
read morePolice, fire budgets to cover new hires; EAB budget cut clarified in budget session shortened by mutes, protest defections
By Tom Travis Councilperson Kate Fields (4th Ward) and chair of the City Council Finance Committee found a way to shorten council business at Tuesday’s telephonic/video budget session. Before the session began and out of earshot of the public and the press, an interaction between Councilpersons Monica Galloway (7th Ward), Eric Mays (1st Ward) and Fields led Fields to mute Galloway and Mays. Then Fields removed both from the meeting. Moments later, Councilperson Jerri Winfrey-Carter (5th Ward) asked Fields why Galloway and Mays were...
read moreAvoid Flint River contact after treated stormwater and sewage discharge release today, water pollution control officials advise
City of Flint Utilities Department officials from the Water Pollution Control Division and the Genesee County Health Department are warning residents to avoid contact with the Flint River following a wet weather discharge of a treated mixture of stormwater and sewage early Tuesday morning. More information below: “SUBJECT: RETENTION / TREATMENT BASIN DISCHARGE “On 05/19/2020 @ 0248 am., the City of Flint Water Pollution Control Facility discharged excess wet weather flows, consisting of a treated mixture of stormwater and sewage,...
read moreFlint City Bike Tours inviting public to venture out today to see the city
With the coronavirus pandemic still keeping most people indoors, Flint City Bike Tours organizer Emily Doerr is inviting the public to get on their bikes, put on their helmets — and masks — and see the city on a free group tour starting at 6:05 p.m. today (Tuesday). The group will meet in front of Kettering University on Chevrolet Avenue, just south of University Avenue. Doerr emphasized she will be wearing a helmet and mask and the tour will follow social distancing guidelines. “Flint is going to be so beautiful with all...
read moreBuses are back: MTA service resumes after almost 50 days, with extra sanitizing and social distancing measures in place
By Tom Travis Since April 1, Flint’s Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) buses have sat silent and unused in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As of 6:30 a.m. Monday morning. the buses are back at it, running all primary routes on fixed half-hour schedules. A map and schedule of all Flint MTA primary routes can be viewed here. The MTA Transit Center downtown station was busy Monday morning, buses going in and out of the 14 primary routes’ loading and unloading areas. Extra security was visibly present: five masked...
read moreSecond City Hall employee death from COVID-19 confirmed; 11 testing positive as response protocols proceed
By Jan Worth-Nelson This story has been updated as of 5:30 p.m. Monday City of Flint officials confirmed today that two city hall employees have now died of COVID-19, and 11 other city employees “are known to have tested positive,” according to a statement released late this afternoon. The first death, that of neighborhood safety officer Paul Forster, was announced April 17. The second, not yet identified by city sources, appears to be Deputy Treasurer Roderick Duncan, whose death from COVID-19 was made known on several Facebook...
read moreCity of Flint Customer Service still closed Monday, May 18
Notice from the City of Flint, announced today (Sunday) For Immediate Release: City of Flint Customer Service remains temporarily closed The City of Flint’s customer service department will remain temporarily closed on Monday, May 18 after being impacted by COVID-19. For urgent needs, such as water service reconnection, residents can call (810) 410-2020 for assistance.
read moreCommentary: We are NOT equally at risk for COVID-19. Racism makes all the difference
Editor’s Note: This essay is a response to a recent commentary by Dick Ramsdell posted here.We welcome the expression of divergent views and hope they will foster respectful discussion. It is reprinted from Woodside World, the newsletter of Woodside Church of Flint, where Pastor Conrad is senior minister. By Deborah Conrad This week, a white man regarded as a community leader here in Flint wrote about how important it is for everyone to stay at home right now, which is certainly true. And he got a lot of love for his remarks. But...
read moreDespite inmate releases and lockdown restrictions, Flint crime rate and response time tick down, city reports
By Jan Worth-Nelson As the city adapts to effects of the coronavirus pandemic and prepares for the summer, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and key representatives of local law enforcement convened via Zoom today in a press conference, announcing that while homicides have ticked up, the city of Flint’s overall crime rate is down slightly, and response time by the Flint Police Department has declined by 40 percent. Neeley reported there have been 14 homicides so far this year, compared to 12 at the same time in 2019, ending with a total of 43...
read moreRehab manufacturing company ramps up production to protect nonprofits, disabled from COVID-19
By Madeleine Graham The coronavirus crisis has created emergency needs to protect people in many sectors of the community. One of those sectors is the nonprofit community employing and serving the disabled. In the face of those escalating COVID-19 demands, a Flint township nonprofit vocational rehabilitation company, Peckham, Inc, at 3080 S. Linden Rd., is ramping up production to supply nonprofit organizations serving people with disabilities and other barriers. According to Shavonne Lewis, senior outreach and brand manager for Peckham,...
read moreCouncil approves $14.7 million pipeline, reservoir contracts; in scolding email, Mayor calls 11-hour meeting “gross lack of leadership”
by Tom Travis City Council passed two big-ticket pieces of legislation that have been on their agendas for months in their Monday video/telephone meeting. Shortly thereafter, Mayor Sheldon Neeley sent an email scolding the council for the staggering 11-hour-long meeting, which ran from Monday night until 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. In the marathon meeting, City Council had one final discussion over entering into a $14.7 million contract with D’Agostini and Sons to build a secondary water pipeline backing up the city’s existing water...
read moreGrants available now for Flint African-American small businesses for COVID reopening costs
Small businesses locally owned and run by African Americans can now apply for $5,000 each to help cover costs for reopening safely as the state eases its coronavirus restrictions. The “Restart Flint & Genesee Grant Program” was launched May 6 with $200,000 from the Consumers Energy Foundation, which donated the funds to the Genesee Chamber Foundation, a supporting organization of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. And today the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation announced it is adding $262,500 to those funds to support...
read moreCommentary: As the lockdowns end, the responsibility lies with us
By Dick Ramsdell Whether we call ourselves Children of God. lost souls, homo sapiens, or simply human beings, there are almost 8 billion of us on the small ball in space which we call Planet Earth, and we make up a veritable playground for what has emerged as our universal enemy: The Virus. It doesn’t care what country we live in, what our name is, what our title is, how much our family cares about us, how much money we have, what color we are, what we believe, what we’ve accomplished in our life, or what possibilities for life we hold. Each...
read moreCrim Foundation: new CEO faces COVID response, further focus on mindfulness and community health
By Zach Neithercut Once built almost exclusively around an annual 10-mile road race sustained by a small staff, the Crim Foundation has expanded into a major influence in Flint life, with an $8 million budget, more than 50 employees, many year-round events, a city-wide emphasis on mindfulness, and community education programs for 5,000 Flint students. “If there’s something regarding health in the Flint community, the foundation is usually involved in some way,” said Lauren Holaly-Zembo, soon to be the foundation’s new...
read moreEast Village Magazine – May 2020
The latest edition of The East Village Magazine is available for download here: EVM 05.20
read moreAs Atwood COVID testing concludes, Michigan Health Specialists and others continue
By Tom Travis The first location to offer COVID-19 testing in the State of Michigan, Michigan Health Specialists (MHS), has now conducted 200 COVID-19 tests since it began testing March 12. Of the 200 tests performed since then, 50 had positive results and 2 patients have died. MHS and several other locations in Genesee County continue testing as the parking lot testing setup at Atwood Stadium, which began April 14, closed May 4. Mobile COVID-19 testing at Atwood was sponsored by the State of Michigan partnering with Hurley Medical Center and...
read moreFlint Neighborhoods United resumes meetings via Zoom
By Tammy Beckett More than 40 community leaders and representatives of neighborhood groups signed onto Zoom Saturday for a remote meeting of Flint Neighborhoods United (FNU), adhering to Gov. Whitmer’s stay-at-home orders. The group heard a plea for consideration of trash pickup employees, received an overview of community resources, and reviewed opportunities to engage in local grant applications, projects and activities. Help Republic Services employees stay safe Gary Hicks from Republic Services requested residents to consider the...
read moreCommentary: Kent State at 50–no redemption for a failing America
By Jan Worth-Nelson I didn’t want to write this. I didn’t want to think about it. It was awful, and there was nothing good about it that I can think of. And with the state of the nation the worst of my lifetime and in my view bound to get worse, reflecting on the Kent State shootings, 50 years ago today, seems only an exercise in lacerating disillusionment in the compounding failures of my country. I wish it was more hopeful, but this is my truth of today. I guess I come to this because I was there. The notion of witness, the...
read moreReview: Kent State shootings 50 years later–graphic narrative offers sober account
By Harold C. Ford “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming/We’re finally on our own This summer I hear the drumming/Four dead in Ohio” …Ohio, Lyrics by Neil Young For many, if not most, graphic publications conjure up images of comic books with fanciful tales and accompanying illustrations. Author-artist Derf Backderf smashes that stereotype with his just-released Kent State, Four Dead in Ohio (Abrams ComicArts, 2020), a sobering account of the shootings at Kent State University 50 years ago on May 4, 1970 that left four dead, nine wounded. Kent State...
read moreCoronavirus Diaries: Seven EVM writers report from their own lives
Editor’s Note: Like everyone else, all of East Village Magazine’s staff — none of whom are full-time employees and who juggle many other lives — have been sheltering in place since late March. We’ve stayed in touch by email and phone, and had one Zoom writers’ meeting where we rejoiced in seeing each other’s faces–from 10 different rooms, with 10 different sets of books, plants, pictures behind them — and figuring out how to keep EVM going in a time of crisis. At that meeting, our...
read moreCommentary: A beloved neighbor and nurse humanizes the COVID-19 crisis
By Paul Rozycki With the 24/7 news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are days when the story becomes nothing more than a blur of infection numbers, death rates, protests, presidential press conferences, and predictions about when the curve will flatten, or when a vaccine with be found. When the tsunami of news and numbers is so overwhelming, it’s easy to lose sight of the true impact of the crisis on individuals. Sometimes it just takes the voice of one person to humanize the crisis in a way that all the numbers, charts, statistics,...
read moreCrossover food giveaways on Mondays in May among recipients of Urgent Relief Fund
A food giveaway funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint is being offered from 11 a.m. until the food runs out Mondays through the end of May at the former Gordon Anthony flower shop at the corner of Grand Traverse Boulevard and W. Court Street. The effort, sponsored by Crossover Downtown Ministries, is supported by a group of community organizations coming together to help. Craig Leavitt, executive director of Crossover, said Communities First, Inc. donated the building being used to distribute the food (the former flower...
read moreCommentary: Maybe music helped Flint in 1918 — and arts and culture can do it for us now
By Rodney Lontine Arts and culture offer much-needed healing in difficult times The Community Music Association was founded by J. Dallas Dort during World War I in 1917. Both J. Dallas and his wife Nellie were accomplished musicians. He played the cello, and their Kearsley Street home in Flint was fitted with an Aeolian pipe organ he liked to play for guests. Though difficult to confirm, it’s likely the Dorts’ efforts to also maintain arts and cultural programs during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 made a difference in people’s mental – and...
read moreFrom porches and dining rooms, local musicians are playing the pandemic blues
By Tom Travis As the coronavirus pandemic ensues it seems to be unifying the human race. There isn’t a person on the face of the earth that can’t somehow relate to it. We drive by empty schools in the middle of the day, empty parking lots at movie theaters and shopping centers. Once busy city streets are now sans the sounds of buses braking and horns honking. However, if you take a walk down East Court Street, stroll past the college and into the neighborhood, going down Beard Street or up Montclair, or if you saunter by a...
read moreLocal nursery owner coping with restrictions tells gardeners: keep tilling the soil for that “Covid-19 Victory Garden”
By Darlene C. Carey Amid the Covid-19 fears, the protest echoes, and silent spring of 2020, there lie the roots of Michiganders’ voices. Deeply embedded is the tradition of doing and going. It is no wonder people are so entrenched in their convictions about what they can and cannot do, willing to risk so much, too much. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer faced a national backlash for expanding restrictions which impacted small business such as garden nurseries and landscaping. The order. issued April 9, which many Michiganders felt was...
read moreCity Council postpones secondary water source pipeline decision and reviews amended 2021 budget
By Tom Travis The Flint City Council voted to postpone to May 11 an important resolution to enter into a contract for a secondary water source pipeline and also voted to receive an amended 2021 Flint city budget from city administration. Both items resulted in long discussion among council members and city officials. The council meeting, conducted via YouTube telephonically because of the coronavirus, lasted nearly eight and half hours adjourning at 1:13 a.m. One item appeared twice on the agenda Monday night– first as a special order...
read moreCoronavirus Diary #2 — In Pandemic America 2020, Flint knows we are “collateral damage in a rigged deck casino”
Ed. Note: Here is the second of an East Village Magazine’s new feature, the Coronavirus Diaries — personal accounts and commentary from our writers to attempt to capture some of what we’ve all been going through and reflecting on what it means. By Robert Thomas Like an old crow perched on the very thin wire of elder mortality, I see dead bodies and lethal viruses everywhere. While COVID-19 is particularly dangerous to this village elder, paying acute attention to the human power game being played out around me during this...
read moreReview: Need some pandemic reading? These two books offer pertinent context on the plague we’re in
By Harold C. Ford Two recent reads provide some historical context for the current coronavirus pandemic: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond (1999, W. W. Norton & Company) traces the long history of human pandemics to the domestication of animals. How to Hide an Empire, A Short History of the Greater United States, by Daniel Immerwahr (2019, The Bodley Head) details the racial inequities of health care and research by political, scientific, and medical leaders in the United States. While neither read focuses exclusively on the...
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