City Council considers waiving fee for brownfield assessment; James P. Cole public hearing set
By Tom Travis City Council considered an ordinance at the Monday, Feb 22 council meeting that would waive an assessment fee for property owners with lots adjacent to a Land Bank brownfield property. City of Flint Assessor, Stacey Kaake (pronounced cake) was on the...
Seven “trailblazers” from Flint’s Black community receive City’s highest honor
By Tom Travis Mayor Sheldon Neeley called them "trailblazers" in the African-American community of Flint as he honored seven at a presentation on Wednesday, Feb 24. The event, at the Flint Development Center on Martin Luther King Boulevard, was closed except to the...
Education Beat: Flint schools will not reopen to students Feb. 22: district does about face
By Harold C. Ford Following a raucous board of education meeting lasting more than three hours, officials of Flint Community Schools (FCS) decided buildings would not reopen to students on Feb. 22 as previously announced. (See Feb. 19 public statement from FCS...
City Council considers Jefferson School property, $500,000 more needed for lead line replacement; Council’s decorum is not perfect but improves
By Tom Travis Flint City Council met in committee session on Wednesday for the first time since April, 2020, resuming a COVID-delayed structure that allows the council to discuss resolutions, ordinances, appointments and special orders that will appear on the next...
City Council attempts at “decorum” and “civility” training descend into chaos
By Tom Travis Moments into Monday night's virtual Flint City Council meeting, discussion descended into chaos and arguing over whether the public should be allowed to speak. It was a squabble which set the stage for a planned training session on decorum and civil...
Students invited to enter Genesee Health Plan’s sixth annual Health Heritage essay and scholarship contests
Genesee Health Plan (GHP) is accepting entries through March 31 for its sixth annual Health Heritage Essay Contest from all Genesee County students in elementary grades five and six, middle school, junior high, and high school students, including students in...
Resident participation sought in Flint Community Advisory Task Force on Public Safety Meetings
The newly formed Flint Community Advisory Task Force on Public Safety is asking residents to voice their ideas and concerns as part of its ongoing work to provide a bridge between community members and police, according to a press release from the City. Mayor Sheldon...
Low-interest homeowner loans, residential water sampling, resumed rental inspections among topics covered at FNU
By Coner Segren A low-interest loan program for homeowners, lab testing for residential water, and announcement of resumed inspection for rental properties were among items presented to participants at the monthly gathering of Flint Neighborhoods United (FNU). The...
City Council Beat: Councilperson’s life threatened; hardship property tax exemption approved; “decorum” training scheduled
By Tom Travis The Flint city council Monday night heard details of threats against the life of Councilperson Maurice Davis (2nd Ward), and in addition approved a property tax exemption, filled out appointments to two key city panels, and agreed to a training aiming...
The East Village Magazine – February 2021
The latest edition of The East Village Magazine is available for download here: [pdfjs-viewer url="https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eastvillagemagazine.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2FEVMFebruary21_web.pdf" viewer_width=100% viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true download=true...
“At no time have we been absent a plan” to fight crime in Flint, Mayor Neeley tells city council
By Tom Travis Pressed at last week's council meeting by several residents and City Councilperson Monica Galloway (7th Ward) on the city's response to fight a recent uptick in violent crimes, Mayor Sheldon Neeley reiterated a three-point plan he and former Police Chief...
New program provides Flint homeowners with low- or no-interest loans to renovate, improve homes
Flint homeowners looking to make repairs or improvements to their homes can now apply for low- or no-interest loans of up to $20,000 through the Flint Home Improvement Fund (Flint HIF), according to a press release from Genesee County Habitat for Humanity. To be...
From inspiration to independence, The Disability Network service is built on “consumer control”
By Madeleine Graham Even within the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, Genesee County's Disability Network (TDN) is continuing to provide services to the county's disabled population. That includes creating Zoom substitute activities for high school participants,...
Genesee County Land Bank accepting applications for 2021 Clean & Green season
Applications for community groups to participate in the 2021 Clean & Green program are being accepted now through Feb. 26, according to a press release from the Genesee County Land Bank (GCLB). Clean & Green supports community-based groups in cleaning,...
Building cultural literacy highlight of Black History Month – Flint & Genesee Literacy Network
During February, the Flint & Genesee Literacy Network (FGLN) will continue efforts to build cultural literacy by sharing social media content highlighting accomplishments of persons from the African Diaspora, according to an email from executive director Angela...
Nominating petitions available for 2021 Flint City Council seats
Nominating petitions are available now in the City Clerk's office (2nd floor of Flint City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St., Flint) for the upcoming election for city council, City Clerk Inez Brown has announced in a press release. Deadline and requirements for filing...
Flint Symphony Orchestra 2021 season opener goes virtual, livestreaming Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” Suite & Prokofiev’s “Peter and The Wolf”
The Flint Symphony Orchestra (FSO) kicks off the 2021 season COVID-style Saturday, Feb. 6, with Igor Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” Suite and Sergei Prokofiev’s most popular performed work, “Peter and the Wolf," according to a press release from the FSO. Under...
Flint Public Library re-opens for browsing and computer services at Courtland Center
The Flint Public Library (FPL) at Courtland Center is reopening Tuesday, Feb. 2 for computer and genealogy services and one-hour browsing visits, the library announced in a press release issued Friday. Due to elevated rates of COVID-19, patrons had been limited to...
Registration begins for the $641.25 million water crisis settlement
By Tom Travis Flint residents can begin to register for a piece of the $641.25 million water crisis settlement (WCS). According to attorneys in the settlement, registration began Jan. 27 and ends March 29. Adults must opt-in by March 29 and all objections must be...
City Council hears report on budget, neighborhood policing, city parks and water main breaks
By Tom Travis City's acting-Chief Financial Officer, Amanda Trujillo, gives a budget report to council Amanda Trujillo, the city's acting-Chief Financial Officer and City Treasurer, was on the line to take questions from council concerning the city budget at Monday's...
200 seasonal jobs opening now at Genesee County Parks
More than 200 jobs are opening at the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission, Director Barry June announced in a press release. “These seasonal positions are perfect for high school and college students, retirees or those looking for a second income,” June...
Flint Institute of Arts opening Art School for spring session; registration begins Feb. 2
Art classes at the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA) will resume for spring term if encouraging Covid-19 trends continue. Spring classes begin March 8, 2021. “We have been closely monitoring our region's infection rates and trends. The numbers continue to fall and unless...
Book Review: Edward McClelland’s Midnight in Vehicle City, General Motors, Flint, and the Strike that Created the Middle Class
By Harold C. Ford “You are a scoundrel and a skunk…You’ll go to hell when you die if you do things like that.” --Frances Perkins, U.S. Secretary of Labor, to Alfred Sloan, CEO, General Motors, Jan. 1937 “You can’t talk to me like that…I’ve got seventy million and I...
Flint water crisis led to “anxiety, fear, distrust and anger over the events of the last seven years,” Judge Levy states as she hands down ruling to proceed with settlement
By Tom Travis Preliminary approval to allow the $641 million Flint water crisis settlement to move forward was granted Thursday by U.S. Federal Judge Judith Levy. The ruling comes one week after nine state and local officials were indicted, including former Gov. Rick...
Fifteen days in January: The nation faces insurrection, impeachment, and inauguration.
By Paul Rozycki In the early 1960s, at the height of the cold war, there was a best-selling novel, and a movie, that told a story of a potential military coup in the U.S. and possible nuclear conflict with Soviet Union. The book was “Seven Days in May” by Charles...
