Education Beat Flint Community Schools board approves plan for return to buildings in unsteady start of new era
By Harold C. Ford “I’m sure looking forward to great things from the board.” --David Guinn, Judge, 67th District Court, Genesee County, comment at start of Jan. 20 meeting “This meeting has been very, very confusing…If you’re confused, then you know the general...
“Defiantly Hopeful” concert celebrates Flint, benefits East Village Magazine Saturday at 7 p.m
A concert by the well-known folk duo Mustard's Retreat, long beloved performers in the Flint music scene, will live stream on Zoom, YouTube and Facebook at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The concert will equally benefit East Village Magazine (EVM) and Mustard's Retreat...
Small, spirit-filled MLK celebration led by local Baha’i group shines light on Peace Garden and new mural
By Harold C. Ford “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.” reads a quote on the banner hung at the entrance to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Garden, MLK Day event, Jan. 18, 2021 On Jan. 18, a small but spirited group, led by local...
Village Life: “Among Us,” but Not Us — video game brings up painful American truths
By Vivian Kao My older son is eight years old, and like most eight-year-olds, he goes through phases in which he gets obsessed with certain things. About a year ago, it was professional wrestling. He had a group of friends at school who watched WWE, and through them,...
Michigan food assistance payments increase 15 percent by end of January – Gov. Whitmer/MDHHS
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced 15 percent increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits beginning by the end of January and lasting until June, 2021, as detailed in a Thursday...
Education Beat: Adrian Walker picked to fill vacancy on Flint Community Schools Board
By Harold C. Ford “We (millennials) want to be a part of meaningful change.”—Adrian Walker, YouTube statement, June 28, 2017 Adrian Walker, director of community and government affairs for the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, emerged from two rounds of...
COVID, water crisis exacerbating mental illness in Genesee County, health systems rep warns
By Coner Segren COVID-19 is exacerbating a mental health crisis in Genesee County, according Lisa Bruder of the Genesee Health System (GHS) in a presentation to the January meeting of Flint Neighborhoods United (FNU). “It would be impossible to live through COVID and...
“There are no velvet ropes in our criminal justice system.” – Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud on Flint water crisis prosecutions
By Tom Travis Today Flint residents who logged onto a virtual court procedure saw something many had called for, but never thought they would see: former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, an attorney at his side, pleading not guilty to charges leveled by Attorney General...
Education Beat: Flint Community Schools reopening plans starting Jan. 18 announced; board elects new officers
By Harold C. Ford Flint Community Schools (FCS) Superintendent Anita Steward announced she will present a plan for reopening schools to staff and students for face-to-face/brick-and-mortar instruction at the FCS school board’s next regular meeting Jan. 20. She said...
“Change the guidelines for compensation” – Community members and water warriors plead with Judge Levy
By Tom Travis "Flint, tell Judge Levy to change the guidelines for compensation in the water settlement. All citizens should be compensated," read a statement offered by concerned citizens, pastors, community leaders and Flint water warriors. The group gathered Monday...
“The Rep” productions win many Wilde awards even in the pandemic year
By Patsy Isenberg The pandemic of 2020 caused all theaters to cut their seasons short. But the few shows Flint Repertory Theatre (The Rep) here in Flint managed to stage in the 2019-2020 season won numerous awards -- in fact, more Wilde Awards than any other theatre...
January 6 siege a “well planned attack on the United States of America…led by and encouraged by the President,” Kildee says
By Tom Travis "This was not a sort of national version of a march on City Hall. This was clearly a well planned attack on the United States of America and sadly led by and encouraged by the President of The United States," U.S. Representative Dan Kildee said Monday...
The East Village Magazine – January 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%2F01%2FEVM_01-21_Final_Web.pdf" viewer_width=100% viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true...
“God can turn things around” Pastor Chris Martin asserts at prayer event response to recent murders
By Tom Travis Residents, pastors, and politicians gathered on Flint's north side today to pray. The prayer event came in the wake of a recent wave of homicides in Flint. "We're here today to cover the neighborhood in prayer, and encourage the community to look back to...
Folk duo Mustard’s Retreat to stage live-streaming musical benefit for East Village Magazine
A reviewer once called the folk group Mustard's Retreat "music to cure what ails you." Now they are dedicating that cure to Flint, a community like so many others wracked by COVID, in a virtual performance to benefit East Village Magazine. The popular duo...
Council approves $20 million insurance portion for $641 million water crisis settlement
By Tom Travis Flint City Council in a 6-1-2 vote approved a $20 million portion of the $641 million water crisis settlement (WCS) at a video conference meeting Monday. The council vote was required on the $20 million portion because it is being offered from the City’s...
COVID vaccine will go first to health care and essential workers, residents of long-term facilities and high risk population
Health care personnel, residents of long-term facilities, workers in essential and critical infrastructure, and people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness are recommended to be the first groups to get the COVID vaccine, according to interim guidelines issued Dec....
Council considers “companion resolution” to water crisis settlement bringing Flint residents’ water refund amounts into consideration
By Tom Travis The City Council has delayed voting on the water crisis settlement (WCS) again until Monday, Dec 21. In Thursday's five-hour meeting a "companion resolution" was introduced into discussion by Council President Kate Fields (4th Ward). In addition, Council...
Local group hands out $20,000 to Flint teachers as 30-year tradition continues in pandemic
By Tom Travis Flint teachers were awarded $20,000, in gifts of $100 each, by the Flint Classroom Support Fund (FCSF) on Thursday. The contributions are given to each of the 200 Flint Community School (FCS) teachers from a COVID Rescue Grant to use towards their...
Council delays water settlement vote until Thursday, Dec. 17, ‘yes’ vs ‘no’ votes seem to be shifting sand yet
By Tom Travis City Council postponed until Thursday a vote on the $20 million portion of the $641 million water crisis settlement. In a six and half hour meeting, with the first two hours spent bickering over rules and procedures, the council questioned attorneys at...
Book Review: A five-day odyssey of “Motown Man” explores familiar themes, settings in Flint author Bob Campbell’s first novel
By Harold Ford “The problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the colour-line.” --from Address to the Nations of the World, W. E. B. DuBois, July 1900 “As much as we all try to think we have all reached the promised land, the reality is there’s still alot of...
“The State brought a piggy bank when they should have brought a safe,” former Mayor Karen Weaver declares at water settlement protest
By Tom Travis "It's a slap in the face and a kick in the behind. The State brought a piggy bank when they should have brought a safe. They brought a piggy bank to pay us and it's not right to pay between 80,000 and 100,000 people." So said former Mayor Karen Weaver in...
Tendaji Talk panel asks and tries to answer: does White Christianity reinforce White supremacy?
By Harold Ford “We have to call out bad theology when it’s bad theology.” --Monica Villareal, pastor, Salem Lutheran Church, Flint “Much work to be done.” --Dan Scheid, rector St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Flint Does white Christianity reinforce white supremacy? Four...
Touting themes of “prayer, planning , and partnership” Mayor Neeley cites COVID response, census, racial justice efforts, pipeline progress in State of the City address
By Paul Rozycki It was just over a year ago that Flint’s Mayor Karen Weaver, gave the last state of the city address in a packed house at Flint’s Capitol Theater, shortly before the election. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Flint’s Mayor Sheldon Neeley, drew a...
Land Bank survey and small business grants highlighted at Flint Neighborhoods United monthly meeting
By Coner Segren Residents' concerns about Land Bank priorities for demolition and the availability of small business grants , updates on a water bill payment assistance program, and a proposed I-475 renovation plan were among topics discussed at the monthly Flint...
