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The “sack” is back: reborn Hamady food center set to open July 24-25 in Hallwood Plaza

Posted by on 11:11 AM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on The “sack” is back: reborn Hamady food center set to open July 24-25 in Hallwood Plaza

The “sack” is back:  reborn Hamady food center set to open July 24-25 in Hallwood Plaza

By Darlene C. Carey Less than a week away and after several delays, Hamady Complete Food Centers is finally opening its doors July 25.  The resurrected company has invited the public to preview the renovated grocery store July 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. and witness the opening ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. July 25 at the Hallwood Plaza, 2629 W. Pierson Rd. Could this be an oasis in the food desert that has plagued Flint’s North End? Flint has had its share of hardship with healthy food access after the closure of five of its last six large...

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Nancy Pelosi, Denny Heck blast GOP on Trump-Putin bromance in visit to Flint

Posted by on 5:22 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Nancy Pelosi, Denny Heck blast GOP on Trump-Putin bromance in visit to Flint

Nancy Pelosi, Denny Heck blast GOP on Trump-Putin bromance in visit to Flint

By Jan Worth-Nelson The President of the United States owes an apology to the American people for his behavior toward Vladimir Putin, according to U.S. House of Representatives minority leader Nancy Pelosi in a visit to Flint today, adding “we can’t afford this blackmail.” Standing in spits of rain on Milbourne Avenue in Civic Park as part of a Congressional delegation hosted by Rep. Dan Kildee to assess progress in the Flint water crisis, Pelosi responded to a question from East Village Magazine about what counterarguments,...

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With Ben Carson on hand, City celebrates $30 million HUD grant for Atherton East replacement plan

Posted by on 10:17 AM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on With Ben Carson on hand, City celebrates $30 million HUD grant for Atherton East replacement plan

With Ben Carson on hand, City celebrates $30 million HUD grant for Atherton East replacement plan

By Jan Worth-Nelson The bomb-sniffing dog checked every bag at the door, and City Hall shut down for two hours. Outside, a well-known street character bellowed “America the Beautiful,” getting the words roughly accurate, as dignitaries trooped in.  Eventually the lobby was packed,  media with cameras and iPhones crammed against each other to get the best shots, a parade of speakers trotted out colorful thanks and congratulatory phrases, a big white check got lots of cheers, and afterwards everybody went to the parking lot for a...

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Flint Cultural Center Foundation releases arts millage revenue distribution “memo of understanding”

Posted by on 5:43 PM in Features | Comments Off on Flint Cultural Center Foundation releases arts millage revenue distribution “memo of understanding”

Flint Cultural Center Foundation releases arts millage revenue distribution “memo of understanding”

By Jan Worth-Nelson Just in time for the first of two town halls about the pending proposal for the .96 Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment millage for Genesee County, Mark Sinila, CEO of the Flint Cultural Center Foundation, today released the much-speculated-about “memo of understanding” detailing who would get what in the predicted $8.7 million yearly revenue if the measure passes Aug. 7.  The press release was released under the name of Todd Slisher, executive director of the Sloan Museum/Longway Planetarium....

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“Uplifting Spirits”: a humanitarian journey with UM-Flint jazz combo to Maria-torn Puerto Rico

Posted by on 4:22 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on “Uplifting Spirits”: a humanitarian journey with UM-Flint jazz combo to Maria-torn Puerto Rico

“Uplifting Spirits”: a humanitarian journey with UM-Flint jazz combo to Maria-torn Puerto Rico

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”    –Plato By Harold C. Ford Note: East Village Magazine writer Harold Ford has been visiting Puerto Rico since 1995.  He’s walked the streets, eaten the food, visited the museums, studied the language, and swum in the waters that splash on its beautiful beaches.  But he reports that never did he experience the powerful emotions that visited him as he accompanied members of the...

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Review: Hot Friday the 13th downtown ARTWALK a feast of stellar art and music

Posted by on 10:55 PM in Commentary, Features, Local News, Reviews | Comments Off on Review: Hot Friday the 13th downtown ARTWALK a feast of stellar art and music

Review:  Hot Friday the 13th downtown ARTWALK a feast of stellar art and music

By Patsy Isenberg A lot of people came to downtown Flint on Friday the 13th for ARTWALK,  which takes place the second Friday of every month. ARTWALK is sponsored by The Greater Flint Arts Council (GFAC) and includes many galleries, bars and restaurants along and near Saginaw Street. It was hot that night. But at least it wasn’t raining or windy. It was actually a perfect night for the event and it did not disappoint the festival goers. There was a very diverse and international flavor at this one. People were outside eating and drinking at...

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Forum draws six of eight 7th Circuit Court judicial candidates

Posted by on 7:12 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Forum draws six of eight 7th Circuit Court judicial candidates

Forum draws six of eight 7th Circuit Court judicial candidates

By Paul Rozycki Judicial elections are typically rather quiet, predictable affairs, with few challengers and frequent incumbent victories. This year’s judicial election for the Genesee County 7th Circuit Court has generated more candidates than usual.  In response, the League of Women Voters and the Genesee County Bar Association sponsored a forum for the judicial candidates July 11 at the Genesee County Administration Building.  The event drew enough to nearly fill the Harris Auditorium. Attending the forum were six of the eight candidates...

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FCC execs offer further detail on arts millage: as donor base shrinks, how to assure a “feel good” place

Posted by on 7:11 PM in Local News | Comments Off on FCC execs offer further detail on arts millage: as donor base shrinks, how to assure a “feel good” place

FCC execs offer further detail on arts millage:  as donor base shrinks, how to assure a “feel good” place

By Jan Worth-Nelson NOTE:  We’ve moved this to the top as a reminder:  Citizens for A Better Genesee County, the volunteer group which proposed and is promoting the proposal, has scheduled town halls for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19 at the New McCree Theater, 2040 W. Carpenter Rd.;  and 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24 at the Whiting Auditorium, 1241 E. Kearsley St. In the lead-up to two upcoming informational town halls and an Aug. 7 vote on a .96 millage for the arts in Genesee County, two executives from the Flint Cultural Center requested an...

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City Council approves brownfield abatement plan for site of proposed downtown hotel

Posted by on 3:58 PM in Local News | Comments Off on City Council approves brownfield abatement plan for site of proposed downtown hotel

City Council approves brownfield abatement plan for site of proposed downtown hotel

By Meghan Christian Flint City Council (FCC) approved a brownfield abatement plan as part of a proposed downtown hotel development project along with three job descriptions and qualifications at their meeting July 9. They also unanimously approved a plan for repaving Court Street from Crapo Street to Center Road. Fourth Ward Councilwoman Kate Fields was absent from the meeting. First proposed at the Sept. 20, 2017 FCC meeting, the hotel development project aims to bring a 101-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel with a full service restaurant to...

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As two big endorsements back county-wide arts millage for Aug. 7 vote, advocates address citizen concerns

Posted by on 4:22 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on As two big endorsements back county-wide arts millage for Aug. 7 vote, advocates address citizen concerns

As two big endorsements back county-wide arts millage for Aug. 7 vote, advocates address citizen concerns

By Jan Worth-Nelson The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce  (FGCC) and the Board of Education of the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) both endorsed the proposed Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment millage proposal up for a county-wide vote Aug. 7 in statements issued this week. The .96 mill, 10-year proposal, estimated to yield about $8.7 million per year for the Flint Cultural Center organizations, the Greater Flint Arts Council, Berston Fieldhouse and the New McCree Theatre, would cost the average homeowner...

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Commentary: Arts millage advocates need to answer basic questions to help voters decide

Posted by on 3:32 PM in Commentary, Features, Local News | Comments Off on Commentary: Arts millage advocates need to answer basic questions to help voters decide

Commentary:  Arts millage advocates need to answer basic questions to help voters decide

By Linda Pohly The Genesee County ballot for  Aug. 7 will include a proposal for an Arts Education & Cultural Enrichment Millage.  If the millage passes, according to Citizens for a Better Genesee County, the group behind the millage campaign, the County–through its taxpayers–would pay an estimated $8.2 million per year for 10 years to the Flint Cultural Center Foundation for division among three Cultural Center organizations: The Flint Institute of Music (FIM), the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), and the Flint Cultural Center...

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Masters of the macabre: Flint Horror Collective brings entertainment and love of the scary to town

Posted by on 10:25 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Masters of the macabre: Flint Horror Collective brings entertainment and love of the scary to town

Masters of the macabre:  Flint Horror Collective brings entertainment and love of the scary to town

By Jeffery L Carey, Jr. As a kid Paul Counelis was obsessed with the book Christine by Stephen King.  He liked the atmosphere, the characters, and how much he could relate to King’s obsession. “It made me want to be a writer,” he said. Years later, Counelis, now a father of nine, started writing horror fiction because of a scary bedtime story he told his kids about a girl named Kendall Kingsley. His kids liked it. “They urged me to put it in a book, and now Kendall is in three books,” he said. He may have inherited the...

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East Village Magazine – July 2018

Posted by on 12:34 PM in Features | Comments Off on East Village Magazine – July 2018

East Village Magazine – July 2018

The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:  

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$30 million HUD Choice grant comes through to replace Atherton East public housing

Posted by on 5:06 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on $30 million HUD Choice grant comes through to replace Atherton East public housing

$30 million HUD Choice grant comes through to replace Atherton East public housing

By Jan Worth-Nelson A longstanding and continuing effort to relocate the crime-ridden Atherton East housing complex received a major boost today with the announcement that a $30 million federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been awarded to the City of Flint and the Flint Housing Commission. The Choice Neighborhoods Grant, announced in a joint press release by U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee and U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, will support replacement of the public housing complex with...

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Hot day but few fireworks at Bluebell Beach 49th District candidate forum

Posted by on 9:18 AM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Hot day but few fireworks at Bluebell Beach 49th District candidate forum

Hot day but few fireworks at Bluebell Beach 49th District candidate forum

By Paul Rozycki It was the morning of the Fourth of July, when most people are preparing for picnics, hot dogs, and fireworks, and it was hot and humid on Mott Lake. But that didn’t prevent four of the six Democrats running for the 49th state House of Representatives seat from attending a lakefront candidate forum at Bluebell Beach. As part of The Tom Sumner Radio Program’s regular broadcast, (92.1, WFOV) John Cherry, Jacky King, Dayne Walling and Don Wright responded to questions from a panel of political pundits. Candidates LaShaya Darisaw...

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Flint Registry, built to monitor, link and advocate for community health, gears up for September launch

Posted by on 3:36 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Flint Registry, built to monitor, link and advocate for community health, gears up for September launch

Flint Registry, built to monitor, link and advocate for community health, gears up for September launch

Flint Water Advisory Task Force Final Report, presented to Gov. Rick Snyder, March 21, 2016  Recommendation #7 to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services , p. 10:  “Establish and maintain a Flint Toxic Exposure Registry to include all the children and adults residing in Flint from April 2014 to present.” By Teddy Robertson In a significant marker of forward momentum in the aftermath of the water crisis, that 2016 recommendation has become a reality. “It’s an enormous project,” says Dr. Nicole Jones, project director for the...

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Commentary: A primary primer for the Aug. 7 election — REMEMBER TO VOTE

Posted by on 9:17 AM in Analysis, Commentary, Local News | Comments Off on Commentary: A primary primer for the Aug. 7 election — REMEMBER TO VOTE

Commentary:  A primary primer for the Aug. 7 election — REMEMBER TO VOTE

By Paul Rozycki In less than a month, in the midst of summer vacations, art fairs, festivals, and car shows, Michigan will hold its regular primary, and the turnout is likely to be low, as it has been for years. That’s unfortunate because, for most officials, the primary is the real election—whoever wins the primary is likely to win in November. That’s because most of our election districts are gerrymandered to favor one party or the other. In most of Genesee County the winner of the Democratic primary is almost certain to win in November. In...

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Review: Connor Coyne’s “Urbantasm: The Dying City” original, dark, magical, and infused with Flint

Posted by on 3:08 PM in Book review, Commentary, Local News, Reviews | Comments Off on Review: Connor Coyne’s “Urbantasm: The Dying City” original, dark, magical, and infused with Flint

Review:  Connor Coyne’s “Urbantasm: The Dying City” original, dark, magical, and infused with Flint

Urbantasm  Book One: The Dying City by Connor Coyne Review by Robert R. Thomas Connor Coyne’s Urbantasm is the most original take on Flint I have read to date. Set in the fictional Rust Belt city of Akawe, Michigan, “an hour’s drive north of Detroit,” Coyne’s allegorical tale is a serial novel of four volumes the author says has taken 22 years to create. Book One: The Dying City will be published in September. The jacket of my pre-publication copy describes Urbantasm as “a magical teen noir serial novel inspired by the author’s experience...

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Hundreds gather downtown to protest migrant separations, Donald Trump

Posted by on 2:45 PM in Features | Comments Off on Hundreds gather downtown to protest migrant separations, Donald Trump

Hundreds gather downtown to protest migrant separations, Donald Trump

By Jan Worth-Nelson On a 90-degree Saturday, hundreds of poster-toting citizens convened at the Flat Lot in Flint and marched back and forth on Saginaw Street to protest separations of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexican border, an action triggered by the Trump administration. To applause and loud cheers, march host Dan Chapman declared, of the family separation policy,  “It can’t happen, it has to stop.” “We are here today to make sure that the community knows, and the government knows, that we’re...

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Village Life: Why I moved to Flint

Posted by on 3:34 PM in Column, Commentary, Local News, Village Life | Comments Off on Village Life: Why I moved to Flint

Village Life:  Why I moved to Flint

    By Ted Nelson My first experience of Flint was Bishop International Airport.  I still wonder about the “International” part.  Could it be that Flint itself is another country? Perhaps there are secret flights here in the dark of night — aliens sneaking in from all over the world to benefit from the city’s abundance of jobs, services, and amenities.  Who knows? I, however, was on a mission of another kind. I was at Bishop because 25 years earlier I had fallen for a woman who now lived in Flint.  We had met in the Kingdom of Tonga...

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Arts millage up for a vote Aug. 7 could add $8.7 million per year to county’s “good news stories”

Posted by on 8:23 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Arts millage up for a vote Aug. 7 could add $8.7 million per year to county’s “good news stories”

Arts millage up for a vote Aug. 7 could add $8.7 million per year to county’s “good news stories”

By Jan Worth-Nelson and Patsy Isenberg A proposed county-wide millage that could bring in up to $8.7 million/year for the arts in Genesee County for the next ten years will be on the Aug. 7 ballot. Backers of the proposal say it would guarantee substantial support and widened access for what its backers call one of the area’s “good news stories,” including educational enrichment and free admission to the county’s best-known cultural institutions and many others in the outcounty. The .96 mill (96 cents/$1,000 taxable value) would mean about...

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Flint council approves two-year city budget and 10 of 11 appointees for overdue ethics panel

Posted by on 10:05 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Flint council approves two-year city budget and 10 of 11 appointees for overdue ethics panel

Flint council approves two-year city budget and 10 of 11 appointees for overdue ethics panel

By Meghan Christian The Flint City Council  approved 10 appointments to the Ethics and Accountability Board and approved the Mayor’s biennial budget for the city of $55.8 million for 2018-19 and $56.6 million for 2019-20 at their June 25 meeting.  Formation of an Ethics and Accountability Board was one of the requirements outlined in the new city charter adopted by 2-1 by voters in August, 2017, and which was to have taken effect Jan. 1.   The council’s late June actions leave one more appointment – awaiting a nomination from First Ward...

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Ground broken for Flint Cultural Center K-8 charter school, C.S. Mott commits $35 million, FCS said no

Posted by on 11:14 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Ground broken for Flint Cultural Center K-8 charter school, C.S. Mott commits $35 million, FCS said no

Ground broken for Flint Cultural Center K-8 charter school, C.S. Mott commits $35 million, FCS said no

                            By Harold C. Ford An array of Flint area nonprofit and political leaders gathered Tuesday on the campus of the Flint Cultural Center (FCC) to break ground for a new nonprofit charter school that will serve up to 650 students each school year in grades kindergarten through eighth. Project planners expect the new school to open in time for the 2019-2020 school year. The Flint Cultural Center Academy will offer students the opportunity to take...

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Dr. Mona charms SRO audience, calls for “radical reckoning” on nation’s child-care values

Posted by on 4:33 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Dr. Mona charms SRO audience, calls for “radical reckoning” on nation’s child-care values

Dr. Mona charms SRO audience, calls for “radical reckoning” on nation’s child-care values

By Jan Worth-Nelson Hurley Medical Center pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha, for the past three years regarded as one of the stand-out whistleblowers and heroes of the Flint water crisis, turned the tables on the hometown standing-room-only crowd who came to celebrate her Thursday night. Speaking at the Flint Public Library launch of her book What The Eyes Don’t See:  A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, Hanna-Attisha said she does not think of herself as a hero, suggesting as a pediatrician, she was simply doing...

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Three years after devastating fire, Whaley House re-opens with top-to-bottom restoration

Posted by on 2:06 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Three years after devastating fire, Whaley House re-opens with top-to-bottom restoration

Three years after devastating fire, Whaley House re-opens with top-to-bottom restoration

By Jan Worth-Nelson For staff and historians of the only Victorian home left from the row of mansions that once graced  Kearsley Street, the fire of 2015 was a crushing blow.  One November day, a welding torch left by roofers working on copper gutters at the Whaley Historic House Museum ignited a blaze that, along with smoke and water damage, ruined every room. Following a settlement and fundraising campaign, restoration work began.  Workers had to take down the interior to its original timbers on all three floors.  The $2 million restoration...

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Animal groups aim to abate dog, cat problems with spay/neuter clinics at Franklin Ave Mission

Posted by on 4:20 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Animal groups aim to abate dog, cat problems with spay/neuter clinics at Franklin Ave Mission

Animal groups aim to abate dog, cat problems with spay/neuter clinics at Franklin Ave Mission

By Jan Worth-Nelson The East Side of Flint may have fewer unwanted kittens and puppies to contend with soon, following a free spaying and neutering clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow and Thursday at the Franklin Avenue Mission, 2210 N. Franklin Ave. A mobile surgical unit provided by All About Animals, a nonprofit rescue clinic, will be staffed with 10 veterinary technicians supervised by a veterinarian, according to Edith Campbell, founder of the nonprofit volunteer group Pets in Peril (PIP), who are sponsoring the event. The event was...

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Proposal cuts gay rights, Roe v. Wade, climate change, NAACP from public school standards: hearing Monday

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Proposal cuts gay rights, Roe v. Wade, climate change, NAACP from public school standards:  hearing Monday

by Harold C. Ford EVM staff writer Ford, a 44-year veteran of public education, now retired, surveyed the 138-page draft proposal described below and which is available for perusal in full here.   The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is holding a series of nine meetings across the state seeking the public’s input about proposed revisions to the state’s social studies standards.  Five hearings have already been held. The next hearing will be from 6-8 p.m. June 18, at the Erwin L. Davis Education Center of the Genesee Intermediate School...

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Flint declared “Tree City USA”–300 seedlings planted

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Flint declared “Tree City USA”–300 seedlings planted

By Jan Worth-Nelson Flint is one of 3,400 city nationwide to be named a 2018 “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation. It was the 18th year in a row for the city to receive the designation. To celebrate, staff of  the Genesee Conservation District, managers of the city’s urban treescape, planted 300 seedlings this spring, distributed in four locations:  Longway Park, Atherton Park, Cronin Park and the Haskell Center. Angela Warren, GCD administrator, said the plantings occurred in collaboration with a donor, the...

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Commentary: Water shutoffs do no one any good

Posted by on 11:22 PM in Commentary, Local News | Comments Off on Commentary: Water shutoffs do no one any good

Commentary:  Water shutoffs do no one any good

By Laura Sullivan In 2015, Dr. Sullivan, a Kettering University professor of mechanical engineering, worked with other activists as part of the Coalition for Clean Water to return the city of Flint to Detroit for its water supply. Since then, she has helped to coordinate positive interactions between residents, local physicians, researchers, journalists, the City of Flint, and the EPA. Dr. Sullivan is a member of the Flint Water Interagency Coordinating Committee, the Flint Area Community Health and Environment Partnership (FACHEP), and the...

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City Council fails to override Weaver’s budget veto: next steps uncertain

Posted by on 4:32 PM in Local News | Comments Off on City Council fails to override Weaver’s budget veto: next steps uncertain

City Council fails to override Weaver’s budget veto:  next steps uncertain

By Meghan Christian Flint City Council (FCC) did not have the six votes needed to override Mayor Karen Weaver’s veto of the amended budget they proposed at a special city council meeting at 11 a.m. today. The proposed budget included eight amendments, totaling a $267,000 difference in what the council wants and what the Mayor wants, which represents one half of one percent of the overall proposed budget for 2018-2019 of $55.8 million.  As described in yesterday’s East Village Magazine, the amendments mostly center on adding staff...

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Review: Flint welcomes “The Moth” in celebratory night downtown

Posted by on 4:16 PM in Local News, Reviews | Comments Off on Review: Flint welcomes “The Moth” in celebratory night downtown

Review:  Flint welcomes “The Moth” in celebratory night downtown

By Patsy Isenberg and Jan Worth-Nelson Perhaps the biggest stories of all about last Thursday’s performances of “The Moth” storytelling show at the Capitol Theater weren’t about “The Moth” at all.  There are at least four other options: That the performance was in the Capitol Theater, spectacularly renovated and gleaming since its $37 million facelift and December opening. That the performance sold out—all 1,600 seats filled. That downtown Flint on a beautiful late spring evening was full of walkers, diners, café lingerers and color—from the...

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Mayor vetoes City Council budget on $267,000 difference, override vote attempt set

Posted by on 2:39 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Mayor vetoes City Council budget on $267,000 difference, override vote attempt set

Mayor vetoes City Council budget on $267,000 difference, override vote attempt set

By Meghan Christian and Jan Worth-Nelson A version of a 2018-2019 city budget proposal calling for eight amendments approved six to three June 4 by the Flint City Council was vetoed Monday by Mayor Karen Weaver. The $267,000 difference in what the council wants and what the Mayor wants represents one half of one percent of the overall proposed budget of $55.8 million.  It  mostly centers on adding staff and benefits to the City Council and City Clerk’s offices  to attempt to improve their functions, according to statements from the council’s...

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Five-day “Freedom Festival” honoring Juneteenth kicks off June 15

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Five-day “Freedom Festival” honoring Juneteenth kicks off June 15

By Jan Worth-Nelson A five-day long Juneteenth “Freedom Festival” in north Flint starting Friday aims to honor the June 19, 1865 freeing of the slaves in Texas. But that’s not all.  Organizer April Cook-Hawkins says after a bruising four years of the water crisis, it’s time to have some fun.  That means parades, cookouts, rallies, concerts and more. The “Freedom Festival” extravaganza will start at 1 p.m. Friday with a four-hour-long showcase of businesses called “Black Wall Street” at Ballenger...

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Commentary: Beyond the water crisis, another Flint crisis looms

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Commentary:  Beyond the water crisis, another Flint crisis looms

By Paul Rozycki In its own clumsy way the Flint water crisis seems to be slowly drifting to some sort of resolution. Most scientific reports are showing a significant reduction in the lead levels in our water.  As a result the state has ended its distribution of free water at its water points of distribution (PODs) in the city, over much protest and anger. Several private groups and churches have stepped forward to provide bottled water, on a much-reduced basis, for Flint residents. The pipe replacement continues, and more than a third of the...

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Review: “JFK: The Last Speech” juxtaposes power, the arts, and eloquence with a local angle

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Review:  “JFK:  The Last Speech” juxtaposes power, the arts, and eloquence with a local angle

By Ed Bradley The reflective new documentary JFK: The Last Speech recalls a time when not only could it be assumed that the American president knew how to spell the word “poetry,” but also that he could recite verse at an important event without an eyebrow being raised or a pundit shouting.  Still, John F. Kennedy’s last major public address, less than a month before his assassination, was no typical oration. Speaking at Amherst College in his native Massachusetts on Oct. 26, 1963 – with his final trip to Dallas four weeks ahead —...

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East Village Magazine – June 2018

Posted by on 11:36 AM in Features | Comments Off on East Village Magazine – June 2018

East Village Magazine – June 2018

The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:

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Genesee County Medical Society departs from Hurley docs on “lead-poisoned” word choice

Posted by on 4:28 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Genesee County Medical Society departs from Hurley docs on “lead-poisoned” word choice

Genesee County Medical Society departs from Hurley docs on “lead-poisoned” word choice

By Jan Worth-Nelson Emphasizing,  “there is no safe amount of lead to be ingested by children, pregnant women, or any person daily for 15 months without any risk to health and/or development,” the Genesee County Medical Society has chosen not to concur with a recent decision by the Hurley Medical Center doctors to use the word “lead-exposed” instead of “lead-poisoned” for those who’ve experienced the Flint water crisis. A statement from Hurley physicians led by toxicologist Dr. Hernan Gomez, issued in...

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Review: Politics, misused power, poverty all play a role in Anna Clark’s riveting “The Poisoned City”

Posted by on 3:43 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Review: Politics, misused power, poverty all play a role in Anna Clark’s riveting “The Poisoned City”

Review:  Politics, misused power, poverty all play a role in Anna Clark’s riveting “The Poisoned City”

By Robert R. Thomas A current Flint kerfuffle is the Hurley Medical Center controversy about whether we Flintstones were “lead-poisoned” or “lead-exposed.” Anna Clark’s riveting reply to that question and many more is The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy. The book will be officially out in July, but will be launched in Flint at Tenacity Brewing on Saturday, June 23. Key elements in Clark’s examination of Flint’s water woes involve power, politics, arrogance, ignorance, authoritarianism, elitism, poverty, and...

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Activists’ letter aims grievances at Marc Edwards; he calls it “science anarchy”

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Activists’ letter aims grievances at Marc Edwards;  he calls it “science anarchy”

By Jan Worth-Nelson Note:  This piece was updated Saturday evening, June 2, to add several paragraphs from flintwaterstudy.com’s response to the flintcomplaints.com letter, received after the article was originally written. A Virginia Polytechnic Institute professor who emerged in 2015 as one of the heroes of the Flint Water Crisis, Marc Edwards, is now being bitterly called to account by a Who’s Who of activists in the city that put him in the national spotlight.  The subsequent response from Edwards, counter-attacking in...

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New Evolution Center opens summer project with $64,000 from African-American fraternity

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New Evolution Center opens summer project with $64,000 from African-American fraternity

By Harold C. Ford The New Evolution Education Center (NEEC) will open its doors to 50 youth in grades kindergarten through 8th grade this summer for six weeks running from July 9-Aug. 17.  The nonprofit NEEC will focus on literacy, science, and math, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. A $64,000 grant for the project was awarded by Sigma Pi Phi, the first successful and oldest African-American Greek lettered organization in the U.S. The fraternity was founded in Philadelphia in 1904 by Henry McKee Minton and a small group of...

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Citizens to Hurley board: “lead-exposed” word change “preposterous,” and devastating to trust

Posted by on 12:48 AM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Citizens to Hurley board: “lead-exposed” word change “preposterous,” and devastating to trust

Citizens  to Hurley board:  “lead-exposed” word change “preposterous,” and devastating to trust

By Jan Worth-Nelson Six Flint residents, all of whom described searing effects from the Flint water crisis, spoke up at the meeting of the Hurley Medical Center Board of Managers Wednesday night to say, “Words matter.”  They asserted that a recent statement by a group of Hurley doctors has dealt a major blow to the community’s already decimated trust and is based on “preposterous” claims. The Flint residents were there to protest an action led by Hernan Gomez, a toxicologist, and reportedly supported by the...

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Public comment open on Hurley docs’ “exposed/poisoned” word change at today’s board of managers meeting

Posted by on 4:56 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Public comment open on Hurley docs’ “exposed/poisoned” word change at today’s board of managers meeting

Public comment open on Hurley docs’ “exposed/poisoned” word change at today’s board of managers meeting

By Jan Worth-Nelson There is no item on the agenda of the Hurley Medical Center Board of Managers meeting today (Wednesday) pertaining to the recent decision by Hurley’s doctors to substitute the word “lead-exposed” for “lead-poisoned” for children who experienced the city’s water crisis. But several area residents said they hoped members of the public might present their views on the controversial change to the 15-member board of the city’s only public hospital at the regular monthly meeting....

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A look at the city’s new economic team: the “director” is his company, Rodrick Miller explains

Posted by on 5:18 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on A look at the city’s new economic team: the “director” is his company, Rodrick Miller explains

A look at the city’s new economic team: the “director” is his company,  Rodrick Miller explains

By Jeffery L Carey Jr. Does the City of Flint have a director of economic development or not? And is the position, financed as part of a $2.9 million Kellogg Foundation grant, being filled by a person or a company?  Is there a conflict of interest built into the way the grant is being administered? And does this all matter, as Rodrick Miller and the team assembled to work with him attempt to bring more jobs to Flint? Or is it just a minor misunderstanding about a word? Confusion on all these questions emerged recently over Miller’s official...

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Boil water advisory lifted

Posted by on 5:49 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Boil water advisory lifted

Boil water advisory lifted

BOIL WATER ADVISORY LIFTED BY THE CITY OF FLINT The City of Flint has lifted its precautionary boil water advisory. This information has been received through a memo from the University of Michigan – Flint.

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Drinking water warning issued for City of Flint residents: Boil even your filtered water before using

Posted by on 8:46 PM in Local News | Comments Off on Drinking water warning issued for City of Flint residents: Boil even your filtered water before using

Drinking water warning issued for City of Flint residents: Boil even your filtered water before using

The following is a word-for-word  notification from the City of Flint: DRINKING WATER WARNING The City of Flint water system lost pressure and contamination may have occurred BOIL YOUR FILTERED WATER BEFORE USING Due to a drop in pressure in the City of Flint water supply, bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system.  Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment. Corrective measures are currently being undertaken to correct the situation. What should I do? AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, DO NOT...

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JFK documentary with Flint/East Village Magazine connection airing on PBS June 2

Posted by on 6:11 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on JFK documentary with Flint/East Village Magazine connection airing on PBS June 2

JFK documentary with Flint/East Village Magazine connection airing on PBS June 2

By Jan Worth-Nelson A documentary about John F. Kennedy’s last major speech, which spotlights, among others, a Flint man present at the speech and the effect it had on his life, will be aired on two local PBS stations at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2. In the interest of full disclosure, that man, Ted Nelson, is my husband. Last July a three-person film crew from Northern Light Productions in Boston came to Flint for three days to document Nelson’s life, with a particular eye on the water crisis and East Village Magazine, on which he...

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Local Grocer part of network striving to end “food apartheid” and address lead toxicity

Posted by on 3:20 PM in Features | Comments Off on Local Grocer part of network striving to end “food apartheid” and address lead toxicity

Local Grocer part of network striving to end “food apartheid” and address lead toxicity

By Darlene C. Carey Erin Caudell, co-owner of The Local Grocer on Martin Luther King Boulevard and a longtime farmer and food activist, chafes when she hears the term “food desert” to describe Flint’s food availability challenges. “A desert is a diverse, thriving ecosystem,” Caudell says. “Lack of food in a community is not.” “Food apartheid” is a more descriptive term for what has happened in the city, she says.  She defines it as “the systemic production and distribution of nutrient-poor, disease-causing foods to economically-vulnerable...

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Flint residents getting first looks at $55.8 million proposed 2018-19 city budget

Posted by on 9:51 AM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Flint residents getting first looks at $55.8 million proposed 2018-19 city budget

Flint residents getting first looks at $55.8 million proposed 2018-19 city budget

By Meghan Christian A proposed City of Flint 2018-2019 budget of $55.8 million, of which $23.2 milion, or roughly 59 percent, is earmarked for public safety, and a proposed 2019-2020 budget of $56.6 million, was presented by Chief Financial Officer Hughey Newsome for comment at a public hearing Tuesday in City Hall. Of the dozen people in attendance, only a handful were not employed by the city, and from that number, only one resident spoke. R.L. Mitchell voiced his thoughts that the Mayor’s salary should be raised now that the City is no...

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As Woodside takes on new life in its MCC era, neighbors praise, question and complain

Posted by on 4:08 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on As Woodside takes on new life in its MCC era, neighbors praise, question and complain

As Woodside takes on new life in its MCC era, neighbors praise, question and complain

By Jan Worth-Nelson A small patch of trees known for decades as the Woodside Woods has become a point of contention since Mott Community College bought the historic Woodside Church on the southeast side of the campus eight months ago,  with neighbors in the College Cultural neighborhood surrounding the college both praising MCC’s plans for the $8.5 million expansion and renovation of the former church and questioning the college’s landscaping actions. At a regular meeting of the College Cultural Neighborhood Association (CCNA)...

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Flint Roller Derby team pairs competitive sport with high-energy fun

Posted by on 5:50 PM in Features, Local News | Comments Off on Flint Roller Derby team pairs competitive sport with high-energy fun

Flint Roller Derby team pairs competitive sport with high-energy fun

By Dylan Doherty and Meghan Christian Grace Seymore had been a roller derby skater for a year before her team dissolved as she was considering moving from Clarkston to Flint.  Looking to join a team again, she dropped in on a practice session of the Flint Roller Derby crew. What she saw there immediately got her attention, and she tried out. “These people are fucking amazing,” she remembers thinking,  “This is terrifying.  I need to do this.” Now Seymore, 24, a paramedic in her day job, is league president, with Coach Nick Cotton, 38,  of...

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