Local forums tackle tough topics — Flint Area Public Affairs Forum: “Racial Justice and Public Safety” Tendaji Talk: “Racism and Public Health, Part 2”
By Harold C. Ford “We can’t arrest our way out of this problem…but…every day I come to work, a citizen of this community is on my phone complaining about crime in their area where they live …What’s the answer for that citizen?” …Terence Green, chief of police, Flint...
Flint Repertory Theatre and Flint Mural Project partner to bring mural plays and roof-top musical to Flint this summer
By Patsy Isenberg Flint theatre and art lovers can enjoy two new venues this summer. Flint Repertory Theatre (The Rep) in partnership with The Flint Public Art Project has commissioned 27 playwrights to write 25 micro audio plays, each inspired by the playwrights’...
Seven years into water crisis, Flint’s “reputation for social justice” continues, as activists convene, declaring, “We don’t tolerate injustice and inhumanity.”
By Tom Travis "We have a reputation in Flint for social justice. The home of the Sit Down Strike, the first major city to institute open housing: We don't tolerate injustice and inhumanity." So declared water warrior and local activist Claire McClinton to a fully...
Education Beat Op-Ed: Put Flint kids first — say YES now to Flint Education Continuum
By Harold C. Ford '”Noli equi dentes inspicere donate.” (“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”) …Latin text of St. Jerome, The Letter to the Ephesians, circa AD 400 “Shame on you, Mr. Ford.” …Laura MacIntyre, treasurer, Flint Board of Education (FBOE), Apr. 21, 2021...
Book Review: In “Running for Home” descendants of the Sit Down Strike find their race tough to win, no matter how fast they run
By Jan Worth-Nelson Hard on the heels of his well-received nonfiction book Midnight in Vehicle City: General Motors, Flint, and the Strike that Created the Middle Class, Edward “Ted” McClelland has now released his first novel, Running for Home. [McClelland, Edward....
Shelter of Flint hosts “Drive-Up Breakfast” fundraiser to help provide homes for homeless
Shelter of Flint is hosting “A Home of Their Own Drive-Up Breakfast” from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. May 4 to raise funds to support moving homeless families into a home of their own. Individual tickets start at $50. Participants must reserve their breakfast and pick-up...
Education Beat: Massive plan to rescue Flint Community Schools unveiled–calls for new high school, many partnerships
By Harold C. Ford The details of a massive, several hundred-million-dollar plan to rescue Flint Community Schools (FCS) from its decades-long descent are contained within a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) just made available to East Village Magazine from an...
Starting now: voters can apply for, receive and submit absentee ballots in City Clerk’s office; new hours announced
By Tom Travis Voters can begin in-person voting at the City Clerk's office on the 2nd floor of City Hall located at 1001 S. Saginaw Street, 48502. In a press release the City Clerk's office announced their office hours during the upcoming voting season for the May 4,...
City Hall open for voters to cast May 4 election ballots; four items cover police, fire, 9-1-1, mental health support
By Tom Travis Flint City Hall is now open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for in-person absentee voting for the May 4, 2021 election, according to a press release from the City of Flint. Residents may register to vote, receive an absentee ballot and vote in person all...
Vaccine Beat: Genesee County is 24% fully vaccinated; MTA providing free transport to vaccination sites
By Tom Travis The alarming number of new coronavirus cases and deaths throughout Michigan has brought renewed urgency for a vaccine. Three major vaccines have been distributed in the area and throughout the country since mid-December 2020: Moderna and Pfizer both...
“Unconscionable” and “blatant filibustering” – Mayor Neeley accuses City Council; work on last 500 water lines halted by council’s inaction
By Tom Travis Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley Tuesday scolded the City Council in a scathing statement released a day after a seven-and-a-half-hour meeting in which the council failed to address a resolution to allow additional funds to complete water pipeline replacement....
“This will not be tolerated,” Pastor Chris Martin, State Sen. Ananich and other activists declare about GOP voter suppression moves; protest set for noon Tuesday
By Tom Travis Michigan State Senator Jim Ananich (D - 27th District) joined Flint Pastor Chris Martin of the Cathedral of Faith, community activists and other pastors in front of Berston Field House this morning to voice their opposition to 39 Michigan Republican...
Harmonious voices rise from the parking lot: local choir meets to safely socialize and sing
By Tom Travis On a warm spring evening amid the pavement, sidewalks and brick buildings of downtown Flint, the sound of harmonious singing voices rose from a church parking lot across the street from the county courthouse. They were the voices of the Carolyn Mawby...
Education Beat: Flint Schools pause face-to-face instruction and all athletics on April 12 as pandemic numbers spike
By Harold C. Ford It’s been a school year unlike any other in several generations. Flint Community Schools’ (FCS) off-again/on-again face-to-face instruction inside its school buildings is off-again. FCS Assistant Superintendent Kevelin Jones announced on April 6...
Public Hearings to be held throughout April on Flint’s $71 million budget
By Tom Travis The City of Flint's $71 million budget will be discussed in public hearings held by the city council on four days in April. The city council will hold departmental budget hearings for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 city budgets. According to a press...
The East Village Magazine – April 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%2F04%2FEVMApril2021.pdf" viewer_width=100% viewer_height=800px fullscreen=true...
Flint’s new Chief Financial Officer Shelbi Frayer hits the ground running as city council considers $71 million budget
By Tom Travis Shelbi Frayer has joined the City of Flint Finance department as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). "Frayer comes to Flint with a wealth of experience in municipal finance, previously serving in key leadership roles with the City of Lansing, State of...
Is it time to get back to “normal”? Maybe, but not yet.
By Paul Rozycki “It ain’t over till it’s over” -Yogi Berra There is a feeling of spring in the air. The days are getting warmer. The snow is melting. More and more people are getting the COVID vaccine. The Flint water crisis seems to reaching some sort of conclusion....
City of Flint yard waste collection begins April 5, 2021
Yard waste collection in Flint begins the week of April 5, 2021. Yard waste is picked up weekly on residents’ regularly scheduled trash collection day through Thanksgiving week. According to a City of Flint press release, compost is limited to 50 pounds in each brown...
Village Life: Pierce Preschool connected us to our “Pandemic Village”
By Melodee Mabbitt Before the pandemic hit, I was the kind of parent who relied heavily on my village to help raise our child. Pre-pandemic, I was lucky to have a flexible schedule with the ability to work remotely. I even got away without needing a babysitter much of...
Rise in child abuse, violent crimes, home repairs, and dead trees highlighted at March FNU
By Coner Segren A rise in child abuse in Genesee County, a $200,000 grant to remove dead trees, available funds for home owners' home repairs, and a presentation addressing violent crime were items discussed at the monthly Zoom meeting of the Flint Neighborhoods...
City of Flint to receive $99.33 million in federal stimulus from American Rescue Plan
By Tom Travis As part of federal coronavirus stimulus bill, The American Rescue Plan, the City of Flint will receive an estimated $99.33 million. Flint households projected to get more than $125 million in direct benefits, according to Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley. In a...
Education Beat: Flint students returning to school buildings as COVID rates rise, water fountains still Inoperable, water filters not yet installed
By Harold C. Ford Flint Community Schools’ (FCS) K-3 students began returning to school buildings March 15. Students in grades 4-12 began returning March 22. At its meeting on March 17, the Flint Board of Education learned that 81 hydration stations (drinking...
Education Beat: Flint students to return to school buildings March 15 and March 22; decision prompts tension among board members
By Harold C. Ford “Parents are upset because we keep changing the date for school.” --Diana Wright, trustee, Flint Board of Education, March 10, 2021 The board of education of Flint Community Schools (FCS) approved an administrative plan for returning students to...
Flint City Council’s “failure to act” jeopardizes completion of service line replacement project, Mayor Neeley says
By Tom Travis On Wednesday Mayor Sheldon Neeley released a statement scolding the council for a "failure to act" on a resolution that would allow for additional $500,000 in funding towards the "Fast Start" water line replacement. Neeley added that the council's...
