Boil water advisory lifted
The following press release was just issued by the City of Flint: Precautionary City Wide Boil Water Advisory LIFTED Flint, Mich. – The City of Flint Director of Public Works, Rob Bincsik, reported Friday that crews have completed repairs on a water main break that...
City Council update: another week, another five-hour squabbling session
By Tom Travis The air conditioning was running full blast but tempers were hot and emotions on edge as the Flint City Council met as the Finance Committee of the Whole Wednesday night. In a context in which council squabbling among themselves and with city officials...
East Village Magazine – August 2019
The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:
What’s your story? Tell it to StoryCorps, at the FIA through Sept. 4
By Tom Travis Let the stories begin: StoryCorps has arrived in Flint. As part of a year-long nationwide tour with stops in 10 cities and a plan to record more than 1,000 conversations, the recording studio on wheels is parked at the Flint Institute of Arts until...
Weaver, Neeley come out on top in mayoral primary; turnout 12 percent
By Paul Rozycki Flint’s first mayoral primary election under its new charter delivered victories to incumbent Mayor Karen Weaver and State Representative Sheldon Neeley (34th District). In Tuesday’s vote, Mayor Weaver came out ahead with 42 percent of the vote, and...
Tambe’s PK goal nets league championship for Flint City Bucks in ecstatic Atwood Stadium night
By Harold C. Ford The Flint City Bucks soccer club captured the championship trophy of the United States League Two (USL2) Aug. 3 with a 1-0 victory over Reading United AC at Flint's Atwood Stadium in front of a joyous crowd of 7,200. The win by the Bucks,...
Nestle to continue Ice Mountain water delivery, mayor’s office announces
The following press release was issued today from City Hall: FLINT, Mich. — Mayor Karen Weaver and the City’s Chief Recovery Officer, Jameca Patrick-Singleton, announced today that Nestlé Waters North America will continue supplying Ice Mountain®Brand 100% Natural...
Flint River Flotilla draws 300 paddlers, “gazillions of beautiful kayaks”
By Jan Worth-Nelson A giant flamingo, a raft made of recycled water bottles, dozens of multi-colored canoes, paddle boards and kayaks, and a man suspended in his own specially designed wetsuit floated down the Flint River Saturday afternoon at the fifth annual Flint...
Education Beat: Flint Schools move into second year of state partnership with new calendar, staff training, student enrichment
By Harold C. Ford The Flint Community Schools district has just concluded the first year of a critical three-year partnership imposed by the State of Michigan. The district will moves into the 2019-20 school year with a “balanced calendar” that has school starting...
First year in Flint, Bucks play for national championship Saturday at Atwood Stadium
By Harold Ford Flint’s pre-professional soccer club, the Flint City Bucks, will play for the national championship of United States League Two (USL2) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium in downtown Flint. The Bucks will host Reading...
Love, goodness, and Flint’s musical heart echoed as Jazz Fest turned up the heat
By Tom Travis Mother Nature turned up the heat and local and regional and national musicians turned up the jazz this weekend as the 38th Flint Jazz Fest returned to where it was born - Flint’s Riverbank Park. After several years of being bounced around Flint, the Jazz...
Book Review: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism–the Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
By Robert R. Thomas When entering foreign territories, orientation is the key to survival. Who is in charge? What are the rules? In her masterful analysis of the current state of global capitalism, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at...
Commentary: Flint City Council meetings a long day’s journey into night
By Paul Rozycki On a recent Monday evening, of the approximately 96,448 residents in the city of Flint, 96,423 were most likely spending their time doing worthwhile, rewarding, or satisfying activities. The other 25 were at the Flint City Council meeting. To be sure,...
It’s Jazz Festival weekend at Riverbank Park: Events tonight through Sunday
The 38th annual Flint Jazz Festival kicks off at Riverbank Park tonight featuring local favorite Kevin Collins at 5:30 followed by Banda Magda at 7 p.m. Saturday's performances start at 1:30 p.m. with American saxophonist Najee. Sunday performances start at 2,...
Banging pots and pans signal celebrations at midnight: EVM reporter in Puerto Rico describes Rosselló’s demise
Editor's Note: EVM Staff Writer Harold Ford is vacationing in Puerto Rico but, as a true journalist, couldn't resist reporting on what was happening there as Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned. In an email, Ford wrote, "The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was in an...
“Beto” praises Flint’s “fierce pride,” touts 100K Ideas, calls for better health care
By Paul Rozycki The 2020 presidential campaign came to Flint Wednesday with a visit from Democratic presidential candidate and former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who held a town hall meeting and rally for several hours with enthusiastic supporters at the Ferris Wheel in...
Flint Festival of Writers to feature “Dreams Like Mine” author LaTashia Perry
Flint Festival of Writers 2019 featured author LaTashia Perry ( Photo Credit 770 Photography) It has a new name, a new date, a new location, new talent and a fresh line-up of programs. The Flint Festival of Writers – formerly the Flint Literary Festival—will...
Ombudsperson search process moves forward: Ethics Accountability Board to set interviews soon
By Melodee Mabbitt Flint residents could meet their new ombudsperson as soon as September. This was announced by the Ethics and Accountability Board at a press conference in city council chambers July 23 to reveal the hiring process for the position. Applications...
Five years after move, Flint Farmers’ Market thriving, addressing challenges
By Jan Worth-Nelson You can get almost every element of the good life at the Flint Farmers' Market: fresh asparagus, triple cream brie, Michigan strawberries and tomatoes in season, premier pinot noir, flaky croissants. You can pick up locally-made honey,...
Nine hours, shouting match, two resolutions, one fail, “restoration” plans incomplete
By Tom Travis and Jan Worth-Nelson Editor's Note: This story has been updated on July 23 to clarify that Ninth Ward Councilperson Eva Worthing was temporarily out of the room during the vote on the Goyette resolution. She said she would have noted "no," That vote...
“Restoration” of sidewalks and lawns post-pipe replacement turns into labyrinth of delays
By Jan Worth-Nelson and Tom Travis When will the residents of Flint get their lawns and sidewalks restored following three years of water pipe excavations and replacement? The answer to that, yet another sign of how elusive “closure” can be in the years’ long...
MTA specialized programs “a blessing,” offering expanding services to Flint
By Madeleine Graham My life changed when my car broke, and I did not have the funds to repair it. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) started when I missed a flight, and then I boarded a wrong bus in Washington State. Fortunately with a lot of friends and family...
Art Walk Scene: Hip-hop, pop-ups, ice cream, art–downtown’s alive
By Tom Travis Entering the Flint Art Walk Friday night at Third Street and Saginaw, you hear the sounds of hip-hop and R&B. An open mic is provided for anyone brave enough to try a song on karaoke--though nobody's there yet in the early evening sunlight. Right...
Kildee, Mays and Johnson discuss Flint water crisis at WDET panel
By Paul Rozycki According to U.S. Congressman Dan Kildee (5th District), obtaining justice for the Flint water crisis requires that those responsible be “held liable for the damage, that the basic water infrastructure be repaired, that residents be charged a fair...
Book Review: “American Dialogue” offers indispensable conversation between “then” and “now”
By Robert R. Thomas In assessing the here and now, history offers an indispensable perspective. American Dialogue is an enlightening example. As author and historian Joseph Ellis puts it, “The study of history is an ongoing conversation between past and present from...
