
“Youth Arts: Unlocked” taking art to where the kids are: GFAC show opens April 12
By Teddy Robertson “A lot of the point of these workshops is to take these programs where the kids are,” says Casey Hamann. Hamann and fellow artist Corinne Nuzum appear to be doing just that, expanding programs outward from their renamed “Youth Arts: Unlocked” (YAU)...

This Month in the Village: April features hockey documentary, tea party, black holes
Compiled by Meghan Christian “This Month” highlights a selection of events available to our readers—It is not an exhaustive list, rather a sampling of opportunities in the city. To submit events for May, email your event to Managing Editor Meghan Christian at...

Where will Flint middle school students be in August? After dodges and feints from FCS, Baker campus seems likely
By Harold C. Ford “When parents are looking at where to send their kids (to school), there’s an awful lot of faith involved in the sense that, you may not have any money, but you’re investing your kid in a school district. It’s the job of the school district, the...

Village Life: In LA or Flint, tai chi yields gifts of challenge, elation, peace
By Teddy Robertson “Breathe from the diaphragm,” says Beverly, my tai chi instructor. “Clear your mind; try to go slowly,” she reminds us before we begin. We never go slowly enough. We stand in two rows in a large room, the dining hall in a senior center. Some wear...

Commentary: Roads, schools, water, taxes–a short tour of Gov. Whitmer’ $60 billion budget
By Paul Rozycki In March Governor Gretchen Whitmer began a tour of the state to defend and explain her first budget proposal to the public. She’s already been to Grand Rapids, Detroit, Dearborn, Jackson, Port Huron and Adrian, and plans are to continue the statewide...

Avoid trouble before it starts, church safety expert advises Resiliency Summit audience
By Patsy Isenberg A sign of the times, after mass shootings in Charlottesville, Pittsburgh and Christchurch New Zealand, is increasing concern about the safety of faith-based places of worship. That fear was reflected and acknowledged at last week’s 3rd Annual...

Good news, bad news: Summit panel shares results of one-on-one resident data
By Patsy Isenberg Flint residents are feeling somewhat better about the city's recovery from the water crisis than in the challenging days when it first started in 2014, according to a panel of city officials at last week's 3rd Annual Resiliency and Environmental...

“Scary and exciting time”: Local news media in an age of transition
By Harold C. Ford “Journalism is the only profession explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution, because journalists are supposed to be the check and balance on government. We’re supposed to be holding those in power accountable.” --Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! A...

March Flint City Council update: raises go through, pipeline management changes, CFO quits, cliques collide
By Meghan Christian The month of March continued Flint City Council chaos—all delaying or complicating major matters of city business and exasperating some of the public in attendance, one of whom commented the city needed an ombudsman to oversee matters more than the...

W-O-O-D-S-I-D-E Church taking shape letter by letter at new locale
By Jan Worth-Nelson The beige brick building at the corner of Second Avenue and Garland Street in Flint came closer Thursday to its transformation from an antiques store and deli to Woodside Church. Woodside Pastor Deborah Conrad, along with Woodside treasurer Joe...

News Brief: Congressional Art Competition for Flint high schoolers open now
Flint area high school students are invited to enter the 2019 Congressional Art Competition, sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Art Caucus. Artists may win an opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. and have art displayed in the U.S. Capitol...

Court Street Methodists take stand after LGBTQ vote: “God loves all people–all means all”
By Jan Worth-Nelson On Sunday, March 3, the week after the international governing body of the United Methodist Church voted to retain language excluding LGBTQ people, Rev. Jeremy Peters took to the pulpit at Court Street United Methodist Church and preached a sermon...

“Road diet” on MLK Boulevard, master plan “green” concerns top “Neighbors” series discussion
By Darlene C. Carey “It’s our hope that residents that don’t see the dots will be able to connect the dots to their area resources,” said Ashley Everhart, agency director at the Neighborhood Engagement Hub, during the fifth workshop in the "Neighbors Changing Flint"...

“Hate is heard when love is silent,” interfaith audience affirms at vigil for New Zealand victims
By Teddy Robertson Flint-area residents filled the Al-Rayyan Banquet Hall at Flint Islamic Center (FIC) Tuesday evening, March 18, to remember the victims of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15. Dr. Luay Alkotob of the FIC...

Paddlers Landing crowd-funding campaign succeeds, exceeds state match for thriving Mott Park Recreation Area
By Jan Worth-Nelson Flint River buffs are celebrating today as a partnership of the Flint River Watershed Coalition (FRWC) the Mott Park Neighborhood Association, the City of Flint and 600 other donors topped a $50,000 goal to match an equivalent contribution...

Understanding white privilege “like trying to explain water to a fish” at first 2019 Tendaji Talk
By Jan Worth-Nelson Trying to understand white privilege and power is "kind of like trying to explain water to a fish," one panelist, a white woman, admitted to a circle of 25 Flint neighbors grappling with the kickoff topic of the 2019 Tendaji Talks Tuesday evening...

Young playwrights festival keeps youth in The Rep with four statewide winners
By Patsy Isenberg Four young playwrights, either getting to see their very first play read by actors or just getting started in their playwriting careers, were featured in the inaugural Young Playwrights Festival at the Flint Repertory Theatre (The Rep) over St....

Memorial for New Zealand victims set for 6:30 Tuesday at Flint Islamic Center

News Brief: Challenges, transitions of local news focus of March 26 Flint forum
The next 2019 Flint Area Public Affairs Forum convenes at 5:30 p.m. Tues., March 26, at the Flint Public Library, 1026 E. Kearsley St. With the theme “Have You Heard the News? Local News Sharing in an Age of Media Transition,” the discussion, moderated by Dawn Jones...

Artwork, fundraising begin to add women “Heroines and Humanitarians” to Flint’s sculpture pantheon
By Paul Rozycki A heroine of the Flint water crisis, a matriarch of civil rights, an Olympic gold medal boxer, an ardent advocate for the poor, a benefactor of a major library, and a tireless champion in the NAACP: all these Flint women are deserving of sculptures in...

Central American turmoil and revolution highlight Flint author’s first novel
By Paul Rozycki It may have been St. Paddy’s Day March 17, but that didn’t stop a number of leading Hispanic leaders and their families and friends from gathering at Mott Community College Sunday afternoon to launch a newly published novel by Flint-based author Martin...

News brief: Montessori registering students now; open house Thursday
Montessori for Flint is now registering students in pre-K through grade 4 for the 2019-2020 school year, and invites parents to an open house 4:30 – 6 p.m., Thursday, March 21, at Durant Tuuri Mott Elementary School, 1518 University Ave. The open house offers a chance...

Residents convene, share and reflect at “Connect the Blocks” Flint Neighborhood Summit
By Jan Worth-Nelson Qualities of neighborliness--collaboration, cooperation, valuing each person's worth-- were on full display Saturday at the "Connect the Blocks" Flint Neighborhood Summit at the Flint Food Bank. "Value people," said Megan Heysa, president of the...

“Neighbors Changing Flint” addresses funding strategies to reach community goals
By Patsy Isenberg The complicated task of seeking out sources for grants to accomplish a goal and then applying for them was the theme of the fourth workshop of the "Neighbors Changing Flint" series Wednesday evening at the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village....

News Brief: GISD preschool enrollment kickoff Sunday
Genesee Intermediate School District invites parents and small children to a Preschool Enrollment Kick-Off event noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at the Flint Children’s Museum, 1602 University Ave. Kids will explore and play in the museum, while parents learn about...