City Council still says no to GLWA: “I’d rather go to jail,” Van Buren declares
By Jan Worth-Nelson As the court-appointed mediator and two attorneys for the city council sat quietly in the back of the room, eight of nine Flint City Council members today vociferously declared they "will not be bullied" into agreeing to a water supply contract...
Tree removal funds, Flint Fresh, crime and safety among CCNA highlights
By Kim Owens On the eve of autumn’s return, the College Cultural Neighborhood Association’s monthly meetings resumed appropriately with a discussion of trees. After introducing the 2017-2018 officers, President Mike Keeler thanked the group for helping the...
Commentary on the mayoral recall: why your ballot will be different
By Paul Rozycki For the fourth time in as many mayors, Flint’s mayor is facing a recall election. However, unlike the recall of Woodrow Stanley in 2002, the near-recall of Don Williamson (before resignation) in 2009, and the attempted recall of Dayne Walling in 2010,...
“Where are the journalists?” Part One: threats to local news persist as Flint Journal dwindles
“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom…of the press…” First Amendment, United States Constitution “Journalism is the only profession explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution, because journalists are supposed to be the check and balance on government....
Expanded LadyFest returns to Flint with more art, more empowerment
By Dylan Doherty Flint is not a stereotypical artists’ scene, but “is not bereft of art,” according to Janice McCoy, art coordinator of LadyFest, a Flint event that returned for the second year Sept. 15-17 in four downtown locations. “There are jazz nights, art walks,...
Joyful jazz at The Whiting launches nationwide Mott/Lincoln Center program for kids
By Jan Worth-Nelson Everybody in the lobby of The Whiting auditorium seemed happy Thursday afternoon as jazz great Wynton Marsalis came to town to ring in a new C.S. Mott Foundation partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York for kids, music, and after school...
Recycling participation, PODS updates highlight FNU monthly meeting
By Sherrema Bower The City of Flint’s recycling program and the closing of Points of Distribution Sites (PODS) were topics of interest at the Flint Neighborhoods United (FNU) monthly meeting at Woodside Church, Saturday, Sept. 9. About 25 people attended,...
Kindness Rally begins with love for oneself, unconditional love for others
By Jan Worth-Nelson While hundreds of motorcyclists revved just a few hundred yards away in downtown Flint Saturday, about 50 people came together for a much quieter cause: a call for kindness. They rallied in bright sun with a sign offering "Hugs for Unity" under...
East Village Magazine – September 2017
The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:
Village Life: Flint moves beyond ghosts as autumn whispers in
By Jan Worth-Nelson It’s a lovely cool morning, clear and fresh, reminding me of why it’s good to be in the Midwest. It feels like the first day of fall, the light turning slightly mellow, even though it’s only the first of September, and I’m up early going next door...
“Magnificent Specimens” of a circus parade highlight new Buckham show
By Meghan Christian Featuring the work of four local artists, Buckham Gallery’s next exhibit, “Magnificent Specimens of Nostalgic Wonder,” opens Friday, Sept. 8 for Art Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. One of those "magnificent specimens" is the work of Edwin Custer of Flint,...
Fearless Flint trailblazer and broadcast pioneer: the colorful life of Roberta “Bobbi” Wray
By Teddy Robertson Wingwalker, actor, musician, music lover, pilot, lawyer, magistrate, neighborhood activist, and pioneering broadcaster in Flint’s glory days: those are some of the words that describe the colorful life of Roberta “Bobbi” Wray, 77. At her Mott Park...
Lear Corporation to bring assembly plant, up to 500 jobs to former Buick City site
By Dylan Doherty Prospects for a Lear Corporation automative seat assembly plant expected to bring 450 to 500 jobs to Flint moved one step closer to implementation Aug. 22 when the Flint Planning Commission approved the site plan for the facility. The plant will be...
Commentary: Is privatizing public services a trustworthy choice for Flint?
By Paul Rozycki During a recent East Village Crime Watch meeting, a major issue was the possibility of hiring D.M. Burr to provide private security for our neighborhood, in addition to the Flint Police Department, Mott Community College, and the East Village...
Blues Festival draws jubilant crowd, features “Who’s Who” of local blues
By Sherrema Bower For the performers of the eighth annual Flint Blues Festival on the lawn of the Flint Public Library Aug. 26, having a sense of connectedness to others and home was a common theme. The performance line-up, organized and headlined by Flint blues...
Crim moments: 88-year-old finishes, Hurley team’s work “down to a science”
By Darlene C. Carey When more than 15,000 runners, walkers, and spectators flooded the Flint streets for the 41st Crim Festival of Races Aug. 27, one face among the many at the finish line stood out. That was Margaret Rough, 88, walking her 25th year in the Crim....
Who owns that house down the street? “Flint Property Portal” goes live with answers
By Dylan Doherty Flint residents have a new way to find and report information about properties in the city--from who owns them, to demolition status, to building conditions--thanks to a new website that went live Aug. 21. Training sessions on how to use the Flint...
Detroit 1967: a movie, a book, and a searing memory of when the riots hit Flint
by Harold C. Ford “A riot is the language of the unheard.” --Martin Luther King “The officer hit him and said, ‘We’re going to kill all of you black-ass nigger pimps and throw you in the river. We’re going to fill up the Detroit River with all you pimps and whores’”...
CCNA residents, on edge after crimes, meet to consider options, deterrence
By Kim Owens Faced with a roomful of more than 50 College Cultural Neighborhood residents on edge after a spate of recent crimes, Flint Police Chief Tim Johnson attempted to offer reassurance at an Aug. 17 meeting of the College Cultural Neighborhood Association...
Print show honoring DAS Print great William Stolpin opening at FIA Sept. 16
By Jan Worth-Nelson Note: Sadly, we have been notified that Bill died this morning, Aug. 21. Considering how much he loved space, it seems right that the sun will go dark as he passes to the other side. RIP, William Stolpin. William Stolpin, one of two remaining...
Review: Quoting Comey,”The Chickenshit Club” eyes why the DOJ goes easy on bankers
By Robert R. Thomas My wife, a retired librarian, came across a blurb for this book, of which she said, “This looks to be right up your alley.” She was correct, as usual, on many levels. I am hardly the only American who has never been satisfied by any answers as to...
Review: small turnout, big enthusiasms fill Meadow at Flint Jazz Festival
By Sherrema A. Bower “I’ll go where the jazz goes,” retiree Lamont Jones, 61, said during last weekend’s 36th Annual Flint Jazz Festival, Aug. 11-13. Jones was one of a small but enthusiastic crowd enjoying a fusion of jazz music, jazz lovers, and good food at The...
Democratic candidates for governor address Flint issues at UM-Flint forum
By Paul Rozycki Flint may have just completed one election and is facing another this November, but that didn’t discourage the Progressive Caucus of Mid-Michigan, the Progressive Caucus of Flint, Michigan People’s Campaign and the UM-Flint College Democrats, from...
Dispensary expansion, cell phone tower permits OK’d by Flint Planning Commission
By Dylan Doherty Permits for an expansion of a medical marijuana facility and for construction of a 150-foot downtown wireless telephone tower were unanimously granted by the Flint Planning Commission at its Aug. 8 meeting. As a required part of the process, the...
East Village Magazine – August 2017
The latest issue of the East Village Magazine is available for download here:
