“Things went tragically wrong in Flint,” Schuette says, charging six more in water crisis
By Jan Worth-Nelson Declaring "The families of Flint will not be forgotten," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday announced criminal charges against six state employees alleged to be implicated in the Flint water crisis. "Many things went tragically...
Flint water crisis “a shocking denial of what should be a right,” NRDC expert tells visiting scribes
By Jan Worth-Nelson At the heart of the Flint water crisis is “a failure and a shocking denial of what should be a right…a failure at every level of government,” an attorney for the Natural Resource Defense Council told a group of environmental journalists meeting in...
Keep the heat on the Flint story, UM-Flint Chancellor and residents tell national journalists
By Jan Worth-Nelson Don’t let the “Flint story” drop out of view, UM – Flint Chancellor Susan Borrego and local residents implored a panel of national environmental journalists meeting in Flint last weekend. What’s at stake is not abandoning a city whose struggles are...
The black church and the civil rights movement: 11 a.m. Sunday “the most segregated hour”
By Robert R. Thomas The July 21 Tendaji Talk at Flint Public Library featured Rev. Dr. Kim DeWayne Yarber, Pastor of Flint’s Mount Hermon Baptist Church for the past 20 years. Yarber opened the talk before an audience of 25 by stating his focus would be on racism and...
Effects of “that question” still echo: Denise Ghattas on her appearance at the CNN Debate
By Jan Worth-Nelson Since the night of March 6, when Denise Ghattas stood up in Whiting Auditorium at the CNN Democratic Debate and asked Bernie Sanders, "Do you believe that God is relevant?" she has been lambasted and mocked on Google, slandered on an extremist...
Village Life: When you need to turn to art, how satisfying to find it here
By Jan Worth-Nelson Maybe it feels like we have to, but we can’t think about water all the time. We can’t worry about water all the time. We can’t be depressed about politics all the time. We can’t be sad about Orlando -- and now Baton Rouge, and now Minneapolis, and...
Major FIA expansion includes glass studios, metal casting
By Nic Custer The Flint Institute of Arts began construction this month on a major expansion of its art school and galleries. The project includes a $5 million Contemporary Craft Wing and a $3.5 million artist’s makerspace with glass studios and a metal casting...
News briefs — July 13-21: Join Bike Share program Thursday, “Be a tourist in your hometown” Saturday
By Anne Trelfa Bike Share program opens up, uses Zagster A collaborative effort including the UM-Flint Walk & Bike Group, Genesee County Parks, the Flint River Corridor Alliance and others, are rolling out a Zagster Bike Share program called Flint Bike Share...
Former Dort Motor Car Company factory eyed for “makerspace”
By Stacie Scherman A former factory of the Dort Motor Car Company, built a hundred years ago for the budding auto industry, soon could be the home for making things again, this time on a very 21st century model. That might include people repairing small machines,...
National environmental journalists coming to Flint, public invited
By Robert Thomas and Jan Worth-Nelson A national association of environmental journalists is considering holding its annual conference in Flint, a representative of the group told the Flint Water Recovery Group partners at their regular meeting under the dome at City...
Pipe replacements hitting stumbling blocks, water safety guarantees uncertain, city and state officials report
By Robert R. Thomas The Flint city administration’s goal of removing lead service lines paid for by $2 million in state money has been jeopardized by unexpectedly high contractor bids, Steve Branch, Mayor Karen Weaver's chief of staff, explained to about 70 partners...
East Village Magazine – July 2016
The latest issue of East Village Magazine is available for download here:
The August primary: not as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, but probably more important
Commentary by Paul Rozycki I planned on writing about the upcoming Republican national convention, the desperate attempts to block Donald Trump’s nomination, Trump’s latest outbursts and how it all promises to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. However, I’ve since...
New downtown gallery providing permanent home to Mott-Warsh collection
By Nic Custer A collection of more than 600 art works from the African diaspora, from Jacob Lawrence to Dawoud Bey, has a new permanent home in downtown Flint. A free gallery housing the Mott-Warsh art collection had its grand opening during June’s Art Walk. Works by...
“Gallery on the Go” cleaning up Flint, brightening minds one mural at a time
by Lori Nelson Savage A new program in Flint started by giving young people an opportunity to paint on buildings. But soon it became clear Gallery on the Go also is delivering lessons in technique, self-confidence, respect, and community pride. In the meantime,...
Michigan Activities Pass opens doors to state parks, museums, five Flint sites
By Kayla Chappell Starting with a library card, a free program is offering Michigan families admission to state parks, museums, and discounts to other summer events such as the Michigan Renaissance Festival. The Michigan Activities Pass (MAP), introduced in 2007, had...
News Briefs June 30-July 5: Get muddy at Bluebell Beach, see Movies Under the Stars
By Anne Trelfa Play in the Mud July 2 This Saturday, July 2, is International Mud Day. Genesee County Parks and Recreation invites the public to celebrate at Bluebell Beach by getting muddy. This free event, located at the north end of the park, 5500 Bray Rd., is open...
“Filtered water” green light draws alarm, reassurance from community partners
By Jan Worth-Nelson The announcement issued today by the Environmental Protection Agency that Flint's water is now safe for all populations and all uses, if filtered -- a dramatic shift from the status quo understanding since January -- drew responses of surprise,...
News Briefs June 19-30: Music in the Parks series begins, lead-fighting foods workshops offered
By Anne Trelfa Music in the Parks free summer concert series 2016 begins The Music In The Parks Free Summer Concert Series 2016 begins Saturday June 25. First in the series features the Flint Symphony Orchestra and the Flint Jubilee Chorale performing at 7 p.m. at...
EPA identifies “significant challenges” to long-term Flint water quality in memo to Snyder, Weaver
By Jan Worth-Nelson Flint faces significant "long-term challenges" that need to be tackled to assure safe drinking water, according to a strongly-worded memo from Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, delivered today to Gov. Rick Snyder...
Donated checks to city “never cashed,” Mayor Weaver’s chief of staff says
By Jan Worth-Nelson Checks made out to the City of Flint as donations after the water crisis broke this year "have never been cashed," Steve Branch, Mayor Karen Weaver's chief of staff, told community partners in the Flint Water Recovery Group at a meeting today at...
News Briefs June 14-30: Dinner to benefit Whaley House; Flint Youth Theater season opens
By Anne Trelfa Whaley Dinner Club Returns with a Summer Soiree Tickets are available now through June 23 for a "Summer Soiree" to benefit the Whaley Historic House Museum. The Sloan Museum in Flint's Cultural Center will host the Whaley Dinner Club: Summer Soiree set...
Music is a “radical affirmation of the humanity we all share,” William Harvey asserts in return to Flint
By Jan Worth-Nelson William Harvey stands in front of 1910 Montclair St. in Flint, a house he hasn't laid eyes on since 1987, and says, “Oh my god, that’s the house. That was where I got my first violin.” It came through the mail and, he recalls with the specific...
Happy Anyway: A Flint Anthology launches with complex stories, national interest
By Jan Worth-Nelson UPDATE: We have added late-arriving comments here from contributor Layla Meillier. Please see below. Editors and publishers nationally already are expressing interest in a new collection of essays about Flint, according to the publisher. Happy...
News briefs June 10-11: Free Chamber Music at FIM, Concerned Pastors/MCC Water Summit
By Anne Trelfa Free Chamber Music Series continues June 10 at the FIM Fridays in June, the Flint School of Performing Art and Flint Symphony Orchestra present the 2016 Chamber Music Series. The four-concert series, sponsored by the Patricia Cumings Dort Fund and the...
