Essay: For-Mar treehouse a childhood fantasy brought to life–by TV masters
By Robert R. Thomas Camping out is an honorable Michigan tradition. I have a photo of me at three years old in the wilds of West Branch holding a hatchet while standing in front of my father’s Marine Corps pup tent that always smelled of tropical mold, which made it...
Free lead testing for dogs offered by Humane Society
The Genesee County Humane Society, partnering with the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, will be offering lead testing for dogs residing in the city of Flint, according to a press release and flyer from Dr. John Snell The testing will take...
East Village Magazine – August 2016
The latest issue of East Village Magazine is available for download here:
News Briefs Aug. 10-20: Hazardous materials recycling, lead-fighting nutrients
By Anne Trelfa Hazardous Waste, Electronics & Appliance Recycle Day Aug. 20 Saturday August 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is recycling day for hazardous waste, electronics and appliances in Genesee County. The collection will take place at two locations this year:...
New MCC statue offers tribute to legacy of C.S. Mott
By Lori Nelson Savage Almost 60 years after C.S. Mott gave additional property and money for the construction of the three-story library shared by Flint Junior College and the University of Michigan, a bronze, life-size statue in his likeness has been mounted at its...
Village Life: It’s been a little hard to write about nuthatches
By Jan Worth-Nelson I'd really like to go back to writing about nuthatches. A buddy of mine recently gently noted that my Village Life columns seem to have strayed from the easy-going neighborly flavor of my early years on the back page (or tucked into some weekend...
Flint’s woes “not just about water,” Rep. Kildee tells water recovery group
By Jan Worth-Nelson Even before the water crisis hit, U.S Representative Dan Kildee reminded about 100 members of the Flint Recovery Group Aug. 4 under the dome at City Hall, Flint was already “one mistake from a crisis.” And in the devastating wake of a whole series...
Flint can be lead-free and a national model of renewal, Flint Mayor Weaver says
By Jan Worth-Nelson While acknowledging that Flint has many hurdles to overcome in recovering from its water crisis, Mayor Karen Weaver said in her first State of the City address Aug. 4 that progress is real and that Flint can become a national model of renewal. And...
Access to lead-fighting food expanded in Double-Up Bucks program
By Stacie Scherman Many low-income Flint residents now have greater access to lead-fighting fruits, vegetables, and milk, thanks to a recent Double Up Food Bucks expansion in Flint. According to a press release, Fair Food Network (FFN), the nonprofit organization...
“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...
