Commentary: Join us–become a First Amendment warrior
By Ted Nelson “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” –First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution In the September 2018 edition of East Village Magazine, a rare editorial proclaimed “The...
Village Life: No boundaries for fear–A tale of two Flints
By Melodee Mabbitt On Halloween, I’ll have lived for 10 years in my house in the East Village, or what my mom referred to as “management’s neighborhood.” I recently tried to explain to someone in the neighborhood how different my life was before I came here, when I lived on Bennett Avenue and later on M. L. King. I tried to explain the first violent crime I’d witnessed, and then the next one. I don’t even know if I got them right. Was...
Commentary: Election 2019, Weaver, Neeley and the public library–How it’s different. Why it matters.
By Paul Rozycki The campaign signs are popping up. The campaign flyers are in the mail. TV and social media ads are sure to be seen soon. The Flint mayoral campaign is underway. In less than a month Flint voters will elect their next mayor—the first general election under the new charter. But the big questions is—How much do Flint voters care? In the August primary only 12 percent of the voters turned out to give Mayor Karen...
Review: Connor Coyne’s serial Flint allegory “Urbantasm” continues with”ambitious, authentic” Book Two
By Robert R. Thomas Flint author Connor Coyne’s Urbantasm is a serial novel composed of four books. Last year I read and reviewed Book One: The Dying City (EVM July 2, 2018). So surprised had I been by Coyne’s ambitious allegorical teen noir serial novel that I approached Book Two: The Empty Room with something akin to an elderly version of the unabashed exciting curiosity the Saturday matinee movie serials at the Roxy Theater brought...
Commentary: Are Flint foundations replacing city government? Does it matter?
By Paul Rozycki Editor’s Note: This story was updated Sept. 3 to clarify that the C.S. Mott Foundation, in the fourth year of its five-year $100 million water crisis commitment, has awarded $93.5 million. East Village Magazine’s Mott Foundation grant is separate from that commitment. Also, we have clarified that over the last decades the Ruth Mott Foundation has paid out between $4 million and $7 million annually in...
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, some of them had to be there. Nine were elected from their wards as members of the council. Perhaps another half dozen were city employees who were expected to be...
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