Harmonious voices rise from the parking lot: local choir meets to safely socialize and sing
By Tom Travis On a warm spring evening amid the pavement, sidewalks and brick buildings of downtown Flint, the sound of harmonious singing voices rose from a church parking lot across the street from the county courthouse. They were the voices of the Carolyn Mawby Chorale (CMC), a local choir established in 1987 by 16 alumni members of the UM-Flint Chamber Singers, They were singing together in person for the first time in more than a...
Education Beat: Flint Schools pause face-to-face instruction and all athletics on April 12 as pandemic numbers spike
By Harold C. Ford It’s been a school year unlike any other in several generations. Flint Community Schools’ (FCS) off-again/on-again face-to-face instruction inside its school buildings is off-again. FCS Assistant Superintendent Kevelin Jones announced on April 6 that all FCS students would return to remote/online instruction starting Monday, April 12. Additionally, FCS will pause all athletic programs as well. [Jones’ statement is...
Public Hearings to be held throughout April on Flint’s $71 million budget
By Tom Travis The City of Flint’s $71 million budget will be discussed in public hearings held by the city council on four days in April. The city council will hold departmental budget hearings for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 city budgets. According to a press release from the city council and finance committee chair Santino Guerra (3rd Ward) the public hearings will be held on Monday, April 5 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and...
Flint’s new Chief Financial Officer Shelbi Frayer hits the ground running as city council considers $71 million budget
By Tom Travis Shelbi Frayer has joined the City of Flint Finance department as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). “Frayer comes to Flint with a wealth of experience in municipal finance, previously serving in key leadership roles with the City of Lansing, State of Michigan, and multiple school districts,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley explained in a press release. Frayer, 35, lives with her husband of 13 years, Chris,...
Is it time to get back to “normal”? Maybe, but not yet.
By Paul Rozycki “It ain’t over till it’s over” -Yogi Berra There is a feeling of spring in the air. The days are getting warmer. The snow is melting. More and more people are getting the COVID vaccine. The Flint water crisis seems to reaching some sort of conclusion. And the divisive, tumultuous election of 2020 is now history. So, we’re ready to move on and get back to “normal”…Right? No so fast. After a week of spring-like...
Village Life: Pierce Preschool connected us to our “Pandemic Village”
By Melodee Mabbitt Before the pandemic hit, I was the kind of parent who relied heavily on my village to help raise our child. Pre-pandemic, I was lucky to have a flexible schedule with the ability to work remotely. I even got away without needing a babysitter much of the time by going places where our three year old could socialize with other kids while I worked from my laptop. We had dance class on Thursdays, but the rest of the...
FACES of Flint
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