Commentary: People’s health comes first–fighting the Lead and Copper Rule is shameful
[This op-ed was originally published in the Detroit Free Press; reprinted with permission] By Ridgway White The most important function of government is to protect the safety and well-being of citizens. That’s why it’s disheartening to learn some southeast Michigan cities and the utilities that serve them are trying to thwart Michigan’s new Lead and Copper Rule. Instead of suing to block implementation of the rule, they should put...
Bees making sweet honey on Flint’s East Side
By Patsy Isenberg Flint’s East Side may be a tattered symbol to some human eyes of the city’s struggles. But it turns out honeybees like it just fine. The wildflowers sprouting up in abandoned lots and brownfields may be the secret ingredient that makes city honey sweet – better even than rural honey, according to an East Side family of beekeepers who say they have become fascinated by bees and are doing their best to try to save the...
Dorothy’s House of Coffee a welcoming spot for coffee, conversation and faith
by Luther Houle More than a dozen students met at Dorothy’s House of Coffee, 503 East St., for holiday feasts between Thanksgiving and Christmas. They were hosted by the Catholic Community of Flint, a coalition of the city’s four Catholic churches, to gather people together and foster community. Visitors coming in from the cold found a warmly lit room full of smiling, friendly faces. An enormous spread of home-cooked Italian...
Flint Community Schools board paves way for active new year amid uncertainty and change
by Harold C. Ford Amid uncertainty and change as the Flint Community Schools (FCS) move into the 2019 calendar year, a host of initiatives, actions, and accomplishments were announced as part of a packed agenda at the regular meeting of the FCS board of education Dec. 19. Among them were securing $3.2 million in project funding, district-wide staff training to assure positive learning environments, and adoption of a “balanced...
Jacky King laid to rest: Flint loses a genuine hero
by Harold C. Ford “Get out there and make a damn difference.” –Jacky King, Dec. 2017, STAND Magazine The greater Flint area, the Beecher community in particular, lost a genuine hero on Dec. 13, 2018 with the passing of Jacky King. King, 65, succumbed to a year-long battle with brain cancer. Community activist, entrepreneur, Hall of Fame martial artist, urban farmer, Mt. Morris Township trustee, and mentor to thousands of...
Commentary: Should the Lame Duck be a dead duck?
By Paul Rozycki In the past, the so-called “lame duck” session was a time when the state legislature met in the last weeks of the year, before the newly elected members took office. They took care of relatively modest issues, final adjustments to the budget and other end-of-the-year issues. However, in recent years the lame duck session has become a time when a large number of controversial bills are rushed through the lawmaking maze...
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