“What’s next? What do we do with all this?” Tracee Glab, new FIA executive director, welcomes new era
By Tom Travis “The arts have meant a lot in terms of transforming my life. I grew up in the southwest Detroit, immigrant neighborhood — mostly Italians, in the shadow of the Ford Rouge Plant. A lot of people that lived in my neighborhood worked at Ford or for Marathon Oil or one of the other industries in the area. So it was a very hard working, working-class, blue collar neighborhood. That significant background is part...
Totem Books hosts Carrie Walling’s “Human Rights and Justice for All” book launch
By Paul Rozycki Carrie Booth Walling introduced her new book “Human Rights and Justice for All: Demanding Dignity in the United States and Around the World” at a well-attended kickoff event Thurs. Aug. 11, at Totem Books in Flint. Dawn Jones of ABC 12 TV conducted the interview and was moderator as Walling discussed the book and answered questions from the audience about the importance of human rights in today’s world. Both were...
Education Beat: Staff shortages at Flint schools at a “critical” stage
By Harold C. Ford “Teachers are walking away.” — Joyce Ellis McNeal, president, Flint Board of Education The central issue at a four-hour Flint Board of Education (FBOE) Committee of the Whole meeting Aug. 10 was the “critical” shortage of candidates to fill vacant staff positions in the district — primarily teachers. Flint officials said more than 40 positions are currently unfilled by qualified, full-time staff. Joyce...
Art Review: “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” explored at latest Mott-Warsh exhibit
By Harold C. Ford “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” is the current exhibit at the Mott-Warsh (MW) Gallery, 815 S. Saginaw St. (corner of Court and Saginaw streets), Flint. The exhibit ends Aug. 20. According to Stephanie James, director and curator of the Mott-Warsh collection, the exhibit is in response to the angst-inducing issues of the current era that impact most of us: the COVID-19 pandemic; racial justice; the Jan. 6...
City’s financial peril thwarted with $220 million boost from State coffers
By Tom Travis An infusion of $220 million into the city’s coffers from the State Treasury will give enduring relief to the city’s finances. On July 6, Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced the City of Flint will receive $220 million from State budget allocations to fund the city’s pension costs. That allocation is part of the State’s $76 billion budget Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed July 1. In recent budget...