I love Flint: Baker’s dozen reasons why my town is NOT the 11th “Worst City to Live In”
By Harold C. Ford I’m an unabashed, unashamed, scream-it-from-the-rooftops supporter/defender of Flint. And yet once again, my hometown was put on another “worst” list. This time it was a publication called 24/7 Wall St. Using “an index of over two dozen measures to identify the worst cities to live in,” Flint was ranked the 11th worst in the U.S. I was drawn to the article while perusing the website of the Detroit Free...
Commentary: Civility in politics 2019? Maybe, but don’t count on it
By Paul Rozycki “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” -Yogi Berra With a newly elected Congress in Washington, a new administration in Lansing, and a mayoral election in Flint, this year will be anything but tranquil politically. As has been the case for the last few years, predictions are easy to make, but often wrong. Like so many things attributed to Yogi Berra, I don’t know if he actually said, “It’s tough...
Village Life: A tale of two signs on the “Eastside” of Flint
By Gary Fisher They’re just metal street signs. Been there for years, decades, a very long time, after all. There they are perched at the top of a standard street sign pole. Nothing to see here, folks. Or maybe there is. Well at least for me there is. That’s because sometimes street signs aren’t just street signs. Sometimes they are so much more. Those two signs were the literal and figurative signposts of not only my life, but also...
Review: The Little Prince “tames” Rep audiences with good storytelling, acting, direction, and stage design
By Patsy Isenberg The stage version of “The Little Prince,” written by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar based on the beloved children’s book by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, closed Dec. 23 after a successful run at the Flint Repertory Theater. The Rep’s execution of the endearing play, with only four characters, featured deft direction, excellent acting, evocative set design, and haunting sound...
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...
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...
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