Crim races cancelled for 2020; virtual “10 Days of Crim” offered instead
By Zach Neithercut For the first time in its 44-year history, thousands of runners will not pound down the bricks of Saginaw Street this August in the Crim Festival of Races. An official statement from the Crim Fitness Foundation has announced that the Foundation’s board voted to cancel the annual 2020 HAP Crim Festival of Races due to the State of Michigan’s restriction of large gatherings as a result of the ongoing COVID-19...
Village Life: Of a big green chair, two bad haircuts and the Ministry of Silly Walks
By Jan Worth-Nelson I seem to have been sitting too long. Day after day of it. Day after day, for about 75 days now, obsessed with numbers, I’ve pretzeled myself into a big green chair too close to a glaring screen. The chair is sort of a comfort—it’s wide enough to accommodate the girth of me, widened by what I’ve come to call my “Trump Ten.” Okay, maybe it’s 15 by now. The chair is deep enough to make me feel safely ensconced, as...
Commentary: Vote by mail is an idea whose time has come
By Paul Rozycki How do you want to vote this year? No, I don’t mean whether you like Democrats, Republicans, Joe Biden, or Donald Trump. I mean, how do you actually want to cast your ballot? It seems simple, but there are a lot of choices. It’s been done many ways Voting: It’s the most basic ritual of our elections, and it’s at the heart of what we call the democratic process. At one time, voting was done by voice vote in public,...
Ruth Mott Foundation adds $100K to “Restart” fund for Black-owned businesses; deadline June 7
The Ruth Mott Foundation announced today it is contributing $100,000 to a fund to help Black-owned businesses in north Flint that suffered economic hardship amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ruth Mott Foundation funds are for grants of up to $5,000 for Black-owned north Flint businesses that meet eligibility criteria. The program’s next application deadline is June 7. The grant will be made to the Genesee Chamber Foundation, a...
Mayor Neeley creates Black Lives Matter Advisory Council, announces other city actions
Below is the full text of a press release issued by the City of Flint following a protest at City Hall Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced several of these actions during his remarks to the assembled peaceful group: Mayor Sheldon Neeley today announced a series of actions being taken by the City of Flint in response to the death of George Floyd. Upon speaking to multiple community members and listening to the crowds of...
Peaceful protests continue as Sheriff Swanson says, “No need to burn the city down–You can have your voice heard”
By Tom Travis For a second time in two days, protesters gathered Sunday night, this time in downtown Flint, to send their message that black lives matter and police brutality needs to end. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, who had drawn national attention Saturday for joining with the protestors on Miller Road, returned to be with the protestors again and promised, “We are with you.” A speaker set up in front of the...