Village Life: It’s too hot for lies and threats to democracy, even for journalists here at home
By Jan Worth-Nelson Today’s it’s 95 degrees outside and the AC is rumbling like a 19th century train. I’m passing on taking my daily walk, and I hurry outside only briefly to add water to the bird bath, hoping all the creatures will find a cool retreat. I’m recovering from a trip to the dentist, where something came over me. I had a mouth full of the hygienist’s hands as she scraped away, and I got a coughing fit. I grabbed her...
Education Beat Analysis/Commentary: Monumental challenges for Flint Schools; progress slowed by instability
By Harold C. Ford [Editor’s note: For this special “good governance” issue of East Village Magazine, we have invited Education Beat writer Harold C. Ford, who’s been covering the Flint Board of Education for more than five years, to submit not just a factual report about the state of the beleaguered district, but an analysis, with recommendations, from his expertise as a lifelong educator — thus combining two...
What’s on the Aug. 2 primary ballot? Here’s a preview from state to city
By Paul Rozycki The upcoming Aug.2 primary election is only weeks away and, if this year is like most, we will have a light turnout for our summer election as voters are otherwise occupied with travel plans, cookouts, and staying cool. Yet this primary may be more important than most. With the redistricting of the past year completed, many voters may be in new districts, and many candidates will be appealing to a new set of voters....
Commentary: Good government isn’t easy. It’s up to all of us to make it work
By Paul Rozycki When Flint School Board President Danielle Greene [allegedly] assaulted board Treasurer Laura McIntyre during a Flint Community School Board meeting last March, the school board accomplished something that few thought humanly possible. If even for a short time, they replaced the Flint City Council as the most dysfunctional government in the county. That’s no small accomplishment. Not to be outdone in the race for...
“Blight elimination” top priority in Mayor’s plan to allocate $94 million ARPA funds
By Tom Travis Mayor Sheldon Neeley and his administration outlined a proposal to allocate the $94 million American Rescue Plan funds awarded to Flint in April 2021 at a special city council meeting Monday. The proposal calls for $69.5 million of the funds to be used for housing and blight elimination ($33.6 million); economic development ($11.57 million); safety and crime prevention ($10.2 million); infrastructure ($7.475 million)...