Legislation aims to redevelop Buick City in Flint for investment and environmental renewal
By Tom Travis New legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week aims to help bring new economic development opportunities to Flint’s Buick City and generate economic revitalization in Flint, according to a Monday press release from U.S. Representative Dan Kildee’s office. The legislation would make Buick City an Opportunity Zone to generate economic development and investment. The legislation was...
Education Beat: Flint School Board President Green removed after alleged assault on Board Treasurer MacIntyre
By Harold C. Ford “This is a painful day today … In order for us to move forward we’ve got to learn how to forgive.” Joyce Ellis-McNeal, installed as Flint Community Schools board president after an alleged assault by Danielle Green. “Today’s incident was a slap in our face … We were set back … I cannot tell my scholars not to fight when we, as adults, cannot control our emotions … We got to wake up as a community.” Marlis Settle,...
Commentary: Flint’s I-475 freeway and race: A concrete barrier, or a road to reconciliation?
By Paul Rozycki A therapist trying to analyze Flint’s attitude towards race might use the term bipolar. On one hand, Flint was the first major city to choose an African-American mayor, Floyd McCree. It passed one of the first open housing ordinances in the late 1960s, after a community sleep-in at City Hall. A Republican governor came to support the effort. It’s been the home of the United Auto Workers (UAW), historically one of the...
Education Beat: Linda Boose to fill vacant Flint Community Schools Board seat
By Harold C. Ford Linda Boose was selected Tuesday by the Flint Board of Education (FBOE) to fill a seat vacated a month ago by Adrian Walker. The decision came after two rounds of interviews lasting nearly 2.5 hours, with five members of the board – Danielle Green, president; Joyce Ellis-McNeal, vice-president; Laura MacIntyre, treasurer; Allen Gilbert and Chris Del Morone, trustees, voting unanimously for Boose. Trustee Carol...
11-hour city council session disintegrates into a lecture from the public and EAB president
By Tom Travis Beleaguered for 11 hours, the city council verbally wrestled with each other in Monday night’s meeting discussing the topics: “respect, decorum, and censure.” Members of the public, council members and the chair of the Ethics and Accountability Board (EAB) lectured the officials on their behavior and lack of completing “city business.” “Repeated lack of decorum and violations of the...