Memories of Woodrow Stanley: student, councilman, mayor, county commissioner, and state representative
By Paul Rozycki Many tributes to Woodrow Stanley have spoken of his dedication to the Flint community, his service on the Flint City Council, mayor of Flint, the Genesee County Commission, and his role in the State House of Representatives. Many have spoken of Woodrow’s comeback from a bitter recall campaign as he refused to look back and returned to the political stage for new challenges. Woodrow Stanley and Mott Community College...
Commentary: Addressing Flint’s racial and economic inequities should be top priority for $94.7 million ARPA funds use
By Linda Pohly On June 1, 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd murder and during the early days of the COVID -19 pandemic, the city council and mayor of Flint adopted a joint resolution declaring that racism is a public health crisis and setting out a plan for addressing the crisis as a city. The joint resolution described the marked disparities in the economic and health impacts of the pandemic on communities of color. It stated:...
City Council Beat: Children’s Museum explores new property despite pot facility near by; Flint Police and Fire employees granted premium pay
By Tom Travis The city council Monday unanimously approved an MOU (memorandum of understanding) allowing the Flint Children’s Museum (FCM) to purchase from the City of Flint the “old Farmer’s Market” property on E. Boulevard Drive. The council also approved a resolution allowing the City’s Police and Fire department essential workers to receive premium pay for work during the pandemic. Since October 2021...
Despite public opposition, plans for Ajax Asphalt plant move forward
By Harold C. Ford Public opposition and appeals to state and Federal regulatory agencies have thus far failed to derail plans for an asphalt plant in Genesee Township very near northeast Flint. An air permit was approved by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) in November allowing Ajax Materials Corporation to move forward. The construction site is within an industrial park on Energy Drive adjacent to...
“Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male” exhibition opens at the Flint Institute of Arts
By Tom Travis Aiming to go beyond a photographic study, photographer Jerry Taliaferro hopes his exhibit will help the community explore “perceptions and biases” towards Black men. “Recent events point to the urgent need for conversations about the contemporary Black American male,” Taliaferro said in a press release accompanying the show. “Any effort, however humble, to foster an understanding of this...