Dear Readers,
We have always been proud to celebrate Black History Month in our February issue, and while we’ve highlighted the contributions and achievements of dozens of African American individuals over the years, I feel we’ve just scratched the surface. This year, our “past and present” theme profiles leaders in education, sports, arts, government, medicine and more.
One common thread runs through every issue of My City: people from all walks of life doing things that make a difference in the lives of others. It can be someone giving of themselves to mentor young people for over 40 years – like Craig Coney, “Flint’s Big Brother’’. Or, it can be someone finding an opportunity to turn Flint’s water crisis into jobs for its citizens by creating a product from mountains of water bottles – like Ali Rose VanOverbeke and Genusee Eyewear. Another common thread: people who do cool things! Like Breanna Trecha, Genesee County’s first female Eagle Scout; or local criminal defense lawyer, Nick Robinson, whose hobby results in the beautiful creations you see. We all know people who do something that would make an interesting story … maybe it’s you! Our team welcomes suggestions at mycitymag.com/contact/
Some of our most popular features are about (no surprise here) food. Of course, food has been an even more popular subject over the past year, as the health crisis has changed the entire dynamic (and future) of the food service industry. At this writing, our governor has allowed restaurants to open for indoor dining at 25% capacity, which might offer them a (weak) “shot in the arm” for Valentine’s Day. If you choose to dine at home with your sweetheart, we have a couple of interesting ideas for a special meal, as well as a great winter comfort-food.
Depending on your mood these days, you might be interested in our stories about two activities that are on opposite ends of the intensity spectrum: quietly browsing titles in a local used bookstore – OR smashing a whole bunch of stuff with a baseball bat in a rage room. What’s a rage room? Something to think about.
I’m thinking about my next letter and hope I’ll be talking about not only the new season, but also about good things on the horizon for Michigan and Flint: continued progress in our fight against the health crisis and an open economy on the road to recovery … fingers crossed.