Dear Readers,
We finally got the Michigan summer weather we were waiting for! Looking cool on our cover is local rock band, Avalon Black – three-time MCM City’s Choice Award Winner. It’s no secret that Flint has produced some stellar musical talent, and these guys have a pretty impressive following.
Also impressive: the Flint Farmers’ Market! It’s been recognized as one of the “Great Places in America” by the American Planning Association, and it’s only getting better. The Market is celebrating five years at its E. First St. location, and we take a look at what’s new.
You may have noticed some fantastic murals adorning buildings all over Flint. If not, be on the lookout! The Flint Public Arts Project is inviting artists to paint the murals (100 by this time next year) as a way to shift the media’s negative narrative surrounding Flint. Outstanding! We have a sample of the 35+ unique and expressive works that are already complete.
Another feel-good piece tells the story of longtime Flint firefighter, Rico Phillips, who was recently honored with the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. Founder of the Flint Inner City Youth Hockey Program, he’s been devoted to helping Greater Flint youth experience the game of hockey and all the important life skills they can learn from it.
Flint has been a place of higher learning for many years – 100, to be exact. Kettering University is marking its centennial anniversary, and we’ve got a brief history of this once small night school that grew to become one of America’s finest institutions. It’s a shame Mother Nature didn’t cooperate for the big celebration at Atwood last month, or we would have plenty of photos for you. But, we do have 16 pages of faces we snapped having fun at summer events all over Greater Flint!
One event that generated excitement was the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Wahlburgers Restaurant at Genesee Valley – check out the “My Eats”. I was ready to try a burger last Friday and couldn’t get in the door! It’s great to see businesses being attracted to Flint.
Thousands of people will be attracted to Flint this month for Back to the Bricks, The Crim and much more – we’ll see you there!
Thanks for reading.
Photo By Brooklyn Caldwell
