Photo by Kayce McClure
Flint makes it official. The holidays are here! More than 100 people were on hand to witness the lighting of Flint’s Downtown Christmas tree.
At noon on Wednesday, November 7, the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the Flint Repertory Theatre. The new Flint Rep is the exciting expansion of the Flint Youth Theatre and will bring original, professional theatre to the city. Students, professionals, and patrons of all ages will be able to learn, create, and enjoy the performing arts in a myriad of ways. The Flint Rep will feature both child and adult musicals, plays and workshops designed to entertain and teach. A new feature of the theatre is the addition of adult classes with such subjects as improv, character building and Shakespeare. “Our new mission is to provide the community with highly imaginative, thought-provoking theatre that is challenging, entertaining and inspiring for all ages,” says Michael Lluberes, Producing Artistic Director.
Located two miles north of Downtown Flint on Leith Street, Buick City Event Center is the new, premier entertainment venue in Genesee County and the State of Michigan. “There is a big investment here and we want to provide the venue of choice for entertainment in Greater Flint,” says Owner, Scott Williamson. With a 1,000-person capacity, the facility is one of the newest in the state and compares easily to iconic venues like The Fillmore in Detroit and The Intersection in Grand Rapids. Buick City Event Center (BCEC) provides a large main floor and an enormous stage, with spectacular lighting and state-of-the-art sound. “The sound system was designed by a technician who is affiliated with a major band,” informs Williamson. “What we have here for sound is fantastic.”
The North Flint Food Market Cooperative (NFFM) will be the first cooperative grocery store in Genesee County. According to Edgar Clarke, NFFM member and Community Outreach and Marketing Coordinator with the North Flint Reinvestment Corporation, the need for a food co-op came about a few years back, during the water crisis when grocery stores in the North Flint area closed, such as Kroger and Meijer. “Residents needed grocery stores in the area,” Clarke explains. “They recognized the need for access to fresh, healthy groceries in the community.” And, accessing healthy food is a challenge for many families, particularly those living in low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and rural areas, he adds. “The NFFM will provide Flint families with access to high-quality food, from locally-sourced produce to organic products.”
After 90 years, it is safe to state that Cline, Cline & Griffin and its predecessors have been part of Flint’s legal community throughout the 20th Century.
The Hispanic Technology & Community Center of Greater Flint (HTCC) is a community service and educational agency established with the purpose of securing equal opportunities for Hispanics and other minority individuals, as well as the local community. Asa Zuccaro has been the director of HTCC since March 2018. The bi-lingual director was born and raised on Flint’s eastside and is very aware of the problems faced by the Latino community. He brings with him a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about the future. “There is no other position I would ever want to have,” he says.
It was a sad day for golf lovers when they learned that 2009 was the last year for the beloved Buick Open. Well, just eight years later, professional golf is back at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc and the excitement is mounting. The Ally Challenge Presented by McLaren is set for September 14-16, with pre-tournament events starting Sept. 10. According to its web site, “the Ally Challenge is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions owned and operated by Tournaments for Charity, a Michigan nonprofit corporation. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $2 million purse.”
It was an exciting day for the Flint community when ground was broken in late June at the site of a new, public, nonprofit charter school on the Cultural Center grounds. The Flint Cultural Center Academy is expected to open for the 2019/20 school year and will serve approximately 650 students. The 78,000-square-foot school will feature 37 classrooms, a gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen. It will also include an adjacent exhibit and learning space with three multipurpose classrooms that will provide students and the staff direct access to the Flint Institute of Music and Sloan Museum.
The month of August brings one of Flint’s premier events, the HAP Crim Festival of Races, which is always held on the third weekend of the month (this year on August 23-25) bringing thousands of runners, fitness enthusiasts, families and spectators to Downtown Flint from all over the world.
Michelle Rosynsky, Ed. D. was selected as the new CEO of the YWCA of Greater Flint by its board of directors in June. She brings 25 years of experience to the position she began on July 2. Rosynsky previously served for seven years as the Director of the Women’s Education Center at the University of Michigan-Flint and most recently as Senior Director of Student Involvement and Leadership at the University. She has been influential in women’s leadership advocacy for domestic violence, education and empowerment. “Women’s empowerment and women’s issues have always been a passion of mine,” Rosynsky shares.
