It’s been the pride of Downtown. The Flint Farmers’ Market is a bustle of activity, bringing unique foods, abundant fresh produce, delicious baked goods and a wide variety of events drawing thousands of visitors to Flint. June 21 marked the fifth anniversary of the Flint Farmers’ Market at its current location at 300 E. First Street.
At 7pm on October 20, 1919, Major Albert Sobey unlocked the door to his classroom for the first time. His students were workers from all walks of life who made the journey to Flint with the hope of a better life through the auto industry and General Motors. All of them decided to attend a new school in Flint dedicated to the art of engineering and management. What that one, small turn of a key would lead to was a wonderful surprise for the city and to students for a century. That first class was the birth of Kettering University.
Grab a few friends or pack up the kids and continue enjoying a great summer of music and festivals. Opportunities to steal a weekend of sunshine and experience a new concert venue are just a quick ride away or a simple walk around the block. Don’t miss out! Make the most of all the summertime you can find and keep the party going strong!
A small, family business in Grand Blanc, Grand Oak Mortgage Company specializes in residential mortgage lending and pre-approvals, and also assists borrowers who are looking to refinance their current home or purchase a new home. “The majority of our business comes from past client referrals and realtor referrals,” says Owner, Carol Landis.
In 1914, an Irish immigrant named John Walter Donlan wanted to help erect a new Roman Catholic Church in the Flint community. To generate funding, he found a place at the market downtown where he began selling fresh fish supplied by family friends in Bay City. The fish market was a hit, and in no time, Donlan and many others were able to raise enough money to build St. Matthews Catholic Church. Immediately thereafter, Donlan started the Flint Fish Company at 521 Brush Alley. Built upon a pledge of selling only the highest quality fish and providing excellent customer service, the company was highly successful. In 1949, Donlan’s son, John Mason Donlan moved the business to its current location at 3116 Corunna Road. In 1980, a new facility was built at the same location by Michael Wallace Donlan and in 1998, the business was passed to its current owner, Michael John Donlan. Since its beginning, Donlan’s has been the community’s go-to fish place and is Flint’s longest-running business – here for 105 years.
Honor, dignity, humility, service, respect. These are a few words that come to mind after meeting with Rico Phillips, a longtime Flint firefighter who recently brought home the NHL Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award. The award recognizes an individual who, through the game of hockey, has positively inspired his or her community, culture or society. Willie O’Ree is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League and for his community service. “He broke the color barrier,” says Phillips. “Today, he is known as the Jackie Robinson of hockey.”
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) invites Flint-area residents to the HAP Health & Fun Fair on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 10am-2pm. The fair will take place at the HAP Flint Grounds, 2050 S. Linden Road (the southwest corner of Linden and Corunna roads). More than 40 mid-Michigan community partners will be onsite to share information about available resources for kids, families and seniors.
It’s blueberry picking time and the deliciously sweet berries are chock full of health benefits. Known as the king of antioxidant foods, blueberries can reduce DNA damage, which may protect against aging and cancer, protects cholesterol in your blood from becoming damaged and may even lower your blood pressure. So, grab a bucket, put on a straw hat and get ready to go. Listed here are places to go berry picking right here in Genesee County:
Bring a lawn chair and/or blanket and enjoy a variety of free music concerts, on Thursday nights, at Fenton’s millpond gazebo with family and friends. Tonight, the Ghost Town Blues Band performs. Rain location – Fenton Community & Cultural Center located at 150 S. Leroy Street.7-8:30pm. The concert if free!
Enjoy four days of great Jazz in Downtown Flint beginning with a Jazz Walk Thursday evening with live jazz performances in a variety of downtown Flint’s finest clubs, followed by three days of local, regional and international jazz groups playing at Flint’s Riverbank Park. Thursday 5-11pm, Friday 5:30-8:30 pm, Saturday 1:30-8:30pm, Sunday 2-8:30pm.
Blood donations are at an all-time low with so many people traveling and vacationing during the summer months. In order to fill the need for more donors, Financial Plus Credit Union is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a community blood drive event. The blood drive will take place Friday, July 26 from 10am-3:45pm at the Financial Plus Main office at G-3381 Van Slyke Road in Flint.
