This year, the Flint Public Library is 165 years old. So, how did it begin?
The coolest kids around are those participating in the Back to the Bricks’ up-and-coming program, Hot Rod High.
For more than 30 years, Betty Rathfon, LMSW, ACSW, Director of Child Welfare and Home Based Services at Catholic Charities in Flint, has served the needs of children. “My passion is helping children and families,” says Rathfon, who grew up in a nurturing, loving family environment and believes her early learning in the area of family values stems from observing her parents, who were exemplary role models. “My nuclear and extended family members definitely valued children and their well-being,” she says. “Those beliefs and values carried into the profession I chose – social work.”
With its rich automotive history, Genesee County is one area where the appreciation and passion for high-performance, visually-pleasing, head-turning vehicles is unmistakable.
Studies have shown that the industries of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are primarily male-dominated. According to Sam Grathoff, who works in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at the University of Michigan-Flint, there are many girls in the local community and around the nation who are interested in learning STEM subjects, too. So, a couple of women in the area got together – Monique Wilhem, who works in the Chemistry Department at the University of Michigan and Laurie Bone, Senior Curator at Longway Planetarium, to explore ideas for developing a STEM project for girls that would allow them to be around others who share the same interests.
Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad are the “best-kept secrets in Genesee County,” according to Denise Bowles, who was appointed manager of the place in January. And, she has met the challenge with great enthusiasm. She can be seen walking throughout the village with a cell phone and walkie-talkie, greeting staff and visitors with a big smile and warm, “Hello.”
In this three-part series, My City will explore the viability of the options Greater Flint residents have when it comes to getting started with a business, or even growing an existing one. Looking at the Michigan Small Business Center, the eTEAM, Leadership NOW, and Co+Work, readers will find that everything in Flint is connected – everything supports everything.
The raw talents of young artists are indisputable. What many young people tend to run into is having no outlet for refining those talents. The Flint Youth Media Project, led by Donna Ullrich of the UM-Flint Communications and Visual Arts Department, has recently provided a method for young people to turn their instincts into learned skills.
This month marks Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea’s two-year anniversary as president of Mott Community College. The warm welcome she received from the community, teachers, faculty and staff, as well as the students, was a clear indication to the Tulsa, OK native that Flint was a place she could call home. “Family is very important to me,” says Dr. Beverly, as she is fondly referred to on campus. She loves that she is called “Dr. Beverly,” because she considers herself an informal person.
As a senior at Kettering University, Jonathan Blanchard is only a few years into his adulthood. Yet, he has an unmistakable, powerful, and passionate concern for the next generation.
