If you’re hungry for tacos, then La Familia Morales in Downtown Flint is the place to go. And it’s “standing room only” on Cinco de Mayo, when many locals stop in to enjoy some specials and celebrate the day. The parking lot is jam-packed, with hungry patrons scrambling to find a spot along the street or at the nearby funeral home. The family-owned-and-operated restaurant offers a wide variety of Tex-Mex favorites. Juanita Morales has owned it since 1998, following in the footsteps of her father who had owned other Mexican eateries in Flint. Her daughter, Rose Maldonado, is the manager, and the cooking is done by Rose’s husband Phillip and her sister, Anna Sharp. “Three generations of my family have served Mexican food to Flint,” says Rose, “and we are now in the fourth generation, as four of my nieces also work here.”
When many of us get up in the morning to start our day, the first thing we do is pour a steaming-hot cup of Joe and turn on the morning news. Especially here in Michigan, the first thing we want to know is what the weather will be like for our morning commute to work. And many Greater Flint residents have relied on the familiar face of John McMurray, longtime ABC12 News meteorologist, for up-to-the-minute weather info. Last month, John retired after working for Channel 12 off and on for 47 years.
I know … an apple a day is probably a better choice; but this is the month to celebrate America’s most beloved sandwich – because it’s National Hamburger Month! National Hamburger Day is May 28, not to be confused with National Cheeseburger Day, which is celebrated in September.
George F. Grundy II, Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom, service-related disabled veteran and U.S. Marine, never imagined he’d have an address of his own – or be the founder of two businesses. Thanks to Genesee County Habitat for Humanity and General Motors, Grundy lives and works at 608 W. Court Street, where he is in the beginning stages of launching “The Home Advantage Group,” which is comprised of his photography business and is also is the hub of Veterans of Now (VON) – an organization which helps veterans reintegrate into civilian life.
Clubs typically form when a group of people discover their shared interests; so when a club’s common interests are motorcycles and doing good for the community, the unlikely pairing becomes something to recognize.
Right in the heart of the Downtown Flint art scene, painter John Dempsey has been maintaining a studio for over 25 years, working with the Buckham Fine Arts Project, and exhibiting his work at the Flint Institute of Arts, and many other locations.
As Flint faces many challenges, hope is its driving force. At Crossover Downtown Outreach Ministry, the goal is to give hope and be respectful and caring to those who cross their threshold, or anyone else who asks them for help.
Quota International of Flint is an organization whose mission is to serve the deaf and hearing impaired community, as well as disadvantaged women and children. In order to live up to their mission, Quota raises money, and with that money, do good work for the community. In the community, they have donated money to the Flint Institute of Music, the YWCA SafeHouse, the Communication Access Center, the Children’s Museum, Special Olympics, Wellness HIV Services and scholarships that are intended for college-bound Michigan School of the Deaf students, as well as for sign language interpreting students at Mott Community College and Baker College. In 1989, the club established its own foundation from which they do much of their grant-making.
For one local entrepreneur, a love of horses led to a successful business. Fred Hensler, CEO of Sapphire Blue Investment Partners, Inc. in Fenton, can’t wait to go to work every day. “I’m one of the lucky people who loves life, loves my family, my career and the people I’ve met along the way,” he says. He takes every opportunity to light up a room full of strangers, and walk out with a room of friends.
Girls, ranging in age from ten to 17, who have been abandoned, neglected and abused – physically, sexually and emotionally – have an outlet to express their inner thoughts thanks to the Buckham Art Gallery and Genesee Valley Regional Center (GVRC) Share Art Project.
To thank all of the hardworking volunteers who are the heart of the Genesee County Habitat for Humanity, the annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic is set for Saturday, April 30 at Memorial Park, 1026 Church Street in Flint. The picnic is sponsored by the William S. Ballenger Trust and is Habitat’s kick off of the 2016 building season. Those attending will be served some tantalizing BBQ from Barlow’s Gourmet Sauces & Authentic BBQ. There will also be a live performance of Mystic Dub with their funky fusion style or reggae, funk, and jazz. To make the day even more fun, there will be a workshop: Grow your Dinner – What it Takes to Eat Sustainable.
