Randy Matteson has been an officer with the Flint Police Department since April 2004. After graduating from Clio High School, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, so he went to college and earned his degree in Criminal Justice at Mott Community College. “It was the best decision I’ve made,” he says. During the day he is protecting and serving the citizens of Flint. At night, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his wife and coaching his daughters’ soccer teams. My City Magazine was granted a ride-along with the busy patrol officer who works a 12-hour daytime shift.
Dinner at Sagano Japanese Bistro & Steakhouse isn’t just a meal – it is an experience! Hungry guests sit around hibachi grill tables as highly-skilled chefs put on a knife show, slicing and grilling vegetables with flair, cooking meat as flames shoot from the grill, while simultaneously preparing rice and noodles. “Something magical happens when it all gets put together,” says Ino (Shiro) Inoue, who along with his wife, Inja, are the faces of the restaurant and original owners of the Japanese Bistro that has a loyal following of local sushi lovers.
The University of Michigan football program is a perfect example of what a difference a year can make. October of 2014 saw the Wolverines mired in a 2-5 start on the way to a modest 5-7 record, and Fenton High School graduate Kenny Allen, while on the roster, was without a scholarship and yearning to become the team’s punter for the following season. One year later, much has changed for the better in Ann Arbor with numerous new faces in a bevy of places; not least of which is first-year coach, Jim Harbaugh, whose Wolverines had flipped their record from the previous season through seven games to 5-2.
Bishop International Airport has evolved considerably over the years – from just a dirt road and a dream into a state-of-the-art facility that has flown more than 1.9 million passengers in a nine-year period.
If there’s one thing Flint City Police Chief James Tolbert is sure of, it’s his philosophy that a police department must strive for positive interaction with the community it serves. “Our goal and mission is to let the community know we’re here for them,” says Chief Tolbert, who was appointed to his position in the fall of 2013. “I think we’re fortunate in Flint, because we don’t have the strain other cities have.”
Now CMU’s 14th president, Dr. George Ross has enjoyed a long and successful career in education. He took a few moments from his busy schedule to answer questions about his Flint roots, his life, and his hopes for the city’s future.
When what is now Genesee County began to take shape (back in the ol’ days!) there was much experimentation with what to call all the different places that now, just roll off the tongue without a thought. To introduce My City Magazine’s four-part series on the many origins of Genesee County, let us start with its name.
November is the month that our country honors its veterans, the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way so that we can lead safe and secure lives. And there is perhaps no other veteran in the state of Michigan more deserving of recognition than Duane Hackney – a Flint native and Beecher High School graduate – and the most decorated enlisted airman in United States Air Force history. His story is on display at the Michigan Military and Space Museum in Frankenmuth. He served during the Vietnam War as a para-rescueman. To his son, Jason Hackney, his father was a humble man and a good father. “He didn’t like to talk about his time in the service,” says Jason, “and he didn’t think of himself as a hero.” But a hero he was.
Celebrating the start of its 90th season last month, Flint’s Dancing Club is continuing to gather couples who like to get all dressed up for an evening out that includes dinner, dancing and socializing with others who enjoy the same.
For many people, Halloween means dressing up for a party with spooky decorations. However, the day’s activities could hold a different excitement if you’re a comic book fan. This Halloween, BC Comix in Fenton is preparing for a ghoulishly good, all-day comic book extravaganza!
