Commonly known as the “winter blues,” Seasonal Affective Disorder – or SAD – is a regular depression disorder with symptoms that begin in the fall and continue into winter months. Sometimes, SAD symptoms appear in the spring or early summer and cause an unhappy mood with low energy. Those most likely to have it are younger females and those with family histories of depression, bipolar disorder or SAD. Sufferers experience increased appetite and needing to sleep for longer periods.
Roger Sharp is a proud man. He’s proud of his time spent serving in the United States Army, proud of what he has been able to do for his community through his successful business, Sharp Funeral Homes and, above all, he is proud of our nation’s veterans and what they have done for this country. “I’m proud to be a veteran and I am proud of all the veterans we are able to serve through the funeral homes,” he states. “We are proud to lend support to various veterans organizations, as well as the Great Lakes National Cemetery.”
On October 14, Ashoka Rao, Founder and Artistic Director of Nrityanjali, a school of classical Indian dance, was a recipient of the prestigious Michigan Heritage Award. She was recognized for her dedication and lifelong commitment to preserving and passing on the traditional Kathak Dance of India.
For many of the people of Greater Flint, homelessness has been a constant threat since the 1980s and the problem has only grown, with record increases in rental rates and a lack of affordable traditional housing. Today, it is estimated that nearly 600,000 people are experiencing homelessness throughout the country and, of those experiencing it, nearly 6% are United States Military veterans. In Greater Flint, the percentage of homeless vets is much higher. “It is estimated that between 15-40% of the local homeless individuals are veterans,” states Katie Baxter, CEO of Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties. “In this group, there is clearly a need. After everything they have done for us, it just doesn’t seem right.”
Since its inception in 1967, the Greater Flint Arts Council (GFAC) has been a part of Flint culture. The non-profit organization is responsible for much of what we love about Downtown life – bringing to us the Flint ArtWalk, Jazz Festival, Tunes at Noon, wonderful art exhibitions of all mediums, creative workshops and education, local support and more. Since 1998, GFAC has operated solely on the ground floor of the former Peerless Furniture building located at 816 S. Saginaw Street and for the last 25 years, has had plans to renovate and open the rest of the building for programming space. Thanks to the tireless work of staff, a small army of donors and a timely grant of $1.25 million from the Mott Foundation, the renovation project has officially begun. “We’re ecstatic!” enthuses GFAC CEO, Greg Fiedler. “I’m getting old and I was afraid that I would not be able to finish what I had started.”
Travis Crossley fondly recalls the creative, early-teens version of himself. Back then, he was a kid with a specific passion and dream.
Cash, June, Pie, Grace, Willow, Levi, Imogene and Finn are the names of the horses and donkeys that live on Charlie’s Forever Farm. Owners Matt and Ranae Bauserman have dedicated their lives to saving abused, neglected and forgotten farm animals and providing them a loving home.
It started with hearsay, comments inadvertently overheard. While sitting in a small, Downtown Flint establishment enjoying a beverage and working on a story, I overheard people at a nearby table conversing about a performer they had recently seen. They spoke of an interdimensional android who calls herself “Synthia Looper.” They spoke of her message and music, her suggestive performance attire and style, her shining light eyes. At this point, I was sure they were speaking of a comic or science-fiction heroine they had created à la “Barbarella” for their own amusement. When I inquired, they answered that Synthia Looper was real and that she was electric.
As of 2019, according to the American Diabetes Association®, over 37 million Americans – over 11 percent of the population – are living with diabetes.
After a comprehensive search process last spring, the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library Board of Trustees offered Taliah Abdullah the position of executive director, which she accepted and officially began in late July.
You are invited to come out and have a bewitching good time at Witches Night Out in Historic Downtown Fenton on Friday, October 13 from 4-9pm. According to Brenda Hasse, award-winning author and event co-chair along with Karen Piacentini, Owner of Fenton’s Open Book store, Witches Night Out is in its sixth year and has continued to grow in popularity.
Kyle Green remembers his first deer hunt. “I was eight years old and hunting with my dad when I got my first – I shot it with my grandfather’s gun,” he says. “We cleaned it and I went through the whole process. I remember being overwhelmed with pride; truly, it put me in a different mindset about the natural world and our resources.” That early mindset didn’t include dreams of glory or trophies; it didn’t lead to a hunger for the thrill of the kill. It led to an understanding and a deep respect for nature and as he grew into an adult, Green refined his mindset into a mission of conservation and protection of wildlife and its habitat on Earth.
