A trip in an airplane saved Cody Welch’s life. “When I was very little, my father owned an airfield in Alpena, MI. I had a health emergency, so he flew me to the hospital,” he recalls. “While I was growing up, we transported a lot of patients out of that airfield to distant medical care facilities.” It only made sense that, after succeeding in an aviation profession all his own that Welch restarted the practice.
National Health Observances are special days, weeks or months dedicated to raising awareness of specific health ailments and topics.
If you have a budding interest in anything artistic, Greater Flint holds a few places of opportunity. One often overlooked school, sitting off of Vienna Rd. just west of Downtown Clio, may be just what you are looking for.
The Curtis/Ketzler family has a 170-year history of horticulture in Genesee County. Tonya Ketzler, Mundy Township Supervisor and former owner of Ketzler Flowers, is proud of her family’s heritage and works hard to preserve it.
After 25 years of dedicated service to the community as director of the Flint Institute of Arts (FIA), John Henry is ready for his life’s next challenge: retirement. “I’m 73,” he says. “I still have plenty I want to do and see and I feel that in ten years, those things may be a little harder for me to do. Secondly, the art world is changing in so many ways. I felt that it was time to step aside and bring in new ideas.” Since 1996, Henry has been the guiding force behind the resurgence and glowing reputation of one of the best art museums and schools in the United States. His adoption of and belief in Flint and his love for FIA are evident in his smile and passionate words as he speaks of his tenure here and his successful career in the arts.
For the past 25 years, Nick and Peggy Sorise have been proud owners of the Fenton Hotel Tavern & Grille. Formerly named the Fenton Hotel, it was first built when the railroads came to Fenton in 1856. The couple purchased it in 1997 and looking back over the last 25 years, they have seen many changes. Today, they strive to keep the popular dining institution relevant for its customers.
Just because summer is coming to an end doesn’t mean the fun has to. Why not get the kids away from the screen for a few hours/days or grab a bunch of friends and try something new? Everyone dreams of being able to climb tall buildings or soar through the air and at a few locations in Michigan, you can do it. Rock climbing and zipline adventures can be an adrenaline-pumping, healthy and wholesome time and with luck, you will be discovering new habits and passions that will keep you (and your children or friends) occupied into and throughout adulthood. (Please call locations for reservations, rules and age limits.)
Every so often, a poignant moment or life milestone reminds Tracy Ramin of how fortunate he is or the reasons why he is still alive and thriving 24 years after losing part of his left leg and very nearly his life in a horrific accident.
Before the cars, the bricks and the buildings, the roads and highways, and before the United States were established, a small footpath led the way from the lands of the Ottawa in the south (Detroit) to the lands of the Chippewa (Saginaw) in the north. Native Americans strode this path for centuries, up and down the state as they hunted, formed treaties, celebrated and settled. In the middle of this long and winding path flowed Peiconigowink – “the river of the firestone.” At the point where the path met the river, a rich history was born in 1811, when a fur trader named Jacob Smith built a trading post around which sprang up a city. The path, named the Saginaw Trail, became an iconic thoroughfare now known as Saginaw Street. This central path through the remarkable city of Flint was the setting for celebrations and parades, protests and upheaval, triumphs and tragedies. It perseveres, as Flint does, through changes both good and bad, still holding open the door for travelers coming home or simply passing through.
