A random flier on a bulletin board was all Greater Flint Pilots Association (GFPA) President Eric Johnson needed to see. “After earning my pilot’s license in Owosso, I was looking for a little bit more freedom to fly,” he recalls. “I remembered a flier for the GFPA I had on a bulletin board. They were just what I was looking for.” Before the GFPA, Johnson was renting planes at the Owosso flight school where he earned his license, but they were always in use by students and instructors. He could only fly an hour here or there and longer trips were out of the question. At GFPA, trips of a week or more aren’t uncommon and it’s not unusual to check out a plane, fly to Mackinac Island for lunch and head home for dinner. “That’s called the $200 dollar hamburger trip,” Johnson laughs.
For young people who’ve dreamed of flying through the air and looking down at the beauty of the Earth, Genesee County has a place where that dream can come true. Since 2018, the Genesee Career Institute (GCI), a part of the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) has been training young pilots from the area through their Aviation Academy, setting them up for a lucrative career in aviation. “It all started when a group of gentlemen from the Greater Flint Pilot’s Association (GFPA) alerted us to the declining numbers of pilots and aviation enthusiasts in Genesee County and they presented us with a unique program,” says Diana Allard, GISD Executive Director of Career Technical Education. “We did a need assessment and found that there were enough high school students who wanted to be pilots to justify it.”
In the beginning, Ellen Tomek’s rowing goals were rather modest.
It’s bright! It’s fun! It’s engaging! It’s the new Sloan Museum and on July 16, its doors will be open for the world to behold its wonders. The project which began as an idea nearly seven years ago has come to completion … and the final product is absolutely astounding. “When I started almost eight years ago,” recalls Sloan Executive Director Todd Slisher, “one of the first things I was asked was ‘what are you going to do about Sloan?’ Well, after years of community input and fundraising, we are ready and we are all very excited to bring this to Flint.”
It’s summer! The rains of spring have gone and the roads and trails in and around Genesee County are dry and ready for wheels. If you are an avid cyclist or are looking to get into a healthy hobby, now is the time to jump on and start pedaling.
The Maize & Blue Award is the highest academic recognition given to undergraduate students during commencement season. Students who have earned at least 58 credit hours at UM-Flint with an overall GPA of 3.75 or better in all completed credits earned are eligible to be nominated for this honor. The award is presented to no more than 26 students per year who excel academically and exemplify intellectual maturity and depth, character, talent and service to the University and the community. Recipients are selected by a faculty committee, with both faculty and staff writing letters of recommendation for students who apply for the award.
The popular eatery has been serving authentic Italian cuisine to their loyal customers since they opened their doors in February 2019. General Manager Brian McCurdy says the owners of the family restaurant chain have been putting much time and effort into coming up with some new and exciting enhancements – to make the Andiamo experience even better!
This year, the Genesee Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is celebrating its 125th anniversary. “The Genesee Chapter was chartered in 1897 with 11 members,” states Regent, Carolyn Stubbs. “Our chapter has been operating continuously since then.” Internationally, there are 180,000 DAR members among chapters in the U.S., England, Spain, France and Australia.
From 1912 to 1928, Flint became known as one of the centers of manufacturing and commerce in the nation. “Business” was the name of the game and new ventures popped up daily – some that still operate today. Immigrants and wandering workers flooded the city bringing with them new ideas, work ethics and politics. The mayors of the time period had much to oversee and overcome including legal, social and political challenges. The start of Prohibition in 1920 offered its own temptations that at least one mayor couldn’t resist. It was a time of great noise and great challenge. Were the mayors up to the task?
Everyone in attendance was responding in their own way to the rollicking music filling Downtown Flint’s Totem Books being performed by a gifted quartet fronted by area native and renowned boogie-woogie-style pianist, Mark Braun.
It’s inevitable: as we and our parents get older, new challenges and situations arise. Our physical and financial health may falter, we may lose a partner, and we may need a little more help navigating our day-to-day lives. In the later years, a change in living arrangement or social situation may be in order. There are a range of possibilities to consider when making any change, especially one that concerns your future welfare or that of your family members.
