Fernando Silverio Solis asks this question of his audience and most importantly, himself, in an original song that more than any other expresses his perception at this point of his life. After decades on tour performing for thousands of fans in musical genres that never quite felt like his own, the singer/songwriter has finally found his inner voice and a new way to express it; a style he found long ago but never had the time or the confidence to try. “I always dreamed of becoming a singer/songwriter,” says Solis. “I was fascinated by the sort of ‘blue-collar’ songwriters like Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Billy Joel. It feels good now to do it myself.” Today, Solis describes his music genre as “Americana; a portrait of the working class in the United States – of love and loss,” and it’s something very different for his past fans and a far cry from the music of his beginning …
For as long as he can remember, Mike Stormer has loved old and classic cars. “I’ve always been an old car person,” he says. “In 1987, was driving a 1972 Buick Electra and my mother rode around in a 1972 Delta 88 until 1988 or so. I loved those cars. It’s always kind of been my thing.” For years, Stormer cruised around in a 1970 Pontiac Catalina until an unfortunate accident retired the car. In his search for a replacement, Stormer found a unique ride that he wasn’t sold on at first. “Last summer, I found a 1949 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 62 for sale on Facebook and decided to check it out,” he remembers. “I wasn’t sure about it when I first saw it but the fact that it was so rare changed my mind. All my life, I’ve dreamed of owning a 1957 Chevy but there are already so many out there. I liked that this car was different.” Stormer took the Caddy home, made space in his garage and parked it inside. He had found his new classic. Since then, he has shown his vehicle at shows in and around Genesee County and even earned three awards. “It’s just a cool-looking car and I have only seen two others like it in Michigan,” he adds.
Based in Flint, Kuhmute is leading the way in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure providing a place for people to rent or charge an EV in cities across the United States and Canada. “We have hubs in Michigan in Detroit and Grand Haven,” says Kuhmute Software Engineer Eddie Wenzel, “and we have hubs in Illinois, Arizona and Ontario in Canada. We currently have nine in Flint with a plan in place for five more.” Kuhmute charging hubs are revolutionizing the way cities and towns think of mobility by providing a way for pedestrians to “motor” about town in a more fun and cost-efficient manner.
For local artist Janice McCoy, making art is as necessary and natural as breathing or drinking water. She loves to draw and paint but works primarily in linoleum printmaking. “I’ve loved making things since early in my childhood,” she shares. Her fondest memories are of drawing in kindergarten and different elementary school art class projects. She also took art classes in middle school and high school but was never really encouraged to look at art as a viable career option.
Melissa Koronka, a science teacher at the Accelerated Learning Academy (ALA) in Flint, was chosen to receive the Cranbrook Institute of Science 2022 Outstanding Educator Award. Every year, Cranbrook hosts the“Women Rock Science” gala, which recognizes three individuals who are making a difference in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). The award recipients will be recognized at the fifth annual gala held on October 12 in Bloomfield Hills.
From the mid-1940s to the beginning of the 1960s, Flint was operating at peak efficiency and success. General Motors was nearly unrivaled in car production, Flint schools were the envy of the state in both education and sports programs, impactful social groups and organizations were being started, infrastructure updated and major businesses were built. Parades and celebrations dotted the time period between multiple visits from presidents and presidential hopefuls on the campaign trail. It was also during this time that Flint proved to the nation how resourceful and close-knit a community could be after the Beecher Tornado ripped through in 1953 and disrupted hundreds of lives. The mayors of this time period had to simply sit back and let progress happen and were mostly concerned with necessity improvements (water) and expansion.
There’s a place in Fenton where all the meats are cooked “low and slow” and the results are absolutely delicious. Beale St. Smokehouse BBQ recently moved to a new location, the former John’s Pizzeria & Restaurant. Co-owned by Phil Canup and his daughter Lisa Reading, the eatery has been serving real Memphis-style slow-smoked pork, brisket, ribs and chicken since 2006.
Founded in 2017 by Pastor Derrick Watkins of Jachin Baptist Church in Flint, Active Boys In Christ (ABC) is a mentoring program that works directly with children and families. The mission of the charitable organization is to “empower the Flint community youth and families through skilled trades, culinary and life-skills that will promote and celebrate lifelong learning for the success of youth and families.”
A Certified Tourism Ambassador for around six years, Amber has been the Back to the Bricks® Executive Director since January 2020. Once chosen for the position, she shifted straight into high gear, coming up with new ideas for growing the event and attracting a younger crowd to appreciate Flint’s rich automotive history. She will be on hand for the Tune Up Week Parties happening around Genesee County during the week of August 8-13 2022. While Amber has been super-busy promoting Back to the Bricks, she took some time to answer a few questions and let us get up-close and personal … read on!
It’s all about the show. When that first note hits, when the riff takes off, Vicariant explodes. “It’s all energy and right from the start we are all into it,” says guitarist Jake Morrison. “We just want to play anywhere and everywhere,” adds guitarist Zak Held. “Really, we believe success is 40% music and 60% show.” The band’s frenetic live performances and raucous rock sound has been turning heads in Greater Flint and around the state since its inception nearly a decade ago. Their reputation is such that they were voted “Favorite Local Band” in the My City Magazine 2022 City’s Choice Awards, despite not being able to play a local live show since the pandemic began. It was an award of anticipation for their next big production. “Yeah, when I first heard that we had won, I was shocked,” says Held. “I mean, we haven’t been able to play live much for nearly two years.” That will change soon in a big way with the band rumbling straight forward, refreshed and hell bent on a dynamic end to the year with new music and upcoming shows.
At Native House Ceramic Co., Meg Bundy harnesses the beauty, power, durability and forgiveness of the earth and its elements to create timeless inspirations and facsimiles of our planet and our shared ancestral stories. “The Earth is our shared native house,” she states. “We all have an innate ability to live closer to nature.”
