There is still plenty of time to enjoy the warm breeze, a refreshing cocktail and a delicious meal al fresco at one of the many local restaurants offering patio dining. Here are a few Greater Flint eateries offering patrons a seat outside … with a breath of fresh air.
The beauty of fall in Michigan is legendary. From our peaceful, reflective shorelines to our misty inner forests, the entire state erupts in a celebration of color as soon as the season begins. Non-Michiganders truly don’t know what they are missing. Sure, they can look at pictures, but fall in Michigan is much more than sight. It’s the feeling, the smell. It’s watching colorful leaves flutter this way and that as they leave the branch and land upon the soft waters of a crystal-clear lake. It’s about sweaters, long socks and cozy cardigans – about welcoming change and understanding that it is inevitable. In Michigan, autumn is to be appreciated and there are some great places and drives in the state where you can do just that. All you need to do is make the time.
John Reed was missing and residents of the “English Settlement” area of Flushing were worried. He was known as a man of fiery nature who often ran into trouble. His friends feared that his temper had gotten the better of him – and it had – just not in the way they thought. Being from overseas and not accustomed to pioneer life, those in the English Settlement had a way of mucking things up in the early days. So, when Reed was found sleeping in the forest wearing a single boot and accompanied only by his cow, it wasn’t surprising. The evening before, he had become incensed that his cow wouldn’t listen to him. It repeatedly ignored his commands, instead content to simply chew grass and swat flies. In his anger, Reed berated the cow and chased it into the forest where he became lost. Being hungry, he took off a boot, filled it with milk and drank. When the locals found him covered in bug bites asleep against a log next to a boot covered in milk with his lone cow, they all had a great laugh. The English had a lot to learn.
Who would have ever guessed that you can pet a shark, hand-feed a ring-tailed lemur or touch a stingray … in Tyrone Township? You can do all of the above and more at Supe’s Exotic Jungle – a small, interactive zoo that offers onsite tours, parties, and an unforgettable experience.
For more than two decades, Greater Flint residents have tuned in to TV12 to get their local news updates from Evening Anchor, Angie Hendershot.
Kristen Sobanski of Fenton knew she wanted to help children in need. She searched for a service organization to join, but struggled to find one that fit her vision. “My passion was to help children in need,” said the mother of four. Her husband Eric asked her, “Why don’t we start our own organization?” So, in 2014, the determined young couple co-founded Delivering Hope for Kids, which provides food assistance, coordinating with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, to help feed needy kids in the Fenton area. “We had the passion and the commitment to do it,” she remembers. “And there are Fenton area children at risk for hunger. We want to make sure their bellies are full.”
Most people can answer that simple question without much thought. Chris Thibo is not one of those people. “Very good question. Let me see,” he says while beginning to walk through his Holly home. “We have six in the house and then, let’s step out into the garage so I can count those.”
In December, 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged China and Eastern Europe, Genatek Global President, John Cooper, had a prescient idea. “We looked at the pandemic while it was overseas and realized that the United States would be in the same predicament,” says Cooper. “We paid attention to travel and shipping and we saw the trend, so we started to engineer a device to help with sanitation and disinfection.” The result was the Genatek Global GT-1000 – an 8-foot by 4-foot enclosed unit developed to keep the population safe from contagious disease. Built to follow CDC COVID-19 guidelines, the unit features a temperature and mask recognition scanner, hand sanitizer dispenser and a sanitizing micro-mist. “When a person voluntarily enters the unit, they first undergo a non-contact temperature scan and then, a facial recognition scan to check for a mask and our software is 99.8% accurate,” informs Cooper. “The person can dispense hand sanitizer and then move forward into the next enclosure to be disinfected by our micro-mist solution.”
First, there was Breed – Flint’s hip-hop pioneer whose work resulted in a new musical sub-genre that put Flint on the map for rap talent. In the early 80s, rap or hip-hop was gaining a hold on the country. When the Sugar Hill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight” in 1980 to a national audience, the song got the world’s attention and young people began to embrace the sound. In 1984, Run D.M.C. released their self-titled debut, LL Cool J released his debut “Radio” in ’85 and the genre exploded. Street corners were full of youngsters and adults showing off their newfound talents or engaging in good-natured “rap battles.” DJs started working crowds in every major city. Despite the increasing interest in hip-hop throughout the country, artists and players on all of the major labels hailed from the East and West Coasts with L.A. and New York at the forefront; but in 1991, a man from the Midwest broke out with a new style and sound that would pave the way for a region and a city. That man was MC Breed and his story, along with that of fellow Flint artist, Ira “Bootleg” Dorsey, is the focus of Michigan State University’s “Rap on Flint” project.
Since 2010, the Swartz Creek Area Art Guild has been a place of community, talent and learning. Founded by Nancy Olds and Karen Pinkston, the Guild is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to “Promoting interest in the visual arts through education and development of artistic activities.” The Guild is open to all fine arts and crafts creators with only one requirement: love and enjoyment of all things artistic. “We accept everyone who wants to become a member,” says current President, Sheridan Baldwin. “Our artists are local and have talent in a wide variety of mediums.” Guild volunteers operate the Swartz Creek Art Gallery located on Miller Road. Inside, you will find a wide-range of beautiful works including crochet, jewelry, glasswork, pottery, wood carvings, paintings, mixed-media, magnets and more. “Our artists are a talented bunch,” says Baldwin. The gallery is member-run and often relies upon volunteer help during classes and events.
YouthQuest, a no-cost after-school enrichment program operated by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, celebrated its tenth anniversary in July. “This is a huge milestone!” exclaims Nefertari Jones, Program Director. “We are a mainstay and still going strong!”
This summer, Flint kindergarten teacher, Jessica Reed, received a makeover of her classroom at Northridge Academy. This fantastic surprise was all due to the generosity of a longtime family friend, Melanie Ralbusky, a former teacher who is now a designer.
