The calls started coming in while Todd Gilbert was busy in the recording studio. “I was working on a project of mine when I started getting tons of phone calls from people who don’t usually call me,” he remembers. “I answered a text from Michelle McAuley, a fellow musician, telling her that I was in the studio and would call her when I was finished. She texted me back and said to stop what I was doing and call her. My heart dropped and I knew something had happened.”
Brett Darago (better known around Greater Flint as DJ Chachi) grew up on Flint’s eastside and life was a little tough. His dad passed away when he was nine years old. “I did some dumb things back then,” he recalled, “and my life was not going in a good direction.” But there was one experience and one teacher who changed everything for him when he was a freshman attending Flint Central High School. The experience? Theater Class. The teacher? Martin Jennings. “Mr. Jennings turned my life around. I fell in love with his theater program and his overwhelming personality.”
It’s been a long, remarkable career. Sheriff Robert Pickell has retired after 20 years of public service to the people of Genesee County. On January 1, 1999, he replaced his predecessor, Sheriff Joe Wilson, and was re-elected to the position five times. Prior to becoming sheriff, his impressive law enforcement background includes working in the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office as an investigator, and for the CIA from 1989 to 1995, traveling four continents and handling some very high-profile cases. He had a private investigation business working with insurance companies and attorneys until he took office.
This new series profiles the beginning and history of the towns and cities surrounding Flint in Genesee County. The profiles will be presented according to the earliest known settlement year. Major highlights will include founding, notable personage, major events, noted locations and business.
It’s cold … it’s snowy… but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! This winter, take a short weekend vacation to relax by the fireside, hit the slopes, enjoy a frosty hike or tear it up on a snowmobile. Get away from all the distractions of work and embrace the cold like you did in your carefree youth. Here are a couple of places a short drive away to consider for a little mid-winter break. Winter in Michigan is all about fun, so get out there and enjoy!
What’s your favorite breakfast? Is it a stack of piping-hot buttermilk pancakes, slathered in butter and maple syrup or are you a classic-breakfast type: bacon and eggs (over easy) with a side of hashbrowns and toast? No matter what you like to eat to start your morning, there are plenty of restaurants that serve great breakfasts right here in Genesee County. These featured eateries were the top picks in My City Magazine’s 2019 City’s Choice Awards.
The last eight months have been a whirlwind for Bishop International Airport’s new Director, Nino Sapone. He was hired last March as the deputy director of operations and maintenance, and four months later found himself the interim airport director. On October 22, he was officially named director of BIA. My City Magazine sat down with him to learn a little about his background and plans for the future of Bishop.
We are proud to profile these winners of our 2019 My City Wellness Awards.
“I want to tell you what this place is like,” says Justin, a program participant. “It’s like when you have spent your whole life in darkness – your whole life – and suddenly, a light is turned on. At first, it’s blinding, but after that, you can finally see. You can see everything clearly. Everything is finally bright and beautiful. That’s what this place has done for me.” Justin is one of 26 participants in the program at Adult & Teen Challenge – Flint Campus. Every participant has wrestled with drug, alcohol and other addiction for most of their lives. Many have lost everything. Some, like Justin, have found inspiration in their families and children to get help. Others have found theirs in the realization that a better life is possible and deserved. The Adult & Teen Challenge has provided all of them with friendship, responsibility, faith and hope including Flint Campus Director and former program graduate, Phil Hall. “It’s a beautiful thing to see the change in these guys from where they were to where they are now,” he says. “They are all whole, new people. It’s a really amazing place and a privilege to be here. It’s a place that changes lives forever.”
