Dear Readers,
I hope you’ve been enjoying the heat – we’ll be missing these “dog days” soon enough!
It has been a beautiful summer and My City was out and about capturing the fun in Greater Flint with great photos. This month, thousands will celebrate Vehicle City at Back to the Bricks® events all over Genesee County and beyond. Amber Taylor, the busy gal in charge. She did a great job answering our “7 Questions.”
This month’s cover image may not be glamorous, but it represents something unique to Flint and a very special part of the community. Our writer Cheryl Dennison had a great day at Crossroads Village spending time with the Huckleberry Railroad train crew. This attraction – a City’s Choice Award winner – has been a beloved part of the community for … well, it seems like forever! Read the “behind the scenes” story.
Even in the face of many challenges, Greater Flint residents have a true sense of community; they reach out and help each other and care about the futures of their cities and neighborhoods. Have you heard of the Genesee Conservation District? It was created to protect Genesee County’s environment and natural resources. Perhaps you could volunteer for their next project – read more on p.14. Reaching out to North Flint youth and families is Active Boys in Christ, a group that offers a mentoring program focused on teaching skilled trades, culinary and life skills. They are changing lives and setting kids up for success.
Success is all about finding your path and being dedicated to the journey. A great example of this is highlighted in our “My Sport” profile of Ellen Tomek – a Flint Powers Cathholic standout and one of only two U of M athletes to compete in three Olympics. What sport?
Pursuit of a dream can be all-consuming, or it can often get put on hold. Since I was young, I’ve dreamed of learning to fly a plane; I even started taking classes decades ago (at Skybolt Aviation), which then took a backseat to my entrepreneurial and community service pursuits. National Aviation Day is August 19 and we have two stories about local pilots and aviation education – pretty inspiring, I must say!
There’s a lot more great summer reading in this issue with music, arts, eats, history and our variety of contributed content. Stay cool and enjoy!
Thanks for reading,
