FLINT

Our Community Our Voice FLINT NEIGHBORHOODS UNITED: Standing Together For Positive Change

Wishing You and Your Extended Families a Happy & Safe Holiday Season!

Volume 7, Issue 10 December, 2017

Flint Neighborhoods United @FNUFlint www.flintneighborhoodsunited.org

Meets 3rd Thursday Whaley Children’s Center 1200 N. Grand Traverse

Contact: Bill Hammond (810) 964-8898

FLINT Editorial Board Donna Calvin, Bill Hammond, Jane Richardson, Carma Lewis, Chris Frye, Kathy McGaughy

L a yo u t an d D e si gn Christopher Frye [email protected]

Letters, Email & Telephone FLINT Our Community Our Voice 3216 M.L. King Ave. Flint, MI 48505 (810) 348-5332 [email protected] FOCOV Published bi-monthly the first week of the month

Subscription Rates $10 year (6 issues) contact: 810-348-5332 PDF available by request at [email protected]

Follow Flint Neighborhoods United on the web at www.flintneighborhoodsunited.org/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ FlintNeighborhoodsUnited Editorial Policy This newspaper is the voice of our neighborhoods. We will share the views of our neighbors, groups and leaders for your evaluation and edification. We welcome articles from any community member. We also reserve the right to refuse articles. While we welcome your contributions, we ask that they be constructive. All articles should contribute positively to the welfare of our community and its residents. We will accept a thoughtful discussion of all related issues and reserve the right to reply to those that seem to reflect a misunderstanding of our views of Our Community. We look forward to hearing from you. FLINT Our Community Our Voice You may also email your information to [email protected] Thank You in Advance FOCOV Staff of Volunteers

The placement of any political or other advertisement in FOCOV does not indicate nor imply an endorsement of any candidate, service or product whatsoever. The editors of Flint: Our Community, Our Voice welcome opinion pieces from our readers. Be aware that we reserve the right to edit them, or suggest revisions. We also reserve the right to not consider them suitable for publication.

The Power of “Positude” By: Sylvia Pittman

The holiday season has arrived in the midst of the ongoing drama we call “life.” I must confess to you gentle reader that my personal “positude platform” has been sorely challenged by the “vissitude” of mortal existence.   

“Vissitude,” the ups and downs of fortune or fate “Lassitude,” state of fatigue or weariness. “Fortitude,” state of bravery, strength and endurance.

There have been trials, tragedies, tests and tears. As a student of wisdom, and a teacher of truth, I have come to the end of this latest episode of the “Divine adventure”, with a deeper appreciation for “positude.” The greatest gift that I can give anyone I meet during this holiday season, is the simple affirmation of a smile. A “positude” smile speaks volumes without uttering a word. “I see you!” “I hear you!” “You matter to me!” There are many people who dread the holidays because they are discouraged, grieving, wounded, or broken-hearted. They feel they have nothing to celebrate, because life has been brutal, and fate has been unkind. They suffer with justifiable “negatude” caused by the “vissitude” of life. But if the students of “positude” exercise the power of “positude” with generosity and joy, the “lassitude” of “negatude” will be reversed and “fortitude” will prevail! So gentle readers, I encourage you to be lavish with the gift of “positude” this holiday season. Sylvia is the Voice Department Chair at the Flint School of Performing Arts. She holds degrees from Northern Michigan University and the University of Michigan. Sylvia teaches private voice, public school and directing choirs. Performs vocal styles from jazz to opera. Works as a vocal coach for recording artists and is greatly sought as a studio musician. 2

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King Avenue PLUS

King Avenue PLUS, U of M-Flint students, and Brownell-Holmes STEM Academy are collaborating to create posters about Dr. King’s teachings, vision and dreams. Printing and graphics will be guided by the U of M-Flint students and the completed works will be shared with churches, businesses, and organizations on Flint’s King Avenue. Interested in knowing more? Call 348-5332 to join this special project.

Greetings, Neighbors of Flint: East Village Magazine is honored and pleased to be a part of a collaboration with Flint: Our Community, Our Voice. Here we are reproducing, from our November edition, a column by Paul Rozycki on the effects of gerrymandering. Our shared aim is to get information to you on this important issue. This is a time, more than ever, when we all need to work together and communicate clearly about our neighborhoods and our city. It feels good to me as a community journalist to be in partnership with FOCOV. We are both facilitators of participatory democracy, a necessary rood of our country’s ability to survive and thrive. That great American value starts here at home, in our own neighborhoods. Thanks again to FOCOV for this collaboration. Jan Worth-Nelson, Editor East Village Magazine [email protected]

How to Win an Election Without the Votes? Gerrymander! By: Paul Rozycki

The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything. -Joseph Stalin In a democracy the winners in elections are supposed to be decided by whoever gets the most votes. And that is usually true. However, the Soviet dictator’s words may be an ominous warning today. That basic, simple democratic rule can be manipulated to give victory to those who don’t get the most votes. For example in 2016, when Michigan voted for the state House of Representatives, the Democrats won 18,000 more votes than the Republicans, statewide. (If two partial-term candidates are excluded, the Republicans had a slight edge.) In 2014 the margin was even larger, when voters gave and extra 30,000 votes to the Democrats. Yet, in the House 63 Republicans and 47 Democrats have been elected. When the votes for the U.S. Congress were tallied up in 2014 the Democrats had about 50,000 more votes that the Republicans in Michigan. Yet we elected 9 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Even when the Republicans earned a slight majority, their advantage in the legislature was magnified many times. In other years, and in others states, similar patterns were common. On the national level, even stranger patterns develop. While we’ve all heard about how unpopular Congress is—only a little more than ten or fifteen percent of the pubic approve of what they are doing—barely ahead of cockroaches and telemarketers. So members of Congress should be in big trouble on election-day — right? Not quite. Most members of Congress win reelection, and they win by a landslide. Here’s a few numbers. In 2016, of the 435 members of the U.S. House, only eight incumbents lost their election. The average margin for winning was 37 percent--a huge landslide. Only 17 of the 435 Congressional elections were decided by five percent of the vote or less. Only 33 seats were decided by 10 percent or less. And in 42 of the 50 states there were no truly competitive elections for the U.S. House. How could that happen? There are several causes, but one of the most significant is the ability of one party to draw odd shaped election districts or “gerrymander” the election process. By many measures, Michigan is considered to be one of the most gerrymandered states, but hardly the only one. The Origins of Gerrymandering The process of drawing oddly shaped election districts is as old as the nation itself. The term “gerrymander” comes from Elbridge Gerry, one of the Founding Fathers who served in the Continental Congress, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and served as vice president under James Madison. He created an oddly shaped district in his home state of Massachusetts to help his party. The election district wrapped around parts of the state and, based on a political cartoon of the day, some of his opponents said it resembled a salamander—thus the name gerrymander, which 3 stuck for the last two hundred years.

As a result of several Supreme Court decisions in the early 1960s, states are required to redraw all of their election districts at least every ten years. After the census is taken at the start of each decade, states are required to draw election districts with equal number of people in each. In this redistricting process, the Supreme Court required election districts to include approximately the same number of people, but it didn’t say much about what shape they could be. That opened to the door to shaping districts to favor your own party, or gerrymandering. The state legislatures are in charge of the process, and that’s where the politics comes in. In the first year of a decade, the majority party in the state legislature has the power to create election districts and shape them as they see fit, for the next ten years. How it’s Done The process of creating gerrymandered districts is both fairly simple and has grown to be a very complex computergenerated process. In its most basic form, you want to give your own party a good working majority in as many districts as possible, and to leave the opposition with huge majorities in just a few districts. The common terms for this are ‘packing’ and ‘cracking’ where all your opponents are ‘packed’ into a few districts and where their supporters are ‘cracked’ or broken up so they are not a majority in any other district. The diagrams to the right illustrate the basic process. As you can see, though the overall number of voters for each party does not change, drawing different districts does change the outcome. Based upon past voting records in the past it has been fairly easy to draw election districts to favor one party or the other. Modern computer technology makes the process even easier and more precise. And while Republicans are the current beneficiary of gerrymandering, Democrats have taken advantage of the same process when given the chance. While the most common form of gerrymandering is to favor one party over the other, it can be used anytime people are separated by geography. Racial gerrymandering has a long history in both the north and the south and it has been use to both prevent the election of minorities, or (in some cases) to assure minorities have a better chance of winning. There are also more than a few examples of what can be called ‘personal gerrymandering’ where a particular candidate’s home is placed in one district and a prospective opponent’s is placed in another. Though the drawing of district lines usually favors incumbents, sometimes two incumbents of the opposing party will be thrown together in a new district forcing them to spar with each other for the next election. All of this juggling of district lines can produce some very oddly shaped election districts. One example is Michigan’s 14th Congressional district in the Detroit area that winds from Detroit through several suburban cities and townships and up to Pontiac. See: Gerrymander, page 4

Gerrymander

The Effect on Our Politics All this gerrymandering distorts our politics in a number of ways. First, when most elections are decided by landslides, why bother voting? If you are a Republican in a district where Democrats always win with 70 percent of the vote, what motive do you have to turn out if you know you are going to lose? Ironically, the same is true for Democrats. If your party is all but certain to win, why bother? There are many reasons that Americans have one of the lowest voting rates among democratic nations, but gerrymandering is a major one. Second, since the general election offers little real competition, the real election is usually the party primary, where the voters get to nominate their candidates. But here’s the problem. Our primary elections in Michigan are normally held in August and the turnout is typically very low. On average, about 20 percent of the voters will bother to turn out for a primary. Last August, the contest for the Flint City Council drew just a little over seven percent of the voters. Third, the low turnout in the primary is only part of the problem. Those who turn out are not typical voters. Primaries draw party activists and those with strong ideological views --- conservative Republican and liberal Democrats. The candidates nominated often don’t represent the mainstream of either party or independent voters. Fourth, because the real election is the primary, most candidates aren’t afraid of losing in the November general election. They fear facing a primary challenge within their own party. And if you have been elected by activist liberal Democratic voters or activist conservative Republican voters, the last thing you want to do is to compromise or work with the opposing party. You’ll be seen as a traitor, and will face a challenge from a more liberal or conservative opponent within your own party. If you want to win, you need to appeal to the more extreme wing of your party. There are many causes for our gridlock in Washington, and the division within our nation, but gerrymandering is a major one.

What’s Being Done About It? Right now there are at least two major attempts to change the gerrymandered map of Michigan and of the nation. One group is taking the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, in an attempt to rule on what is or isn’t a fair way to draw election districts. In Michigan, there is a petition drive to create a non-partisan board that would oversee the redistricting in the state. Both of those will be discussed in next month’s East Village Magazine. EVM political columnist Paul Rozycki can be reached at [email protected].

What is the Cumulative Effect of Gerrymandering? By: William Hammond

Did you know that Michigan is recognized across the country as one of the most Gerrymandered states? In Michigan our process of Redistricting is determined by the Legislatures and the Governor after each of the 10 year Census takings. A Redistricting Bill has to pass in both houses and the Governor has to sign it. In each of the last four redistricting years we've had a Republican Governor. But in 1981 we had a Democrat controlled Legislature in both houses. In '91 the Legislatures were split. But in 2001 and in 2011 Republicans had complete control of the redistricting process. This means that for nearly 30 years Republicans in Michigan have used the redistricting process to solidify their seats and gain control of our state government. This has created a situation where even though more Democrats have voted in each election, Republicans have been elected to more seats. The result has been a change from a near even 50/50 split in the State Legislatures to a Republican Super Majority. This is how so many bills have been passed that the public did not want. With their districts solidly in the incumbent's back pocket the Legislators do not have to listen to their constituents wishes on any given proposed law. Currently the Republicans have control of all three branches of State Government. This kind of single Party Rule has done great harm to Michigan's Urban Centers with poor decision making causing real harm to our citizens. What has happened to Flint is indicative of the negative effect this can have on a community. Currently there is a petition drive effort underway to create a Citizens Commission to handle the redistricting process. With more than 250,000 collected of the approximately 320,000 needed it is likely to qualify for the ballot. In the past however, there have been successful legal challenges to Referendum initiatives to change the redistricting process. With Conservatives in the State Supreme Court, it is likely that any legal challenge will again stop this referendum drive. Let's hope that despite the likely possibilities that Michigan can find a way to handle its Redistricting Process in a fair and equitable manner. Many thanks to Steve Mintline for research help with this article.

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The Weather Outside is Frightful….but the Library’s So Delightful! The holiday break can be an endless chorus of “I’m bored” if you have kids who are home from school. Thanks to Flint Public Library, you can conquer those holiday blues with some fantastic family fun! As you can see on our calendar, the schedule is loaded with fun things to do for the entire family. You can watch a movie, see a puppet show, explore robots, play Minecraft, and much more. Or, there’s every reason in the world to find a good book and curl up for an afternoon of reading! One of the special things we would like to highlight over the holidays is our Tech StudiOH! open house. Teens and ‘tweens are loving all the cool programs that we’ve brought into the Library, and we have dedicated a huge room to do it! Visit our second floor TechStudiOH! during the open house on December 27-28, and you can explore:  Minecraft  Robots  Raspberry Pi  3D Printing  Video Games We welcome kids age 10 and up to visit and explore. Bring your friends, and see what all the excitement is about. There are some amazing things happening up there! For more information about Library programs, please visit www.fpl.info. Or give us a call at 810.232.7111. See you soon!

Keep Genesee County Beautiful is ON THE MOVE! The offices of Keep Genesee County Beautiful are now located at 502 Church Street on the 2 nd floor. Parking in the back of the building. (This building is shared with the Downtown Development Authority.) AND the blue bins for recycling are available. Karen West asks that you phone ahead to get a confirmed appointment to obtain a bin. Call (810) 767-9696 and please leave a message in case we are busy with someone at that moment.

Flint Public Library Calendar Please note that all of these events are free and open to the public. 

December 2: 3:30-5:00pm Print a 3D Holiday Ornament

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December 5: 5:30-8:00pm Cultural Center Holiday Walk

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December 12: 6:00-7:30 Tendaji Talks: Water Crisis Systemic Racism

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December 16: 1:00pm Tap & Tell: Story Time with iPad Fun!

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December 16: 3:30-5:00pm Robot Rally (ages 10+)

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December 26: 1:00pm Playdate: Make and Take Crafts

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December 26: 2:00-4:00pm Family Movie “How to Train Your Dragon”

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December 27: 2:00pm Family Concert with Gemini

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December 27: 3:30-5:30pm Tech StudiOH! Open House

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December 28: 2:00pm Stevens Puppets: Beauty and the Beast

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December 28: 3:30-5:30pm Tech StudiOH! Open House

Disposal of Yard Waste Are you wondering how to dispose of your leaves and other yard waste now that Republic is finished collecting for the year? Here’s a resource for disposal that (mostly) is free of charge. CITY OF FLINT Residential Resources for Bagged Leaves after November 25th, 2017 Country Oaks Landscape Supply Mon - Fri 8:00AM –5:00 PM (Will accept drop-off’s until 4:00 PM) 3218 E. Atherton Road, Burton MI 48529 (810) 743-1920 Will accept: Tree branches, brush, leaves, grass clippings at no charge. (Please Note: Material must be emptied from bags/ containers at time of drop off)

Crime Stoppers Community Survey Crime Stoppers has partnered with the Ruth Mott Foundation to engage the community members of Flint. We are holding community meetings, press conferences, putting up billboards, and more. Part of this effort involves a survey to help us better understand the community that we are working with. This anonymous survey will only take a few minutes to complete and your participation is very important to us. To access this survey, go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/KHSZK6T or to our Facebook page: Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County.

After over 3 years of planning with the community to create the South Flint Community Plan, Flint has an opportunity to receive funds to make that plan come to life. On Monday November 20, 2017 the City and Flint Housing Commission submitted their application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant dollars. If awarded, up to $30 million will help in the complete transformation of our community. The South Flint Community Plan sets forth a vision to relocate Atherton East public housing development and improve access to fundamental services such as healthcare, education, self-sufficiency programming, and shopping centers. Further the Plan is an effort to reclaim the South Flint neighborhood as an economic hub rich with retail and recreational options. If granted the HUD dollars, the City, Flint Housing Commission will work with the community and stakeholders to just those things. The relocation of Atherton East is called out in the Imagine Flint Master Plan as a long-term goal because of residents’ isolation and being in a 100-year flood plain. With 192 townhome units currently at Atherton East, the developer of the new housing, Norstar will construct around 300 new units to create mixed-income neighborhoods. These new units will be built in two specific locations; N Saginaw Street at the vacant blocks south and west of Wood St and S Saginaw Street at the land around Windiate Playground. Staff is very excited about this opportunity to make a huge change in Flint neighborhoods. Share your story about why you choose to live/work/play in Flint and use #mychoiceisflint on your social media account. Flint’s story and its people have great hope and the implementation team wants to bring voice to that. Contact: Kristin Stevenson 810-766-7426 x2065 [email protected] @mychoiceisflint on Instagram

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West Pulaski Street Block Club 336-9265 Willie Smith

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Ruth Mott Foundation to Open North Flint Office in Neighborhood Engagement Hub The Ruth Mott Foundation’s north Flint office is moving to the Neighborhood Engagement Hub in December. Tryphena Clarke, the Foundation’s community engagement officer, will soon be based full time in the space, located at 3216 Martin Luther King Ave., where she will continue to build and strengthen relationships in the Foundation’s focus area of north Flint. As the Foundation’s community liaison, Clarke’s role includes meeting with community members, connecting groups with common goals, developing local resources and mobilizing community assets—an excellent fit with the Neighborhood Engagement Hub’s purpose of building community through civic engagement. In late 2015, the Ruth Mott Foundation turned its attention to north Flint and adopted four new priority areas that were identified by residents: youth, safety, economic opportunity and neighborhoods. The Foundation defines north Flint as the area bounded by the city limits on the west, north and east sides, and the Flushing Road/5th Avenue/Longway Boulevard corridor to the south. “When we shifted our focus to north Flint, we made a commitment to lift up residents’ voices and support their efforts to strengthen their neighborhoods,” Ruth Mott Foundation President Handy Lindsey said. “The Neighborhood Engagement Hub provides much-needed space and resources for neighbors to come together and effect change, and we’re happy to be a part of that.” Clarke, a lifelong Flint resident, has served as the Foundation’s community engagement officer since April 2016, and strongly believes that residents must play a part in creating the solutions in order to effectively improve conditions in Flint’s neighborhoods. “I’ve been working to make sure residents are at the table and their voices are heard,” she said. Clarke can be reached at [email protected] or 810-396-3416.

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HOLIDAY WALK, for the entire family, Flint Cultural Center, Kearsley St., Dec. 5, 5:30-8 p.m., (Tues.) Free

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CAPITOL THEATRE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY & TOUR, Capitol Theatre, 140 East 2nd Street, Dec. 7, Ceremony at 4 p.m., Tours until 8 p.m. 810.237.7333

Original artwork available at the MCC Fine Arts Student Art Fair

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RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER: The Musical, The Whiting, Dec. 9, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. (Sat.). Phone: 810.237.7333

Original and one-of-a-kind artwork will be for sale during the first-ever Mott Community College (MCC) Student Art Fair Dec. 8, from 4-6 p.m. and Dec. 9, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Event Center, on the main campus in Flint

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FEAST OF CAROLS, First Presbyterian Church of Flint, Dec. 10, 4 - 5:30 p.m., (Sun.), 746 E. Saginaw St. 810.234.8673

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TENDAJI TALKS -Water Crisis—Systemic Racism: Flint Public Library, Dec. 12, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. McCree Theatre, Dec. 19, Jan 16, at 6 p.m.

The Art Fair comes just in time for holiday gift buying and includes the work of more than 30 student artists, ranging from paintings, photography, sculpture, prints, and screen prints, to mixed media.

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AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM SERIES, Flint Institute of Arts, Dec. 14, (“13th”) Jan. 11, (“I am not Negro”), Thursdays at 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. $2.00

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THE LION, THE WITCH, and THE WARDROBE, Flint Youth Theatre, Dec. 2 thru Dec. 17, 810.238.1350.

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HOLIDAY POPS, The Whiting, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. (Sat.), Dec. 17, 3 p.m. (Sun.)

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JAZZNITE: The White Horse Tavern, 621 W. Court St., Dec. 21, 5 p.m. 810.234.3811 Free.

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FLINT CONTRA DANCE, Brennan Center, 1301 Pingree Ave., Jan. 7, 2pm (Sun). 743.4133

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ADVENTURES WITH CLIFFORD THE BID RED DOG, Sloan Museum, now thru Dec. 30, 810.237.3450 $9 adult, $6 children.

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FAMILY MOVIE! Flint Public Library, Dec. 26, 2 - 4 p.m. (Tues.) Free. Popcorn provided.

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Call the LONGWAY PLANETARIUM for other events and schedules. 810.237.3400.

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Call the FLINT PUBLIC LIBRARY for other events and schedules. 810.232.7111 or www.fpl.info

“We've launched the Student Art Fair as part of the Studio Art Program's new focus on teaching students how to make a living in the arts,” said Mary Cusack, Dean of the Fine Arts and Social Sciences Division at MCC. “The Student Art Fair gives our students realworld experience in preparing artwork for sale and in promoting an event and marketing their work.”

Block Club, Neighborhood Association and Crime Watch Meetings        

Carma Lewis President-Flint Neighborhoods United 3216 M. L. King Avenue [email protected] (810) 766-7426 ext-3042

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Neighborhood Restoration Coalition, (Tuesdays) – alternate 10 a.m. & 6:00 pm, Mini-station Circle Drive Neighborhood Association, (1st Thursday,) every month. Friends of Max Brandon Park, 5:00pm (1st Thursday), Neighborhood Engagement Hub Flint Neighborhoods United, September 9, Woodside Church. 9am—11am. Fellowship Hall King Avenue Plus, 6:00 pm, (2nd Tuesday), Neighborhood Engagement Hub Metawanenee Hills Neighborhood Association, (3rd Thursday,) 5:45 p.. Whaley Children’s Center, 1200 N. Grand Traverse. September 15, Flint Our Community Our Voice articles and ads due to: [email protected] or [email protected]. Glendale Hills Neighborhood Association, (3rd Thursday,) 6:30pm, @ Court Street Church of God, 2920 W. Court Ballenger Square Community Assoc., (1st Saturday,) Noon, New Baptist Church New Community Block Club, (2nd & 4th Thursday,) 12-2pm, New Community Baptist Civic Park Neighborhood Association, (2nd Tuesday,) 5:30pm, Haskell Community Center Ballenger Highway Association, (2nd Thursday,) 6pm Potter-Longway Neighborhood Association, (3rd Monday), 7pm, Eastwood Church Flint North-Central Neighborhood Association, (4th Thursday), 5pm, Flint Development Corp. (Bunche) 8

This Is What Happens When The Bees Disappear

ASK KIA

By Christy Erickson

Chances are, you’ve heard about bees disappearing. But you might not know just how bad things have gotten. More than half of the bee population is gone worldwide, and bees are now an endangered species in the US. Why should you care about these stinging insects? Because unlike wasps or hornets, bees actually do a lot for you and your family — and it’s not just about honey. Read below to learn how bees help put food on your table and keep the economy buzzing. Then you’ll know why you should take action now to save bees. WHY YO U NE ED B E ES You know that disappearing bees is a problem, but why exactly? How do some missing bees affect you and your family? Bees are one of the best pollinators in nature. This is how plants reproduce. About one-third of your food supply is pollinated by bees. When there aren’t bees to do their job, these plants don’t reproduce and can die out. Here are some of the plants that depend on bees to grow a new generation:  Apples  Coffee  Watermelons  Peppers  Grapes  Almonds If too many bees disappear, your family might not be able to eat these foods because they aren’t available anymore. But the problem is bigger than what’s in our grocery stores. When these drops start to disappear, the cost of food goes up thanks to its scarcity. Plus, bees pollinate around $15 billion dollars worth of crops each year. Jobs will disappear along with the food. BACK YA RD G AR DE NS FO R BEE S & YOU R FAM ILY Thankfully, there is an easy way your family can help protect bees: Build a garden. If there are more flowers for bees, they’ll have more food to stay healthy and multiply. And by getting your kids involved, you can teach them about nature — and have some fun as a family. USA Today recommends starting with a sunny area. Most flowering plants love sunlight, so this will help your garden (and the bees) thrive. If you don’t have much space in your yard, you can always take your kids to the store and pick out a planter or window box. See: Bees, Column 3

(For Concerning Questions & Sound Solutions)

Q: I am confused and somewhat perplexed by the recent verbal aggression of someone who I thought was a nice and emotionally stable person. This person went into a fit of rage that was totally out of what I thought was his character. I felt his behavior was even threatening. Should I address my concern to him, or just let it go? A: Your intuition is an innate warning system provided to you by the Holy Spirit. I suggest you listen and respond with caution. Your friend may very well be experiencing issues of unresolved anger, with limited anger management skills; which could result in physical violence and/or emotional damage to the relationship, as well as to your person. If this person is not a significant other, or someone truly meaningful in your life, I suggest you distance yourself, and consider dissolving the relationship. No relationship is worth the risk of harm to yourself. Q: Kia, my sister is cheating on her husband, and I’m afraid she is going to get hurt. I know that her husband is going to eventually find out about her infidelity; and a divorce is the least of my worries for her. What should I do? A: Your sister’s infidelity, unfortunately, is her own decision as well as her business. And as much as you dread seeing her hurt, the possible and likely consequences of her choices are also her business. If you and your sister have a close enough relationship that you can openly express your concerns, you might want to do that. Then, your only alternative is to pray that she recognizes and accepts the possible repercussions of her behavior and makes better choices Q: I have a friend who has expressed a desire to take our relationship to another level. I am not interested in dating him, but I enjoy his company, and would like to continue our friendship. I also don’t want to hurt him by making him feel rejected. How can I maintain our friendship on a strictly platonic level and still keep him from feeling rejected? 9

A: The only person whose feeling you can control is you. To be open and honest with your friend is the best favor you can do for him. If he chooses to feel rejected, it would neither be your fault, nor your responsibility. Be gentle and kind in your message to him, but totally truthful nonetheless. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNING QUESTIONS AND ARE SEEKING SOUND SOLUTIONS, WE INVITE YOU TO ASK KIA. * * * Bees

What kind of flowers are best? National Geographic explains you want plants that are native to your area. Since this is what bees nearby will be used to, it increases the chances of them finding your family’s garden. You also want to pick different colors, shapes, and ones that bloom at different times of the year. HELP B EYO ND A G ARDE N Your family garden will help bees begin to recover, but there are other ways your family can help. Here are a few: 

Avoid pesticides: These poisons are a major reason why bees are dying off, so don’t use them around your yard and home.

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Buy organic: Since organic farmers don’t use pesticides, you are making it financially viable to farm in a way that protects bees.

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Buy local honey: Along the same lines, buying honey locally helps beekeepers in your area expand their bee population.

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Leave bees alone: Bees ignore you when you ignore them. Teach your kids to give bees plenty of space when they run into them outside.

YOU R FAM ILY NEE DS BE E S Bees help your family by pollinating plants and providing jobs. As the bee population drops, you need to do something. Involve your whole family in building a bee-friendly garden. Not only will this be fun, you can help protect the foods you love by helping bees. To the City Staff and dozens of Community groups and teams for providing a picture and condition of EVERY parcel in Flint...Hours upon hours of boredom and anxiety (not to mention slow internet speeds) learning our town in a new way! Visit the Flint Property Portal at: www.flintpropertyportal.com Check out all the tools you have to update property conditions in YOUR neighborhood!

Did you know? Growing in a Hoop House? Fresh produce year round in Flint…. Hoop houses are becoming home to local vegetables grown year round here in Genesee County – roughly 40 hoophouses of all sizes! It is especially exciting that three local farmers are teaming up to provide veggie transplants at the right time for both new and seasoned hoop-house growers. Orders for transplants are due by December 15, 2017 – order form and all of the details are on edible flint’s website.

Third Annual African-American Film Series Communities First, Inc. partners with the Flint Institute of Arts to host the third annual African American Film Series. The series is designed to inspire, inform, empower and entertain attendees.

South Side Police Mini-Station is Still Open! The South Side mini police station is open Monday Thursday, 9:00am-12:00pm. Our phone number is (810) 228-3198. You can call any time, you do not have to give your name, but try to leave us a detailed message, or location of the trouble. EMERGENCIES: Call 911, Please. The old station was torn down and we moved to Lincoln Park United Methodist Church at 3410 Fenton Road, Flint 48507. The station is still active and waiting your calls.

“This film series has been instrumental in opening up a dialogue about family, community and current issues in our society. We are excited about this year’s series and look forward to sharing these fantastic films with area residents. This event is for anyone and everyone who is looking for a great event with delicious food, great people and interesting films.,” said Glenn Wilson, President/CEO. The series takes place once a month from November to February and is sponsored in part by Nartel Family Foundation, Genesee Health Systems, Consumers Energy, and NBC25. The schedule for the remaining films in the series is: Thursday, December 14 – 13th Reception and live entertainment begins at 5:30pm In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom. TVMA. Thursday, January 11 – I Am Not Your Negro (http://www.iamnotyournegrofilm.com) Reception and live entertainment begins at 5:30pm

Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Augustin Arbutu, Director, Michigan Department of Civil Rights-December 12 & 19

Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, "Remember This House". Rated PG-13.

More Water Crisis and Systemic Racism Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD January 9 & 16

Black and White: As Allies Traci Kim and Artina Sadler February 13 & 20

This Is My Story-Hope, Healing & Love Kenyetta Dotson March 13 & 20 10

Copy, fax, laminate, use a computer, hold a meeting, borrow a shovel, plan next year’s clean-ups AND use gardening and construction books, study the Master Plan and the Charter, learn who to call for what…PLUS find a notebook (dozens from ½” to 5” available) and buy a file cabinet or room divider! 3216 M. L. King, Flint or 810 348-5332

Need a job? Want a Job? Employment Opportunities Make a Difference in Flint & Genesee County: Serve through AmeriCorps

Apply today-Find the position right for you!

Contact Jenny McArdle: [email protected] or 810-762-5825

City of Flint Jobs            

Director of Department of Public Works (Job ID 576) Finance Director/CFO (Job ID 699) City Treasurer (Job ID 713) Electrician-Department of Public Works (Job ID 682) Utilities Instrumentation Trainee-Department of Public Works (Job ID 702) Labor Relations Manager (Job ID 700) Mechanical Inspector-(part-time) Department of Planning & Development (Job ID 441) Building Inspector) Dept. of Planning & Development (Job ID 663) Plumbing & Mechanical Inspector-Dept. of Planning & Development (Job ID 439) Plumbing Inspector (part-time) Dept. of Planning & Development (Job ID 440) Police Officer (full & part-time) Police Department (Job ID 694) Assessment Division Intern Assessing Division (Job ID 683) Please submit applications online www.cityofflint.com, or http://bit.ly/2q3TlG0 Full job descriptions and job postings can be viewed on website

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(810) 766-9089

Veterans of Now 608 W. Court Street (910) 747-3694

Thank you for all the great work you are doing in our community. Here’s to another great year! Thomas & Micah Hutchinson & Avery Morse

Ballenger Highway Neighborhood Association Meetings 2nd Thursday, 6:00pm Next Meeting in March

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