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East Village Magazine – January 2017

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East Village Magazine – January 2017 Magazine East JVanuary 2i017 llage Photograph by Edwin D. Custer VERN’S COLLISION INC. Free Loaners • Unibody • Frame • Paint Specialists • Glass • State-certified Mechanics More than 40 years at the same location. (810) 232-6751 2409 Davison Rd. Senior Living Simplified Near College Cultural Center Easy Expressway Access Located inside the Flint Farmers’ Market Immediate Occupancy! Call today to reserve Managed by the Piper Management Group your new (Rents start at $415) home! 800 E. Court St. FREE Home Warranty 810-239-4400 Flint’s Resident TDD: 810-649-3777 H e a lt h y H o m e Equal Housing Opportunity Realtor — The Name Trusted in More C o o k i n g ! Neighborhoods Ryan Eashoo BATTISTE’S 810-235-1968 TEMPLE DINING ROOM (810) 234-1234 Flint Farmers’ Market PUBLIC WELCOME Serving Downtown Flint since 1947 Luncheon Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. All Occasion Catering 235-7760 ~wine~ craft beer & more... at the Flint Farmers’ Market 2 Editorial Launching 2017 with some journalistic drama By Jan Worth-Nelson EastMagazine Village By any standards, 2016 was a year of day but still was willing to articulate his Vol. LV No. 1 January 2017 high drama in Flint and in the country. At regrets and to offer quiet, ruminative Founder Gary P. Custer East Village Magazine , we are taking many defenses of his actions in the turbulent deep breaths. We are trying to make sense months of 2011 to 2015. Editor Jan Worth-Nelson of everything that’s happened. We are We were exhausted after the interview. Managing Editor Nic Custer We went straight back to my house and Copy Editor Danielle Ward attempting to move forward with a clear Reporters Kayla Chappell vision and renewed energy for serving the drank whiskey. But it felt profoundly Nic Custer community that is our home. important to us to hear Walling’s story, to Harold C. Ford In the process, we are launching 2017 think about the complexities around the Jan Worth-Nelson with a little drama of our own. This is the water crisis, and attempt to explain and Megan Ockert share elements of his role – fairly and fac - Columnists Jan Worth-Nelson largest EVM we’ve ever published – 16 Teddy Robertson pages – and our first piece of “long-form” tually, we hope – with you. As with so Paul Rozycki journalism, a special section starting on many aspects of the water crisis, Dayne Business Manager Casey Custer p. 8. Walling’s story is complicated and unfin - Ad Sales Andrew Keast That piece, researched and written by ished. A special thanks to Harold Ford for Éminence Grise Ted Nelson his exhaustive research and commitment Photographer Edwin D. Custer our newest writer, Harold C. Ford, is Poet Grayce Scholt based on an interview conducted by to the facts. We’re proud to have him on Harold and me with former Flint Mayor board. Dayne Walling, a resident of the College Meanwhile, other stories just keep com - Distribution Staff Director: Edwin D. Custer. Staff: Kim Bargy, Jane Cultural neighborhood and obviously a ing. Also in this edition is an interview with Bingham, Helen & Jacob Blumner, Connor Coyne key controversial player in the water cri - longtime Clio resident Henry Hatter, one of & Ruby Coyne, Tim Grey Buffalo Collardey, Casey sis. At the dining room table of his quiet the 16 Michigan electors who brought us & Nic Custer, Emma Davis, Emily Doerr, Marabeth 1927 colonial, his rescue dog Bruno nes - Donald Trump. His story, we think you will Foreman, Andrea Garrett, Charlie & Linda & tled at our feet, Walling gave us two and a agree, is compelling, with deep Flint roots Patrick & Terrance & Christan & Jillianne Goldsberry, Ingrid Halling & Bob Thomas, Robert half hours of his time on a snowy and ideas that may challenge yours. They Jewell, Andrew Keast, Carol Larzelere Kellermann, December day. are not our views, but we respect his right Stephen Kellermann, Jo Larzelere, Mary LeRoy, Many questions propelled us. We want - to express himself. Bill & Carol Leix, Alan & Julie Lynch, Ron & Mary ed to know not just about his role in the This edition also features Paul Meeker, Robert & Nancy Meszko, Mary & Jeff water crisis, but about his life growing up in Rozycki’s usual penetrating punditry, and a Mintline, John Moliassa, Mike Neithercut, Ted Nelson, Edith & John Pendell, Dave & Becky Flint, his education and his path to a posi - story about the Flint Fresh Mobile Market Pettengill, and Mike Spleet. tion that embroiled him as mayor from Day – a community partnership that may repre - Board of Trustees One in one of the biggest challenges to the sent something Flint is getting good at. • Jane M. Bingham • Edwin D. Custer city of Flint in its history. Who is Dayne Finally, I’ve ceded my Village Life column • Bella Kritz • Jack D. Minore Walling? What drives him? And what does this time to a guest columnist, Flint writer • Robert R. Thomas he have to say about the controversies that Connor Coyne, who describes a rather • Jan Worth-Nelson, ex officio swamped him as the water crisis unfolded? frightening but eye-opening experience on 720 E. Second St. We had other questions, too, about his rela - a road trip from Chicago. Flint, Mich. 48503 tionship with the water warriors, the emer - As I wrap this up, I’m reminded of a (810) 233-7459 gency managers, state and federal officials, saying by the late Shelly Kopp in his won - Web Site: eastvillagemagazine.org and, as we dug into the history more deeply, derful 43-item “Eschatological Laundry E-mail: [email protected] the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) List.” Item 20 goes like this: “All evil is Layout by Ted Nelson. Printing by Riegle Press pipeline. potential vitality in need of transforma - Inc., 1282 N. Gale Rd., Davison, Mich. 48423. The interview was, at times, difficult. tion.” We’ve got some transformation to The East Village Magazine is a program of the Walling has had a tough year. Within two undertake. We can do it together, day by Village Information Center Inc., a nonprofit corpo - weeks after Karen Weaver defeated him in day, here at home, with the resilience that ration. We welcome material from readers, but all sub - missions become the property of the publication and if a bruising campaign at the end of a tumul - we know keeps our beleaguered Flint published will be edited to conform to the editorial style tuous year, his father died. He has applied hearts beating. So, onward to this new and and policies of the publication. All inquiries about the for several jobs unsuccessfully, but has nerve-wracking year. Let’s live it out with publication should be mailed to East Village Magazine , done consulting based on his wide politi - audacious hope, beyond all reason. Village Information Cen ter, 720 E. Second St., Flint, Mich. 48503. Distribution is the second Saturday of cal experience and hopes to do more. each month. Display advertising rates are $34.00 a col - After a life devoted to public service, he Jan Worth-Nelson is the editor of East umn-inch plus any other costs. Unclassified ads are clearly is grappling with a seemingly tar - Village Magazine. She can be reached at $2.50 a printed line or part of a printed line. Rates sub - nished reputation. He appeared tired that [email protected]. ject to change without notice. The deadline for adver - tising is 10 days before each pub li cation date. Cover: Woodside Church © 2017 East Village Magazine 3 Photograph by Edwin D. Custer Photo of the Month: Top of the Pavilion Commentary What’s the new normal for 2016 and 2017? By Paul Rozycki Looking back on 2016, it is strange how tions, what would be the chances of that can - members. quickly the abnormal became normal. didate being elected to anything, much less It shouldn’t be normal to learn that the One of the most worrisome aspects of the the presidency? So many things that were same filters that remove lead might also Flint Water Crisis is how normal certain truly bizarre and offensive during last year’s increase the chance for bacterial infection in things have become. I’ve gotten used to hav - presidential campaign are now, unfortunate - our water. ing the house littered with water bottles and ly, being accepted as the “new normal”. It shouldn’t be normal to have two oppos - having cases of water piled all over the As we move into the new year, there are ing trash companies playing bumper-tag on kitchen. I’m used to changing filters every more than a few things from 2016 that have the city streets as they attempt to get the edge week or so. I’m used to picking up a carload become normal, that shouldn’t be accepted for a city contract, amidst charges of insider of water every few weeks. I’m used to plant - as normal in 2017. dealing. ing a huge trash bag full of empty plastic bot - The “new normal” for Flint? The “new normal” for the nation? tles at the curb every recycling week. I’m It shouldn’t be normal to have new crimi - On the presidential level, the list of “new used to not drinking the tap water. nal charges regularly filed against local offi - normal” is even more troubling. I’ve gotten so used to all this that I have a cials who are blamed for the water crisis. It shouldn’t be normal for a candidate to hard time breaking the habit. When I go to a It shouldn’t be normal to regularly hear lose the popular vote by almost 3 million friend’s home outside of Flint, I wonder that “the water is getting better, but keep votes, and win the electoral vote.
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