EastEast VillageVillage MagazineMagazine SeptemberSeptember 20212021 Photograph By Located inside the Flint Farmers’ Market FREE Home Warranty Flint’s Resident Realtor The Name Trusted in Ryan Eashoo More Neighbohoods (810) 234-1234 www.RyanEashoo.com 2 Commentary Flint loses 20,000 residents. What does it mean for the city? By Paul Rozycki With the current census, to approve any new maps. Dem- the City of Flint has lost Grand ocrats have the majority control Vol. LIX No. 9 September 2021 Blanc, Davison, Swartz Creek, and in only eight states. Sixteen states Montrose. will use either independent com- Founder Gary P. Custer I don’t mean that those missions, like Michigan, or have Managing Editor Tom Travis places are gone. They are still legislatures split between parties. Consulting Editor Jan Worth-Nelson here in Genesee County and doing Six states have only one member Consulting Editor Ted Nelson fine. But the City of Flint has lost of the U.S. House and don’t need Reporters Harold C. Ford enough population to fill those to draw district lines. Madeleine Graham Patsy Isenberg cities, and that has powerful impli- Melodee Mabbitt cations for Flint and those living On the state level Coner Segren here. Columnist Paul Rozycki Based on the current census In Michigan, a similar Photographer Edwin D. Custer data just released, Grand Blanc has pattern prevailed. The Upper 8091 residents, Swartz Creek has Peninsula, the Thumb, and much Distribution Staff Director: Edwin D. Custer. Staff: Sue Bailey, Kim 5897 residents, Davison has 5143 the rural areas of the lower pen- Bargy, Jacob Blumner, Connor Coyne & Ruby residents, and Montrose has 1743 insula showed significant loss of Coyne, Casey Custer, Caroline Fechik, Christine & Patrick Figgins, Marabeth Foreman, Charlie & residents, for a total of 20,874 for population, while the west side of Linda & Patrick & Terrance & Christan & Jillianne the four cities. By contrast, the the state, particularly the Grand Goldsberry, Patsy Isenberg, Carol Larzelere Kell- ermann, Stephen Kellermann, Jo Larzelere, Mary City of Flint, with a population of Rapids area, and the Detroit subur- LeRoy, James & Lillian & Livia Londrigan, Alan & 81,252, has lost 21,182 residents ban area, showed the most growth. Julie Lynch, Ron & Mary Meeker, Robert & Nancy Meszko, Ted Nelson, Dave & Becky Pettengill, in the last decade, over 20 percent Unlike 2010, when Michigan lost Julian Rodriquez, Paul Rozycki, Mike Spleet, Kim of our population, and more than population, the state has grown & Ronan & Jude Streby, Holly West, and Karen Wilkinson. the population of the four cities about 2 percent. Board of Trustees combined. A century ago, in 1920, Though Michigan has grown • FaLessia Booker • Edwin D. Custer Flint’s population was 91,599. almost 2 percent in the last decade, • Alec Gibbs • Jack D. Minore that’s below the national average, • Paul Rozycki • Jan Worth-Nelson On the national level and as a result, we will lose one 720 E. Second St. Flint, Mich. 48503 seat in the U.S. House, and will (810) 233-7459 On the national level the have 13 members of the U.S. Website: census reveals several surpris- House rather than the current 14. eastvillagemagazine.org ing shifts in our population. The When those 13 districts E-mail: [email protected] nation has become more diverse. are redrawn each should have Layout by Patsy Isenberg. Printing by Riegle Press The percentage of the white popu- approximately 770,000 people. Inc., 1282 N. Gale Rd., Davison, Mich. 48423. lation has shrunk, and minorities, Because of the loss of population East Village Magazine is a program of the Village particularly Hispanics, have grown in Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, Information Center Inc., a nonprofit corporation. We significantly. The census also Dan Kildee’s current district (the welcome material from readers, but all submis- sions become the property of the publication and if shows a sharp movement away 5th) is a about 100,000 below that published will be edited to conform to the editorial from rural areas and toward urban number and will need to pick up style and policies of the publication. All inquiries about the publication should be mailed to East Vil- and suburban regions. more territory and people for the lage Magazine, Village Information Center, 720 E. Nationally, some of the future. Second St., Flint, Mich. 48503. Distribution is the first Thursday of each month. Display advertising greatest regions of growth are Kildee’s district showed rates are $34 a column-inch plus any other costs. Unclassified ads are $2.50 a printed line or part of a in areas that have usually voted a 5 percent loss, more than any printed line. Rates subject to change without notice. Democratic. But that may not al- congressional district in Michi- The deadline for advertising is 10 days before each publication date. ways be good news for Democrats. gan. Exactly what the new district © 2021 East Village Magazine In 20 states, Republicans are in a would look like is unknown, but majority, and will have the power (Continued on Page 12.) Cover: Crapo St. Hanging Pots 3 Photo of the Month: Cultural Center as work continues (Photo by Edwin D. Custer) Education Beat Flint Schools leadership besieged by aging infrastructure in buildings averaging 70 years old By Harold C. Ford Students in Flint Community remain open, and principals are to 1959, 62 years; Scott, 1961, 60; Schools (FCS) will miss six days of report to their buildings on Tues- Holmes, 1962, 59; Neithercut, 1961, school in the just-started 2021-22 day, August 24. School will resume 60; Potter, 1952, 69; Doyle/Ryder, school year due to the heat. FCS or- in-person Monday, August 30, and 1901 (gutted and rebuilt around dered schools closed the entire week we look forward to seeing your 1980), 120; Durant-Tuuri-Mott, of Aug. 23-26; an instruction day had child.” 1922, 99; Pierce, 1952, 69; Brownell, not been scheduled for Friday, Aug. Outside temperatures were ex- 1963, 58; Eisenhower, 1966, 55; 27. pected to be in the 80s (Fahrenheit) Freeman; 1951, 70. FCS Superintendent Anita through Wednesday and Thursday, The FCS buildings average 70 Steward issued a revised public according to The Weather Channel years old. statement about school closings on and AccuWeather websites. Monday, Aug. 23 on the district’s Average age of buildings website that read, in part: Flint school buildings average in U. S. is 44 years “At Flint Community Schools, 70 years old the safety and well-being of our staff The average age of about and scholars is always a primary The eleven FCS buildings that 84,000 school buildings in the United concern. As we look at this week’s currently house students in grades States, according to a November, weather forecast, we have made the K-12 are, collectively an average of 2017 report in Education Week, is 44 decision to cancel school districtwide 70 years old, according to informa- years since construction. (the link from Tuesday, August 24 through tion provided East Village Magazine can be found on the online version at Thursday, August 26 … there is also by the Flint-based Sloan Museum. www.eastvillagemagazine.org) no instruction on Friday, August 27. The opening dates, and ages “A majority of schools sur- The administration building will of each building are: Southwestern, (Continued on Page 5.) 4 the district’s massive infrastructure agenda item is on the July agenda,” ... Aging Schools needs. (Continued from Page 4.) insisted Wright. Ayunna Dombreh, executive “It will not be on the July veyed by the National Center for director of finance, told the board agenda,” McIntosh replied. In fact, Education Statistics (76 percent) said at its Aug. 11 meeting, “They (the the Mott proposal has not appeared school buildings were in ‘good’ to federal government) highly, highly on any of the board’s July and Au- ‘excellent’ condition,” according to discourage using these funds for new gust agendas. the Education Week report. construction.” Large percentages reported Though hopeful, no FCS offi- Lost school days aspects of school facilities to be cial has yet claimed the just-started “fair” or “poor”: air conditioning, 30 process of selling abandoned prop- At its Aug. 18 meeting, board percent; heating, 30 percent; plumb- erties and run-down buildings will of education members inquired about ing/restrooms, 31 percent; roofs, generate sufficient funds for needed the number of lost instruction days 25 percent; windows, 32 percent; upgrades or replacement of FCS allowed by the Michigan Department sidewalks, 27 percent; playgrounds/ buildings. of Education (MDE) before they play areas, 27 percent. would have to be made up. The average combined spend- “We get six days that are for- ing for capital projects and mainte- given,” said Steward. FCS stands to nance and operations in the nation’s lose significant state aid for any days schools is $99 billion each year. beyond six that are not “forgiven” or made up. Flint’s infrastructure FCS has, thus far, canceled six shortcomings and needs days in the 2021-22 school year due to the heat. On three other days, a Infrastructure shortcomings minimum level of 75 percent student and needs — HVAC systems (heat- attendance was not achieved. Thus, ing, ventilation, air conditioning), the district is now three days beyond electrical grids, hydration stations or C.S. Mott Foundation President the number of days that will be for- smart water fountains, internet capa- Ridgway White speaks to board (Photo by Tom Travis) given by the state. At the Aug. 18 meeting, one board member suggested virtual Mott Foundation offer to learning as an alternative to closing resurrect buildings schools due to heat. nowhere on board’s agenda Steward advised the board that, following the unusual 2020-21 Nonetheless, a $200-mil- school year altered by the COVID lion-plus offer by the Flint-based pandemic, MDE no longer allows a Charles Stewart Mott Foundation blanket option for virtual learning to rebuild or renovate all of Flint’s for an entire school district.