Considering Moving to Genesee County with Children? Flint is the Perfect Place to Raise a Family.

I know, you are relocating to Genesee County because a residency in Mc Laren or Hurley Hospital, or you will start teaching at the University of Michigan-Flint, etc.

It is summer and is time to be thinking where to move, what school to enroll your children, etc. Whatever the reasons, you have done some searches of schools and neighborhood your family will live.

I know people will tell you “be careful with Flint,” and so, you will not even consider such a beautiful place. It happened to us when we moved from Atlanta and my husband was hired as a Kettering University professor.

Everybody- lacking real knowledge about Flint, suggested that we choose Grand Blanc- a suburb in Genesee County. And we did it for a few years. We rented an apartment, but for me Grand Blanc is too blend and coming from Atlanta too boring…but that is another story.

And yet; the truth is that Flint is a great place to live and to raise a family. Why? Because is a very good deal. You could buy a house for less money that you will spend in the suburbs. With the rest of your money, you could send the children to private schools. In my neighborhood- Mott Park neighborhood we have two of the best private schools in the county- Saint John Vianney- http://www.gfn.org/sjv/ and Saint Paul Lutheran Church- http://www.stpaulflint.com/.Both programs are outstanding and have a great college track. A lot of the children’s parents are professionals and volunteers at the schools. I know that, well… because I know a lot about the good things for children in this town…and I also know people in Flint. After eight grade the children can go to Powers, the Catholic High School-http://www.powerscatholic.org/; one of the best schools in the county with an outstanding college track and very strong sport program.

So, take my word for a good deal. And with the rest of your money you can send your children to take classes at the Flint Cultural Center http://flintcultural.org/.

And then, when people send you to the suburbs tell them that you have chosen to live in Flint because it has the best education and culture for your children at the value that cities like Ann Arbor will die for.

I am telling you, because I live here and although, I home school my children, we can afford to send them to dance, Show Choir, private piano lesson, Flint Philarmonia, private trumpet lessons, private percussion lessons, voice class, theater, and art. Without counting that there is a park a block from my house and the Flint River passes by the Mott Park Golf course. The downtown Flint is being developed, and the University of Michigan- Flint is growing, and the hospitals are expanding, and there are new things to do all the time.

So, your new take on Flint has to be culture, and great education, and more culture, and more great education, and wonderful neighborhoods like Mott Park-http://mottpark.blogspot.com/, and great neighbors all at a very good price.

It is all of this perfect in Flint? No, off course not; the city is having growing pains. It is moving from one economy of manufacturing to an economy of education, hospitals and medicine. This is making a lot of people very uncomfortable. They are losing their identity. Flint is not an automotive hub like it used to be, but for your family and your career, it is the perfect place to live.

I hope you followed my advice, and if you have questions, I will be glad to answer to you.

Until then, imagine enjoying Flint as we do, with great culture, and great education…did I mentioned that we have also two library systems and the libraries from Mott Community College, Kettering University, University of Michigan-Flint and much more at your service…I can go for ever. Yes we also have great churches with wonderful music programs.

And there is another great school ouside my neighborhood- Valley School-http://www.valleyschool.org/vweb_home.htm

See you in Flint,

Marta

Do you Know that in Flint We Have a Very Good Dance Program?

Off course, you do not know. That is why I am writing to share with you the great things we have in Flint. For a city of the size of Flint, we have so much in terms of classes and programs and activities that is amazing!

I know in the suburbs the news from Flint is filtered by the media outlets. And while they cover most of the negative aspects, I ask you to remember they are just business and bad news always sell more than good news. So, since I do not work for profit, I could tell you all the great things we have in Flint, really, without making my editorial boss upset. I am the news, and I can tell you that the Flint Institute of Music Dance program is really, really, really great.

What makes the program special is- one, the approach to teach that focus on attraction and inclusion of all kind of proficiency levels and talents. Two, embedded in the program is a progression of development of proficiency for each child at their own pace. Three, as the student progress, there are possibilities of master classes, performances, and student teaching helping in classes. Finally, as the student progress to the last classes, there are opportunities for trips overseas, summer programs, and designing their own choreographies.

The Festival of Dance at the University of Michigan-Flint Theater last Saturday was a show to enjoy.

And while taking on the beauty of the auditorium at the University of Michigan-Flint, I thought about the group of dancers that dutifully practiced all year long for this moment. They trully shined.

The program was organized in progression from the younger students to the older ones; and so, you could observe how the students have been learning and applying their knowledge of dance.

 The performing groups were:

• Children’s Performance Workshop
• Youth Dance Ensemble and Boys’&  Girls’ Club
• Youth Dance Ensemble
• Adult Ballet Ensemble
• Flint Youth Ballet

While the first choreographies were the delight of parents and grandparents that enjoyed seeing their children, the last pieces moved the audience to a complete different level. There it was dance to its best.

 The Flint Youth Ballet performed a beautiful piece of “Les Sylphides,” and a great Rush of Roulette with an emerging FIM choreographer.

 The surprise of the night was the Adult Ballet Ensemble with a “Goodbye” piece which showed that talent has not boundaries of age or limitations. It was beautifully done.

 In addition, Harry Burn- the former soloist with the Dance Theater of Harlem was a guest dancer and a gracious partner in some of the pieces of the Flint Youth Ballet.  

 Once again, should I say that Flint is full of possibilities and talents? During the performance there were moments the dancers were close to perfection and you were there with them. Flint is indeed a great place to be, and see so much talent being formed here. It is a privilege.

So, if you are interested of learning about dance in Flint, plan to attend the Festival of Dance next year. It is always during the month of May.

…thinking about dance classes for your children? www.FlintInstituteofMusic.org

 Until next time, keep enjoying Flint as we do it.

 PS: Sorry I did not take pictures…they were not allowed.

 Marta

Reflecting on Mothers’ Day..Flint and …Ti Voglio Bene…

Ti Voglio Bene

(Affirmation of affection or deep caring,

to a friend, lover or a family member)

Wikipedia

Sitting in the balcony, at the Temple Theater, ready to listen to the music of ABBA performed by The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra-www.saginawbayorchestra.com and the ARRIVAL from Sweden- http://www.arrival.se/#frame5, my mind flew away into my youth, thirty years ago.

….It was Europe, a trip from the School of Architecture from the University of Tucuman, Argentina to the great metropolis Rome, Paris, London, Munich, to learn about the history of old buildings etc. Yet; flying Scandinavian Airlines, the sound of ABBA was in full bloom and everything was young and hopeful. Being out of Argentina, for the first time gave me a paradigm shift with the precious understanding that different ways of seeing and believing create different realities.

And so, lost in the memories of Piazza Navona were the words of a young architect student from the University of Rome that said to me several times “Ti voglio bene.”

“Ti voglio bene” in Spanish means I love you seriously, with deep care, and good intentions. And although I was not ready to commence my fly away from home yet, the words stay with me forever. There is a way to love things with a serious commitment and start with your attitude.

That is what Flint, our city that is reinventing itself, after being, glorified, feared, criticized, demonized, ignored, deeply needs. Flint- the city in which everybody is demanding miracles without doing the penance is in desperate need for us to open our arms, extend a big hug and seriously embrace the love for her.

During mothers’ day “Ti voglio bene,” means to make a serious commitments to care about a Flint, starting with little things like pitch in with trash (help your neighbor), stop complaining about everything and everybody, and ending with serious and important objectives like demanding transparency, honesty, and accountability in all business in town, from politicians, to the rental owners, to the liquor stores, and night clubs, etc.

If you do well, your mothers and Flint- our city mother will flourish. And more good people – not flippers will come , and instead of rivers of hard liquor, we will have rivers of flowers, and instead of rivers of drop-outs, we will have rivers of love for learning and tinkering with inventions. And we will plant creative ways of problem solving attracting entrepreneurial business, and oxygen to old ideas that will become new and fresh.

To all the rental owners in Mott Park, I hope that “You voglio bene” our neighborhood, by honoring your mothers thinking of your actions when you rent houses to people who have the music loud all hours, keep their dogs outside without water or weather protection, park their cars on the front grass, or loitering the streets with chip bags, toys, broken cars, and keep the grass without cutting, etc. Your rental  that you know are creating problems but you do not care to “educate them to live in a community,” are neighbors to old ladies like your mothers.

“To voglio bene,” is to have good intentions for your rental tenants too, by keeping their houses in good conditions, by repair things that need to be repair, and by having a presence in the property, and establishing the limits that need to be established.

Do good and your mother will be proud of you, for you care about of all the vulnerable seniors in Mott Park that live on Nolan St., Frank St. Dickinson St., Cartier St., Montieth St., Joliet St., Dupont St., N. Chevrolet Ave., Cadillac St. Bagley St., Dougherty Place, Weller St., Marquette St., Woodbridge St., Blair St., Tiffin St., Paducah St., Tyrone St., Altoona St., Norbert St., Thomas St., Fremont St., Golfside Ln., Orchard Ln., next to your property, and your renters.

Keep “to voglio bene” Flint as we have learned to do, and you will be happy to live or conduct business in Flint as we do.

Until next time, enjoy one of the songs of ABBA!

…..Thank you for the music

Thank You For The Music lyrics
Songwriters: Andersson, Benny Goran Br; Ulvaeus, Bjoern K.;

I’m nothing special, in fact I’m a bit of a bore
If I tell a joke, you’ve probably heard it before
But I have a talent a wonderful thing
‘Cause everyone listens when I start to sing (
I’m so grateful and proud
All I want is to sing it out loud

So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty?
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk
She says I began to sing long before I could talk
And I’ve often wondered, how did it all start?
Who found out that nothing can capture a heart
Like a melody can?
Well, whoever it was, I’m a fan

So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty?
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

I’ve been so lucky, I am the girl with golden hair
I wanna sing it out to everybody
What a joy, what a life, what a chance

Thank you for the music, the songs I’m singing
Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty?
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

© EMI WATERFORD MUSIC INC; UNION SONGS AB;

these lyrics are last corrected by tash

…by the way, the concert was a lot of fun, and you know what? The mother of my son’s FIM Philarmonia director Ms. Alesia Byrd was playing!

It was a great mother’s day gift.

Marta

Something to do in Flint on a Rainy Day?

Nothing beats the Flint Public Library on a rainy day. Besides books to read and discover, internet to use, magazines and newspapers to browse, and genealogy films to see, there is always something interesting to do.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Friends of the Flint Public Library book sale and there will be very good deals because you can buy bags of books for little money.

John Mc Cutcheon Concert

For the children, there will be a great show. At 2 pm, the famous and child loved musician John Mc Cutcheon will have a show. For young families that do not know him, he has been singing and composing since 1970 and is a prolific composer. My children like some of his CD’s (by the way, you can check them at the library).

His website is interesting and gives you a flavor of his personality- www.folkmusic.com, or go to Youtube.com put his name and listen some of his songs.

Flint is great because there are always too many interesting things to do! Give the show a try, your children will love it and if I take pictures I will share with you later, so you see how lucky we are in Flint to have the Flint Public Library- http://www.Flint.lib.mi.us.

Until the next time, enjoy Flint as we do,

Marta

Celebrating Our Wonderful Youth in Flint Michigan II

Do you want to see how wonderful these kids are? Well, I have taken some pictures. On purpose, they are not in detail. I do not want to show the kids’ faces. I just want to show how many great kids we have in Flint and Genesee County. And how great the facilities we have in Flint to nurture art, creativity and beauty. Aren’t we so lucky?

Yes, we are!

Until next time, enjoy Flint and the Flint Institute of Music as we do,

Marta and the kids.

Celebrating our Wonderful Youth in Flint, Michigan

 

It is very common to plastered the newspapers and media from TV to websites with “our challenged and problem youth,” taking for granted our wonderful kids in Flint and Genesee County.

Last Saturday, Showcase at Whiting was a possibility to see how great our youth in Flint is. As little as five years old, to the graduating promotion of seniors passed thru the scenario showing their hard work and years of practice at the Flint Institute of Music.

The plethora of talents and good performance was splendid, and we could proudly say that this is Flint at our best.

We need to make this youth feel valued; we need to show our appreciation, not because we are proud parents, but because they are our future leaders.

As a president of the Mott Park neighborhood Association for three years, I know the effects of lack of praise that has in this population: When they graduate they move to Chicago, or Ann Arbor. These are cities that celebrate youth and intelligence, and talent and want them, all of them. So, next time, when you see a young person from Flint that  has been in front of the piano practicing for hours, tell them how much you appreciate their efforts, and how much you value their art because if you give them a little, they will give you the world.

Good kids need all the appreciation to stay in Flint. They need to know that matter, and we need them here to build a better Flint, for a new economy of knowledge and art, and innovation is based on this kind of minds.

If you think your children will benefit from music, or dance, give the Flint Institute of Music a chance. The following list is some of the groups they could be part of:

• Flint Youth Wind Ensemble and Flint Youth Symphony Brass
• Flint Festival Youth Chorus
• Beginning, and Intermezzo String Classes
• Children’s Performance Workshop
• Flint Youth String Orchestra
• Youth Dance Ensemble
• Flint Youth Philarmonia
• Flint Youth Ballet
• Flint Youth Wind Ensemble
• Flint Youth Ballet
• Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra

The benefits are enormous, for they learn more than music; they learn a way of life that requires aspiring to be the best they can be. Isn’t that what we want for our children? We have it here in Flint, Michigan. Isn’t that a luxury at the tip of our hands? Aren’t we so absolutely lucky?

Until next time, take advantage of the great things Flint has to offer as we do.

Marta

Trash in Flint and Lucky Me! II

When life gives you lemons, how about making lemonade?

First step: Bring free wooden pallets home.

Secon: Put pallets down.

Third: Move pallets to site.

Fourth: Build compost bin.

View of compost bin.

Fifth: Put leaves into compost bin.

Sixth: Start composting!

…

The pleasure to turn food scrapts and leaves into good dirt

priceless!

Until next time, enjoy Flint as I do.

Marta