My City August 2022

PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF Vince Lorraine

F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R

E D I T O R I A L MANAGING EDITOR Sherron Barden

A R T & D E S I G N GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hai ley Worrel l

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.is month, thousands will celebrate Vehicle City at Back to the Bricks® events all over Genesee County and beyond (see details on p.2-3). Amber Taylor, the busy gal in charge, is featured on p.8. She did a great job answering our “7 Questions.” is 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.is 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 starting on p.10. 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 oŸers a mentoring program focused on teaching skilled trades, culinary and life skills.ey are changing lives and setting kids up for success. Check it out on p. 18. Success is all about ¡nding your path and being dedicated to the journey. A great example of this is highlighted in our “My Sport” pro¡le of Ellen Tomek – a Flint Powers Cathholic standout and one of only two U of M athletes to compete in three Olympics. What sport? Read more on p.38. 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 ¥y 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! at starts on p.52. ere’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! anks for reading,

ASSISTANT EDITOR / WR ITER Peter Hinterman

WEB DEVELOPER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jonathan Boedecker

STAFF WR ITER Cheryl Denni son

PHOTOGRAPHY Katy Ki ldee

FREELANCE WR ITERS Mark Spezia

O P E R A T I O N S

ACCOUNTING/CI RCULATION Kim Davi s

CONTR IBUTING WR ITERS Er in Caudel l Dr. Christopher Douglas Vera Hogan Joel P. Lagore Alexandr ia Nolan Les l ie Toldo Shannon Whi te

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Dan Garman

S A L E S

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Terese Al len

5152 COMMERCE RD. FLINT, MI 48507 810.230.1783 © MYCITYMAG.COM ISSN#1559-3436 is published monthly by My City Magazine, Inc., 5152 Commerce Rd., Flint, MI 48507. Canadian Mail Agreement #41971515. For back issues, inquire for availability. Editorial Cor respondence: Address product information and inquiries to: Editorial Department, My City Magazine, 5152 Commerce Rd., Flint, MI 48507, phone 810.230.1783. To authors, photographers, and people featured in this publication: All materials, articles, reports and photographs in this publication are the property of My City Magazine and cannot be used without written permission. Že opinions and conclu sions recited herein are those of the respective authors and not of My City Magazine. My City Magazine is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other materials. Every e‘ort will be made however, to return rejected manuscripts, etc., if they are accompanied by su“cient ”rst-class postage, but the publisher will not be responsible for any loss of such material. Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved. | Printed in U.S.A.

VINCE LORRAINE PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF VINCE@MYCITYMAG.COM

COVER PHOTO BY KATY KILDEE