10: More momentum from Flint and the Journal.

EVENT

I've got a weird obsession with the Flint Journal (as opposed with my obsession with Flint in general, which is more encompassing and pathological than simply "weird"). For the most part it's a mediocre newspaper... well funded but debatably more mediocre than is necessary for the flagship periodical of a community of 450,000. This is interrupted, however, by moments of brilliance that in the past went as far as Pulitzer prizes, and have more recently been nearly unnoticed. I cannot believe that this is completely arbitrary, and I think it has to do with the paper's relationship to the community as a sort of anti-Pravda. This is a difficult argument to make her (and in the next sixteen minutes of my mid-afternoon break, no less) so like with immigration I'll provide a couple examples of what I'm talking about and analyze them in a later post.

First, the worst thing about the Journal is its own pathological need to transform every headline possible into a pun (you'd be amazed how may puns can be wrung out of a story... some days I think the Journal pulls it of in close to 50%. Typically these are bad... not deliciously, smelly cheese I-can't-believe-that-words-can-do-that bad, but so-obvious-why-do-you-even-bother bad. And typically this is just annoying but it is periodically offensive. Inserted Ann Landers headline:

Anorexic teen should swallow her pride.

I complain about this a lot. I also complain about huge oversights, such as the paper's sometimes passing over important and subtly complex local economic issues, such as the nuanced negotiations between the UAW, Delphi, and GM, in favor local feel-good stories, like the dislexic teen who got into Yale, or whatever. Plus, frequent irregularities, grammatic errors, and vague or ambiguous attribution.

Here are three things I've culled from today's paper.

My question. Are they just accidents or mere exceptions?

#1. No-confidence game is tough to figure out. Andrew Heller.

Let me see if I have this straight. The police took a no-confidence vote on the police chief, who was appointed by the mayor, which prompted the mayor to express his lack of confidence in the police, which in part prompted the City Council to pass a "no confidence" measure against the mayor. Meanwhile, the Flint school board appears to have nothing but confidence in the superintendent, about whom many Flint voters seem to have ... no confidence! Man, try and diagram that no-confidence flow chart. I'm not confident I could do it. What the heck, I might as well play: I have no confidence in any of you. How about that?

#2. Also on our mind... Flint Journal editorial.

FEEL-GOOD MOMENT: In a state filled with worries and uncertainties over just about everything that matters - and in a world with even more travails - how can we be so happy about our situation in Michigan just because the Detroit Tigers have roared into the World Series? Is it all the media attention on this team? Perhaps, but it also says something about human nature and sports. For even in the depths of the Great Depression - and during other major moments of malaise - success in athletics has provided a temporary balm. It's not a real cure for what ails, but the Tigers undeniably have made us feel good.

More, what do we make of this?
It is not presented as an editorial, but as a news piece.
I am interested in your thoughts here:

#3. Diamond in the rough?. Article by George Jaska.

FLINT - It's not every day that you see new construction on the city's aging east side. In fact, it's not every year.

In 2003, federal grants helped build two houses. Otherwise, the past five years have seen nothing new going up in the area generally bounded by Davison Road, Lewis and Leith streets and N. Dort Highway, said Jesse Buchanan, Flint's chief development official.

But now, new life is arising in a neighborhood where crime and decay are unwelcome realities: North Star Missionary Baptist Church has embarked on a $2.2-million project to build a new church building at Broadway Boulevard and Minnesota Avenue.

That's good news to some residents in a neighborhood scarred by abandoned and dilapidated houses.

"You can never have too many churches in a neighborhood," said Patricia Green, 60, who lives next door to the church. "It's better than having a bar."

The five-year Broadway resident said it's not all doom and gloom in the neighborhood. Some people are buying houses and fixing them up, she said. She is looking forward to the new church.

"I'd rather see a church here than some dope house," agreed Giovanna Thomas, 47, looking out at earth-moving equipment from the home on Broadway where she has lived since 2003.

The church's new, 14,000-square-foot, one-story brick building will seat 825 in a sanctuary with a balcony, said the Rev. James Flowers Sr., North Star's pastor for 38 years. It will connect to the current building, where about 450 worshippers have been coming from as far as Detroit, Ypsilanti and Lansing for 16 years.

"Our church is full on Sunday. We don't have space for growth," Flowers said. North Star has 1,600 members on its rolls.

"It's a joy for us to have this project in Flint, especially on the east side," said Don Lada, chairman of the Eastside Business Association. "The pastor and the congregation should be commended for building a new church in the neighborhood."

Kate Fields, executive director of the Greater East Side Community Association, is happy, too.

"I think it is excellent. I really appreciate what they are doing," she said. "Their commitment to stay here and to build here is just what we need."

But why is North Star staying and building, even though most of its members live in the Grand Blanc and Beecher areas?

Flowers said crime can happen anywhere and hasn't been that bad for North Star since it took over the former Emmanuel Baptist Church building after that congregation moved out.

He said that over the years, glass was broken out of the front door and a window was broken. And not long ago, some church lawn equipment was taken from a garage.

"We're not alone. People break in everywhere," Flowers said. "The neighbors kind of watch out for us."

North Star church members held a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 17 and expect to move into their new sanctuary in about six months.

North Star gave the neighborhood another boost when it bought eight houses - and tore them down - for the expansion and more parking.

So what do we think?

END OF POST.