Stories and commentary about people and places we discover.

It has been a long time since this tragedy visited the Flint area. Sharing with you an article that appeared on CNN website. I spent some time with the journalists to help make sure the retelling of the case was accurate.   It dawned on…

Fly Away Home Snowbird   LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE It's that time of year when the trumpeter swans disappear from our little northern Michigan lake. Our family has called the modest home on that lake "the cottage ." Lately, the Can…

Originally published on December 29, 2020 Memories of Detroit Tiger Baseball Announcer Ernie Harwell: The late Ernie Harwell might be considered baseball's version of iconic Americana artist Norman Rockwell with a microphone. There is litt…

  Much of the telling of Flint, Michigan history has revolved around the rise of the transportation industry. Flint played a leading role in putting America on wheels. The city also has a rich small history. Many of these businesses help…

We make our history. It is a good thing that history is recorded. Written history has a good purpose. Today, journalists, documentarians, and courtroom stenographers record Flint, Michigan's environmental history. It is of no consequence that…

JOE RYAN III: A Multi-Talented Musical Wizard from Flint, MI   Joe Ryan III is a multi-talented music wizard who exudes charisma and confidence reminiscent of Magic Johnson. While Flint, Michigan, has shared its athletes with America, n…

Civil War Song "Peach Tree Creek" Memorializes Flint's Contribution to Civil War  This past summer in West Branch, Michigan, I witnessed an off-road pickup circling the City with two large confederate flags placed in the stake holes of a…

  Neil Woodward is a Flint, Michigan instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and folk historian who helps preserve musical traditions. He holds the title -- Michigan troubadour. In 2003, the State of Michigan Legislature officially named Ne…

Sometimes In life, you meet people doing some fantastic and exciting things for other people. You know, the kind of stuff that just blows your mind. Barb Barton​ is one such person for me.   A couple of months ago, I asked Michigan State U…

Is GM Buick City Site An Environmental Crime Scene?   This dribble of disturbing and frightening news raises one question in my mind: Where are the General Motors managers who allowed this to happen? Why isn't there a criminal investig…