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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Last saturday and last night there were jabs against Third ward Councilman Bryant (BB) Nolden for his friendship with Phil Shaltz. And yes I hate on some in the Uptown groups, namely the Flint Journal, the Mott Foundation and Tim Herman with his Greater Flint Chamber of Commerce.
But I always found Shaltz kind of an enigma, an entrepreneur who genuinely wanted to be a philanthropist. Nolden sits on a city committee, but like Pastor Latrelle Holmes and council leadership found out, that has not let him in on all of the city secrets. Chair of the grants Committee, Nolden found out about HUD findings from this site and that angered him.
When some negative comments arose about Nolden, I went to a mutual friend for advice. This friend was a former community school director, who grew up in the hood and became a successful business man. My friend laughed at my concerns. He did have words for Nolden, words like "naive" and "book smart but not street smart". Overall he had nothing but praise for Nolden.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:04 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:53 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Nolden and his friendship with Shaltz has benefitted the Third ward. Shaltz and one of his partners opened business door and contributions to help Claressa Shields go to the Olympics. Shaltz visited Berston and the boxing program and helped it obtain better equipment.
Shaltz and his wife donate time to local charities and recently created a nonprofit to help agencies serving low income mothers with diapers. Their initial $30,000 has a big delivery of diapers at the food bank now. Shaltz ensured zero administrative costs as even the attorney and CPA are pro bono.
With the help of his influential friends and stree level volunteers, Nolden was anble to complete a renovation of Berston worth over $100,000. he has permission from the city to open Berston for basketball and exercise programs for young men. Nolden views all of these young men with a nonjudgemental eye. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:04 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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After some in the school system failed to turn documents for Title I education, Nolden was laid off from his teaching job at Doyle Ryder. He has since started donating time at Carpenter Road Elementary school tutioring and encouraging the children.
So when Audrey Martini of the MSU Criminal Justice program was looking for help with a grant targeting the 1st and 3rd wards, two 3rd Ward names consistently came up. Those names were BB Nolden and Quincy Murphy.
Nolden is working on a project for the northeast area of his ward that has been the scene of much violence, the area around Carpenter road School. The goal is to make the area safer for the school children of Carpenter Road Elementary. Nolden lobbied and managed to get an additional 14 houses demolished in the area. Unfortunately more homes in that area are on the county foreclosure list.
As a result Nolden has been selected to go to Washinton DC next week to make a presentation on the plan being put in place. He is also working on a safe passage grant.
Improvong the Third ward, one neighborhood at a time.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:07 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:14 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I admit to a bias about Nolden. Bryant's father, Sokita Nolden was instrumental in quelling the riots in Flint during the late 60's. Hated by the police, Sokita was beaten and arrested. Released by the Prosecutor, Sokita was relentless in using his Brougham Club and the young men who hung out there to prevent rioting. The young men rode with UAW members in cars with loudspeakers urging no violence.
It was later found out that most of the fires during that time wer committed by property owners for the insurance and not by the youth in Flint. many young men were arrested on disordely charges for simply watching the fires.
Bryant follows in the footsteps of his father. Bryant doesn't see black or white when he builds coalitions, but I sometimes suspects he sees shade of gray. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:22 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Nolden is a member of Foss Avenue Baptist Church. The church leaders did not endorse him when he ran and instead backed JohnnY Coleman. That had to be a sore spot and yet Nolden does not like to dwell on it and quickly changes the subject when it is brought up. Nolden still takes his lawnmower and helps cut grass around the area of the church.
Nolden has initiated a number of clean ups in the Third ward. He may not be the most physical of guys, but he hurt his back one time trying to help throw a sofa into a garbage truck. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:27 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The logo of the Concerned Pastors used to be black and white hands united. Now Pastor Flynn is upset that a committee selected a white Pastor as their Presidential candidate for the Concerned Pastors.
Nolden reaches out to everyone, regardless of their race. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Shaltz Automation President Philip W. Shaltz to speak at sold-out tribute dinner honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Chris Aldridge | caldridg@mlive.com
on January 12, 2013 at 10:15 AM, updated January 12, 2013 at 10:17 AM
FLINT, MI --
Philip W. Shaltz will be the keynote speaker at this month's annual dinner honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The theme of the event will center on “Embracing the Brotherhood of Mankind,” and will be held at the Sarvis Conference Center at 1231 E. Kearsley St. at 6 p.m. Jan. 17. The event has sold out.
The event is sponsored by Baker College of Flint, Davenport University, MLive/The Flint Journal, HealthPlus of Michigan, Kettering University, Mott Community College and The University of Michigan-Flint.
Shaltz is known for his efforts in the redevelopment of Flint downtown area buildings First Street Lofts, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint building and the Rowe building and Wade Trim – which became the first new build in downtown Flint in 25 years.
This is the 34th year in Flint for the annual citywide tribute dinner honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:55 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Shaltz and other investors were seriously upside down financially when one of their buildings had a collapsed wall. It will be years before many of these investors realize any profits on these private investments downtown. |
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Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:56 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Federal Grant to Help Residents, Local
Organizations Develop Revitalization Plan for
Flint Neighborhoods
Two of Flint's most distressed neighborhoods will receive some much-needed help through a new, innovative federal program designed to help residents tackle the community's toughest problems through the development of a neighborhood revitalization plan.
Flint's Ward 1 and Ward 3 were among eight neighborhoods in four cities nationwide that were selected in early August to participate in the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative through the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. Neighborhoods in Fresno, California; Memphis, Tennessee; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin also were among those chosen to participate in the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program. The program is designed to transform and reclaim distressed neighborhoods by addressing public safety, education, housing, human services, and health issues.
In Flint, Metro Community Development received a $225,000 federal grant, which was matched with $225,000 by the C.S. Mott Foundation, the Ruth Mott Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the City of Flint, and Metro Community Development. The Flint Area Reinvestment Office also helped identify the grant opportunity and convene the local partners.
“The whole process is really to use the funds and the program to act as a catalyst to change neighborhoods,” said Diana Kelly, who will help coordinate the program for Metro Community Development. “I am hoping for the success that I know that we are capable of.”
Metro Community Development will oversee the program, which will get off the ground this fall. The grant dollars will be used to fund training and technical assistance for those involved in developing a revitalization plan for each of the neighborhoods. The Center for the Study of Social Policy—a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit public policy, research, and technical assistance organization—will provide the training and technical assistance.
In addition to developing a neighborhood stabilization plan for both areas, another goal of the program will be to create and establish neighborhood groups in each ward, he said. Residents in these groups will help identify specific needs in each ward, provide input into the process, and take ownership of the changes and improvements identified in the neighborhood revitalization plan.
“This is going to be neighborhood driven, from the roots up—the intent is that it will be driven or led by neighborhood leaders,” Kelly said, adding that the grassroots approach will help ensure the sustainability of the project.
While local partners have some idea of what is needed in each of the neighborhoods, input from residents who live there will be key to the project, she said. “We don't have all the answers.”
Once underway, the process likely will include discussions about how to lower crime, attract new businesses to the area, and will touch on other issues related to promoting safe and healthy neighborhoods, she said. “Things that we know will create success for families and children, as well as changing the environment and creating healthy communities.”
“There has been a history of disinvestment in our neighborhoods,” Kelly said, adding she is hopeful this program will reverse that trend through long-term planning and by actively engaging residents in each of the neighborhoods.
Sara Ríos, President of the Ruth Mott Foundation, said she is excited about what the possibilities represent for both neighborhoods. And while specific focus areas have not yet been identified, “whatever direction it goes in will be good because so much is needed in those wards. It increases the quality of life for the folks who live in those neighborhoods.
“We are mindful of the lack of sufficient investment on the north side,” she said. “It's our responsibility to improve living conditions in those areas, and this project will serve to do that.”
Ríos also said she hopes the grant can help position the neighborhoods for other grant opportunities.
Jason Caya, Director of FARO, said he is confident that more federal funding opportunities will be available to the neighborhoods once work associated with the Building Neighborhood Capacity is completed.
The genesis of the project began when FARO, Metro Community Development, and other partners decided to leverage the work they had already accomplished while applying for other federal grant dollars to help the same neighborhoods, Caya said.
After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to secure grant dollars through other federal programs, Caya said, federal officials invited Metro Community Development to apply for the Building Neighborhood Capacity grant, which helps communities attain a level of capacity that helps them qualify for more federal assistance. Flint was one of thirty communities invited to apply for funds through the Building Neighborhood Capacity program.
The project itself and the process leading up to showcases the high level of local collaboration in Flint, Caya said. “I think it's just great.”
“From day one, FARO was engaged in this,” Yalamanchi said, adding that FARO helped bring everyone to the table for the initial discussions. FARO also assisted with the grant application and with organizing the original site visit that brought federal officials to the Flint area. “The community made this grant happen. There were a lot of partners at the table. I cannot thank the funders enough.”
The Ruth Mott Foundation is happy to help with the project, Ríos said.
“We stand ready to collaborate in whatever way we can,” she said. “There is that spirit of collaboration there already, and I think it's a good project around which to coalesce. Ravi will need strong partners there, and we want to be strong partners in this with him.”
As the project unfolds, Ríos said she hopes the project can serve as a model of what should happen in other places throughout Flint. “It's something that we can build on.”
Kelly also said she is hopeful that the project will spur further growth and investment in the community.
“I'm excited about the opportunity of what can be done to develop the plans that will really help to transform neighborhoods—which can change lives,” she said. “I have high expectations and hopes—not only for what we want to do, but for what we will be able to do.” |
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Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:46 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| BB is putting up lots of Face Book photos from his Washington DC trip to the Department of Justice to seek a grant for the 1st and 3rd wards! |
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Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:43 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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FLINT (WJRT) -
(02/12/13) - Armed with brushes and gallons on purple and gold paint, workers like Olympic gold medal winner Claressa Shields made the boxing room at Berston Field House look a little nicer. The gold paint represents winners.
"The purple is for royalty and that's been in our gym since my coach was boxing here," Shields said.
Money for projects like this is hard to find, so organizers turned to donated help and material to fix up the place that has given many athletes a start.
"I've been boxing here at Berston since I was 11 years old," Shields said.
"It's taking the kids off the street and we're given them a great place, a place to come in, a place they can call a home of their own to train and give them that chance at maybe another gold medal," said Don Mandeville, Home Depot district manager.
"We are a community that's very resilient. All we have to do is ask and we will have people come out and be willing to help. The volunteer spirit here in the City of Flint is just remarkable. A lot of times we ask not, we get not," said Bryant Nolden, 3rd ward Flint City Council member.
About 50 volunteers were there to work on the project. They'll be back in March with reinforcements because they're going to take on the Berston gym.
"We're going to have a number of volunteers, so what we're asking is if anybody else in the community would like to come out on March 5 at 9 in the morning, we're going to paint the big gym at Berston and it's just a labor of love," Nolden said.
After only a couple of hours of work, there was a noticeable improvement.
"It turned out nice, too. Looks real slick down here," Shields said. |
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Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:20 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Volunteers paint basketball court at Flint's Berston Field House
By Eric Chiu | echiu@mlive.com
on March 05, 2013 at 4:45 PM, updated March 05, 2013 at 8:32 PM
FLINT, MI -- Berston Field House has been a training place for well-known athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields, 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and boxer Chris Byrd.
But today, March 5, Berston Field House was bustling with activity for a different reason.
Throughout the morning, more than 60 local residents and volunteers from area Home Depot stores worked to paint the walls and back rooms of Berston’s basketball court.
The gym -- which had not been repainted since the early 1990s -- will sport a new coat of light brown paint.
According to Richard Tindall, who works as a Home Depot store manager in Burton, the facility at 3300 N. Saginaw St. typically hosts more than 100 kids every day, and the volunteers wanted to help improve it.
“This is a building that’s got a lot of culture in it, going right back to when the Vehicle City had its heyday,” Tindall said. “When you think about being able to help resurrect it and possibly get more people coming (to Berston Field House), I think it’s a great opportunity for the Home Depot to team up with them (and) try to encourage more community involvement and rebuild Flint.”
Flint Township residents Ursula Kadadu, 21, Mina Salib, 21, and Grand Blanc resident Stephen Miller, 19, were among the volunteer painters.
Salib appreciated the chance to help out at Berston Field House and said that the gym’s brand-new look could make it more of a draw for Flint residents.
“It’s good because you want the kids to have something to do in the summer or when they’re coming home from school,” Salib said.
Tuesday’s event -- supported in part by Home Depot -- was one of several recent remodeling projects planned for Berston Field House.
In early February, Shields and other volunteers helped to paint Berston Field House’s boxing room. In the spring, Home Depot employees will also assist with installing new benches at the softball field.
“All three of these projects go right back to the city, they go back to the community that comes in and shops in our stores every day,” Tindall said. “It really helps to provide a good clean safe environment for some of the young people in Flint.” |
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Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:30 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I noticed the Flint Journal chose not to give Nolden any credit for his role in organizing this event.
Facebook friends of Nolden can see his photo display. |
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Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:32 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Bryant's talented brother made this video. I like the theme "I give myself away to the ward and the community".
BRYANT BB NOLDEN RE-ELECTION VIDEO 2
studio.stupeflix.com
Video created on March 14 2013, using the Tiles video theme on Stupeflix Studio.. |
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Fri May 31, 2013 6:53 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I have got to learn how to have more faith. I drove parts of the third Ward and the areas east of Saginaw Street from Berston to Carpenter was a trash filled mess. Rats were starting to take over and the people living here were very upset.
Because Brown had removed the mechanism under which volunteers cleaned up neighborhoods, I did not see any hope for this mess. Nolden and his volunteers in years past had filled up as many as three dump trucks. There was not enough houses to bag this stuff up and place it in front of.
Now I feel foolish as I realize I underestimated the resolve of Bryant Nolden. For a long time volunteer cleanups had actually cleaned many Land Bank properties. Nolden held the Land bank to their obligation and insisted they clean up their properties. What a difference, at least temporarily.
But then Nolden has people in place to help keep his ward maintained. In the large area I drove through, there were no vine and weed filled jungles. Most of the ward is well maintained and clean.
If the Land bank insists on being a developer, as their new name suggests, then they have an obligation to maintain their properties. Just because they are a quasi-governmental agency should not mean they can be absolved of their obligations. Perhaps all council and the City of Flint administration should stop giving them a free pass, even on the rent the don't pay at the Oak Business center.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Tue Aug 13, 2013 5:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:24 pm |
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