| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Does anyone remember the controversy that occurred when the movement occurred to rename Detroit Street to M L King. I believed at the time that Detroit Street was in too much dissarray and decay to be used to honor the Civil Rights hero. If anything the street has deteriorated, especially after you go north from Fifth Avenue.
The new homes up near Wood are one of the few improvements. Even then there are groups of young men loitering on the planter across the street where Smith Village was to start. The plans Odyssey House had to improve the area basically failed and many, like the former gas station, need to be torn down. They lost properties and had to repurchase some. The houses they proposed to build never materialized.
Salem Housing has a house on the corner of Welch and M L KIng that has been in the process of rehab for a long time. Once nice homes are now empty shells or have been torn down.
The former Family Dollar, that provided jobs to local residents, left because of the high theft rate. Another dollar store is in it;s place. Stores near Pasadena and other areas are gone. The Flint Area Investment Fund provided funding for Phil's party Store, which remains vacant for years.
The real tragedy lies in the number of crimes committed on or nead M L King. Read the news and that street is a major area for criminal activity.
Surely the city could have found a better street in which to honor this pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement! |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:38 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
Surely the city could have found a better street in which to honor this pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement!
Such as?? By the way my parents lived on the corner of wood and Detroit St but once the plaque started to take over they did the smart thing and got the hell out. There is not an MLK street in the entire nation that is not a crime invested area and that is caused by the exact bunch of folks old king was supposed to be helping. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:57 am |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
I remember the rationale at the time was that people would improve and maintain their properties out of respect for Dr. King. It didn't work.
TT - I remember when there was a traffic light at King & Wood, and the Free Press office was there. Wasn't there a TV store on the Southwest corner of that intersection? |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:05 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| Folks moved out in 1953 dont remember the Free Press building. My uncle was an MD and had his office second house from nw corner. Remember the hardware, drugstores and bakery in the strip just north of there? Also the beer vault on the east side of Detroit. Nice spot but its gone forever never to return. By the way I went to Cook school and walked to and from with no problems. Would want to be well armed with some backup to attempt that today. Sad very sad. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:19 pm |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
I remember that strip of stores along there, Matson's Please delete me! among them, and I think a Buttercup Bakery. All gone, now. Ever go to the Della theater on Welch, near Chevrolet? The Free Press was just a circulation office, on the Southeast corner of the intersection.
I went to St. Mike's & walked to & from there along King to Dartmouth, where we lived. Graduated in 59 & never had a problem walking, even after dark. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:26 pm |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| Yup remember the Della well. Saturdays it would be the place to be. Sad to remember what was and what is. It was the buttercup along with a shapiros market and a Herricks drugs. I graduated from Bentley in 1963. Amazing what a certain class of people can do to a once fine area. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:17 pm |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
Ah, the Della on Saturday; A bunch of cartoons, a couple serials, & a double feature, all for 25 cents.
1963 - I was on a tour of exotic places in the far East, like Pleiku, Vietnam, all expenses paid by Uncle Sam. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:35 am |
|
|
JCARPENTER
F L I N T O I D
|
| You are all right, this street is an insult to M.L.King. It can be revived however by using the common sense improvements that i described in my jump start of a Smith Village plan. Step one no more strip zoning then improve lighting,demo unrepairable houses and commercial bldgs.get rid of the junk cars,remove dead trees,repair sidewalks and streets Then and only then. remodel the homes that are worth remodeling. they might even sell in a clean well lite area? Or maybe we can all wait until the mayor gets that $1.2 million dollar master plan he is talking about. Don't hold your breath. I don't think he will be around that long? |
|
|
|
Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:45 pm |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| The problem with your plan is that the same lowlife subculture that brought the area down will still be present. Its not old buildings or crappy lighting or junk cars that made it an undesirable place but the people who slithered in and now inhabit that once long ago fine neighborhood. A good example Welch Boulevard a once above scale area. Time to Face reality. It will never return to what it once was, never. Write it off and move on and for Petes sake dont waste any more tax dollars trying to bring it back. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Thu Mar 31, 2011 4:50 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
There are many honest and decent people in the north end of Flint. These same people are being victimized by the young thugs who now terrorize this neighborhood.
When the name of a street is changed to honor a person of any color, especially one with the prominence of King, I would expect the street selection to be fitting and the location maintained.
using the TT philosphy the whole north end should be bulldozed. The thugs would only move. |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:48 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| And your plan for the North end is??? By the way im not for bulldozing it at all leave it alone and keep the thugs in one spot but dont think building new homes will cure anything. One more thing these same honest and decent people you refer to are more than likely responsible for bringing the hiphopping punks and thugs onto the earth in the first place. I mean they didnt just magically appear out of nowwhere and the folks in the burbs sure didnt create them,and now they have no clue how to deal with them and expect someone else to do it for them. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:08 pm |
|
|
untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
many older people live in some of these areas and their children have left for jobs elsewhere. The children of some are begging their parents to leave.
Not every north end resident has a thug child or grandchild. Many are trapped by the drop in home prices and they can't afford to move. The north end has pockets of well maintained homes and concerned residents.
Thugs did not just appear and no one has dealt with the issue. Don't write off everyone in the north end because there are many wonderful people that live there.
You are right that these new homes will not solve anything. The money needs to go to police and youth programs. Only when people feel safe will more residents want to return to the area, Also there needs to be jobs.
I don't approve of the manipulation of job opportunities that the city is creating for blacks only. Drive more of the whites out and what will that solve? |
|
|
|
Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:44 pm |
|
|
Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
|
I've heard several times the "this is a black city" and "we're in charge now". In the past, I've enjoyed watching certain people's faces as i say we're not going anywhere.
That said, we are fortunate in having 3 of the best neighbors we've ever had in the 42+ years we've lived here. We were talking the other day 7 all agreed that we'd rather see boarded up houses on our block, than have thugs & dealers here. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
|
|
Fri Apr 01, 2011 6:25 pm |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
