And in 2020, a group called the Defund San Antonio Police Department Coalition issued a travel warning for San Antonio, labeling the city as a sundown town. Editors Note: Flint native Ashley Hamilton graduated with honors from Spelman College. As far as the next season goes, the decision to renew Flint Town is still under contemplation. DMX, too. In his case, tired of waiting for the city, he hired a crew to swap out the pipes on his own dime. And the guests came in droves. Even once Flint water is safe, there will be some residents who will never trust or drink Flint water again, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician whose research exposed the Flint water crisis, said in a previous interview. Instead, they ended up spending most of the evening hearing from anguished Flint residents skeptical they would see further convictions or accountability at all. Myth Two: Flints problems will magically disappear with more money, It is no secret the City of Flint has had financial problems for many years now. After a panel appointed by Michigans Republican then-governor, Rick Snyder, declared the city in a state of financial emergencytaking its finances, and therefore most major decisions, out of the hands of City Hall and putting them under the control of a hand-picked emergency manager, Walling and Flints other elected officials became effectively ornamental. I shudder to think whats going to happen if these cases just evaporate into thin air, because its going to be yet another trauma inflicted upon the community, whether people intend it that way or not., For me, you cant have trust without truth-telling, Shariff said. In fact, it often does more harm than good. 4. There are plenty of ways to tell the story of what went wrong in Flint leading to that moment. Despite what some see as the shortcomings of Weavers administration, her emergency declaration is viewed as a key moment in transforming a story of local mismanagement into one with nationwide repercussions. She currently is a paraprofessional at her alma mater, the International Academy of Flint, and plans to pursue graduate studies this fall. Even if Netflix announces a new season, itll take some time, since documentaries take relatively long to make. Flint local Phillip Barnhart puts it perfectly in a recent interview with TheHUB Flint. Mayor Dayne Walling, then a 40-year-old Flint native who had won a Rhodes Scholarship before coming back to serve his hometown, raised a glass of that rivers water, toasted a jolly Heres to Flint!, and downed it in one swig, surrounded by his fellow bureaucrats who dutifully followed suit. Her post graduate life has included participation in the Model United Nations conference in Rome representing the African nation of Djibouti and Peace Corps service where she served as a volunteer educator in Mozambique. By the time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notified Michigan in early 2015 that there were dangerous levels of lead in Flints water, its residents had complained for months of mysterious illnesses. Election Day arrives. New lines ensure fewer lead-related issues will arise, and now, the pipes abide by the federal Lead and Copper Rule. They might not trust the results of a presidential election, behaving as if they live in a banana republic and not a robust, if flawed, democracy. Season 1 of the show premiered on Netflix on March 2, 2018. Chief Johnson's new team targeting high-crime area takes action, to mixed response from the community. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. While the creators of the show are already digging up more conclusive evidence to demonstrate the state machinerys failure, people at Netflix are a bit apprehensive pursuing a second season. Although its been seven years since the Flint water crisis became one of the states biggest public health disasters, Flints struggle with both the repercussions of the initial incident and with getting clean water have not ended. So lets show the world what the real Flint Town looks like. Comments. And so its commodified, packaged and sold.. Many of the residents who lined up to speak did so through tears. Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud, one of the lead prosecutors appointed by Nessel, warned that those who made plea deals based on those charges would walk away from this with nothing [on their record] and promised a more robust investigation that would result in a higher level of accountability. And read the Great Lakes News Collaboratives coverage of ongoing problem of urban drinking water systems. As of 2021, she is focused on hosting parties and trying her hand in different types of investments. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. I cant tell somebody they should trust [claims that the water is safe], because I dont trust themand I have more information than most people, said Ananich. For a county park, this is the best I've ever seen. Robert Frost and. But a few weeks later, another, equally remarkable thing happened. A final set of shows will be held September 16-19, 2021. There was a lot of racial discomfort in the documentary. And here's one new series that could be too easily overlooked: Flint Town, an eight-part Netflix docudrama about the crisis of policing in Flint, Michigana city that has been called one of. And while Flints political tug of war with a majority-white state government isnt unique, that dynamic gave an extra sting to the citys repeated financial takeovers by state-appointed emergency managers, culminating in the austerity-driven call to switch its water supply to the contaminated Flint River. Then AECOM took over.. Flint Town is an eight episode American documentary television series that was released on Netflix on March 2, 2018. The Lead and Copper Rule ensures that residents anywhere in the United States have clean drinking water. Learn how Flint's ARPA funds are being spent, Contact the Public Health Navigators to get the help you need. Debbie opened for NKOTB during their 2019 tour, which also featured Tiffany, Salt-N-Pepa, and Naughty By Nature. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The reason: AECOM had completely abandoned the University of Michigan computer scientists system, opening the door for Weaver to direct pipe excavations based on political considerations. Although it's been seven years since the Flint water crisis became one of the state's biggest public health disasters, Flint's struggle with both the repercussions of the initial incident and with getting clean water have not ended. The documentary focused on the thoughts and conflicted emotions of the police officers who serve to protect the urban areas of Flint, Michigan. Science and logic would tell me that it should be OK, but people have lied to me.. It was the county town of the historic county of Flintshire and today is the third largest town in Flintshire. Some of them are Homicide Detective Bridgette Balasko, Captain Devon Bernritter, Field Training Officer John Boismier, Sergeant Esther Campbell, Sergeant Robert Frost, Chief of Police Timothy Johnson, former Chief of Police James Tolbert, Crime Area Target Team (CATT) squad sergeant Keith Urquhart, CATT squad officer Scott Watson. Having finally finished all eight episodes, I have mixed emotions about it. A pair of Flint Police Department officers whose budding romance was featured as a part of the Netflix series "Flint Town" has married. U.S. District Judge Judith Levy granted preliminary approval to a $641 million settlement deal for Flint residents, though the planned distribution of the settlement between lawyers and residents isnt decided. Roughly an hours drive north of Detroit, freezing in the diminished warmth of that citys own economic sun, Flint struggled to pay its legacy pension obligations, flirting with bankruptcy as its tallest building was imploded after decades of neglect. A team of researchers reported that Flints homeseven the ones at the highest risk for undrinkable, lead-poisoned tap waterfinally had clean water running through their pipes. Jim Ananich, the state senator and Flint politics lifer who has represented the city at the local and state level for 15 years, is equally sympathetic, saying the issues with pipe replacement speak to how the water crisis touches everything from public health to good governance and infrastructure. Walling is now a consultant and occasional college adjunct, imparting hard-earned wisdom from his time in office to the would-be technocrats of tomorrow. View Details. All that to say, racism doesnt necessarily have to look like slurs and lynchings to be racism. She had a press conference, it was on the ticker at CNN by 4:00, and she was on Rachel Maddow by 9:00. Co-director Zackary Canepari has already signalled his willingness to go for another season to explore in-depth more systems that flog day-to-day life in Flint. The Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village and the Berston Field House both offer activities for our youth to engage in. And then they failed, too. The wariness wasnt out of ignorance. Flint Police Department records show there were 39 homicides, 97 rapes, 148 robberies, and 1,135 aggravated assaults in 2019. Flint, Michigan, changed its water system in 2014, resulting in water so toxic that residents got sick. Balasko and Frost ponder their future together. Flint Police Officer Bridgette Balasko, 29, a 2007 graduate of Lake Fenton High School, is featured in an eight-part Netflix documentary called "Flint Town.". I get reelected in 2011, and then we get the sequence of [four] emergency managers, who under state law effectively become the mayor and the city council, even though they dont take that title, Walling told me. Its a question that Americans throughout the country may find themselves asking when the dust settles from the chaos of 2020: Where, even, to begin? Benjamin Pauli, a professor of social sciences at Flints Kettering University and author of Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis, draws a direct connection between the state takeover and the groundswell of anger and mistrust around the water crisis, describing how even before the water switch Flints activist community was interested in democracy, and it just so happened that water and democracy were starting to come together.. whispers. But that flip of a switch isn't when the city's water crisis began. Open now. The levels of bacteria likely caused an outbreak of Legionnaires disease that also followed the switch, killing at least a dozen people. In a city with a long legacy of dysfunction, its the rare action that can be matched to a clear and obvious positive outcome. Places such as Raspberries and The Loft offer lively weekend recreation for the adult crowd. From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the city was a leading manufacturer of carriages. In the docu-series, local reporter Drew Moore of NBC 25 asserts, The one thing that can help fix most of Flints problems is money.. Lansing [Michigans capital city] did this, and it took them 12 years to do it. Walker-Smith conducts outreach for the National Resources Defense Council, contacting Flint residents who havent yet had their pipes replaced. Your email address will not be published. I'm . The city starts a volunteer community police program. [1][2][3] The documentary focuses on the thoughts and conflicted emotions of police officers serving to protect urban areas of Flint, Michigan (unofficially nicknamed "Flint Town") struggling with poverty, crime, financially strapped public services and the Flint water crisis. The documentary follows the Flint Police Department over the course of one trying year filled with budget cuts, local and presidential elections, and, of course, a water crisis. Just moments before, captured on video now for eternity, Walling had pushed a button on a panel at the citys water treatment plant that turned an ominous, glowing red. She does, however, have an unlikely defender: Dayne Walling, the man she defeated to become mayor. I cant say I agree with everything she said and did, but she stood with us, and she pushed for us, and she understood the urgency we felt.. Both sides of my family are here. In doing. flint town where are they now. As voters weigh renewing a police funding tax, Chief Johnson looks for other ways to raise revenue. One of the citys primary goals during its recovery has been very straightforward: Replace all of its lead and galvanized steel pipes with safer, more modern copper lines. Self - Flint Resident 1 episode, 2018 Sylvester Jones . Flint has fought tooth and nail to reach something that even vaguely resembles normalcy. Over a two-year period, filmmakers embedded with cops in Flint, Michigan, reveal a department grappling with volatile issues in untenable conditions. The court cases continue to unfold, and the city slowly replaces its lead lines. Its hard to maintain peoples trust in institutions when you dont see justice being done with your own eyes, Pauli said. A second season is yet to be greenlit by Netflix, but the creators already have something in mind for season two. Its water source was switched from a Detroit-owned plant on Lake Huron to the Flint River, and back again. Stars Tim Johnson Bridgette Balasko Robert Frost See production, box office & company info Watch on Netflix S1 with subscription The citys population is 54 percent Black, compared with the states overall Black population of 14 percent. Instead, the citys success rate in finding the pipes in question plummeted from 70 percent to 15worse than would be expected if homes had been chosen completely at random. If you havent seen the show yet head over to. The documentary follows the Flint Police Department over the course of one trying year filled with budget cuts, local and presidential elections, and, of course, a water crisis. Racism now looks like the stereotypes and personal biases that keep people of color out of certain jobs and neighborhoods. A young cadet navigates training, while veteran Frost recalls a painful incident. Nine former Michigan officials, including ex-Gov. Our people are resilient and have big plans for the future. The court cases continue to unfold, and the city slowly replaces its lead lines. Copyright 2023 City of Flint, Michigan. Presidential candidate Donald Trump visits Flint. Flint explosion: Three missing after home blast felt five miles away. We see the challenges that are ahead of us, but we know the fight we have within us. The Flint water crisis started in 2014 when city officials switched the city's water source from the Detroit River to the Flint River to save money but failed to add anti-corrosive agents to the water. When scientists analyzed that water, they discovered to their horror that the citys treatment of it was woefully inadequate to reduce its levels of harmful bacteria and acidand that the latter had begun to corrode Flints antiquated pipes from the inside, delivering tiny bits of lead through peoples faucets. In the unfolding pandemic, economic crisis and reckoning on race, governors and mayors are shaping our shared future. Here are the myths in Flint Town that you may have missed: Myth One: Its okay to profit off of peoples pain. If you havent seen the show yet head over toNetflix to catch all the episodes of the first season, Read More: Best Drug Documentaries on Netflix. In the very first episode of Flint Town, we are given an extended, gruesome glance into a mothers anguish as the camera lingers on her sons lifeless body lying in the street. Maybe theyll end up with one charge surviving, and theyll at least make a show of trying to hold a few people accountable with that charge, but the gap between that as an outcome and what residents were hoping for and expecting is huge., Its hard to maintain peoples trust in institutions when you dont see justice being done with your own eyes. And boy, did we lose some big ones in 2021. For Americans who stopped following the Flint water crisis after its first few gritty chapters, it might come as a surprise how far the city has come: Today, after nearly $400 million in state and federal spending, Flint has secured a clean water source, distributed filters to all residents who want them, and laid modern, safe copper pipes to nearly every home in the city that needed them. Some even died. Like, what the hell are you doing? The new mayors voters viewed him as exactly the kind of good-government technocrat capable of reversing the citys slide. People think were just poor and have no means to leave. The new prosecutors said the town hall would offer more concrete answers after their vague initial statement that promised a full and complete investigation moving forward. Since he first took office, there have been no fewer than two subsequent mayors and four emergency managers (one serving two nonconsecutive terms), giving Flint residents a leadership that goes far beyond the revolving door to approach a whirlwind. On March 2, 2018, the Netflix channel began streaming the American documentary television series Flint Town. Login, Copyright: 2017 Bridges Communications Group, Inc., Publisher of TheHUB. And for the other half, I will serve them equally; I believe that over the last few months, were winning them over, Neeley said. I own my home; its paid for; I dont have a mortgage. A historic village where they make or do crafts, a train ride and a even steamboat. Hopefully, the scope of those challenges will at some point begin to narrow, but I dont think were at that point.. Most couples, like Amy and Danny Frishmuth from season two, are still together and have a family. As of July 12, 2020, Flint has had 25 homicides, 42 rapes, 104. 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