Food for Thought

I work in downtown Flint.

An area known for its violence, murder and arson.

But sometimes you have to look behind that to find the people who are taking hardship and turning it into something positive for the community.

I first spoke with two Flint residents for a Flint Journal story in February about their vision for a neighborhood only about a mile south of downtown. Something maybe you wouldn’t think to see surrounded by vacant lots, homes and businesses — an urban farm.

Joanna Lehrman, 26, and Roxanne Adair, 27, decided to do something outside of the box ... or outside of the work cubicle, as they would say. On 16 vacant lots they have created Flint River Farm to grow and provide fresh produce to those in the area. (Check out their blog)

All day they spend time in old t-shirts and shorts covered in dirt, tilling the land and checking on their plants. And that's the way they like it, they said.

I observed two things: Both Joanna and Roxanne work extremely hard and they have fun doing it. They welcome everyone and anyone who wants to help or learn a little. And while talking with them about why they do it Joanna said, "I can't see myself doing anything else."

They walk away at the end of the day knowing that what they are doing matters. The peas, beats, lettuce and the 35 or so other variety of produce is their proof. They tried being stuck behind a desk. It wasn't their style.

So here's food for thought: "What do you dream about? That's what you should be doing," Joanna told me.

The growth of the urban farming movement: Flint River Farm is one of more than 200 urban gardeners partnering with the Edible Flint co-op

By Sarah Schuch | The Flint Journal

FLINT, Michigan — What sat as empty lots within the city of Flint littered with trash and pieces of concrete just nine months ago are now blooming with crops and possibilities.

For the first time, the Flint River Farm — the city’s largest urban farm — will soon begin selling its basil beets, blackberries and broccoli.

The farm sits on 16 lots, nearly 2 acres of land on Beach Street between 12th Street and Wellington Avenue. It is filled with at least 35 different types of fruits and vegetables.

Check out the rest of the story on Mlive.com. Positive things do happen in Flint.

Party Like a 2 Year Old

Many people celebrate Easter in many different ways. This year I spent it remembering how it was when I was little.

As I and the other adults in the house were hustlin' and bustlin' to get ready, clean and make the last minute entres and desserts my 2-year-old godson only cared about one thing ——the candy that sat in front of him.

Although I think initially we were more excited than him about his Easter basket (we woke him up before he was ready to watch him dig in) he quickly took a great infatuation to his cute yellow basket filled an abundance of candy and mini water guns.

And boy was he happy.

We can all take a lesson from him. Next time you are forced to hurry around and are feeling a little flustered do me a favor.

Enjoy what's right in front of you and party like a 2 year old.

Body Vs. Mind

I guess you can call me a runner. I run therefore I am, right?
I have always tried to stay healthy and in shape, but instead of doing a little here and a little there I now am setting goals and pushing my body despite how it may whine and cry.
On March 20 I will be embarking on my first 5K race adventure with the 38th Annual Al Kayner's St Patrick's Day Race in Bay City. 5K... not a big deal. But I don't just want to finish but finish well (there is most definitely a difference).
I ran 3.5 miles today and an internal struggle between my mind and body weighed heavy. I'm a poor self motivator. I like to think of myself as a social runner. I push myself more when running with friends. It's more of a distraction maybe... or less boring. Who knows.

But anyways let me replay the situation for you:
Body (particularly the calves) — I feel tired. I feel tight. Please slow down... or stop all together.
Mind — Focus on the goal. Keep running. To improve I must push myself.
Body — C'mon. A little rest wouldn't be bad. I could always run more tomorrow...
Mind — NO. Bad idea. Run. Run. Run.
Body — Fine. *sigh*

To those of you who think you can't get in shape, you can't run, you are letting your body complain and win.
Often my body does win. I come up with excuses or take it easy for a night, but I want to change my habits, improve my health and feel invincible as I continue to cross more finish lines and surpass more goals.

I'm not saying I will turn into a addicted runner who would go crazy without it and I will probably never run a marathon. But I won't deny the benefits of a good run: stress relief, fresh air, feeling of accomplishment and an in shape body.
So as I prepare for the race next month with my friend Alex and Lindsay (check out her blog as she's preparing for the Chicago Marathon, runs with asthma and deals with injuries) I will push myself to listen to my mind and not my body.

With that said I need advice. Calling all runners: Leave me some tips on how to prepare for a 5K, 8K and eventually a 10 mile race. The Crim is my ultimate goal.

Happy Running :)

Meet Lauren Colombo

Lauren Colombo is 4 years old and on April 2 she had a five hour surgery to remove a grapefruit sized tumor from her brain.
That was my story. But that is by no means the end of Lauren's.
Looking past the scar that circled the top of her head I didn't see a girl who was defined as having cancer. She had life to her and she ran around the basement with her two twin 6-year-old sisters like she had nothing to lose. They were like the three musketeers.
A Flint Journal photographer, Tyler Sutherland, and I had the chance to spend about an hour with the girls. And a smile never left my face. I never felt pity or sympathy for Lauren.
Here's what you should know about Lauren: She LOVES green and penguins. In total she has about 40 stuffed penguins (most of which she received while in the hospital) and she enjoys showing off her mad penguin dance skills. And in case you were wondering how it goes (you know you were) I will enlighten you.
Standing up, move your legs so they are about shoulder width apart and put your arms out about 45 degrees. Now lift the leg and arm on side of your body and then the other side, alternating... congratulations, you are now a penguin.
Lauren is really smart. She could talk to me about the stuff that happened to her and what she went through. She corrected me with I mispronounced the street her school bus goes down. She loves to play on the iPod touch and use an application that makes cupcakes. And guess what color her cupcakes were? Yup. Green.
And if you ask her if she likes her hair short, she will tell you yes... because it's like grandma's.


Photo by Tyler Sutherland: I also learned that sometimes you just have to sit on the floor and enjoy a good conversation... And also that Lauren had a crush on Tyler.

Yes. Lauren had cancer. But after spending a little time with her you will forget all about it.

There's a fundraiser coming up for Lauren's family. If you're in the Flushing area, consider attending and met Lauren Colombo for yourself.
Here's my story for The Flint Journal:

By Sarah Schuch
The Flint Journal

FLUSHING, Michigan — Besides the scar on her head and her very short hair, an outsider would never know that Lauren Colombo had a grapefruit-sized brain tumor about eight months ago.
Lauren, 4, was full of energy at her Flushing home Monday, wearing a green leopard print shirt and a grass skirt over her jeans.
But it’s been a long journey for Lauren and her family.
What started out as flu-like symptoms turned out to be a rare form of a brain tumor that took over Lauren’s brain when she was still 3 years old.
“It was very, very difficult to watch it,” said Gina Colombo, Lauren’s mother. “It was the hardest (thing) that I found out that she had it. I lost my voice. My body was just gone.”
After surgery to remove the tumor, blood transfusions and six cycles of chemotherapy, Lauren is back in school and trying to live a normal life, Colombo said.
However, treatments and taking time off of work was expensive for the family. A spaghetti dinner fundraiser sponsored by Power Video Relay Service will taking place from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at St. Robert’s Activity Center, 310 N. Cherry St.

For the full story check it out at mlive.com.

Journalism 101

For those of you who are journalists, you know there are a few — or few more than a few — things that non journalists don't understand about what we do.
And for those of you who are not journalists, writing is not just about selling papers and sticking it to the man... at least not for most.
Here are a few things that I've been thinking about for awhile that I need to put out there. You can agree or disagree, but remember this is my blog, so ultimately my opinion. :) Feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment.

12 things non journalists should know about what we do:
1. We do not know everything. So when a mistake is made, we do our best to correct it. Remember we are only human.
2. Our #1 goal is not to fill the newspaper or media outlet with only bad news. But if we didn't report it, readers would be complaining that we are not being transparent about what is going on out in the world. It's not like we created the violence.
3. Finding that extraordinary story out of an ordinary person is what makes our job fun.
4. A lot of the time reporters do not write the headlines you see in the newspaper.
5. Believe it or not, stories go through about three or more people before it's published. If there's still a mistake, it's possible wires of communication were crossed. Don't have a cow.
6. We can't possibly cover everything, especially if sources mention it the day it is happening.
7. Our entire day is not spent at the computer writing. We actually develop source work, go to meetings and interact with the public so you don't have to. You're welcome.
8. Just because something isn't newsworthy to you, doesn't mean it isn't to somebody else. The world does not cater to you.
9. "You can't trust the media," is a false statement. Journalists do not go out of their way to lie to you. (Oh and bloggers aren't necessarily journalists)
10. If a reporter calls you. Return the call promptly, please. We work on deadline, and in order to get all the facts, your cooperation is appreciated.
11. Journalists — at least the ones I know — do what they do for the public, for you. (Trust me, we don't make enough to be doing it for the money)
12. A 9 to 5 job... ha!

Another blog I found talks about what PR people should know about Journalists and visa versa. Check it out.

One Weekend at a Time

We all know that there are some people out there that go hungry.
I feel privileged getting to write about the people or groups of people that want to do something to make a difference. In this case they are doing it one weekend at a time.
Even though the city of Flushing is by no means as bad off as Flint, there is still a need there. And some people want to do something about it.
A few churches found that there were chronically hungry children that attend the elementary schools in the Flushing area. Those kids don't eat from school lunch on Friday to school lunch on Monday. The kids have to search for food or go hungry.
I can't even imagine.
The three churches are coming together to provide bags of food every weekend during the school year for the students that qualify.

"Wouldn’t it be wonderful if churches all over Michigan did the same thing?” one of the pastors asked.

By Sarah Schuch
The Flint Journal

FLUSHING, Michigan — Some churches in the Flushing area are teaming with local schools to make sure that students have something to eat between school lunch Fridays and when they return to classes Mondays.

“I know that we have students that would receive breakfast and lunch at school, and that truly would be the only meals they would have,” said Kasey Cronin, executive director for curriculum and instruction for Flushing Community Schools. “It’s inspiring to know we have a community that will pull together and meet the needs of our students and work with us.”

The program, called Bread for Life, started last year with two Flushing elementary schools — Springview and Elms — but has expanded to all Flushing elementary schools this year.

Read more about the Bread for Life program.

Everybody Needs A Hobby, Yes?

I like meeting interesting people. And Pat Lehr was definitely one of those people.
Another reporter was told about a man with a very large collection. Of what? you may ask. Golf clubs. Lots of them to be exact.
After Lehr retired he wanted to add another hobby to his list of growing hobbies — wood carving, robot collecting, working on old cars.
"I do a little bit of everything," he told me.
And then you stepped into his man cave... Also known as his barn.
His main focus is golf putters, which he owns at least 500 of. But his total collection comes to a grand total of more than 2,000 golf clubs. Golf clubs, bags, ball, tees and other accessories were scattered throughout the barn, either hanging up, in piles or set up carefully.
He kept his most loved ones in a room in his barn nicely hung up and separated by colorful tees.
His reason for this collection? "I just got it going," he said.
What a reason. Well when I'm retired maybe I will have a collection too.
But please stop me if that collection is of cats... Thank you in advance.

Meet Pat Lehr of Clayton Township.


By Sarah Schuch
The Flint Journal

CLAYTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Some may call it excessive, but Pat Lehr calls it a hobby.

Lehr, 72, of Clayton Township started golfing 10 years ago when he retired from General Motors. And about three years ago, without an explanation, he decided to start collecting golf clubs.

And the collection took off.

Lehr has more than 500 putters and a total excess of about 2,000 golf clubs.

“I don’t know why. I just got it going,” he said. “Most of your golf clubs look the same. Putters are different.”

Read Lehr's complete story here.