Powers and St. John Vianney Students Unite in Flint

ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

The impact of Powers Catholic High School relocating to the City of Flint can be measured in many ways. The high school has already partnered with Kettering University and UM-Flint to enable Powers kids to take classes at the two universities. And it offers another anchor for the city's core, linking St. John Vianney School with Kettering and Powers. It's another incremental improvement in Flint that I hope will help the city make the slow climb to stability.

Go here for information on how you can help support Powers.

Flint Photos: A View of Chevy in the Hole from Powers High's Fay Hall

Dennis Winchester, R.I.P.

Dennis Winchester, a much-admired teacher at Powers and principal of St. Mary's Mt. Morris, died Saturday at his home. Mr. Winch introduced many students, including me, to the wonders of American history and sparked a lifelong interest in politics and international affairs. He will be missed.  

Here is information from Mr. Winchester's obituary:

The funeral mass will take place 11:00 am, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Morris. Rev. Fr. Thomas Nenneau will officiate with cremation. Dennis' family will be present at the Martin Funeral, Cremation & Tribute Services in Mt. Morris to receive friends on Tuesday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Tuesday Evening family, friends and parish will gather to pray the Rosary at 6:00 pm. On Wednesday Dennis will be taken to church to lie in state from 10:00 am until time of Mass at 11:00 am. Those desiring may consider memorial contributions to the Guardian Angel Fund for St. Mary Catholic School. Envelopes are available at the funeral home and church.

Left to cherish his memory, two children, Maranda and Aaron Winchester; six siblings, Sue Monnett, Donald (Joyce) Winchester, Bill (Jackie) Winchester, Rita Morgan, Lynn (Rick) Boyes and Nancy (Glen) McMillan; parents, Ray and June Winchester and many other family members and friends.

Flint Postards: Lobby of the Sheraton Motor Inn

Flint Expatriates has reveled in the glories of the Sheraton Motor Inn on Pierson Road in the past but never captured the splendor of the 1970s-1980s era lobby until now. Note the dizzying effect of the geometric patterned carpet paired with the mind-blowing wall art. With the mirrored ceiling, the lobby could have been transformed into a high-energy disco in the evenings. In fact, there seems to be some pickup action happening in the middle of the day over by the door. (Not sure that couple knew they were being photographed.) And for you Powers grads of a certain age, is that teacher Tom Dutkowski grading papers on a giant briefcase?

For those who want to get depressed on a Saturday morning, go here for some more recent photos.

Flint Basketball Loses High School Star

Flint Northern's Richie Lewis splits two Flint Powers defenders. (Photo courtesy of Matt Dixon/The Flint Journal)

There are many obvious ways to chart Flint's socio-economic swan dive — population decline, unemployment rates, crime stats. But here's a less obvious sign of hard times; Flint high school basketball stars are leaving the city in search of tougher hoops competition.

Eric Woodyard of mlive reports:

Flint Northern won’t have its star athlete Richie Lewis for football or basketball this season.
Lewis has decided to finish his senior year at Flora Macdonald Academy in Red Springs, N.C. He plans to make the move next week. 

“Really, it’s competition around here, but I feel like if I go to prep school, then I’m going to play against better competition with people who are going to be on a Division I level that will make me better,” said Lewis. “Going somewhere else different will help me start the college process early a little bit, with all of the work that we put in the gym and knowing the coaches will be on you every minute of the day.” 

He isn’t the first Flint basketball player to enroll at Flora Macdonald Academy. Former Flint Carman-Ainsworth shooting guard Anton Wilson transferred to the same school to finish his prep eligibility at the end of last summer.

Powers Wins State Football Title

Flint Powers crushes Lansing Catholic Central to win the state football title. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News.)

Powers Football

UPDATE: Powers beats Almont 27-10 to head to the state title game against Lansing Catholic Central, a team that beat them earlier this year 37-17.

Here's the original post:

Powers Catholic's football team, after going 1-8 last year and starting this season 2-4, is one victory away from the state championship game.

Four-loss teams in football semifinals
*Farmington Hills Harrison, 1999 (won Division 3 title)
Frankfort, 2000, (lost in Division 8 semifinals)
Detroit Country Day (4-4), 2002 (lost in Division 5 semifinals)
Detroit dePorres, 2004 (lost in Division 7 final)
Montague, 2006 (lost in Division 6 semifinals)
Birmingham Brother Rice, 2009 (lost in Division 2 semifinals)
Warren DeLaSalle, 2009 (lost in Division 2 semifinals)
Muskegon Catholic Central, 2009 (lost in Division 8 semifinals)
Grosse Pointe South, 2010 (lost in Division 2 semifinals)
Fulton-Middleton, 2010 (lost in Division 8 semifinals)
Birmingham Brother Rice, 2011 (vs. Detroit King)
Flint Powers Catholic, 2011 (vs. Almont)
* Two losses were forfeits

Obscure Observations Proving How Different Flint Is from When You Lived There

How much has Flint changed over the years? Powers Catholic apparently has the best boys basketball team in the state. What? That's got to be hard for anyone over 30 to fathom, but they're undefeated. They blew out Northwestern. And the Powers football team was one of the worst last fall with just a single win. That just seems weird to me. Can someone explain?

Powers and Michigan School For the Deaf

A possible new building on the MSD campus if a development deal is approved. (Photo courtesy of The Flint Journal.)

Powers High School has tried mightily to relocate from its current Carpenter Road address without much success. Could a deal with the state, private investors and the Michigan School for the Deaf be the answer? Khalil Alhajal of The Flint Journal reports:

Lurvey White Ventures has been identified as the development company. The plan, which Sanderson said will be finalized by Sept. 17, would have to be passed by the state legislature before the sale would be completed and construction would begin. Under the proposal, the state would sell the property on Miller Road in Flint to the investors, who would build several new athletic fields, repair and expand parking, raze some buildings, restore the historic buildings and build two new schools to be leased or owned by Powers and the Michigan School for the Deaf.

Powers Confirms Move

Here's a letter sent out from Powers High School Principal Tom Furnas on February 5th about relocation:

Dear Powers Parents and Friends;

We are acutely aware that there are rumors in the community surrounding the potential relocation of our school and that there is a fair amount of angst in the parent community about lack of communication from us. What we have communicated formerly remains true: we promised that we would give all effort to finding a feasible project and that we would then do our level best to bring that project to fruition.

Sometimes in the past we have allowed ourselves to get carried away in possibilities and hopes and we want this time to be different. At this point I can tell you that Bishop Boyea has signed a purchase agreement for the GM-SPO facility located in Grand Blanc Township off of I-475. The Township amended its zoning ordinances to allow for a high school to operate at that site with a special use permit. Their officials have also expressed a strong desire to work with us.

With this concrete reality in front of us and a short time frame within which to work, the next task is to approach people in the community who have the potential to provide lead cash gifts (as well as pledges) to ensure that we can make it all come together. To that end, a number of receptions are being hosted throughout the community to which we are inviting major donors who can provide a substantial portion of the funds necessary to make the move possible. We have a March 1 deadline to obtain significant support to ensure our success. After this March 1 deadline, we will broaden and continue our capital campaign. We will need the support of our entire community to get to the finish line and look forward to working with you in the near future. If you know of people that should be included in this first, critical phase or would like to discuss your own gift possibilities, please contact either Bill Milne or me.

Please understand that the order in which we are soliciting gifts is recommended protocol. It is not our intention to either exclude or to offend anyone. We will need every individual gift of time, treasure, and talent. It is together that we will achieve our success.

With the hope of opening a new facility in January of 2011, we will need the support of everyone. Please continue to pray that God may guide us in His will and bless us in our efforts.

Sincerely,

Tom Furnas
Principal

Powers Catholic Closes in on Grand Blanc Location

As Flint Expatriates reported* back in September, Powers seems poised to relocate to Grand Blanc.

Ron Fonger of The Flint Journal reports:

Powers Catholic High School wants to move into General Motors' Service and Parts Operations World Headquarters by the end of this year and has asked the township for permission to get started.

Just think, Powers wanted Flint Central first, but the Flint school board wasn't interested.

Thanks to Duane "Perfect Attendance" Gilles for alerting me to this.

* Okay, so I really just repeated an unsubstantiated rumor back in September, but since it turned out to be true, let's call it "reporting."

UPDATE:

Rumor Alert: Powers High and G.M.

Here's a rumor that's been floating around...my sources claim that Powers High School is eying the General Motors Service and Parts Operations World Headquarters in Grand Blanc as a possible new location. Allegedly, Powers officials have visited the location at 6200 Grand Pointe Drive southeast of East Hill Road and I-475. There's even an unconfirmed report that the bishop paid a visit.

Notice the careful use of the words "rumor" and "allegedly" and "unconfirmed" in this post. But I have to say it would be a sad day if Powers had a street address that combined Grand Blanc and Grosse Pointe. I know it's a good location, but you can't get much more un-Flint than that.

Is the Flint school board positive it doesn't want to let Powers take Central High off its hands? There's still time.

Go here for a Flint Journal Story on the status of the GM building.

Have I mentioned that this is just a rumor?

Bone-Breaking Tackles

This picture pretty much sums up my football career in Flint. It was taken in the St. Mary's cafeteria when we celebrated our 6-0 season in 8th grade. (Yes, those are purple converse with gold laces.) Bill Suttles is responsible for the broken arm. And Pat McGinnis did the honors in freshman football the next year at Powers. Same broken arm after the same pathetic arm tackle. Thankfully, soccer was added at Powers, saving me from further injury and humiliation.

Flint Basketball Tradition Continues

You just know when a Flint school plays a team from Zeeland — which is apparently located somewhere between Holland and Hudsonville, wherever that is — things are going to go well for the Vehicle City.

Powers Catholic took time out from its search for a new home to win the state Class B basketball title on Saturday, beating Zeeland East 62-54. It's the first state title in boys hoops for a Flint team since Northern won it in 1995.