FLINT, Michigan — As we wrap up this year's 'On The Ground' series where we revisited five previously covered neighborhoods, it was only right to revisit Flintside's emeritus editor, Patrick Hayes, who had a personal hand in covering the neighborhoods of Brownell-Holmes and Eastside Franklin Park.

In the Q&A below, Hayes shed light on the rich history of these neighborhoods, mentioning the barriers they have faced throughout the years and acknowledging how much the two neighborhoods have grown since they were last covered.

"We were working with a neighborhood that was trying to give itself an identity for the first time," said Hayes, referring to the Eastside Franklin Park neighborhood.

"It still feels like home for me. Like I can always go there," stated Hayes. "When I was there, but also before and after, there's always been this intense focus on neighborhoods and people and just showing what our life is like here."

Hayes emphasized the significance of forming and strengthening neighborhood associations. As a Flint resident, he highlighted the lack of recognition for the city's east side and the sizable Spanish-speaking community within Flint. He noted the need for greater inclusivity, suggesting improvements in representation and the translation of advertisements.

Hayes also proudly mentioned a successful partnership with the Latinx Center to translate stories — a move uncommon in Flint's media landscape — with the help of photojournalist Jenifer Veloso. Veloso was instrumental in transcribing the covered stories, collaborating closely with Hayes throughout the series.

Although Hayes is no longer the editor, he is still very much involved and working tirelessly to uplift Flint and write an alternative narrative showcasing the city's vibrance and tenacious rigor. Whenever he feels compelled to write about something that can benefit Flint residents and recognizes a titan within a community, he writes about it.

“The way to fight the ugliness and the division is to just be a good neighbor, get to know your neighbors, know their story.” (Courtesy photo)Flintside: How was it working at Flintside?

Patrick Hayes: “I loved working with Flintside just because it’s sort of a unique publication in local journalism. I enjoyed the neighborhood focus. Around the country, local journalism has dwindled over the last 20 years. Flintside has been a nice niche here in Flint that does a good job of highlighting stories of the everyday people here that make this city cool and unique. The other thing I loved about working at Flintside is the talent and the mixed backgrounds of all the writers, photographers, and creators [working] there. That’s the other thing that’s unique about Flintside compared to other publications.”

Flintside: How did you first get on board with Flintside?

P. Hayes: “I started with Flintside in 2019, I think, as a freelancer. I worked at The Flint Journal when it was still a daily newspaper, and one of my first editors was Marjory Raymer. She was the founding editor of Flintside, launched it, and was looking for freelancers. I was in a spot where I had a full-time job but wanted to keep writing. She gave me the chance to join as a freelancer.”

Flintside: What was it like covering the Brownell-Holmes neighborhood?

P. Hayes: “With Brownell-Holmes, it was during the pandemic. Another thing that’s unique about the Brownell-Holmes neighborhood is that there are still two schools there. Flint has this amazing [educational] history and community and neighborhood school model, but a lot of those schools have closed now, and Brownell-Holmes was unique because both the neighborhood schools were open. Santiago Ochoa was the main writer for those stories and did a lot of interesting coverage of education and how families were adjusting.” 

Flintside: Tell us about covering the Eastside Franklin Park neighborhood.

P. Hayes: “The Eastside Franklin Park was also interesting because it’s relatively new as the neighborhood itself. The area itself isn’t new, but Eastside Franklin Park as a neighborhood is. The neighborhood association only formed within the last three or four years before we started the 'On The Ground' series there. Obviously, there’s an identity to the east side of Flint. [Still], this particular neighborhood wanted to define the borders of its neighborhood and have resources available to get to know neighbors. They turned vacant lots and land bank properties into little mini pocket parks in their neighborhood. They were able to get abandoned and burned homes demolished. They were doing all these cool things to make their neighborhood distinctive.”

Flintside: Since leaving Flintside, what are you up to these days?

P. Hayes: “So, I started in journalism, and then I moved into a more marketing communications role after I left The Flint Journal and worked in that field for ten years. [I] switched gears during the pandemic and then post-pandemic. I’ve been back in marketing. I work for the Michigan State Department of Public Health downtown now.”

Flintside: Do you have any final remarks?

P. Hayes: “I would encourage everyone to participate. My basketball court in our driveway is painted like a Detroit Pistons court. We have a little sign out front and invite any of the kids in the neighborhood who want to come play. [They] can come play in our driveway whether we’re home or not. I could go down the list of my neighbors and the unique things they do that aren’t necessarily like a big news story, but they make it amazing to live here. I think every single neighborhood has that and could have more of it. 

One of the stories I tell a lot is when I bought the house that I live in now. The first four hours that I was here, I met eight different neighbors on my street, and I had lived outside of Flint for about four years. In those four years, I don’t know if I met eight total neighbors. That, to me, is what Flint’s all about. It’s about the neighborhoods and the people in them. The love they have for their street or block, and I hope [more] people really start participating in that.”

Hayes is an extremely knowledgeable and generous individual who is always eager to share his expertise and contribute to the improvement of the community. If you ever have any questions or want to reach out and connect with him, please don’t hesitate to send him an email.