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The Flint JournalDee Fleetwood of Flint raises money with garage sales throughout the year to help children and mentally ill adults during the holidays.

Recent weeks have brought reminders of the incredible challenges that public schools face.

The Flint Journal recently reported that schools in Genesee County saw a 53 percent increase last year in disciplinary referrals for fighting and other offenses.

In another article, we chronicled the challenges that school districts have in providing federally mandated services to a growing number of students who are homeless.

In a tough economy, those kinds of problems will only continue to increase. Not that the job of educating children has ever been easy.

But the articles help illustrate the need behind an upcoming renewal of the Flint School District's 18-mill nonhomestead property tax.

President Bush

Ron Gettelfinger

Last Jan. 1, we highlighted skillful leadership as the essential quality in addressing community challenges in the coming year.

And if a tumultuous 2008 shows anything, effective leadership is needed now more than ever.

Given the historic economic events of the past few months that endanger the domestic auto industry, it's no understatement to say how we respond could profoundly shape our region many years to come.

If the question is whether the northern tier of communities in Genesee County should form a consolidated police department, the answer won't include Vienna Township.

Karen Bond

Flint Journal extras: Related article, Dec. 16, 2008: Former Mundy Township supervisor Karen Bond files for unemployment after losing write-in bid

Karen Bond knows better -- even she says so.

But the former Mundy Township supervisor recently filed for unemployment compensation anyway after losing her re-election bid -- which she describes as an "involuntary retirement."

She told the Grand Blanc News she filed "just to see if it would go through. If you don't try, what you're going to get is a 'no.'" This was even though she was aware of state law prohibiting elected officials from the benefit.

When recall fever strikes, it usually is best to lie down and wait for the urge to pass.

Most recall efforts against public officials are misplaced, and the current effort to remove Flint school board members from office is a good example of that.

The issue behind the recall attempt is a valid one. Recall supporters object to the real and perceived conflict that exists for board member Fred Bashir, who is the brother of school Superintendent Linda Thompson.

We disagreed with Bashir's decision to participate in Thompson's evaluation and vote to give her a generous raise earlier this year. We saw that as conflicting with the district's nepotism policy, which says that blood relatives may not supervise one another.

Flint Journal files | Stuart Bauer Piles of presents decorate the home of social worker Julie Rexroth of Grand Blanc Township. The gifts are for 14 area families and were purchased by Flint native Pam Capitanini, who now lives in Chicago.

What is surprising -- indeed, what is truly an unexpected gift this holiday season -- is that not all charitable campaigns and efforts have fallen on lean times.

In some cases, rather than hindering giving, the economy has actually spurred it, encouraging the kind of generosity that will make a real difference in the lives of those who need it the most.

For that, we can all be grateful.

Despite a tough economy, the news in downtown Flint continues to be more good than bad.

Flint Journal files | John W. AdkissonRick Castano of Swartz Creek works in a two-story loft at Berridge Place loft apartments in Flint. The $6-million renovation of the former Berridge Hotel began last year, creating 17 apartments.

Within a two-day period last week came word that the former Berridge Hotel has reopened as loft apartments and that the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is stepping in to buy the Riverfront Character Inn.

These encouraging developments more than temper the news that HealthPlus of Michigan has dropped consideration of moving its headquarters downtown, an idea that turned out to be more intriguing than feasible -- at least for now.

Courtesy PhotoThe scene in Goodrich where Nate Riley rescued Nate Hempton from nearly drowning following a car accident.

Nate Riley insists that he is not a hero, and on that point, he could not possibly be more wrong.

The children who are in Michigan's foster care system come from the world of hard knocks.

Their parents are in prison, or on drugs, or otherwise unfit or unable to take care of them.

So they end up in foster homes under the supervision of the state Department of Human Services. It is not a perfect system. But it is still infinitely better than having these vulnerable, hard-luck kids living on their own.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Flint Journal files | Stuart BauerKenyetta Dotson of Flint goes over strategies to reduce or prevent violence among children and adults with Everett Roberts of Flint at Church Without Walls on Dec. 12.

The quote is generally attributed to Edmund Burke, who lived in the 1700s. It remains salient today.

Indeed, it applies perfectly to the situation in Flint, where senseless violence continues to plague neighborhoods and claim innocent lives.

The shocking slaying of the Rev. Herbert Hart, 46, is one of the most recent examples. Hart's vehicle was riddled with bullets as he drove through his old Flint neighborhood. Police believe the shooting was a case of mistaken identity and a suspect has been arrested, but surely that does little to ease the pain of those who were close to him.

Flint Journal extras: See below for more articles and opinions on this topic.

People in Flint and Michigan are mad. Having self-serving politicos in Washington stick a thumb in your eye will do that to you.

There are constructive ways to channel that anger -- and less constructive ways.

If people want to work against the re-election of southern Republicans who blocked the effort to secure a federal bridge loan for Detroit automakers, that is their right in the democratic process.

But let's not go back to the days when we were shooting at Toyotas.

Flint Journal file photo (Oct. 2000)Jacky and Dora King of Mt. Morris Township have started their own greenhouse, where they grow and harvest vegetables and teach their students how to do it.

Jacky and Dora King have done a lot to nourish the minds and ambitions of young people in the Flint area. Now they are nourishing young bodies as well.

To say that the Kings are business people in the Beecher area is a vast understatement of what they contribute to the community.

Yes, they operate King Karate, a martial arts school on North Saginaw Street, and have earned a good reputation for doing so.

Linda Thompson

Flint Journal extras: See below for previous articles on this topic.

The Flint Board of Education is about to receive a report recommending that it close roughly half of its school buildings. As severe as that prescription sounds, it's not as if no one saw it coming.

Looking back over the past decade, if not longer, there have been voices in the wilderness warning that the district would eventually find itself in this situation unless strong action was taken. Those voices were ignored.

The result: Flint finds itself with enough classroom space to seat 30,000 students -- and an enrollment of under 14,000. You do the math on that one.

As the flagging economy continues to push more Genesee County residents into financial distress, the need for easy access to social services is paramount.

A planned 211 phone system will do just that.

It will take about a year to get up and running, but once it is, those in need will be able to call 211 any time of day, 365 days a year, and be referred to a nonprofit or human service agency locally or elsewhere in the state that can help.