FLINT-AREA COMMUNITY

Weddings, Engagements, Births, Anniversaries, Obituaries & More

Here's some "Hometown Headlines" that appeared in the Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 issue of The Flint Journal:

Summer Festival set for Saturday in Flint's Max Brandon Park

FLINT, Michigan -- Salem Housing Community Development Corp. will host Summer Fest 2008 from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday in Max Brandon Park.

The free event is open to the community and will feature games, contests and prizes.

Details: Bobby Johnson, (810) 785-5340, extension 25, or by e-mail.

-- By Ron Fonger

Genesee County area families have different ways to select a baby's name. Do you have a particular way you prefer? Tell us about it in the comments area below.

Jodi and David Harper of Grand Blanc have a method of naming their children that drives friends and family members nuts.

"We wait until the baby is born before we decide on the name," said Jodi, a 33-year-old mother of four. "We go to the hospital with a list of names we like, then we wait to see the baby to decide what fits best."

The method worked well for sons Nicholas, 6, Jackson, 4, and Matthew, 2. Four weeks ago, Chloe Elizabeth joined the family. She was a day old before her mom decided that she was a Chloe, and not a Lauren, Victoria or Reagan.

"Everyone was calling and asking, 'Does she have a name yet?'" Jodi said. "But it wasn't until the day after she was born, when I was nursing her, that I decided, 'She looks like a Chloe.'"

Choosing a baby's name can be one of toughest decisions parents make, said Jennifer Moss, author of "The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" and founder of BabyNames.com.

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Learn about diverse areas in the local watershed during the Flint River Watershed Coalition's free River Walk series, open to people of all ages and abilities:

• Clio City Park, 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Bring a sack lunch; there will be an ice cream stop midway.

• George Atkin Jr. Recreational Trail, Clio, 5:30 p.m. Thursday. A moderate walk through sunny and wooded areas.

FLINT, Michigan -- The McLaren Regional Medical Center Outpatient Diabetes Education program will offer a pre-diabetes class from 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday in the 5 North classroom at McLaren, 401 S. Ballenger Highway.

The cost is $25 for the class and all materials. Registration is required; call (810) 342-4110.

Continue reading for a list of recent divorces in Genesee County.

Continue reading for births in Genesee County.

Continue reading for marriage licenses.

Melissa Cousineau | Flint Township NewsSylvia Hansen, Carl Hansen and Nancy-Lee Wilson, all of Flushing, hold items that their church, King of Glory Lutheran, has gathered to send to troops over in Afghanistan in September. This collection hits home to the Hansens because their son, Bjorn, was once in Iraq for more a year and they can relate with other families affected by war.

FLINT TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- The bumper stickers in the parking lot say "Support the Troops," and members of King of Glory Lutheran Church have materialized that message by collecting supplies for soldiers in Afghanistan.

"Those troops that are serving need to have a connection with people in the country to know that they're being supported and cared about. It's a tangible way for us to do that. We pray for them, but that's not as tangible as a nice package of things they need," said Sylvia Hansen, a church volunteer.