Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Slim Chiply Lives: You Know You're From Flint if...


This happens to be the most popular post in the history of Flint Expatriates, originally published March 19, 2008. I got the list via email from a friend after it had been passed on by more than a dozen people. I later found out that Flint Expatriate Rich Frost, who has contributed mightily to this blog, originally penned #1-#40. He mailed the list to about fifteen friends and before long it was all over the internet. So it's about time that Rich got some credit. Be sure to check out Rich's rapidly expanding list, as well as numerous posts about Flint, on his What the Hell blog. And take a look at the comment section for this post, where there are dozens of additions to the list. 

Here's the original post:

There are tons of “You’re from Flint if…” lists floating around the internet, but this one seemed remarkably well-researched. Feel free to add to the list in the Comment section.
  1. You remember attending a “Battle of the Bands” at 60-Second Pizza on Clio Road.
  2. You remember that the jocks on WTAC were “The Good Guys” and WTRX was “The Home of the Jones Boys.”
  3. You can remember those Sunday afternoon free concerts at Wilson Park — where not only could you enjoy the music — but there was the smell of baking bread at the Taystee bakery not too far away from the park.
  4. You can remember when Channel 12 was the home for “Rae Dean and Friends” and “Mr.Magic” for the kids and “Michigan Polka Party” and “The Connie Dycus Show” for adults.
  5. You can remember seeing “Viva Las Vegas” at the Capital Theater, “A Hard Day’s Night” at the Palace Theater and “Deep Throat” at the Royal Theater.
  6. You can remember getting your first license at Safetyville .
  7. You can remember going to Kearsley Park to go swimming and for the 4th of July fireworks.
  8. Your first savings account was at Citizens Bank and you started that account with the booklet that Citizens Bank gave kids to save their dimes in.
  9. You can remember going to Cook’s Drug Store for a ten cent Chocolate Coke or Cherry Phosphate.
  10. You signed petitions against the antiballistic missile and the Vietnam War at Peace Watch on Kearsley Street.
  11. You can remember the cement Indian at the Trading Post on Franklin Street and Utah.
  12. You can remember the sign on the Miller Road Dairy on Corunna Road that read: “You can’t beat our milk, but you can whip our cream.”
  13. You can remember going to the Friday night movies at U of M and having to tolerate Michael Moore’s speeches before the flicks.
  14. You can remember “The Freedom Reader” (the alternative newspaper before Michael Moores Flint Voice).
  15. You remember that man who worked the cash register at Halo Burger on Harrison Street shouting out your change as “one hundred and one dollars” when it was only $1.01.
  16. You remember such places as “The Beaver Trap” and “Titty City,” but never knew anyone who went in those places.
  17. Everyone knew someone who said that Bob Seger owned that big house in Grand Blanc and that they saw him there.
  18. You can remember as a kid playing with the white light electric eye that opened the doors at the A&P store on Dort Hwy.
  19. You knew that if you couldn”t find what you were looking for at Yankee”s then you could find what you wanted at Arlen’s.
  20. You remember watching “Sesame Street” on Channel 12 because Flint didn’t have a public television station.
  21. You picked up the latest paperback, magazine or newspaper at Readmore on Saginaw Street.
  22. You remember getting your hair cut at the Barber College when it was near the tracks in downtown Flint. Or at Johnny’s Barber Shop on Lewis Street.
  23. One of the ways that you knew it was January was when the Shrine Circus came to IMA Auditorium (not the sports arena).
  24. The only bologna and hot dogs in your house had the Koegel label on them.
  25. You didn”t associate “The Colonel’s” with Kentucky Fried Chicken or “The Varsity” with any school.
  26. Your family didn”t eat Thanksgiving dinner until everyone got back from the Northern/Central game at Atwood Stadium.
  27. There was nothing that could compare to a King Arthur pasty.
  28. You can remember one or two items that you purchased at the Touch Boutique.
  29. The Juvenile home was known as “The Pasadena Playhouse”.
  30. The only place to go for ribs and sweet potato pie was Bob and Ethel’s Rib Crib.
  31. Weekend television on Channel 12 meant watching monster movies on “Creature Features” and scary movies with “Christopher Coffin.”
  32. Your generation’s “Krispy Kreme” went by the name of “Dawn Donuts.”
  33. You avoided driving during certain hours of the day because of “shop traffic.”
  34. If you lived on the Eastside, you went to Aunt Nina’s for a hamburger and a shake.
  35. You remember Wild Bill’s before it became L-L-T.
  36. Halo Burger is and was the only place where you could order a cream ale with your burger and fries.
  37. The best fish n’ chips in town were at Third Avenue Fish n’ Chips.
  38. The two most trusted sources for weather were either the Citizens Bank weather ball or Channel 12’s John McMurray.
  39. You can remember a Hire’s Root Beer Float (bottled by Buckler Beverage on Lapeer Road) or a ice cold bottle of M&S Red Pop or Orange Soda.
  40. You remember the Paramount Potato Chip Slim Chiply jingle. ("I'm Slim Chiply, the guy you see on the Paramount Potato Chips bright red pack. I'm the flavor deputy, protecting crispness in every pack. They're delicious, and so nutritious, yes sir'ee, they're pips, Paramount Potato chips.")
  41. You remember late night trips to Freddie’s Donuts.
  42. You remember Dan, Dan the Vegetable Man.


423 comments:

  1. You remember taking class field trips to the Sloan Museum to see the anatomically correct Tammy

    You remember shopping at Comber's Market

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  2. This is a great post. My other Flint memories are of the Montgomery Ward restaurant facing Second Street in downtown. I remember they had the best cheesburgers. What about pop from The Soda Pop Shoppe? Eastside memories are those of the Hamady store at Frankiln and Davison before their expansion in 1986. At one time the building housed four tenents simultaneously: Detroit and Northern Savings Bank, Irvin Hersch Jewelers, Eastside Pharmacy, and finally the grocery store. I also remember when Broadway Coney Island at Broadway and Franklin, and the Nite Owl Coney Island at Davison and Dort were competeing with Angelo's (when it was worth going to), and lastly shopping with my folks at the A&P on Dort Highway near Delaware. I always remember the smell of fresh ground coffee as soon as we'd enter the building.
    This blog has awakened many good memories from long ago, and probably many more I'll remember after I type this. Spectacular job, Mr. Young! This website is well worth visiting...

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  3. What a great blog and what a super post - who could forget Slim Chipley?!! How about these:

    You remember ice-skating in the winter at Ballenger Park.

    You remember the animals and rides at Flint Park (or Dewey Woods, later called Forest Park).

    You remember the stories about the sunken lumberyard and quicksand that would suck you in and suffocate you at "Devil's Lake," by Stewart Ave. and Dupont St., not far from Forest Park.

    You remember George & Emily Solomon's lunches at "Harrison House" on Harrison St. downtown.

    You remember the cafeteria you took the escalator to at Smith Bridgeman's where you had grilled cheese and hot chocolate after your mother was done shopping.

    You remember the Balkan Bakery over on Dayton St.

    You remember Herriman's ice cream parlor out on Clio Rd.

    Since my last four memories are about food, I guess it's time to sign off and get some dinner...

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  4. I've been curious about this for years: Where was Wilson Park located?

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  5. I can also remember visiting Kearsley Park, driving in the small cars at Safetyville while taking the trip across the "Little Mac" bridge, and afterwards attempting the daring walk through the wooded area around the park, the area known as Bumwoods. I remember my parents saving S&H Green Stamps from buying groceries at the Kroger store on Robert T. Longway and Dort, and visiting the Top Value Stamp store directly next to Kroger, redeeming the stamps to buy a lamp set. I remember when gas was 39 cents a gallon at either the Bay or Valvoline gas stations on Dort Highway between Woodrow and Delaware Avenues. I remember shopping at the stores on Davison and Dort, which included Wrigley's grocery store, Arlan's department store, and Kilbourn's pharmacy I remember Thompson's Shopping Center on Richfield Rd. and Averill Avenue. I remember Gil-Roy's Hardware when it was named Glen-Roy's. I also remember Feke and Yott Supermarkets before they sold out to Hickory Meat Block. We shopped at the store on Franklin and Thom for the fresh meat from the huge counter and homemade pies. Does anyone remember the fire which destroyed the Feke and Yott at Covert and Richfield in the mid 1970's? I could go on, but will give someone else a chance to share their memories...Thank you.

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  6. Remember when all brown paper grocery bags were called "Hamady sacks"?
    Thanks for posting this site; you are a saint! I moved to Los Angeles in 1987 and I miss Flint/Flushing so much! Some of these Flint references made me all misty...
    Paul

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  7. Hmmm, St. Gordie. I've been petitioning the Vatican for years on this one, but for some reason they're not going for it. I suspect Sr. Grace at Powers is blocking my beatification for my misdeeds in high school French class.

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  8. I suspect they all know about your detention slip by now. Maybe you could try St. Jude for some miraculous PR work on your behalf :)

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  9. You've really laughing out loud now!!! It's not Sister Grace that's preventing the beatification; The Sisters from St. Mary's have still got to be holding that little episode you experienced during the graduation mass over your head. Geez, that was so long ago...

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  10. Oh how I remember the supreme donuts on Flushing road. they were no better nutty donuts. Skating at kearsley park. Driving through the a@w then having a Koegels dog and a root beer and looking for a certain someone you hope to meet. The drive in and sneaking others in by hiding them in the trunk.Hanging out in front of kresges on saginaw watching all the guys or gals go by. What a time to have been born. Vernors ginger ale,black label beer(hey Mabel)Hamady sacks and getting your meat at Feke and Yott. School shopping at Sears downtown. Malls didn't exist! And walking where ever you needed to go. When a guy pulled over it was safe because they just wanted to meet new girls. Partylines and that dateline to hook up with other kids. City vs. county. General motors was the biggest employer and GMI. Not to mention the fraternity row and the party's.Memories! Thanks for bring them back!

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  11. It was "Yessiree they're pips," not chips

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  12. Does anyone still call paper bags Hamady sacks?

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  13. I still sometimes reflexively in my head think "Hamady Sack" instead of "grocery bag".

    The Bumwoods! I remember living on Kansas St. and riding my BMX bike down through there!

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  14. Thank you for posting the Paramount Potato Chips jingle and the Slim Chipley picture!!! OMG, I've remembered this since I was really little. A few years ago I tried googling it, including the words to the jingle, but found nothing. And today... here it is :-)

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  15. I used to walk to Thompson's Shopping Center at Term St/Richfield Rd. We'd cut thru our backyard across Averil to Sobey Elementary, school officials eventually gave up trying to make us walk to end of the block where they had crossing guards. Took a train from Flint to Holly with a layover in Durand to visit my grandparents.

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  16. A train ran from Flint and then to Durand and then to Holly? This doesn't make sense but, I may be ignorant. Also, someone asked about Willson Park, Willson Park is located at the corner of Kearsley and Wallenberg in front of UM. Does anyone remember Merlin's restaurant on MLK?

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  17. I'm from Saginaw but I have a couple of Flint memories. What about "Buffalo Dick's Radio Ranch". I used to listen to that religiously. And wasn't the "Million Dollar Mikatam" in Flint, or near Flint. I loved that place. We used to make the pilgrimage most friday nights. Not being 21 was not an issue at the Mikatam. They used to stamp those under 21 and not those over 21. Nice system, we would run into the bathroom, wash off our stamps, and voila, we were 21.

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  18. does anybody know who owned miller road dairy was it a family named millers

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  19. Yes, I think the Millers owned the Dairy. I remember they used to give out fruit drinks at Halloween.

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  20. OMG! I totally forgot about the Bum Woods! Where was that??? Was it by Kearsley park??

    I still have a very cool beadspread I bought at the Touch Boutique!

    Here's one more: You know you're a Flintoid if: You know at least one person related to Grand Funk!

    I knew Mel's cousin Rick, I knew Marks cousins - Charmaine, Chuck, Scott & Carol; Don's sister lived a few houses down from us & I even knew Craigs brother & sister - Greg & Lisa. Never met the guys tho...:-(

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  21. A&W at the corner of Clio & Pierson Road. Koegel’s hot dogs with the skins that would “pop” when you bit into it. The hot dogs were served in a soft, freshly steamed bun that was slit across the top, not on the side. They put some red sauce on it that tasted better than plain ol’ ketchup and a sprinkle of onion. Wash it down with a mug of ice cold root beer. Heaven. I’m driving up to Michigan tomorrow (live in Cincinnati) and planned an out-of-the-way trip for an A&W hot dog. I just Googled it…the A&W is GONE! I’m traumatized. BBB Cincinnati 7-16-09; Flint Northern High School 1964

    PS. I had my wedding rehearsal dinner at The Farm Restaurant 9-12-69. Decades later, on a visit to Flint, I was surprised to see it boarded up and deteriorating. I had a picture of it in my head as it was. This new view was like a creepy black and white spooky flash-forward movie we used to watch at the Capitol or Palace when we were 12.

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  22. I think you'll find that just about everything you remember on Clio Road is gone. Your only hope is Halo Burger, Angelo's, or Luigi's Pizza.

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  23. You can still get your A&W hot dog... the owners of the one at Clio and Pierson are now in Flushing, serving the same food they always did. Though it's boarded up, The Farm restaurant is still in use from time-to-time. I saw a private party there one night, with well-dressed, middle-aged people coming in-and-out. Granted, it's not for public use, but it's not falling apart either.

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  24. Your reference to the man at the Harrison Street Haloburger was Shelly Thomas, Bill Thomas' brother. He was like another father to me. In High school, I worked part time at L.G.Haig Shoes. One day I complained to Shelly that the other employees in the store were stealing my french fries while I was working. Shelly suggested smothering them with mayonaisse. I went back to work with my new concoction and from then on, no one messed with my fries. Years later, I was cruising near flint and heard Shelly was managing the Pierson Rd Haloburger. I pulled in with my young family. Shelly sat down with us while we ate. I asked him "What is the secret to the Deluxe with Olives. He told me and I have been making them ever since.

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  25. I worked at the Flint Journal, and had a Deluxe with heavy olives every day for lunch from the Harrison Street Halo Burger (Shelly was working the lunch shift there).

    How could "anonymous" not post the secret to that culinary delight?

    Please?!?

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  26. How about this:

    You know you are from Flint when your after-school playtime was governed by the Buick factory whistle.

    (Quote from Mother: you'd better be home by the time the 5 o'clock whistle blows)

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  27. How about:

    -Watching Roseanne Cerra (had the biggest crush on her) on the nightly news

    -Going to Doobies bar and watching Carl Glover sing in downtown flint across from Citizens Bank

    -Going to the movies at the Palace theater (across from the library)and looking at the clock with the blue neon around it

    -going the U of M auditorium (at Mott Comm Coll!) and watching great movies - Michael Moore at the beginning

    -late nights after the bar at Angelos - the place still looks the same! (1 up w/no onions)

    -marching in the Flint Guardsmens drum and bugle corp down Saginaw Street (1971)

    -buying chemicals at Baker Drug store for my chemistry set

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  28. Al Bennett Ford, 99 dollars down and 99 dollars a month

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  29. Well ... what about going swimming at Lincoln Park pool for a nickel ... Going to the A&W downtown and yelling back and forth with the guys in the jail ... fishing in Mott lake (eww).. hanging out at Little Ceasers in the South Flint Plaza .. waiting for the "ice cream boy" to show up on your street ... partying at Sherwood Forrest ... The Lite in the basement of the Small Mall ... parking at Bishop Airport to watch the planes take off and land ... when hookers were downtown and not on Dort Highway .. the Upside Down Bridge in the woods behind Happy Hollow ... did I mention Happy Hollow ? ... the neighborhoods that were there prior to 69 and 475 coming through town ... when Grand Traverse was called Deming Road ... Seeing Aerosmith as a backup band to The James Gang at the old IMA Auditorium ( and many other great concerts ) ... Motorcycle Club shoot outs ... Snowmobiles running around everywhere in the winters ... Beauty School for young girls at Wards downtown ... Sliding down Holloway Dam to the river ... The "Hippies" of Kingswood Apartments" ... Fish and Chips at Holy Redeamer Church on Fridays ... did I miss anything ????

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  30. How about Playland on Pasadena? And all the cool jocks on 105 FM when it was a rock station. Stu Shader, Mark Miller, Jeff Holbrook, Tim Siegrist, Kelly Stevens, etc. Buffalo Dick on Fri nites was always on back then. Smash or Trash (THIS IS SARGEANT JOHN FLAGELLA DOWN AT THE GENESSEE COUNTY JAIL!). Good times....good times....

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  31. Oh....and "Baseball, hotdogs, Applegate and Chevrolet"

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  32. Oh, I love you guys for this! Somebody remembers Paramount Pototo child, and the song! yeh! They were my favorite! Buttercup Beach, learning to roller skate on metal skates, Greefield Village! Love American Style, Room 222, Night Gallery, Lawn Jarts, Backyard Tents made out of sheets and blankets, Drive in movies, stuffing pants pockets with pencils and combs because no backpacks then! Riding bikes for miles and getting lost, riding the bus to downtown just for fun, Hee Haw, Whaley park Pool, The big Yankees Hat on the floor at Dort Mall, Eastland Mall, Oh what a full world we had!

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  33. "It's time for Mom and Dad to leave the room, because your old pa Buffalo Dick is on the air"

    Whatever became of Buffalo Chip, Buster and the rest of the crew?

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  34. Remember the NOON whiisle that used to sound from the Buick factory? And the NOON whistle program on WKMF radio with Bill Lamb?

    I remember that Halo Burger (downton) was sometimes referred to as "QP's"

    Wilson Park was located at the end of East Kearsley Street & Clifford where the UofM buildings & campus now stand.

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  35. Yes, yes -- WTAC, WTRX. But let's not forget a third Flint AM radio station -- WAMM, 1470 on your dial -- popular with local teens white, black, Hispanic, what have you.

    Initially -- 1960 or '61, their broadcast license was configured such that they had to sign off at sundown each day. In that regard, I can remember sitting in the old man's '59 Buick in the driveway and tuning in at signoff. (Gerry G, correct me if I'm wrong -- the radio in that year's Buick worked without the car running or needing keys turned to accessory. You inadvertently left the radio on? -- it drained the battery by morning.)

    At signoff each evening, the DJ played Bill Doggett's "Honky-Tonk" -- both Parts I and II. Only station where one could hear both sides of that recording.

    Only DJ's I can recall were Sam "The Candy Man" Williams and Marcellus Williams.

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  36. Sorry -- Marcellus Wilson, not Williams.

    And there was a DJ on WTRX -- Tony King -- who defected and went to WAMM about '65 or '66.

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  37. Does any one remember the dances held on I believe Friday nights at the YWCA? They were on the second or third floor

    When someone asked "Are you going to the Y dance"? the clever answer was always "Ya but why dance?" referring the the fact that although you took the elevator to be admitted to the dance the stairway saw much use at intermission, hence the expression "Why Dance."

    Does anyone remember a band called the Rhythmers that played there on occasion?

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  38. That was Marcellus Wilson on WAMM who would play a string of soul oldies called the"solid mold six-pack".
    He DJ'd some teen dances at Longfellow.

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  39. I have been gone 30 years now, reading the list and everyones comments made me laugh and cry. Thanks guys, wish I was washing down a coney with a cold Strohs right now.

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  40. Bill Lamb and Jam for Breakfast's top ten. Marcellus Wilson a great DJ with a son who could play some basketball. Officer Wilburn Lagree bringing safety songs to your class room with his sidekick Ed on the accordion. "Don't go near the railroad track for it's no place to play..trains go past and they go fast and you might get in the way... Free concerts at Sherwood Forest with big names. That covers about thirty years..or more....unclebuck

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  41. Does anybody remember the late night DJ who would read from "The Prophet"? When MLK was Detroit Street? This is great, I had almost forgotten about yelling back and forth with the inmates at the jail from the A&W downtown. How about the "Original Coney Island" by the railroad tracks on the North end of town (Saginaw Street?)?

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  42. You know your from Flint when you know that the 71-72 Northern Vikings were the greatest high school basketball team in Michigan history. Gordon, someone needs to write a book about our special hometown, hint, hint. Lanny Hayes, northsider, 32 years gone.

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  43. Only in Flint, you know who Madeline Fletcher was.

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  44. Anonymous July 16, 2009, did you know the Kotchoun family that owned Haig Shoes? Some years ago, Garo Kotchoun told me the same story that Bakers, Vorces, Wolfes, and Shapiros did over the years, about what a great jumping busy place Downtown Flint used to be.

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  45. Does anyone remember that in the mid-1950's Officer Wilburn Lagree would sometimes be on a double-bill at Flint school assemblies with a magic show act by a husband and wife team called "The Sterlings."

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  46. Cooley --

    Here are a couple of other people who use to work at WAMM.

    Pete Flanders -- who also worked at WTAC and now owns Musical Memories on Dort Hwy -- use to work part-time at WAMM (and if I'm not mistaken -- he also worked at Hatfield's Records in downtown Flint.

    There was a part-time disc-jockey at WAMM by the name of Jeff Stevens. Jeff worked weekends at WAMM and during the week he went to MSU. Jeff did one of the best Bullwinkle the Moose impressions that I ever heard -- but his real claim to fame came later in life. You see, Jeff Stevens' real name is Tim Skubick who has hosted the Michigan public affairs TV show "Off The Record" for a kazillion years and he also is the Lansing political correspondent for various stations across the state -- including Newsradio 950 WWJ in Detroit.

    Also -- another person who had a short part-time stint on the air at WAMM (as well as at WTAC) was Terry Knapp -- also known as Terry Knight of "Terry Knight and the Pack" fame -- who also became Grand Funk Railroad's manager...and everyone knows how that ended.

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  47. You know you are from Flint if your favorites TV show was either "Bowling for Dollars" or "TV POW".

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  48. Definitely TV POW... and remember that stupid thing called "Snippets"?
    I still can hear those bored kids saying "Snippets" really slowly... but can't remember much else from the program.

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  49. When I was in high school, radio station WDZZ was big. Is it still around? My lunkhead buds called it "W-disease." (They suffered from an -ism that will go unnamed here.)

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  50. Vernon Merritt, original owner and manager of WDZZ, confirmed to me that the call letters were based at least in part on the song "Dazz" by Brick. The original format was sort of Disco/Jazz and as the lyrics to the song say, "Dazz Dazz Disco Jazz".

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  51. This post, should it be approved, constitutes a bit of a fist-waving protest.

    I'm *simply not old enough* to remember a lot of this stuff, save perhaps things like the Soda Pop Shoppe. I was born in September of '68 at McLaren Hospital. I resided almost constantly in Flint up until January '91. I graduated from a certain, now non-existent, Flint high school in February of 1986 (mid-term).

    I'm still a Flintoid! :(

    I played part in Youth Theater projects (though I'm not about to tell you which ones).

    I attended Mister Horn's classes at Walker Elementary's "gifted" program.

    I learned math from Mr. Willey and his "Grey Monster" at Summerfield Elementary.

    Faye Mrozik made me, and the rest of my class, dance spasmodically to "popcorn" by Hot Butter at an assembly in Summerfield's gymnasium. A collectively shared trauma, to be sure, for the participants as well as the observers. :o

    (And I know who she was having an affair with at the time she became "Ms. Eick".)

    Oh, bleh, I'm rambling.

    Point is: There's a whole generation of expats that are now turning 40-something... We don't remember all that our elders do, but our experience is still uniquely Flintish.

    That's all.

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  52. Bob Nudell, you had a crush on Roseanne Cerra? Was this while we were dating? lol Whatever happened to Carl Glover, anyway?

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  53. >"It's time for Mom and Dad to >leave the room, because your old >pa Buffalo Dick is on the air"

    >Whatever became of Buffalo Chip, >Buster and the rest of the crew?

    http://www.buffalodick.tv/

    Jeff Lamb (son of the aforementioned Bill Lamb)is in Ohio now as far as I know.

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  54. New to this site, but am quickly becoming addicted to it. Brings back a lot of great memories. Born and raised on the west side. Now with a wife and five kids living outside of Lansing. A few suggestions for the list:

    Your senior prom was held at Autoworld (SW Academy class of '90)

    You've always slept on a Peerless mattress

    You've submitted an essay in the Jack A. Hamady Writing Contest

    You remember bouncing on the old suspension bridges at Mott Park golf course

    -Brad F.

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  55. The family that owned the Miller Road Dairy was named Glass, I believe three brothers, Joe, Pete and Fred. How I remember that I will never know....

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  56. How about Broome Park having an operating public swimming pool!

    And the SKATEPARK at Playland on Pasadena!

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  57. I missed this blog post! I must have been traveling. Thanks for a half an hour of entertainment blog-man-Gordo!

    I trust the kids and drunk teenagers are still sliding down the hill at Kearsley Park when it snows.

    My contribution would be thus: It was always a great way to spend your saturday morning bicycling to the Ben Franklin on Richfield and Averill to spend 25 cents for a weekends worth of candy.

    Also, it always sucked to spend all of september and october planning your holloween costume only to have to put on your winter jacket on the night of the "Big Event"!

    I'm proud to say that the only time I've ever been on T.V. was a panning through the crowd on T.V. 12's BOZO program.

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  58. Carl is still playing. Here is his myspace link www.myspace.com/carlglover1

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  59. Yes, a thousand bike miles back and forth from Ben Franklins! There was a Hush Puppy shoe store between there and Thompson's. The Laundry mat around the corner. Yes lots of penny, nickel, dime, and quarter candy. WTAC Top 30 list; buying a 45 top hit with a dollar of allowance and had a pile of them! Sleds and saucers all over the street in winter, when everyone shoveling their driveways. Those were the days!

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  60. I lived in Flint back in the middle 1940's . Went to school in Swartz Creek and Whittier Jr. High, and Central High. Lived in Swartz Creek for awhile then moved to Court Street very near the center of Flint. I remember all of these things. But I always heard Bob Seger lived in a very big house in Holly, Michigan. I remember Connie Dycus most of all because he had a hand in the recording of a record the Melody Girel [of which I was one of] recorded our first recording with Larry Marshell in the 60's. at Prophonics recording owned bu Paut Potts. I visited Flint just this past month for a family reunion. The town sure is going downhill fast!
    Grace Gragg

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  61. Milky the Clown.

    T-Shirt front:
    Where in the Hell is Flint?
    T-Shirt back:
    Who in the Hell Cares?

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  62. I lived on Wolcott and attended Longfellow. What a great education! Does anyone remember Willie Saxon, Mrs. Stanton (music) Mr.Peror (music?) My favorite teacher was Ella Davis. She changed my life and I've never forgotten her. Moved to the burbs in in 62 and graduated from Hamady High in 65. I was back to my house on Wolcott this past summer and was broken hearted to see what has happened to our house and Longfellow School. I love the pictures of Sears, Smith Bridgmans, and some of the old neighborhoods. What great memories.

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  63. I'm trying to remember what Mrs. Stanton's first name was. It seems like it was Wilma Stanton. Her husband had some kind of investment firm. Seems like it was on Court St.

    The Flint area was the original hometown to to two "Jack The Bellboy" personalities on WJBK Detroit. One was Ed McKenzie. I don't know if he was on the air in Flint. The other, previously mentioned, was Richard Terrance Knapp, known as Terry Knapp, and Terry Knight.

    Terry Knight's days at WAMM may have influenced Grand Funk Railroad to record "Some Kind of Wonderful", which Mark Farner admitted listening to on WAMM to an earlier version by the Soul Brothers Six. Mark also adapted the lyrics to a Christian Contemporary hit.

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  64. Anonymous about Mrs. Stanton...Talk about getting back there in time. I had Mrs. Stanton for music class in the 4th,5th and 6th grades at McKinley in the late forties. Pretty stern and in control. I don't remember her first name, her husbands name was Wilton or Willis on his business card. Today, she would easily be in her ninties. Or more.

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  65. I didn't come down to Flint (from Alpena) until 1984. We got "Channel 12" up there, and I now work there! :-) John McMurray is still here doing the morning and noon weather!

    I came down to attend Baker Jr. College of Business and we were the last graduating class in '86 before they changed to Baker College. We used to party at the Mikatam (recently burned down), Wild Bill's ($1 Kamikaze's on Thursday's!) when it was across from Genesee Valley on Miller Road, Churchill's in downtown Flint and Pete's Pub on Glenwood & Court. One of the highlights at Pete's Pub is when "Rosie" would show up and sing her famous rendition of "Bill Bailey". It was a sad day when we lost her...

    We still go to Angelo's once in a while or Starlight at Center and Davison.

    The saddest thing to see is the HUGE vacant lot that used to be AC Spark Plug/Delphi on Dort & Davison...it's just gone.

    Question for someone...where was the Paramount Potato Chip factory located?

    Thanks!

    Marc R.

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  66. Marc--in [url=http://www.flintexpats.com/2008/12/slim-chiply-couture.html]this thread[/url], jbing50 and Rich Frost think it was on Lapeer west of Dort, near the old Buckler Beverage (Hires R
    oot Beer) bottling plant.

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  67. Oh I forgot about Smith Bridgman's! But remember: Yankees, Arlan's, The Fair, Hudson's, Hamady's. We know all the streets if we lived there! I lived near Center & Richfield but remember Wolcott! I appreciate this site; those were such sweet and bright days back then and so Nice to be reminded by all that is said here. Keep it Coming. All that's hardly left of Flint is Memories.

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  68. DRMILLER

    The Ambassador Coney Island on Bristol road.
    Dye school on the corner of Dye and Corunna Road.
    Sledding on the hill at Southwestern High School.
    Partying at "The Crypt".
    Hanging out in the parking lots on Friday and Saturday nights at McDonalds and Dawn Donuts on South Saginaw St.

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  69. Wow, you all are really stiring up memories for me. I was born at Hurley Hospital and grew up in Mt. Morris but spent a lot of time in Flint.
    The Factory Whistle program, Halo Burger (Mom called it Keew Pee's), Paul's Pipe Shop on Saginaw, ReadMore, The Indian motorcycle shop, the enclosed walkway over the street (Montgomery Ward?). Oh yeah, Good Times bar out on Clio Road. A great place to find someone to fight with! Titty-City (yuck!)

    My folks listened to WFDF all the time and I remember around Christmas they played a carol that I have not heard since then. I think it was written by a priest and he didn't want to commercialize it so you couldn't just go out and buy it on a record anywhere. It was my Mom's favorite and I'd love to get a copy of it. Anyone here have any leads for the song? I'm sure it's a long shot but you never know. Love this site!

    Thanks,
    Dave

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  70. I remember a Christmas song they played on WFDF called "Midnight In Bethlehem". I can't remember who the artist was. Dan Hunter always played it.

    Part of the lyrics were,

    It's midnight in Bethlehem,
    Look for the star.

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  71. Unclebuck, from a variety of sources I have found that it was Willis A. Stanton Investments on W. Court St. And I think Wilma was the music teacher's first name.

    I think the Wilton you may be thinking of was Wilton W. Slocum, who worked as a principal in the Flint Public Schools and possibly also in the administration offices.

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  72. I'm happy to keep the most popular blog going with a question that seems most appropriate to be asked in this column. I recently crossed paths with a New York native who said her father grew up in Flint and worked for Adler Auto Parts. I lived in Flint for 32 years before moving out east but I don't recall the store. Does she have the wrong city for her dad's birth, or can a fellow Flintoid out there jog my memory?

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  73. To Anonymous: After I commented, I remembered his name was Willis. He was an investment consultant. It's strange that you should mention Wilton Slocum. He was assistant principal at Whittier junior high when I worked there in the early sixties. I also believe you are right with the name Wilma Stanton. She was a good music instructor at McKinley. Unclebuck

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  74. Unclebuck, in researching all these names online, I came across an interesting link regarding a Wilton Slocum. It is from a military production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in Hawaii in 1944. There is a Private Wilton Slocum and PRIVATE WERNER KLEMPERER in the production. Klemperer, better known as Colonel Wilhelm Klink on "Hogan's Heroes", did do this type of work in Hawaii during WWII.

    Their ages are apparently well within the range where they could have been in the military at that time. Fascinating if that is the same Wilton Slocum. Unclebuck, do you recall if the Principal you knew at Whittier was also in theater?

    "Klink" link below:

    http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~duncanrw/somebodys_23feb2001.html

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  75. Unclebuck, I ran across another interesting fact. Willis A. Stanton ran in the primary for U.S. House of Representatives in the 6th District of Michigan in 1952. Since Charls Chamberlain was a Representative in the same district at that time, I assume that it included Flint.

    http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stanton.html

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  76. Anonymous, Good research. Stanton was a political animal and I think he was defeated in that primary as a republican candidate. I was pretty young then and a couple of years later was in the service, my three brothers just proceeding me. I do remember that Wilton Slocum fell ill shortly after I arrived at Whittier.Howard Auer was principal then. Maybe Slocum was in Flint Community Players. Unclebuck

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  77. Willis and Wilton, two good solid citizens, typical of the Flint we all knew back then, Unclebuck.

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  78. Hey BJ,

    My Dad used to buy his car parts from Mr. Adler at his store on N. Saginaw Rd. I remember it well. It was real close to Roma's Pizzeria. I think it was on the northwest corner of Saginaw and Cornell Ave. The last time I was there was around 1978 and they had new parts on the wall for some really old cars from the 30's, 40's, 50's. It was pretty cool to see them and the man at the counter was very nice to talk with. He was probably in his mid 70's at that time. I always assumed he was Mr. Adler but don't know for sure.

    Anonymous,
    I think you found the song for me. When I read the lyrics I instantly could hear the melody. That is so cool! A quick search of the web has found nothing, so it's pretty obscure, but I'll keep looking. Thanks for the tip.

    Dave

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  79. Standdup, I looked up "Midnight In Bethlehem", and there is a score by a Warren Barker by that name, but I'm not sure that is the same song. Youtube and mp3s available are like a series of different songs, leaving me more confused. Warren Barker seems a familiar name, but unless I actually heard or saw the lyrics, I'm still not sure either.

    I would think Les Root or Dave Barber or even some competitors from that time might know the answer.

    There are also some ironic connections and degrees of separation in the comments on this topic that I don't even get into here because I don't want to reveal too much personal information. But this is, as BJ said, one of the most popular threads on this blog. Milbourne Memories is another. Mr. Yoong should bring back some other "Classic Flint Expatriates Threads".

    Flint IS in large part these memories and people, not the depressing parts of the city that remains.

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  80. Anonymous,

    Are Les Root and Dave Barber DJ's on WFDF? Dave's name is familiar to me. Are they still alive? I see that WFDF was moved to Southfield. I'll give them a call and cross my fingers.

    I listened to the Warren Barker song and that is not the one. Thanks for all the help. I too have a lot of good memories of Flint. It saddens me to think of what the town is now like. Hopefully someday it can pull itself out of the hole it's now in.....

    Dave

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  81. There's an interesting post about Van VanDeWalker on Rich Frost Blog, if you click it.

    You're a real Flint oldtimer if you remember Van's first radio job evenings in the summer (because it wasn't and still isn't on the air evenings in the winter) at WOAP, and you remember when Joe Wade Formicola hired him at WFDF.

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  82. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll get anywhere if you try Radio Disney, now the programming on WFDF.

    Dave Barber left town, but sometimes he posts here. I don't know if Les Root reads this blog. Maybe Rich Frost (whose blog is linked at the top of this topic) or Van VanDeWalker possibly remember who did "Midnight In Bethlehem".

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  83. Standup

    I chatted with Van about the song that you were looking for and he doesn't have a clue and I have never heard the song. I tried a Google search on the title and all that I come up with is the Barker connection that you have already know about. The only other suggestion on how you might be able to find out who the artist was is to write to the Grammy people. If the record ever charted -- you might be able to find it on Billboard magazine's charts. I'll ask a couple of other people if they have ever heard of this recording and if they do -- I'll post it here on Flint Expats....but I don't think I'll be successful in the search. Sorry.

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  84. You’re from Flint if … you submitted your best work to the Wide Awake Club.

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  85. Thanks for all the help folks! I've been living up in Alaska for a long time and have not been back to MI in 10 years. I'll be back there in June though and all this reminiscing has really got me excited about the trip. I won't make it back to Flint though because all my family has left the area. One thing I will do though is have a lot of Kogels bologna and Vernors ginger ale!

    Dave

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  86. Dan Hunter used to give fair warning when he was going to play "Midnight In Bethlehem", as I recall, so a lot of people who are not radio types may have recorded the song on reel to reel or cassette tapes back then. I don't know what kind of shape those tapes would be in. People outside radio and possibly the people who hang out at Musical Memories may have a better answer.

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  87. Someone farther up in the comments mentioned Marcellus Wilson and Tony King on WTRX. Here is a link from a May, 1963 Billboard article that mentions that and also mentions Joey Reynolds being at WTRX, and also Bob "Dell" DelGiorno at WTAC, though it is misspelled.

    http://books.google.com/books?id=ZgsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=WTRX+%22Marcellus%22&source=bl&ots=AnyJlW1u5Q&sig=kZlhak7_0zSGLuOfMgkqDzPFMYE&hl=en&ei=PkKmS5mLNYX7lwfAgIFz&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=WTRX%20%22Marcellus%22&f=false

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  88. I lived across the street from Combers Market on Humboldt Street near the corner of Dayton. Herlichs Drugstore, taking the bus from the old Northern on Detroit Street to work at Hatfield Jewelers downtown, pizza at Sorrento's after skating at Ballenger park, watching Grand Funk Railroad at free concerts downtown, bowling at Haskell Park rec center with my friends working as pin spotters, cruising the Burger King and A&W on Clio Road looking for girls to pay attention to us, buying "thick and thins" from Milt Weiss to look like the homeys, working at Chess King at Genesee Valley to get the cool looking clothes (yikes they were ugly when I think about them), running track and cross country for Norb Badar at Flint Northern, playing hookey from Longfellow Jr. High to eat burgers at Wimpys, hanging out at the library at Civic Park School, walking inside the "tiles" (sewers) off of Flushing road near McLaren Hospital.

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  89. Thanks, Anonymous -- that was me upthread.

    Didn't realize that TK moved to WTRX as early as '63. Thought he was still at WAMM in '66. Played in a pickup volleyball game at the "Y" that summer. TK, Don Pressman -- WAMM engineer -- and others were across the net. Assumed they were all from WAMM.

    Guess the ol' memory's not as precise as it once was.

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  90. I think Tony King went back to WAMM, Cooley's. And it seems that he was at WAMM long after, at least into the 1970s.

    The most interesting thing I've run across lately is that John Records Landecker worked at WTRX in the Summer of 1966 as "Dow Jones". I do remember the name Dow Jones on there, but I don't know if more than one person used the name.

    http://chicagoradiospotlight.blogspot.com/2007/10/john-records-landecker.html

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  91. I lived North of downtown on Russel Ave. and went to St. Agnes High School. I remember cruising the A&W on Clio and then Walli's on Peirson Rd. So many memories. The "Original" coney island downtown and playing pool in an old pool hall down the street from it, where you would pay a guy a quarter to rack the balls for you (and not tell your parents you were anywhere close to it). It was a great time to grow up there.

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  92. You know your from Flint when you went to Mott Camp. I went there one year, for us undeprivileged city kids.
    Anybody remember that? I know it was somewhere in the lapeer area, I will have to drag out the old pics and post them!

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  93. My Gramma used to live on Cornell Ave. which was mentioned above, just down the road from a Beecher school. Her house is no longer there; I don't know if the school is. Old houses on that road and few. I remember a park across the street and a small store on the other side somewhere. Anyone know this area?

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  94. On Facebook, someone just opened a fan page for WTAC. It's only about a week old but is growing fast. Peter C is a fan and may be able to answer some of your question.

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  95. Someone up post mentioned that they had the recipe for Halo Burgers Deluxe w/ olives. If you are still watching this please share. (I think my family has the recipe for Angelo's sauce.) I remember Shelly Thomas at the old KewPee's (Harrison St?). He knew my Mom real well and always had a strange way of telling you how much your bill was. I can't remember how he said it but it always cracked us up!

    Does anyone here remember that old diner on Harrison that was near KeewPee's? It looked like an old passenger car off a train.

    How about Paul's Pipe Shop on Saginaw downtown? I can still smell the tobacco. My Dad bought all his pipes down there. Good times for sure...

    Anyone have more ideas on the "Midnight in Bethlehem" song? So far I'm striking out.

    Dave

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  96. Uncle Bob's Diner!!! Best orange sherbet this side of the Mississippi. Always a treat to go there after seeing the latest Walt Disney movie at the Palace or Capital Theaters.

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  97. Dave, did you ask anybody from Musical Memories?

    Most of the radio aficiandos I have talked to and known tend to draw a blank when talking about WFDF or Flint Radio in general, for that matter.

    Perhaps just an older person might know, perhaps a vocalist in a choir.

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  98. Uncle Bob's Diner car is in a collection of diner cars near Rockford, MI. Seems like I read that it was a gift shop.

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  99. Score!! I called Pete Flanders at Musical Memories and he immediately knew about "Midnight in Bethlehem". What a nice guy too! A copy is on the way already. It will probably be the most expensive song I've ever purchased but it will be worth it. I've not heard the song in probably 35 years. I can't wait. You guys have been great with all the help you've given. Thank you all.

    Dave

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  100. I'm glad Pete Flanders could help you, standdup. I was surprised that Van didn't remember it. Who is the artist, BTW?

    I remember several times trying to remember the artist's name when they played it. I know I could pick it out of a multiple choice.

    Like I've told a lot of people, I would like to see a website all about old Flint Radio like they have in larger cities, including nearly complete music surveys like they have for WLS, WCFL, CKLW, WKNR, etc.

    The ARSA site still only has a handful of area music surveys.

    Well, Dick Purtan, one of the few that didn't pass through Flint radio, has his last show on WOMC tomorrow. Remember when the late Nick Arama was at WOMC? He was at WTRX for a long time.

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  101. I don't know the artist yet. I live up in Alaska so it's going to be a couple of weeks before I get the CD, but when I do I'll post the information here. Thanks.

    Dave

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  102. I have been away from Flint for nearly 3 years.
    I had no idea how much I would miss it or what a great place it was to grow up in. Btw, does any body remember the old creamline dairy? It was owned by the Miller family. Also, the old Salem lincoln & mercury dealership on Clio Rd.
    How about Selby elementary school? Thanks for sharing Flint memories and alowing me to relive some of mine

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  103. Anyone remember the "Ask Swami" machines on the counter at The Home Dairy? It was some kind of fortune teller thing. I guess there was something like it featured on an episode of "The Twilight Zone".

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  104. Anyone remember their first drive down Michigan Avenue? Probably in the 1950's. All those flickering matches in the windows of the old houses.

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  105. A very scarey "Ask Swami" machine on an episode of "The Twilight Zone" starring a very young William Shatner. I have it on DVD. Powerful drama from the past.

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  106. How about a thread about the Flint based dreams of Flint Expatriates?

    While I have had a few recurrent nightmares about the Flint area, I had one very vivid and positive one. But just once.

    There was a Flint resurgence that rivaled the early 20th Century. There was a complete rebuilding of the city and unbelievable prosperity.

    I know. It was a dream.

    But you could share your Flint nightmares, too. Where you were, what time of day. Had you ever been there in that part of town before your dream?

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  107. The Wide Awake Club - I sent them work a couple times but they never used it. The Lite on Dort Highway brings back some blurry memories too - whew.

    Great post!

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  108. heres to those asking about willard johnson..he lived i block off poplar st.which was over by kearsly park..he lived behind my dads brother who lived on poplar.willard was a flint motorcycle cop for the flint police dept. he also owned a A&w drive in on s. saginaw north of hill road in grand blanc mi.we visited with him often.now on to wilburn legree.he was a sgt in the flint police dept.and was the traffic safety supervisor.some time after he retired he was hired by genesee county sheriff joe wilson as a captain in the sheriffs dept as school safety consultant.. the sheriff remembered legree coming to homedale school where he was a student in the fortys.i paid my respects to captain legree after he died, which was nov 23rd 2004. i also have his book of songs he used to sing and some of these were written by his wife.one of which was the boy of the safety patrol..i was a patrol boy when i was in garfield school.the man made an impact on me also......i also seen reference to wimpys resturant on chevrolet ave..i dont remember that but i was talking to a guy today that lived in that area and told me that a friend of his dave labranch,s father owned it.who remembers nob hill meats on flushing rd..the grandson runs it now down at the flint farmers market..we buy all of our meat there..i worked at buckler beverage on lapeer road one summer.that was owned by sam buckler..gone now and a graingers fastener store is there now..lot of broken glass out back of that building..remember vics service downtown flint ..it was a sinclair station..who could forget madeline fletcher. a flint police officer involed in a shootout with her partner walt kalaber over who was going to drive the patrol car.nice parking lot at the corner of davison road and dort hwy,used to be a.c. spark plug..first time since i was born that i can drive down dort hwy past that corner and see averill ave.to the east.i could go on for hours and probably will later. istill live here in flint township.when we lived in the city we lived on taylor st,between ave a and bonbright.went to garfield emerson and northern then graduated from swartz creek.1959 later gang its been fun ..

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  109. uncle bobs diner on second and harrison..put in uncle bobs diner flint mi and you can read about where it was moved to .i heard a while back that some artist bought it and now it is a art gallery..not sure.remember the hardy bakery in flint not sure where it was at.i heard a story back when i was going to school that mr. hardy was a minor leauge base ball player and in a exibition game it struck out babe ruth..does any one know of this.my dad took me to atwood stadium once to see the flint arrows which was a detroit tiger farm club play thr tigers.one thing that stands out in my mind was bubba phillips hit an inside the park homerun.do you remember the sunshine club downstairs of the flint coney island .the entrance was on kearsley off saginaw.how about the army surplus store at the corner of kearsley and saginaw.shipacasses peanuts at the river,and watching the guy that used to do sand art on the bank of the flint river under the bridge on saginaw downtown. star theatre,the regent ,nortown,della,state ,strand ,rialto,roxy,palance and capitol..article in the paper the other day that they might convert the capitol into a music venue for the college.might as well the owner has been trying for years for someone to pay to renovate the property.turn it over to the college and let tax money do it.ther used to be a small resturant called the eat 8 eat on saginaw st where they built the exit and entrance to i-69.they advertised they could seat 8,888 people 8 at a time..kewpee hotel on harrison st when it was owned by sam blair.my dad worked there after the war,i have a picture of him and some of the other employees behind the counter.burgers were .20 cents and root beer was a nickel.bill thomas worked there also before he bought it from blair.i remember the furniture store on franklin and davison rd,it was carload sams..every year he had a going out of business sign in the window every year for a long time until he did go out of business.muntz t.v. shop was on detroit street.ice skating every night on the ball diamond in behind dort school,then on the weekend we were allowed to go to forest park,because it was not a school night.sharpiros grocery store on second and clifford st.downtown.more later..this is interesting to jog memories about things you have forgotten for years..

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  110. to anonymous on march23 2010 mott camp was on pero lake in lapeer co.some of the old remains were still there a couple of years ago.we have our family reunion at the other side of the lake in torzewski co.park.off indian lake road.i went to that camp when i was in garfield elementary school.our dorm consulars were the ruhala bros.great time for inner city kids.swimming, crafts, camp fires, and scary stories..heres a name for you that went to emerson jr. high school...latin teacher miss krasnick.i worked for her one summer mowing and tending the garden.her and her sister lived on green st. off detroit st.her sister finally married and moved,she married eli warren who owned standard cotton ,they made jute and material used in general motors cars.if you get a chance to visit,stop in to the good beans coffee shop on grand traverse and eighth ave,owned by ken vanwagoner.great soup and capachinos.who remembers a flint fixture 7ft. bessie.that woman would walk all over town from grand blanc to the north end of flint.victim of a hit and run driver sometime time ago. hamady bros.on corner of bristol and saginaw now rockys cycle center.come to flint for the back to the bricks car cruise .now listed in the top 20th car cruise in the united states..see you later.film at 11

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  111. No one has mentioned P.X. ribs. They were the BEST!!!!

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  112. I'm a Grand Blanc-er. Remember going to movies at the Palace and Capitol and than for pie with the folks over at Uncle Bob's diner.

    A Grand Blanc memory: the A&W on Saginaw right before the Railroad bridge where Hill Road came into Saginaw (WTAC was up around the bend on Hill IIRC). Anyway, I lived in Warwick Hills in the mid 60s. Lou Dortch Sr. ...owner of Troy Cleaners... had an old 1930s (I'm guessing) fire engine. On special days in the summer, he and his wife would drive around the neighborhood with the siren blaring, picking up kids in the back (where the hoses used to be) and drive everyone down to the "A" for root beer. It would be incredibly illegal today, as the back was open, and we were all standing around grabbing on to anything we could, but it was great and Mr. Dortch was great for doing it.

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  113. Oh yes I remember movies at the Palace and Capital! Remember a balcony and lots of people in upper and lower! I remember the name Dortch too from somewhere, I think my Mom worked for Troy's after working for Latrelle Cleaners. And Oh yes, so true that alot of riding fun that would be illegal today! I remember riding with the milk man in his truck as a kid in 60's; all you had to do was step in the always open door and he would let me ride just while he was in the area of our blocks. Glass Milk bottles on the porches! Oh the the bells of the ice cream carts! Parks full of people in the summer...bands palying in garages..."Smoke on the Water." What a big and full time growing up in Flint in the day!

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  114. Cool memories of my short stay at Mott Camp, great counselors, great chow hall, games and crafts...black tiles, spending pretty much every winter day at Ballenger Park, and trying to make out along the "boards", the cool snow figures the guys at GMI would make along Chevrolet, stopping at Dawn Doughnuts really early when going fishing or hunting with my Dad, being a member of Flint Northern's very first hockey team (1974), coach "Hobby", golfing at Mott Golf Course near the hospital, being known on a first name basis at the McClaren emergency room, ...the A&W on Clio road, being the very first class to attend the "New" Northern near Welch Blvd....I can still smell the new paint in the hallways with the orange colored lockers....being able to see the Gennesee Merchants Bank sign blinking from my 2nd story bedroom window on Copeman Blvd....the "Ghoul",...being a Flint journal paperboy and collecting $1.10 every week from each customer, Flint Original Coney Island downtown, seeing the circus at the IMA each year...wow, plenty of great memories of Flint...for sure.... man....

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  115. How about the battle of the bands in the back room at The Fair Store in South Flint Plaza!

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  116. Ya, I remember folding all the newspapers and putting them in that carrying bag and going house to house and yes, collecting 1.10 a week! I remember the day when everyone did Not have fences around their yard! And we walked freely through many yards on the way to school or wherever. Carnival in Yankee parking lot Richfield & Center Rd. 25 or 50 cents a ride. Getting lost in the Glass houses at County Fairs! Fireworks at Kearsley Park. Buttercup Beach in the summer! Amazing what a Great City it was! Endless fun!

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  117. You have to be over 60 to remember what Flint kids watched on TV if you had an rooftop ariel strong enough to bring in the 3 or 4 Detroit stations. We saw the local Soupy Sales Show from Detroit long before it went national. Also Shagebrush Shorty, Milky the Clown, Johnny Ginger, and Captain Jolly. We learned from Romper Room with Miss Artis. We got Channel 4 Weather from "kooky" Sonny Elliot. National shows from New York were Ding Dong School with Miss Francis, Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, and Howdy Doody. We still listened to "the Lone Ranger and Green Hornet done live from WXYZ Radio in Detroit and Big John and Sparky on a Flint station.

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  118. Yeah...Frogy the Gremlin. "On King,on you huskies" - Sgt. Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police. N-A-B-I-S-C-O, Nabisco is the name to know. For a better breakfast treat, eat Nabisco shredded wheat--Straight Arrowwww. Captain Midnight, Terry and the Pirates, Jack,Doc and Reggy. I think the Green Hornet was the Lone Ranger's great grandson.

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  119. Romper Room was one of the first shows I remember seeing on TV. And it was on WWJ-TV Channel 4. Also I watched I Love Lucy, already in syndication on WJBK-TV 2. Channel 2 and 4 came in pretty good on most peoples TV sets, as most antennas were designed to pick them up. WXYZ-TV 7 was a little harder to get and CKLW-TV 9 was intermittent at best. Most people had the "Par 5" antenna, a two bay high low (High was 7-13, Low was 2-6) with two high directors pointed at Detroit. There was usually a separate antenna for Channel 6 pointed at Lansing, called a 5 element Yagi.

    Before 1958, when WJRT-TV 12 came on the air, this was the Flint TV line up. Some people could get WNEM-TV 5, but it had some kind of weird interference issues.

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  120. I am only 48 but remember Soupy Sales and Romper Room (only because you mentioned it!)...and antenna's on the house. Amazing to me how much is in my memory that only comes to surface because of all that is brought up here! Thank you, thank you for this site!!! So near to my heart and such a big Joy to be taken back to "Endless" sweet memories! Her's to Flint in it's glorious days!

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  121. Some people had rotators on their antennas, and the rotators were often made by Alliance Tenna Rotor. However, if these were on the roof with guy wires they tended to be heavy and unstable. I can't begin to tell you how many times I walked home from school and saw a rooftop antenna hanging over the edge of a front porch! Towers and tripods were a lot better.

    Also the capacitors (frequently called condensers back then and by auto mechanics and enthusiasts) went bad in the rotator control box and then the needle was jumpy and unstable and didn't point the right direction. Rotators, however, were the best solution though for signals coming from different directions (Detroit, Lansing, Bay City, and Chesaning are in significantly different directions).

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  122. And when you're talking TV in that era -- you have got to remember when your local drug store had a TV tube tester where you could test your bad TV tubes and buy new ones.

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  123. Ha! I just now started lacing on my boots and suddenly for the first time in 35-ish years the name Slim Chipley popped into my head! Coo-coo crazy.

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  124. "Little Becky's Christmas List" by Becky Lamb, Bill Lamb's daughter, was released at the height of the Vietnam War in 1967. The subject was a young girl wishing her brother would come home from the military for Christmas, not realizing that he had been killed in action. By that time, both the Left AND the Right had their reasons for opposing the Vietnam war. So it seems unfair that the song is now being trashed in reviews on the Internet.

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  125. Before someone corrects me, the song title is "Little Becky's Christmas WISH".

    I don't think Bill was trying to be exploitative. I don't know what the motive of the songwriters was. But I don't blame Lambs for recording this emotionally powerful song. Criticism of it now is unfair.

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  126. Anybody remember if Hollywood producer/director/editor Wendey Stanzler (Roger and Me...Sex And The City...The Middle) was a frequent contributor to the Wide Awake Club in The Flint Journal back in the day in Flint? Somewhere in the recesses of my mind it seems so.

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  127. yes miller road dairy was owned by the glass family it was started by their parents joe pete and fred had a sister to maxine she passed away early i know that joe lived on the eastside of the dairy and his parents lived on the west side of it i have a ad from the flint journal about how the business got started

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  128. Steve Shaw, are you related to the Shaws who lived at the corner of Milbourne and Copeman??

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  129. I've read every posting here tonight. Took me 2 hours at least. But I was enjoying it so much that I didn't notice the time slipping away. I remember calling WTAC 'weetack' and WTRX 'trix' and if anything was going on around town it could be heard on trix radio station. I miss that now, it seems there isn't a station like that where I am now that is that tuned in. ( I'm in northern, lower Michigan.) Thanks for this site, I love it.

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  130. Glad you like it. I just realized we're closing in on the three-year anniversary of Flint Expats, so there's a lot to read.

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  131. What about ice skating at Ballenger Park and the hot chocolate to warm up the frozen toes. Hockey skaters and speed skates wouldn't be caught dead in figure skates.

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  132. Ballenger Park skating -- what I remember was the distinctive smell the indoors had (sweaty feet, wet wool and leather).

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  133. Remember Radio Tube Merchandising Company on First St. near Willson Park? Then it moved to Fenton Rd. and Waldman Ave. They sold retail electronics items and parts and also did repairs. They sold vacuum tubes that you could sometimes fix your TV with, if nothing else was wrong and you knew how to disccharge the high voltages.

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  134. These posts are really bringing back some memories, thanks! I spent so much time skating at Ballenger Park, I think it was a quarter to get in, and you could spend a whole Saturday there (like 10 hours or more). They also had those outdoor movies (free) in the summer. I keep seeing people refer to "bum woods", but I remember a "bum's Island" behind Atwood Stadium.

    And what about "Black Tile" where you could walk across that big black water pipe? I think it was (is) near McLaren hospital.

    Also, remember "Les's" Pin-ball, pool & burgers?

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  135. Hey, if you want more on the Tiles over the river...

    http://www.flintexpats.com/2008/12/photographic-evidence-of-infamous-tiles.html

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  136. I was born at MacClaren Hosp. in'63. Lived my life in Swartz Creek ( GO DRAGONS!). But spent my summers at my grandparents on Fenton rd acroos from Pickwick Village. Still remember the railroad bridge that was always taged as grand funk railroad. People still look at me strange when I say I put it in a Hamady bag. Thanks for all the great memories

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  137. Greg, do you remember that neighborhood across from the South Flint Plaza? It was called The Bronx. It had gravel streets. The homes were older, but some were very nice. Do you or anyone know how it came to be named "The Bronx"? Is there some New York connection?

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  138. That is a good question. I've always wondered that myself. The Bronx was a few yards south of the city limits.Before Hemphill continued through to Van Slyke and the South Flint Plaza was a wooded field across Fenton Rd. It was country like. I just assumed it meant suburb or something like that when I was a kid. It was a fun place for kids to play. We had or own swimming hole there in Carmon creek called Bare Ass Beach and a very heart stopping swing that took you out over an expanse of hillside. The homes in the Bronx were all pretty nice.

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  139. Going back to "Midnight in Bethlehem"---it was Warren Barker. I worked at WFDF for a number of years and that was a very popular recording with the listeners. Rare and difficult to find.

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  140. "The Bronx" is the official name of the subdivision on the recorded plat map -- like "Woodlawn Park", "Civic Park", "Ardmore", "Homedale", etc. It was recorded on May 9th, 1927 and consists of two parts -- eighty acres on the westside of Fenton Road, and eighty acres lying east.

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  141. Before Hemphill went through, there was quite a large area of trees and brush around Gibson Drain/Carman Creek in that vicinity, and an intricate network of paths along the creek and two tracks through the area. There was a house in the middle of nowhere along Hemphill, only reachable by two tracks. It was moved to the south side of Hemphill Rd. when it was extended. I could never figure out how it got there. Kids used to say it was haunted.

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  142. Morley's farm at one time extended from Atherton rd. to probably Hemphill. It was full of tractor lanes that extended to that area. He had a dairy operation and a lot of tillage that consisted of corn and hay fields and a pretty large wood lot that paralleled where Hemphill is today. When I was a boy, I rode those hay wagons and gathered eggs for Mrs. Morley. Mr. Morley drove a car (Buick) until he was over one hundred years old. One of his sons, William, was a Detective Lieutenant on the Flint Police Force. Just thought I would throw that in.

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  143. Standdup, did you know that Peter Kott, who ran afoul in Alaska politics in a similar way to the recently late Senator Ted Stevens, was from Flint? The same prosecutors that had their conviction of Stevens overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct, went after Kott also.

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  144. In responce to The question about the Bronx, yes I remember it but only in stories told to me, because thats where my dads father was killed by drunk driver two weeks before he was born. My mother and her parents lived in lil Missouri, which was the area south of Bristol Off Fenton Rd.

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  145. Standdup, if you are the same "Standup" who posted on another blog about going to Flint Southwestern in 1970-1971, here's an interesting fact that I came across TODAY! Remember Stephen Broden? He played the tuba in band at SW. Well, he's now Pastor Stephen Broden. Now lives in Dallas, TX. Stephen Broden is running for the US House of Representatives in Dallas. Stephen Broden is a REPUBLICAN, TEA PARTY CANDIDATE, and has been endorsed by Sarah Palin!

    Who would have predicted that?

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  146. I got standdup and bustdup mixed up. I meant bustdup!

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  147. Justa another great memory, Patersons Ice Cream. Can't remember exactly where it was just loved the place

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  148. Corunna Rd. and Zimmerman St. was where Patterson's was. Underhill's Drug Store used to have great malts as well as Patterson's. It was sad to see it fade away.

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  149. My granddad had the contract for years to plow the snow there. And Bokars Rexall on Fenton rd and the A&P

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  150. i grew up on arizona between avril and branch.i remember going to the dime store at thompson shopping center and riding my bike to the sunshine store on richfield and avril.going to sobey school and 1st grade was in the unit at the end of arizona.and the kids next door went to st.leo's. i remember when the milkman would put the milk in the milk shoot by the back door.

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  151. Hey that was Ben Franklin's at Thompsom's Shopping Center right? You just described my own life pretty well! Never went to those 'units' but did cross Averill when the 'Crossing guard' was there, and down to Sobey. I also remember the Milk Man and used to step in that open door truck and ride around just my streets in his truck. Cut my leg bad once when friend pushed me onto one of those empty glass milk bottles sitting on the porch. Remember the 'tons' of penny, nickel, dime, and quarter candy and Ben Franklins?

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  152. How about Dave's pizza on court street?

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  153. I remember when miller road dairy had a resturant and johhny cash ate there because i had him autograph a picture for me and when they closed the rersturant down the owners give whiteys in davision their fish and chips recipe whiteys were good friends with the owners of miller road dairy

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  154. Genesee and Court St. circa pre-69 x-way.

    It was not cream ale at Halo Burger it was Vernor's Ginger Ale.

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  155. Sgt Legree sang:
    A boy played on the railroad tracks\ he did not hear the bell\ I'd like to tell you the rest of the story but it's too sad to tell.

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  156. How about the annual bike ride escorted by the cops from the northwest shopping plaza to the Wolcott apple orchard for apples,cider&donuts.It was a big deal!!

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  157. Speaking of Daves pizza,It was the late sixties and we liked to do a little underage drinking on weekends, so our buyer without giving up any names who lived near ST.Mikes always had us drive her over to Dave' Pizza on Court St and buy her a large Pizza before she would score the beer for us.We must have passed at least a half dz pizza houses on the way but she always insisted on Dave's.Now thats customer loyalty.

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  158. Wow, where to begin. Who recalls getting a Boston cooler at Kewpies? My crew and I used to hang at both Kewpies, this is in the 60's/70's. Their regular burger with mustard and onions, fried onion rings and a coke was heavenly. Carmel corn at S.S. Kresge's, the toy store downstairs, elevator attendants. Bockman's toy store, the book and record store on the mezzanine level at Smith B's, Coke syrup & fizzy water mixed at the dispenser there at the mez restaurant while looking over the balcony at shoppers below, looking over your shoulder to see people riding the escalator through the glass window. Hidden Park off Chevrolet Ave., Coo-coo carnival at Haskel Park, girlie mags at Rexalls...to be continued.

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  159. I remember:

    The bigger than life wood carving of Robin Hood at Sherwood Forest

    For east-side pizza, meatball subs, or antipasto salads: Toreono's! (with an inside door that led into Shennanigans Tavern).

    Remember the local radio take-off version of the Stones song 'Miss you" that went: "I'm a Flintoid" (think, style ala Wierd Al Yankowich)? There was another one that went something like 'your brown skin shining in the sun- Bohemian-- Baby!' which was a take-off on Don Henley's 'boy's of summer.' (sorry- wish I could remember more of the lyrics).

    Flint's Bozo was kinda fat but if you saw Bozo in Detroit (like when we went to visit our cousins) he'd become skinny overnight... and his voice had gotten squeekier???

    Dragging the picnic tables together from all around Kearsly park and then stacking them into a pyramid so that you could climb up and sit on top (then, perhaps, climb over the fence behind the pavillion for a refreshing late-night dip in the pool).

    And another one for east-siders: walking the cement wall that was between Kearley lake and the trailer park like it was a tight-rope, but hanging on to the fence for dear life so that you didn't fall into the lake and drown!

    I once crossed Kearsley lake on foot to get to the 7-11 in Rollingwood for a pack of cigs- the ice cracking underfoot the whole way!

    Had to leave my beloved Michigan in 1982 (at the age of 19) in order to find work. Back then, the plant that was on Davison Road was called "AC" (you know- that spralling multi-acre facility that employed most of our parents and ruled the flow of trafic in our lives? Yeah, that's the one- That place where there is now acres of ... 'Nothing.' (.... a moment of silence- please....)

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  160. I was wondering if the person who commented here earlier about buying a copy of Midnight in Bethlehem found out if it was the song they had been looking for. As I mentioned before, I worked at WFDF for quite a while and the recording we played was a promotional record by the Warren Barker Orchestra and not available to the public. It was an extraordinarily beautiful song and didn't it feature a choir? Last I knew, Ed Berryman was in possession of the record....Maybe his family would know what happened to it?

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  161. Anonymous, I'm fascinated with what radio stories you could tell.

    I have just found a bunch of links to Billboard articles which mention WFDF, WTAC, WTRX, and WAMM. WFDF had a lot of articles from the 1940s to the 1960s which mentioned several air personalities I don't remember, even though WFDF was about the only station that was on in the house after WBBC changed to WTRX in 1960.

    One of the links was to an article which quoted Noble Gravelin (WAMM, WBBC, WFDF) when he was at WAMM, and the station not allowing "Lucille" by Chuck Berry to be played on WAMM.

    The WFDF lineup from my early recollection had Dan Hunter and Ted Johnson, and later Bob Burchett and Norris Brannstrom. Bob Burchett went on to be well known in Detroit. Norris was actually in the Broadway production of "Brigadoon".

    Of course, the newscasters were top notch with Les Root, David Leyton, Phyllis Slocum, Mark Tanner, and others. It seems there was a guy named John Weidra that worked there and went on to a major market. David Leyton and Phyllis Slocum have done very well since. I'm tiring of the political ads David's opponent is running.

    Casey Kasem (WAMM), Joey Reynolds (WTRX), John Records Landecker (Dow Jones at WTRX), and numerous other personalities have become somewhat famous after leaving Flint Radio.

    Do you know who C. J. Jones is, the consultant that took WFDF and WCAR Top 40 in 1970-1972? Is he the guy from the Jones Radio satellite formats? His name showed up in Billboard several times.

    I know I've just scratched the surface, but Flint Radio was fascinating.

    You are looking for Standdup (Dave) who now lives in Alaska regarding "Midnight in Bethlehem."

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  162. Remember the song for Paramount potato chips?
    "Well it's Slim Chipley, Slim Chipley. Yes he's the one...

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  163. Oh yes! Paramount Potatoe chips were my favorite! I'm Slim chipley, the guy you see, on the Paramount Potatoe Chips bright red pack! I'm the flavor deputy, protecting crispness in every pack!

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  164. The song was "Midnight in Bethlehem" and it was done by Warren Barker and the Harry Simeone Chorale. I did have a casette that was recorded off of the radio but don't have any way to play it. I have checked everwhere and can't find and information about it anywhere! Bummer

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  165. "Midnight in Bethlehem", Dan Hunter's Penny Collection Charity, and the Citizens Bank Christmas Eve Carol Sing were three things that defined Radio at Christmas in Flint.

    I guess we could also throw in Little Becky's Christmas Wish, though that wasn't played that much after 1970 or so.

    Try Pete Flander's Musical Memories, Anonymous December 16, that's where Dave found it.

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  166. ...remembering electric buses powered by lines that ran above the streets. We would "hop a ride" on the Civic Park run to Longfellow Jr.High. By hanging on to the wire recoil housing you could stand on the back bumper of the bus, maybe three inches wide. The bus would go at a pretty good clip down Forest Hill... crazy. If the driver knew you were there he'd stop the bus but it was easy to cut between houses to get away.

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  167. West sider / Hamady grad. Good memories on this page, like Roma's Pizza or Pizza Palace on Clio Rd. Hanging out at Northwest Bowl. Buying booze as a youngster from "Mr. Mikes" on Pierson. Radio jingle from a furniture store "you've got an Uncle in the furniture business...Joshua Dohr".

    What was the name of the sporting goods store in Northwest Plaza? It was the only place to buy the "good" tennis shoes.

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  168. I've recently found some interesting information online about a couple of 1960s coffee houses called "The Sippin' Lizard" on Lewis St. and "The Concert Gallery" at Fenton Rd. and Atherton Rd. Much of what I remembered was that "The Concert Gallery" had been closed down amid accusations that drugs were being used, which was later found in court to be have been a setup.

    Anyway, the Sippin' Lizard's claim to fame is that Joni Mitchell played there several times, long before Woodstock and her Album, Top 40 single and Adult Contemperary single recording success. There is someone who made reel to reel tapes of "Both Sides Now", "The Circle Game", and other songs there in the 1966-1968 period, who has posted on a blog about it.

    Although I passed "The Concert Gallery" many times, I can't say I ever went there, except when it was the Herrlich Drug Store. But it showed that Flint was way ahead of the curve back then, in one more way.

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  169. Stay Positive, I remember it well. That was my neighborhood growing up. The couple that moved the business into the Herrlich's location lived on Euston Ave. a couple of blocks east of Fenton Rd. All the kids liked them because they were as you said, "ahead of the curve" themselves. Bowles was their name and I remember they had three sons. I think they gave up on business when they were railroaded by some who did not like there clientele. I'm not for sure, but I think Gordon Lightfoot also sang there. There was another coffee house on Saginaw near the Durant called Plato's Pad, but that was a few years earlier during the Beat Generation.

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  170. I remember Plato's Pad, but I was never in that either. Were there a bunch of pinball machines in it, or was that another adjacent business? You could see them from the outside of whatever business that was. You should research about that Gordon Lightfoot appearance in the Flint Public Library Flint Journal Index. I don't know if The Flint Journal itself still has such a department.

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  171. Stay Positive, I couldn't find any info on Lightfoot's coffee house appearances in Flint, but I'm sure he performed somewhere in in Flint during 66-67. Joni Mitchell and Chuck appeared at the Sippin Lizzard many times in 65-67. They lived near Wayne State during that time and Gordon also lived with them. On Plato's Pad, You might be thinking of Playland. That was across the street and had all kinds of games and such. I also remember Dan Hunter's Xmas projects. He was good friend of mine and I am proud to have known he and Rusty. She was a great "Lady" too. We played golf together. Dan was a member of the PGA and knew how to teach duffers like me. We co-chaired the KcKinley men's club which sponsored the Michigan Open Basketball Tournament in the early sixties. Big names came in for that tourney from all over, including some pros. Robert's T.V. on Fenton Rd. usually won the AA class with mostly home grown talent, even the U.of M. seniors when they were ranked no. 2 in the nation led by Cazzey Russell,Oliver Darden,Jim Tragonning, George Pomey. Gene Summers played for Robert's and was all over Russell the All American and even outscored him. Summers went to NMU in Marquette. I'm really off track on this post...excuse please.

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  172. Unclebuck, when I see all these names here posting and mentioned in the posts, here and on the Joni Mitchell/Sippin Lizard topic, I get going on the "Six Degrees Of Separation" aspect of these people, and realize that Flint was really a small, close knit town, even at its peak population.

    I think Dan Hunter played "Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" more than a few times, not realizing that Gordon Lightfoot spent some time living not far from the "Maritime Sailor's Cathedral". Dan Hunter, who I never spoke to except briefly and on the phone, lived a few blocks from me on Rockcreek Dr. And Shawn Chittle, who I have never spoken to or met, also apparently lived a few blocks from there.

    I don't think you can get off topic or off post when you reallize how small the world really is.

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  173. Stay Positive, Even today, sometimes when I think of the berry patch and Gerholtz I see it as nothing but farmland from Van Slyke to a little cinder lane called Hargot that ran south off Atherton to Clinton. I remember hunting through that whole area to where Hemphill is today. Rabbits,pheasants and squirrels were abundant. No GM plants and all the roads were gravel then. About three blocks of Atherton from Fenton Rd. was blacktop. Then I think of relatives who lived in those subdivisions and it takes on a whole "new" dimension even though the homes are over sixty years old now. I can't believe that Paul Bowles is about fifty seven today. Flint was a lunch bucket city and people, at least in the south end, pretty much all knew one another over the years. Greatest memories of growing up there that anyone could ever want.

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  174. i moved from flint to port huron in 1972 and have lived in san diego since '82, but i still have many fond memories of my old hometown.

    i lived in mott park and i certainly do recall les's joliet cut-rate. it started out as a legitimate neighborhood pharmacy but by the time i worked there - during high school - it was mostly a convenient lunch counter frequented by 'techer-peckers.' les also served his lesburgers to pool-hall customers by way of a pass-thru window we cut through the interior wall common to both establishments. murph-the-surf was the local pool-hall hustler who ran the place.

    when i was a young kid in the early '50s, mott park's milkman didn't drive a truck - his vehicle was actually a wagon and it was pulled by a large brown horse named doc.

    cook elementary school was named in honor of my great grandfather - a prominent attorney who had been president of the city school system for a time.

    i attended durant elementary, just prior to it attaining its 'turri-mott' addition; longfellow junior high - when i vividly remember sharing pizzas at ruggero's on chevrolet avenue after our school dances; and central high school, back when we were all still considered 'indians' [1967].

    i also remember driving out to mt. holly dances with friends and listening to many of the local bands of that period.

    and regarding 'Anonymous's statement: "...It was not cream ale at Halo Burger it was Vernor's Ginger Ale..." - i seem to recall the option of having either. a 'creamale' was simply vernors with a smaller portion of milk or cream added.

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  175. Was your milk man named Gerb Zuidema? He used to give the kids the ice cubes with the hole in the middle used on the truck.

    There were young girls that fawned over the GMI boys like the girls in "An Officer And A Gentleman". They would meet them in Mott Park by the swings, leading to an ordinance forbidding older students from using the swings. This led to a lot of problems between the local boys and the "techers".

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  176. Yay Gerb! Best milkman ever. At our house and probably many others in Mott Park, it was normal for him to just walk in through the unlocked back door and check the refrigerator for what was needed that day. It's pretty amazing, the changes in our social expectations in fifty years.

    I'm surprised we didn't all die from that ice, considering what we know now about what it takes to keep production icemaking environments biosafe, and how that ice was probably shoveled daily into the back of his galvanized-body truck. It sure was good to crunch up, though, on a hot day.

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  177. re:"Was your milk man named Gerb Zuidema?"

    i have no idea what his name was. not sure i ever did know it. but he was very friendly to the kids on my street [cartier] and taught us all how to feed doc sugar cubes from our flattened palms.

    i also recall a german fellow who drove a burgundy step-van through the neighborhood and sold meat from it. he used to give us small handfuls of raw hamburger so we could treat our dogs.

    witakwebfolio.com

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  178. Gerb Zuidema was from a second generation of Dutch ancestry, whose first generation most likely settled in the Grand Rapids-Holland area. He would be over 100 years old if he were still alive. I have heard stories about the horse before, but I'm not sure if that was Gerb or not.

    A couple of weeks ago, I saw a milk chute that looked identical to the ones that Gerholz used in his house construction in Mott Park. Many remants may still be there, covered by aluminum siding.

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  179. One of my early memories is of a horse-drawn fruit-seller's wagon, coming down Norbert Street as the vendor plied his trade. It had a roof, and was colorful--that was about the extent of my knowledge of fruits and vegetables at that age. I must have been out to see it because my Mom was interested in buying something.

    I don't remember horse-drawn milk delivery, even though it must have been contemporaneous.

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  180. "Sleepyhead" Ted Johnson, who was a DJ at WTAC during the 1950s and WFDF in the 1960s and early 1970s, passed away in Florida February 4.

    He was also General Manager at WTRX and WDLZ Z-Rock in 1989-1990, and produced Comcast Cable programs after that until moving to Florida several years ago.

    Born in Adrian in 1919, he graduated from Ypsilanti High School, and began his career at WHRV Ann Arbor in 1947 and was at WXYZ Detroit in the early 1950s.

    He is mentioned in two broadcasting history books, "Wyxie Wonderland" by Dick Osgood, and "Buick, The Factory Whistle, and Me" by Bill Lamb.

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  181. I love this! I grew up in a tiny town called Williamston just outside of Lansing and west of Flint. I vividly recall the entire Paramount potato chips /Slim Chipley jingle from the television ads. I was very young when they played, but it must have been a pretty effective jingle if I remember the whole thing this many decades later-every single word of it. (I'm 46 now, and I still occasionally sing it to my husband, who, being an Atlanta native, never knew about Paramount potato chips or Slim Chipley, sadly enough.He thinks the jingle is pretty awesome, though, as indeed it is! I think Slim Chipley's pretty hot, too.I just love a potato chip in uniform!

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  182. Back in the old days, Rachele, WJRT TV 12 was the ABC affiliate for Lansing as well as Flint Saginaw Bay City, and folks in Lansing were exposed to Rae Deane and Friends, the Weatherball Song, Paramount Potato Chips, and other Flint phenomena.

    When WJIM-TV/WLNS TV 6 Lansing was the only CBS affiliate that was clearly received in Flint, we also watched Al E. Khatt and the Mayor, The Copper Kettle with Martha Dixon, heard numerous Frandor commercials, and said "Roll Em' Ferndock" in Flint along with the Lansing kids.

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  183. WOW!!!!!
    Thanks to everyone above. I read them all!.
    What a Blast from the Past.
    I worked at WTRX-AM for about four years before reaching the "top of the pay scale" and being fired. (grin) Two weeks later I was on the air in Miami. But, I'll always remember the good people of Flint and surrounding area. It was a special time and those stations were a young persons Internet. But nobody has mentioned the Embers on Dort and The El Rancho. Two great dumps, with many Radio Personalities lifting a mug or two. OH and TV ENGINEERS!!! (grin)
    Check out the photos from that time on my web site. www.appleson.com
    Thanks for the memories.

    Pat Appleson, Pres
    Pat Appleson Studios, Inc.
    aka: Tom Jones, The Ladies Man, WTRX
    aka: Casey Jones, with a Train Load of Music, WTRX
    aka: Pat Conway, WWCK-FM (two weeks, I didn't care for the equipment)
    aka: Country Gentlemen Pat Appleson, Summer of 73 at WKMF-AM/W??? I forget. I was helping programmer Johnny Irons out for about 90 Days, then back to Miami.

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  184. It's been a long time since I was on here and it's good to see all the activity. After a long, long wait, I did get my copy of "Midnight in Bethlehem" from Pete Flanders of Musical Memories. What a joy to hear it again after almost 35 years and what a flood of memories it brought! Pete had to work his butt off to find it on the old reel-to-reel tapes that he has. Well worth the whopping (sarc) $10.....

    The bad news is that Pete has no idea who the artist is. It is definitely not Warren Barker. Is there a way for me to post the song on this website? I'd love to share it with everyone. Maybe Gordon Young can contact me and tell me if that is possible.

    Dave

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  185. Dave, send me an email and we'll try to figure it out.
    gordieyoung(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  186. Pat, do you remember if anyone besides John Landecker used the name Dow Jones at WTRX? I vaguely remember Dow Jones, but I don't know if any tapes exist. Those would be worth something.

    Dave, does the "Midnight In Bethlehem" tape sound like it was recorded off air? I think I may have one or two cassettes where I taped it, but they're not well catalogued.

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  187. Stay Positive,

    It is definitely a recording off of the air, with all of the luscious "AM" fidelity. But it really doesn't matter though as the song shines through.

    standdup

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  188. I grew up in Beecher in the 60's while both sets of grand parents lived in Flint. Thanks for the Blog and the great memories. Flint is just a ghost town nowadays. I remember Do Boys Donuts on Industrial and another on North Saginaw. Mr. Brown's store on Alfred Street. Night Owl Coney on Dupont Street aross from the AC plant. Going to U of M Flint on Fridays to see a video tape of the previous week's U of M football game (in those days, colleges could only be on TV 3 games per year). Going to the drive in in Mount Morris and in Grand Blanc. Texan resturants. Farrells ice cream. All night bowling alleys. Genesee Memorial Hospital. Not to mention jobs, jobs, and more jobs at the plants.

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  189. What a great site! I remember walking 16 blocks to St. Michael's School and that was in 1st and 2nd grade! My grandfather owned City Shoe Repair on Detroit and Fifth Ave. adjacent to Fifth Ave Grill. Loved visiting them above the storefront after school with the friendly policeman at the intersection helping me across along with a penny for the gum machine.
    Does anyone remember Sweet Marie's the little candy store near the school?
    Could you imagine your milk being delivered at your doorstep today?
    The jingle of the ice cream vendor coming down your block?
    Skipping down to the five and dime to spend your pennies on candy without an adult.
    Never giving it a second thought to be inside during summer nights until Batman came on at 7pm.
    What freedom we had back then!

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  190. Hey, we had similar experiences. I took the Dupont Street bus to St. Mikes in 2nd grade and was a regular at Sweet Marie's. Do a search for it on the blog. There's some material on it.

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  191. Left flint in 72 for penn state, live outside of toledo now since 76. Bill Lambs son Jeff was a dj here in town for a long time. Denny Schaffer also from Flint/ flushing was a dj here many years. My neighbor 2 houses down is a 67 grad from FSW. There are members of 4 families that lived 8 houses apart from us on arizona ave, off branch rd that live 5 miles apart here in the toledo area. Really miss buying gas at Anthony's Shell for 24.9, getting the windows washed, oil checked and Top Value Stamps at Davison and Center rd, coney's at Starlite and a cold beer at the Dog House Lounge. Also my neighbors sister teaches at Northern H. S., where I graduated fron in 70. My wife and I are blessed enough to travel all ovr the world and it seems we always meet expatriates from Flint. They all have great memories but glad they live elsewhere.

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  192. Lieutenant Lagree, the singing cop, died a few years ago. "Tiny" Don Faulkner was his accordion player. He also played with Max Henderson on W.T.A.C. Max also had the Cowboy Jamboree at the Palace theater's talent contests on Friday nights and broadcast live on W.T.A.C.

    Q.P.s was used after they gave up paying for the use of the Kewpee Hamburger name, later and now called Halo-Burger. Kewpee restaurants have three locations in Lima, Ohio where their main offices are now located.

    The RIALTO theater downtown was open all night and used to be a cruising spot for gays. The Golden Spike next to the old Greyhound Bus station was a gay hangout too. And the State bar and Reese Jones were two skid-row bars downtown. Later the State was moved to Kearsley and named the Minor Key, then the Major Key, then the Poodle Lounge, then closed and opened later on Dort Highway as the State bar still operating.

    Le Stag Magazine Shoppe was the first adult magazine shop in Flint, next door to the Rialto theater, that was renamed the Royal. Prosecutor Leonard raided the store without a warrant. The obscenity charges were dismissed.

    Butterfield theaters in Flint, were the Capitol, Palace, Garden, Regent, Della and Roxy. Later they had a couple on Dort Highway including a Drive-In theater. Earl Berry, their City manager died two years ago. His main offices were in the Capitol theater. The Capitol was Flint's finest theater. Michael Moore isn't from Flint, but I am.

    I had three Coney Islands in Hollywood, California and had the Koegel's shipped in with the Abbott's topping. I will be opening one in Flint in 2011. Well, this IS 2011 isn't it? No added herbs, just the original coney Island taste, like it was years ago. I also had the Studio D, gay club in Flint, and I intend on looking for another location in the downtown Flint area. Times have changed and the new club will be with adult entertainment.

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  193. You know you're from Flint if you remember...

    The 20 mile Walk-a-Thon.

    Monthly Family Night at Haskell.

    Shiny Goldfish (thank you Todd and Tony).

    Oven-hot, glazed twister donuts eaten against the warm wall of Balkin Bakery on snowy, cold winter mornings before school (glaze still gooey).

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  194. I was in 2 commercials for Paramount Potato Chips, back in the mid-70's. I was on a hockey team and I was the goalie. My part of the commercial was a solo singing, "I'm the flavor deputy, protecting crispness in every sack." That song is engrained in my memory, I will never forget it. Does anyone remember these commercials?

    Years later, a friend of mine bought a red delivery truck that from the "going out of business" auction when Paramount closed. He had the truck for a few years. He finally painted it over in all white... it was the last remaining logo that I knew of...

    Also.. the factory was located on Lippincott road, near the railroad tracks, east of Dort highway.



    STEVE H.

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  195. Sweet Marie's was run by the nuns from the convent at St Michael's at the time.We lived right across Root St.Does anyone recall going to church in the downstairs auditorium of St Mike's while they were building the new Church?
    The Sears and Robuck right across 5th Ave and 5th Ave Grill on 5th and Detroit.
    Who remembers when the Durant had doormen? My grandma used to take me for walks past it just to see it and peek inside.
    Does anyone remember driving under the Chevy Bowtie on Chevrolet Ave when going through Chevy in the Hole?
    And for all the mention of Kersley Park no one mentioned sledding there in the winter. Same with Mott Park golf Course and they would string tires together to be able to walk back up the hill pulling the sled or toboggan.Let's not forget the snow storm of '67
    Or once we were a little older and needed a little seclusion sledding at Hog Back Hills, with the big firepit and other pasttimes.
    We also went to the gravel pits to go swimming in the summer eventhough we were told it was dangerous.
    I think I still have an Rusty Nail jersey from the 70's. And wasn't it called blooper ball not soft ball?

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  196. Christmas programs and plays at Whiting Auditorium. Crummy little trays of food that constituted lunch from Sarvis Food Center.

    Which Downtown Bank had the ball on top that changed colors with the weather? Was that Citizens?

    Football games at Atwood Stadium and the hole in the fence in the southwest corner.

    How about the driver's training courses at Southwestern and Northwestern?

    Collick Brother's was our meat market at Welch and Dupont. I can't recall going to a regular grocery store very often. It was meat at the markets, produce at the Farmer's Market and day old bread from the Bakery, can't remember the name. And milk was delivered.

    Farah Kouri was on Flushing Rd, Knob Hill was originally where Perry and Woodbridge met on a triangle.I only recall because it was one place where they would sell alcohol to anyone,when the drinking age was 18. I think I was 13 at the time and I got a bottle of Boones Farm Strawberry Hill, then we went skating at Ballenger. Okay so I wasn't one of the stellar citizen's of Flint but I came out okay in the end.

    Anybody ever try and catch a peek when driving past the Durand Dirties? It was just a highway then. Once we hid in a trunk to get in and went around with water balloons, tossing them in cars that were rocking but whose passengers were seemed to be oddly missing. We barely outran their security and the sheriff but were thankful for big Buick Electra.

    Anyone go to the Soda Poppe Shop? I think one was on Dort Hwy and another on Flushing Rd. You could pick up a case at the front of the store push it on this wheeled conveyor thing around the store. There were cases of pop stacked all over and you could pick and choose what to fill the case up with. Rock n Rye, Lime, Bubble Up, Black Cherry, all kinds of flavors.

    Third floor at JCPenny downtown was all devoted to the Scouting stuff, uniforms, badges, books, etc and you rode up on an elevator with an operator.

    Did all the elementary schools have the Safety Patrol? They were 6th graders who crossed the younger kids at the side streets around school. You got a card and a white belt that crossed over your shoulder and around your waist.

    Did anyone else license their bikes? It was a little yellow sticker that went on the main shaft just below the seat. And of course there were the StingRays the closest we ever got to a BMX bike back then.

    I need to stop this is addicting. I really did turn out okay gone for 30 plus years now. I was a St John Vianney, Summerfield, Longfellow type kid named Sue. Life in Flint was not dull by any means but unfortunately it also offered no future by the time the 70's passed. Sigh.

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  197. > I need to stop this is addicting.

    Hey, come back when you need another fix. The first few are free, you know.

    --another Longfellow kid, who had a lot of St. John Vianney friends

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  198. For Unclebuck, I haven't heard from you for a while.

    I noticed that you posted a lot of things about Golf, so I assume that you probably knew Tom Potter and John Kohlhepp, who coached Flint Southwestern to at least three State Golf championships in the 1960s, beating out such obvious Golf areas like Bloomfield Hills High School. Though I was a star pupil in their other classes, it wasn't Golf, and I know very little about it. In fact, I took a Community Education course in it, where the instructor advised that none of us in the class clog up a real Golf Course with our slow, unskilled play!

    I also have a question about the Morley Farm. Did it include parts of the Berry Patch and Westgate? How far west did it extend?

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Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.