tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post6449559024934613795..comments2024-03-28T23:02:24.234-07:00Comments on Flint Expatriates: Flint Photos: Angelo's Coney Island SignFlint Expatriateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08352270564340149006noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-70416141934147500582022-01-20T19:02:38.418-08:002022-01-20T19:02:38.418-08:00I went to school with a guy, Bob, who's Dad ow...I went to school with a guy, Bob, who's Dad owned the Clio Road (at Pierson Road) A & W. They had really good conveys. That was where everybody who had a car, and thought they were "cool", would go to cruise to show your car off or see all the other cool cars. This was during the '60s into the '70s. Bob later bought the Flushing (Michigan) A & W. He was the one who started the car cruises there like everyone used to do at the Clio Road store. He also tried a few fast food type locations that didn't work out. His brother, Scott, now owns the Flushing store.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-49150215485411858482022-01-20T18:52:01.468-08:002022-01-20T18:52:01.468-08:00Burton's phone exchange was PI for Pilgram. Be...Burton's phone exchange was PI for Pilgram. Before zip codes (for mail), Burton's mail was Zone 7. For your city, you would write "Burton 7, Michigan".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-31716399412610227272013-05-27T11:20:46.502-07:002013-05-27T11:20:46.502-07:00I grew up on Wolcott street near Ballenger and Flu...I grew up on Wolcott street near Ballenger and Flushing from 1967-1979 and I have great memories of our dad taking us to Gregory's for Fish and chips. We would sit on the bar stools that twirled around and my dad would twirl us until our food was ready and it was time to go. LOVED their fish and chips. I also remember Burger Chef across the street. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08621336783315827856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-85206341199410865292013-05-27T04:21:30.841-07:002013-05-27T04:21:30.841-07:00Of course I remember Gregory's. My dad would m...Of course I remember Gregory's. My dad would meet 10-20 of his buddies at Gregory's every Saturday morning. They called their group the Breakfast Club (long before John Hughes). Dave Mcarius was Gregory's owner, great guy. Awesome French Toast, broasted chicken and even better chicken and dumplings. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-34839243928048285812013-04-20T09:32:17.353-07:002013-04-20T09:32:17.353-07:00gary. i am ron brown.... class of 60 (southwestern...gary. i am ron brown.... class of 60 (southwestern). i remember gregorys well. which side of town are you from and how old are you. love to hear from you. phone 708 870 4076 email is rbrown4120@gmail.com. ps do you remember gary johnson..son of wayne johnson ...the buffet guy? we both live in the chicago area and are still best friends.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-76524670266617129292013-01-23T07:11:59.205-08:002013-01-23T07:11:59.205-08:00I had none of these ( A plumber or Electrian or a ...I had none of these ( A plumber or Electrian or a 2 year degree) Just myself and the will to work and learn. I made it very well I should add! You don't know until you try. If you have someone in another state that can help you with the move, that will help. I didn't. All my Family but 2 have moved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-69634437680551829372013-01-13T20:01:04.905-08:002013-01-13T20:01:04.905-08:00What you're telling me is that it takes a lot ...What you're telling me is that it takes a lot of academic ability to train as a plumber, electrican, auto technican, carpenter, x-ray/sonogram technican, oilfield worker - or any number of other such careers where demand exceeds supply. These jobs take smarts but not a college degree. I have the greatest respect for these people and people like you who built my Silverado and Camaro. You can say I'm condescending but I say this is good solid advice from an old geezer who has been there. Employers can't find people with the skills they need. If working on the line isn't for you, get one of those skiills and you'll get more enjoyment out of your work and your life. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-71754351482288443642013-01-12T11:28:41.819-08:002013-01-12T11:28:41.819-08:00Spare us your lecture. Your condescension is thick...Spare us your lecture. Your condescension is thick. Do you think people stuck on the assembly line haven't thought about other possibilities?<br /><br />Your options ignore some obvious variables- supply vs. demand, academic ability, Flint wages, student loans, family / living situations, etc. Never mind the fact that are currently millions of unemployed people with advanced degrees and student loan DEBT. When you suggest people just pack up and move to Texas you remind me Reagan's suggestion from Roger and Me.Eaton Tiptreenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-73021759184588782212013-01-12T10:28:18.028-08:002013-01-12T10:28:18.028-08:00Sorry to break the bad news, but Colonial is close...Sorry to break the bad news, but Colonial is closed. It happened about a year ago, and then someone tried to reopen it as Lucy's (?). They were only open for less than a month, and the building is for sale. Thankfully, the statue is still standing.J.L.http://www.facebook.com/jack.massiminonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-31409153291221476302013-01-12T09:03:34.596-08:002013-01-12T09:03:34.596-08:00I'm getting a sense of hopelessness from peopl...I'm getting a sense of hopelessness from people "stuck" in assembly line jobs... as though there were no options. There are options. You can train to become a plumber or electrician. You can get an associate's (2-year) degree and become a highly paid medical or automotive technician. Or, you can opt not to advance your education and come down to Texas and drive a truck in the oilfields for $80 grand a year. They're begging for help because 40% of applicants flunk drug tests. Failing to do none of the above, working in an auto factory beats most everything else left, doesn't it? Oh, and pensions are a thing of the past...almost nobody gets those anymore. There are many trade school opportunities and trades that pay as much or more than college graduates earn. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-86209523805180321492013-01-11T03:21:42.343-08:002013-01-11T03:21:42.343-08:00I too worked on the line, as did my father and his...I too worked on the line, as did my father and his father. Now I'm on trades and it isn't as bad for me, but my son is still stuck on the line and that is not the life I wanted for him.<br />I am proud of our four generations in the UAW and grateful for the life that GM has provided the first three of those generations. Working as a tier 2 employee, my son and his wife can barely make ends meet.<br />It is nothing like it used to be.<br />The assembly lines used to pay well because of how terrible the work was. Monotonous and miserable, mind-numbing and body-breaking.<br />Even if my son could retire from there, (there is no retirement for new employees), I would not want to see him stay that long.<br />The only reason I was glad to see him get hired, was that his last job was washing dishes. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-42843533505011841112013-01-09T17:18:28.629-08:002013-01-09T17:18:28.629-08:00Bob- I worked in a factory. It was monotonous and ...Bob- I worked in a factory. It was monotonous and miserable. I don't want my kids working in a factory. If you worked in a factory I think you'd feel the same way. Assembly lines suck.Owen Whittleseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-44664692139701543772013-01-08T09:24:47.907-08:002013-01-08T09:24:47.907-08:00Considering that many of these jobs have been repl...Considering that many of these jobs have been replaced by automation, the point is probably moot. They were honorable jobs, but how many would really aspire to have their children do the same jobs? <br /><br />The main problem regarding jobs in the world is that their aren't enough unskilled jobs, and skilled jobs that are replaceable by computer technology, left in the world. Consider that some near genius level people used to spend their entire career computing values for mathematical tables, the most familiar of which are trigonometric tables and logarithmic tables, using mathematical series. More advanced functions, like Bessel functions, are a more esoteric example, familiar to Sheldon Cooper types.Anonymous IInoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-60118702633255590902013-01-07T15:02:07.644-08:002013-01-07T15:02:07.644-08:00Re: the quote from Rivethead about people working ...Re: the quote from Rivethead about people working on the assembly only so their children wouldn't have to ... that's really a very demeaning statement about the people who built (build) the vehicles we all depend on. Remember, in its heyday, Flint had the highest per capita income in the nation. Never before had factory workers enjoyed such a high standard of living. It was honorable work. No, I didn't work on the line. But a lot of my family members and friends did. My career choice took me away from Flint. It was a great place to grow up. <br />Bob Gaspar Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-82527314836101583712013-01-07T07:01:27.084-08:002013-01-07T07:01:27.084-08:00Yes, I remember party lines. We had one particula...Yes, I remember party lines. We had one particularly loquacious party on our line named McCarthy. It was around 1956 when J.P. McCarthy was working at WTAC, and I always wondered if it was him! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-51541582524998831322013-01-04T20:25:51.589-08:002013-01-04T20:25:51.589-08:00SJS...I love Halo Burgers' olive burger...I ge...SJS...I love Halo Burgers' olive burger...I get one every time I visit Flint. I once had my brother bring half a dozen of them 700 miles on ice....they were still awesome nuked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-9727525287502424512013-01-04T20:14:14.922-08:002013-01-04T20:14:14.922-08:00Wow....you talk about Colonial like it is in past ...Wow....you talk about Colonial like it is in past tense....is it? I had a good friend who worked there so of course, it was my 1st choice. I left Flint in 1994.The first few yrs, I came back to visit often but now it has been almost 3 yrs since I've been there. I almost got lost.....it looks so different. I used to walk past Fisher Body everyday on my way to work. Now it is gone....makes me sad to see Flint now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-15290357637891068912013-01-04T20:01:39.092-08:002013-01-04T20:01:39.092-08:00Anon...do you recall party lines? I remember ticki...Anon...do you recall party lines? I remember ticking off some folks by repeatedly picking up the phone until they got off the line<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-1583113833166763602012-11-29T09:45:51.411-08:002012-11-29T09:45:51.411-08:00As I sit here and read 2 1/2 years worth of replie...As I sit here and read 2 1/2 years worth of replies, There are so many people who miss old Flint As I did. My Father owned a Car lot and an Insurance Office, Which later , Mom and Dad Ended in a Divorce, Which wasn't much heard of back when? Then we had to move to The South end of Flint, Where The Houses, Where more affordable. Which is where I met my Friend who's Father owned Angelo's Coney Island. I still can remember him bringing home those coney dogs in the white paper bags for dinner as a kid. <br /><br />I remember being dropped off for the Movies downtown on Saturday afternoon for the Saturday Manatee, 25 Cents each child. Then we would leave the Capital and walk to Halo burger for a kupie burger, with olives, onions<br />I Ended up working for Skaffs another family that started there as a rug company Door to door. Then he Opened Downtown. He ended up having to close down the downtown store also. When things got so bad down there. They Ended up in the Warehouse along the I-75 where there are doing very well.<br /><br />I left after my daughter went to College.She also attended Southwesteren High, and I could finally leave Flint myself! Best move I have ever made. But my daughter ended up going back? buying a Motel in Northern Michigan. But Now is Back in Florida, Working with the Manatee's Loving her move too! As we all say "you can take us out of Flint<br />but, you can't take Flint out of us!!! Coney's and all!!!!Barbara Noffsinger Burnsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-74699207859954251672012-11-22T05:02:02.677-08:002012-11-22T05:02:02.677-08:00Sure ate my share!Sure ate my share!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-91126104472862012692012-06-28T08:12:27.193-07:002012-06-28T08:12:27.193-07:00At one time, before area codes, for switching purp...At one time, before area codes, for switching purposes, there were no seven number duplications in the state. So essentially, Michigan had one area code. This allowed, considering switching limitations and design and the dedicated access numbers one and zero, about 8*8*9*10*10*10*10=5760000(about 5.8 million) possible number combinations. This was plenty of numbers at the time, considering population, the number of businesses and the number of people using one phone number. This concept is probably difficult to grasp by younger people used to the instant gratification of cell phones and texting. And many 10000 number local exchanges only used four fourth numbers, also due to switching design. <br /><br />Big city exchanges were often on the low end of the rotary dial. 22 was Detroit, 23 (CEdar) was Flint, 24 (CHerry) was Grand Rapids, 33 was Pontiac, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-29497578276389342102012-06-22T13:46:24.670-07:002012-06-22T13:46:24.670-07:00Yes, that third Coney Island on the bridge was Mik...Yes, that third Coney Island on the bridge was Mike's and it was my favorite when I was a kid. Another place I loved to eat was Uncle Bob's Diner on Harrison St. I think it was just south of Second Street on the east side of the street.<br /><br />Can't forget the cruising up and down Saginaw Street from A&W on Beach St near Court north to Colonel's Drive-in at Lewis to Wally's on N. Saginaw near Carpenter (or was it Pierson?). <br /><br />Downtown Flint began a slow deterioration in the late 50's and went down hill in a hurry when the shopping plazas and Genesee Valley Mall opened in the early 60's.Karen Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13732638672537005826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-896628978979240022012-06-22T13:33:14.960-07:002012-06-22T13:33:14.960-07:00Actually, when area codes were first introduced, M...Actually, when area codes were first introduced, Michigan had 4 areas: 313, 517, 616 and 906.Karen Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13732638672537005826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-9925475556345077422012-06-05T11:21:32.660-07:002012-06-05T11:21:32.660-07:00Fredgarrett........lived in the Rio grande Valley ...Fredgarrett........lived in the Rio grande Valley for 10 years and one of the Winter Texans from near Lansing would bring a frozen case of the Koegels, but without the chili sauce, they just werent' the same.<br /><br />Flicflic5180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3244123422713926575.post-90824685635667415912012-06-02T18:10:19.691-07:002012-06-02T18:10:19.691-07:00All I know is that I live in Texas now and I would...All I know is that I live in Texas now and I would give my right arm for a couple of those coney dogs right now...fredgarrett@yahoo.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13475416215579208298noreply@blogger.com