family bought countless loaves of Balkan bread, and I got my regular supply of Wacky Packages."As far as the stores go, there was a constant change of guard in that strip. However, going back to the start of my memory, on the east end, it was Comers Market (before they built the new place), then that spot turned into a storage warehouse for foam cushions and was also subdivided to create the Ski Haus to the west. The foam place died out and the Laundromat moved in. West of the Ski Haus was the barber shop, next was Rickman's drug store, still going west it was Max's Hardware sold to become Lewis Hardware, further west was Stiltz Realty, who took over after the gift shop closed, who took over from Mrs. Friend's small diner, after it closed.
"Going west from Stiltz, it was the Dry Cleaners and finally the Philips gas station on the end facing west. The bakery took over from the dry cleaners when they closed. The guy who ran the dry cleaners was a tough character. Three of my older brothers worked for him on & off.
"In thinking this over, I worked for every business listed above at one time or other with the exception of Stiltz Realty and the dry cleaners. The fellow at the gas station was very large and also created a very large ball of string. The potato chip boxes came tied with string. Over many years he patiently added this string to his ball. I believe it was at least 30" in diameter when his predecessor in the gas station finally set it to the curb. The last time I saw that ball of string, it was rolling down Delmar St in the middle of the night, headed for the small ball diamond at Haskell (pushed by me and a couple of my buddies)."
"In times of manic urbanization and climate change, Eugene Tsui is proposing a two-mile high, one-mile wide termite tower -- the Ultima Tower -- 'designed to be virtually impervious to wind, water and earthquakes, the massive tower is conceived less as an architecture project but as a series of mini-ecosystems within which other architectural projects can be developed.' Oh, and it should be able to hold up to a million inhabitants."
"Inside, the living room, separate dining room, kitchen, and breakfast room are smoothly planned on the ground floor....The vestibule and clothes closet are conveniences lacking in many small homes. You step up to the bedroom quarters on the left side of the house where two nice room, three closets, and a tiled bath are arranged in slick order.
"Both the living and dining rooms have lemon yellow walls, white woodwork, chartreuse draperies, and blonde carpeting. The long fireplace wall of knotty pine paneling with built-in bookshelves is an effective foil for Victorian antique furniture, and in the dining room an old Welsh cupboard and drop-leaf table are space savers. Colonial wallpapers in the bedrooms are in keeping with the reproductions of old furniture, crocheted bedspreads, and net curtains. Cross ventilation and full-length closet mirrors are practical features. The modern kitchen is up to snuff with isw electric equipment, painted white walls, dark blue linoleum, chrome trim, built-in cupboards lined with blue, and the red and white curtains. There are windows on three sides of the blue leather chairs and red-topped table in the breakfast alcove.
"A fully excavated basement, including a recreation room, laundry, and fruit cupboards is at the foot of the cellar stairway while the dining room's French doors lead to a terraced lawn and rock garden beyond the small flag-stoned terrace."
The house price is listed as $7,200 in 1940, which just might be what you'd pay for it today, if it's still standing.
"In other Flint Coney news, many of you may have heard the broadcast on NPR profiling our favorite local delicacy last year. Long story short, some lady in Wisconsin liked to cook assorted regional American cuisine. The recipe she chose for National Public Radio? You guessed it. Not only did listeners learn the intricacies of the recipe, she also provided some cultural context. Apparently the schism between the Flint and Detroit coney hinged on our cities unique ethnic landscape. Detroit's wet sauce was Greek in origin. Flint's dry sauce, Macedonian. Another interesting coney sauce fact: the sauce actually includes ground up Koegel. Does that make sense? Would you grind up pasta for your spaghetti sauce? Well anyhow, I was inspired. Altering the recipe, I may have created the first Flint-style vegan coney island. Scoff if you must you meat-eating creeps, but it was remarkably close to the original: tasty, soggy, AND cruelty free t'boot."
Flint expatriates seem determined to spread Coney Islands across the country, even Martinsburg, West Virginia:"We grew up in Flint, Michigan (in what we believed was the center of the universe) during the 1950's and 60's. Scattered throughout our universe were a number of Greek restaurants (coney islands) serving a quality frankfurter, topped with a "special dry meat sauce" (brought to this country by Greek immigrants in the 1920's) and garnished with yellow mustard and sweet onions. We considered this the greatest hot dog known to man - the, so called, Flint Coney Island. Patrons from all spectrums of life sat side-by-side enjoying this delicious preparation, along with local soda "pops" such as Vernors and Squirt, and continue to do so in modern day Flint.
We both transferred to Martinsburg with our employer in 1969 and instantly fell in love with Martinsburg and it's people and now concede that center of the universe may not yet be decided. However, one fact remains constant in our memories. The Flint Coney Island is the best hot dog we've ever tasted. We have shared a common dream since 1969 . . . to bring the Flint Coney and some of our favorite soft drinks to our friends in the tri-state area to enjoy. And now, for your pleasure, we present SIG'S CLASSIC CONEY ISLAND LLC and in all its glory, our original FLINT CONEY ISLAND. In our common dream a voice reassures us to "serve them and . . . they come come".
