Party Store Linguistics

This is not where you shop for wrapping paper. (Photo by John W. Adkisson | The Flint Journal)

I had a confusing conversation with a Californian yesterday in which I repeatedly used the term "party store" while discussing my recent visit to Flint. I was trying to describe the huge role party stores played for Flint residents thirsty for beer and wine, especially teenagers. He thought Flintoids had an unhealthy attachment to wrapping paper.

So how far does the party store label extend outside of Flint? Something tells me they don't use the term in Grand Rapids. I'm hoping some misguided grad student in linguistics wrote a dissertation on this, but I'd settle for any info from readers.

Here's an earlier discussion from the comment section of a post on Civic Park that touches on party stores:

Anonymous said...Does anyone recall the party store about one block N/E of Dayton and Brownell? It was a real whole in the wall. They had multiple dobermans in the back to keep the riff-raff out. I can't believe I had the guts to go in there as a little girl. I don't think I would have the courage to go now.

Kathy Wallace
2310 Bassett

geewhy said...I vaguely remember this place. Was it sort of nestled in with all the houses? For some reason I never ventured in that direction, although we used to ride our bikes to the Fair store and that mall on Clio Road for a real adventure.

Smurfs Inc. said...The party store on Dartmouth and Kellar? It was still open 10 years ago and if I recall correctly had the best/worst mural of Malcolm X, MLK, and Mike Tyson on the Seneca side!?! Classic party store art only topped by the black Bart Simpson proclaiming "We Accept Food Stamps Dude" above the door of the old Lapeer Rd. Market. I've always been a fan of side street party stores. Cain's Party Store on Ohio, Avenue A Market, Brown Street Market, the aforementioned Dartmouth Market, the crazy old lawn care/beer store on Cornelia, and a particularly seedy one on York and North were personal favorites. At one time during the mid 90s the intersection of Chevrolet and Welch featured 3 party stores. Mounir's Drive-Thru and TWO in the Baskin-Robbins plaza across the street... man I loved those store fronts.

Anonymous said...First of all, how does one put Mike Tyson in the same company as Malcolm X and MLK? Okay, my mistake...the store was 1 block north west of the Brownell/Dayton corner. Yes, it was sort of strangely located in a residential area. I wonder if Matt Groening approved the rights to use Bart in such a message. It wasn't until I moved to Chicago that I learned that the "party store" was not ubiquitous to every city (another correlation to Flint's downfall could easily be tied to their existence). My husband (from Oak Park, a dry village) is fascinated by the concept. When I told him about the drive through liquor store on Clio road (you know, the big yellow A-frame), he was blown away...now that's a party store. Kathy Wallace

oakparkmark said...Kathy -- tell your hubby that Oak Park has joined the ranks of civilized towns like Flint where you can get a gallon milk and beer at the same place. I moved to Oak Park from Flint 20 years ago, and was appalled at the lack of alcohol availability. Now, beer and wine are available in grocery stores. But the concept of a party store isn't likely to catch on. People here don't "party." They work and then anesthetize themselves.

redgirl said...There has also been a party store on the NE corner of Fleming & Pasadena for years, across from what was a check-cashing & copy "center" on the NW corner there, next to which there was a Zenith shop on Pasadena. Even in the 70's the party shops there seemed fairly off limits to us. We went to Dave's Market and Kilbourn's Drugstore on the corner of Fleming and Caniff instead. Incidentally, there was a white house on the corner across from Dave's market that was reportedly a speakeasy during Prohibition. I was also completely unaware that the concept of "party store" was so unusual until I drove my Barcelona-born fiance to one. He thought it would be a place for wrapping paper and bows and that it would be filled with balloons and confetti. This particular one was in the Lapeer area and sold fishing tackle, as well, which led to further confusion. Pau's rather thick accent seemed to throw the friendly clerk, who then proceeded to up the vocal volume and talk more slowly while exaggerating the pointing just a bit, all in order to ensure we understood his directions :)

Deep Thoughts

The Flint Journal editorial board reaches an astounding, awe-inspiring conclusion that reveals the ultimate key to the city's future! Are you sitting down? Here it is...

Flint will get better if everyone stops moving away.

Buick City Beautification

Will taxpayers pay to clean up Buick City?

Ron Fonger of The Flint Journal reports:

Taxpayers already paid for most of the "new" General Motors, and there's increasing pressure on the government to dig a little deeper to do something more: Guarantee to cover the cost of future environmental cleanups at old plant sites like Buick City.

The Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce has scheduled an Aug. 26 meeting on the subject here, saying it wants to start a national discussion about how a government promise to take over long-term environmental liability could make the difference between investors buying abandoned properties left with "old" GM or leaving them to sit as they are.

Of course, there is another option:

Russ Harding, a senior environmental policy analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said GM should have been required to re-assume its environmental responsibility for the sites it is leaving behind if it ever regains profitability.

"It's fundamentally unfair for taxpayers to be stuck with that bill," said Harding, a former director of the state Department of Environmental Quality. "I look at this as a lose-lose situation."

Back to the Bricks is Back

Want to see downtown filled with people? Back to the Bricks starts tomorrow.

Scott Atkinson of The Flint Journal reports:

"Now in its fifth year this car show has grown faster than a revved up muscle car. Last year, an estimated 20,000 cars and 125,000 car lovers rolled into town. And, this year organizers expect it to draw even larger crowds."

Will Walling Cure Gingivitis?

Andy Heller does a marvelous summing up of the Flint mayor's race:

I said Dayne Walling would thump Brenda Clack by a 60/40 margin. Some laughed. The actual split was 64/36. I rock. You should not doubt me.

That's a thumping, indeed. But don't blame Clack. Walling had more money and a bigger organization, one that, in truth, never really disbanded after his narrow election loss to The Don. It just hibernated until The Don imploded, which everyone knew wouldn't take long.

The biggest factor, though? Guilt. This was Flint's mea culpa to Walling for having inexplicably chosen The Don last time around.

Walling now becomes the proverbial guy who hooks a marlin: Now what do you do? He'll be under pressure to deliver a Flint renaissance. The peculiar thing about Flint voters is they expect miracles from mayors. They want them to eliminate crime, attract a new General Motors (in other words, create not just jobs, but high-paying jobs that last forever) and, oh, while they're at it, stamp out the curse that is gingivitis.

Flint Mayor's Race by the Numbers

Kristen Longley at The Flint Journal has the ward and precinct totals from the Flint mayor's race. I've added a map from the city clerk's website. (Click on map to enlarge it.) As expected, Walling's core support was in the south and Clack's was in the north. Walling got 64 percent, or 12,266 votes. Clack won 36 percent, or 6,876 votes. The numbers also reflect the city's downward population trend: Walling got 100 percent of the votes in precinct 30. That means he got all seven votes.

Wards for Walling

Ward 1 616, 37.5%
Ward 2 595, 37.9%
Ward 3 501, 42.7%
Ward 4 1366, 91.9%
Ward 5 583, 45.6%
Ward 6 1368, 65.7%
Ward 7 1924, 74.2%
Ward 8 1856, 85.6%
Ward 9 1280, 81.2%

Precincts for Walling

Precinct 1: 157, 43%
Precinct 2: 130, 38%
Precinct 3: 56, 31%
Precinct 4: 112, 37%
Precinct 5: 91, 36%
Precinct 6: 70, 35%
Precinct 7: 93, 35%
Precinct 8: 134, 38%
Precinct 9: 77, 37%
Precinct 10: 93, 34%
Precinct 11: 101, 45%
Precinct 12: 97, 40%
Precinct 13: 107, 34%
Precinct 14: 53, 44%
Precinct 15: 87, 37%
Precinct 16: 10, 24%
Precinct 17: 55, 34%
Precinct 18: 56, 36%
Precinct 19: 133, 94%
Precinct 20: 177, 81%
Precinct 21: 190, 95%
Precinct 22: 378, 93%
Precinct 23: 165, 90%
Precinct 24: 42, 95%
Precinct 25: 414, 95%
Precinct 26: 88, 37%
Precinct 27: 65, 34%
Precinct 28: 140, 54%
Precinct 29: 136, 38%
Precinct 30: 7, 100%
Precinct 31: 15, 83%
Precinct 32: 80, 54%
Precinct 33: 52, 80%
Precinct 34: 271, 49%
Precinct 35: 127, 43%
Precinct 36: 148, 55%
Precinct 37: 369, 89%
Precinct 38: 312, 85%
Precinct 39: 129, 80%
Precinct 40: 12, 60%
Precinct 42: 394, 74%
Precinct 43: 362, 93%
Precinct 44: 278, 92%
Precinct 45: 391, 89%
Precinct 46: 173, 49%
Precinct 47: 326, 56%
Precinct 48: 316, 94%
Precinct 49: 268, 93%
Precinct 50: 403, 89%
Precinct 51: 146, 90%
Precinct 52: 15, 83%
Precinct 53: 408, 70%
Precinct 54: 300, 91%
Precinct 55: 203, 87%
Precinct 56: 15, 52%
Precinct 57: 148, 66%
Precinct 58: 24, 39%
Precinct 59: 342, 93%
Precinct 60: 204, 76%
Precinct 61: 344, 87%

I'll Trade You an Explorer for a Focus

Flint Expatriate Jim Holbel points out that some info is now available on the cars changing hands in the Cash For Clunkers program.

"Easy to see that the 'green' intent is VIVIDLY reflected in this data," Holbel writes. "And based on the depleted program funding, the 'pump taxpayer cash into the economy' effect is working. But benefiting US carmakers? Maybe not so much. And woe unto the guy who runs a shop keeping old Ford Explorers on the road."

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers New Cars:

1. Ford Focus
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Corolla
4. Toyota Prius
5. Ford Escape
6. Toyota Camry
7. Dodge Caliber
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers Trade-Ins:

1. 1998 Ford Explorer
2. 1997 Ford Explorer
3. 1996 Ford Explorer
4. 1999 Ford Explorer
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. 1995 Ford Explorer
8. 1994 Ford Explorer
9. 1997 Ford Windstar
10. 1999 Dodge Caravan

Flint Expats on the Radio

In the mood for some Michigan nasal twang?

On Monday I discussed the Flint mayor's race and my Slate article on WDET 101.9 FM, the Detroit NPR station based at Wayne State University. We talked about Dayne Walling, Brenda Clack and, of course, Don Williamson. Somehow Billy Joel and dynamite fishing also came up.

You can listen to a short podcast of the interview on the player below. I've found it takes a few seconds to load, so be patient. Go here for the entire Detroit Today program.

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A New Mayor

Dayne Walling declares victory in the Flint mayor's race and Brenda Clack concedes.

The Future Mayor of Flint — Brenda Clack or Dayne Walling

Flint elects a new mayor tomorrow. Go here for a story I wrote for Slate on the two candidates — Brenda Clack and Dayne Walling.

Here's an excerpt:

But for me, the highlight—if that's the word—of covering this campaign came when Clack and Walling momentarily joined forces at the Landmark Food Center, the kind of grocery store where a security guard roams the fluorescently lit aisles and customers are required to check their bags at the counter. Flanked by displays of breakfast cereal, the two candidates judged a Kool-Aid-making contest sponsored by three local churches.

The mixologists tried mightily to influence their decision. "Taste No. 4 and taste no more!" one contestant yelled out, prompting a round of cheering from two dozen spectators gathered around a pair of tables covered with neon-green tablecloths and littered with plastic pitchers, spent Kool-Aid packs, and sacks of sugar. "No. 5 tells no lies!" countered another contestant. Clack and Walling sipped from foam cups and huddled over the score sheet.