MCM: How did growing up in Flint shape your worldview and fuel your aspirations?
A mid-fall blast of cold couldn’t keep these brave flint folks inside!
Established in 2007, the place was named in memory of Steve’s son, Alex, who died that year at the age of 15 in a tragic snowmobile accident. The entire family was devastated, and Steve, who was deep in mourning, had a hard time continuing with his plans to open the store. This is when Vera, Alex’s mom, suggested they name it after Alex. “This is a memorial to him,” says Nick. “It helped us through the grieving process to open it in his honor.” So, the family worked to make the place worthy of Alex’s memory. Nick said his father didn’t care if he made money or not, he just wanted the memory of his son to live on.
The first single from the eclectic performer’s Yung Archetype EP is a poignant work written for a family member who was diagnosed with cancer. “It’s an emotionally-charged, intense ride,” Raymer wrote. “Olaniran works the gaps between hip-hip, R&B, dance music and punk, weaving together aggressive beats, noisy electronics and an intuitive knack for melody into a seamless, pop-friendly whole.”
Growing up on a farm near Chapin, MI – if you’ve never heard of it, that’s okay, because it’s not even big enough to be a town – Tom has always loved the landscapes of the Mitten. “I attribute my love of landscapes to my rural upbringing,” he said. “My appreciation includes not only the beautiful places like the Great Lakes, but also the ordinary views, like the farm fields we drive by every day. I feel it is all an important part of our state and hope others see the beauty in the mundane as well as in the spectacular.” Tom’s paintings are, in part, an effort to get people to see the beauty in everyday views of the Michigan landscape. The artist is also aware that his paintings preserve a landscape that is changing. “A lot of farmland is being gobbled up and the scenes that I paint are disappearing,” he said. “It breaks my heart.”
“Skiing is dance; and the mountain always leads.” —Unknown
No one wants to experience depression or suicidal thoughts during the holidays, yet for many people who have a mental illness, these feelings are a tragic reality. Fortunately, help during this and other times of the year is only a phone call away…
Tony purchased some property in Downtown Holly and opened a restaurant, starting small with a limited menu of pizza, sandwiches and pasta. An opportunity arose in 1975 to purchase the building next door, so Tony expanded the dining room and kitchen. The most recent expansion was undertaken four years ago to create an outside patio with seating for 80 diners. Despite the expansions and a second restaurant in Fenton, the business remains a family affair. Tony’s brother Carmine is his business partner and his son John is the general manager. Son Carmine handles the public relations and son Michael manages the Fenton Red Devil location. Tony’s wife Deborah is a Holly girl whom he met when she started working for him many years ago. “I married her, so I had to fire her,” he laughs.
December, 1941: Louise Bernhardt (now Kinsman) lived in a cottage approximately 50 feet from Battleship Row, Pearl Harbor, HI. She was the daughter of Chief Petty Officer F.D. Bernhardt, Leading Chief of Operations at Ford Island and on December 7, she was eyewitness to the day which will forever live in infamy. Today, 73 years later, Louise still remembers it clearly.
