Main Street Antiques on Saginaw Street is home to more than 40 vendors selling an unusual mix of items, from antique furniture, retro décor and vintage clothing to fine glassware, museum quality art, and early American and Native American items. But the store also has rather “spirited” history, according to Lynn Hay, who co-owns the store with her husband, Mark. The couple had so many ghostly events there that they decided to reach out to paranormal investigators. Their ghost story was featured in a book, Haunted Travels of Michigan, Volume II and on the SyFy Channel’s “Paranormal Witness,” in an episode called “Lady on the Stairs.” The show depicts the haunting the Hays experienced and the bizarre historical evidence they uncovered.
There is so much to enjoy in Michigan’s charming Little Bavaria! From festivals, horse and carriage rides and covered bridges to world-famous chicken dinners, authentic German fare and mouthwatering fudge – not to mention a large variety of beer – there’s something for everyone.
The song, called “If It Ain’t Broke” from the Flint native’s 2008 debut album, Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, succinctly sums up how Morgan, who revels in playing that same kind of outlaw country music not heard on today’s country radio stations, feels about what is currently coming out of Nashville. “Nowadays in Nashville … so-called country music singers sing songs they know nothing about,” Morgan declares. “That sure don’t sound like country to me.”
Gunnery Sergeant Dave Smith, USMC Retired, grew up in Flint, the son of Tom and Sandy Smith and a graduate of Powers High School. When he enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corp at just 17 years old, he had to obtain his parents’ permission. “My mom went berserk,” Dave remembers, “but I was a knucklehead who needed structure. I knew that if I went to college, it would be a waste of time and money; I just wasn’t ready.” So in June, 1988 he headed to boot camp in San Diego, CA. He was the first guy off the bus to get his hair cut, and that’s when reality sank in. The 17-year-old asked himself, “What have I done?”
Catholic Charities operates three soup kitchens in Flint that serve 400-600 meals a day, according to John Manse, Community Services Director. On the first Friday of every month, you will find Helen Bade volunteering at the North End Soup Kitchen. “I make the coffee there, and keep the coffee station stocked with sugars and cream,” she said with a giant smile. This doesn’t sound like a big job, but Helen is 98 years old and has been volunteering at the soup kitchen and at St. John Vianney for well over 40 years. The soup kitchen serves lunch and dinner to the needy at their Stewart Avenue location on Flint’s north side. They also serve big Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to make the holidays brighter for many. My City Magazine visited with Helen and her son Richard Bade at her residence at the Woodhaven Senior Community where she talked about her childhood and her volunteerism.
The phenomenal success of TV shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance has reinvigorated public interest in classic forms of dance performed with modern flair. And while the Midwest is certainly not Hollywood, locals can experience all the drama and fun of dance at Chassé Ballroom & Latin Dance Studio in Fenton. The business is co-owned by Michael and Ashleigh LaJoice, who say that their main goal is “for couples or singles to come to our studio to have fun with their partners and friends and get away from the stress of life, even if it’s only for 45 minutes.”
In the week that The Beatles were first introduced to American viewers in February of 1964, I began what was to become an extended relationship with Flint, MI joining the staff of WTAC radio as nighttime DJ.
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth has the bragging rights to the title of “America’s Largest Family Restaurant.” Today, it is operated by the third and fourth generations of the Zehnder family, who continue to look for ways to keep their restaurant a vibrant tourist destination.
Creamy fudge, light and luscious fresh-water taffy, decadent candies and candied nuts, sugar cookies, cupcakes topped with frostings of every imaginable flavor … there’s something to satisfy any sweet tooth in Frankenmuth! Walking down Main Street, you simply cannot escape the smell of sugary, chocolate goodness that wafts from the Frankenmuth Fudge Kitchen. The rich, luscious fudge is made from the original Michigan recipe in a copper kettle and hand-paddled on a thick marble slab. “Fudge is definitely our biggest seller,” says Lillian Fergent, one of the managers. Other sweet offerings include taffy, caramel, brittles and gourmet popcorn.
