Downriver Review

As a performing musician, I have donated my time to many fundraising events.  On the cover this week are “Girls Night Out” and the “Bluehawks” who recently performed to benefit the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance.  Daniel Gretzner was on hand and you can read more about this event in his column.  I would like to thank Tom Lorton for the photography.

The price of a gallon of milk is finally cheaper than a gallon of gas. Back in the good (?) old days, a quart of milk cost more than a gallon of gas, but was home delivered in milk chutes. I’ll bet the kids today don’t know what a milk chute is. The milk chute, like home delivered milk, has faded into history many, many years ago. Some homes built in the 50’s still show a covered over space near the back door where the milk chute once was.

Oh chute! They are all gone. The chutes that were once part of many homes included a milk chute, a coal chute, and a clothes chute. (more…)

Yes, there is another bond issue on the table for Trenton School District. This will be the 3rd bond request  in the last 4 years. Why is it so important this time?

It is important because the buildings are not safe and the technology is not up to date in our district. It will help get Trenton on track for providing tools children need to excel in our community. It will insure that our future leaders will have been exposed to the most current technologies. We currently possess a curriculum that is superior to neighboring districts and can compete anywhere in the state. Imagine what these kids could do if they were provided additional tools for their education and safety so they can focus on learning. (more…)

Anyone of the many live music lovers who attended the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance Winter Thaw-Out Blues-Rock Benefit held in March, spoke highly of the professional musicians who played on stage that night. “It was a fun night of musical fare”, were expressions coming from a couple of ladies from Downriver. Both Marge Winn and Joyce Moody were glad they went to the fund-raiser held at the Pier 500 nightclub and restaurant in “Uptown” Wyandotte.

Lisa Appel, Executive Director, of the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance (IWRA) - located on Grosse Ile, did a splendid job overseeing the March 9th activities. She had good support from a handful of volunteers who lended a hand for a worthy cause - to protect our wildlife in the greater Detroit River vicinity. (more…)

Hi there,

Like vegetables, some flowers that have been brought into our area, require more growing time than is found here, where we want to live.  Begonia, Pansy, and Violet seeds should be planted 12 to 14 weeks before last frost , take 7 to 12 days to germinate, and then have a slow to medium growth rate.  Begonias have no frost tolerance, but Pansies and violets have medium tolerance. (more…)

Does the term “self-help book,” seem oxymoronic to you, or is it just me?  If you need to buy a book to explain how to help yourself, then you are not really doing it by yourself.  Categorizing these books, “Self-Help” is very attractive, but, it’s also just another way to sell books. (more…)

This week’s cover features the Monroe County Community College’s Antiques in April Show and Sale, which takes place on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. This year the show and sale will feature authentic items from the Civil War. MCCC is a great asset to the East Michigan Area.

One day, last week, as I sat ruminating about the good (?) old days, I began to recall some of the people that were dear to me and had the self-control not to have strangled me as I was growing up. I have mentioned Busia (gramma) and Dziadzia (Grampa) in previous articles. Having them in my life was a blessing. A good case in point is Dziadzia. He was a trial to live with, but he had certain qualities that made him special. (more…)

The St. Patrick’s Day of 2008 has now come and gone. Excitement of the 4-day long week-end in March was a happy time for most because, as is traditional, everyone is Irish whenever March 17th comes around. From Detroit to Wyandotte, and other places Downriver, “Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” (more…)

Hi there,

Welcome back to Daylight Saving Time – another Democratic invention from the past that I dislike.  In 1870, Mark Twain wrote that Benjamin Franklin said, “Never postpone until tomorrow anything that you can postpone until the day after tomorrow.  I, frankly, hear more of Mark than Ben there, but Frankly, I doubt that the Twain ever met!  There is an optimum TIME to plant long season seeds, and an optimum TIME to plant seeds or bedding plants in our gardens. (more…)

If it’s a Saturday night and you live in or around Downriver (especially Allen Park), you might try looking for them at CITY COFFEEHOUSE on Allen Road near the $1.50 movie theatre.

Last Saturday, plenty of talented teens pulled their collective nerves and instruments together to entertain a noisy, receptive audience of peers, parents, locals and newbies.  Billed as “Open Mic Night,” Pam and Frank, owners of CITY since 1996, once again generously offered their space for an evening of showcasing. (more…)

The photos on the cover, in this issue, depict the local Downriver High School Basketball Class B district action, held at Riverview High School in late February.  The Riverview Girls Team won their district title and the Flat Rock Rams Boys Squad edged out Grosse Ile to win a district crown.  I would like to thank local photographer, James Hollandsworth for these photos.

Does anyone remember the drive-ins? Back when everyone was in love with their cars, drive-ins were the things. Detroit still insists that we are all in love with our cars. The people, they say in their ads, don’t want economy, but styling, comfort and power. Have the people designing our vehicles checked the price of gas lately? When it costs more than the monthly payment to put gas in the car, can you still love it?

Back in the good old days (?) every boy dreamed of having a car, especially in high school. Part time jobs could support a car, and many boys worked toward getting one, which they could customize, paint and polish to attract the girls. Image was everything and cruising was the in thing. (more…)

Special thanks to Margo Parmenter Zieske who is the Monroe County librarian and who helped me find the information.  She was so helpful.

In 1815, Luther Harvey moved his family from Detroit to Frenchtown, bringing him full circle around Lake Erie from Buffalo. One of the first people to come into the abandoned  Frenchtown settlement after the battle of the River Raisin, Harvey made Frenchtown his home after that. He opened a tavern as his first business venture in his new home, and he immediately took the lead in community affairs.  The first fourth of July he spent in Frenchtown, Harvey took part in a patriotic and gruesome exercise. Many of the men and boys of the reviving village spent the day wheeling carts along the banks of the River Raisin, gathering up the bleached bones of the victims of the massacre which had taken place two years before. They found bones as far south as Plum Creek, where the British and Indians had pursued the beaten Kentuckians. They also collected tomahawks, cannon balls, muskets, bayonets, parts of uniforms and other equipment that the Indians had overlooked. (more…)

Jim and Mary Isoami, proud owners of the Cameo Family Restaurant in Lincoln Park, have now reached 15-years of running a successful business establishment. Their Downriver business is located at the corner of Dix & Goddard roads.

The Cameo is a place where local folks go to enjoy quality food and service within a friendly atmosphere.  Speaking from experience, the dishes I have tried have all been tasty and the portions of food on the generous side. Besides that, moderate prices prevail and blend well with a complete menu covering breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Besides the friendly owners and wait staff, repeat customers, and new ones alike, like the diversified menu that covers everything from steaks, pasta and a large variety of fish dinners. The seafood selections includes salmon, walleye, cod, perch along with shrimp and scallops. (more…)

Hi there,

I have just received my garden seeds for 2008.  My package of Brandywine Heirloom Tomatoes cost $7.10.  We hope it contains two or three crops of tomato seeds, for the next two or three years, because the cost of bedding plants has also skyrocketed.  On the other hand, we noticed an ad for hydroponic growing equipment that also sold started hydroponic plants, at 12 for $1.50!  And, we could buy stuff to start a hydroponic garden right now in frigid mid-winter! (more…)

Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Therapists, Analysts, Mental Health Professionals, Doctors, Lawyers, Counselors, Social Workers, Advisors, Life Coaches………….the list goes on.  If you make a mistake, one of these pros can certainly figure out a way to help you rationalize why.  Of course there’s a big, fat charge for same because they’ve spent lots of money educating themselves in the field of mistakes.  I think it’s great that there are so many helpful people out there trying to fix us.  My contention is with the language, the babble. (more…)

The Wyandotte Ice Sculptures have become a yearly cover feature for the Downriver Review.  This is one of the many events which continue to bring area residents to Downtown Wyandotte. I would like to thank Daniel Gretzner and Anthony DeCuir for the photographs.

Special thanks to Margo Parmenter Zieske who is the Monroe County librarian and who helped me find the information.  She was so helpful.

It appears that Luther Harvey did not have a high opinion of General William Henry Harrison. According to Harvey, the massacre at the River Riasin had so frightened Harrison that he wanted to abandon Fort Meigs after General Winchester had been defeated at Frenchtown and he was convinced that the British and Indians would drive south and attack the Huron River settlement. (more…)

We are faced with choices every day of our lives. We make a choice to get up in the morning or stay in bed. We make a choice of what to have for breakfast and then what to do the rest of the day. Those who work at jobs have to decide whether to go to work or call in. The choices we have to make when we go shopping are mind-boggling. (more…)