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FEBRUARY 2016

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transferred to the Ray Center Post Office. This post office opened in 1846, with William Millar as the first postmaster and lasted until 1906, when Rural Free Delivery started. Frog Mountain School was a part of this community as well. It was named for the sound of the frogs in the nearby creek. Ray Center also contained the Shafer Mill, a gas station, general store, a blacksmith, a Congregational church and a few other businesses. The Dickens School was on Romeo Plank Road, north of 29 Mile Road. The settlement went into decline when the railroad bypassed it and went by Armada and Romeo instead.

Spotlight on Ray Township

By Alan Naldrett

ThumbPrint News Contributor

Probably the best-kept secret of the Macomb County area is the tranquil and beautiful township of Ray. Known as the “Jewel of Macomb County,” it is hidden in farmlands among more populated towns and cities. Ray Township is home to Wolcott Mills, a metropark containing an historic mill. Ray Township was established in 1827, and at first named “Rhea” after the Latin name of a river in Europe. The name was simplified to "Ray" a few years later. The town of Ray Center was in the middle of the township. It is located on the north branch of the Clinton River, on Ray Center Drive, at the nexus of 29 Mile Road, Indian Trail and Hartway Road. The first land purchase of Ray Center was in 1824, by Reuben Smith, the first postmaster in Ray. This post office opened in 1827 and was used until 1868, when its mail duties were

Frog Mountain School of Ray, then and now

See RAY TOWNSHIP, Page 21

By David Odziana ThumbPrint News Staff Writer and Field Reporter

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There is arguable no better place to explore than the Great Lakes for those who enjoy the possibility of finding lost shipwrecks. In total, the five different bodies of water contain more than 5,000 capsized vessels, some of which have been eluding hunters for centuries. The Great Lakes have been known to host heavy traffic and treacherous storms, including heavy fog and hurricane strength winds, all of which can Sieur de La Salle wreak havoc on even the largest ships. Even today’s ships are not exempt from suddenly disappearing; this became evident with the sinking of many modern ships, such as the famed Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. Of all the ships lost on these waters, none bring more interest than the ship Le Griffon, which traversed the Great Lakes in 1679 - waters that were only previously traveled by dugout canoes. The man with a vision to discover the unknown parts of the world was Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who was born in France in 1643, to a rich family. Beginning in 1667, La Salle was determined to earn his fortune from a voyage through the Great Lakes See HOLY GRAIL Page 6

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Email Address: [email protected] Website: www.ThumbPrintNews.com Publisher: Al Kodet Editor: Diane Kodet [email protected] Advertising Team: Scott Zimmer, Mgr., (586) 524-2562 Wendy Downing ~ Cassandra Paulun Graphic Design Team: Bethany Wolf ~ Laura Irwin Newspaper Staff: David Odziana (Field Reporter) Louise Allen ~ Ralph McKinch ThumbPrint News is a monthly publication provided free to our readers online and is distributed to prime locations throughout the Thumb area. We encourage our readers to support the advertisers who made this issue possible. Tell them you saw their ad in ThumbPrint News! ThumbPrint News is not responsible or liable for opinions and/or ideas expressed by columnists or guest writers, or articles not written by our staff. If you’re not receiving ThumbPrint News at your home, send us $2.00 (per issue) for shipping and handling and we’ll mail a copy to you, or check our website for drop locations in your area.

Letter

to read online today!

from the

February 2016

Editor

I had the opportunity recently to attend the birthday party of a young girl who was turning 14. She is kind, considerate, talented, wise for her age, and just delightful to be around. She is also the product of a blended family. (A blended family is a family where one or both persons in a relationship have children from a previous relationship who are not genetically related to the other partner.) As I sat back and observed the interaction taking place between this young lady and her mother, her natural brother, her grandfather from her father’s side, her grandparents from her mother's side, her mother's boyfriend and his two children, and myself and my husband (parents of the mother's boyfriend), I realized how being a “blended family” seemed relatively easy for her. However, I am pretty sure that it hasn’t always been a piece of cake. Blending two families can be tough. Too many changes too quickly can be unsettling to children. All relationships take time to grow and develop. Children, like anyone else, need to be able to have the time and space required to adjust to new situations that are not always within their control, such as the separation or divorce of their parents, both of whom they love. Often the child wants the parents to stay together and for things to be the way they always have been. Change is uncomfortable at times, but doesn’t have to be negative. They are learning that some things in life can come to an end, but out of that, something new and wonderful can come as well. For the adults who are attempting the blending, there is no magic solution either. They may have read books on the subject or consulted experts, but truthfully, it takes hard work and dedication. Making the “new home” a safe, secure and loving environment takes time and commitment. A few mistakes to avoid when attempting to blend two families are: • Feeling the need to constantly impress. Children don’t need to have every moment with you be something that leaves your wallet drained (like expensive gifts, going to the movies, going to theme parks, etc.) Take time to get to know each other in real life day-to-day situations. • Insisting that all family members instantly “like” each other. You can’t make people like someone else, but you can expect respect at all times. • Expecting immediate responses to your efforts. Even though you may give a lot of time and energy and what you feel is affection to your partner’s children, they may need time and space to accept you as a new part of their lives. Your efforts are insurance for the future. • Feeling the need to do things the same way as before. This is a new family, a new beginning. You are now in a new relationship where give and take will be paramount to creating a blended, happy family. Are the results going to be worth it? Of course they are. In the words of Beth Huber, “Remember why you chose to come together in the first place – the love that you have for your partner. Your partner’s children are an extension of them and this makes them just as important to your happiness.” The young girl whose birthday I attended reminded me of how I entered into marriage almost 38 years ago with a man who already had a daughter and a son. Together we had two more children and all of us became a blended family. Today, I have relationships with grandchildren I would never have had the opportunity to know had we not made that choice to enter into a life together so long ago. Was it hard work at times? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Most assuredly yes. I wish my son, as he blends his family into the wonderful family of the mother of the young girl whose birthday I attended that day, all of my best wishes and encouragement, that despite the rough patches that are most assuredly coming, the knowledge that the road will eventually lead to memories that the two of them – and their children – will cherish forever. Nothing could be more worthwhile to work for.

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ThumbPrint News Traveled to Vermont! But we still need help traveling to all 50 states by the end of 2016!

One of the long-standing features of ThumbPrint News has been the section "Where has your ThumbPrint News Been?" This features readers holding up the paper in various locations around the globe. We've seen the paper on all seven continents, in many countries and many of the 50 states. We are asking our readers to help complete our list of 50 states. If you are traveling to one of the states listed to the right, please take a copy of the newspaper with you and photograph yourself somewhere in that state and send it to us with a paragraph or so about your travels. We will print it in a future edition of ThumbPrint News and will send you a complimentary copy. Or, if you have a friend or relative in one of those states, send them a copy and let them take a picture and send it in. We need high quality .jpg photos, which can be emailed to [email protected]. We would like to be able to say that we have traveled to all 50 states by the end of 2016! Please help us in our quest. VERMONT FACTS!!

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• Driving through Vermont, you’ll notice one huge difference from the rest of the nation – there are no billboards. Since 1968, the state has banned them in order to preserve the state’s natural beauty. • Ben & Jerry’s, though an internationally recognized brand, has its headquarters in Vermont. They even give their ice cream waste to local farmers to feed to their hogs. • Montpelier, Vermont, the smallest state capital in the U.S., is the only one without a McDonalds. • Before Vermont became the 14th state, it was an independent country for 14 years.

ThumbPrint Ne ws still needs to trav el to the following stat es: AL, AR CO, CT, DE, ID , IN, IA, KY, LA, MN, MS , MT, NE, NH, NJ, ND, OK , OR, RI, SD, TN, VA, WI & WY.

(We will still accept photos from states wh ere TPN has already travel ed, or from any countries in the world, whether featur ed in a past issue or not.)

This month, Jan Kovacs from Jeddo, Michigan, helped ThumbPrint News travel to Vermont.

My boyfriend and I were driving through Vermont on our way to New Hampshire for Christmas. We stopped; I jumped out of the car along this very scenic, but busy road. He was having a hard time taking the picture, so I just grabbed my phone and took a selfie! I’m new to the area, and I love reading about the Thumb in ThumbPrint News!

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February 2016

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By David Gillis ThumbPrint News Columnist

Recently, in an attempt to, ah, locate an old friend, I was told by another, like, friend that our mutual acquaintance, ah, went missing months before. I, like, couldn’t believe that someone, ah, just vanished without, okay, saying something to someone about, like, where he was going, you know. After several days of, okay, searching I, like, found my friend via telephone. He had, ah, ventured to Hawaii and was just, ah, seeking some time alone, you know. He said to me in our conversation, “I’m sure you, ah, understand my need for some, like, time alone, huh?” I responded simply with, “Sweet, call me when you get, like, back home.” I’m fairly confident if you made it through the first two paragraphs of this essay, you’re not too anxious to continue. The story is meaningless, but just as irritating; it is too difficult to read. I agree, as I’m sure my now deceased high school English teacher would also. No one I know writes in that manner, but many speak that way. They verbally communicate using sentences laced with words and phrases that often cause the listener to try interpreting just what is being said. Or, as in my case, devote too much time listening for the misused words and phrases. I wish I could say it is in normal conversations we experience a minor butchering of the Queen’s English, but it’s fairly easy to find it in our media today and, unfortunately, the classrooms of our children. A personal pet-peeve is the phrase “went missing.” Many news reporters use it or a similar “gone missing.” Where did that come from and why? How often have you heard a media personality say “went missing” to explain that someone or something disappeared? Certainly, a person could be enjoying water sports (went boating) or visiting the local mall (went shopping), but, “went missing?” In my research for the origin of the clichés “went missing” and “gone missing”, I find the only meaning


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to be someone or something that is not where he/she/it is expected to be. Just as I thought – “disappeared.” Surprisingly, I find that the geographical origin is where we would not expect it to be – the United Kingdom. There it has been part of the normal language used by almost everyone for years. I guess then it’s logical to use it, except my former English teacher and many others would not agree. The Collins English Dictionary (UK) offers a definition as “to become lost or disappear.” Wouldn’t the simple single words “missing” or “disappeared” be easier and more correct?

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Another irritating phrase I find myself concentrating on when another person is using it is “you know.” Unfortunately, someone using the expression incorporates it throughout almost each sentence of a conversation. I often become sidetracked as to where the conversation is going and want to interrupt by saying, “No, I don’t know, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” Finally, there’s a radio personality that uses “ah” throughout his reporting. While he does a fairly good job delivering information, it’s the “ah” I find myself concentrating on and have even counted the number of times it is used in one minute. The last count was 23. That should explain how weird I am. Now that I have commenced my year by getting pet-peeve clichés, words and phrases out of the way, I feel so much better. I, ah, won’t have, like, too much difficulty, you know, developing future articles that you can, okay, understand. Possibly, my former English instructor would have placed this essay in the wastepaper basket and simply explained to me that it “went missing.” To that I could reply, as my grandson has taught me – “sweet!”

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HOLY GRAIL

during the reign of Louis XIV. To achieve this, construction of a ship able to make the voyage began on the banks of the Niagara River. Although it isn’t definitive, there is a strong indication the vessel was built on what is now the United States side,


February 2016

1898, on the western end of Manitoulin Island in Canada. Albert Cullis, who was the lighthouse keeper at the Mississagi Strait Lighthouse, was walking through the woods near the lighthouse, when he came across a cave. Investigating further, he found four skeletons, one of which was huge and thought to belong to Lucas, who was said to be Recovering what is thought to be the bowsprit seven feet tall. Later, from Lake Michigan (Contributed by www.greatlakesexploration.org) Cullis happened upon another cave, where he found two more skeletons, which some believe made up the six crew members of the Griffon. An old beached shipwreck in the area was searched, revealing many artifacts, such as bolts, lead caulking and a watch of French design dated to the 1600s. While Construction of the Griffon approximately three miles above the falls. Amazingly, some of the artifacts have survived, the shipwreck the ship, which is believed to have weighed around 45 tons, was assembled in the washed away in 1942, before it was ever determined if wilderness without much more than the trees surrounding the site. The vessel boasted it was the Griffon. three masts and several square sails, as well as two cannons, multiple rail guns and a Currently there are two ongoing searches, both of which griffin carved on the bow - a part eagle, part lion mythological creature, which was also claim to have found the Griffon. The first was discovered part of La Salle’s family coat-of-arms. in 2001, by a man named Steve Libert, president of the Great Lakes Exploration Group, La Salle’s first task was to collect furs to trade, then continue his search to discover who believes he found the bowsprit of the ship west of Poverty Island about 100 feet a passage through the Great Lakes, which La Salle believed to be a gateway to the below the surface, where visibility was just three inches. The long piece of timber far west. Le Griffon, or the Griffon, made its sticking up out of the lake bed was carbon dated maiden voyage on August 7, 1679, with 16 men to around the same time as the Griffon, but it on board, making its first stop in Detroit where hasn’t been proven to be the real deal or just an five more men boarded for the trip to St. Ignace. old fishing net post, which state archeologist The final stop for the Griffon was present day Dean Anderson believes. With additional Washington Island in Green Bay, where the crew searches, it was determined the bowsprit wasn’t would pick up furs collected by a group La Salle attached to a ship, but Libert believes the rest sent to the area the year prior. As he arrived, La of the ship resides somewhere around this area. Salle received news that some of his workers Since his discovery, Libert has been trudging deserted their responsibilities, which infuriated through the legalities that surround shipwrecks him. Making a split decision out of rage, La and obtaining permission to excavate a possible Salle sent the man who was originally intended discovery, which is a very long and slow process. to pilot the Griffon back to Niagara, to find the The other discovery, made in 2011, by traitors. After waiting six days, with the weather Kevin Dykstra and Frederick Monroe in Lake continuing to worsen, La Salle was forced to send Michigan, was stumbled upon accidentally. his remaining six men back to Niagara to deliver The team was scanning the waters in search the furs and retrieve material to construct another of another lost treasure of the Great Lakes ship he would use to navigate the Mississippi $2 million of Confederate gold in a box car, River. Since his original pilot hadn’t returned In 1679, the Griffon set sail down this channel – the Cayuga Creek on the Niagara River believed to be pushed off a ferry during a bad yet, La Salle was forced to rely on Lucas, who (contributed by www.greatlakesexploration.org). storm on the lake. When they made their first was said to be a very large man that La Salle didn’t really trust. dive to see what was picked up on sonar, they weren’t sure what they were looking at. When the Griffon departed on September 18, 1679, La Salle remained in the area It wasn’t until they reached the surface and did some research, comparing their pictures and traveled toward Chicago, where work on his new vessel, said to be very similar to historic documents. On an additional dive, Dykstra had a magnet attached to his to the Griffon, began near the Illinois River - this smaller ship was intended to sail the side, which to his surprise, picked up a hand forged nail that was dated back to 1679; Mississippi River, where La Salle was to establish trading stations and claim a portion Dykstra also photographed a sword, a carved sculpture of a griffin and old cannons at of the Mississippi River for France, which eventually became part of the Louisiana the site. The two didn’t announce their finding to the public until 2014, to ensure it was Purchase. Some time passed and La Salle was yet to hear of the Griffon’s arrival, which truly the famed Griffon. Even with all their findings, it still has not been deemed the made him fear his ship and six tons of fur were lost. Rumors began swirling that the Griffon by experts, such as Anderson, who is skeptical about their find, as well. vessel disappeared in a terrible storm, but others believed Indians either took the furs The most recent discovery wasn’t made on any of the Great Lakes, but instead on before burning the ship, or the crew kept the cargo and destroyed the ship. La Salle held land in upstate New York. While work was being conducted to install a fence in his onto hope he would see the Griffon again one day, but after a few months of waiting, yard, workers hit a hard object in the backyard of high school history teacher, Mike he gave up hope - La Salle was devastated. Ever since that fateful day of September 18, Esposito. Interestingly, the piece they hit turned out to be a cannonball, which was 1679, the Griffon seemingly vanished from the lake and has been eluding shipwreck in the vicinity of where the Griffon was launched. Historical accounts state that five hunters for nearly 350 years. The fleeting ship has been the subject of many conspiracy cannonballs were shot off when the ship was launched. Many historians believe it is theories and ghost stories, with numerous eyewitness accounts claiming to see the ship very possible that this find could be one that was shot from the mysterious ship on its sailing the waters near Green Bay for the past few hundred years after its disappearance. maiden voyage, but also state it will be hard to prove until the shipwreck is found. Since the ship was deemed lost, treasure hunters from all over the world have Whether one of the two ongoing searches will prove to be the remains of the famed been flocking to Lake Michigan, where it is believed the ship rests, to find the oldest ship, or if the unknown vessel discovered in the late 19th century in Canada was the shipwreck in the Great Lakes. Not only has the Griffon become the most hunted ship in ship everyone is looking for, one thing is known for sure, the hunt will undoubtedly the area, but it is also the most found ship, with 22 documented claims of its discovery continue until one is deemed definitive. Whether or not this will happen, only time will - however, all but three have been disproven. The longest lasting claim took place in tell. Continued from Page 1

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SERENDIPITY (ser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē) By Scherryl Antoniadis ThumbPrint News Columnist

It was New Year's Eve, San Francisco, 1978. My roommate, Lynne, and I were going to join a group of friends for a quick drink, followed by a late-night dinner to ring in the new year. We agreed to meet at a neighborhood hangout called the “Final, Final” -- aptly named as it is the last bar before you get on the Golden Gate Bridge. We were regulars at the “Final, Final” for a number of reasons: it was walking distance from our apartment, the owners were friends of ours, and a number of our friends played on the bar's softball team. Everyone arrived at the appointed time and in a celebratory mood. We had our drink and lots of laughs, and were about to head out to dinner when, unexpectedly, more friends showed up. They insisted that we stay for another drink and, of course, we didn't want to be rude, so . . . To make room for the newcomers our friend Sean and I started looking around for more chairs. I approached a table occupied by two elderly gentlemen and asked the man closest to me if we could use their extra chairs; he smiled and said that we should help ourselves. As I moved one of the chairs to our table, Sean asked me why I didn't say hello to the other man at the table. I gave him a quizzical look and he then informed me that I had just asked Joe DiMaggio's drinking buddy for a chair. I hadn't looked at the second man at the table until then but, sure enough, it was Joltin' Joe! It was pure serendipity. [SERENDIPITY: a noun that describes the faculty or

phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought after; good fortune; luck.] Now I have never been a groupie, but I mean . . . it was Joe DiMaggio, one of my father's heroes! I simply had to get his autograph. When I told Lynne what I was about to do, she jumped up and began to dig her camera out of her handbag. Unlike me, she was always on the hunt for celebrities and carried a camera everywhere in case she spotted one of the "rich and famous." We teased her mercilessly about her habit over the years, but I cannot describe how thrilled I was that she - true to form - had her camera with her on this particular evening. (For you younger readers, a camera is a gadget that was used to take photographs in the olden days -- you know, before cell phones.) The two of us quickly gathered up our courage and headed for Joe's table (I'm referring to him as "Joe" at this point because I can just feel that we're about to become BFFs). We stood off a bit to wait for a break in their conversation. When it came, we apologized for the interruption, briefly explained how much my dad had always admired him, and then respectfully asked if we could bother him for an autograph. He smiled and graciously agreed to sign the bank deposit slip I laid on the table; odd,

I know, but it was the only paper I could find on such short notice. As "Joe" was so amiable about our request, we thought we'd press our luck and ask him for a picture. To our delight, he readily agreed and one of our buddies snapped this photo. Our mission accomplished, we thanked him and went back to our party. Mr. DiMaggio and his friend left shortly afterward . . . I'm certain it was just coincidence and had nothing at all to do with us. The following day I could not wait to call Dad and tell him all about our evening. He was excited for us and said he wished that he could have been there. On my next trip home, I surprised Dad with the autograph and picture; they instantly became two of his most prized possessions. Another of my favorite serendipitous moments occurred when my husband, Kimon, and I were at the PGA Pro-Am in Pebble Beach a number of years ago. Even though I am not a golfer, I do enjoy attending these kinds of tournaments. And as far as mzy hubby is concerned, a perfect day would be comprised of four hours of playing golf, followed by five hours of watching it on TV, interrupted only for snack breaks. At this particular tournament Kimon wanted to get some autographs on one of the many caps in his collection. Throughout the day he did manage to collect several signatures from both the pro and celebrity golfers, but he was still hoping for an opportunity to get one from Jack Nicklaus – one of his favorite players. After following a number of groups for a few hours, we decided to move to the 18th hole so we could watch each of them as they finished their rounds.


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We positioned ourselves close to the tent where the players are required to turn in their scorecards. We enjoyed the action from here for a few minutes before Kimon announced that he was going to get us another bottle of water. As luck would have it, he had barely walked away when Jack Nicklaus came out of the tent. In an instant I was surrounded by a swarm of young boys jockeying for his autograph. I was trapped, so I just stood there and waited for the group to disperse. Suddenly, though, I found myself face to face with "the world's greatest golfer." He looked up at me and asked if I wanted him to autograph my program, which I was absentmindedly holding in my hand. Even though I was really just waiting for my better-half to return, I smiled and said that that would be great. Kimon soon returned from his illtimed water run, and I immediately related my serendipitous moment with his idol. He was, of course, crushed to have missed his opportunity to get an autograph; but he was very happy that at least I was able to nab one. Together, we truly experienced “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” that day!

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editor’s note: Both of the following letters were sent in regards to articles written by our in-house ThumbPrint News Writer and Field Reporter, David Odziana, in the December 2015 edition.

Dear Editor, Thank you for your educational article “Japanese-Americans During WWII”. This was a very appropriate letter for the times in which we live, and the need for our leaders to make the most appropriate decisions for our citizens who come from countries located in the Middle East and refugees that may come in the near future from this part of the world. Jim Johnson Good Afternoon! I am the assistant to General Manager Mike Rutkowski at Par Sterile Products, who happened to spot your article about Parke-Davis in the December issue of ThumbPrint News. He very much enjoyed reading it, and I can verify that all of your historical facts are correct since I have been working at the site for nearly 30 years and I researched and have updated our brochures periodically throughout the years. At the end of the article, however, there’s an inaccuracy wherein you state that JHP now owns the facility.

For the record, Warner-Lambert sold the Parkedale facility to King Pharmaceuticals in 1998. King owned us from February 1998, until October of 2006, when JHP Pharmaceuticals LLC purchased us – a new pharmaceutical entity led by Peter Jenkins and Stuart Hinchen (and partners). In February of 2013, Par Pharmaceuticals purchased the site from JHP and allowed us to coin the name of Par Sterile Products. Finally, on September 28 of this year, Endo International purchased our parent company, Par Pharmaceuticals; however, for the time being, we will keep our name as Par Sterile Products, an Endo International Company. If you are interested, we would be happy to host a tour of the facility for you so that we can answer any questions you may still have. There are only a couple of historical buildings left standing on the campus, but as we grow and evolve, we lovingly embrace and feature our storied heritage. Let me know if you are ever in the neighborhood. Again, we very much enjoyed and appreciated your article in ThumbPrint News. Thank you. Best regards, Diane Childress Sr. Executive Secretary, Administration Par Pharmaceutical 870 Parkdale, Rochester, MI 48307

Congratulations to Alicia Byrd of Flat Rock, Michigan! You are our grand prize winner for 2015! Each month, ThumbPrint News prints a photo of an object, person or a place for our readers to identify. If you think you know the answer, go to our website www. thumbprintnews.com and enter your answer. Of all persons submitting the correct answer by the 15th of the month, one person will be randomly selected to be entered into a drawing for a wonderful surprise gift at the end of the year! On December 16, 2016, one winner will be drawn out of all the monthly winners and the lucky person will be notified. In the January 2016 edition, we asked our readers to identify who the following person was, shown on the right as a young man. Of all of those submitting the correct answer, Robin Stivers of St. Clair, Michigan, was randomly chosen to be entered into the year-end drawing. Robin identified that this person was Walt Disney. Almost everyone knows who Walt Disney is. However, here are a few interesting facts about Walt that you may or may not know: • Walt dropped out of high school at age 16 in hopes of joining the Army, but was rejected for being underage. Instead, he got a job as an ambulance driver with the Red Cross in France. • Oswald, the Rabbit, was Walt’s first successful cartoon. • Mickey Mouse’s original name was Mortimer Mouse, but Walt’s wife thought the name sounded “pompous”, and suggested the cuter name of Mickey. • While Walt did sketch the original plans for the Mickey Mouse character, the final design that we’ve all come to know and love was actually done by Dutchman Ub Iwerks, the famous Disney illustrator. • Walt’s apartment, where he often worked, is still above the firehouse on Main Street in Disneyland. For our February contest, we are asking our readers to identify the following character on the left and tell us about its significance. Remember, go to our website www. thumbprintnews.com if you know the answer. Good Luck!!

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Thumbs Up To Seniors MARITIME TRIVIA Courtesy of

By William Easton,

The Marine Art of J. Clary

Readers of a certain age may remember fondly dances at the White Eagle Hall in “Muttonville” in the 1950s. The proprietorentertainer was Lonnie Barron, described as the area’s Elvis Presley. A U.S. Air Force veteran from Mississippi, he cut some records, including “Teenage Queen” and according to his attorney was about to sign a contract with Columbia Records. He had a daily D.J. program on WDOG radio in Marine City, along with the weekend dance gig. Those dances were always well attended. One local lady recalls dancing with handsome airmen from nearby Selfridge Air Base where Barron had been stationed. A member of his band said that Lonnie neither smoked, nor drank, nor used foul language. He was described as a handsome Lothario. Unfortunately, that was his fatal undoing. During the night of January 9, 1957, he was killed by the husband of one of the many women attracted to him. Roger L. Fetting, 35, from Lexington, shot him twice with a .32 caliber pistol. He was in the bathroom of his cottage adjacent to the hall. Police investigators found numerous notes from females strewn around, although the one discovered by Fetting from his wife, Bette, had not been mailed. Allegedly, Barron had

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taunted the killer by informing him that his fan club president, Fetting’s married sister, was also intimate. Although first alibiing that they had spent the evening at home, later that week his wife confessed to her “illicit affair” with the entertainer. Fetting appeared in Port Huron Justice Court in the City-County Building and was bound over to Circuit Court. The exact location of the crime gave this new comer to the area some question. There is no such political entity as “Muttonville”, although commonly used to describe an area. It was annexed by the City of Richmond, along with small parts of Casco and Columbus Townships years after this crime. So was Lonnie Barron killed in Macomb or St. Clair County? By law if within one mile of the border, either county had jurisdiction. Although the death certificate shows Columbus, it probably was Casco Township. In any event St. Clair County took the celebrated case. Fetting, an unemployed carpenter, was ably represented by R. Gerald Barr, a future probate judge. The charge was reduced to manslaughter because of the “emotional circumstances.” Fetting, who was a WWII Army veteran, received a sentence of five to fifteen years in Jackson prison. My internet research turned up a Roger L. Fetting’s death record in Marquette Park Cemetery showing a St. Clair County birth year similar to the carpenter’s along with two surviving daughters (he had two) and a sister, Mrs. Jeanne Kerr, the name of the fan club president. Barron’s body was taken to the Robert Harley Funeral home on Pine Grove Avenue in Port Huron. He was dressed in a cowboy suit with “red piping”, although without his guitar for fear of theft. Estimates of those lining the city’s main street in hopes of seeing the singer were as many as 3,000. Presumably most were females enthralled by the “Lothario” or “Redneck Romeo”, as he was variously

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described in publications including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, which carried a front page story of the saga. Afterwards the body was transferred to Mississippi for burial. It was reported that he had financially helped educate two younger brothers, although he left school at age 14. Rockabilly music was a genre just becoming popular during the ‘50s. Among others identified with this type of music were Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. A country-western periodical suggests that both the Beatles and Presley himself were influenced by the single-chord, strong rhythm style. For those who are aching to return to this sound, several Lonnie Barron recordings can be found on YouTube. The White Eagle Hall, also called The Polish Culture Hall which is that country’s national symbol, closed and was razed a few years later. Barron’s cottage may be the modest brown building located on Gratiot Road in Casco Township. The current street address is 10756, while the 1957 news reports gave a Gratiot address of 10734. On the other side of that road is Fred Grande Ford Sales. Glenn E. Cichoracki, a manager, also with an interest in the event, took the picture shown here of what may be the remodeled death cottage. I am not a country-western fan, and had never heard of Rockabilly music.

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The numerous reports of the short career of Lonnie Barron offer mixed reviews of his recordings. He may have just been a rising star, although later was voted into the Michigan Country Hall of Fame. Now having read about Lonnie’s local popularity, I suppose one could conclude about his murder as Buddy Holly fans did a couple of years later when his plane crashed, “It was the day the music died.”

Thumb Birds can Experience Unusual Edible Delights in a Tropical Climate

By Diane Kodet,

ThumbPrint News Editor

One of things I enjoy about having a second home in Florida is having the chance to landscape it with edible plants that won’t grow in areas that have the type of winters we have in Michigan. In my yard I enjoy trees laden with oranges, grapefruit and limes and 13-foot tall banana plants which have produced up to 200 bananas at a time! But it is the more unusual fruits that I have enjoyed getting to know. Occasionally, I will take the time in this section to share one of those with you. Have you ever heard of a longan? I hadn’t either until a year or so ago when I visited a unique nursery in Venice, Florida, which specializes in unusual edible plants. Needless to say, I left there with several new- to-me varieties, including a longan tree. Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as the longan, is a tropical tree that produces edible fruit. The longan (in Chinese meaning “Dragon Eye”) is so named because it resembles an eyeball when its fruit is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard, and looks as if it was enameled with black paint. The fruit is sweet, juicy and succulent and apart from being eaten fresh, is also often used in Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods,

either fresh or dried, sometimes canned with syrup. Dried longan are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it is believed to have an effect on relaxation. My tree should start producing fruit within a couple of years, something that I am looking forward to very much.

Editor’s note: If you have not yet joined our Thumb Bird group and would like to do so, the only requirements are that you live or have lived in the Thumb of Michigan and that you now spend part or all of the year in Florida. Email us your name and addresses in both Michigan and Florida, your phone number, and an email address where we can contact you. The purpose of this social group is to share ideas, places to visit, restaurants, etc. that have to do with our Florida experiences and to occasionally get together in both Florida and Michigan to talk about all things Michigan and Florida and to enjoy each other’s company. Email your information to [email protected]. We will welcome you to the group and send you an invitation to our next get-together.

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February 2016


Page 15

Ten Ways to have a Scam-Free Year


Now that the 2016 Times Square New Year’s ball has dropped, people have declared a plethora of resolutions to improve their futures, like losing weight, saving more money, spending more time disconnected from electronics, and so on. But your Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula hopes consumers will consider other resolutions that can help them protect themselves from fraud, identity theft and save money in 2016. The following suggestions can help consumers have a safe, scam-free 2016: 1. Always check a business out with BBB before you buy and ask BBB for help. Visit bbb.org to find BBB Business Reviews for these accredited businesses and nearly four million additional businesses across North America or www.bbb. org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started if you have a disagreement with a business or have been ripped off by a scammer. BBB is here to help you navigate through the marketplace. 2. Be a smart consumer. Know the difference between a scam and poor business practices. A scam is an intentionally planned and perpetrated fraudulent scheme in an attempt to get something of value. If you have been the target of a scammer, report it to BBB at bbb.org/scamtracker. A situation in which you have a bad experience with a product or business is what we call poor business. If this happens to you, file a complaint with your BBB. 3. Know your financial obligations. BBB’s top two scams of 2015, were tax scams and fraudulent debt collections. Scammers contact you with an amount they claim you owe and threaten serious actions if it is not immediately paid. Knowing who you owe and how much will help you to know if a scammer is targeting you. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and Transunion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-332-8228 or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. 4. If you didn’t enter or apply for a prize or grant, you can’t get one. Be aware that hundreds, even thousands, of scams each year are reported from people who have received a call or piece of mail saying they’ve won the lottery, a prize or a grant. The fraudster says you need to pay fees upfront in order to collect your prize. If you didn’t enter or apply for a contest, you wouldn’t have won it. Additionally, you should never have to pay money to receive money. EVER! 5. Be skeptical of “job offers” that promise easy money. With lingering unemployment and long job searches being common, scammers are targeting people desperate to find jobs. Beware of any job offer, work-at-home scheme or business opportunity that promises big money for little work and no experience or requires you to pay a fee to begin. Also, never share your personal information over the phone or employment website. Only provide that information once you have the job and are sitting face to face with the company’s human resource professional. 6. Keep your identity safe. Shred paper documents that include sensitive financial data and dispose of computers, cell phones and digital data safely. Keeping your identity safe is 100% your responsibility. If you haven’t already done so, install the latest anti-virus software on your computer and check regularly for software and operating system updates and patches. Don’t open attachments or click on links in emails unless you can confirm the email came from someone you trust. Need help protecting your identity? BBB offers tips and checklists on what to shred. 7. Never wire money to someone you don’t know. Many scams require that the victim wire money to the scammers. Scammers know that tracking money sent via Green Dot Money Card, MoneyGram or Western Union is extremely difficult. Once you’ve wired the money, it’s nearly impossible to get it back. 8. Hang up, delete, close the door. If you think it’s a scam, don’t engage with the con artist. If you confirm that that email address, phone call or text message reaches a living, breathing, responsive person, the scammers will pass that information around and you’ll get bombarded with even more messages. Ignore them! 9. Fight fake check fraud. Due to advances in printing technology, scammers have the ability to create professional-looking phony checks. Educate yourself on the common types of check fraud and be extremely wary of checks that come with

claims that you’ve won the lottery, are eligible for a government grant or have landed a job as a secret shopper. These are almost always scams. 10. Get everything in writing. Don’t just take a business’s word for it. Get every verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunderstandings between what you expect and what the business delivers.

Melanie Duquesnel

Editor’s Note: Melanie Duquesnel is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula, which is a non-profit organization that fights fraud and promotes ethical business practices in the local marketplace through its business accreditation, consumer education and dispute resolution programs. Contact your local BBB by calling (248) 223-9400 or by visiting www.bbb.org.

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February

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n this day in 1965, Reverend artin Luther King Jr. and 770 others are arrested for protesting against voter discrimination in Alabama. n this day in 1870, the press agencies Havas, Reuter and olff sign an agreement whereby between them they can cover the whole world.

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n this day in the New York Police Department begins finger print identification.

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n this day in year-old ernadette oubirous, a French miller’s daughter, claims to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.

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22

23

24

25

26

27

28

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n this day in avana places all Cuban industry under direct control of the government.

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n this day in eorge Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.

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n this day in 1921, an airmail plane sets a record of 33 hours and minutes from San Francisco to New York.

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n this day in 1836, some 3,000 exicans launch an assault on the lamo with its 182 Texan defenders.

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n this day in 1972, enator Edward ennedy advocates amnesty for Vietnam draft resisters.

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n this day in 1970, General otors is reportedly redesigning automobiles to run on unleaded fuel.

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astronauts walk on the moon.

n this day in 1899, the merican War ends.

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February 2016

What Happened on This Day in History

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n this day in 1955, a Jewish couple loses their fight to adopt Catholic twins as the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to rule on state law.

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n this day in the first serious fist fight occurs in Congress.

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n this day in 1815, Napoleon leaves his exile on the island of lba returning to France.

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What to Do When Your Pets Have Fleas? By Dr. DiBenedetto,

ThumbPrint News Columnist

With the warmer fall and winter this year, we have definitely been seeing an increase in flea allergy dermatitis, as well as allergic skin disease being compounded by the presence of fleas. Fleas account for more than half of all dermatological conditions requiring veterinary assistance; just a single flea bite can cause a hypersensitive animal or person intense itching and irritation. Ridding a home of fleas can be frustrating and costly. Here are some tips on how to eliminate and control a flea infestation: • Cat fleas are the most common flea we see, but cat fleas are not specific to cats. They can infest dogs, raccoons, opossums and more. • Adult fleas spend most of their time on the animals, not in the carpet or bedding. They have an average life span of about 50 days. • Adult fleas lay all of their eggs (up to 50 per day) on your pet. However, the eggs are designed to fall off the animal into carpeting, beneath the cushions of furniture, and anywhere else your pet rests, sleeps or spends most of its time. Flea eggs will hatch anywhere from about two-10 days under the right conditions. • After hatching, flea eggs develop into tiny, worm-like larvae. Larvae remain hidden deep in carpet fibers, beneath furniture cushions and in other dark protected areas. They feed off of dried blood and organic debris. It takes the larvae about one to two weeks to mature and move on to the pupae stage. • Before becoming adult fleas, the larvae transform into pupae within a silk-like cocoon. Pupae remain inside the cocoon for two to four weeks, but without any triggers, such as vibrations or exhaled carbon dioxide that allow them to hatch, they may remain in the cocoon up to nine to 12 months. The cocoon is resistant to all insecticides and this is why some adult fleas are seen for an extended period, even after the home and pet are treated. • The adult fleas make up only five percent of the flea population in an environment. This means that the other 95% of the population is in the animal’s environment, both indoors and outdoors. • Therefore, successful flea control must include treating the home, all pets in the environment and occasionally, the yard. Treatment of your pets must include all pets in the house, even if your cats are strictly indoors only. Fleas will bite humans, but prefer the dogs and cats in the

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environment. Your veterinarian can assist you in finding the right products to multiservice company that can trust! apply to your pets. Cats in particular areAvery sensitive to you insecticides. There are varieties of topical and oral flea products available that will kill the adult fleas and many contain an insect growth regulator that will prevent the eggs from hatching in the environment. These products should be used for at least three months consecutively. This will kill the adult fleas that emerge from the resistant pupae stage. At the same time that your pets are being treated, you should also clean and treat your house. This process should include: • Removing all toys, clothing and stored items from floors, under beds and in closets. • Removing pet food and water dishes, covering fish tanks and disconnecting their aerators. • Washing, dry-cleaning or destroying all pet bedding. • Vacuum! -- Vacuuming removes many of the eggs, larvae and pupae developing within the home. Vacuuming also stimulates the pupae to emerge sooner from their insecticide-resistant cocoons, thus hastening their contact with insecticide residues in the carpet. By raising the nap of the carpet, vacuuming improves the insecticide's penetration down to the base of the carpet fibers where the developing fleas live. Vacuum thoroughly, especially in areas where pets rest or sleep. Do not forget to vacuum along edges of rooms and beneath furniture, cushions, beds and throw rugs. After vacuuming, seal the vacuum bag in a garbage bag and discard it in an outdoor trash container. For canister-type vacuums, empty the contents in a garbage bag, seal and place outdoors, then wash the canister out thoroughly. • Other than the person performing the application, people and pets should be out of the room during treatment. People and pets should also remain off treated surfaces until the spray has dried. • Many different products are available for home treatment. The most effective formulations contain both an adulticide (e.g.permethrin) effective against the biting adult stage, and an insect growth regulator (methoprene or pyriproxyfen), necessary to provide long-term suppression of the eggs and larvae. In cases where pets spend most of their time outdoors, it may also be necessary to treat the yard. Outdoor flea treatment should focus on areas where pets rest, sleep and run, such as doghouses and kennel areas, under decks, along fences and next to the foundation. It is seldom necessary to treat the entire yard or open areas exposed to full sun. Insecticide formulations containing chlorpyrifos (Dursban) or permethrin are somewhat effective for outdoor flea treatment. These can be applied with a hose-end or pump-up sprayer. Long-term suppression of fleas infesting kennels or outdoor areas can be enhanced with formulations containing an IGR, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen. Fleas can be successfully controlled. Homeowners that do not have the time to control fleas themselves or who are uncomfortable applying pesticides may wish to enlist the services of a professional pest control firm. Editor’s note: Dr. DiBenedetto is a veterinarian at Maple Veterinary Hospital located at 2981 Iowa in Troy, Michigan. The hospital website is: www.mvhvet.com. Dr. DiBenedetto can be reached at (248) 585-2622 for other pet related questions.


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1 + 1 = 3 The New Math of Relationship By John Vincent Senkus ThumbPrint News Columnist

A repeated theme of mine is the basis and importance of a healthy self-relationship. After all, you cannot have a satisfying intimate relationship with another, if you lack the self-ability to do so. So why gyp yourself … or your relationship? A tool to help in this journey involves conscious probing. This is where your consciousness is used to unlock the invisible and underlying signals sent by your unconscious thoughts and actions (or inactions). When consistently hidden, transparent, and unrecognized, the unconscious mind can drive too many of your feelings and behavior—without a hint that it’s being done. But the first step in the unveiling process begins with the question: Why? There is always a reason why you think, feel, and behave as you do. The trick is to figure it out. Are there issues with relationship, control, anger, sensitivity, ego, alcohol, drugs, excessive recreational dependence (television, Internet, shopping/buying, gambling, etc.)? While these are more evident, some behaviors are not so obvious. Struggles with growth, intimacy, communication, problem resolution, expression, acceptance, or perspective can be more subtle. The typical common denominator in these scenarios is the unconscious suppression of fear and pain, and compensating for these “voids” by latching onto safety, comfort, and the ego. However, this discomfort is not to be avoided—for in it lies some of your very most potential growth opportunities. It is only by looking pain straight in the eye that you can ultimately dissipate its hurtful energies. Overall, if the routine of your life is not enabling your possibilities, then it is disabling them. If you’re not listening to your needs, then you’re shutting the door on them. If you don’t become part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. Applying these seemingly harsh perspectives, while potentially difficult, can clear a much better growth path for your future. The goal of conscious probing is to turn around a negative unconscious reaction into a responsible and favorable conscious choice of intention.

This requires raising your awareness through a higher level of consciousness, a deeper perception, the ability to slow your mind, and some prowess to delve into subsequent layers of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. These skills will unveil telltale signs, allowing you to penetrate into the reasons of “why” you behave as you do. It is questioning assumptions, paradigms, and automatic responses. It is asking why until you have peeled back the layers one by one and have reached root cause. It is separating cause from symptoms. It is taking the “I don’t know” out of the equation. You don’t just decide to be in a good or bad mood, to invite or avoid intimacy, to have strong or weak integrity, to minimize or crave routine, to seek out or shun growth opportunities, to have a minimized or inflated ego ‒ there is always a reason. Step back and ascertain your everyday actions, habits, and patterns. Identify and isolate your positive and negative emotions. You are either on a passage moving toward … or pulling away from your essential-self. Your challenge is to know which and to understand why. Raising awareness also requires being cognizant of our inherent tendency to “bias” the information we receive. This is because we filter everything through our existing experiences and knowledge. The old saying “perception is reality” truly applies here. We can only relate to that which we have been exposed to, or by what we can understand (through knowledge, empathy, and imagination). When our mind cannot fully understand the things that we see or feel, we reach (inference) for that which we recognize. To better process our perceptions of the unfamiliar, our mind looks for best matches through past observations, then applies those that most closely resemble the new criteria. It is this transference of what we do know, onto that which we don’t, that attempts to fill in the gaps of what we cannot comprehend. But in trying to minimize this affect and see more clearly, it can feel like we are straining to look through lenses that are not our own—which is exactly the point! To lessen the effects of bias, it is important to identify what we do not understand, thereby minimizing the portions that we “fill in”. Developing

a practice to question our assumptions can be a very useful approach to counter the slants that bias can bring. Inner solitude, deep reflection, and meditation can also be very beneficial practices. Another obstacle we encounter is failing to perceive. How can we notice what we do not recognize? If our perceptions cannot draw from the points of reference within our understanding and experience, then our radar screens will draw a blank and we will struggle to relate. There will be no blips of reference. There are no easy solutions to this aspect. Obviously, the more we learn and are conducive to expanding our growth horizons, the more we diminish the potentiality of this effect. In addition, keep in mind that even when deep seated issues finally get resolved ‒ habit, laziness, or the comfort of the same routine (fear of change) can still keep the old and worn self-defeating perceptions and responses going… Comedian Joey Adams stated, “A psychiatrist asks a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing.” Funny, but also true (works with husbands too)! The intimate relationship you have with your partner is fertile ground for providing ample “first-hand”

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observations regarding your behavior. ManyA multiservice times your significant other company that you can trust! can provide a much more unbiased view than what you offer through your filtered perceptions. Often times they will probe your unconscious mind for you. You may not necessarily appreciate or like what they have to say ‒ but their remarks can offer significant growth opportunities for further self-evaluation and development. It’s very important that you don’t “tune out” these inputs. Abraham Maslow stated that if the only tool you own is a hammer, everything tends to look like a nail. Without the ability to consciously probe your hidden unconscious mind, your higher awareness toolbox becomes very small, limiting your abilities to discover the deepest parts of your mind. Not only do you rob yourself of the right to be who you are capable of being, you also short change your intimate relationship as well. In the end, when you look outside, you cannot see more than that which is possessed on the inside. Thanks for reading! Please send any questions or comments to [email protected]. In our next column, we will take a look at some of the factors that affect relationship growth.

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By Patricia Cosner Kubic ThumbPrint News Contributor

Yep, it’s that time of year when it seems like the whole world turns a bright shade of red. We barely said hello to the new year when the aisles in the card store seemed to turn from Christmas green to Valentine red. For some, facing that day can make going to the dentist the preferred choice, especially, I hate to say, if that person is a woman - a woman of a certain age. And that’s as far as I’ll go on that one. But, truly if everybody put their feelings on the table, it’s just not the single gal who can’t find Mr. Right; it’s anybody who doesn’t have their special one and feels left out, and, yes especially lonely come mid-February. Really what everybody is thinking about is love - wanting it, missing it and, most of all, needing it. But the problem with love is the minute you make the decision to give it, the risk of that decision backfiring is immediate. And should that hurt come to fruition, it can be an astronomical ache that is endless. That’s the price we pay when we decide to love someone; there is a chance that we’ll have to say goodbye. And, then those pinks and reds that show up every February can really sting us. Unless. Unless, there is some sort of cockamamie love that is guaranteed to never, ever hurt us. And, as someone who 20 years ago never, ever had this type of love and then found it, I can tell you it does exist. Further, it exists for everyone. In the early 1990s, I was dating Robert. At some point, I began spending extended periods of time at his house; quite frankly I got bored now and then. I’d sit on the basement steps with my chin in my hand watching Robert play with his Lionel train set. Or, I’d watch him maintain his kayaks and scuba gear and plan trips. Sometimes, I’d watch him dabble in pen and ink drawings. Meanwhile, I would just be sitting around, not finding anything on TV (some things never change). I just watched. Eventually, I’m very happy to say, we got married. Soon, Robert got the idea that we should have a wedding scrapbook and not just the typical wedding album. I wasn’t too keen on this

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idea; but being new at the wife game, I thought it was best to go along with this idea. So, we stopped at a scrapbook store. Within minutes, I was infatuated with the colored papers, the markers, inks, stamps and glitter. Where had all these pretties been all my life? No time to think about that! Soon I entered nirvana, also known as the sticker section; it was in that singular moment that my lifelong sticker addiction began. I couldn’t get home fast enough to bust through the door and spill out my new toys all over the kitchen table. I carefully and closely examined each packet; I shuttered just a little bit each time I discovered a new feature. I was dizzy with ideas for our wedding scrapbook, now known as Roberts’ greatest idea ever! It was that afternoon that I stopped watching Robert play with his toys. I had discovered my own. A few months into it, I was hooked and the kitchen table was rarely cleared off. The people at the scrapbook store now knew my name. Up until then, I never really had an actual hobby. I had interests, things that I liked to do, but nothing really concrete. Scrapbooking made time fly when I was alone; whew, I did not have to depend on another person. Since that day in the scrapbook store 20 years ago, I’m thrilled to say that I discovered other hobbies including gardening and bike riding. I’ll be at work, doing chores, and a quick thought about taking a bike ride later in the day and here comes my smile. I’ll look forward to it. I’ll look forward to it. And, isn't that part of love? When the cold temperatures set in, my shoulders slump knowing it will be months before I feel the thrill of that first push on my peddle propelling me down the driveway or the smell of the dirt in my garden when I plant my marigolds. I miss them when I can’t be with them. More signs it might be love. So take it from me, don’t wait 20 plus years to find the hobbies that put a spark in your day. Maybe go to a store you’ve never been to. Get that book you passed on time and time before. I know there is something in back of your mind that you’ve always wondered about. Who knows what might be there waiting for you? True, it may never send you roses in the middle of February, but you could find a love that will last a lifetime.

Editor’s note: You can contact Patricia at [email protected].

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insurance and other offices, and a tworoom schoolhouse. Although greatly diminished today, Davis still has the Meade was a Ray Township village Davis Baptist Church (which has a that, unlike Davis and Ray Center, has historical plaque), a pizza place, grocery very few traces left that it ever existed. store, electric business and Masonic The main area of Meade was at North Avenue and 26 Mile Road with a portion lodge. The township hall of Ray is the on nearby Fairchild Road. The Meade former Union Church, built in 1868. Cemetery is down the road on 26 Mile Given to the township in 1950, it started Road near Omo Road. being used for meetings in 1968. In Meade had a post office established 1996, the Ray Township Senior Center in 1838, with Stewart Taylor as its was built first postmaster. Also in Meade was onto the a blacksmith shop (which is one of building. the few buildings left in Meade), the The Ray DeGrow General Store, a barber shop, Township a beauty parlor, gas stations, a car Library repair business, and many others over is also a the years. The area was known as the repurposed Crawford Settlement in the 1870s for The former Union Church of Ray building early settler and Revolutionary War Twp. is now the Ray Twp. Hall. – the Mill veteran John Crawford. School, built in 1863. It was transferred One of the businesses of Meade was to the township in 1953, and in 1983, the Sound Inc. recording studio, located was renovated and became the Ray on North Avenue in the 1960s and early Township Library. 1970s. The record labels sometimes Circa 1899, the East Gass Sawmill listed New Haven for the address, was on the west side of Romeo Plank although most of them credit Meade, Road, about a half mile south of 27 Mile Michigan. You could dub a song in the Road. They studio in the back and then have it would saw white waxed into a vinyl single in the front. oak planks for Patrons of the studio included Johnny the road. The Powers, the Capreez, Rene Meldrum plank road and Paul Lienert, among others. was a toll road Meade contained the Macomb costing users Airport which was located on Indian one cent a mile Trail Road, north of 27 Mile Road during the late 1930s through the early The sawmill of East Gass in 1899 for a horse and buggy to two cents a mile for a team of 1960s. horses and wagon. A toll booth was at The last store of Meade, which had 27 Mile Road and Romeo Plank. East been a general store, grocery store and Gass was the name of the owner. party store, closed in 2012, and was Another mill in Ray Township was bulldozed in 2014. Meade still retains a the one belonging to the Wolcott family. stop light and a speed limit of 45 mph. The mill was constructed in 1847, by Another a miller only known as Freeman. It town of Ray passed through a few owners until it Township is was purchased by Fred B. Wolcott in Davis, once 1878. It was used as both a feed mill called Brooklin, and a grist mill until 1967. The mill was or Brooklyn. widely known for its high quality flour. Brooklyn, the The Davis Hardware store The mill became the centerpiece of a settlement, had 2,625 acre metropark, which includes two blacksmiths, was on Romeo Plank in downtown Davis. a 250 acre working farm, in 1989. a general store, The land the park is on was originally a hotel, sawmill, cooper, creamery, purchased by Macomb County to be churches, and the Plank Road Mill, used for a community college branch in which manufactured lumber for the the 1960s. Romeo Plank Road. The lost towns of Ray Township, with In 1876, the settlement was renamed Davis, in honor of Reverend Jonathan E. more pictures, are included in the Lost Towns of Michigan, on sale on Amazon, Davis. The first postmaster also had the at Barnes and Noble and local outlets. same surname—Bela Davis started the first post office in 1876, and it operated Editor's note: In October 2015, Meade until 1910. was featured, as well as other lost towns. The village of Davis had a resurgence If you are interested in reading that story, in the 1940s, and had a cleaners, a or any others, all of the 2015 issues of barber/beauty shop, two grocery ThumbPrint News are available online, stores, the Davis Hotel, two gas at www.thumbprintnews.com/past-issues. stations, hardware store, grange office,


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CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

February

If you have an event in March that you would like listed in the March issue of ThumbPrint News, email it to [email protected] by February 12, 2016. There is no charge for the listing. Limited space is available for publishing events in this section. If it becomes necessary to eliminate some of the events that were submitted to us, we apologize. Events that were submitted earliest and non-profit events will be given the first priority. Editor’s note: Before traveling beyond your home town to attend any of these events, please call ahead for any changes in dates or times or for any cancellations.

Genesee

No events were submitted for Genesee County this month.

Huron

Bad Axe - February 6 & 20 Tip of the Thumb Dancers,

Huron County Senior Center, 150 Nugent Rd., 7:00 p.m. ‒ 11:00 p.m. Admission $5. Bring finger foods and friends. February 6 will be our Mardi Gras night and entertainment will be provided by Lighthouse Three. February 20 will be our Valentine Dance and entertainment will be provided by The Natural Tones. For more information call (989) 269-8348.

Lapeer

No events were submitted for Lapeer County this month.

Macomb

Chesterfield - February 4 “History of Medicine”,

Chesterfield Township Public Library, John Herbert Room, 50562 Patricia Ave., 6:30 p.m. Presented by Dr. Patrick who will teach about “Medicine from the Medicare Age to the Present”. Free, but pre-registration is requested by calling (586) 598-4900.

New Baltimore - February 7 New Baltimore Flea Market,

VFW Hall, 35011 23 Mile Rd., 9:00 a.m. ‒ 2:30 p.m. To be a vendor call (810) 388-0908 or (586) 256-0212.

Memphis - February 27 Euchre Tournament, Memphis

Lions Club, 34758 Pratt Rd., 7:00 p.m. $10 per person. Snacks available. Everyone welcome. Prize money awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. For more information contact Frank at (810) 329-3717 or [email protected].

Washington - February 27 History Hunter Scavenger Hunt, Loren Andrus Octagon House, 57500 Van Dyke, 10:00 a.m. During your visit

you will hunt for historical objects, meet historical people and participate in historical chores. At 11:30 a.m., you will meet Mr. Loren Andrus, the builder of the Octagon House, and learn the history of the house and how his family lived there. Admission $8 per person. Reservations are requested by calling (586) 781-0084 or by emailing [email protected].

Oakland

Pontiac - February 21 “Octagon House in Washington Township” Part 2 of the 2016 Small Talk Lecture Series,

Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, Carriage House, 405 Cesar E. Chavez Ave., 2:00 p.m. William Grandstaff will take a look at Loren Andrus, who built the 1860 Octagon House in Macomb County, the Andrus family, and a brief history of the Underground Railroad in Michigan. $5 admission includes refreshments. For more information call (248) 338-6732.

Novi - February 25 - 28 Cottage and Lakefront Living Show, 46100 Grand River Ave.,

3:00 p.m. ‒ 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, noon ‒ 9:30 p.m. on Friday, 10:00 a.m. ‒ 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. ‒ 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission $10, $4 for children 6 - 14 and children under 5 admitted free. On-site parking is available for a fee. For more information visit www.NoviCottageShow.com, Facebook.com/NoviCottageShow or call (800) 328-6550.

St. Clair

Port Huron - February 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 GriefShare Support Group,

Colonial Woods Christian Counseling Center, 1101 Military St., 7:00 p.m. ‒ 8:30 p.m. This is a support group for those who are grieving a loss due to death. This is an ongoing group that is designed for people to come in at any


time and meets each Monday. For more information or to register call (810) 984-5575.

St. Clair - February 1, 8, 22 & 29 Cribbage, St. Clair Library, 310 S. Second St., 1:00 p.m. Did you ever want to learn how to play cribbage? Come on in and learn. Adults and seniors. Refreshments. For more information call (810) 329-3951.

Algonac - February 2 Friends of the Algonac-Clay Library Meeting, Algonac-Clay

Library, 2011 St. Clair River Dr., 3:30 p.m. Become a part of your community library and discuss plans for the future. All ages. For more information call (810) 794-4471.

Port Huron - February 2, 9, 16, 23 & March 1, 8, 15 & 22 “A Matter of Balance”, Lake

Huron Medical Center, 2601 Electric Ave., 2:00 p.m. ‒ 4:00 p.m. If you have concerns about falling or are interested in improving your balance, flexibility and strength, this eight-week program is for you. Cost is $20 and includes program materials and refreshments. To register please call (888) 637-2963.

East China - February 3 Low Vision, Legally Blind and Blind Support Group Meeting,

St. John River District Hospital, 4100 River Rd., Room 2, 11:00 a.m. ‒ 1:30 p.m. Limited transportation is now available for $2 round trip for the Port Huron and St. Clair areas only. Call (810) 987-7373 at least 24 hours in advance for ride. For more information contact Paul at (810) 329-5172.

Capac - February 4 & 18 Kid Kreations, Capac Library, 111

N. Main, 4:00 p.m. Great stories and fun crafts for elementary-age children. Registration required by calling (810) 395-7000.

Kimball - February 4 Tween and Teen Design Time: Back-to-School Bingo, Kimball

February 2016 Lakeport - February 5 Lapsit Storytime, Burtchville

Township Library, 7097 Second St., 10:00 a.m. Storytime designed for little ones under three and their caregivers. Join us for short stories, finger plays, songs and nursery rhymes. Registration requested by calling (810) 385-8550.

Marine City - February 5 - 21 “Promises, Promises”, Riverbank

Theatre, 358 S. Water St. Music by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, book by Neil Simon. If you liked “Mad Men” or the movie, The Apartment, you’re in luck. This show, set in the swingin’ and stylish 1960s, offers up a charming (if morally dubious) hero, memorable one-liners and infectious pop tunes. Call (810) 278-1749 or buy tickets online at www.riverbanktheatre.com.

Port Huron - February 8 Create-A-Card, Port Huron Library, 210 McMorran Blvd., 6:30 p.m. Learn how to create your own handcrafted cards. Ages 6 - 12. Registration requested by calling (810) 987-7323.

Casco - February 9 St. Peter Lutheran Church Potato Pancake Supper Time,

Perch Point Conservation Club, 7930 Meisner Rd., 4:00 p.m. ‒ 7:00 p.m. Adults $8, children 12 and under $3. Menu includes potato pancakes, ring bologna, homemade applesauce, dessert, coffee and tea. We make regular pancakes too. For more information call (810) 765-8161.

Marysville - February 10 Teen Valentine Card Making,

Marysville Library, 1175 Delaware, 2:00 p.m. Make clever Valentine’s Day cards. Use your favorite fandom character or a sophisticated design to impress your Valentine! Materials provided. Ages 12 - 18. Registration requested by calling (810) 364-9493.

Algonac - February 20 Thank a Vet Bowling, Colony

Township Library, 1955 N. Allen Rd., 5:00 p.m. Come and play Bingo using Valentine conversation candy hearts and win some new back-to-school supplies to get your new year off to a fresh start. For more information call (810) 982-9171.

Bowl, 4962 Pointe Tremble Rd., registration at 6:00 p.m., bowling at 6:30 p.m. Three games nine pin “No Tap”. $25 per person includes bowling, door prize tickets, two mystery games, rental shoes and ball. 50/50 and raffle tickets extra. Sponsored by Boat4vets. com. For more information or to make a donation call (586) 716-9254.

Memphis - February 4 Dinner and a Movie, Memphis

Avoca - February 20 Euchre Night, Avoca Community

Library, 34830 Potter St., 5:30 p.m. Adults. For more information call (810) 392-2980.

Hall, 5396 Kilgore Rd., registration at 6:30 p.m., play begins at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $25 per couple or $15 per individual.

GET YOUR SEPTIC PUMPED!

February 2016 A light meal will be included. Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd highest scores. Door prizes. A grand prize will be given to the player with the highest total monthly scores at the end of the season. For more information call (810) 324-9433.

visit our programs as a guest or can become a new member of the group. For more information call (317) 600-7813 or visit the website www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~misccfhg.

East China - February 20 Painting Fundraiser, St. John River

300 S. Parker, 6:30 p.m. Join us as we read a story and make a related craft. Ages 5 - 12. Registration requested by calling (810) 765-5233.

District Hospital, 4100 River Rd., 2:00 p.m. Right Brain Projects help people activate the right sides of their brains through painting while having fun. Artists will walk everyone through step-by-step and all will walk away with their own personal masterpiece. No painting experience necessary. Cost is $40 and must be paid for in advance at hospital gift shop. Proceeds will benefit the hospital with enhancement of patient areas and provide beneficial advanced technology for patients, physicians and associates. For more information email [email protected].

Fair Haven - February 20 Kid Kreations, Ira Township Library, 7013 Meldrum Rd., 11:00 a.m. Join us in the library to make a fun craft with paper and paper towel rolls. Ages 5 - 10. For more information call (586) 725-9081.

Yale - February 22 Scrapping and Snacking, Yale

Library, 2 Jones St., 10:00 a.m. Join us for scrapbooking fun and snacks. Bring your photos and creativity. Registration requested by calling (810) 387-2940.

Port Huron - February 24 St. Clair County Family History Group, Port Huron Museum, 1115 Sixth St., 7:30 p.m. Carol Bogan will present a program on “Adoption and Adoptee’s View Point” in reference to tracing family history. Anyone interested in local history or researching their family tree may

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Marine City - February 25 Kid Kreations, Marine City Library,

Sanilac

Lexington - February 13 Ice Fishing Contest, Lexington

Harbor, 8:00 a.m. ‒ 11:00 a.m. February 13 is during Michigan’s free fishing week and no fishing license will be needed that day. Prize money will be given for the five heaviest legal fish ($200, $80, $60, $40 and $20) from salmon, walleye, pike, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead and perch (8” or longer). Cost is $20 to fish three lines. On-site registration begins at 7:15 a.m. For more information call Kim at (810) 679-3904.

Port Sanilac - February 21 Lost Towns of the Thumb,

Sanilac County Historic Village Museum Mansion, 228 Ridge St., 3:00 p.m. Allen Naldrett, a Michigan historian, is the author of several of the “Images of America” books. He will speak on his book, Lost Towns of the Thumb. Books will be available for purchase and book signing as well. Admission $10 adults, $5 students. For more information call (810) 622-9946.

Tuscola

80871 Main Street Memphis, MI 48041

810-392-3000

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HOURS Mon. & Wed. 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. | Tue. & Thur. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Sun. Closed

No events were submitted for Tuscola County this month.

Wayne

No events were submitted for Wayne County this month.

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GOT BED BUGS?

February 2016


Page 25

For Sale A multiservice company that you can trust!

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Auto Parts

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inexpensive trip. Clean, low mileage. New furnace, a/c in cab, tires, battery, microwave and flat screen TV. Take that honeymoon, retirees take grandchildren to Disney World or a winter trip to a warm climate in comfort. A deer hunter’s dream! MUST SEE! (989) 827-9022.

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25

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Hard to Believe But True, Facts About St. Valentine’s Day • In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card. • Based on retail statistics, about three percent of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets. • In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentines. They would wear these names pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve." • Physicians of the 1800s commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love. • More than 35-million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.

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Kenneth L. White Manager


HOUSE FOR LIFE By Paul Welch ThumbPrint News Columnist

If I were to mention “wallpaper,” many of you would cringe at the thought of either putting it up or taking it down. For those of you who have taken it down, many of you would never put it up because the experience has scarred you for life. There is no easy way to remove wallpaper. Unless it was put up right to begin with, you will be cursing the people who put it up in the first place. Here are steps to make it easier, but by no means easy. Pull Through – The first step is to start pulling off the wallpaper. This is the test to see if it was put up correctly. If it pulls off the wall while leaving only adhesive residue, it was likely put up correctly by priming the wall with wall sizing. If this happens to you, feel free to skip to the cleanup step. If the top layer peels off leaving the bottom layer of wallpaper stuck to the wall, congratulations, you have more work ahead of you. I Get So Steamed – With the top layer removed, put down a drop cloth and tape it below the wallpaper. Next, either take hot water and put it on the wall, or use a wallpaper steamer to steam sections of the wall. The hot water or steam will loosen the adhesive so you can scrape the rest of the paper off the wall with a scraper style putty knife. Try not to gouge the wall while scraping, but it's OK if you do. You might end up taking some paint off the wall or end up having to patch some spots. This is fixable, so don't sweat it. Not Done Yet? - At this point you will want to start patching and painting, but there is more to do. Using a solution for dissolving the adhesive, try to get off as much

leftover adhesive and wallpaper residue as you can. Apply it to the wall, let it sit about 15 minutes, and scrape or sponge off. Once the surface is dry, sand the wall to smooth it out and remove any remaining adhesive. The texture of the adhesive will stand out like a sore thumb and will show through any paint job. Sanding will smooth the texture and make it look nice. Patchwork - Next you need to patch and fill any holes you may have created during this job. Use some spackling compound to patch the holes and gouges, trying to smooth it out as much as possible. Once it dries, you can smooth it further using a wet sponge. Now there is one final step before you can paint. Optimal Prime – For the best result, prime the walls with a good quality primer. Spare no expense when choosing a primer. Even if your paint says it is a fancy stain-blocking paint and primer in one, still use a separate primer. There is likely still some adhesive on the wall despite all of your hard work. Priming will make sure your paint adheres instead of blistering and peeling off. If you are facing the situation in this article, good luck and remember that it will take work and patience. There is no fast way that will give you the desired results. It is a messy job and will take time to do right. Be safe this winter and remember that spring is coming closer every day. Remember to know your limits and hire someone if you are out of your league. It is all too easy to mess up royally or get hurt if you don't know what you are doing. Until next time, take care of that home.

February 2016

Twenty Gentoo Penguins arrive at the Detroit Zoo via FedEx

Submitted By Patricia Janeway

As completion of the Polk Penguin Conservation Center draws near, 20 of its future residents have landed at the Detroit Zoo. The aquatic birds – 10 females and 10 males – arrived earlier this month via FedEx from an aquarium in California and are chilling in a special quarantine area at the Penguinarium. The newest flock joins three other gentoos – the first of their species to arrive at the Zoo nearly a year ago – as well as the colony of king, rockhopper and macaroni penguins. A signature feature of the penguins’ new home will be a chilled 326,000-gallon, 25-foot-deep aquatic area with views above and below water as the birds dive and soar. This will allow visitors to observe penguins dive under water – something they would not be able to see in the wild. “Gentoo penguins are fast swimmers and divers and spend a lot of time in the water, so their new aquatic habitat will be an ideal environment for them,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society chief life sciences officer. The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is the fastest-diving bird, with paddle-shaped flippers which help it reach speeds of up to 22 miles an hour under water. The long-tailed penguin is recognized by the white stripe extending across its head and its bright red-orange bill. The gentoo is the third-largest penguin, reaching a height of up to 30 inches and a weight of up to 20 pounds. The Polk Penguin Conservation Center is under construction on a two-acre site just inside the Detroit Zoo’s entrance and is slated to open in April. Soon after the Zoo’s 80 penguins move into their new home, renovation will begin on the Penguinarium to turn it into a bat conservation center. The Detroit Zoological Society – a nonprofit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo – is recognized as a leader in conservation, animal welfare and sustainability as well as providing sanctuary for animals in need of rescue. With an annual regional economic impact of more than $100 million, the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak is one of Michigan’s largest paid family attractions, hosting more than 1.4 million visitors annually. Its 125 acres of award-winning naturalistic habitats are home to 2,500 animals representing 270 species. In recognition of its environmental leadership, the Detroit Zoo received the top Green Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, and was named Best-Managed Nonprofit by Crain’s Detroit Business. The Belle Isle Nature Zoo sits on a five-acre site surrounded by undisturbed forested wetlands on Belle Isle State Park in Detroit and provides year-round educational, recreational and environmental conservation opportunities for the community. For hours, prices, directions and other information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.

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February 2016


Page 27


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By Rennae Hardy ThumbPrint News Columnist

Awake periods during a good night's sleep may not indicate sleep deprivation or compromised health. An evolutionary trait, bi-modal sleep, might even provide related physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Conceptually, we strive for a single, consolidated, eight-hour segment of sleep every night. When times of wakefulness occur routinely, we often become concerned and seek out a physician's help to correct the interrupted pattern. Physicians who diagnose sleep disorders often prescribe sleep medications. Sadly, some of these medications have unpleasant side effects. During years 2000 through 2005, Americans were prescribed 60% more sleep medications than in previous years. Additionally, the use of OTC (over the counter) sleep medications continue to grow. Segmented or bi-modal sleep suggests our idea of a solid eight hours representing healthy sleep is a myth. We have suppressed our natural biological clock. Our ancestors slept in two stages - a period of sleep, generally four hours, followed by a period of wakefulness, generally one to two hours, followed by another period (four hours) of sleep. Interestingly, while in the awakened state, the brain secrets high levels of prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that promotes relaxation. Historically, the time of "wakefulness" was considered special, even sacred. It

was a time for intimacy and was believed in 16th century France to be the best time for couples to conceive. Dreams were more easily recalled and recorded. The quiet practices of reading, writing and contemplation, as well as the spiritual practices of meditation and prayer, were all commonplace during the awakened state bridging the two separate phases of sleep. Over time, improvements to street and domestic lighting encouraged an increase in nightlife activities. Our ambition to be productive caused our "rest" time to diminish. By the early 1900s, bi-modal sleep had receded from our social consciousness. Today, our drive for success coupled with our minimized "power sleeping" habits have left us un-rested. Our need for a good night's sleep continues to feed a 20 billion dollar industry created around better mattresses, pillows, sleep centers, herbal remedies, prescription medications and additional sleep aids. Sleep varies between children, adults and the elderly. Individuals with anxiety and mood disorders often have atypical sleep patterns. Determining the healthfulness of your sleep habits directly relates to your energy level, alertness and how you feel. Experiencing bi-modal sleep is natural. Your personal time and space for "being" lies within the gift of wakefulness.

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