By Eileen Trombley Glick
Keener Correspondent at DetroitMemories.com
Swingin Time on DVD!
Over the years, a number of folks have written to me asking about the Swingin’ Time shows. As luck would have it, L.A. resident Dave Fisher, Cass Tech ’63, who was a ‘regular’ on Swingin’ Time, taped six shows back then and has now burned them to DVD. They are dated:8-27-66, 9-3-66, 9-10-66, 9-17-66, 12-24-66 and 3-11-67. If you’re interested in these DVDs, contact me and I’ll send you a PDF of the artists who appeared on each of these shows along with information on how the DVDs can be viewed.
Happy 50th Art Van and Little Caesars!
Art Van Elslander started working in a furniture store as a young man, and his entrepreneurial spirit led him to open his own store on Gratiot Avenue and 10 Mile Road in 1959. Despite the fact that Detroit’s economy was struggling during this time, Van Elslander was able to build his business, and between 1959 and 1964, he took on three business partners and opened seven more stores. Though the company experienced growth for some years, hard times hit Art Van Furniture in 1964. Getting creative, Van Elslander held a liquidation sale at the Michigan State Fair Grounds. He was able to sell everything and save the company. 1973, Art Van Furniture moved headquarters from the12 Mile Road and Van Dyke location to 14 Mile Road and Mound, where it is still located today. Art Van is the largest furniture retailer in Michigan, and the only independent family-run furniture store of its kind in the Midwest.
Mary Francis Masson Free Press Business Reporter writes:
A big “thank you, thank you” was bestowed on the couple who made “Pizza! Pizza!” a catchphrase. At a 50th anniversary celebration of Little Caesars, the kudos came from employees, franchisees, elected officials and even celebrities like Kid Rock, Eminem (who once worked at Little Caesars) and former President George W. Bush. Mike and Marian Ilitch opened their first Little Caesars restaurant in Garden City on May 8, 1959. Now there are about 2,500 Little Caesars pizza outlets located on five continents and in every U.S. state.
From the mailbag: I’m 67 years old and grew up in Detroit. I moved to Texas in 1960. When I was a little boy we lived on Detroit’s east side and my father would take me to an amusement park at 8 Mile Rd and Gratiot. I was wondering if anyone remembers the name of that park and if there are any surviving photos of the park? Also, are there any photos of Jefferson Amusement Park and is it still open? – Doug McLeroy Houston, Texas
Eastwood Park (aka Eastwood Gardens) was open from 1925-1953 and located at 8 Mile & Gratiot. It was a popular destination, helped by the fact that the streetcars turned around there. The park was a creation of Cyril Wagner, the same gentleman who opened Electric Park. In fact, Eastwood’s roller coaster came from Electric after it closed in the ’20s. Jefferson Beach was mostly destroyed by fire and closed in 1959. It boasted a 1,000 foot high roller coaster and a swimming beach. Additional information, memories and photos available at this terrific website: www.WaterWinterWonderland.com.
On a personal note, my dad was working at Jefferson Beach in 1947 when he met my mom, a visitor to the park. They married four months later and were together for 33 happy years. Our family lived about one mile from JB, so we went there often.
TV Talk with DETROIT TV GUY ED GOLICK Webmaster of www.DetroitKidShow.com and a vintage Detroit TV show expert
QUESTION: I was born in Ferndale in 1928. I studied at the Society of Arts & Crafts located on Watson street in Detroit, beginning in 1948. I have some good memories of ol’ Detroit. I remember Ralph Binge’s Beautiful Carl, Sharp Frank and, I believe there was one other character who were figments of Ralph’s comical imagination. He performed the voices. They were hilarious. They were very popular on his morning radio program, which was, I think, WXYZ, and the year was 1952. Can you give me more information about this show? – Bob Johnston Pawleys Island SC
ED SEZ: You can read more about Ralph Bingey and Joe Gentile on my website at http://www.detroitkidshow.com/Binge_and_Gentile.htm
Whatever happened to??
QUESTION: What ever happened to Don Zee? He was the midnight DJ at WXYZ. I listened to him all the time and even went down to the studio in Southfield with a friend of mine to visit with him one evening.
Art Vuolo, Radio’s Best Friend and Detroit broadcasting expert answers: Sadly, Don was killed in a gun accident while living in west Texas back in the late 1970s. Don “Daddy Zee” Oke (“Daddy Zee, two e’s, if you please”) worked the graveyard shift from midnight until 6 am, and always signed on with Dracula (Bobby Pickett), Elvira, and “Trantula” by The Trantulas.
Detroit Memories On YouTube: Check out Sonny Eliot’s 50th ANNIVERSARY INTERVIEW with Michael Collins from 1997.
Upcoming Class Reunions
Detroit St. Thomas – All years | St. Ambrose – All classes | Detroit Redford – Class of ’59 | Walled Lake Central – Class of ’59 | Mother Of Our Savior – 60’s Grade School Reunion | Highland Park – Class of ’64 | Waterford Kettering – Classes of ’64 and ’65 | Waterford Township – Class of ’68 | East Catholic – Class of ’69 | Lakeview (St. Clair Shores) – Class of ’69 | Livonia Franklin – Class of ’69 | Southfield – Class of ’69 | St. Florian – Class of ’69 | St. Mary Mt. Clemens – Class of ’69 | Waterford Kettering – Class of ’69 | Wyandotte Roosevelt – Class of ’69 | Madison – Class of ’74 | Clintondale – Class of ’77 | Lincoln Park – Class Of ’78 | Airport (Carleton, MI) – Class of ’79 | St. Clement – Class of ’79. Details on all Detroit area class reunions can be found here.
(Eileen Trombley Glick keeps Detroit Memories alive from her home base in Phoenix AZ. Click here to subscribe to the FREE Detroit Memories Newsletter.)
