St. Clair Shores Sentinel

Published March 16, 2015

Palette of auto paint choices awaits drivers

A car with chipping, scratches, fading or worse cannot hide under winter grime forever, but repainting options exist just in time for a spring makeover.

Allan Edwards, owner of Maaco Collision Repair & Auto Painting in Shelby Township, said drivers get their cars repainted for a number of reasons, such as collision work, corrosion restoration or a simple refreshing.

“A lot of times, they’ve just got older cars looking pretty bland,” he said. “Sometimes they want to do a totally different color.”

Read More

Published March 13, 2015

Make a call to alert city to potholes

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The joke is that there are two seasons in Michigan — winter and construction. But there should probably be a third added to the mix: pothole season.

And the fact that temperatures have begun to leap above the freezing mark during the day means that season is upon us, with more potholes likely to be opening in the roadways soon, according to St. Clair Shores Department of Public Works Director Bryan Babcock.

Published March 11, 2015

A close shave for cancer research

METRO DETROIT — A few years ago, when Jason Davidson’s hair was completely shaved off during the St. Baldrick’s Foundation cancer fundraiser, a young girl battling the illness came up to him and said “thank you.”

Touched by her words, “It was hard to come up with a response,” Davidson said.

Published March 11, 2015

SCS family welcomes ‘one in a million’ identical triplets

ST. CLAIR SHORES — A month after the birth of identical triplets, a local couple is together at home, adjusting to life with five boys in the house.

Mike Whiteley and his wife, Lauren, welcomed identical triplet sons Jan. 25: Alexander, Nicholas and Timothy.

“We knew she was pregnant in July; she did an at-home pregnancy thing,” said Whiteley, 31.

Published March 11, 2015

Gym to get facelift, addition

ST. CLAIR SHORES — A gym dating back more than 30 years will get a facelift this year.

Gary Collins, director of development for Fitness International, said that LA Fitness, 20701 E. Eight Mile Road, is planning to give the building, first constructed in the 1980s, a facelift and a 4,069-square-foot addition.

Published March 11, 2015

Looking Back: Big Bear Market

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The Big Bear Market was located on Greater Mack on the site of present-day Great Lakes Ace Hardware. It was one of the first major grocery stores in St. Clair Shores. Big Bear Markets of Michigan operated 33 supermarkets. By 1957, Big Bear Market changed into a Wrigley store. The brief history of this market in St. Clair Shores comes with an interesting story about supermarket monopolies.

Published March 11, 2015

Ice dams can bring winter problems indoors

METRO DETROIT — They have a certain austere beauty and create remarkable sculptures when they begin to thaw and refreeze around trees, bushes or just the ground, but those large icicles growing from your roof could be an indication of a larger problem — ice damming on the roof.

An ice dam is a buildup of ice on roofs caused by melting snow that refreezes around the eaves of a house; it is usually quite easy to spot, experts say, because of the large icicles and pieces of ice that form on the edge of the roof of the house.

Published March 11, 2015

Dance workouts shake up mundane exercise routines

METRO DETROIT — Bored with barbells and sick of stair climbers? You’re not the only one. More and more people are making dance a part of their regular workout routine — and they’re having a great time doing it.

Ivy Mitchell, of Clawson, knows how effective it can be to take exercising out of the gym and onto the dance floor. She teaches Zumba fitness classes in Clawson and Eastpointe, guiding students through interval-style full-body workouts masked as upbeat dance routines.

Published March 11, 2015

Petitioners for marriage equality file briefs with U.S. Supreme Court

METRO DETROIT — The legal team of the lesbian couple from Hazel Park challenging Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage have filed their briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court. So have plaintiffs in similar cases out of Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.

“Regardless of what happens in the next few months, we’re confident these are the briefs that represent the right side of history,” said Dan Canon, one of the counsel for the Kentucky case, during a conference call with legal teams for all four states Feb. 27.

Published March 9, 2015

Learn the ‘hole’ story about potholes

Even if you haven’t felt that sinking feeling on the road yet, two county road agencies say you can expect to drive over some potholes soon.

According to Road Commission for Oakland County spokesman Craig Bryson, potholes form when rain or melting snow gets inside road cracks. As temperatures dip, that moisture freezes and expands, creating a cavity under the road. When the frozen water thaws, the road’s structural integrity is compromised, causing the affected portion to collapse into a pothole when a vehicle rolls over it, he said.

Read More

Published March 6, 2015

A close shave for cancer research

Touched by her words, “It was hard to come up with a response,” Davidson said.

Published March 6, 2015

Museum to host program on WWII paratrooper training

METRO DETROIT — Do you have what it takes to be a World War II paratrooper?

Wait, back up. Let’s not even get into the fighting they encountered. That’s a separate issue, one you’re certainly not prepared for.

The same goes for their basic training. Suffice it to say it was grueling, agonizing and spread over weeks. It wasn’t for the faint of heart, mind, body or spirit.

Published March 4, 2015

SCS police looking for armed robber

Police sketch

St. Clair Shores Police are looking for at least one man responsible for robbing a man when he returned to his home on Alexander Street March 3.

Published March 4, 2015

Creating a picture-perfect childhood

One of the best parts of parenthood, for many, is that for a few precious years the refrigerator will never be lacking in color.

Artwork created by little ones is not only a point of pride for caregivers and educators — it’s also an important part of a child’s early learning and development.

Pam Rush, owner of The Learning Experience daycare and preschool center in Shelby Township, has been integrating art into the curriculum for 25 years.

Published March 4, 2015

Regular maintenance key to restoring patio, deck after winter

Right now, there are likely several inches of snow piled up on at least a portion of your deck or patio.

But what will you find when it melts?

Flaking paint chips and nail pops on your wooden deck, moss and weeds starting to grow between brick pavers, or worse.

Published March 3, 2015

Clinton River watershed to benefit from $20 million EPA grant

METRO DETROIT — In an effort to help get the Clinton River watershed off the Great Lakes Area of Concern list, the Environmental Protection Agency has pledged $20 million to fund 11 projects throughout the watershed over the next three years.

“This is a big deal for the watershed,” said Jennifer Tewkesbury, of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes.

Published March 3, 2015

Friends promoting Buy a Chair Campaign for library

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Known for their contributions to the library’s collection of works, programs and more, the Friends of the Library are taking a stand against budget constraints.

Or a seat.

Published March 3, 2015

Remnants from party on ice anger residents

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Police are looking for those responsible for an annual bonfire on the ice of Lake St. Clair that has neighbors complaining about the trash left behind.

St. Clair Shores Police Detective Lt. David Centala said residents living along Lake St. Clair near 11 Mile Road took it upon themselves to clean up after the Feb. 21 party, which left metal scraps, nails, empty beer cans, bottles, liquor bottles and more littering the lake.

Published March 3, 2015

Crowds warm up to frozen fun at Aqua Freeze

ST. CLAIR SHORES — With visitors coming from as far as Florida and France, the 2015 St. Clair Shores Aqua Freeze Festival was bigger and better than the inaugural event.

“I think, on the whole, we learned a lot from last year,” said organizer Geri Hofmann. “You never can bank on the weather. ... You can bank on having fun. We tried to make it so that it was something for every age group, and I think it was a success.”

Published March 2, 2015

Warm or cold, cars require care when traveling

While millions of Michiganders shiver through the winter, other people have temporarily fled for warmer climates down south.

But auto experts say those who choose to travel to more affable temperatures by car should pay attention to the challenges that both colder and warmer weather may bring to the road and to the vehicle.

According to AAA Michigan Public Affairs Director Susan Hiltz, Michigan has quite a few “snowbirds” who dwell in the southern states during the winter months.