Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

I went to the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge of Center road and there were some cross country ski tracks in the snow. It got me thinking about the winter Olympics and how nice it is to live somewhere we can ski and skate. Maybe in a few years there will be an athlete from Saginaw in the Olympics. I am sure it won’t be me, skiing and skating is a lot of work. I guess that is why I like curling, it looks like a sport I could do, and I bet when the other athletes are in the gym pushing there bodies to the limits, the curling team is in the bar eating wings and drinking beer talking about sweeping strategy.

I was in the south west end of Saginaw taking some pics of the old elevator and I turned the corner onto Perry Street and saw these snow sculptures,it put a big smile on my face so I and I just had to take a few pics.

I enjoy Zehnder’s Snowfest in Frankenmuth  and marveling at the amazing snow and ice sculptures. I admire the teams of talented artists sculpting giant blocks of snow competing for a prize and recognition.  but I also like this one I found. You know they had fun playing in the snow and it was made just for the joy of creating something with what you have.  To whomever made these thank you, it made my day.

It’s Friday night which means it’s opening day for new releases, so I guess this is the beginning of the last weekend for the Quad, I know it’s technically the Saginaw 12 or something. The number of screens and the name has changed several times over the years, but it will always be the Quad to me, I watched Star Wars there when I was 7 years old and seen many Hollywood block busters, not to mention a few duds. I told my kids they are giving away pieces of the screen and my son laughed and wondered why. I told him, imagine how many moves the projector shone onto that white fabric revealing some of the greatest movies ever made. I also wonder how many people over the years have looked at it and laughed, screamed and cried watching there favorite movie.  I also remember when the left side was the cheapies and my wife and I would go there for a cheap date night, since I’m cheap we waited to see a lot of movies so we could watch them on the big screen instead of the little TV and renting a VCR tape. I am going to miss the old theater, but I am also looking forward to the New Quad, and yes that is what I am calling it, I am not sure what the name of the new theater is, but New Quad sounds good to me.

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Beans Bunny Day, on February 2nd, is similar to groundhogs day, if the bunny on top of the beans elevator sees its shadow on a sunny morning, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. I think our bunny is way better at predicting the weather in Saginaw then Punxsutawney Phil in Gobblers Knob. It’s also a little like St Patrick’s day, but instead of getting hammered on green beer, it’s a day to get out and do something in Saginaw with your family and friends. You cold go out to breakfast, or visit one of the awesome local museums such as the Castle or Children’s museum. Go antique shopping in Old Town or maybe go to one of the schools and watch a sporting event. There are lots of fantastic and unique restaurants to get dinner at in Saginaw, and you could even get the unofficial sandwich of Saginaw, the steak sandwich. Later in the evening you could go to a purveyor of alcohol and get some adult beverages at one of the many saloons and bars in town and the fact that it falls on a Sunday means you may just have to celebrate it all weekend long. Beans bunny day is not about buying gifts, or making resolutions that you know you will break, then hate yourself for it later. It’s about spending time with your family, in a city that has so many wonderful places that you can not find anywhere else. If you don’t live in Saginaw, I suggest you get out to a local mom and pop business and let them know you care by purchasing something from them. It’s the local mom and pop establishments that give a city its unique character, and you know the owners started their business in your city because they care about the town they are in, not because a bunch of market research suggested they would obtain good profits in that location. I hope you get out and support your local businesses not only on beans bunny day but every day.

When they call off school my kids get a phone call, email and text, or you can go on several different web sites to find out instantly if school has been canceled. When I was a kid, I had to sit by the radio and listen for my schools name to be announced in a long list of schools. I went to Carrollton Public Schools and it was a small district without any bussing so we were about the last school to close, and I would have to listen to the radio DJ read thru a list of a hundred schools waiting to hear if it was added to the end. There were no computers back then, so the list was not alphabetized, it was in whatever random order the schools submitted there closings. I remember on snow days waking up early just to listen to the radio and to see if school was closed and by the time I heard those glorious words “Carrollton Public Schools are closed” I was awake for an hour or two and now way to exited to go back to sleep. My brothers and I were out early playing in the freshly fallen snow. I think the best snow days were the ones that were never anticipated and mom would let us sleep in and then tell us school was canceled.

It’s strange that we have so much information and instant access about what the weather is doing. I remember the days of  Chuck Waters forecasting the weather with a map on a wall and some magnetic snowflakes and clouds. I hope wherever you are you are enjoying your “snow day”

New Years day has passed and just like other years I was home watching the ball drop on Times Square in NYC. It got me thinking, who decided that New York City would be the king of the new year parties, why is the ball drop there so important, why not Washington D.C., Atlanta or Detroit. I don’t know how these rituals happen, I think they just do because someone was crazy enough to do something and over time we liked it. Maybe next year someone in Saginaw will come up with a crazy idea to do something to ring in the new year that will become a tradition. The ball drop has been done, I say raze something up whats the opposite of a ball, a box? Maybe we can have a box raising, how hard can it be, a milk crate with some Chrstmas lights, run up a flagpole. I am sure Saginaw can come up with something better than dropping a wooden sardine or a Moon Pie.

I also remember when I was a kid, NYC was the crime capital of the world, unfortunately that distinction goes to Detroit now. Since I pondered how Times Square has changed I did what everyone does when they have a question, I googled it. I found this article and thought it was interesting how Times Square has changed. It’s interesting how part of Times Squares revitalization was refurbishing the theaters, kinda how Dr Shaheen has refurbished the Temple theater. I am sure every city has it’s own unique set of problems but there are some similarities and we can learn from what has worked in other cities. I have a feeling that 2014 will be a big year for downtown Saginaw with the renovations going on with the Eddy and BancroftBuildings and David Strouse investing in the Leo Kahn building along with CMU and other developments such as the new pavilion, I hope we continue to see downtown change for the better. It will never be what it was but hopefully it will be a place people will want to go to and enjoy again.

I had a blog website for a while but never really used it much, I mostly stuck to my facebook page since it was easy to post to and for people to share and comment. I decided it was time to update my website so I have a little more control over what I want to show and post. I want to do more writing and facebook does not do a good job of allowing me to have links and photos tied into what I write. I still plan on using my facebook page to post daily pics and short comments. I have other things I want to do, and a website will allow me to do things that facebook will not. I have lots of ideas and stuff rolling around in my head but mostly questions but not many answers. I figure its time I start asking them, maybe people will think I am insane, I don’t know, I guess I will find out. do they still put people in mental institutions  wearing straight jackets. I am assuming not, mainly because the state is broke,  and we just let us lunatics roam the streets, or start websites.