Fading memory -- Gordon's Five & Dime

Gordon's Five & Dime located in Depot Town


YPSILANTI, Mich., -- The room once smelled sweet like fresh fruit and honey. Displayed were all colors of the rainbow and countless shades of the color wheel collage through out the novelty shop. Collectibles, childhood favorites, and most of all candy were the strong hold of this establishment.

Everything had it’s place at Gordon's Five & Dime. Dozens of fish bowls with lids containing sugary tastes many remember from childhood sit eagerly waiting to be chosen. A blast to the past the candies costing only a penny each were plainly decorated and of no popular 21st century brand. Majority of the morsels found here were of an earlier generation. Parents and grandparents could visit this five and dime and remember the “good ol’ days” when penny candy was all they knew.

The store was once filled with old figurines and candies you couldn’t find at local grocery store carried: Necco Wafers, Sugar Daddy Pops, Abba Zappas and the Sky Bar.

But the vintage candies are no longer available at 23 E. Cross St. in Depot Town. In it’s place is the Nelson Amos Studio. What used to have toys hanging in the windows underneath a white 23 over crimson awning, now displays paintings in frames and photos.

Gordon’s closure about a year ago was unexpected and rather sudden. Two woman who preferred not to give their names were disappointed the store had closed and aimlessly walked the streets of Depot Town convinced they had overlooked it. After realizing Gordon’s was no longer they settled for The Rocket (similar to Gordon's ), which is on Michigan Avenue.

“Small talk and the buzz from other owners around is all we essentially know about one business or another,” Dennis Unyon said. He said they don't necessarily share personal information, but if there were talks of a store being in trouble someone more than likely would hear about it.

Co-owner of Dennis’s Music Sean Robinson said he thought the closure of Gordon's was voluntary. Dennis’s Music has been happily stationed in Depot Town for four years.

“Depot Town is a pride spot of Ypsilanti,” said Robinson, who was born and raised in Washtenaw County and currently a resident. “It would be great to see all the current business owners come together. We aren’t real close, but we are friendly and know each other by face and name. Businesses here on Cross Street really creates a sense of community.”

Business owners tend to keep to themselves while running their businesses. “You may hear we had a good day or bad day, a good month or a bad month," Robinson said. "But right now I don’t think businesses are in the position to take risks. They have to stay conservative and provide excellent customer service all the time, not just because of the economy.” “And that’s why I think the strip is staying alive."


Gordon’s Five & Dime is only one of many stores to leave the historical town, but it will certainly be missed and remembered, but never forgotten.

Nelson Amos Studio which is now in place of Gordon's Five & Dime.

Roving Festival Writer--TheRFW.com--Introduces Rashon Amiel

YPSILANTI Mich. -- Rashon A. Massey is a mission is to focus on underrated musicians and talent.

“Mainstream music always has someone to capture their every move on stage and off.” “But what about the others whose music is phenomenal just not mainstream? That is where we step in, said Massey, a co-creator of Roving Festival Writer, a Web site that is dedicated to “Documenting Music Just As” according to its motto by delivering insight to music worthy of exposure that mainstream has forgotten.

Massey who is from Flint, and co-creator Ben Landsman, who is from Birmingham,make a great match. According to Massey, Landsman is the traveling one. If nothing else he loves traveling to all the shows and festivals and rarely misses any. In the summer they both travel from fest to fest documenting, recording, and interviewing people and artists.

It hasn’t been easy for the Ypsilanti natives to get things up and running.

“We wanted to keep everything in our family,” Massey said.

The main goal was to keep this business friends and family. They figured with a few of their friends graduating from Eastern Michigan University with film, public relations, journalism, and telecommunication degrees, they would want to help out. However, that didn't work out and the duo separated for almost a year convinced they had been defeated.

Massey has taken the obligations of the Web and maintaining connections and networking their business. Recently, the RFW teamed with up sponsors and was invited to Michigan’s very own Rothbury Music Festival as guests of Madison House Publications.

“Ben and I were able to put together our own team for the first time, sure we could pay them but we just asked around and put messages onto Craigs List and created Team Rothbury 2009,” Massey said. "We chose to have two camera men, a journalist, and Ben and I as brand reps."
"Madison House Productions really came through for the upcoming company," he said

“The ladies of Madison House were very generous, they gave us a space to set up the photo booth, which was created for Rothbury, and donated by miphotobooth of Zeeland,” Massey said, “It was a great success.”

They also teamed up with Everybody’s Nuts who makes excellent pistachios in different flavors. Klean Kanteen whose main focus is to a food-grade stainless steel that contains no harmful chemicals or toxins. The RFW also tries to promote going green. Along with Klean Kanteen it made a new connection at Rothbury '09, E-Cooler, an earth friendly company. E-Cooler Michigan based company produces and distributes waterproof, reusable, paper coolers.

“It has been a pleasure working with Rashon, he has great ideas and keeps up with the technology we need to stay afloat. Granted we are starting out with hopes of earning a living with RFW I am confident with his ideas and work ethics, and my eagerness to explore and meet-and-greet, we will get to where we want to be soon,” Landsman said.

Massey said he is striving forward working harder than ever to get RFW on the map. Massey who will be relocating to Chicago after his performance as Lysander in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the Blackbird Theater in Ann Arbor closes, vows to stay true to his roots here in Michigan.

“The great thing about the site is that I can work from anywhere,” Rashon said.

Video extra

Here is an example of his company’s videos taken from Rothbury Music Festival 2009. For more videos, click here.

Karaoke: Lights, Camera, Twitter!

Pub 13 karaoke and piano bar


YPSILANTI Mich., -- The smell of cigarettes, hops, and whiskey consume the air of the dimly lit main floor of the establishment. Chatter and laughter loudly linger as the wait staff diligently rush table to table gathering orders, which tend to be alcoholic beverages rather than food.

Karaoke is more than good or bad singers, a stage, a microphone, and a monitor feeding participants lyrics. It's entertainment that invites you to be the show for a brief moment or a part of it whether you sit, listen, and watch. Karaoke is not a one man show.

Pub 13 Food and Spirits in Ypsilanti, demonstrates the need for individuals to not only participate, but to be a supportive audience. Sunday nights at the pub is Karaoke with Gypsy. She has themes every Sunday. Roulette which she throws songs in a bucket and participants are normally singing a song they do not know is not a crowd favorite. At the end of the night the audience votes on ballad slips and the winners receive prizes. Other nights it's classic karaoke where you put your name in and sing a song. The most popular is contest nights. Ten contestants sign up at the beginning of the night, they choose songs to sing, and compete for a Pub 13 gift certificate and a spot in the finals.

Karaoke with Gypsy wouldn’t work without supportive audience members such as Keevan Cole. He began karaoke at Pub 13 six years ago when he was a manager there, and he never misses a night. Although he will admit he is not the best singer he does it because it is fun.

“ I am the prime example of tone deaf, but I will continue to get on that stage every Sunday at least twice,” said Cole. His social network is there every weekend and he is definitely a milestone for the establishment.

Can’t make it to the Pub on Sundays, or maybe you aren’t 21 yet? No problem. Granted the 13 doesn’t have a live video feed of the night, what would our social lives be without Twitter.

Brian Carbine said he believes that Twitter is wherever he is. Karaoke is a social gathering for him as well considering he is close with the host. In addition his network extends on the cyber network as well.

“Pub 13: A parade of train wrecks. No really this is Jawsome,” he twittered to his 75 followers.

That says it all.

Introducing Me

I am excited for the journey to the place many are terrified of. The place that people in my hometown call the ghetto, oblivious of the beautifully kept communities of Detroit.


I am confident in saying I've gotten the best of both worlds. I was born in Detroit, raised here in Michigan, and I am proud to be a part of the metro Detroit area. Born in Detroit and raised in the Farmington Hills which is 20 minutes outside of the city,and allowed me to view life through many kaleidoscopes.

Having family in the city kept me intertwined in the city wheel. Although I laid my head in Farmington Hills most nights, my family ties were there, so so was I. The culture of this place is amazing. The stories behind how she has flourished, struggled, changed, risen up, and crumbled, speak for themselves. Detroit is here to stay.

I think metro Detroit is a huge player in the growth of our country and the automotive industry. As we have watched the United States struggle through a decline in automotive demand so has our city, so has our state. This is my first opportunity to construct a blog. Although it is a requirement I think it's an excellent one. My METROBLOG is going to focus on things metro Detroit.

It will be an honest look at everything that either made up Detroit at one point in history, to what is keeping the pulse of the city so hard to feel. I hope to embody the essence of Detroit with a bit of punch. Detroit shan't take a TKO without a deafening fight.