This is What's the Deal Grosse Ile, a podcast about the people places history and events that make Rocio unique. I'm your host, Ben fote. Our conversation went a little long. So I'm just going to lead into this by saying that I'm glad to be back with third season of the podcast. I have some fun stuff ahead for us. This event in particular drew my interest and then a few people mentioned the podcast to the folks involved in getting it going. So if you have something that should be on the podcast, don't hesitate to let me know. Now on with the show. Well, for this third season of What's the Deal, Grosse Ile one of the threads we're going to follow is the island's rarely remembered legacy of transportation. We're going to start off with an event that is being put on at the airport. And so with me today is Janelle Macnee, the manager of gross Hills airport and Commerce Park and Barry van engelen. Right, very good. Who's with versatile VFW Post 7310 on Macomb Street. And they're going to tell us about the planes, trains, automobiles and motorcycles event that's happening on August 27? Well, first, how did this event come to be? And how did you get involved with it?
Well, I think I probably will kick it off here is I was approached by one of the members of the gearheads that they had an auto show, a car show here and hangar one last year, and it went really well. So they had asked if I could help them in facilitating a new auto show this year. So on our conversation, you know, I walk in here every day and I look at the history around here and historical museum is downstairs and I decided that it would be a really good idea to approach the VFW and get the VFW involved and continue the connection, really with them as well. Bringing the history back from the VFW to be able to hear stories from you guys. And it just kept evolving. And originally it was gonna be a car show. And then it became planes, trains, motorcycles and automobiles, you know, anything that anything that makes noise, right? Absolutely.
Sometimes smoke too.
That's for sure. And so and so the VFW gets involved, very, how are you involved with the VFW?
Well, well, I'm the commander post commander here. And then for about five, six years now we were approached by one of the members of the gearheads he called me up and he said, I'd love to come to your meeting and express an idea to you guys. It concerns a car show. It concerns you guys concerns and helping you guys survive. And we thought I've learned since I've been commander, when somebody says that word survived, we want to help you never turn it down. Never turn it. So I put it out. And in a message to all the guys coming at our next meeting would be a guy from the gearheads. He's got a car show idea. And he wants to throw it at us and see what you guys think. So I told him to come early. We kick start, you're right at seven o'clock then and get you in. So any questions with the members? They can ask you? And there was questions, and I was really glad to see the questions coming right off the bat. They got excited about it, because well, we do car shows now at our post. Sure. And that started on the thing that a guy came to my post one day as an idea. He wanted to help us inside he saw me doing something with some lights. And he said, Barry, you need better light than this. Let me help you do something. And again, I learned over. Sure, okay. And as we work together in the post, I find out he's a DJ, he spends records. And so I said, Oh, Director then he said, You guys could do a car show here. And I said, current. So I never gave that a thought, you know? He said, Yeah, and I would be the DJ, I'll have the music and we'll go with it. So we had fun doing these things. We raise money. Yeah, as we're like a church, really our VFW posts, we only survived by donations, or things fundraisers that we do are Hall rentals and whatnot. Then we used to sell alcohol at the island fest. And that was a fundraiser, that was a good way to raise money to keep us going here. So that idea got in good. And the guys liked it. So we this was a good thing to do. Well, they only get approached by the gear heads. And he wants to help now the gear heads is a big club. They know a lot of other big car clubs, and my lights are gone. Besides saying he this could be a big thing. This would really be nice. So when they came in and got it, questions answered, he walks out. And I said to the membership right there and I said, All right, you guys, you just heard this view. What do you think you want to go with this? How about a show of hands who'd like to do it? Every hand went up? I've never seen that happen. Every hand that yeah, very this will be cool. I said Well, then moved down with the meeting the next day I said, I'll get in contact with gearheads and tell them, it's a goal. Everybody liked it. And, you know, and just to see that happen, to keep our history alive health and growth here, because there's so many veterans on the island. And everybody has somebody they know, that's a veteran, and I'm always trying to keep that alive. So we thought, you know, somebody, somebody's out there trying to help us again. And here we are trying to put this together with meeting setup, whatnot to get this thing going. And every time I go to the meeting gets getting bigger and bigger, which they all bring you in on a few things that they're gonna do they have their and of course, you've heard some things already you brought up, but it's just the excitement is growing. It really is. And we're really happy that this can happen. With us being there to to be involved.
Yeah. And, and, and being at an old Naval Air Station, right. So yeah, you go, you know, I mean, you get into these meetings, and you hear the history of the veterans, it's, it's pretty heartwarming, and to be able to bring the community together and, you know, bring the awareness. Yeah.
And I'll tell you, that my, my family, my, well, my wife's family has at least two people that that went through, went through the station here in preparation for going other places, flight school or whatever. And, of course, we didn't know that until we moved here. You know, they said, Oh, yeah, I know where that is. And it's all because of that. So So it's one of those distinctive things about grow seal for sure.
Well, I think I'm gonna add to that, I mean, hopefully, you know, bringing the awareness with the veterans and the conversation being generated will bring the awareness to others that don't know that their family members were trained here.
Oh, for sure. For sure. Now, I saw the event flyer, and it's going around Facebook a little bit and I'll post I'll post a link to the information in the in the show notes here too. From the flyer at least it looks like it's a big car show. That also is a fly in and, and then of course, the car show will also include motorcycles, and then somehow trains and the trains is intriguing to me, because I've got this I've got this vision of his lane and train tracks again. But I suspect that's not what's going on. So So what can we expect if we if we go there on August 27?
With regards to the trains Lancer, that first
for all of it. So it's a car show?
Well, I think I think the trains is probably going to be the biggest question. No, we're not going to have full size. Here. We we have a we have a gentleman who is bringing in a model train for the kids to look at. Pretty cool. So that's the train question right now. I mean, we kind of got a late start this year. But the hopes and we have had conversations with the Yankee Air Museum getting them out here. They're tied up at Oshkosh right now. So yeah, that's gonna kind of they have other plans, but we've been in contact with we're really trying to get the b 52. Mitchell out here. There's no promises yet. But we have been in the work for trying to get that back out here. My understanding was it was here a couple of years back. So it looks like we have some other historical airplanes that are going to be here today. As a matter of fact, we have the Goodyear blimp, and it was really cool, because the warbird flew in. Oh, wow. Just from from Ann Arbor to see the Goodyear blimp. And he was really back he flew in from Ann Arbor and so he will be back for this show as well. So let's have a word here for
now if if we have planes or if I actually have a friend who I'm trying to entice to come up with their with their World War One biplane, and so how what sort of information is specific for for for airplanes, do they need to register, especially in advance to get space or anything like that?
That's a really, really good question. Well, we have a pretty big tarmac and lots of tie downs. So if if he planning on putting on display, I suppose he could, you know,
we can talk about that later. But the Yeah, I don't know. I haven't I haven't convinced them yet. So so we'll have to figure that out.
You can fly in for breakfast, so we're gonna have a fly in breakfast for them having breakfast here in the morning for the early birds.
Oh, excellent. Okay. And that's not just for for the fliers. That's, that's for everyone. That's for all the car folks too, right. Absolutely. Christmas. Okay. Is there a fee? If you're if you're bringing your car is it uh, are there prizes? So you pay a fee to be part of the judging or something like that?
Yeah. God had last meeting. Yeah. It's they're only charging $5 to get in and that will give you a chance to win a door prize. We're getting a door prizes now from a lot of people from Lowe's, Home Depot, a lot of the auto parts stores Uh, O'Reilly and now they're all joining in on this, they want to be part of it. Bait Chevrolet. They've been waiting for me to get a hold of them for the next car show. Yeah, there we go, we're gonna we want to help you again. Yeah, so got a hold of them and boy, they they're ready to come forward and other guys are looking reaching out to different other other dealers and whatnot because it evolved sponsorship you know, these days we'll come up with this and that's what makes it exciting to when you get these cars in there. And they come in pay their fee, they park and then they're going to do a thing where you can nominate your favorite car in the show. And there'll be a prize for that there'll be trophies are going to have their I just everyday that you hear something at the outer meeting something is just gotten a little nicer, a little sweeter, you know, there's a sweeten the pie. It's really coming. I'm just I get more excited about this every time I go to one of the meetings that I can't believe that something started but just we're going to do this you think you want to join us and to where they've come up to now. The prizes for people, door prizes, and things for the children are going to be in there like not to. And I think we might I'm hoping we get maybe some new members out of this. Because like Janelle said, people might be coming down there and they didn't realize the history that their order will make them aware of something that happened in their past. And then we hope that maybe we get some new members that are VFW posts that way too. Sure. It's a win win. And in our community, they get to be involved in this thing and get down.
I think that's the important part that you know, the airport is offering a space up for the community to come and and enjoy the history here at the Old Naval Air Station.
Yeah, and when we talked in the in the previous episode about the airport, one of the things was trained to generate more more activities down with the airport to to keep keep that focused for folks, all the industry that's going on down there. All the all the events that can can happen besides just Island fest. I think everybody knows, Island fest happens there, but so much other other activities can happen down there, too. So it's great to see more. Right? Yeah, to clarify on the fees. Is that for people coming to see or is that? Is that for the cars? Or is it for both? The $5 entry.
As for cars,
it was 15. Registration. It was a $15 car registration. And then it was a $5 charge for people coming in. And then I think it was 12. And under, I can't remember if
details will be will have the details in the in the notes here. So now are there gonna be other vendors? Will there be food or like, sometimes there'll be businesses set up for in like a commerce section or something?
Yeah, we have a couple of vendors that are going to be here. We have a hotdog stand. And then we have a good humor, Stan. So I excellent ice cream. And then we do have the Glenn dos taco food truck. So that will be food.
Excellent. Excellent. So we've we've sort of touched on it. But so I I'm assuming that the the money gets raised, and part of that goes to support the VFW. Correct. Is there a specific project for the VFW that that goes toward?
Well, you know, we're in there remodeling that building. We're trying to get it fixed up when we started in the main hall. And we remodeled bathrooms. Now we've got to remodeled our baths or bar area. And we're starting to get more rentals now than we ever had. That it's just a process to keep it up. It's like the the old build it and they'll come well fix it up. They'll come. Yeah, yeah. And to get got it. We're hoping I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag on too much things. But we're hoping to rename our post and one of our oldest members, he's 99 years old. And to do that, that means that whole front facade has got to come off. And with the new name up there, but we can't we tried to redeem it already. And what came back was the in the bylaws of a national, the person has to pass before we can we're allowed to do this. Yeah. So we said we don't want to hurt anything. But we know that's gonna cost so that's probably where some of that will go right in that to do that. And then all donations from our post, go to veterans needs. Like if somebody we have Poppy sales and stuff and we've got them out at different stores on here on the island, CVS and the gas station. And the people that grows here are amazing. I have to go there every two weeks to empty the box. There is so much in there and a big part of our donation goes towards the Children's National home. There's only two of them in America, we've got one of them right here in Michigan, there were only they only survived by donations and all the VFW posts that are still remaining trying to get keep things gone to a lot of their funds goes towards that host or the Children's National home. It's where something happens to a member of veteran, whether it's the wife or the husband with or whatever, the surviving minor, or the one that can't make the income come in. The family can go there and live there for two years. And you're completely taken. So this is a big thing, when something like this happens, but this car show that we know will have funds more that we can still donate, or this organization, our honor guard is all survived by the poppy donations and that people donate to the VFW, everybody loses somebody, these guys show up to the honor guard and do their ceremony folding the flag presenting that with the puppies to the surviving spouse and or survivor, the family and it isn't free. They got to drive a big bus around nature, upkeep and whatnot. So a lot of this just the excitement of this show, with the township and getting so many more people involved and hopefully with a history of their background for their parents or whoever, asserting that they know too. It just means so much and I think
and the puppy sales is that Remembrance Day when when those goes on sale. sales
weren't my incoming, we do ours of our district forwards and Wayne County and that happens the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day. Okay, is when that happens. But we're allowed to sell poppies year round. So when the COVID thing hit, we used to sit at Kroger's, and we would be out there at four corners and selling dodging traffic and buses. But we'd be out there Loyless ever, you know, collecting the donations, but with the great people of Rose Hill, these businesses let us keep a box at the front desk up there. So we can collect up there and the owner of the gas station. They've helped. Everybody knows Dave. Dave said to me, Tim, but I come in there and click that box. He said, Barry, ain't that better than standing up there? On the corner collect? And we used to value voice. I said, You're right, Dave. And no one's COVID thing. We could sit at Kroger's there for a while. Yeah. But just this past Thursday, Friday, Saturday, before Mother's Day this year, was the first time we sat out there and collected. And we set a record for donations. Just amazing. Sure, amazing. People go deal got something fair, and we sure appreciate it. Yeah.
So Janelle, how does how does this event tie into the townships vision for the airport and the history of the island?
Well, I think it goes back to kind of the previous conversation in your earlier podcasts, and really just keeping the history alive here. And making it bringing the awareness and kind of touching back to bringing the community together and showing the value of the airport here.
Um, do you know if if the flight school have anything there?
The flight school is always up and active? Yeah.
Well, they have a table or anything for to get more information about that.
Um, I'm not sure yet. I think there was some conversation.
That'd be that'd be interesting to be able to sign up for flight school while you're there. Yeah, it would be good. Yeah. So some of the things that we're going to talk about later in the season are some of some of the islands unique ties to, to boating and to to the automobile industry. We talked before we started recording here a little bit about Rance molds is a state that was here where the airport is now and then of course, we talked about the DMC too and and actually the the day that we're recording this we've got the Goodyear Blimp is staying with us overnight. And so we've got lots of transportation stuff and and of course we're talking about the trains and we're planning to talk about the train roundhouse that was was here on the island and the train bridge that that we all that we all know so well is as the free bridge and and all the things that go along with that. So so this is I think this is a wonderful event to try to tie us you know, remind us of all this and of course I it's hard to forget that or sometimes you forget that the Ford Yacht Club isn't just a name that has ties to the motor company in the family there so so we've got we've got all these ties into into transportation to grow seal has this unique way to celebrate and I think it's going to be a wonderful thing here. But beyond that, so the the airport also host Island fest obviously and, and then also some private events. So if if I've got an idea for a party, it's something that folks not many folks up here know about me but I I started a party in 2004 If that is going on, actually, tomorrow, the day that we're talking, we're talking in late July. Tomorrow is the day that party starts. And there'll be about 2000 people in Napoleon, Ohio, celebrating this party that I started 17 years ago. And so, so it's kind of interesting that way, but you know, we we rented places like the airport, if somebody wants to have a big event, wedding, I suppose, or maybe a corporate event, how do they how do they get information about renting out the hangar or another part of the airport?
Oh, that's a really good question. So the events here that happened on the island, they all go through approval, and I think the best way to do it, it would be to contact me and kind of walk them through it, but they're special. They're a special occasion. Oh,
absolutely. I think I remember I think I remember seeing pictures. Was there an event maybe two or three years ago that had a maybe had an airplane in the hangar or I think there's a wedding that happened in the hangar that I saw some photos of?
Yes, there have been weddings here at the hangar we've had the helicopter will fly the bride the bride and groom in and drop them off and Yep,
yeah, but the hair looks great after that. Excellent. Yeah, that would definitely be a unique event. Not Not everybody can can do that. Now. I once flew into the the airport at Waterloo, Iowa. And the airport was closing down as soon as we got in it was we took I don't CWA or something into that. And when we got off the airplane, they said, You got to hurry up and get get your bags. The airport is shutting down so we can host a wedding. And so it was it was pretty funny. The whole airport shut down. Of course, it was one room. But but it was it was pretty funny that they were closing down the airport for a wedding. Yeah, so maybe, maybe somebody listening, might want to might want to check that out. Maybe you've got a shindig or a fundraiser that you want to throw and the airport is the perfect place for it. Of course, I think it's perfect place for a lot of stuff. So we'll see. Now the last thing was that all?
We rent our VFW hall out also? Well, of
course I forgot about that. Yeah. And so where do we go to talk about renting out the VFW hall?
Right, just call the hall. Okay. Or you can call my, my cell phone. Okay, I've got a recording on it. There too. People don't leave a recording there. Just call me on myself. And,
and we'll put the phone number on. Oh, great.
Thank you. 734-771-8393. I know it by heart.
Excellent. And, and I've heard that maybe maybe the kitchen there is licensed commercially.
The kitchenette, the post is is used. We've been running it matter of fact, we have a guy that makes kombucha he's the first again licensed to make I can't remember what it's called. It's called Bucha. Bucha. Yeah, yeah. And Bucha. Thank you. And he's running our kitchen and making it in there. We've just, I don't know. And
so if somebody went, if somebody wanted to sell cookies, or cakes or a thing and needed a place to bake it, would that be? Would that be a sort of place to talk to
you? It's funny, it's he was asking what place to start his business. Yeah. And I get that I get a call once from a young lady, and she was wanting to start an exercise class. And I said, and I said, could you think you could help? And I saw and let's see why we couldn't what what do you want to do? And she's, well, I need it for like, just two or three days a week just for an hour each and if that would be okay. And she's everybody. I went to bury they want to do three $400 or some I only wanted for an hour. Just trying to I'm trying to get my business started. I said, Well, what can you afford? And she said, Well, $20 you know, to start out with and I said, deal. We'll start doing 40 bucks. I'm trying to help. Yeah, everybody. And why not? No matter how small or how big colitis meets in our hall on Thursdays? Sure. Every Thursday night, the Jeep club Rocio meets there. They come in with their guys and stuff like that. So they've got a big bathroom to use, you know, whatever. Yeah, why they're there. And I just don't tend to ask him just for a donation. Absolutely, please. It's just something because every little bit helps and you can't get one or thing but when that happens, then the community is it seems like Berta gets out. What do you guys need? Well, we had to be in the grocery aisle. Islanders was trying to get going again, the acting group. Sure. And they needed a place to make their meetings. And they said, very What about the VFW? Oh, can we meet there and I said, What night now because those are nice given the course. It was a great night and and if I got a booking I can't get him you know, or Right. And they agreed on his time and whatnot. And it was open. And I said what they said, What are we? Oh, yeah. So don't worry about, you know, somebody wants to leave a five in the cookie jar. Yeah, it works. Together. It'll work out like it's supposed to. And it has. Yeah, yeah. Well, you
know what they call that thing? They call that community. Right?
Exactly. Right. And we're a village.
Well, you know, on that topic, the last thing that I do in each episode is I asked my guests to make a wish for grow seal. And this seems like a great time to do that. So is there anything that you'd like to wish for the island for the township or the residents of grassy hill?
Ah, you go for?
You know, I've always said that if I won the lottery, I would build theater. I'm in Macomb. Right and Macomb Street, that would be equivalent to that one that's out there. And I can't purple the Purple Rose. It's out there passed down arbor. What's the name of the I can't remember the actor's name anywhere right now. But because to me, the arts means so much. We have so much talent on this island. When, when we were all shut down. And COVID thing went through. I just had the thought I thought, hey, we've got so much talent on this island. Why can't we get people to entertain from their home 30 minutes for somebody every night. And I did this. And I turned it turned into a full time job. It sure does. I had to get one of the songs they were going to do that was going to be the mystery song, so to speak, or name that tune. So I had helped files, changing the song or the two lines, that's all I had was two lines. And they have the song and they had to guess the song, we put it on Facebook. So it drew some attention. It got the people's minds off this isolation thing. I'm hoping for just a short while, you know, it's like taking a walk. You took a walk, sometimes COVID thing, get your mind off it. But here's something you could stay at home and watch somebody entertain you for 30 minutes, and maybe tell you a joke or two or whatever. And we had some great guys that was in there. And they all asked me for a one week in advance notice. So they had time to prepare a setlist so they get through it. And everybody that went on it and saw this they said they really loved it. So to me, was this talent that the arts, I think we could host so many things on this island with that, and bring people together to the arts. There's so many my granddaughter as she can. She sings and she's an actor now. And she loves to do all this stuff. And she knows people she's involved in theater. What what are the things you would to me to be to put one of these things on our island? Oh, sure. Just have people. It would be a draw to come down there. And you see this whatever places you go, the arts really draw the matter of fact, we got a big the grocery art alliance is doing a thing. And we should remember that reveal more or if you're watching. It says September, late September. They're doing a thing for the artists. They're coming down. You may can look it up real quick. When Thank goodness for these Oh, here it is. July 22 23rd 2425. Right? No, no 23rd 2425 Those three days, there'll be artists that will have the stuff on display, paintings and stuff in there. There'll be up for sale. And that's those three days in September. All right, and he expects a big crowd to come to that. So once again, here's the art that's on here. Excellent. You know, another thing I would do on the island being as you said, Where's the boats, and we don't have any boats in this thing. And then coming back, I was over in England. And with my wife, she's from England, and they had these boats, you know, when a boat stands, if you were to stand a boat up, okay, then it goes off. And then it comes together at the top. Well, they had these in these parks. And there was a bench inside the boat. And inside hanging in there was a ukulele and the guitar. They were out of like a weird thing. So you could only go so far with it. But you could sit there and people would come there and gather young kids, or whatever. And he would come and sit in there. And there'd be a gathering of friends and people all around in there. And they would just listen to whoever was playing whatnot. And I wanted to I want to bring that I hope they can have because they talked about building these many parts. Sure. Along Macomb street. But if you can build a couple of those in there and then inside put one of those things so these young kids got to walk up and down the street looking for Madhu Hey, let's go get Frank. He plays the guitar and then we'll sit in there and enjoy it. Eating out. You know how much fun it is when you sit around a campfire and somebody's playing songs, right? Oh, sure. Well, there it is. Without the campfire, you got a boat. Yeah, right in a boat. And that's the two things that I I see on this would
really like to do.
That one's a tough one to beat. So I'll I'll be mine. I'll do mine short and sweet gratitude and enthusiasm
to good driving word that is. Yep. Yeah. So those
are based on everything that I just felt that he just said, that is how I feel that that would be my wish for everybody to have the same gratitude and energy. Sure.
Awesome. Well, that's, that's definitely awesome. Well, thank you, Janelle. And Barry, for sharing the planes, trains, automobiles and motorcycles event with us. Again, that's August 27. Down at the airport on Grove Road, I just want you I want you to know, I appreciate both of you so much. Anything that helps us bring attention to the resources and the history our community has, should be fully supported by everybody. I think I think our community is great at doing it and all the more we can we can put there is fabulous. And thank you for letting me help get the word out. I really appreciate being a part of this.
Yeah, yeah. Appreciate it.
These iPads, I guess, are becoming more and more popular. And I saw the the Indiana library where they have the iPads and that there's a program called CBS Sunday Morning. Yeah. And they went to the different one just opened up in Washington DC or golden state of Washington. It's a humongous library and and there were all these places where people can go in and do just what you and I are doing right now. Yeah, do and
it's a lot of fun. Aren't Janelle And Barry just the best. I'm so glad they're working with gearheads to put this event on on August 27 What's the Deal? Grosse Ile is a production of food Media Productions LLC. The music in this episode is rhythm of the river by Jay F gloss. Check out the Episode notes for links and ways to get in touch and support the podcast. Thank you for listening to What's the Deal Grosse Ile
