• Tuesday-What'sUP April 22 - 11:07 pm

The Bootjack Fire and Rescue Foundation, just completed their 12th annual Chicken Barbecue over the weekend. I know there's a chicken franchise which advertises that it's "finger licking good", but these folks in Bootjack know just how to get you licking your fingers to get every last morsel. The process of putting on a Chicken Barbecue such as this is no easy task. There are people behind the scenes doing everything from directing traffic, flipping the grilling racks, cooking the accompaniments, filling the containers, not to mention, selling the tickets and merchandise. All this is orchestrated to raise money for the various projects the foundation has undertaken. Their current project is to build a new Fire Hall, as the present one has gotten too small for the equipment that is necessary to keep our communities safe. For more information about this building project check out this link: Torch Lake Township Board approves new Bootjack Fire Hall. Thanks to all who make it possible for these folks to continue serving our communities and especially to those that volunteer their time to make this a safer place to live.

Those that have never had chicken BBQ in Bootjack don't know what they're missing. You get a whole half a chicken (with a secret buttery-seasoned coating), stuffing/dressing, rutabaga, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a chocolate brownie. Oh, and all of the pink lemonade you care to drink. Yum!

We were fortunate enough to be guests of Dr. Bob and Ruth Nara last Saturday. Although a lot of folks just pick-up their dinner and take it home, the firehall is a great place to hang out and meet new faces.

And they make some good money for the good work they do.

What better combination could there be?

This is one of the many good group of people to donate to! When we built our new house we donated the old farm house and barn that was on the property to our Fire & Rescue team for practice. What a learning process! They appreciate and welcome any donation of any kind. Support them.

Definitely THE best chicken you'll ever eat! Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Back in 1967 we attended a bar-b-q out at the Nara farm..has that been stopped now in favor of the one shown today being held at the Bootjack fire hall?

We were flying home that evening aboard the BLUE GOOSE and noticed to the rear of the plane was a impromptu conference going on between Senator Hart and the Govenor at that time along with other elected officials. After we made our usual 4 to 5 stops enroute to Detroit when we deplaned we were informed that the city was burning as a result of a civil disturbance and we had to wait some 2 hours just to enter the freeway to travel to our suburban home.. The DETROIT RIOT of 1967 is what we witnessed that day..

Yup, when we lived there, we didn't miss the Bootjack chicken bar-b-q. It was the best around. Way to go guys. It's good you're keeping the tradition going.

Oh my gosh...sure do miss this event. But I recall it being held mid summer sometime. Wasn't that the case back in the late 70's-early 80's? Or am I "mis-remembering"?

JoAnne
Port Orchard, WA

Mary says: Actually JoAnne, the Barbecue is ALSO held in July, when the menu changes slightly from the potatoes, rutabegas, dressing and coleslaw, to more of a summer fare, including baked beans, coleslaw, but it ALWAYS includes the best chicken around.

MMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!

This reminds me of the chicken BBQ that my grandparents used to take us to at Twin Lakes in the summer. I think it was the UP Power Company annual picnic. I believe my grandfather, Raymond Koivu, used to work for UPPCO. It sure is a delicious memory.

Too bad there isn't a way to "email" both the spring and fall chicken BBQ. All we would need to do is just add water, for those of us that are too far away to enjoy it. If only I could come up with a solution to this, I'd be RICH !!!

Nice thought tho, doncha think?

I want to say hello to Cindy, in the picture !!
:-)

The chicken at the UPPCo picnic was very good. I'm not sure if I still have the recipe for the bbq sauce. I worked for UPPCo from March 1971 to June 1974.

I went to the UPPCO picnics back in the late 60s, I think. I can smell the chicken cooking right now....Mmmmmm.....

I just love chicken cooked on an open grill. Typically hot, juicy, and flavorfull. I'm getting hungry.

Eddyfitz...I remember those riots. I was a kid living in Detroit at the time and I can remember my dad loading up the rifle...just in case.

"Strange days indeed!"

how did bootjack get its name.? curious in tampa. i remain walter p.

Sarah in Ohio, Didn't you and grampa Norm endulge it that chicken feast?

UC

Eddyfitz and Alex,

I too sat on the steps with a loaded carbine at the Six Mile & Mc Nichols corner of City airport, listening to the gunshots and watching the Gaurd walking atop a power sub-station. Cars running red lights at 60+ mph, as the curfew was on.

Yum, yum, bbq chicken ....... I remember when my grandfather, Dad and the rest of the crew used to do a yearly BBQ at the Hancock Elks that was just the best chicken ever!!!!

Precious and I were living in Germany during the riots. We thought the whole city was under war conditions. Tried for several days to get a line to call home. The phone lines from Europe were busy. Finally on the third day we got to talk to one of the family. I came home on the weekend that Martin King was killed. Driving in from Chicago, we were stopped by the State Police and told to bypass Detroit as they were afraid there would be another riot. I am glad there was not. The sixties were notable times to live in.

Go Sharks!

Mikie-

I remember what it felt like to be in Europe during the riots. I
was visiting battlefields and checking out European sights with
my parents that summer. News reports made it seem as if
Detroit was burning to the ground. We were afraid our house
would not be standing upon our return. I remember how scary
it felt to drive home from the airport thinking that objects might
be thrown from the bridges above us.

The next year when I traveled to Europe to study with my
roommate, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. My friend and I
were staying in a small hotel in Holland. We were stunned by
the kindness of the Dutch when a man came to the hotel
looking for Americans (imagine how different our reaction might
be to that now!) so that he could invite them to his home to
watch the news on television. We accepted his hospitatlity and
were very concerned about what was going on back in the U.S.A.

Yes, the sixties were interesting and unsettling times to grow
up.

I just realized while reading this page, it's the same thing that we've stumbled upon in our "Day in History" feature. The discussion begins with an idea, and related thoughts move the conversation in many directions, connecting Upper Michigan life with places and events that are surprising, entertaining, dramatic or profound. (Or all of the above.)

An update on the Guest Gallery... It is back online, though not completely converted to the new format. It runs faster, and should have enough capacity to grow for several years. It is a feature of Pasty Central that we had not envision becoming so huge.

Walter P McNew (Waltermcnew):
"how did bootjack get its name?"

Supposedly it is derived from the visual appearance of some local landform. I never learned for sure which local landform. If I had to guess, perhaps either:
1. click ® the north end of Torch Lake, near Lake Linden, or
2. click ® the "notch" of Torch Bay, both of which vaguely resemble the V-shaped notch of a click ® bootjack used for pulling off boots?

Hi All....Does anyone out there have info on Armas or Louis Perskari from up there? My sister sent me this site the other day. I've been here,but, not for many years. My Grampa was Mattias Perskari. He lived and died in Ashtabula, Ohio. Any info that you can give me is much appreciated!

swtfx56

There is always a riot in Detriot if you spell Detroit wrong. I missed this back on Tuesday because of my very busy day, and never got to see it till now.

Add me to the list of being in Downtown Detroit at the time riot started, on bus on route to Highland Park, Ferris ST. just east of Woodward at Old Sears, coming from the Old Ballpark. Much of what I saw I hope I never see again. I was just 16. I didn't know Barbie back then, she lived on 14 th. It was bad, The Police had a outfit under-cover called STRESS who answered to Young only. We escaped aboard a 36 foot Chriscraft and went to Bay City> there also was a threat for Flint to burn too. Lived on boat at Brendan's Marina for a month. Who was the Gov. then? I would guess George R. at this time of day.

And SECURITY maybe needed to protect all that valuable chicken from chicken thief's. There are afew millionaires on here.

Dave, Coleman wasn't mayor yet. He was elected after the riot. Some say because of the riot. This was during the Viet Nam war. The mayor was a white guy who was Irish, can't remember his name. I think the govenor could have been Swainson.[sp] The pictures on the German tv showed the city on fire. The Guard running around, and sniper fire everywhere.

David Hiltunen (Davidcorrytontn):
"Who was the Gov. then?"

George Romney served as Michigan's governor from January 1963 through January 1969.

Then William Milliken from January 1969 to January 1983.

Jerome Patrick Cavanagh was the mayor of Detroit from 1962 to 1970.

Mikie

Jerome Cavanagh was mayor of Detroit.

Bob, I knew it was an Irish man who was the mayor. I knew Frank would know the right answer. I just took a guess. Should have known it was Romney.

Thanks everybody, we got it all right now, on the who and when.I wasn't living in Detroit at that time,just there getting passed around to visit family,in prep to moving there in 1969. I worked some side jobs with tough mem of STRESS in the Young years,cleaning carpet where no carpet cleaner been before,while working full time for Burroughs on Schaffer & Joy.