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SHE'S JUGGLING SCHOOL, VOLLEYBALL AND MODELING SPORTS, B1 TIM SHAW WAYNE-WESTLAND TO RECEIVE ULTIMATE SHOUT-OUT Observer SEE PAGES A3, B1 THURSDAY 08.24.17 II HOMETOWNLIFE.COM II PART OFTHE USA TODAY NETWORK Toarminas are fixtures with slices, ice cream 30 years of pizza store, 50 years of Mickey’s Dairy Twist marked LeAnne Rogers hometownlife.com Frank Toarmina started working at the family business, Mickey’s Dairy Twist, when he was 14 years old. “The best part of the ice cream business is dealing with happy fam ilies. They could not have ice cream or buy it cheaper at the store. They’re BILL BRESLER | HOMETOWNLIFE.COM coming here for a family experience,” Fatima Abushawashi gets a view of the eclipse. said Toarmina, who owns the original store on Wayne Road south of Avon dale in Westland. Celebrating 50 years, Mickey’s was founded by Toarmina’s parents Frank and Marie, nicknamed Mickey. All of their eight children worked at the busi SOLAR ECLIPSE 2017 ness over the years including another son Lou, who owns Toarmina’s Pizza Metro Detroiters captivated which has its 30th anniversary this year. by celestial event Seventh of eight children, Frank Toarmina said that by 1967 his parents David Veselenak had all but their youngest child and a Darrell Clem and 900-square-foot home in Westland. LeAnne Rogers “They went to the bank and got a hometownlife.com loan to build an upstairs addition to the house. As they were driving by they Count Star Rocks as one of the saw a small building,” he said. “They lucky sky watchers during Monday’s bought it (for the original Mickey’s solar eclipse. location). My mom said she wasn’t Rocks, who came dressed for the comfortable until the loan was paid off occasion wearing sun and moon ear — she was afraid the bank would find rings, went to the Robert and Janet out they didn’t do the addition.” Bennett Library in Livonia early to try The eight Toarmina children, who to snag a pair of solar eclipse glasses. all graduated from Wayne Memorial She lucked out and got one of the last High School, would walk up to Mick pairs. ey’s after school. Their mother walked “I figured there would be a line,” the couple blocks to the business, too, the Livonia resident said. “I thought BILL BRESLER | HOMETOWNLIFE.COM because she never learned to drive. they weren’t going to start passing At 2:24 p.m., the eclipse has reached close to its maximum, with about 78-percent coverage of Frank and Mickey were looking to them out until noon.” the sun. retire in 1991, so son Frank and his The festivities surrounding the sister Pam bought the business. The solar eclipse spurred one of the big elder Frank died in 1999 but at nearly gest events at the library, said Karen gathered Monday in hundreds of cit at the Lyon Township Library to watch 92, Mickey continues to live in her Smith, a children’s librarian. Crowds ies, towns and parks along a 70-mile the eclipse. A Northfield Township family home, which eventually did get of people waited outside the library, wide “path of totality” as the much- resident, Pollins came with wife Anna its addition. hoping to snag one of the 600 pairs. ballyhooed Great American Eclipse and sons Gunnar, 6, and Drake, 9, who When Pam retired from the busi The line, she said, was out the door and began its astronomical march across attend Salem Elementary School. ness, Frank carried on as the sole own reached all the way to Livonia City the nation. The family had made pin-hole view er of the original location. Another Hall before the library opened at 9 With all the talk about the eclipse, ing devices with boxes and aluminum sister, Mary, owns Mickey’s Dairy a.m. Kevin Pollins said he wasn’t too sur Millions of one-day astronomers prised at how many people turned out See ECLIPSE, Page A6 See TOARMINAS, Page A2 Westland police seek suspects in vandalism of home David Veselenak hometown I ife.com Police in Westland hope the public can iden tify several suspects wanted in connection with a string of vandalism at a home. Police say the individuals are wanted in connection with rash of vandalism complaints at a home near the intersection of Cowan and Farmington. The incidents all took place be tween July 12 and July 17. The suspects tres passed on the property, and damaged many of the resident's belongings, including vehicles, the home and his barn, police said. The resident has been the target of vandal COURTESY OF THE WESTLAND POLICE ism in the past, which resulted in the owner DEPARTMENT COURTESY OF THE WESTLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT COURTESY OF THE WESTLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT installing security cameras. Westland police are seeking these Westland police are seeking these individuals Westland police are seeking this individual as Anyone who can identify any of the sus individuals as suspects in a string of as suspects in a string of vandalism cases at a a suspect in a string of reported vandalism pects is encouraged to call Westland police at vandalism cases at a property near property near Cowan and Farmington in cases at a property near Cowan and 734-722-9600. Cowan and Farmington in Westland. Westland. Farmington in Westland. CONTACT US hometownlife.com © The Observer & Eccentric Call 866-887-2737. Press 1)for Classified, Death Notices; 2) Retail Advertising; Observer & Eccentric Newspapers part of the usa today network Volume 53 • Number 29 3) Billing, Subscription, Back Copies, Delivery Issues; 4) leave message for newsroom. Send press releases, calendar items to [email protected] PRICE: $1.50 INDEX Classified.............................B5-6 Obituaries............................... A7 STOP DREAMING. Community START DRIVING. Financial NEW AND USED AUTO LOANS CFCU.ORG/AUTOS 877.937.2328 *1.49% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) applies to vehicle models 2017 or newer and assumes auto pay discount. Rates subject to change. Federally insured by NCUA. ©2017 Community Financial I » A2 (W) 0 4 E Media [ Thursday, August 24, 2017 hometownlife.com TOARMINAS Continued from Page A1 Twist Too at Venoy and Cherry Hill. Sister Pat opened a Mickey’s in South Lyon with friends and later sold her part of the business while broth er Peter used to own the Mickey’s in Saline. Despite growing grown up in the ice cream business, Frank Toarmina had other things in mind after BILL BRESLER | HOMETOWNLIFE.COM getting a degree in East Brothers Frank Toarmina and Lou Toarmina share a building on ern European studies Wayne Road in Westland. Lou, at right, owns Toarmina's from the University of Pizza, and brother Frank bought Mickey's Dairy Twist from Michigan. their father. Mickey's celebrates 50 years in business. “The plan was to be an analyst for the NSA BILL BRESLER | HOMETOWNLIFE.COM (National Security Agen Riana Hardyniec grills cheeseburgers for a customer’s order at Mickey's Dairy Twist. didn’t think it would be menu offers a guarantee cy). I was a voice in long-term. My wife says that it’s enough to feed terceptor in the Army — I was going to end up the whole family or I would listen to Russian was Farsi. I had a girl mina studied business at was opening the store at selling chicken nuggets.” they’ll send more pizza. traffic and transcribe friend — I was all young Ferris State University Cherry Hill and Venoy. Lou Toarmina had a “I like serving the it,” he said. “But it was and in love. She didn’t and wanted to go into She had extra space and goal of selling the customers. It’s like my the end of the Cold War. want to to (Washington) business for himself. His pizza was the best world’s biggest pizza and grandma and my mom By the time I was at the D.C. My parents want to cousins own Palermo’s choice,” said Lou Toar his store is known for it’s making people eat when end of my time in the retire.” Pizza in Grand Rapids. mina, who 30 years later 24-inch pizza, including a they came over,” Lou reserves, all they wanted For his part, Lou Toar- “(His sister) Mary now has 25 stores. “I deep dish version. The Toarmina said. 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