Riverview Review 100th Anniversary

Riverview’s Happy 100th Anniversary Celebration

The community is invited to share in the 100th anniversary of Riverview during a special celebration that is being planned for September.

The event honors the founding of the Village of Riverview in April 1923 all the way up to the present-day City of Riverview. Current and former residents and employees are invited to attend.

Most of the free family-friendly activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, September 23, in and around the community center in Young Patriots Park:

• A Riverview meet and greet will be a gathering place for past and present Riverview teachers, elected officials and other notable persons from the community, along with local faithful interested in interacting with them. Longtime Riverview historian Gerald N. Perry will be on hand to sell and autograph special 100th anniversary commemorative copies of his book Riverview Michigan – From its origin to the 1970s.

• Riverview’s own Bob Guiney, who earned fame on the TV show “The Bachelor,” will be in town to serve as host. Famed football coach Lloyd Carr and other Riverview personalities have been invited to attend.

• Special presentations will take place to the oldest Riverview resident, longest married Riverview couple, person with the oldest Riverview tree and oldest known house.

• There will be a chili cook-off, classic car show, dog contest, Riverview trivia contest and, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., oldtime games for children. Entrants in the car show will receive dashboard plaques. Prizes will be awarded to contest winners.

• There will be ragtime/Dixieland music (noon to 2 p.m.), a touch-a-truck featuring city vehicles, a tug of war between police officers and firefighters and face painting by Riverview-based Carey Ann’s Clown Caravan.

• Historical photos will be on display. In fact, organizers are inviting individuals to bring their own pictures to display.

• A special 2024 calendar will be on sale for $20. The calendar will feature special photos from Riverview’s history with proceeds going to help pay the costs associated with the anniversary celebration.

SEE 100 PAGE 2

March 26, 1959 front page of the Riverview Review

Greetings and welcome to the Riverview Review throwback newspaper! The Review served as the local newspaper during the late 50s and early 60s.

This special edition of the Riverview Review has been created to pay tribute to that historic publication and to revisit significant events from our illustrious 100-year history.

As we commemorate a century of

Riverview’s existence, we trust that you will enjoy the featured images, which are sure to rekindle cherished memories of days gone by. We hope you enjoy the articles and images for our 100th Anniversary Celebration. It is indeed a great honor to serve as only the 7th Mayor of Riverview and be a part of this distinguished lineage of leaders.

– Mayor Andrew M Swift

Sam Vreeland was elected first village president with a population of 704. “One of the first things they did after incorporating was vote to bring water to the area,” said Gerald Perry, a retired Department of Public Works director and the unofficial historian of the city.

That same year, a change was also made to the volunteer Fire Department. For the first time, one man, on a rotating basis, was on duty at all times. Over time, the number of people on duty gradually increased, but that change created the permanent part-time department, which still exists today.

The four pictures here show how time has marched on in Riverview. The two top pictures show the old and the new public offices of the community and the bottom pictures show the ground breaking for what is now the west part of the Penn Salt Chemical Co. and an aireal view of the Penn Salt as it is today. [As published in 1959]

The First School in Riverview • Lower Mud Street School 1890’s

First grade class, October 17, 1901

1934, Cyril Edward Schley at Sibley and Grange C. Howard Crane architects

1923 Ballot Riverview Fire Department

The evoluTion from Y

Riverview officially became the City of Riverview on March 24, 1959.

At the same time, Trenton officials were trying to annex Riverview to become part of their own city. When the two community groups bearing petitions left for Lansing in 1958, they arrived only an hour apart. Riverview’s documents were submitted first. Otherwise, we may have been a part of Trenton.

To protect against possible Soviet attack on auto plants, Nike missile base D-54 was constructed in January of 1955, and remained occupied mostly by the Michigan National Guard, until February of 1963.

Last Village of Riverview Council. Also shown are the last Village attorney and the last Village Clerk and Manager. Back row, left to right: Councilman Ray Vollnar, Attorney, J. Douglas Smith and Manager, Robbert Smalley. Front row left to right: Councilman Robert Galloway, President Thomas McShane and Councilmen Al Brackett and Don H. Smith.

A drill or the real thing? You never knew! Inside the tracking control room for below-ground silo.

Launcher area is now a public park with a Nike-Hercules missile and plaque dedicating the site. The pits are still there, under the soccer field, behind the fire station.

100 Continued from page 1

First city officials. Pictured above are the first elected officials of the City of Riverview. They are, back row, left to right: Clayton Smith, William Homeister, Gilbert Zitzelsberger, and James Jones. Front row, left to right is the lone woman council member Leotha Perry, His Honor May or Thomas McShane and veteran council members Ray Vollmar and Al Brackett.

• A keepsake newspaper is being developed to commemorate the event.

• A road rally is being planned for the evening of Friday, September 22, starting at 6 p.m.

• There will be food trucks and a Good Humor truck on site.

Riverview business A Serendipity Cakery is planning to bake enough cupcakes to spell out “100.”

Parks and Recreation Director Todd Dickman is helping organize the event for the city. Retired teacher Mary Zellner is heading up a committee planning the activities.

“We are proud to be celebrating our 100th anniversary this year,” said Mayor Andrew Swift. “Riverview has a long history of residents taking

care of each other. It is an honor and a privilege to be playing a small role in putting this celebration together. I look forward to seeing many former council members and mayors at our celebration on September 23.

“And just by coincidence, the Riverview Community High School Class of 1973 will be celebrating our 50th high school reunion the same day. Many of my former classmates will be in town for the reunion and will be attending the celebration.”

To keep up with plans for Riverview’s 100th anniversary celebration and view a number of historic photos, visit the Facebook page All Things Riverview. The site is maintained by Lisa Sobell.

City Slogan 7-15-1964 Mitchell, Fernand

1954 Police

Its population had grown to 6,700.

“I will.” answered Mayor McShane as he swore his oath of office to Robert Galloway, Chairman of the Charter Commission.

Riverview Days 1963

YesTerYear To TodaY

Ski hill finally gets a name; scheduled to open very soon

By ANNEMARIE SCHIAVI

News-Herald Staff Writer

January 2, 1980

The name-calling has ended; “Riverview Highlands” has officially replaced “Mt. Trashmore” as the title of the city’s landfill – ski hill and golf course recreation area.

Riverview Highlands was entered by Jody Wight of Riverview in the “Name the Ski Hill Contest sponsored by Riverview’s Small Businessmen’s Association. Wight won $25 for the suggestion.

The five other finalists and their entries are: Colleen

Domenic of Trenton, “Wintergreen;” Sandy Karu of Riverview, “Riverview Summit;” Joe Lambrix of Trenton, “Top of the Tee;” William Eickhole of Riverview, “Riverview Alpine Sport Centrum,” and David Demyanovich of Riverview, “Downriver Highlands.”

A name for the biggest slope hasn’t been picked yet. While the opening date for the ski hill is still in limbo because of unfinished work, Recreation Director, Mike Shea said the city is shooting to open Monday. The City Council recently approved the following hours operation for the hill.

Ten Decades of Riverview Council Members

1923-1932

Brinson

Colvin

Hale

Hunter

Longsdorf

Manning

Matthews

Milliman Phillips

Reno Smith

Tear

Vreeland

1933-1942

Beamish

Bogits

Colvin

Hale

Keisel

Manning

McShane Phillips

Pilz

Tear

Titus

Vreeland

1943-1952

Beamish

Colvin

Galloway

Hale

McShane Phillips

Puckett

Stanbery

Titus

Wesolowicz

1953-1962

Brackett

Doggett

Evans

Feig

Galloway

Homeister

Jones

McShane

Perry

Puckett

Smith

Titus

Vollmar

Weslow

1963-1972

Bielak

Brackett

Brochue

Brown

Cripps

Doggett

Feig

Fisher

Garcia

Hempel

Homeister

Jones

Koch

Kovach

Lafayette

Mattern

Mayer

Mayoros

Mitchell

Rotteveel

Widenhofer

1973- 1982

Acs

Bielak

Brown

Capezza

Fisher

Hempel

Homeister

Iverson

Kesterson

Koch

Mattern

Rotteveel

Shoemaker

Trombley

Wadlin

Zick

1983-1992

Blanchette

Brown

Capezza

Durand

Kesterson

Koch

Rotteveel

Thiede

Torok

Trombely

Weaks

Zick

1993-2002

Blanchette

Capezza

Durand

Koch Lane

Miller

Priskorn

Rotteveel

Thiede

Trombley, Elmer

Trombley, James

Weaks

2003-2012

Blanchette

Coffey

Durand

Miller

Priskorn

Rudicil Swift

Trombley, Elmer

Trombley, James

2013-2022

Blanchette

Coffey

Durand

Gunaga

Norton

Oneil

Robbins

Swift

Towle

Trombley, Elmer

Trombley, James

Workman

7-15-1964 James Jones, unknown woman, Ralph Johnson, Al Brochay, Milt Fernand Fieg, Michael Kovach, unknown man, Donald Wanket

Village Presidents and City Mayors indicated in bold.

This Riverview Review 100th Anniversary Special Edition was Made Possible by the Generous Contributions of These Sponsors:

Randall A. Pentiuk Managing Shareholder

Randall (Randy) Pentiuk is an attorney who specializes in representing municipalities and public corporations, housing cooperative law, non-profit entities, and business clients. Randy represents dozens of housing cooperatives throughout Michigan and Illinois and provides legal consulting for local counsel to many more housing cooperatives throughout the United States. He also serves as legal counsel to several Michigan municipalities in Metropolitan Detroit and surrounding areas.

Mr. Pentiuk is also strongly committed to the ideals of supporting the local community through successful municipal governance, and in this regard proudly serves as legal counsel to the cities of Riverview, Gibraltar, Allen Park, the Charter Township of Royal Oak and serves as special counsel to the City of Taylor.

(734) 281-7100 | rpentiuk@pck-law.com

C. E. RAINES COMPANY Engineers/Surveyors

Civil Engineering Professionals

Serving the Downriver Community for Over 48 Years 17700 Fort Street Riverview, MI 48193 (734) 285-7510 BRING

Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS) is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) offering end-to-end development and manufacturing solutions across the drug life cycle. We serve our customers through a globally integrated network of facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

This enables us to offer a comprehensive range of services including drug discovery solutions, process & pharmaceutical development services, clinical trial supplies, commercial supply of APIs, and finished dosage forms. We also offer specialized services such as the development and manufacture of highly potent APIs, antibody-drug conjugations, sterile fill/finish, peptide products & services, and potent solid oral drug product.

PPS also offers development and manufacturing services for biologics including vaccines, gene therapies, and monoclonal antibodies, made possible through Piramal Pharma Limited’s investment in Yapan Bio Private Limited. Our track record as a trusted service provider with experience across varied technologies makes us a partner of choice for innovator and generic companies worldwide.

To enhance value for pharmaceutical companies by being a trusted partner to reduce the burden of disease.