JUNE 4 • 2020 | 13
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I think it’
s not only good for our
persons served, but I think it’
s
been a great experience for Soul
Studio, too.
”
Forty tablets were donated to
Friendship Circle by Jay Feldman
from Feldman Automotive
and Mark Wahlberg to help
in this endeavor, Daniels said.
Many JARC residents don’
t
have computers or phones, so
this increased access to the free
instruction.
Classes with JARC, which
began April 14, are divided
between eight groups, four on
Tuesdays and four on Thursdays.
They run 45 minutes. Art proj-
ects have included drawing, col-
lage and will soon be moving into
painting. Marcellini says he and
facilitating artists Nick Kramer
and Vickie Shaheen are experi-
encing joy and enthusiasm right
along with JARC participants.
He describes how the four
women living at Samuels Home
in Beverly Hills are always excit-
ed for class and willing to try
anything. “Their shyness, and
maybe their fears about their own
artistic ability, has fallen away,
” he
says. “They’
re getting much more
creative and expressive. It’
s really
great to see.
”
Nancy Alpert, age 58, lives
at Samuels Home. She looks
forward to art class each week,
especially since she hasn’
t been
able to attend her regular day
program at Judson Center, an
organization in Oakland County
helping individuals with special
needs build skills and prepare for
employment.
Art classes are new to Alpert’
s
routine but, she says, Soul Studio
instructor Nick Kramer is a good
teacher who’
s “
patient” and “
nice”
to students. Creating collage art
has been her favorite project so
far, and she’
s excited by the pros-
pect of painting.
Tierney, who attends each vir-
tual class, says it’
s a lot of fun to
see how participants are coming
out of their shells and taking in
art differently than they may have
before. Part of that comes from
learning to embrace their individ-
uality and unique approaches to
the projects, she said.
Each home’
s direct support
staff also play a role in helping
classes go well, Marcellini points
out. When projects are a success,
it’
s because that staff has made
sure the right materials are there
and is supporting each partici-
pant in a hands-on way.
“Some of the support staff are
deaf themselves, but they all sign,
”
he explains. “They’
re interpreting
what’
s going on to their partici-
pants, sometimes from Abigail,
who’
s the deaf interpreter. It’
s a
complex and fascinating process
to be a part of… We’
re learning
a lot.
”
Virtual classes don’
t replace
the studio experience, Marcellini
adds, but it may groom new art-
ists. “When this is all over, there
may be people who are excited to
come to the studio who wouldn’
t
have come before.
”
For the future of Friendship
Circle and those they support,
Marcellini and Shemtov agree
that some continuation of online
programing will likely continue
long term. Even after life settles
down, virtual classes will offer
a way for Friendship Circle to
access communities who they
aren’
t normally able to reach.
F
or four years, 33-year-old
Zack Glazier has been
working at the Alpha
Automotive repair shop in Royal
Oak. However, the shop was not
able to renew its lease, which
ended May 31, and was on the
hunt for a new location during
the midst of the coronavirus
pandemic.
Alpha Automotive has been
around for almost 38 years.
Glazier and the owner of the
shop, Tim Siterlet, couldn’
t stand
the thought of the shop closing
for good.
“The owner of the shop has
about 2½ years left before retire-
ment. So, I said, ‘
Listen, why
don’
t I take over? I’
ll sign the
new lease, I’
ll front the money
and you can work for me as
long as you want,’
” Glazier told
the JN. “I told him, ‘
Don’
t touch
your retirement fund’
because
that’
s what he was going to do to
make this work. I thought that
was silly.”
With the deal in place, Glazier
began looking for a new place
to house the repair shop about a
month ago. He found the perfect
location just two miles up the
road in Berkley. Glazier’
s new
location opened June 1.
“It is an adventure, to say
the least. Trying to coordinate
workers to get stuff done and
get the shop up and running has
been hectic,” Glazier said. “Since
everybody is just beginning to
start working again, it has been
hard to get on schedule.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer announced on May
21 that automotive shops could
reopen by appointment only, but
Alpha Automotive has been an
outlier in that order because it
was already allowed to operate
during the shutdown.
“We have always been essen-
tial workers because we are
contractors for a government
account. Right now, 70% of our
customers are in that govern-
ment account,” Glazier said. “So
it hasn’
t actually affected us too
much.”
With the new, larger shop in
Berkley, Glazier will be able to
set up appointment times instead
of just having people drop off
their cars and wait to hear back
about when they’
ll be done.
“My goal and vision for this
new shop is to have a dealership
feel and look, but with mom-
and-pop prices,” Glazier said.
Glazier is awaiting more lifts
for the garage. For now, he will
be continuing to only service
the government account but
hopes to have the shop finished
and opened to the public in two
weeks.
“We pride ourselves on deliv-
ering excellent service, and now
I want to move that forward
even more and make it a place
that people actually want to
come to,” Glazier said.
Jewish-Owned Auto Garage
Moves Locations During
Coronavirus Pandemic
Zack Glazier believes the rewards of
moving outweigh the risks.
CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACK GLAZIER