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Missing the Pointe

by Missing the Pointers

Grosse Pointer Tom Nixon is joined by two GP expatriates — longtime Pointers Jim Clor and Roger Fong — to talk about what they miss most about the Pointes. Everything from school activities, recreation, pastimes, culture and nostalgia. We cover everything there is to cover about growing up in Grosse Pointe. Sponsored by the Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association.

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Episodes

  1. S2.E13: Hitting the High Pointe, with Jennifer Bierkle

    Owner of the newest burger joint in town, Jennifer Bierkle, joins Tom, Roger and Jim to talk about the hottest thing since the fire that burned down Arnold's on Happy Days! Hear from the entrepreneur's own mouth what went into a brand new business in Grosse Pointe that will be feeding the happy...

  2. S2.E12: Getting Back to the Pointe, with Joe Binkowski

    Jim and Roger regale Tom (and you!) with stories and hot takes from their recent return-trips home to Grosse Pointe. What did they miss? What's changed? What stays the same forever? PLUS! Just in time for Christmas-shopping season, Joe Binkowski (GPN, '89), owner of Ridgecrest Outfitters (GP),...

  3. S2.E11: What Do You Miss About the Pointes?

    If you've moved away from Grosse Pointe, what do you miss most? Jim and Roger share with Tom the things they never knew they'd miss when they ventured away from the Pointes...but now that they're gone, they just can't live without! Intro/outro music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why We Sing by Mr. Radio.⁠⁠

  4. S2.E10: Food for Thought

    What foods did you live on growing up but can't stomach now? If you could bring back any food or restaurant from your youth, what would it be? Why does Wilford Brimley pronounce it "diabeetus?" All of these questions — and more! — asked and answered by Roger, Jim and Tom this week on Missing the...

  5. S2.E9: Let's Make a Summer Playlist!

    The Missing the Pointe crew take on the task of making a summer playlist ideally suited to those who miss the Pointes from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today! It's a mixtape with a twist: Jim, Tom and Roger each present the others with a pairing of two songs, and the other two get to fight it out to see...

  6. S2.E8: Missing the Pint

    Tom, Jim and Roger welcome Steve Harwood (GPN '89) to the show to take a pub crawl back in time. Follow along as they go everywhere from the Park, Village and Mack Avenue...down to St. Clair Shores...and even across the river to Windsor. Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends...

  7. S2.E7: Missing the 70s, with Curtiss Alden

    Curtiss returns, for a look back at what he misses the most about the Pointes in the 70s! With so much talk about the 1980s recently, Jim, Roger and Tom thought they'd move further back in the Grosse Pointe's timeline to hear about dances, music, products, school spirit and the television that…

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  8. S2.E6: Missing the Products

    What are the products you miss growing up? Toys? Games? First aid products? Action figures with edible filling? Jim, Roger and Tom have their favorites that they miss while missing the Pointe. Don't worry, good lookin'...we'll be back to pick ya up later! Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe...

  9. S2.E5: Play Ball! (with Kris Kubalak )

    Fellow missing-the-Pointe-er Kris Kubalak joins the podcast to reminisce about Grosse Pointe Little League growing up as kids in the 80s. What were the traditions? What were the post-game rituals? What was the on-field fare? And...we somehow can all draw the Matterhorn operator like it's a police...

  10. S2.E4: Men's Fashion's from the Pointes

    "Where in Grosse Pointe can a man go to get a really good belt?" That phrase, uttered famously by local Grosse Pointe superhero Money Man, was never more prescient than today. Roger, Jim and Tom explore the state of men's fashions in the year 2024, as it relates to growing up in Grosse Pointe in...

  11. S2.E3: Party Line with '89

    Girl talk, slumber parties, and party lines...it's all part of a double-episode extravaganza in which Jim, Roger and Tom welcome a clique from GPN's Class of 1989 to give us the girls' take on growing up in Grosse Pointe. Let's call them, "Lynn," "Julie," "Missy," and "Kristin." If you want to…

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  12. S2.E2: Season Premiere, Part 2

    Tom, Jim and Roger are still missing the point as we continue our two-part season premiere of Season 2 of Missing the Pointe. It's more fun and games, as we recall what we all miss most about growing up in the Pointes....but what is this game, exactly, and how is it fun? Tune in to find out who's...

  13. Season Premiere!

    We’re back! In more ways than one… Tom, Jim and Roger are back for Season 2 of Missing the Pointe. And Jim and Roger kick off the season regaling us with their impressions of recent returns to the Pointes. What’s changed? What’s still the same? What do they miss about the Pointe they remember...

  14. Episode 25: Missing Christmas in the Pointes

    We couldn't let the holiday season come and go without doing a Christmas special! Let's look back at yules of yesteryear, growing up in Grosse Pointe and coming of age while celebrating the most wonderful time of the year! Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association....

  15. Episode 24: The Thanksgiving Special

    It's Thanksgiving season in the Pointes! Come celebrate with Jim, Roger and Tom as they reminisce about Thanksgivings past and present. The guys are joined by Abigail Turnbull, Membership and Events Coordinator at the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce, to get a behind-the-scenes education about…

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  16. Episode 23: Playing Hockey in the Pointes, with Bobby Alcott

    Tom thought we were talking about playing hookey. Jim was practicing the Hokey Pokey. Roger lined up a guest to tell us what it's all about. And eventually, the guys welcome Bobby Alcott — GPN, class of '86 — to the podcast to talk about the rise of hockey in Grosse Pointe. Tune in to hear where...

  17. Episode 22: Oooh! That's Scary!

    It's Halloween season! Tune in, as Roger, Jim and Tom recall what they miss about Halloweens growing up in Grosse Pointe. From television specials to candies good and bad...and even an inside look at their ingenious trick-or-treat strategies, the guys have a lot to miss about Halloweens of...

  18. Episode 21: Back to Back to School

    It's Part 2 of our Back to School episode! This week's installment features school supplies, school lunches, school traditions, and some, er...interesting(?) commercials from back-to-school seasons of yesteryear. Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association. "Look back,...

  19. Episode 20: Back to School, Part 1

    Only Jim, Tom and Roger could spend a whole "Back to School" episode talking only about TV. But with the bad of going back to school, you got the good of a fresh fall TV season. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have....a new episode of Missing the Pointe…

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  20. Episode 19: End-of-Summer Splashdown

    Wrapping up their summer series, Jim, Roger and Tom welcome Katie and Kristin back from the Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association to recall our-end-of-summer rituals and to provide their own perspectives on growing up frequenting the south-side parks. Summer had to end some time, but why...

  21. Episode 18: Summer Potluck, Part 2

    Jim, Roger and Tom pick up where they left off last week, talking about the various ways we wiled away the dog days of summer as kids growing up in Grosse Pointe. It's the latest in our 2023 summer series! Dive in before the sun sets!  Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends...

  22. Episode 17: Summer Potluck

    Continuing our summer series, Jim, Roger and Tom talk about the various ways we wiled away the dog days of summer as kids growing up in Grosse Pointe. From summer treats we enjoyed as children to hunting down parties as teens, what do you remember about summers in GP? Thanks to our sponsor: The...

  23. Episode 16: Summer Concert Series

    Continuing our summer series, Jim, Roger and Tom invite Curtiss back onto the podcast to take a trip down memory lane, recalling the venues, concerts and experiences of enjoying concerts outside in Michigan. Thanks to our sponsor: The Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association. "Look back, come...

  24. Episode 15: School's Out!

    Holly Smith (Grosse Pointe North, class of 1986) returns to the podcast to kick off Missing the Pointe's summer series: a trip to the park. While Grosse Pointe has numerous beautiful parks to enjoy, we start with the Lakefront Park, known to us as kids as "the Woods park." We'll splash around all...

  25. Episode 14: Meet Me at the Fair

    Jim, Roger and Tom go back in time to the local carnival! Recalling fond memories of the annual St. Joan of Arc Fair, the guys welcome in two guests with close ties to the fair, both SJA students themselves — Diane Ryda (Rauen), Grosse Pointe North class of '78, and long-time Grosse Pointer…

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  26. Episode 13: What's Cookin', with Ed Barbieri of Da Edoardo

    Third-generation owner/operator of Grosse Pointe's Da Edoardo Ed Barbieri joins Tom, Roger and Jim to discuss the history of one of GP's longest-standing fixtures of fine dining. Learn how to pronounce the name...hear why they had to kick out Mike Illitch...recall "the casual side and the fancy...

  27. Episode 12: Going South, Hitting Our 90s

    Two alumni of Grosse Pointe South join the podcast to walk us through GP in the 90s: Katie Horst and Kristin Mann of the Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association, graduates of GP South in '98 and '99. What will Jim, Roger and Tom learn about growing up near the prestigious M streets in the...

  28. Episode 11: Going to the Movies

    It's time to go to the movies! Remember the movie-going experience in Grosse Pointe back in the day? How many of these theaters do you remember going to? And can you remember which theater you went to when you saw each particular movie from your heyday? Pepperidge Farm remembers...and so do Tom,...

  29. Episode 10: Grosse Pointe Fashions and Faux Pas

    Guest Holly Smith (GPN, '86) rejoins the podcast to discuss fashions of the 80s (and more) that were, in many ways, unique to Grosse Pointe. Did GP have its own brand of preppy style all its very own? Do you remember these brands from our collective pasts? Cuffed pants, popped collars, flattened...

  30. Episode 9: Sick Days

    Remember staying home sick from Grosse Pointe Public Schools? How did you spend your days? What were your favorite medications and home remedies? Did you dread going to the doctor? And what on Earth was that stuff they sprinkled on the vomit in the hallways (rather than just clean it up)?!?!?…

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  31. Episode 8: Fun and Games

    Missing the Pointe welcomes back return guest Holly Smith (GPN, '86) for a little fun and games. Roger is back from assignment, rejoining Jim, Tom and Holly to reminisce about the games people played as youngsters growing up in Grosse Pointe. Everything from board games to birthday games, and…

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  32. Episode 7: Let's Make a Mix Tape!

    With Roger out on assignment this week, Jim and Tom welcome Holly Smith (Grosse Pointe North, class of 1986) to the podcast as our resident expert on the art of making the ultimate mix tape. We'll talk through the technology, the tips, and the triumphs of overcoming the limits of time and the...

  33. Episode 6: The After School Special

    Not that attending Grosse Pointe Public Schools wasn't great and all, but sometimes we had more fun AFTER school growing up as kids. After-school TV was a recreational staple of the day, despite the fact we only had five channels to choose from. Jim, Tom and Roger discuss their favorite programs,...

  34. Episode 5: The Making of GP North, with Curtiss Alden

    Curtiss Alden joins the podcast to recall the story as a member of the very first class ever to attend what would become Grosse Pointe North High School. Learn how it all went down, from his departure from Grosse Pointe High School to the choosing of school colors, the mascot, and even the name…

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  35. Episode 4: Gym Class

    Why would children be sharing bathing suits with our peers, pandemic or no pandemic?! Jim, Roger and Tom look back at the fond — and sometimes unsettling — memories of their youth: gym class, from elementary through high school. Remember these childhood games and prefabricated athletic…

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  36. Episode 3: Everything But Drugs

    Remember Bob's Drugs and the Notre Dame pharmacy? Jim, Tom and Roger remember the glory years of the neighborhood drug store, which sold just about everything...and as kids, we'd get everything BUT drugs there! Guess we were just missing the Pointe. What did you like to get at the neighborhood…

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  37. Episode 2: Where to Eat in 1982?

    Jim, Tom and Roger hop in a time machine back to the year 1982 to take a tour of Grosse Pointe's "finest" eateries. From Club 500 to the Sveden House, the guys prove once again that they sure know how to miss the Pointe. But they do manage to hit many a haunt in Grosse Pointe itself. Did they hit...

  38. Episode 1: A Trip Down Vernier Lane and the Glory Days of Eastland

    Jim, Tom and Roger take us back in time to the glory years of the Eastland Mall. The boys run it back to recall their favorite stores, the best parts about the Hudson's anchor department store, and even a few hidden gems you may recall. It was a fixture in our collective youths growing up in…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Grosse Pointer Tom Nixon is joined by two GP expatriates — longtime Pointers Jim Clor and Roger Fong — to talk about what they miss most about the Pointes. Everything from school activities, recreation, pastimes, culture and nostalgia. We cover everything there is to cover about growing up in Grosse Pointe. Sponsored by the Grosse Pointe Alumni and Friends Association.

HOSTED BY

Missing the Pointers

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Missing the Pointe have?

Missing the Pointe currently has 38 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Missing the Pointe about?

Grosse Pointer Tom Nixon is joined by two GP expatriates — longtime Pointers Jim Clor and Roger Fong — to talk about what they miss most about the Pointes. Everything from school activities, recreation, pastimes, culture and nostalgia. We cover everything there is to cover about growing up in...

How often does Missing the Pointe release new episodes?

Missing the Pointe has 38 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Missing the Pointe?

You can listen to Missing the Pointe on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Missing the Pointe?

Missing the Pointe is created and hosted by Missing the Pointers.
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