Thursday Evening Speaker Series

  • Bottled Messages

    Bottled Messages

    Thursday, April 17, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Ric Mixter - UnderwaterExpert, Shipwreck Researcher and Author

    Bottled messages have been discovered on shore for centuries. The notes inside bring tidings from ocean voyagers, invitations for pen-pals, tragic attempts for rescue and floating farewells from long-lost souls. Based on Ric Mixter’s book, Bottled Goodbyes chronicles the most famous messages ever recovered, including several after the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and three bottles found after the Titanic disaster.

  • The History of the 45th Division in World War II

    The History of the 45th Division in World War II

    Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Frank Cardimen, Professor - Oakland University

    The 45th Division was involved in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany ending up in Dachau at Germany’s first prison camp. The presentation will be with the 180th Regiment where
    Professor Cardimen’s uncle fought. The battles and the experiences seen through the eyes of one soldier during three years of heavy fighting will remind us of the sacrifices our soldiers made in World War II.  The 180th was under Patton in Sicily – US 7th Army and ended up with Patton who commanded the United States 3rd Army. 

  • Healing Through Creating Via The Power of Storytelling

    Healing Through Creating Via The Power of Storytelling

    Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 6:00-7:30pm

    Lawrence Castleberry - President - Detroit Black Storytellers

    Using personal experience to create your own stories for self-healing while simultaneously using this as a tool to both help and teach others. So often as tellers, we research the stories of others that resonate with us that we may share. But each of use have stories to tell. We can use personal experiences to craft stories (they can be fictional based on fact) that allow us to combat our own internal battles. But as we grow by developing the story we now have a tool that when told can help others who may be going through similar experiences or equipping someone who may experience something similar later in life.