Reasons why Alex Yushkovsky left the Ukraine were to avoid violent anti-Semitism and his father’s refusal to join the Communist party. Alex is now part owner of a delicatessen in Royal Oak, from which he imparts to us some deli lore and a little philosophy in his quest to find the American dream.

Everyday Stephen Magsig creates an oil painting of urban Detroit, soon he will have completed his 800th painting. Mr. Magsig lives in Ferndale with his wife, fellow artist Janet Hamrick. He is a successful painter for over 30 years and is represented by galleries in Birmingham, Michigan and New York. Most of his attention is spent on his Postcards from Detroit project, in which he paints daily a 5X7 inch painting and sells it on Ebay with prices between $100- $200.