When Michele Schaus had her wedding gown fitted, she brought  black roller skates.
In the spirit of the customer is always right, a startled tailor accommodated her unusual request for an alteration that would allow the bride and her groom, Harold, to skate their first post-vow “dance” at their May 7 reception at Sister Lakes’ 83-year-old institution, Ramona skating rink.

The Marcellus native’s new husband has owned Ramona, 93127 County Rd. 690 — the name comes from a song — since 2004.
He traces his time there to 1975, when as a teen, the 1980 Union High School graduate began working for Earl Partridge.
Schaus bought the business, which in 1987 had miniature golf, from Ed Howard.
With nine children between them — six still at home — the couple know the importance of family and the challenge of finding affordable activities families can do together, which helps explain $10 family nights.
A line snakes into the parking lot for a penny-a-pound promotion benefiting Dowagiac Fine Arts Boosters on the night before Thanksgiving and perhaps an even bigger turnout for Friday’s holiday Superskate businesses sponsor.
Tweens whirling around the hardwood floor of the big band dance hall to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” burst the perception that this demographic doesn’t do anything unless it involves screens and video. It’s a throwback to a simpler time except for the sign posted prohibiting texting on the track.
In perpetuating old-fashioned family entertainment associated with black phonographic records with holes in the middle spinning at 45 rpm, they rely on creativity. Schauses built a Christmas candyland.
Look closer and all those tantalizing sweets bobbing from the ceiling like ornaments on a tree are colored paper plates and balloons wrapped in cellophone.
Any mention of holiday decorations is met with comparisons to Halloween’s frightful two-year track record.
Schaus knows his audience and that demographic’s enthusiasm for “gross-outs,” such as bobbing for Tootsie Rolls in “toilets” filled with Mountain Dew or a nose-picking contest with an oversized schnoz oozing oatmeal.
They also break out the big beak for Trunk or Treat.
Don’t let your fingers linger unless you want them snatched…
The practice rink was built over an outside deck. Schaus has amassed an archive with several generations of families bringing him photos, such as Angela Garrelts doing the limbo at 2 or participants at the 1939 waltz contest winner’s cup.
He has a photo of Driftwood when it was just one story. In the background of another is Redwood Inn before fire consumed it.
During the garage-band era the Rivieras, big in 1965 with “California Sun,” played Ramona, which participated in 10 24-hour Jerry Lewis skate-a-thons for muscular dystrophy.