Otis Hopson, who recently celebrated his 94th birthday, was back in the courthouse lobby this week relating Bible tales, playing his harmonica and polishing the trekking leather of Macomb County's barristers -- what he's been doing for two decades.
Otis' shoeshine stand tucked beside an elevator wall in the courthouse lobby in Mount Clemens was oddly vacant for nearly two weeks recently because he was ill. But the beret-clad treasure returned to his post after the Memorial Day weekend and seems to be his same old self. Otis said he feels better after some treatment.
Coincidentally, while he was gone, he was honored by Executive Mark Hackel, who tagged the name "Otis" to one of the two peregrine falcon chicks born in early May to mother "Hathor" and nesting on the perch the 11th floor of the old County Building, an annual tradition since 2005. (I'm told a formal ceremony is coming June 10.)
It was great to see Otis back at his perch!