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From the Vault: Love it or hate it -- Valentine’s Day 1982

Two classic Local 4 stories with two different takes on the holiday

Love it or hate it -- Valentine's Day brings out a lot of emotions. (WDIV)

DETROIT – If there’s one word to describe Detroiters, it’s passionate.

From the auto industry, to the Red Wings, to the music scene and more -- Detroit never seems to execute anything half-baked.

Due to this passion, it’s no surprise that Valentine’s Day resonates with many across Metro Detroit. The holiday can affect people differently, as we can see in two stories on Valentine’s Day from WDIV in 1982. One story focuses on love, the other focuses on those that might not be entirely deserving of love.

Love it!

The late Robert Vito, formerly a WDIV reporter and a longtime CNN correspondent, shared the story of two lovebirds who were just as infatuated with each other in 1982 as they were when they married in 1918.

How do you keep the flame burning after 62 years?

“Just keep loving the wife,” Julius told Vito. “That’s the best thing.”

You can watch the story below.

Hate it!

On the other side of the spectrum, we have a story on those who might be less deserving of love.

The late Dwayne X. Riley worked at WDIV for 35 years until his retirement. In 1982, he made a “Riley’s World” segment that focused on a side of Valentine’s Day that didn’t get much coverage: Jerks.

“There are those who -- if you can believe it -- never receive a Valentine,” Riley said. “Mostly because they are the meanest, rottenest so-and-so’s in the valley.”

Riley shows viewers multiple gifts for Valentine’s Day that appear normal at first, but ultimate result in violence directed toward the recipient.

You can watch the story below.

More From the Vault specials can be found below


About the Author
Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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