May 13th - 20th

Conneaut Lake Park is a 115 year old amusement park in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania that is reminiscent of Whalom Park. Set on a lake, with a landmarked wooden roller coaster, tumblebug, whip and many other rides we all remember and love, Conneaut is a special place.

For its own set of circumstances, Conneaut is struggling to open this year.

Conneaut Lake: http://www.conneautlakepark.com/index.html

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Transplanted 1920s diner made to order for technical school

CRANSTON — The Cranston High School West campus expanded by one building over the weekend — and this new classroom is more than 80 years old.

On Saturday, the old dining car that had long been the front half the popular eatery Johnny B’s was hoisted from its home on Cranston Street and trundled to the school grounds, where it will be a hands-on laboratory for students in the residential construction program at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center.

http://www.projo.com/ri/cranston/content/WB_crjohnny_05-15-07_DS5KRDB.30cdd69.html

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Blair Tarr of Kansas said "Just curious for a reaction about the comments made regarding people
who want to establish a tornado museum in Greensburg, Kansas:"

http://www.kansas.com/233/story/71208.html

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Glenn Wells has started a Toll Road Service Area Project: "We may not remember them for the finest food or the cleanest rest rooms, but the service areas on toll roads, consisting of a restaurant, gasoline station, and usually a gift shop, have been part of many a road trip over the past half-century. However, a large number of the original service plaza buildings, dating to the 1950s or earlier, have been demolished and rebuilt."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roadsidefans/message/5596

The Illinois Tollway "oases" are better documented than most. Visit this web page:
http://www.panix.com/~rbean/oasis/

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http://www.uticaod.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/NEWS/70518007

Sears museum to open

ROME — The restored Sears Oil Co. Service Station museum at George and Liberty streets will open Monday for its second full season.
Through June, the museum will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Extended hours are planned for the summer.
The 1930 service station was restored by Howard P. Sears Jr. as a tribute to his father, Howard P. Sears Sr., and to his early business career, which he began almost 90 years ago.

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Jeff Shank said "I recently updated my website with many new pictures. There are postcards and slides that I've collected over the years. The signage section has some great motel images from the 50s and 60s.

http://www.retro-matic.com/

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Check out this link to see the most fantastic old time New Jersey soda fountain and grill.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17522734/

Holsten's
1063 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ
(973) 338-7091

For pictures: http://agilitynut.com/eateries/njic.html#Holsten

-----------LINKS------------------

Guidebook to exploring Kansas - http://kansasguidebook.com/
Cottonwood, KS
http://www.emmachasecafe.com/traffic.htm
http://www.grandcentralhotel.com/

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http://www.californiacoastline.org

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Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, http://www.mysteryspot.com/

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Musee Mecanique, a collection of arcade amusements. At Pier 45. http://www.museemechanique.org/

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Diner in Texas! http://www.hullabaloodiner.com/thehistory.shtml

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Restaurant in Marshall, MI http://www.schulersrestaurant.com

May 5th - 12th

The goal of this 3rd International LUSTRON Conference will serve as a catalyst to further the research, education, enjoyment and preservation of the Lustron Home!

Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2007
Time: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

http://www.lustronhome.com/index.htm

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As officially announced on Roadside Online, the business partnership between Christopher Carvell and Randy Garbin has been dissolved, effective May 1.

Christopher Carvell, previously employed by diner manufacturer Kullman Industries, now has full ownership of State & Main Associates, a diner renovating and consulting company in which he had been a partner with Garbin.

Randy Garbin retains control and ownership of Roadside Magazine, RoadsideOnline.com, DinerForSale.com, and all of its associated products and publications.

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Providence Journal - This week
WARWICK, RI. — It was the end of another Rhode Island era.

Under bright skies, wrecking crews yesterday began demolishing the former Rocky Point, as onlookers shared stories about good times they had at the once-glittering amusement park.

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A story about the demolition of downtown Grundy, VA and the hopes of a Wal-Mart coming to town to save the day.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/05/AR2007050501038.html

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Tornados did incredible damage to Kansas this week.

Kansas has its share of offbeat tourist attractions, and one of them is the World's Largest Hand Dug Well in Greensburg.

http://www.bigwell.org/bigwell.html

Today the well itself is still there, but like much else in Greensburg, the small frame building that housed a small museum and gift shop, is in splinters.

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The Prospect Mountain Diner in Lake George, NY, a Silk City diner from 1950, has been totally destroyed by fire.

http://www.poststar.com/articles/2007/05/12/news/local/2508ffdfd4b6aa62852572d9000f8577.txt

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The Sterns, from roadfood.com mentioned their favorite Drive-Ins

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roadsidefans/message/5565

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April 29th - May 4th

Gordon Tindall has a thing for old diners - Story from beginning of April in the Elmira Star Gazette, PA version. The article tells about Gordon's acquisition of the former Cecil's Trackside Diner of Wellington, Oh.

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Worcester Deluxe 101 has been sold. - After more than 45 years, Worcester Deluxe 101 may finally be finished. At least, that's what the new owners, Chris and Matt Blanchard, have planned.

Worcester Deluxe 101, built after the original Worcester Lunch Car Company closed in 1961, spent the next three decades stored inside the Van Slett Sign Company shop in Worcester. When that building was cleared out, the American Diner Museum acquired the unfinished diner.

http://wbjournal.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1636&Itemid=142

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Red Robin Diner in Johnson City, NY stays with original owners Chris and Pat Anagnostako as a deal to sell the diner fell through.

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The Fodero diner in Malta Ridge, NY (Route 9 just south of Exit 13 of I-87) is reopen as Bloomers, and American Bistro. The counter is gone.

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A reall cool stained glass sign for Bixler Hardware in Stroudsburg, PA was saved. Read the article that talked about the sign before it was saved.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070421/NEWS/704210327/-1/rss28

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Edgemere Diner in Shrewsbury, MA for sale for $1* Read the fine print in the article that talks about how you could get a Fodero diner for only a dollar.

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/NEWS/705010613/1008/NEWS02

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Michigan State Fairgrounds history: Roller-coaster ride at the state fairgrounds

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Valley Arctic Island: Preservation success story -
Valley Arctic Island, a noteworthy vintage ice cream stand in Syracuse, NY, came closer than we realized to being demolished. The "Scoop" is located on the Seneca Turnpike, west of US Rt 11 in "The Valley" which is south on US Rt 11 from downtown Syracuse, NY.

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The Munson Diner in Liberty, NY (NY Rt 17, Sullivan Co.) inches closer to being open. Though it seems that the interior may get muddled.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070501/NEWS/705010319/-1/NEWS

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There were 3 articles about the Moondance Diner in Manhattan. Basically, there's a muddied story. But the diner owner needs money to move the diner to another location. He also, seemingly, has to buy the diner from the people who have purchased the land and will be building condos.

http://www.amny.com/news/local/am-moondance0503,0,2409820.story?coll=am-local-headlines

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A two-week vacation's worth of recommendations - From Susan Levinson. A plethora of information on assorted cities all over Central states of America.

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Soda fountains in Texas - An article about 10 soda fountains in Texas.

Pharmacies boasted soda fountains because carbonated water was considered to be therapeutic. In fact, early soft drinks such as Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper were touted as health drinks.
Some of the originals have survived for more than a century, while others have been lovingly recreated. Some of our favorites are featured inside.

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April 22nd to 28th

A Roadside Fan member took a trip to the Catawissa Bottling Co. A maker of soda in Catawissa, PA

Road trip to Catawissa Bottling Company

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As vintage roadside attractions go, Howe Caverns in central New York can be said to be among the oldest, since its rock formations are millions of years old. But like other vintage attractions, Howe Caverns has seen a decline in attendance, from 220,000 to 140,000 annually over the last 20 years. Now, new owners are promising to pump some new life into an underground gem.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=582468&category=BUSINESS&newsdate=4/20/2007

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Mid-Atlantic popular | American culture association
18th Annual Conference
Call for Papers 2007 MAPACA Conference
November 2-4, 2007
Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia

please visit MAPACA’s online newsletter, The Gazette, at http://www.mapacagazette.net

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Messages 5548 - 5550 talked about diners in movies

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Chick's Diner in Scranton, PA fought the (No Smoking) law, and the law won.

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18251309&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6

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Cable news channel New York 1 has a video report on the Moondance Diner in Manhattan, slated for closing so that condos can be developed on the site (see RoadsideFans Message 5249):
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=8&aid=69098

http://tinyurl.com/2t3utf

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The Empire Diner is going to have new owners, who have a successful track record of running restaurants. Crazy Otto's Empire Diner will be the name, and it should open up by the end of June.

http://www.herkimertelegram.com/articles/2007/04/27/news/news03.txt

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Couple assorted links mentioned this week

ttp://www.ritterfarms.com in Eastern Tennessee
Fred's Inn in Norwich, NY http://fredsinn.com/

Ken's Diner in Birch Run, MI http://www.kens-diner.com

http://www.usroute20.com/ The US Route 20 pages has been updated

April 15 to 21st

Dutch Kitchen Diner in Frackville -

It looks like they redid the outside, but the inside remains unchanged. I have fond memories of stopping there on our treks south. Maybe someone knows what kind of diner this is? Here
is the web site: http://www.dutchkitchen.com/

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Kappy's Diner, a Valentine, is located at 501 N. Orlando Ave. in Maitland. #5548

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This page explains the history of Big Boy, leading up to the two companies that
exist today (Big Boy International and Frisch's):
http://www.99w.com/evilsam/ff/bigboy.htm

--

There are obvious differences between the Frisch's and Bob's Big Boy statues. But one of the neat things about the early Frisch's Big Boys is the slingshot in the back pocket -- just visible in this photo from the Sign Museum:
http://www.agilitynut.com/06/3/frisch2.jpg
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Thus, the first-ever "Greasy Spoon Awards." given out by our host Glenn Wells
The Silver Spoon goes to Tums.

--

Gold Spoon goes to the Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, Arizona.

Here's a video report posted on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9N4Y1DpTxs

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Vermont sits on edge of diner crisis
By Ed Shamy
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070417/COLUMNIST\
S05/70417016/1007/NEWS02

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A beach is much more fun when there's someplace nearby to buy a soda or ice cream cone. Any 12 year old kid knows that.

In Madeira Beach, Florida, 12 year old Kaitlyn Chalke has become an advocate for an 80 year old log cabin known as the Snack Shack. The city decided to demolish the building, prompting Chalke to collect 200 signatures supporting keeping the Snack Shack.

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April 8th - 14th

From TheAmericanRoadside.com "The author of the book on the A1 Diner, Sarah Rolph, is the guest on my latest podcast. It's a complete coincidence that the Food Network decided to shoot there this week...and I just posted the podcast. Sarah is really a wonderful woman and the book is a delight."
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There were talks about Roundabouts and SPUI, and "pronounced as though it's spelled "Spewie." Meet the Single Point Urban Interchange."

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Train meet this weekend at Merchants Square Mall 1901 S 12th St Allentown Pa April 15th 10am-3pm
Visit http://www.lehighvalleytrainmeet.com

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Diner news from all around:

The A-1 Diner in Gardiner, Maine hosted a crew from the Food Network today and Friday, filming for the newest installment of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."
http://business.mainetoday.com/news/070411a1diner.html

Fremont, Nebraska has a new diner, Penny's Diner, and it's even open 24 hours. From the photograph, it appears to be a Starlite.
http://www.fremontneb.com/articles/2007/04/11/news/news2.txt

In Rochester, NY, Charles Scanio has departed the popular Charlie Brown's Restaurant on North Goodman Street, turning over the spatula to Bob and Bill Keller.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/ENT0305/\
704120323/1060/ENT03

Chef's Diner in Montour Falls, NY has been offering a "Titanic dinner," offering food like what would have been served on that ill-fated ocean liner.
http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/COLUMNIST05/7\
04100308

And in Glenmont, NY (south of Albany) Dan Sher visits Johnny B's Glenmont Diner.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=580146&category=ARTS&newsdate\
=4/12/2007

April 2nd-8th

former Boston Trolley Diner now an Asian restaurant in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Fire
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/11564589/detail.html

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Posts #5415, #5425 asked Is "Modern" over?

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Fleetwood Diner offers classic fare (suburban Grand Rapids, where you should first find Pal's Diner, even though the original Fleetwood diner in Ann Arbor is fantastic!)

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1175784596\
246190.xml&coll=6

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The Albany Times Union published a review of the former Tops Diner(they tore it down and started over with a stick built building) now "Tops American Grill, Bakery & Bar." . Food was always good at the place. It's just sad they tore the diner down.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=578184&category=ARTS&newsdate\
=4/5/2007&TextPage=1

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Monorails http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Where.html

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Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum http://www.mistereds.com

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Orange roof stays, but state’s last HoJo’s gets new name - Brass House Restaurant, Waterbury, CT

http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18182341&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id\
=517514&rfi=6