Blue Colony Celebrating Three Generations Of Ownership, 50 Years Of ‘Here’s Your Order!’
From The Newtown (CT) Bee: These days, with an estimated 125,000 vehicles a day on average passing within just a few yards of its front door on Interstate 84, the Blue Colony Diner just off Exit 10 has been a destination for not only several generations of Newtowners but also countless others from neighboring communities as well as far-flung towns and cities across the nation and around the world.
Each of those customers has not only enjoyed the food, desserts, coffee, and beverages — but also undoubtedly the special kind of hospitality only an owner can provide. This year, the Blue Colony is celebrating an amazing 50 years of continuous operation, and is now under its third generation of ownership and management by the Marnelakis family.
Historic and stubborn sign comes down, changing Fresno skyline. How did they do it?
The Guarantee Bank G sign touches Fresno Street at Fulton after finally being removed from the Guarantee Bank building in downtown Fresno on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com
From The Fresno Bee: Two weeks after crews tried and failed to remove the Guarantee Savings sign from its perch atop the State Center Community College District offices in downtown Fresno, they were at it again. Fresno Street was closed at Fulton on Saturday morning and a viewing section was set up for those wanting to watch as a large crane brought down the 11,000-plus-pound sign, which will now be relocated to the Fresno Fairgrounds. A replica sign is being fabricated and should be installed by the summer 2025.
Riverside’s old Sears should not be demolished, residents urge
The old Sears building on Arlington Avenue in Riverside is seen Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. A proposed project would demolish the building, but some would like to see it preserved. (Photo by Mark Acosta, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
From The Press-Enterprise: Riverside’s vacant Sears could be demolished to make way for apartments, townhomes and stores.
But as the project moves through the review process, some residents are pushing to preserve the store and its mid-century modern architecture. Another possibility, they say, is for the project’s design to echo Sears’ look. However, the building, mostly empty since 2020, isn’t labeled as a historic structure. And the developer says preserving the old department store would be difficult.
The Sears on Arlington Avenue opened in 1964, and longtime residents recall fond memories of shopping there and learning to drive in its large parking lot.
The Heyday of Revival Movie Theaters in the Village
8th Street Playhouse. 1940s Tax Photograph
From villagepreservation.org: Going to the movies: One of America’s favorite pastimes. Before the advent of at-home technologies such as VHS, DVDs, and certainly streaming services, often the only way to see a beloved old film, or to discover one you may have missed when it was first released, was at a revival movie house. The earliest of these theaters, dedicated exclusively to the screening of classics, vintage favorites, or sometimes never-before-seen out-of-print editions, began to pop up in the Village in the late 1960s.
Gift shop grizzly is back on duty in downtown Anchorage
The newly restored bear faces Fourth Avenue and E Street. (Marc Lester / ADN)
From the Anchorage Daily News: After a brief hibernation, a Fourth Avenue bear is back in downtown Anchorage.
The recognizable 300-pound, 9-foot-8 fiberglass grizzly was hoisted into position Monday morning, then mounted above a gift shop entryway where it has kept a southeasterly view of downtown for 25 years.