March
to June 2005
Welcome to Roadside Peek News. This section
will feature a news peek of what's happening out on the road. While
not pretending to be comprehensive, we hope you'll visit this section
from time to time to keep up on just a sample of issues that are
roadside related. Don't forget to check out the Roadside
Peek main page for the day's update.
News from:
Current | Q4 '04 | Q3 '04 | Q2 '04 | Q1 '04 | 2003 | 2002 | Main |
Roadside
News - Monday, June 13, 2005 |
Panel Discussion and Exhibition Celebrating New Los Angeles Book
Coming This Saturday.
Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles Conservancy
& Metropolis Books invite you to join Tim Wride, Ben Stiller,
Marla Kennedy, Julius Shulman, Catherine Opie, Linda Dishman, Craig
Krull & David Ulin for a panel discussion & slide presentation,
following the Conservancy’s Annual Meeting, to celebrate the
publication of:
LOOKING AT LOS ANGELES
Followed by an exhibition of prints at ArcLight Gallery
Sponsored by D.A.P. and Stephen Cohen Gallery
Saturday, June 18, 10:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Location:
ArcLight Hollywood’s historic Cinerama Dome
6360 West Sunset Boulevard (between Vine and Ivar), Los Angeles
Admission is free. Visit www.laconservancy.org
for details.
Some great photos of L.A. will be at this exhibition as well as
a photo from Roadside Peek Contributor and noted photographer
Gerald M. Panter.
Many thanks to Gerald M. Panter for update. |
Roadside
News - Sunday, May 29, 2005 |
Farmington Man Now At New Home. Ohio Sign Treasure Finds New Owner.
Farmington, NM - As stated in the March
11 news update, the Farmington
Man by a business called Sun Glass.
This photo of the Farmington Man, now called Sonny
the Big Man, was taken taken Wed, April 20th. The Farmington
Ambassadors (Farmington Chamber of Commerce) cut a welcoming ribbon
as a crew helped Sonny to his feet. To everyone’s amusement,
his new friends at Sun Glass had sprung for a new blue work shirt
so he’d match all his coworkers. Currently Sonny is still
empty-handed, but I’m pretty sure that’s going to change.
If you would like to know more about Sonny, contact Sun Glass at
505-327-9677.
Many thanks to Anita Prado for photo and info.
-----------------------------------------------------
Streetsboro, OH - Looks like the friendly smiley
face and milkshake sign atop the Coney
Island Custard Shoppe in Streetsboro, Ohio has found a new home.
Apparently, the sign was purchased about 10 days ago by a local
resident. We hope that this sign will be displayed in some capacity
to the public.
Many thanks to Mark Hackett for update. |
Roadside
News - Monday, May 16, 2005 |
Ohio Sign Treasure In Danger. Former Big Boy Restaurant Demolished
in Dallas.
Streetsboro, OH - The friendly smiley face and
milkshake atop the Coney Island Custard Shoppe in Streetsboro, Ohio
has been a familiar sight to travelers through the area for quite
some time. Unfortunately,
times have changed.
The owner of the Coney
Island Custard Shoppe has sold the business and a chain ice
cream store is taking its place. And yes, the sign has been taken
down. Word on the street is that the City of Streetsboro wanted
the sign removed for some reason. A local historical society (Kent)
says the sign is too big to save for their purposes. For now, the
sign sits behind the building, laying flat. The neon hasn't worked
in years, but the sign was a pleasant reminder of a simpler time.
This sign may end up on Ebay.
If you're interested in this sign, please email
me.
Many thanks to Mark Hackett for notification and update.
-----------------------------------------------------
Dallas, TX - The EZ
Burger on Northwest Hwy in Dallas was recently demolished. This
former Kip's Big Boy circa 1964 had been remodeled to the EZ Burger,
but still maintained many of the former coffee shop elements. The
marquee itself was quite colorful and stood out from the otherwise
drab roadside landscape. The EZ Burger was demolished so 7/11, the
owners of the property, can expand on that site. There is an open
7/11 convenience store just to the right of the former restaurant.
More information can be found at the Preservation
Dallas website.
Many thanks to Kevin Tucker for notification and update. |
Roadside
News - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 |
Where's Bob? This Big Boy May Be Coming Soon Near You.
Santa Paula, CA - Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus. Or rather, there is a Bob's
Big Boy, and he may
be coming to your town.
According to The Macomb Daily, six new Bob's Big Boy restaurants
will be opening in the Southern California area over the next six
years. The Limoneira Co., known as a producer of citrus and avocados,
will be the franchise owner.
The first of these locations, located in Santa Paula at Hallock
Dr. @ 126 freeway, is a close distance from Santa Paula Airport.
This airport is popular among Southern California pilots who love
the clubby pilot feel of the airport, and will be popular for old
car restoration enthusiasts as a gathering spot to show off those
old cars.
Many thanks to Brian Fox for notification and update.
-----------------------------------------------------
Authors note: In this era of disappearing
landmark chains such as Howard Johnson's (which appears to be closing
its famed Times Square location soon), it's good to see Bob's Big
Boy facing a brighter future with this expansion news. If the emails
that I receive on a regular basis requesting info on Big Boy locations,
ingredients, and souverirs is any measuring stick, the Big Boy expansion
will be a success. Best wishes to the Limoneira Co. |
Roadside
News - Sunday, April 17, 2005 |
Route 66 Town Finds New Owner
Amboy, CA - The historic Route 66 town of Amboy,
CA has been purchased by Juan Pollo restaurant
chain founder Albert Okura. Located in the eastern portion of the
Mojave Desert along old Route 66, Amboy has been slowly degenerating
since the days of Buster Burris.
Amboy features such Route 66 landmarks
as Roy's Motel and Cafe and the Amboy School. According to the April
12 edition of the San
Bernardino Sun, Okura's initial tasks include restoring water
to the town, and reopening the gas station and its adjacent convenience
mart. Fortunately for Route 66 travelers, the article states that
Okura will "focus on preservation and, eventually, restoration".
Authors note: This news is like a
breath of fresh air for fans of Amboy and the stunning Roy's Motel
complex. First hand experiences with the most recent owners of Amboy
(not the Burris') have not been the most pleasant, ranging from
forboding looks to a drunken tirade from one of the owners. No,
not exactly very welcome experiences. Best wishes to Mr. Okura and
many hopes that Amboy will once again become a must stop for travelers
along one of the best preserved stretches of Route 66 in California. |
News from:
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