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Archiver > NY-BUFFALO-EASTSIDE > 2008-07 > 1215391708


From: "Margaret Torres" <>
Subject: Re: [NY-BUFFALO-EASTSIDE] Van's Bakery
Date: Sun, 6 Jul 2008 20:48:28 -0400
In-Reply-To: <c8c.2447d9ae.35a2b281@aol.com>


First, we sure are scattered all over the place. And I think I said we have
subscribed to the Bflo. paper with t view to maybe moving home. It probaby
won't happen but who knows.

Weren't we lucky growing up in that city in those days? I don't get a lot
of the references becuse except for a tavern on Broadway owned by my
Grandfather and gone before I came along and a house on Sherman ST where
family lived for some of my growing up years and where we visited often all
I know of the east side is what I heard and dimly remember. But I know
every inch of north park. and I didn't remember what the street car thingees
were called but I sure remember the rides we hitched on the back end. When
the car turned either off Hertel Ave onto Virgil or off Virgil onto Hertel
there was a big curve and the speed was perfect for grabbing on and riding.
We never went very far and no one ever got hurt that I remember but it is a
fun memory. And we ran all over Delaware Park..we climbed the face of the
Rock Garden.it was not supposed to be used that way. We had to take our
shoes off and hang them around our necks because we would have gotten killed
if we cut up the shoes..they were the only ones we had most of the time. I
don't think sneakers had happened yet. We ran all over the golf cource and
climbed on the old canon ( remember) and went through the zoo from one end
to the other again and again. Does anyone remember Eddie the chimp? As he
got older he stopped being cute and got pretty mean and he didn't like
people anymore. They had to put up a glass front to his cage because he
would pee on anyone silly enough to stand close enough. That led to the
glass on the front of all the cages I believe. And in winter we skated on
Delaware Lake. And had vile hot chocolate bought in the big stone building
which I think we called the casino.may have been the castle..we had to put
wooden runners on our skates so we could walk in and out with the chocolate.
And of course Crystal Beach. I have had a wonderful life if you look at
having Crystal Beach as a kid and having Disney World now. wow!

Oh does anyone remember Karas meat market on Sycamore? On the corner of
Sobieski or Koscusco (sp) if I remember correctly. When you walked in one
of the men would say hello pani. Wonderful meats and nice people.

Well, I have a bleeder in my left eye and I suspect there are a lot of words
spelled strangely so to make it easier for all of us I will stop here.
Thanks all for raising fond memories.

Margaret



-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of

Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 7:43 PM
To:
Subject: [NY-BUFFALO-EASTSIDE] Van's Bakery



Does anyone remember Van's Bakery? At one point there were five stores,
but

the one that was in business the longest was on Seneca. My husband Ken's

grandfather, Martin Van Mechelen, owned them and his father Julius was an

employee. Ken said that, as the grandson of the owner, he got two squirts
of

jelly in his jelly doughnuts and was fascinated by the machine which sliced
the

loaves of bread.



Ken, who is a train nut, said the pole on the streetcars is called a
trolley

pole.

Robin in Maryland







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