My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

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Add a favorite hang-out or special memory of a time long since gone, but not forgotten. This is our catch all forum for topics not listed elsewhere. The moderator may move your topic to a specific forum category later, to assist other members in finding fun information. If you are in doubt, post here!
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Lost Fresno
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Lost Fresno » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:52 am

Misc. Memories: Before it was North Maple Plunge on the corner of Maple and Clinton it was called Henrichs Public Swimming Pool. After Mrs. Henrichs sold it the name was changed to North Maple Plunge. It was a great place to spend the day - the slide was wonderful! Blackstone Swim Park was only 25 cents to get in when I was a kid - we'd take our lunch and spend the day. Coke was a nickel. Also, during the summer San Joaquin Memorial opened its beautiful blue and white tile pool to the public. Does anyone remember a private neighborhood pool near the corner of McKinley and Millbrook? I used to go there with some friends who lived in the neighborhood. Wonderland Roller Rink was one of my favorites. The first one burned down that was a little south on the new one that was built by the Torcaso family at Blackstone and Shaw. For a while San Francisco Floral operated out of it and in the back receiving area the walls were still painted with the skating signs. It's now Chesterfield's antique store and an Italian restaurant. How about the Christmas displays in the stores in downtown Fresno. Especially Penney's. It was life size animation and just fabulous.

Stan's drive in
Dragging the main
The Eagle Cafe and "orlando"
Cherry Lime Ricky's at the Royale Drive In
The mermaids at the Hacienda
The serial movies at the White Theatre - 11 Cents for all day.
Coney Island Hot Dogs

Lost Fresno
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Lost Fresno » Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:25 am

This is a great thread. I left Fresno 30 years ago and every time now I mention I'm from Fresno I get groans and stifled laughter. But I'll stack growing up in Fresno with growing up anywhere. So many of the memories shared here ring so true. Who ever thought they'd actually hear the words "Natty Bumpo" or "Crimson Castle" or "Al Radka" again? Some memories to add to the list:

1. Joe Angel DJing on KYNO years before becoming the worst radio broadcaster ever for the SF Giants
2. Sam Schwan, KYNO DJ, with a billboard on Blackstone saying "Send your garbage to Moscow" when he moved from rival KMAK back to KYNO
3. Radio station KIRV (1510) introducing the psychedelic sound to Fresno in 1967, but going off the air every night at sunset
4. The Artefactorage (I think I still have a tooled leather belt bought there)
5. Signature Waterbeds
6. The Rolling Stones at Radcliffe Stadium (1965?)(opening act local band Shag)
7. All the great bands that played all the venues in Fresno, but sadly never Jimi
8. Sears downtown, before Manchester Center
9. The toy store at Sears Manchester, in its own separate annex
10. $2.49 to buy "The Doors" at White Front (still have it)
11. Chop suey at the Far East Cafe, squab at Leilani's, prime rib at Cedar Lanes, the Refectory
12. Snow cones at Euless ballpark
13. The Country Squire Theater
14. The original Basque restaurant at the Santa Fe Hotel (not the newer one out on Maroa or somewhere like that)

Sky Princess
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Sky Princess » Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:54 pm

1. Going to the telethons at the Fresno auditorium to meet the celebrities.
2. The Forty-Niner Show and being in the audience.
3. Cinerama: seeing 'How the West Was Won'.
4. Riding the tram on the Fulton mall.
5. Story Land at Roding Park. Climbing the Jack and the Beanstalk slide and being nervous about how high it was.
6. Playing on the black locomotive at Roding Park.
7. The potato salad at the Basque Hotel.
8. Penny Candy head shop.
9. Fresno City College before they put up the new buildings.
10. Working at Bob's Big Boy for $2.25 per hour plus tips.

Christopher Stone
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Christopher Stone » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:21 pm

1. Wonderland Swimming Pool and Roller Rink on Blackstone Avenue
2. Luigi's Pizza, also, I think, on Blackstone
3. Watching The Mickey Mouse Club after school
4. JJ Newberrys, downtown, with its aroma of freshly popping buttered corn
5. Seeing color television for the first time at Gottschalks Department Store in downtown
6. Meeting Flippo Jr., Marv Harrison, at Arthur's Toy Store opening on Blackstone
7. Triple features at the White Theater for nine cents
8. Seeing "There's No Business Like Show Business" at the Crest Theatre
9. Tales of the Swamp Lady that were told at San Joaquin Memorial High School
10. Perusing the comic books, Mad Magazine and Screen Stories at Rudy's variety store, First and Ashlan, after shopping C & C super-market

Christopher Stone
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Christopher Stone » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:07 am

Cherry Lime Rickeys at Mars Drive-In. Banana Splits at Carnation Ice Cream in the Tower District. 1950's movie star, Betty Hutton, doing her Vegas act at Warners Theatre.

Chuck
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Re: "Lost Fresno" My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Chuck » Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:59 pm

Contino's Deli off of Fresno and Clinton.
Farmer's Market downtown.
McMillans and Food Banks markets
Zaks Car Wash
Zenny's restaurants
Taco Tienda on Blackstone and Clinton
Hansen's Feed Store
Belmont Dairy for chocolate milk on returnable glass bottles...
Valley Ford-Frontier Chevrolet
College Pharmacy near Tower
Dipper Dan's cross from Fresno High

debygrl
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by debygrl » Sat May 01, 2010 2:55 pm

Kenjo Recording Studio on Van Ness (Tower District)
Webster Webfoot show for kids
Senior ditch day at Millerton Lake
People's Church on Cedar & Dakota
Levitz Furniture on West Shaw
Honey West TV show

corplhicks
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Location: Fresno
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by corplhicks » Fri May 28, 2010 12:44 am

Sitting on our front porch in the summer of '86, watching the sunset, drinking coke from Star Trek III glasses. The kind you could buy at Taco Bell and not fearing for our safety even though we lived just off of Tulare & Peach.

Mr. Bill
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Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by Mr. Bill » Mon May 31, 2010 4:14 am

I haven't lived in Fresno since the early 70's, but have fond memories growing up there as a kid in the 60s. I remember:

1. Watching Al Radka hosting old Three Stoogies shows.
2. Watching Webster Webfoot and Uncle Jimmy Weldon.
3. Eating at Perry Boys Smorgy. My brothers and I came in like army ants at a picnic and ate more than our fill.
4. The Fresno Fair.
5. Coney Island Hot Dogs.
6. The Millionaire who drove around giving money, I forgot who sponsored that, KYNO or KMAK?
7. Riding with my folks when they drove downtown, when it was actually safe, this was before all the malls were built. I can still remember riding in the back seat looking at the dept. stores all lit up, with Petula Clark singing "Downtown" on the car radio.
8. The old Cherry Auction. I used to love buying fresh-roasted peanuts, and used comic books for a nickle.
9. Gool ol' Mello-Ice Cream. We used to drive there to buy ice cream, than park at the old Fresno Air terminal and watch the planes take off.
10. P-R-O-D-U-C-E-R-S spells producers. Yep, it was Hoppy's favorite. Loved that commercial.
11. Watching Daryle Lamonica and the Oakland Raiders.
12. Swimming at Millerton lake in the summer, playing in the snow around Shaver Lake in the winter.
13. Ran around barefoot in the summer, avoiding the blistering sidewalks and staying on any patch of grass available. Back then, there were no ozone layer issues, so one could go shirtless for hours without worrying too much.

I have very fond memories, but have been away for so long, that the heat would be unbearable for me if I returned to stay. Aside from the heat, I'm happy to have spent my youth in Fresno. It was one of those city/towns, small enough for people to be friendly with each other, yet big enough to keep from being bored. I realize Fresno isn't the same city it once was, due to crime, drugs, gangs and such, but I'm sure this applies to most towns and cities.

proudmary5457

Re: My Top 10 List - Add Your Memory

Post by proudmary5457 » Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:26 pm

The Ivy covered admin bldg at Roosevelt High School and the windows that the seniors walk out of at graduation.

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