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„

THE ONE & ONLY

Linwood, for a chocolate Vernor's.
That large frosted globe was filled with
ice-cold Vernor's on draft, at Farber's
soda fountain. For 15 cents you could
have that or Farber's personal milk-
shake, best in town, made from
Sealtest Ice Cream. Everybody clam-
ored for the Eagle Dairy on Dexter but
Farber's was much better. Farber was a
marvelous conversationalist, and a
sweeter guy you never met. At Farber's
you were directly across the street from
R4.v Lawton's Hebrew School for those
who wanted corporal punishment
from a ruler across their hands given to
those who did not know their lessons.
If you made a mistake you got the
ruler. Let's see now, 'alef, bas, dalet' —
bang went the ruler.
"Since this is not intended to be a
book, I will end by heading back
towards Flashenberg's. Miller's Variety
Store with the red storefront, where I
read my first comic books and Classic
Comics, was right near Charlie's food
market across Linwood near Monterey.
If you had $2, Miller would gladly sell
you a Daisy Red Rider BB gun that
would empower you to destroy all the
rats in the alleys behind the houses,
and the bottles too. Ms. Mertz would
always put those five-gallon mayon-
naise jars out and they would be gone
in 10 minutes.
"Curiously, the sport of alley surf-
ing on bicycles began at this time. I
seriously believe that one Stanley
Nagler was the first to strew garbage
all over the alley behind his house and
ride his Schwinn bike over it as soon
as it got dark. Numerous others fol-
lowed his lead. Though it never
became an Olympic event, it did help
to keep the alleys a proper haven for
whatever chose to live there.
"Finally, no trip to the area is valid
without mentioning that two blocks
south from Flashenberg's was the
famous gateway to China known as
the Atlantic Gardens. I still remember
the authentic Mandarin-costumed
waiters and those closed booths where
you could eat in complete privacy. I
still recall the egg rolls, which they
don't know how to make here in
Florida, and what my mother, Ruth,
called 'Almost Boneless Chicken.'
"There is much more but Ming is
bringing my check and I only have 20
cents." ❑

Want to reach Danny? Call
(248) 354-6060, ext. 206, or e-mail

f West Bloomfield

OPEN FOR LUNCH
AND DINNER 7-DAYS
4189 Orchard Lake Road
Orchard Lake

248-865-0000

dannyraskin@mindspring.com

Fax:

248-865-0020