Things I miss about old Sandusky

The bumper sticker "Chili: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore" perfectly sums up my attitude toward that delicacy of delicacies; and while it might not supplant buttermilk pancakes, the delicious homemade chili at the Eastside Café would be a worthy alternative. The Eastside cheeseburgers were fabulous too, and it was a sad day when I couldn't order both for lunch — for fear of bursting. Register file photo/LUKE WARK From left, George Sharpe, server Sheila McNary, previous owner Nancy Sharpe, server Candra Matter and co-owner Candy Howman stand behind the bar at East Side Cafe. And I wouldn't mind a hearty meal at nearby Cochran's either; on Tuesday nights, grilled hot dogs, washed down with beer served frosted in fish bowls, costing 10 cents. Ever faced this? Your visitors would love a short boat ride but you don't own a boat. Presto: The Cedar Point Ferry set off from the foot of Columbus Ave. and provided a lovely trip across Sandusky Bay featuring shots of roller coasters, church spires and huge freighters entering the harbor. The price, if memory serves, was 25 cents, round-trip. We were raised by avid theatergoers and while trips to Chicago and New York for plays/musicals were a luxury, we were just as excited to make the 7-mile trek to The Huron Playhouse, where energetic cast members often ushered you to your seat. Six shows in six weeks. How did they do it? Fifty years later, I can still picture the hilarious actress/BGSU student B.J. Floto shamelessly mugging from the back row as she tapped her toes off in Cole Porter's "Anything Goes." B.J. Floto is probably in her 70s now. Like the rest of us. "Police Chief: Stop Buzzing the Ave," read a Register headline, circa 1968. (Evidently, someone thought that telling teenagers they shouldn't do something was an effective tool in changing behavior.) On weekend nights, cars filled with local youths, horns blaring, snaked their way through the downtown passing by Sears, the YMCA and the movie theater on Market Street. In time, the buzzers moved on to other pursuits. Sadly, many of the businesses moved on as well. Nolie and Bud's Buckeye Tavern on Perkins Ave. used to close at 2:30 a.m. And re-open five hours later. Second and third shift employees can work up powerful thirsts. I'll know we're truly experiencing a manufacturing resurgence when homey, neighborhood saloons like Nolie and Bud's are pulling draughts at sunrise. There used to be a McDonald's at the entrance to the Cedar Point Causeway that the company, in its wisdom, decided to move a quarter of a mile up the road. Since then, several businesses have failed in that location and now it's just an eyesore. I miss that McDonald's. I think they should move it back. Jon Armstrong Formerly of Sandusky