I wonder if That diner salvage guy will take it? I would rather he take it than letting the owners demolish it.

The Bel Aire will always hold a special place for me, as it was my first diner. In the mid-50's, my father and I would pack up the car with my grandparents and their belongings and drive them to East Eddington, Maine where they'd spend the summer. After picking them up at their apartment over the restaurant that they ran in Chelsea, Massachusetts, we'd head north, over the then 'Mystic River Bridge' and make our first stop - breakfast at the Bel Aire Diner. <br /><br />I grew up on Wonder Bread, juice, and milk for breakfast, so the menu at the Bel Aire was both eye opening and mouth watering. Bacon, eggs, home fries, and chocolate milk provided the sustenance for the next leg of our journey which included lots of old Route One and as much of the Maine Turnpike as then existed. Later in the day, we made our regular stop at the Pilot's Grille in Bangor for another hearty meal before the final leg down to the cottage.<br /><br />Even the meals there were memorable, as my grandmother prepared them on a large, wood fired stove. I still can't figure out how she managed on such a 'primitive' cooking arrangement, but she did and did so admirably.<br /><br />That was more than fifty five years ago, but the memories are strong and enjoyable. My meals at the Bel Aire started, for me, what has been a life long passion. Whether for the camaraderie, the food, the architecture, the Mom and Pop-ness of it all, it remains an important, if not vital part of my life. Every Cracker Barrel, Denny's, etc. that supplants the older institutions is an affront. The homogenization of this country is distressing and I fear that it is a trend that may not stop. Thank you, Randy for living the dream - informing, challenging, and reminding us of these valued parts of our shared history.

Is there a contact person for this diner?