Looking back at Buffalo through matchbooks

Today, marketing is a highly skilled and nuanced mix of artistry and science. It wasn’t so long ago that the most thought that most businessmen would give marketing is making sure people leave their business with a pack of matches with the business name on them.
Everybody smoked. Every business sold cigarettes. Everybody had a pack of matches in their pocket, and if they didn’t– they needed one. Everyone handing out matches was a win-win.

Matchbooks eventually became more that just a means for lighting a butt.

People might hold on to colorful, fun, or borderline pornographic (from a 1950s sensibility) matchbooks. Some became souvenirs of visiting a restaurant or a city.

Matchbook collecting became a serious hobby for many through the second half of the twentieth century.

eBay seller uniqueanteek has recently posted over 12,000 matchbook covers for auction, several dozen of which are from Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and the immediate area.

Especially for some of the smallest businesses, like neighborhood grocery stores, corner taverns, and storefront restaurants, these matchbooks are the sole surviving proof that these businesses ever existed.

Most of these matchbook covers date from the 40s and 50s, with a few as late as the 70s or early 80s.

Enjoy this unique, broad look at Buffalo’s pop culture history through the matchbook covers of uniqueanteek, and if the spirit moves you, head over to any of uniqueanteek’s auctions, and pick up one of these or any of the thousands of cool covers listed for sale.

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If you have anything to share about any of these places, drop me an email: steve@buffalostories.com

 

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Marker’s Gay Way was at 1321 Broadway.
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Link’s Tavern 2715 Seneca St stood where I-90 crosses over Seneca near Harlem.
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The Hotel Graystone on South Johnson Park was recently renovated into luxury apartments.
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Jew Murphy’s Steel bar at 369 Pearl St stood in a spot now occupied by The Key Towers.


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Teddy’s Beauty Shoppe, 3173 Main St. Today the spot is Slice of Italy pizza, next door to The Lake Effect Diner.
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Salemi’s Club Rainbow was on Court St. behind Buffalo City Hall. The burlesque style entertainment was accompanied by 25¢ spaghetti plates.
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Laube’s Cafeterias were all over Buffalo and “famous for food,” but the name “Laube’s” lives on in reference to “Laube’s Old Spain,” which outlasted the cafeterias for decades.
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Curt’s Stop Inn , 1341 Kensington Ave. It’s still a bar, and still has a stop sign on the front– No word on Curt.
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Pop & Freddie’s Call’s Grill, 140 Forest Ave. between West and Grant on the West Side.

 

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Before there was Lombardo’s, there was Tommy’s Tavern– Tom Lombardo, proprietor– Michigan Avenue at East Utica.
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Arkansas Bar & Lounge, 12 Grant Street. Stood where Rite Aid now stands near the corner of Hampshire.
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The Friendly Inn, 844 Washington, looks like it would have been the corner of Washington and Virginia, one block west of Ulbrich’s.
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Style Beauty Salon, 108 York St, at the corner of 17th on the West Side, about a block from Kleinhans
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Casa Di Amici, 1066 Abbott Rd, South Buffalo. Now a doctor’s office at the corner of Carlyle.
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Carrot Top Inn, 222 Katherine St, Old First Ward. at Hamburg St, today it’s Cook’s Bar & Grill
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Little Harlem Hotel, Michigan Ave. One of Buffalo’s most famous/infamous jazz nightspots.
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Tudor Arms Hotel, 354 Franklin St. Now apartments, half a block south of Edward.
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Ryan’s Hotel Niagara, on Niagara St. near Niagara Square, was known in the 1950s as one of the first places in Buffalo known as a “gay bar.”
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Ricardo’s Steak House & Lounge, 252 Delaware Ave. Was located in the recently demolished Delaware Court building at Delaware and Chippewa.
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Western Auto, 1393 Seneca St., was located about where I-190 crosses over Seneca near Bailey.
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Bison brand sausage. Also the makers of Buffalo’s classic Bison Dip.
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The Park Lane at Gates Circle. One of Buffalo’s most elegant dining experiences for generations.
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Mure’s Campus Restaurant, 1110 Elmwood Ave., home for decades to Mister Goodbar.
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Merry time Restaurant & Lounge, 305 Oak St. Located about where Oak, Huron, Sycamore meet, one block east of the Electric building.
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Leonardo’s Tasty Italian America food,                   386 Pearl St., just south of Chippewa. The site is now a parking ramp.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jay’s Catering, 1257 Genesee St. Two blocks north of MLK Park. Now a vacant lot.
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Maroon Grill, 382 Pearl St., same block as Jew Murphy’s and Leonardo’s, just south of Chippewa.
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The longtime home of Theo Phillies’ Chippewa Liquor Store, 86 West Chippewa St. is now the home of the Emerson School of Hospitality (and one of the best lunch deals in Buffalo.)
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Sterns Electric Equipment, 66 Broadway, near Broadway and Oak.
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Kam Wing Law Chinese Restaurant, 433 Michigan Avenue. Michigan near William
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Kenney’s Hotel and Grill, 605 Michigan Avenue. Michigan Ave at Sycamore
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Stage Door 416 Pearl Street
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EW Edwards Smoke Shop
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Sears, Roebuck & Co, Main & Jefferson
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Hertel Stamp & Coin 1283 Hertel near Colvin
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KR&G
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Miniature Falls Restaurant 27th & Ferry Ave, Niagara Falls NY
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Miniature Falls Restaurant 27th & Ferry Ave, Niagara Falls NY
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Blasdell Hotel, 149 Lake Ave, Blasdell, NY
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Angola Hotel, Angola, NY
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Statler Hilton, Buffalo
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The Bowlers Lunch, 39 Buffalo St, Hamburg
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Goodyear Wende Oil Corp., Buffalo
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WRCA Radio, 660 AM New York City

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chez Ami, 311 Delaware Ave, Home of the Revolving Bar
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Chez Ami, 311 Delaware Ave, Home of the Revolving Bar
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South St. Auto Wreckers, 88 South St, Lackawanna
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Wa-Ha-Kie Hotel, River Rd at Tonawanda City Line
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Ilio DiPoalo’s Ringside Lounge
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The Hayloft Restaurant, Chickenon-the-Rough, Jamestown
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South St. Auto Wreckers, 88 South St, Lackawanna
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The Bowlers Lunch, 39 Buffalo St, Hamburg
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Annex Grill 2847 South Park Ave Lackawanna
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Evans Restaurant Southwestern Blvd & Abbott Rd, Orchard Park
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Hotel Gowanda, 26 S. Water Street, Gowanda
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Helen’s Grill, 2232 Hamburg Turnpike, Lackawanna
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Paradise Motel, Pine Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY
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Lancaster Roofing Co, 5154 Broadway, Lancaster
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May’s Grill, 11 Ridge Rd, Lackwanna, NY
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Triangle Motel, 627 E Main, Batavia, NY
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Bradshaw’s / Schneider’s Lewiston
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Steve’s Grill, 2748 Bailey Ave
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ABC Motel, Niagara Falls Blvd
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Wanakah Grill Pleasant Ave Hamburg
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Otto Hollnberger, 13 West Main Street, Lnacaster
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Randazzo Tavern, 40 Main Street, Akron, NY
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Sunrise Motel, 6225 Pine Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY
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La Salle Sportsmen’s Club, Tuscarora & Porter Rds, Niagara Falls, NY
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Urkainian Club, 75 17th Ave, North Tonawanda, NY
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Stanley’s Restaurant, 239 24th St, Niagara Falls
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Water Wells– Joe Sheldon, 177 Sheldon Rd, Orchard Park
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Busy Bee Grill, 315 Erie Ave, Niagara Falls
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Club Ray-Ott, Falls Street, Niagara Falls
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Feldman Bros. Furs 1812 Main St, Niagara Falls, NY
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Busy Bee Grill, 315 Erie Ave, Niagara Falls
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Orchard Park Hotel, 51 N. Buffalo Rd, Orchard Park, NY
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Lucille Beauty Shoppe, 822 E. Delavan Ave, Buffalo



Buffalo in the ’50s: ‘Gorgeous George’ arrives in Buffalo, perfumes his room

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Sixty-five years ago,  wrestling was treated like a legitimate sport on the pages of The News, with the comings and goings of wrestlers and blow-by-blow details of the matches detailed in words and photos.  It was also covered live on Buffalo’s only TV station, The News’ Channel 4, as well as on radio stations, including WBEN.

August 3, 1950.

What can only be described as the entrance of “Hollywood’s perfumed and marcelled wrestling orchid” Gorgeous George into Buffalo and his eventual defeat of Maurice “The Angel” Tillet were right there with Bisons news from Offermann Stadium.

The review of the match was written by Hall of Fame writer Cy Kritzer — who was best known for his nearly 40 years as The News’ main baseball writer.

Buffalo in the 50s: Buffalo’s 4,500 grain workers idled by elevator strikes

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

When we think romantically about “Buffalo’s good old days,” when a man could walk into any plant of factory in town, put in a good day’s work and provide well for his family, one part of the equation we often forget is labor strife.

This week in 1950, about 500 grain elevator employees walked out on strike. That decision had an impact on another 4,000 workers who refused to cross picket lines or were idled because their work was reliant on the strikers. These included grain scoopers, grain car coopers, longshoremen, construction workers and railroad switchmen. In many cases, grain stored in the elevators was transferred to nearby Buffalo grain mills for rendering. The mills were also closed down.

As 300 carloads of grain sat on docks a few days into the strike, there was some mild violence and minor injuries. The state also ruled that none of the 4,500 idled workers would be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Buffalo in the 50s: South Buffalo’s Republic Steel aims for nearly a million tons

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

A DEC photo from 1967: Historic photo of the Buffalo River. The former Republic Steel plant is to the left of the river and the former Buffalo Color plant is to the right.

Bethlehem Steel’s Lackawanna plant was at one time the largest in the world and employed 20,000 workers in the manufacture of steel.

It was the same sort of work happening a few miles away on South Park Avenue along the Buffalo River at Republic Steel. Thousands worked at that plant as well, and the hope was that, with changes announced 65 years ago this week, the plant would be able to churn out 900,000 tons of steel each year.

The plant was closed and demolished in the mid 1980s and is currently the site for the state-funded RiverBend project, set to be home to SolarCity.

Buffalo Evening News, August 3, 1950

Buffalo in the 20s: The Buffalo Stock Exchange opened only months before the market crashed

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Thirty-five years ago this week, The News began celebrating the 100th anniversary of the paper’s starting a daily edition.

In the special section called One Hundred Years of Finance and Commerce, The News recounted the history of a handful of Buffalo’s financial and commercial industries and provided ad space for many companies involved in those industries to tout their own contributions.

Among the many industries in which Buffalo was a nationwide leader was finance.

Just like in steel and milling among dozens of others, before the Great Depression Buffalo was one of America’s top five cities for finance. The Buffalo Stock Exchange even opened its doors in celebration, marking Buffalo’s advancing place in the world of finance.

That open came in May 1929 — only months before the stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression.

Way before rotary dials or even party lines: The History of Telephones in Buffalo

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Thirty-five years ago this week, The News began celebrating the 100th anniversary of the paper’s starting a daily edition.

In the special section called One Hundred Years of Finance and Commerce, The News recounted the history of a handful of Buffalo’s financial and commercial industries and provided ad space for many companies involved in those industries to tout their own contributions.

In 2015, if we think at all about “the old days” and telephones, perhaps we think of phones that were actually wired to the wall. Or, saints preserve us, the tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat of the rotary dial.

And in 2015, it’s a bit difficult to fathom that for most of the history of the telephone, you picked up a receiver and spoke with an operator.  Of course 35 years ago, there were plenty more people who remembered those days … and that’s what this piece is about.

Buffalo in the 80s: Some WNYers still expecting the shipping industry to return

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Thirty-five years ago this month, The News began celebrating the 100th anniversary of the paper’s starting a daily edition.

In the special section called One Hundred Years of Finance and Commerce, The News recounted the history of a handful of Buffalo’s financial and commercial industries and provided ad space for many companies involved in those industries to tout their own contributions.

By 1980, the port of Buffalo was obviously and irrevocably in decline, along with the grain, steel and lumber industries that the port once supported.

While the port was gasping, it was still alive — and this piece looks at would it would have taken to breathe new life into Buffalo’s lakes freight industry.

Buffalo in the 80s: Typical office shows typewriter and a ‘work-saving’ computer

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Thirty-five years ago this week, The News began celebrating the 100th anniversary of the paper’s starting a daily edition.

In the special section called One Hundred Years of Finance and Commerce, The News recounted the history of a handful of Buffalo’s financial and commercial industries and provided ad space for many companies involved in those industries to tout their own contributions.

Radio Shack’s TRS-80, this ad implies, “works hard to save you money.”

For many business people in 1980, having a computer in the office still sounded more like science fiction than a solid business plan, especially when the computer offered here was offered for $8,766. In 2015 dollars, according to a government inflation calculator, that equals about a $25,000 investment.

The elegance of Pitt Petri

By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo

Thirty-five years ago this week, The News began celebrating the 100th anniversary of the paper’s starting a daily edition.

In the special section called One Hundred Years of Finance and Commerce, The News recounted the history of a handful of Buffalo’s financial and commercial industries and provided ad space for many companies involved in those industries to tout their own contributions.

Pitt Petri’s history as one of the warmly remembered shops of the upscale Delaware Avenue shopping district was recounted elsewhere in the special section.

The reason Pitt Petri is better remembered that most of the other shops on Delaware is probably two-fold. First, Pitt Petri opened a branch store in Williamsville. Second, Pitt Petri was the final survivor out of the dozens of shops from a bygone era.

The small storefront next to the Buffalo Club was the last heritage retailer standing when it closed in 2011.

Looking for help in piecing together Dad’s USMC service

By Steve Cichon | steve@buffalostories.com | @stevebuffalo

BUFFALO, NY – Since I can’t find the appropriate venue in which to ask these questions, I’ll ask them here– and ask people to share this around so that I might get some answers for my family and me.

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The ol’man having a smoke and wearing flip-flops, but no ribbons to help me identify his proper service awards.

In 1973, my father, an E-4, was honorably discharged from the USMC after 3 years 4 months 20 days of service because of physical disability. He spent time stationed in Camp Lejeune, Cuba, Panama, Okinawa and finally, Walter Reed before going home.

My dad always said he had three ribbons on his uniform as a Marine. His official transcript lists only The National Service Medal– but it also shows he qualified for the Good Conduct medal which wasn’t listed (It was one Dad said he got– but they just gave everyone who hung around long enough.)

The third one is a bit of a mystery. He talked about receiving some decoration after Nuclear/ Biological/ Chemical Warfare School (or maybe for some use of that training). The schooling is listed, but the award isn’t.

Does this sound plausible to anyone who’d know? What award might they have given for N/B/C training (or excellence in N/B/C training… or excellence in use of N/B/C training skills) in USMC in 1970?

The only medal listed on the ol'man's DD-214-- The National Defense Service Medal.
The only medal listed on the ol’man’s DD-214– The National Defense Service Medal.

Also, dad talked about being trained in parachuting… and also training others in the use of parachutes. Again, not mentioned on his DD-214… nor is his rifle expert badge, which he talked about proudly. Having been trained in parachuting, that would have qualified him for the parachuting badge, right?

Anyone know someone who might know these answers if you don’t? Internet research is vague and non-specific here, especially since I’m not entirely sure what I’m asking.

I’m also quite positive that “official channels” won’t offer many answers– I’d just like to ask these questions of someone who might have a good idea of what the truth is, regardless of the form that was filled out hastily and improperly 42 years ago.

Dad’s DD-214 is clearly incomplete– all he left the Marines with was the uniform on his back. All of his belongings were stolen when he was transferred from a base hospital to Walter Reed, from where he was honorably discharged. Because he was sick, he was never given the chance to review or sign his separation papers.

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His separation papers, Form DD-214, was completed using whatever scarce information they had on Dad, at a hospital far from his unit and far from his belongings. He was so sick, he was unable to sign (and more importantly, verify all the information on the form.)

This is all to say, he never bothered trying to amend his records because he had no proof. His paperwork and medals were stolen with his camera, stereo, 8-tracks, and uniforms.

I’m not looking to amend his records– just for the ability to pay proper respect to his military service, and remember him for the commendations he actually received.

Dad-Marine-editThe few photos of him during his time in the Marine Corps don’t show him in regulation uniform— except his boot camp dress blues head shot, which was taken before any of the awards would have been earned.

He was proud of serving his country, but like many who did so, he didn’t like to talk about it much. I wish I had pressed a tiny bit more or taken better notes through the years.

Please feel free to email me with any insight– steve@buffalostories.com. Thanks.