The old popcorn stand operated by the man known as Nick the Greek south of the Fargo Theatre in downtown Fargo has brought lots of stories to “Neighbors.” Today, let’s hear from a man whose family owned the lot on which the stand was located.

Ed Powers, Fargo, writes that when the Flame, the bar to the south of the popcorn stand, burned, its brick walls fell and crushed the stand.

“When that happened,” Ed says, “my uncle, Joe Powers, called me into his office.

“He told me Nick the Greek paid his rent, in cash, several years in advance, so the popcorn stand had to be rebuilt immediately.

“I went out in T.F. Powers’ construction yard and looked for leftover material from completed jobs.

“I told our job foreman what we had to do.

“They met and made a sketch of what we would do with material from the yard. They picked out who would do what and sent them the job.

“Two days later the popcorn stand was up and selling popcorn.”

And Ed adds, “Nick gave me the best bag of buttered popcorn I ever had.”

Special treatment

Ed also says that he was told by his parents that when he was a baby, they’d take him along to the Powers Hotel coffee shop, where they would eat, and where up-and-coming music star Peggy Lee was singing. And Peggy would sing to him in his basket.

If you have an item of interest for this column, mail it to Neighbors, The Forum, Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107, fax it to 701-241-5487 or email blind@forumcomm.com.