Bits and Pieces: Polar Pantry offered 16 flavors of ice cream

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Columbia Basin Herald on July 10, 1952:

Polar Pantry opened Sunday

The Polar Pantry opened Sunday with 16 flavors of ice cream, four sherbets and a big freezer box in the front window showing frozen cones and packs. It’s located in the Lake Theater building.

The new business, owned and operated by Mrs. H.K. Usher, is similar to ones she has operated in the Seattle area for many years. Both ice cream and iced milk products will be available every day from noon until midnight, she said. The ice creams are pre-packed and on display. Her son, Ronnie, is day counterman.

New market manager

Clyde Dirks is the new manager of the Stop ‘N Shop Market on Peninsula Drive, it was announced this week by Gus Tenaglia, the owner. He succeeds Bill Booker, who resigned last week.

Lawn picnic marks return from service

The Fourth was celebrated at the Harris Osborn home with a lawn picnic and swimming party in honor of Mrs. Osborn’s brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Besancon. They have returned after his discharge from the Navy after four years.

Attending were Archie’s mother, Mrs. Margie Braggs; a cousin and family, Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Flower and family of Othello; Mrs. and Mrs. Walt Alloway, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Gutschmidt, and the hosts.

Nightly Gospel sermons given

Bible-centered gospel sermons are featured in nightly meetings at the church of Christ, Third and Elm streets this week. Evangelist Vance Carruth, minister of the South Gate, Calif. Church of Christ, is preaching eight nights at the local church, the series ending Sunday.

Minister Kenneth Shrable said Carruth is a forceful, instructive speaker with an inspiring presentation of New Testament doctrine. Meetings are 8 p.m. and close about 9 every evening. Congregational singing precedes each sermon.

Air warning volunteers go on job Monday

Moses Lake takes its place in the defense warning net protecting the United States from air attack next Monday, when the local ground observer post goes full-time reporting duty.

Volunteers in 17 states, lying around the edge of the United States, will start the weary, 24-hour watch, just in case, and report all planes moving in their area. Reports are carried by direct wire into the Spokane filter center, John Kolve said this week.

Kolve heads the local corps and needs all the help he can get to keep duty assignments down to three hours a week per volunteer. The post is near the Bureau of Reclamation Camp on Wheeler Road, has all utilities and the phone connects to the Moses Lake switchboard.

Once a week assignments are planned, Kovle said, and volunteers may register by calling either 195-W or 249-R.

Irrigation district pays

The Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District became second and largest reclamation project to pay off its entire construction costs recently, when a check for $21,128.64 was turned over to Goodrich Lineweaver, assistant commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.

Water was first delivered to the 67,500-acre district in 1907. Since then, crops have been produced, 110 times the cost of federal investment of the irrigation project.

Social Security rules change on war dead

August, 1952 is the last month for filing applications for lump-sum death payments due under the provisions of the social security act to survivors of servicemen who died outside the US after December 6, 1941, and before August 10, 1946, the federal security agency announced this week.

This means that the lump-sum death payment may still be paid, provided application for the payment is made not later than August 31, 1952. After that date, no payment can be made. This payment also may be made as reimbursement for the expenses involved in re-interment of a serviceman’s body. The social security field office at Wenatchee can give more information.

Bank deposits up 5 percent

A 5 percent increase in bank deposits since Jan. 1 was reported July 1 by the Moses Lake branch of the Seattle-First National Bank. The report includes deposits at Larson Air Force Base branch.

A decrease was reported by the Grant County state Bank at Ephrata and Soap Lake, down 8 percent in six months. Reorganization occurred this spring, when Joshua Green of Seattle and associates bought control from H.H. Higgins of Hartline and others.

The Quincy Branch of the National Bank of Commerce shot up 38 percent, the report shows, with total deposits now at $2,039,903. Other figures: Moses Lake, $3,117,901 and Ephrata, $5,867,407.

Food process show by U&I on Friday

Freezing and canning of foods will be demonstrated Friday afternoon at 2 in the Grange hall by Mrs. Sybil, Householder of the U&I Sugar Company, grange home economics ladies learned this week.

The public is welcome. The meeting will also be the July assembly for the home economics group.

Ephrata drops city engineers

The City of Ephrata ended its contract with Parker & Hill, Seattle engineering consultants, this week, effective Aug. 1. Their employment was on an infinite basis, subject to 30 days notice from either party, and payment was $100 monthly retainer plus 6 percent of construction cost of all major city projects.

Dissatisfaction with supervision of street work and reservoir constructions has been expressed by Mayor J.G. Dungan and Street Superintendent Monte Blanchard.

From Coulee City

Chamber of Commerce hears that U.S. Senate has passed a bill changing the name of South Dam to Dry Falls Dam.

Fire destroys $25,000 in hay

Nearly 100 tons of baled hay went up in flames at the H.O. Williams farm north of Moses Lake July 1. The crop was valued at $25,000.

City, Peninsula and Cascade Valley fire crews took the 4 a.m. call and reported the fire was by spontaneous combustion.

Bid date set for Base work

Bids will be opened at Walla Walla Aug. 12 for changes and additions to the new enlisted men’s barracks at Larson Air Force Base, army engineers have announced. Included are 48 additional fire escapes and minor alterations to the heating system. Coffee urns in six locations are to be rotated 180 degrees and piping altered.