In the ’80s, weekends meant Phar-Mor, ice cream store, oldies, Pizza Hut [I Know a Story column] | Local News

In the ’80s, my sister Chris and I were little kids, and until we got old enough to have plans with our friends, we had a Saturday evening routine with our parents.

Sometime before 7 p.m., we were to be bathed and dressed and delivered ourselves up to “the store” as we referred to Pine View Dairy, founded in the previous decade by my parents Larry and Janet, and my Uncle John.

This was the time money from the week’s sales would be taken out of the safe, counted and packed in a tough cloth bag with a metal key lock for the bank.

When I was deemed old enough for some responsibility, I was allowed to help put the money on piles of like tenders, all facing the same way. A little older and my job was to organize the written checks from smallest to largest (I’m fairly certain this was not a bank rule, rather a mom rule), stamping their backs and writing down the amounts, then finally getting a total. (Of course checking my math on the calculator at least twice.)

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The store closed at 7, so after the money was counted and closing side work was completed, the four Hesses hopped in the car and drove to Commonwealth Bank in Millersville, (which later changed into George Street Cafe, and then an insurance company). Dad would pull off the road, put on the blinkers, and one of us would jump out and fast walk the bag of cash to the locked deposit door on the front of the building.

Next was off to the car wash on Columbia Avenue (still in existence!), where it was Dad’s job to wash the car while we waited patiently inside. It was important to have a clean car for church the next morning.

While on Sunday mornings we listened to the “Gospel Greats” radio show, on Saturday nights it was the oldies station. I can still recall the toll-free phone number they sang as a jingle to help you remember how to call in requests. After dad dried the car with an old towel from home, we were finished with our duties. Back then my parents had a proclivity for maroon cars; three in a row bore that color.

With our tasks completed, it was time for dinner out, and it’s not an exaggeration to say nine times out of 10 we went to the Pizza Hut, also on Columbia Avenue (now a Dunkin’ coffee shop). A large pan pizza, half cheese and half Supreme, with a pitcher of Pepsi, was our standing beloved order. Occasionally Chris and I would have a coupon for a free personal pizza as a “Book It” reward. I don’t remember the program, other than its goal was to get students to read more, which wasn’t really an issue for me. I liked reading, but being rewarded was fun!

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If mom and dad were up for it, a trip out to Phar-Mor (sort of like a Kmart, and located in the shopping center where Ollie’s is currently) was always fun for us. I don’t remember the particulars, but some of the items we put in the cart were deemed necessities, and some were extravagances. Those in the latter group were either subsidized 50% by our parents (hairspray, etc.) or not at all (grape soda, green mascara — yes, a short-lived and regrettable fashion decision on my part — etc.).

When we got home we took turns with the receipt, adding up what we owed for our purchases and paying our debts using allowance, or strawberry picking earnings, etc. This particular ritual may be the reason my sister and I are still pretty careful to keep track of what we owe each other … much to the amusement and sometimes laughter of our friends and partners. Sometimes old habits just stay ingrained!

The author lives in Manheim Township.

 If you know an interesting,true story, please write it in 600 words or less and send it to Mary Ellen Wright, LNP editorial department, P.O. Box 1328, Lancaster, PA 17608-1328, or email it to features@lnpnews.com. (No fiction or poetry, please). Please include your phone number and the name of the town you live in.