By Lois Krafsky-Perry

My memory bank was stirred by Norma Topness’ letter, in the recent  Ditchwalker newsletter.
I remember Norma Govan Knapman, and her husband Cal, in that I worked for them, at the newly built Cal’s Drive-in, from March 1959-August 1962.

Cal’s was just about the only place kids could hang out and continually drive their cars around the restaurant, for many hours, day and night.

Cal, who spent much time at the restaurant, was a wonderful  first boss.  He told us to do something once and then it was up to us to figure it all out, and we did.  He was always jovial.

Norma later came to work there, after Cal got sick,  and she was also a good boss. When I left for Tacoma, to become a dental assistant, Norma told me I could come back anytime, if I so desired.
Cal Burgers were 35 cents with red relish on one side, of the bun, and a mixture of sweet chopped onions, in mayonaise, on the other side.  Two pickles were added, on the side.  If deluxe, it was another ten cents. A large side of fries was 15 cents, home-made potato salad was ten cents, and an added slice of cheese was 5 cents.

Mugs of coffee were ten cents and refills free.  The guys, who showed up, in the morning, were ready for that coffee, by the time we opened at ten am. The restaurant closed at ten pm, except weekends, when it closed at 2 am.

There were many regular customers sharing jokes and stories with Cal.  I did not get many of the jokes, or at least I pretended I didn’t.

The large colorful juke box was always playing, with records supplied by a guy named Sam, from Platners in Port Townsend.  He let me choose the songs and also which ones I wanted to keep. I still remember many songs from that juke box.  Only five cents for a song and you could get six, for a quarter.

Cal and Norma supplied jobs to returning college students and also many high school girls.

I did not see who tied Carl Klint’s police car to the outside picnic table.  I also will not tell on the guys who put the outhouse from Port Williams, at the only stop-light, in the middle of the night.  There was an impromptu hayride earlier that night and I do remember that.

Those were the days!