Looking Back: Ice Cream Socials

Looking Back

Looking Back: Ice Cream Socials

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

In a “normal year”, members of the Historical Society would be hustling around today to get their pies, cakes, and cookies baked and their ice cream made for the Moonlight Ice Cream Social. For over 30 years, the annual fund raiser took place in Armstrong Park on the fourth Thursday in July. Last year the event had to be cancelled because of the pandemic. This year, we are back, but with a new location, date and time. In celebration of the bicentennial, the Missouri State Historical Society is encouraging towns across the state to host an ice cream social on August 10, the actual date Missouri became a state in 1821. Ice cream socials are a traditional gathering, dating back to the 18th century in North America. The first one recorded in America was in 1744, when Maryland governor Thomas Bladen served ice cream for a dinner party. In 1784, George and Martha Washington purchased a “cream machine for ice” for their home at Mount Vernon. The first ice cream social in the White House was in 1802, with the 3rd U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson. When ice cream became more available to the public in the 1860s, organizations such as schools and churches started hosting ice cream socials. Church events were often fashioned after the "ice cream gardens" common in society at the time. Over the years, ice cream socials began appearing as fundraisers for various organizations. Early Americans enjoyed many of the same flavors we do today, including strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio. However, there were many other flavors served in the 1800s that aren’t as common today, like tea, parmesan, and even oyster flavored ice cream! This year, our Moonlight Ice Cream Social will be held August 10, on the patio between the Historical Society Museum (506 Main Street) and Iron Kettle Brewing (508 Main Street) from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. We hope you will join us.

Tickets are available at the museum or from members of the society: Adults, $6. Children under 12, $4.

Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society during its Missouri Centennial Celebration through August 15th. The museum, located at 506 Main, will be open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00am—4:00pm, and Sunday from 1:00pm—4:00pm. For more information on the Grain Valley Historical Society, visit www.grainvalleyhistory.com.

Barbara (Overall) Washburn, GV Class of 1956, visited with our “customers” at the 1994 social at Armstrong Park. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society At the 1994 Social, Paul Morganroth entertained the young and old with his calliope (musical organ) and musical toys. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society

Erma (Baumgardner) Doty, GV Class of 1938 collected money from Isabelle (Napier) Clark, GV Class of 1933. The Ice Cream Social is a popular event for the “old timers” to get together and reminisce. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society

GRAIN VALLEY NEWS

Earlier this month, the governor signed legislation into law raising the state’s gas tax for the first time in over two decades. Senate Bill 262 increases the gas tax by 2.5 cents per gallon beginning in October 2021, and continues to increase it annually for five years, until reaching a total increase of 12.5 cents per gallon. This additional revenue will be used to fix and maintain roads and bridges throughout Missouri. Now, I voted against this bill, not because it increased the gas tax, but because a similar proposal was voted down by Missourians at the ballot box in 2018. However, when you consider Missouri’s gas tax has not been increased since 1996 and realize the rising price of asphalt, steel, concrete and labor today, I think it is understandable to want to update the state’s gas tax. While I understand it’s important to maintain our roads and bridges, I also know the past year has been hard for many Missourians even without an increase in the gas tax. That is why I’m pleased to report that drivers have the opportunity to receive a refund for the additional taxes paid at the pump through a rebate provision contained in SB 262. Individuals interested in receiving a refund need to keep their gas receipts and file for a rebate with the Department of Revenue. The department is working to create the forms needed to apply for the rebate, so until they become available, I simply encourage my constituents to keep their receipts. Please note, vehicles weighing over 26,000 pounds are ineligible for the refund. All told, I’m hopeful SB 262 will help provide the resources needed to restore and improve our state’s aging infrastructure system. While no one likes tax increases, this legislation does provide interested Missourians with an avenue to recover the additional taxes paid at the pump. I am honored to serve the citizens of the 8th Senatorial District. If there is anything I can do to serve you, please feel free to contact my office in Jefferson City at (573) 751-1464. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation for the 2021 session, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Cierpiot.

Missouri Chamber launches COVID Stops Here campaign

A new campaign will recognize Missouri workplaces that are leading the fight against COVID-19. The COVID Stops Here campaign celebrates Missouri employers that have achieved widespread vaccination among their staff members. Organizations that have achieved at least a 70% vaccination rate are eligible to receive a COVID Stops Here designation. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry developed the campaign as a way to highlight workplaces that are leading the fight to stop COVID-19 — and to encourage more organizations to join their ranks. Missouri employers can visit mochamber.com/ CovidStopsHere to apply for a designation. Employers with at least 70% of their staff members fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be approved for a designation and will receive materials to help celebrate their vaccination status. The website also includes resources for employers that are still working to achieve widespread vaccination among their staff members. “The COVID-19 vaccine is Missouri’s pathway to recovery and employers are truly on the front lines of the push to vaccinate our state. We are excited to recognize workplaces across Missouri that are leading on vaccination. Any workplace that has achieved widespread vaccination should be recognized and that’s our goal with the COVID Stops Here campaign,” Daniel P. Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber said.

For sponsorship opportuni es and to register, call Tasha at 816‐443‐5162 or email info@growgrainvalley.org.

Silent auc on item dona ons are also welcomed. Please contact Tasha (816‐443‐5162) to do‐nate an item for the silent auc on. www.growgrainvalley.org

Parson announces vaccine incentive lottery with $10,000 prizes, picks new health director

by Tessa Weinberg, Missouri Independent In a bid to increase vaccination rates to combat the Delta variant’s growing spread, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Wednesday an incentive program that will feature chances to win $10,000 for those who get a shot. Parson was also joined Wednesday by Donald Kauerauf, a former assistant director in the Illinois Department of Public Health, who will serve as the new director of the Department of Health and Senior Services. The announcement comes just over three months since Randall Williams, the former DHSS director, resigned suddenly with little explanation. The unveiling of an incentive program to persuade Missourians to get vaccinated has been anticipated for weeks, as state officials have worked to finalize details and pin down funding sources. Parson himself had previously been hesitant to adopt incentives, questioning last month whether they would set a precedent to reward vaccinations. However, he has since turned to them as the state continues to see some of the highest numbers of new cases per capita, and has expressed his support for smaller-scale lottery prizes. Missouri’s incentive program is dubbed “MO VIP” and will be operated by the Missouri Lottery. Entries will be divided by Missouri’s eight Congressional districts. There will be separate drawings for those already vaccinated, those who have yet to be and receive a dose after July 21 and for minors who can win a $10,000 MOST 529 savings plan, an investment account that can be used to pay college tuition, among other educational expenses. Each drawing, there will be 180 winners — with eighty adults selected each for the category of those vaccinated before July 21 and those newly vaccinated after that date, and 20 youth between the ages of 12-17. In total, there will be 900 winners after the drawings are complete. The first drawing will be on Aug. 13. Drawings will occur every two weeks with the fifth and final drawing scheduled for Oct. 8. Winners will be responsible for paying all state and federal taxes on the original $10,000 prize. If residents who win owe money to state entities, like the state public defender, the amount they owe will be deducted from the winnings. If the amount exceeds $10,000, they will receive no prize money, per a FAQ section on the program. A schedule and additional details on eligibility can be found at MOStopsCovid.com/win. Parson reiterated the state would not be mandating vaccines. But he urged Missourians to cast aside “the doom and gloom scenarios that are out there across our state, all the misinformation” and turn to trusted community leaders, like residents’ doctors and clergy members, to seek out advice on getting a vaccine in order to make their own judgment calls. “I’m depending on you and your families to make the right choices,” Parson said. Parson said he did not have a specific figure that would mark the incentive program as a success, but stressed its outcomes will be analyzed. Acting DHSS Director Robert Knodell said in crafting the program, the state hoped to achieve a “sweet spot” to give as many people prizes as possible throughout the state, opposed to only a few winners statewide. The incentive program’s launch previously hit a snag when it came to funding, with Missouri urging the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention on Friday to make an exception and waive a $25 per person limit for incentives paid for by federal funding to boost immunizations. The state will instead cover the costs of Missouri’s incentive program through a combination of state funds and unspent federal coronavirus relief funds, which the U.S. Treasury Department recently clarified can be used for cash payments and lotteries, “so long as such costs are reasonably proportional to the expected public health benefit.” In total roughly $9 million will be spent, Knodell said. Supplemental grant funding to boost immunizations will instead be made available to local public health departments to craft county-level incentive programs of their own. Local incentive programs will be approved by the state, and up to $11 million will be issued and able to be used through the end of the year. New director Kauerauf comes from Illinois, where he has spent three decades serving in primarily state government roles related to emergency response and public health. Kauerauf most recently served as the chair of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force within the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, where he had previously also served as the chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Grants Administration. Kauerauf said he believes his background in emergency management helps him be effective at weighing all the options to make quick decisions to protect public health. Kauerauf also served as the assistant director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, a position he had been appointed to in July 2016 by former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and held until his retirement in 2018. Kauerauf had worked in the department for a decade prior to that from 1994 to 2004, where he served in various roles, including chief of the department’s division of disaster planning and readiness, according to a news article at the time. He also oversaw “Safe2Help Illinois,” a school safety program that aimed to collect tips in an effort to prevent suicide, bullying and school violence, and worked as an emergency management intelligence officer at Western Illinois University in the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center, according to a previous bio. Kauerauf does not have a medical degree. Williams, who was an obstetrician and gynecologist, was the first department director in recent years to have a medical background. One of his goals as the new department director will be to travel the state and meet healthcare providers, public health departments and businesses, Kauerauf said. Asked on how to best improve Missouri’s health outcomes, Kauerauf stressed the need for accessible preventative care and building on collaboration between health departments. “We need to take a holistic look at the public health system,” Kauerauf said. “That was going to be my plan on day one.” Kauerauf replaces Knodell, Parson’s deputy chief of staff, who has served as the acting director of DHSS since Williams’ resignation. The search extended longer than Parson had first hoped, as he previously anticipated a new director would be finalized within 60 days. Williams, who had been the highestprofile member of Parson’s cabinet, faced a tumultuous four years in the role and had often been embroiled in controversy. Parson’s office has refused to release Williams’ resignation letter, and the Attorney General’s Office has declined to take action, arguing the governor’s office is “a client.” Amid the pandemic, Williams and Parson left decisions on mitigation measures largely in the hands of local officials and faced outrage from residents and lawmakers over equitable distribution early on in the state’s vaccine rollout. Kauerauf, who is scheduled to assume his new role on Sept. 1, will inherit a summer surge of COVID cases and hospitalizations that has been fueled by the Delta variant and low vaccination rates throughout the state. State health officials have anticipated weeks of rising cases, with healthcare providers and local officials in hard-hit Springfield warning Donald Kauerauf, Missouri’s new health director. Photo credit: Missouri Independent

“the surge is coming.” On Wednesday, the state reported 2,995 additional COVID cases — the highest total since mid-January. Health officials in Springfield continue to struggle with record inpatient numbers, and have requested the state provide funding for an alternative care site to free up hospital beds for those most severely ill. Asked if there’s anything he would have done differently in Missouri’s pandemic response, Kauerauf said there was nothing. “Missouri has done a great job following CDC guidance,” he said. “This all comes back to, people need to get vaccinated.” Meanwhile, vaccinations have slightly increased across the state, most notably in Southwest Missouri. According to a June 19 analysis by Deloitte, a consulting firm hired by the state to aid its pandemic response, vaccine initiations for adults increased by approximately 3,000 last week — the highest number of weekly vaccine initiations since late May. As of Wednesday, 50 percent of Missouri’s adult population has completed vaccination, according to state data. But rates still remain stubbornly low, with the state’s seven-day average of vaccines administered hovering around 10,000, according to state data. Missouri has the 13th lowest number of doses administered per capita in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

www.missouriindependent.com