Water Cooler: Hawaiian ice a cool treat, 3-D moving dirt

The dining car building on the lot beside the Carl’s Jr. Highway 160 location is again open for business. The novel structure has been a coffee express drive-thru twice, once occupied by Chuck Lytle’s Java Xpress and once by Wendy and Mike King and partners Michael and Cassandra Selbach as The Sweet Corner Express.

Both businesses closed the doors on the location in the past year.

New resident Claudia Rhoten moved here from Twin Falls, Idaho in the first part of 2013 and Rhoten said, “I always thought it was the cutest building.”

She was thrilled when it became available. “I’m retired,” Rhoten said, “but I wanted to start a small business here.”

She launched Alien Fire & Ice Aug. 6. “Hawaiian shaved ice is so popular in Hawaii,” Rhoten said, “and it’s so good.”

She said her product is different from a snow cone in that “it’s smoother, like ice cream. Snow cones are crunchy.”

While snow cones are crushed ice with flavorings poured over the top, Rhoten said the texture of shaved ice is much smoother.

Another difference is the addition of sweetened condensed milk over the top to give the treat an ice cream-like texture and sweetness.

“It’s so good, and what’s left in the bottom is just an added treat.”

Rhoten said there are 24 flavors currently available, plus another nine in sugar-free varieties.

“We carry the usual flavors and customers can combine up to three flavors in one cup.”

Some of those flavors are already combined and on the available menu. “We have a lot of requests for the Tiger’s Blood,” she said. “It’s a combination of watermelon, coconut and strawberry.”

The frozen treats have become very popular. Rhoten said she has people making the trip from Las Vegas because that area doesn’t offer shaved ice.

“We also have people from Hawaii come to get the shaved ice,” Rhoten said. “They have even offered to give me recipes from their mothers and grandmothers for additional flavors found in the Hawaiian Islands.”

While it’s warm outside, frozen treats are definitely on the menu but Rhoten said when the weather turns cooler, she plans to add coffee drinks and “something to go with it” as well.

“We’re going to be serving Kona coffee — good quality coffee and espresso.”

Rhoten said she expects to introduce the “fire” part of the menu in the next 30 days if possible.

She is looking at pastries, bagels or waffles to go with the hot coffee but said a selection is “to be determined.”

Alien Fire & Ice is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

3-D Excavating is

back in town

Patrick Rily, owner of 3-D Excavating, said after working in Elko and Round Mountain for a year, he has returned his business to Pahrump.

The business has been licensed since 2006 but Rily has 20 years experience in what he calls “moving dirt.” He services both residential and commercial customers.

“We prepare for water and sewer installations, phone lines and other utilities,” he said.

Not all of his work is pre-construction as he services customers wanting to upgrade or change services as well. “I’d say it’s about 50/50,” he said.

Currently he is working on the “corvette building” for Spring Mountain Motorsports, and said he is doing some earth-moving for William Lyons Homes in Mountain Falls.

He said it’s important to him that scheduling one job not interfere with another. “I do most of the work myself, so I can set my own schedule and get the work done.”

Rily has four boys participating in some kind of sport. He said when he isn’t working, he volunteers to help with the sports activities.