Where There's Smoke.

The Carthage Fire Department, Crew C, responded to calls reporting smoke and flames coming from Tom Klinginsmith’s second story law office law office Monday afternoon at 4:18.

The fire was quickly brought under control with heat damage contained to the office. The ladder truck was used to check the roof. The fire is thought to have started at an electrical strip that was connected to a computer and other equipment.

According to one fire fighter the windows had not yet broken from heat when the department arrived. The lack of air probably kept the fire from spreading up to that point. A considerable amount of heat damage indicated that the fire had been slowly burning for some time.

The building is owned by Ray Mathis. Buildings adjacent to the office, located in the middle of the north block of the square, received some smoke and water damage.

Other fire fighters were alerted when the call came in as a precaution, but were not brought to the scene.

Three buildings were lost in a 1988 arson fire on the square.

Some might say it was lucky that passersby noticed the smoke comin’ from the law office on the Square on Memorial Day.

Others might argue that this is just another example of folks in the community watchin’ out for each other.

‘Course any conversation would to acknowledge havin’ a fire department with qualified personnel would have ta come into play.

I ya bring that full circle, it was a lucky day to have a fire on the Square. If I’d been bettin’, I’d have guessed late afternoon on the Square woulda been the worst time ta have a fire break out. Then bein’ good at guessin’ has never been onea my strong points.

I’ve always said it was better ta be lucky that good.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing Services

PRIME TIME WITH KIDS

by Donna Erickson

School may be out for most 4- and 5-year-olds, but learning’s "in" now, and all summer long. Use everyday experiences to stimulate your children to expand the skills they’ve developed over the past nine months. Sometimes, kids need to hear and see a concept dozens of times before it really sticks. Teacher Pat Roche of Atchison, Kan., suggests parents declare an "alphabet letter of the day" and do interesting activities with that letter. Here are some hands-on variations to try.

SALT WRITE - Pour a thin layer of salt into a tray. Help your child form the letter/word of the day with her finger. "Erase" and repeat several times.

LETTER SHOPPING - Have your child look for the letter of the day on food boxes and labels in your cabinets.

SOUND HUNT - Walk through the house or neighborhood with your child and name objects that begin with the sound of the letter of the day.

LETTER/SOUND COLLAGE - Help your child find and cut out pictures of words that begin with the sound of the letter of the day in the newspaper, magazines and junk mail ads. Glue the cut-outs on a piece of paper.

RAINBOW WRITE - Print the letter of the day on a piece of paper, using large letters. Let your child trace over the writing with crayons or water colors, saying the letter each time.

FOOD WRITE - Use Cheerios or Fruit Loop type cereals to arrange in the shape of the letter of the day. "Air trace" with pointer finger above the letter while saying it several times. Then eat!

COLOR WORDS - When your child starts forming words, print a word for a color on a piece of paper. Your child may draw or cut and glue pictures of objects which are that color. Print the object’s name under some of the pictures. Read them together.