Three fires during the week kept the Stockton, Plainville, and Woodston Fire Departments on their toes. The first was a controlled burn that got out of control when the USD 271 employees burned off the tall grass at the driving range near the fairgrounds. The second was to rural Woodston to the residence of Jeff Dix when weeds were burning near the house and flames got under the lap siding of the house. The volunteers contained the fire to a small portion of the living room and baseboard. The third fire was at the Tom Bigge farm, where 134 round bales caught fire due to the insane wind hampered the firefighters’ efforts to put out the blaze. No one was injured.

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Postmaster Mrs. Clara G. McNulty has worked out the new schedule of postal rates, which is to become effective on April 15th, and announced the following summary of general information: First-class mail will see no change except postcards and private mailing cards, which will be rated two cents each. Government postal cards will remain at one cent each. Newspapers and magazines mailed to the public will be two cents for every two ounces or fraction. Third-class mail will be one and a half cents each. Fourth-class mail of printed material and merchandise weighing more than eight ounces will be the present zone rate plus two cents except for parcels collected on rural routes.

* And So They Say: Jody Sanders: “I’m looking forward to April when the Kansas Anthropological Society will have a dig near Alton.” Robert Osborn: “I was late for work on Tuesday morning because it took me so long to find my raincoat.” Leighton Marshall: “They didn’t put the flags out for my birthday, but everyone wore something green.” * Approximately 140 4-H members and leaders from Rooks and Phillips Counties had attended the Sander Brothers (Freeman, Delbert,andGeorge) Livestock Judging School and Contest. Six classes of livestock were judged in the contest. The Sander Brothers furnished Angus heifers and fat hogs, Hereford steers were furnished by Larry Dix, and sheep were furnished by Bernard and Rodney Carsten. The top three placings in the older division went to Ted Odle and Richard Eggers (tie), followed by Alton Hazen and Rodney Carsten. The three high in the younger division went to Donnie Lowry and Gale Maddy, with a three-way tie for third between Larry Riffel, Mark LeSage, and Mike Muir.

Doug Conn gave two reasons why he decided to return to the workforce after retiring as General Manager/Controller at Wilkens Manufacturing, Inc. The first reason Conn had was that he worked every day of his life, and things he enjoyed doing didn’t fill up his days all the time. The second reason was what the stock market did to his retirement fund. So Doug applied for the position of Stockton assistant city clerk, and he began his duties on March 12th, so he could learn about his role from clerk Sandi Rogers since she planned to retire later in the year.

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It was a small, lively bunch of citizens who met at the courthouse assembly room to thresh out whether or not Stockton wanted to continue support of the municipal band and, if so, to make plans to secure a leader and the maintenance. The band will soon be without a leader as Mr. Osborn’s contract expires in April. The question was that of securing another leader. Mr. Reasoner, leader of the Phillipsburg band, who recently became identified with the Plainville band in some capacity, offered a proposition or rather submitted his vote to take leadership here and continue the three band organizations. That kind of a deal did not appeal to the Chamber, nor the band boys, because at some time when Mr. Reasoner was needed here, he might be in charge of one of the other bands. D. F. Burlin, Chamber secretary, has sent a communication to H. E. Mallory, an instructor at the Hays Teachers College, asking him to put us in touch with a suitable band director. As to financing a band, the scheme was brought out that if it is possible to secure a leader, he could handle the music class at the school and, in the end, would help with the salary. Pledges from the business people will secure the balance of the financial problem.

THE STOCKTON VFW.

* And So They Say: Clarence Spencer: “They told us this was going to be a wet year, so it better begin pretty soon.” Blackie Randall: “The only news I know is about myself, and I won’t tell that stuff.” Red Hagan: “I couldn’t be any more Irish if I had been born in Ireland.” Clark Stocking: “If you are born right at midnight like I was, you can celebrate on two days.”

Mark Billinger began work at Webster State Park in his official position as Natural Resource Officer I. Some of Billinger’s duties included administrating and participating in law enforcement activities in assigned state park areas, enforcing license and permit requirements, detecting violations, and making arrests.