The Lawrence Community Theatre’s Masquerade/Costume Ball proved such a success that Jane Pearce, a theater spokeswoman, said there was sentiment to make it an annual event. More than 200 attended the fund-raiser but there was no immediate estimate of the money raised.

A year after the debut of “The Day After.” a made-for-TV movie centering on Lawrence after a nuclear disaster, there seemed to be little carryover as far as local tourism and economic benefits were concerned. Many agreed a good message was sent but the groundswell of interest in local events so far had not transpired.

Motorists got a frosty morning on their vehicles after an early low of 24 degrees. Many scrapers had to be called into service for vehicles left outside overnight.

Downtown officials continued to find ways to keep more retail business here and stop the “flow” of shopping to Kansas City and Topeka. One suggestion was more uniform hours and keeping stores and shops open late on weekends. Employee parking in potential customer spots, as usual, also was a sore spot with many.