From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Jan. 19, 1916:

• “Now it is a municipal skating rink, and Lawrence is the first town to kick in with this aid to the enjoyment of its citizens. Mayor Francisco today ordered that the pool in one of the excavations made by the brick plant at the north edge of the city be flooded by the fire department, and the firemen made arrangements to carry out the order this afternoon. This will be the municipal rink which the mayor has been asked many times in the last few days to provide. There has been skating for some time on the brick plant pool, but recently the surface of the ice has been made so rough by the many skates upon it that the quality of the sport deteriorated. Several persons who enjoy the sport of skating decided to take their trouble to the mayor. The ice on the river is so rough that there are said to be only a few places on it where skating is really a pleasure. At first it was suggested to the mayor that it would be a good plan to flood a portion of central park for the skating crowds, but this plan involved too much expense. It was found that the brick plant pool cold be reached by the force hose, and that the surface could be flooded at small cost…. Several of the better skaters of town have expressed a wish to try out the new sport of dancing on the ice, which has grown popular in the east this year. It is likely that the new fad will be tried out on the city pool after the water turned on today by the city fireman has had a chance to freeze.”
• “Unless you can get $9 a day for your time don’t quit high school and go to work. This is the advice given to the Boys Club of the Y. M. C. A. last night by Prof. W. A. McKeever. Prof. McKeever showed by statistics of the comparison of the earning ability of men aged 30, that the high school graduate had earned enough more than the uneducated man to pay him $9 a day for time spent in high school. Prof. McKeever urged the boys to keep on with their high school education and they would naturally find their proper sphere of activity.”
• “In spite of a coating of snow and sleet on the rails of the street railway this forenoon, the regular schedules were adhered to on all parts of the line. It was necessary to send a ‘double-header’ over the University line at intervals on account of the hard pull for a single car over the ice-coated rails.”
• “The patrons of the new Cordley building and the other people of the city who are interested will meet tomorrow night at 7:30 at the new school on Nineteenth and Vermont streets to officially receive the picture of Dr. Cordley from the Congregational Church which is presenting it to be hung in the new building.”
• “The largest amount of sickness in Douglas County in the rural regions in recent years is recorded in the reports received by Supt. C. R. Hawley from the teachers at the end of the fourth month of school. In many cases the schools have been dismissed from two days to a week on account of the epidemic of grippe which has existed in almost all the schools. In some cases it has been impossible to hold school on account of the illness of the teachers…. In district No. 27 an epidemic of mumps has been going the rounds of the pupils. Several cases of pneumonia and a few of scarlet fever were reported.”
• “The excavation for the south abutment of the new Kansas river bridge has extended below the level of the river and the workmen are now forced to labor in a mucky, water covered layer of earth. It is probable that pumps will soon be installed to help complete the excavation. Both night and day shifts are being worked in finishing this branch of the bridge building.”