Carbondale

I was sorry to see so many vacant storefronts in downtown Carbondale. This old coal-mining town was once prosperous because of the railroad. And, as the Iron Horse declined, so did her favorite children. (I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring theme in small-town Kansas.)

One bright spot was the City Park, which was created by the town's Lions Club. The boys had a lot of fun playing on the slide, and they also made some new friends who were long-suffering with the boys' desire to push them on the merry-go-round.

Carbondale still does have some economic life coursing through its veins: It is home to a large retirement community, along with the clinic and pharmacy that serve the retirees. Hopefully, this will help the town to survive and make a new future for itself in northeast Kansas.

Update, 10/4/2014:
As we returned home through Carbondale today, we saw a hardened perpetrator evading arrest in front of us. The police cruiser flashed its lights as an officer exited the passenger side to pursue the suspect on foot. She was soon outrun, however, and her partner picked her up to resume the chase in the vehicle. 

Ultimately, the chase ended outside of a small home, where the perp, a sandy-colored terrier, fled inside. The officers let her go, presumably because they had a more pressing call elsewhere on the mean streets of Carbondale...