Members of the Kimball Rotary club presented third graders at Mary Lynch a tool that they said can be used for a lifetime last Thursday.
The tool was a dictionary. It is a project that the Rotary has been doing for quite some time.
“We have done this for the past several years,” said Rotary member Ed Barry.
Barry, along with Stuart Tritt had all the third graders gathered up in one classroom as they passed out the books.
The students were eager to explore their gifts, as they opened them up with wide-eyed fascination. They explored the definitions, maps in the back and asked if certain things were in the book.
“Does this book have states listed?” asked one child. The child was encouraged to explore the book.
Barry said the purpose of the dictionary giving program is to provide students with an opportunity to have a reference book at home.
“The dictionaries help with the kids’ education,” said Barry, “It is a chance to use a reference book even at home.”
In total, the club passed out 48 dictionaries.
Aside from the dictionary program, the Rotary is also preparing their giving tree in conjunction with Main Street Market. This program allows for people to buy gives for children in need.
The Rotary will also be doing food basket at Christmas in conjunction with the Lions Club.
The big project the Rotary is working on is the restoration of the Maginnis flume on the west side of town.
The flume is part of the former Kimball County Irrigation District, which brought water from Oliver Reservoir and channeled it through the country side by means of many miles of ditches and numerous flumes. It was built and manufactured by Patrick Maginnis of the Maginnis flume Company. They manufactured flumes and shipped them all around the country.
Maginnis received a patent on his flume design in 1902.
The estimated cost of full restoration is around $30,000. This does not include countless man hours.
Rotary members have been volunteering their time to restore this flume and currently have it stabilized for the winter.
Their plan is to get a historical marker at the site with a pull-off area built by the state.
