CARTHAGE, Mo. — Summer hit a little early and with a vengeance this year, giving us temperatures in the mid- to high 90s. Ordinarily, we would not expect highs like those until July or August.

This Saturday marks another Independence Day. If we can believe the advance forecasts (although I rarely trust any that are made more than three or four days ahead), we can look for slight relief from the high temps on July 4, thanks to a cloud cover.

That would be a welcome change, especially for those participating in the 5K run slated to start at 7 a.m. in Carthage Municipal Park. Carthage High School coach Andy Youngworth said runners should arrive at 6 a.m. to register. He has supervised the run every year since its inception in 2000.

Local Boy Scouts will conduct a flag-raising ceremony at 8 a.m. in front of the swimming pool.

Immediately after this tribute to our nation, the Heartland Community Band, directed by Vicki Mays, will play a 45-minute concert of patriotic and popular music. People are advised to provide lawn chairs or blankets for the free concert.

This will be the only music provided during the day. Nancy Sanders, who has managed previous July Fourth celebrations, said the city has curtailed other bands and activities for economic reasons.

The fireworks display, however, should not disappoint. The city has purchased a $15,000 program from AM Pyrotechnics that will equal those in recent years. Set to fire off at 9:30 p.m., the display will be choreographed to musical accompaniment on radio station 95.1 FM.

Concession stands will be set up by the Lions Club and supporters of the proposed Carthage dog park.

Free spirit recalled

I cannot write “independence” without thinking of Wendy Christensen, who died Thursday in a tragic, single-car accident on Missouri Highway 96. Wendy was a dear friend and (relatively) close neighbor. She lived about a quarter-mile away “as the crow flies.”

I had known Wendy for more than 30 years, first meeting her when she and her husband, Bob, owned Bob’s Shoe Warehouse. Together, they and their three beautiful daughters shod many a Carthage foot, eventually expanding the business within five states. Many a time when I was desperate for “just the right shoes” to complete an outfit, I could walk into Bob’s and come out with a pair that didn’t break the budget.

I also knew Wendy as a generous patron of local artists, a Soroptimist member and a friendly neighbor. When Bob passed away in 1982, Wendy continued the business for several years with the help of family. After she retired, we often would talk as she took morning walks along our road, carrying a plastic bag to pick up trash and help clean the environment.

Wendy was not afraid to live life on her own terms. Along with “independence,” the words “indomitable spirit” come to mind when I think of her.

In February 2001, her son-in-law, Jim Lobbey, who was in his first term as Jasper County clerk, died of a sudden heart attack. Within the year, his wife and Wendy’s daughter, Chris, died of reasons difficult to account for in medical terms. The family believed it was a broken heart. Wendy grieved by giving their possessions to public institutions and people who could best use them.

In a twist of ironic fate, Wendy’s daughter Cathy and her husband, Dan Corp, had just moved back from Florida to be close to her. They were just moving into their new home in Joplin.