Stoked for summertime

The Discovery Center continued its longtime end-of-the-school year tradition, with the help of Bellefontaine Fire Department firefighter Ben Kennedy, pictured at the left, Tuesday, May 21, as temperatures reached into the mid-80s. Firefighter Kennedy enjoyed spraying the firehose for morning and afternoon preschool classes, with squeals of delight heard from the youngsters splashing around in their swimsuits and also cooling off with popsicles. “I think we started this way back in 2008 or 2009. It’s always a lot of fun for everyone,” the firefighter said, noting his children also got involved in the activity years ago. “This year, I think we’ve absolutely had the best weather for it yet.” Thursday, May 23, is the last day of school for the Discovery Center, along with Bellefontaine, Riverside and West Liberty-Salem schools, while Benjamin Logan’s last day is Friday, May 24, and Indian Lake’s last day is Thursday, May 30. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)