Mark Rand

"I could play Mrs. Shinn if you play the mayor," Doreen says.

"You could always ask for the part of Mayor George Shinn, a pompous politician who is suspicious of Hill, or Charlie Cowell, an anvil salesman who tries to expose Hill as a fraud and con man, or Constable Locke, the town peace officer," Doreen says.

"They're offering you Harold Hill," Doreen says. "I'm being offered Marian. They want Tim Clark and Christine and Crystal Donaldson to play three of the Pick-a-little Ladies."

"Yeah," Doreen replies as Darlene Gomez and fraternal twins Christine and Crystal Donaldson enter and get their scripts.

Doreen says, "The barbershop quartet members were the school board members. Constable Locke was the town's police force." She then adds, "We watched the DVD at home last week."

Doreen takes a script and says, “This will be fun. I suspect that Tim Clark will play one of the Pick-a-little Ladies.” She then turns and displays her script copy front cover. It's The Music Man.

"We'll find out when we pick our scripts up," Doreen replies.

"It's a musical, but not the annual play for charity," Doreen replies. "That comes after homecoming, not before it."

"I have about 10 minutes of paperwork to do before I can go home," Rosemary tells Rob. Harmony Kendall, Katherine Wexford, and Donna Gray then join them. "Stage Crew meeting in Mr. Abraham's classroom, Sharon," Donna says. "We have a play to prep for. Harmony and Kate will be joining us." "I put my foot in my mouth...again," Harmony says. "Kate's coming with me to keep me from making a fool of myself. "Got to get my copy of the script," Doreen says as she arrives. Then, she heads for the classroom the Drama Club meets in.

Owners took photos of the damaged vehicles and called insurance companies. Police cars arrived along with crews from the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and area radio and TV station news departments and the local newspapers. It took a while, but the manhole covers were finally back in place.

"So, where are Cubby and Karen?" Cordelia asks. "They attend Colfax Elementary, which is also a middle school," Sharon replies. "Karen's mother, the school nurse, will be taking her to Children's for her daily PT session." "Which?" Cordelia asks. "Physical therapy," Rosemary replies. "Oh."

"I think Annette and Nancy are going for their daily swim," Rosemary says. "Bobby and Tim are working on things for Drama Club, and Lonnie's working on something for the school's monthly literary magazine." "Super speed?" Rosemary asks.

"You might be right," Rosemary says. Of course, Coyote could've given some people his abilities. "Nowhere close," Rosemary replies.

Rosemary's smartphone rings. She steps aside to take the call. After finishing it, she comes back and says, "That was Doreen. She's decided not not to run today and will be joining us shortly."

"Not that I've heard of," Rosemary comments as she moves close to her son. "Isn't Ratcatcher still in Gotham City?"

"The city's sewer system is, according to a newspaper article, a combination system," Sharon adds. "Water from the storm drains and waste from houses, schools, including the Community Day School at Beechwood Boulevard and Forward Avenue, and businesses all flow through the same pipes." "Waste decomposing generates methane and other gasses," Rosemary comments. "Plus, we're down hill from the synagogue and the day school." "Yeah," Sharon adds. "Plus, there's the apartment building on Shady between Forward and Shurbrook."

"Not around here," Rosemary says. "If there were, we'd see barriers around the manhole, a utility truck parked nearby, and a ventilation hose and power cables from it going into the hole. Of course, there could be some on the side streets. Both Shurbrook and Pittock have bends and part of Nicholson is closer to Phillips, where Shady and Tilbury meet. That's also where Congregation Poale Zedeck is located.

Okay. Rob is on the steps leading to Mary's post, Pittock and Shady. Rosemary is a few steps above him, as are Maestra Kaplan, Sharon, and Cordelia. He doesn't notice any injuries to people, but he does see the car with the smashed windshield his mother mentioned. Cordelia freaks out over a dead rat that looks electrocuted. "It was probably chewing on the insulation of an underground electrical cable which the manholes provide utility workers easy access to," Sharon comments. "The exposed wire caused enough sparks to ignite the gas, which then exploded."

Where is Rob? Doreen left the building from the first floor entrance onto Tilbury Street, where the school's wheelchair-accessible entrance is.

Doreen responds, "I heard the blasts and am all right. I'm close to Carol's post and can see Nancy's from where I am. The only injury I can see is to a car that had a manhole cover crunch its roof. Anyone hurt where you are?"

“So, what caused it?” someone asks. “Sewer gas explosion,” comes Sharon Ten Bears’ response. “Come on, Pocahontas,” comments Cordelia Chase. “Sewer gas is just carbon dioxide.” “Actually, Cordelia, sewer gas includes hydrogen sulfide, which is combustible, ammonia, methane, a major part of natural gas, esters, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides,” Sharon responds.

"Don't see anyone hurt," Maestra Kaplan, the choir teacher, replies. "What about you, Rosemary?" "Nobody hurt, but it looks like a manhole cover shattered a car's windshield," Rosemary Trueheart states. At that moment, Robert's smartphone rings. It's Doreen.

It's partly cloudy. School is letting out for the day. Doreen is getting ready for her daily jog around the track. Suddenly, there's a loud boom and manhole covers start flying. They come down a few seconds later, none where they started from. Somebody lets out a shriek. "Good volume," comes Mouseketeer Darlene's voice. "Sounds like a fellow contralto." "You're right," comes Maestra Sarah Kaplan's voice. "That was the A above Middle C."

There are a number of side streets that lead onto Shady Avenue in front of Allderdice, each with its own crosswalk and school crossing guard. Joy is the school crossing guard at Shurbrook and Shady. Mary is the school crossing guard at Pitock and Shady. Donna is the school crossing guard at Nicholson and Shady. Diana is the school crossing guard at Nicholson and Tilbury. Carol is the school crossing guard on Tilbury at the mid-block crosswalk at the path to Allderdice Field. She is always there for athletic events. Nancy is the school crossing guard at Tilbury and Forward.