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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1989-10-04, Page 11New county museum opened GODERICH - Canada.'s Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazinkowski was in Goderich.Saturday afternoon to officially open the newly re tfi- vated'Huron County Museum. The 'Huron County Museum was opened in 1950 and started in a for- mer public school building. Now it is housed in a S4 million redevel- opment that boasts over 20,000 square feet of exhibits detailing the history of the Canada Company and the Huron Tract. Mazinkowski said ," We are hon- ouring today the vision of Herb Neill and the fulfillment of that in- spiration. People like Tiger Dun- lop and John Galt laid the ground- work for Huron's colourful and rich history which we have today." During the 1930's and 40's, Herb Neill of Gorrie developed a private collection of historical materials which became known throughout the county as a wonderful presenta- tion of the past. The collection had grown so much by 1948 that Neill could no longer handle it as a private indi- vidual and offered the artifacts for sale to the museum for $4,000. The original museum officially opened in 1950 with Herb Neill as the curator. After Neill's retirement the position was taken over by Raymond Scotchmer who has been at the museum ever since. Claus Breede is now the director and cura- tor. Attendance peaked at about 30,000 people annually during the first 10 years, but had dropped to one-third of that by the 1980's. When part of the structural roof gave .way in 1982, the building was closed to the public, with the ground floor renovated and repaired to open the following year. Meanwhile, Huron County Council, aware that these renova- tions were temporary, started the decision process with feasibility studies in 1983. This led to the current project with the federal, provincial and county governments contributing equal grants of S1.1 million. With its* doors now fully open and its new and "renovated interior dressed with the physical evidence of the county's rich and varied past, the Huron museum is a welcome addition to the present and the fu- ture. On its walls and in its display cases, our agricultural, military, cultural and social history can not only be perserved, but also proudly displayed. Beyond the public view- ing areas, environmentally safe storage areas keep safe much more of our physical history including the valuable county archives so im- portant to family historians and other researchers. Realizing the vision of Herb Neill has been a cooperative effort of three levels of government; who provided the funding, hard working volunteers and staff, and a willing and supportive community. Assisting Mazinkowski in the opening were Huron MP Murray Cardiff; Huron MPP Jack Riddell; Huron Warden David Johnston; Zu- rich reeve Bob Fisher, chairman of the county museum committee; Godcrich reeve Harry Worsell and Rev. Peter C. Baldwin. Director Claus Breede was master of ceremo- nies. Dining for Seniors in Zurich ZURICH - Dining for Seniors is setting its sights on the Zurich arca in its plan to make life for retired citizens living on their own a more social experience. The Dining for Seniors program is supported by the Town and - Country Homemakers, who arc in turn funded by the ministry of community and social services un- der their home support programs. "This is what we're funded to or- ganize," said Bev Brown, coordina- tor of volunteer and home support services for Town and Country. The Homemakers provide servic- es to aid seniors living at home, but the Dining for Seniors is aimed at getting the community involved in getting those same seniors out once a week for a social occasion including a good meal. Phyllis Ramer has been hired as the cook for the Zurich dining pro- gram which will meet every Wed- nesday to provide three -course meals for S5 to local seniors. Brown emphasized that the meal Dining for seniors - Bev Brown from the Town and Country Home- makers and Zurich's Phyllis Ramer address an audience of potential volunteers ata preliminary meeting to bring Dining for Seniors to the community. Otis Sawyer celebrates his 90th birthday -="ATwinkTe In his eye is what most people will re- member when they meet Otis Saw- yer for the first time. The former Fullarton township farmer -will be celebrating his 90th birthday this week at the Ritz Villa in Mitchell. Onc reason for the !..k r.' in Sawyer's eye is his love 01 u c and fiddling in particular. His sprightly music lifts not only his spirits, but it charms his listen- ers as they hear thc lilting rhythms leap from his fiddle: • Sawyer insists that he plays a fiddle, not a violin. The difference lies in the type of strings, thc alter- ations to the instrument and the way its played. Besides his great love of music, Otis Sawyer has nurtured a lifelong interest in nature and the environ- ment. Ile still owns his farm that has 55-60 acrcs in bush. He says, ."1'vc planted 40,000 trees. The •v hole firm has 10 tirncs that trees tnrough nat- a 1.� lot for..,y from Pennsylvania University. studied the course by correspondence. Otis Sawyer has one son Tom and three daughters. They arc Lois (Mrs. Harvey) Hodgins, RR2, Cre- diton, Fern (Mrs. Bill) Dougall, RR3, Exeter and Marian (Mrs. Walter) MacDougall, RR 1, Ful- larton. lifetime of f, devoted the fur:\try. in -19.2.3, Gamefe. in wood - is mainly an excuse for getting the retirees more active, and to combat loneliness. a "On the other hand...where can you go to get a three -course meal for $5?" noted Brown. The program was first brought to Huron County two years ago in Bayfield. The Zurich organization will fill the gap in service between Bayfield and the Dining for Seniors operated in Exeter at thc Youth Centre. Ramer's skills as cook will be complemented by volunteer com- mittees who will handle everything from serving the food to calling seniors to encourage them to attend and even driving them to the com- munity centre for the meal. Brown says the program aims at spreading -the workload over as many interest- ed people as possible. There arc even jobs available for volunteers who perhaps can't spend as much time on their feet. "The whole thing is dependent on a good core of volunteers," said Brown, who later called the Wed- nesday meeting a definite success. She said the fact that over 30 peo- ple arrived for the meeting meant that Zurich had recognized the need for the program and the volunteers required to run it. "With that kind of enthusiasm right off you can be sure it's going to go," she said. There are still some details to work out before first dining event is announced, but Brown said she and Ramer are hoping to start the meals some time in November. "I wouldn't be surprised if we at- tracted 40-50 people in Zurich," said Brown. Activities following the dining have yet to be finalized because Brown says the interests of each community arc different. Each din- ing for seniors group can organize activities according to what they are most interested in doing. About people you know EXETER - Sunday dinncr guests with Violet Rader were Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Penhale, Bayfield, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Faber, Kippen, Mr. and Mrs. Don Rader, Andrea and Scott, Zurich, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Guenther, Exeter and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Diebel, Exeter. Times -Advocate, October 4, 1989 Page 11 Open Museum - 4ribbon cutting featured the official opening of the $4 million addition and renovations to the Huron County Museum. From the (eft .are Warden Dave Johnston, MP Murray Cardiff, deputy Prime Minister Don Mazinkowski, MPP Jack Riddell and Zurich reeve Bob Fisher chairman of the Mu- seum committee. 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