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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1969-05-15, Page 1irri©h awg eaanctutrammaewiliviMp No. 19—FIRST WITH THE LOCAL NEWS ZURICH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1969 10 CENTS PER COPY A WORRIED OWNER—Gerald Gingerich proprietor of Gingerich's Ltd., Zurich, shows deep concern on his face as he leaves his burning building with several personal items last Wednesday night. Hundreds of citizens were on hand to offer assistance wherever possible. The Stanley Township Council last week approved plans to install 10 mercury vapor street lights in Varna, subject to rate- payer approval, and bought a new one -ton truck for $1, 800 from Reg McGee and Sons, Goderich, who submitted the lowest of eight tenders. The street light installation will cost about 20 mills, acc- ording to Clerk Mel Graham but the cost of operating the new lights will not be much more than the cost of the few old ones in use now. The truck will be used mainly for road work. Plans were made for a special meeting May 21 with the plann- ing consultants retained by county council and the township joined both the Huron County Road Superintendents Association and the The County Municipal Officers' Association. Only one person, Irvin Keyes of Glammis, Ontario, submitted a tender to buy the old Bruce - field fire truck, a 1949 model. He offered only $205, without the pump. No one bid for the pump. The tender will be accepted if Tuckersmith agrees. Five tile drain applications, for a total of $12, 000 were accepted and the Zurich Agri- ,ral Society was granted Council discussed plans to switch stop signs at the Goshen and Town Lines. Traffic now must stop on the Goshen Line before crossing the Town Line road, but the, townshi p intends to reverse the arrangement and allow through traffic on the Town Line. 0 All Huron Schools Will Have Class In Kindergarten Huron County Board of Educat- ion decided during a committee of the whole meeting last week to approve recommendations to make kindergarten facilities available in ccurity schools. James Coulter, superintendent of schools for the county, made the following recommen dations - accomdation to be made avail- able in Colborne Central School by combining grades: kinder- garten pupils to accomodated in Grey Central School with a portable classroom to be pur- chased for a junior grade accom- odation; Holmesville - accomo- dation available in the school by combining grades. Huron No. 2 - one class at North Ashfield in classroom presently unoccupied; two classes at Brookside, a junior grade in a portable classroom, with kindergarten pupils accomo- dated in classroom vacated by juniorrade. Mr. Coulter felt the present transportation system, with minor adjustments, would be adequate. Fire and smoke last Wednesday night caused thousands of dollars in damages to the Zurich store of 6in*erich's Ltd., as sections cif the building were severely damaged and the entire stock suffered smoke damage. Exact amount of loss was not available. The fire was believed to have been caused from an air - conditioner which had been turned on for the first time in the afternoon. Ivir. Gingerich and his three children, Gary, Carol and Patti, were all asleep in their upstairs apartment at the time and only the fact that Mrs. Gingerich came home from a meeting averted what might have been a disaster. Firemen expressed the opinion that if the blaze had gone another five or ten minutes, the building would have been lost. The most severe damage was caused in the basement floor of the building, were sections of joists and flooring burned almost through to the second floor. The balance of the build- ing suffered heavy smoke damage Quick work on the part of the fire department soon had the actual blaze extinguished in the basement, but it took nearly an, hour before the smoke and smouldering was subdued. A hurried call for assistance to the Dashwood Fire Department brought quick action, as the brigade was on the scene within five minutes from the time they were called. Their Scott Air Pack was pressed into service to allow firemen to enter the smoke-filled basement and determine whether the actual fire had been extinguished. Hundreds of residents of the community came out to watch the proceedings and offer any assistance possible. The alarm was sounded about 11:40 in the evening. On Thursday night, about 50 members of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce along with numer- ous other volunteers, arrived at the Gingerich store to begin a massive clean-up campaign. All the stock from the main floor was removed to the Luther - au church shed, where an auction sale is being planned for three nights next week. Since the time of the fire, dozen of volunteers have been on hand daily to assist in the messy chore of cleaning up. Women are working in the apartment while men are work- ing the basement and on the main floor, all in an attempt to help the business resume op- eration at the earliest possible date. Part of the loss was covered by insurance. Huron County Ratepayers Will Have To Pay Over Nine Million For Schools It will cost Huron taxpayers over $9 million to have their children educated this year. The Huron County Board of Education approved a budget of $9, 038, 107, brought in by business administrator R. B. Dunlop and the special budget committee of the board. The board will requisition $4, 739, 992 for secondary .schools: $4, 248,115 for element- ary schools and $40, 000 for schools for retrainable retarded children. Capital equipment expendi- tures of $2, 000 or more are to require prior approval of the executive committee and the board and capital equipment expenditures of $100 or more will require prior approval of the executive committee. What the budget will cost • each municipality won't be known until next meeting of the board when it is expected a complete breakdown would be available. The board did not consider this, its first budget, excessive. Board chairman John Lavis noted Lambton County board had estimated the costs of the new system there at $50, 000 less than the old system, Mr. Lavis wondered if a similar comparison could be made available to the taxpayers in Huron County. Vice-chairman Robert Elliott, Clinton, said it should be pointed out the board is carry- ing a large load from the last boards. "In June this county saw the biggest salary increase ever for elementary school teachers," said Mr. Elliott, "and we have to carry the full six months of it". Dan Murphy, member from Goderich, said the board had a saving on trustees' salaries of $25, 000 over the old system, due to less trustees being required. Bert Visscher, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Visscher of R. R. 1, Hay, received an Honours Diploma as well as the Canad- ian -Imperial Bank of Commerce Trophy for Proficient in Agri- cultural Engineering. He is a 1969 graduate of the Agricultural Science Course at Ridgetown College of Agricultural Tech- nology, Ridgetown. He receive - ed his diploma at the graduation exercises on May 14, DASHWOOD BRIGADE HELPS OUT — Minutes after a call for help went out to the Dashwood fire department at the Gingerich fire last Wednesday night, their car arrived in Zur- ich and were ready to assist. Shown here are three members of the •brigade, Ron Merner, Stan Holubowicz and Clifford Salmon, as they prepare Harold Stire to enter the smoke-filled building with a Scott Air Pack. (Citizens News Photo)