The Huron Expositor, 1978-03-16, Page 17rS $iSt i
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TVIE HURON EXPO$1TOR
Wateliing the council in session
it was as if I were at, a. Seaforth
meeting •serious business and'
lively diseussions hutlium'cier too,
making it a friendly Malting.
They have their deg Prohlems,
too, Among their mu/11100ns,
they set up a commission• to apply ,
for funds for a puilding•for seni!r
citizens and they decided to name
a woman toJill a vacancy on their
commissien.(They, have one'
woman now whom' they said is
their beSt member and they ,
thought another would 'be an
added assetl) They agreed to turn
off some lights in the business
section, possibly,s altetnate lights,
to save energy in the energy
crunch being experienced in the
billboards as we travelled north in
Michigan we drove into the town
for lunch, Frankenmutli 'is well
known to many, Seaforth residents
as the High School Girls' Trumpet
band participated on several
occasions at its annual, spring
festival parade.
Wet enjoyed the famous!'
Frankenrnuth chicken luncheon
at Zehnders ,Inn finding it as
deliciMis as reported to be,
Arriving at the West Branch
turn off as we drove along
Highway 1.75, we had no problem
knowing we had arrived. Plainly
visible for miles is Smiley on their
modern new water tower in the
industrial park. It reflected the
atmosphere we found in the •city
of West Branch.
At the temporary city hall (the-
Nigh-PS-item was off in the old
one) we were greeted •by
Community Education Dirctor,
Jim . Gray, who promptly. served
us coffee and doughnuts. He took
us on a .tour of the 'city which. is
Thatled in the heart of the
Ogernaw Hills, along the' banks of
the west branch of Rifle River that
drains into Saginaw `Bay.
West Branch is•3I miles inland
from 'Lake Huron but is on the.
edge el _the :small lakedistriet..of
Northern 'Michigan. (From • an
Ontarian's point ef , view it . is
directly. ,•across Lake Huron from
Douglas Point). •
Mr. 'Gray said it is tourist
country where trout fishing is
• popular. The excellent 18-hele
golf course and, the spacious West
Branch ,Country :Club are both
open to the ':public. There are
'several faCilities for camping and
picnic.. ,There are two` public
tennis courts and .two indoor
courts in a large private club
where there is a professional.
'There is 'a skeet and rifle range
near the town:
Swimming is popular in .the
Because West Branch is the
refinery in , the city is now lawyers.
county seat for OgemaW•Cqunty,
since it was organized in 1873, it
houses the county building:„..A
new building costing over` $2
board facility. In winter the tennis - million -was built in 1976 to.
court is flooded for the city's only replace the fernier • county
skating facility. ,, building. ' -
There.is Little League baseball, The West Branch has a
community airport built in -1969
updated • by lengthening of
runways, a new hangar and Other
buildings. , ••
There is. mail. delivery in the '
town Mr. Gray reported, and only
a limited number of lock, mail
boxes. 'fit• said there was a.
mobiling and skiing are c especially iting list ,for these. d
popular in the area with. 70 miles . Mr. Gray pointed out a number
of groomed snowmobile trails in f the 14 churches in the city of
the area and beautiful ski slopes. arious denominations. t
The town has no community :, He said there is a 40-member
centre or arena-the school's • Kiwanis ' Club and . Jaycees and
gyms are open for this; also the several lodges--Masonic, and
West Branch-Rose City secondary -order tef-- Eastern Star, . 1.0.0.F.
school, located seven miles from and Rebekahs; Knights of
West. Branch.' t,--Columbus; Moose and Eagle.
Mr. Gray took us to the There is a Chamber of Commerce
elementary school where we saw which provides publicity and
an after-school mixed soccer tourist information from its office
game in' progress. ' staffed daily.
We were shown. the Catholic We were driven past several of
. ,
separate : school nhere '240 the city and area industrial and _
students are educated-iiiide'r the Cominercial firms! including
direction 'of St. Joseph's R. C. Taylor Door Company 'with over
Church. The pupils are bussed by 600 employees, Carbide Tool
the public system on the state aid Manufacturing, PreStolite Wiring..,'..
plan. - Manufacturing; West Branch
We were shown Geriatric .Tube: West Branch 'Steel
Village--a nursing home.• The • Company; Valeron World Wide •
92-bed Tolfree Hospital with its Producers, • North Star Heat
172 employees and over 3,000' -Treating; Karibou Kampus;' •
annual admissions is a 'busy ' Knight's-Lumber Mills...to name'
centre with its new coronary care some of thefre "
unit and . surgical suite. An There is a flour, mill and a
addition built in 1973 houses- four . Co-op.- Mr. Gray pointed-out that.:'
physicians' -offices. Nineteen West Branch is -situated in -a
doctors in the area s, ese the. thriving dairy fanning, area band
hospital. ; There is an ,-active some mixed grain crops grpwn.
Hospital Auxiliary. Oil was diScovel-ed in the area
There are three dentists in the in 1933.' We saw small wells with ,,,•,
town, two optometrists and eight ; pumps working ,continuously. The
ludo& pool in the locaL1200 pupil
elementary school ,and in the
surrounding lakes.
In Irons Park, which is a city
park where the tennis courts are
located, there is an outdoor skate
softball teams. both for men and
women, football and soccer all
played in well lighted parks.' In
winter Mr. Gray said baskdtball,
swiming, and soccer are all
played in Chester F. Surline
Elementary- and Junipr High
School gymnasiums. Snow;
operated, as a subsidiary of the
United • Company.
There is a weekly newspaper in
the city owned, and published•tby
Bob Perlberg-the Ogemaw,
Herald. News - editor is Rick
Haglund. Arrangements have
been made to exchange: each
week a copy of the editions of the
-opapby the editors Rick
Hagl u daand Susan, Whyte of the
Huron Expositor, Seaforth.
At the end of our tour with Mr.
Gray we were the guests at' a
steak dinner attended by the
Westat hBei; ra nc
wives.
CouncilFoi lo wimembersng t
his,
we attended the regular meeting
of Council where we were
presented with paper weights
made with their centennial coins.
They have a young council with
one female member and rather
than a clerk-treasurer, they have
a City 'Manager, Bernard Olson,-
Mr. Gray held a reception'at his
home folhAviii-g the council
session tb enable th6 -council' to
TOWN OF SEAFORTH PLAQUE — Mayor Betty
Cardno presented West • Branch mayor Dick Werth
'with a Town of Seaforth plaque wh:pg,„sne,,Niisited.the
Michi9an I city, which is about itie same size as
Seaforth,' last week. • (P,hoto by Oke)
(Editor's note: When Seaforth
• council representatives travelled
to West Branch, Michigan, last
week the Expositor arranged to
have Wilma Oke of • our staff
accompany them so that
Eittpositern readers could learn
something about the town with
which Seaforth is associating.
WIlma,Oke 1
Seaforth has a sister town. The
papers have been signed by both
Municipai councils to make it
official: •
West Branch, Miehigan, is the
sister town-a twin sister as the
two were incorporated in 1875
celebrated their centennials in
'1975.
One difference is .that Seaforth
) with a population 'of 2,300 was
incorporated as a town anchWest
. Branch with a population of 2,500
was incorporated as a city. •
West Branch council invited
Seaforth, to be 'a sister. town last
fall. A feint meeting followed in'
Sarnia after some correspondence,.....
resulting in a visit to Seaforth in
February by the city's mayor, a
councilman . and the recreation
director. The seeds of friendship
were planted.
Last week Seaforth Mayor
—Betty, :Cardne,
Johnston and Recreation Director
Clive Buist journeyed 240 miles to
. West. Branch to return the vist. A
plaque was presented to city
Mayor Richard Werth by Mrs;
Cardno at his council meeting.
Mrs. Cardpo was invited to sit at
the -Edited table while , the
members completed their
business session: (I would like to
'.add here that as a news reporter I
• went M. West Branch !with the',
' "Seaforth delegation lat my own
expense)) to bring back a report
of the trip.) •
• We left Seaforth about .1:6:30
a.m. ' last Monday. Seeing ,the
familiar name,pf Frankenineth on
4.1iJa t• SEAFOATIt QN RAQAQ SeatOrth officials paramount interest.'',Froth" left- are' West
Made their visit to our Michigan sister city, West community education director Jim Gray, Seaforth's
Branch., they were interviewed on the local radio Clive Buist, mayor Betty CardnO and councillor Irwin
station. WOMB. Curling seemed to be listeners Johnston. (Photo by Oke)
DINNER OU1.7- Seaforth's official delegation to our
new sister city was, royally treated by Weit Branch.
They were' guests at a stealc,dinner attended byltie
Micttigan councillors and their spouses. The• first big
*change visit is scheduled for. May 27 and 28 when
Seaforth people have been challenged to enter West
Branch's first bed race. (Photo by Oke)
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stops regardless of load. ,
WEST BRANCH COUNCIL IN' SESSION —
Seaforth's Mayor Betty Cardno was asked, to sit in '
when she headed the Seaforth delegation to_ West
Branch last week. Here council members, including
one woman Jean Davis, look over copies of' The ... „„
Huron EkpOSitorthat the Seaforth people brought,
with them. (Photo by Oke)-- .