Sprln~por~ Dlnd 0 ry f.~ • 1 •.J p t•• · !l ~~ p () t' L I !.i 1 c h • 4 92 81 Your hometown newspaper for 109 years Vol. 109 No. 49 61cond elm p01t1go Plld II M11on, Michigan, P,O, Box 226, M110n, Mlchlgln 486154 New school Mason. fires to·be ready cost $1,700 on Dec. 19 over budget Construction progress at the Mason junior high school building is progressing slightly behind schedule, but the By SCOTT KINGAN contractors have indicated the new facility will be ready News Staff writer for occupancy on December 19 ... Mason's Fire Chief, Robert Inghram, Monday night Although youngsters will not start using the building reported to the city council that the cost of operating the until January, the school board hopes to get possession of volunteer department for the last year was about $1,700 it on or before the December date to allow time for the more than the previous year because there. were more arrangement of classroom furnishings and installation of fires. equipment. Chief Inghram said his full report would be made at One problem which will not be easily solved is that of 1 the next council meeting slated for Dec. 15. the site improvement. This work has been delayed due to He told the council that between Dec, I, 1968 and rain and snow conditions. Reporting to the board of Nov. 30, 1969 the department answered 182 fire alarms, education Tuesday evening, Robert Watts, superintendent, Of those, 59 were in the city and 123 were rural calls. said the paving of the teacher parking areas would not be Some 91 alarms were answered for grass fires, Inghram completed nor would the newly extended Temple street said. be complete. ~~'"'"' "WE'VE HAD all these blooming grass fires that have "WE VISUALIZE a mud problem in the spring, but kept the department on the go," he said. there is nothing that can be done about it as the asphalt Inghram said that in February and March alone there suppliers have ceased operations for the winter," he said. were 54 calls made by the department. There were five Classroom furnishings are arriving while construction false alarms this year, four of them in the city and one in work continues. In a progress report to the board it was a rural area, · pointed out that enclosure of the building was complete, City Administrator Wllliam Bopf said that while the painting was in progress, lockers were being installed and $12,764 cost of operating the fire department this year plastering work was in progress, lockers were being might seem llke a great deal of money, he said that it installed and plastering work was continuing. would cost the city about $21,000 to have one full time Planning on the December 19 completion deadline, fueman on duty around the clock. Bopf said the volunteer board members approved the expenditure of $26,456 department represents a real savings to the conununity. worth of junior high school equipment. This includes "I think we're very .fortunate to have the department audio-visual equipment, maintenance equipment, physical here in the city," Councilman Frank Gumiero said, "all education equipment, office machines, microscopes, too often it goes unrecognized." pianos and sewing machines, ' In other business the council authorized an additional Board members once more turned a sympathetic ear to . HAPPY SMI LES .. The worst of the.rnoving operations are over ancj mem'bers of the Ingham County Intermediate allocation of $1,000 to_ complete the tax reassessment a group of parents seeking school bus transportation for School di~trict admini::trative staff arc now taking-time tO,fl'ltacquainted \Jihdl their new surroundings. Tho new office i; .. program. Bopf told the CQU:lcil the property inspections their children, but could offer no solace or solution to the facility is on Howell road just west of Jefferson street. Taking a moment off to relax and admire their new offices are are 85 per cent completed. problem. · (left to right I Dr. David Haarer, assistant superintendent of special education, Robert $locum, assistant supet·intendent So me $1 ,200 was originally budgeted to cover of vocational education; and Dr. William Rogers, district superintendent. · reassessment of about one half of the city, Bopf said. THE CIRCUMSTANCES were the same, hazardous, Later it was suggested that the entire city be reassessed heavily traveled areas where students must walk, :ridden and another $2,000 was authorized, buses before why not now, the reasoning was the same, "'* .. the only differer:ce was that the group of parents BOPF TOLD the council that there is $388 left in the represented a different area within the school district. reassessment fund, The Mason board of education has been attempting to County district staff He labeled the problem of gaining entrance to comply with the state's requirement in bussing youngsters taxpayers' homes as unforeseen. Bopf said there have been to school with the exception of elementary youngsters. no outside consultants used in making the study which State law says that the school district will be has been done by the existing staff and some part time reimbursed for transportation of students who live more workers, than 1~ miles from a particular school building he or she Bopf said he is investigating a new state law which is attending. The Mason district is attem'pting to follow moves into new building provides that if more than 30 per cent of a city is to be this formula, except that elementary youngsters are reassessed at one time, individual assessment notification is not needed, bussed if they live one mile or more from the school. By SALLY TROUT district board that voters will approve a special election Funds are received from the state for each student who News Staff Writer question authorizing the issuance of bonds. These bonds if Presently, he said, the city is making two calls on the meets the state law requirement while for every student approved would allow the district to proceed-with plans resident and then if unable to make contact, it is going It has been moving day for the Ingham County (Sea Mooon Flro1, Paoo A·18) who does not meet the requirements, the district receives Intermediate School .District staff for the past week. for the building of a vocational education unit adjacent to no pay in addition to losing a percentage of the fee paid Employes officially began working in the new building the new structure. for a legal passenger. •"' "' "' facility located on Howell road just west of Jefferson Estimated to cost approximately $2~ million, the PRESIDING AT THE meeting in the absence of Board street Monday morning. President Marvin Lott, Thomas Hopp told the parents the building would house up to 1,000 students. · board sympathized with the parents' concern and felt Moving vans' worked back and forth between the new It is the Intermediate board;s opinion that one more How to win free they had valid reasons for wanting their children bussed to building and the old facility in the 100 block ofW. Maple attempt should be made to get the bonding authorization school, but that to make one exception would only lead street for three days getting files, desks, chairs and records approved, hopefully in early March of 1970. The entire to maklng an exception for everyone in' the same situation out to the new location. question is to be discussed with the Ingham School Board throughout the school district. He estimated to do this Christmas turkey The ultra modern facility will be paid for through a association at a December 30 meeting and if this group would cost the district an additional $30,000, which the $950,000 bond issue approved by the voters. This concurs with the board an election will be imminent, Thirty-three area merchants and The Ingham board did not have available. includes the cost of the building, equipment and site Rogers said. County News today unveiled a plan to present Board member Robert Ware advised the parents to improvement. Christmas turkeys to lucky shoppers; attempt to work independently of the board in seeking a Should the voters approve the special election question The "Time-to-talk-turkey" promotion will start solution, "The board can provide just so many services ·The county district purchased the property from the in March, Intermediate district administrators visualize the today and end with the tu~key drawings Dec. 19 in with the funds available and individuals must be Lansing Community college for the new building and are new building would be ready for occupancy by fall of the 33 stores. encouraged to help solve such problems themselves," he anticipating an increase in the office efficiency and services 1972. The proposed vocational education building would Shoppers can find the handy coupons on Pages said. · . provided due to the new builc!ing. require about 40 additional acres of ground and the board B-6, 8 and I 0 in the Christmas Gift Guide in is anticipating it will be available from the l.CC property today's News. Coupons must be dropped in a Presently there are 60 employes that are working from surrounding tile existing building. the. new building. According to Dr. William Rogers, the container inside the participating businesses. ' building offers a comfortable amount of operating space, An open house for the new Ingham County There will be one winner drawn from each of but that there is no office space which has not been the boxes in each of the stores. Intermediate School District building is being planned News General Manager Frank Shepherd said: assigned to a staff member.