2 School Millage Issues Lose by Narrow Margins
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'i-'l Firemen keep busy--34 alarms so far in 1968 Don't mention the word fire. St. Johns in March caused any monetary damage to fires. Last Friday firemen were called caused by .trash fires, Chief Maier said. February and March, there has been no tin fire runs and then the whistle blew, firemen iu;e beginning to believe that property, but they, have been expensive to out for a large grass fire behind the He warned that persons burning trash in suspicious pattern to the fires around St. ydu^s invariably get more within the next even the 'sound of the word might lead to fight. i ! Saylor-Beall plant on North Kibbee. It uncovered containers, and especially on Johns. But there has been a pattern. In two or three days, and then it would let a new conflagration, and they are down City Manager Ken Greer said the city had apparently started at the railroad breezy days, are inviting grass fires. addition to all the grass fires, three large up again.* right tli*ed of answering alarms. spends about $40,000 a year for the fire tracks and burned over most of the field The grass fire season has been long. barns were destroyed by fire almost a Picemen have been called out 34 times department, and with an average of about south to Walker Street. One fire truckbe- "Once in a while in the grass seasonwe-'ll week apart. They were the first barn fire SINCE THE FIRST part of February, since; Jan^ 1 — a clear-cut record for this 80 fire runs a year, the cost works out came mired in mud In the field, and persons have a long streak,* Maier said, "but golly, losses.in over a year. v firemen have had only one seven-day early in the year. There were 14 fire to about $500 a call. This Includes fire walking across the burned-over area could after about a week or two it's over. Not "They seem to runinpatterns like that,* period in which there haven't been fires. caljs in February and 18 so far in March. men's salaries, care of the truck's., fire squish water up through the charred grass. this time.* Maier said. "It used to be you could pretty They had fire calls on Feb. 9,13,14,17, ot only is it tiresome and dangerous — hall costs and amortization of all the equip Most of the grass fires have been Other then three false alarms during nearly figure that if you had a slack time 19, 22, four on the 24th, one on the 26th, f traffic accident has resulted —butthe ment. two on the 28th and one on the 29th. fire situation around St. Johns this first In March there were two fires March 3, three months has gotten to be expensive. ON FIRE CALLS OUTSIDE the city, the two March 5, one on the 6th, 8th, 9th, two Firemen's salaries in February alone townships pay the city $100 for the first January February March on the 10th, four on the 17th, one on the amounted to $1,034, and in March the two hours the department is out and $50 18th, three on the 19th and one on the 22nd. figure has reached $1,070. for each hour after that. They also each fire runs fire runs ' fire runs The large barn fires were Feb. 22, Feb. "Most of these have been legitimate pay a stand-by fee once a year; this 28 and March 5 when the Harold Benson, fires,* Fire Chief Glare Maier said amount varies by township, depending on Jim Morlarity and PaulDuskibarns burned Friday night, "We have had an unusually the distance from St./ Johns and the area to the ground. On Feb. 19 there was a barn busy grass fire season, though, for this of the township served. - fire at the Phillips Orchards on the north early in the year." The grass fire situation promises to be a edge of the county, but damage there was A cold, dry winter with comparatively hazard for some weeks to come. Last not nearly so extensive. little snow has left grass tinder dry for weekend's snowstorm may have eased the Not all of the fire calls . have been for the .past few months, making lawns and immediate threat, but now the snow is gone, fires. On March 10 firemen were called fields susceptible to burning. None of the and the problem will be acute again. out to stand by at an accident scene, and (A LI tA ^ W b$ <A t>? 6? U W U. 13 W IS U i.? (X five grass fires in February or the nine Soil moisture has had no effect on the (Story continued on Page 2-A) • • • k • * • 112th Year, No. 49 ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN — THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 1968 2 SECTIONS — 34 PAGES 15 Cents CLINTON COUNTY traffic deaths Since January 1, 1968 2 school millage issues • THIS TIME LAST YKAR: 2 LESTER H. LAKE Related story, obituary lose by narrow margins on Page 7-A __. .t - selling out bur staying on. Similar school millage proposals at St. Johns and Ovid-Elsie were turned down by Lester Lake sells jewelry similarly narrow margins -Saturday, placing both school districts in a state of anxiety about operations next year. business after 38 years In St. Johns a 12,8-mill proposal was de When Lester Lake was just a Ring announced that Charles generally have presidentsl'dllke feated by 44 votes — 1,365 no to 1,3.21 yes.' lad, his father took him out of a Barnes, who has been associated to work for." good-paying job—$8 a week—and with Lake at the jewelry store for He described his activity with At Ovid-Elsie ----•---.---- put him to work for jeweler Wal more than 15 years, will be the Chamber as "nothing anybody the margin of defeat ter Emmons-for $5 a week so he manager. knows about, except you just get Here's how could learn a trade. Lake's half-century in the jew the work done because you know it for al2.75-millpro- 'I didn't like it all to begin elry business has been accom was right to do It. But it doesn't posal was a mere 30 with," Lake recalls today, 50 panied by an almost like period write good." votes—630 no to 600 voting went years later. of time in the promotion of St. Lake's community activities But he soon learned to like It, Johns as a community. He's been and spirit were responsible for yes. ST. JOHNS active in the Chamber of Com and he stuck with it, working for him receiving the "Michigan Both school boards will meet Precinct Yes No Spoi merce and served as president Emmons for 12 years and then Mlnuteman Award' last spring in soon — St. Johns was scheduled St. Johns 963 794 10 of that body in 1945-46. He has starting his own jewelry business one of the highlights of Michigan for a session Wednesday night— E. Essex 29 75 0 been president of the Clinton which he operated until last week. Week. The citation was presented to discuss the situation. Another Eureka 136 178 0 County Country Club and Is now Lake Friday announced the sale to Lake by Lt Gov William G. election on the proposals is al Olive Cntr 115 192 4 on the board of directors. He's of his store to'Webb-Ring, Inc., Milllken on behalf of theSt. Johns most assured in both districts. Riley 78' 126 0 effective March 16. The sale been a long-time member of Michigan Week committee in Totals 1321 1365 14 ended Lake's 38-year success Rotary. recognition of Lake's "outstand Supt. Earl Lancaster at St. Total votes cast: 2,700 - Johns said the earliest the board story as a jewelry store owner ' "I mostly worked on commit ing service to Michigan as a could now schedule an election but probably not his association tees and did whatever they wanted Michigan Mlnuteman who at every OVID-ELSIE 8 would be June 10 — the date of Precinct Yes. No with the company; he plans to re me to do, Lake says. "I've opportunity champions our great Spoi" the regular school board elec Elsie 234 357 main in St. Johns and probably never been president or that state, its heritage, its hospital 9 tion. The legal problem to an will do some clock work and ring stuff much, but I've been on the ity, its dynamic present and its Ovid 366 273 1 ( earlier date, he said, would be to work for awhile. retail committee, the Christmas future." Totals ' 600 630 10 allow -sufficient time for voter committee and things like that Total votes cast: 1,240 Webb-Ring, Inc., the new own Two years ago Lake won a registration. ers, is headed by Walter Ring, that have to be done. trophy for a float during the president and general manager. Michigan Week parade, and last • Election day Saturday was plagued by an early-spring snow The company has other stores in "I LIKE THAT WORK better year he donated it to become a storm, but officials in both dis Portage, Niles, and Midland. than being president^, and we'd traveling award each year to a Cancer St. Johns organization contribut tricts did not think it necessarily ing significantly to the better had any effect on the outcome.