CASTOR REVIEW Friday, June 30, 1978 Page 3 Embrun parents want pool for school A swimming pool is only one of the amenities a group of parents wants contained in a French, separate elementary school to be built in the Embrun area within three years. Calling itself CONSECO - a combination of the words con- struction and ecole - the group was formed to supervise the building project "in the interest of children of the Embrun region'. The Ministry of Education has approved $1 million in funding for the new school, designed primar- ily to relieve overcrowding at St. Jean in Embrun which, with four portables, is about 150 students above capacity. CONSECO also wants the nw school equipped with a gymnas- ium and showers, science labor- atory, first aid room, library, dining room, teacher's room, as well as rooms for home econom- ics, technical courses, music, art and orientation. The group insists that these facilities be available to all students in the township and that they be open to the public when possible. The efforts of CONSECO are looked upon with some trepidat- ion by the consultative commit- tee organized to protect the French character of St. Joseph's school in Russell Village. The committee still fears the Prescott-Russell Separate School Board will transfer francophone students attending St. Joseph's to the new school and restrict the Shes 'Old Baker Hotel -- Metcalfe Old Metcalfe Inn bites dust The 150-year-old J. A. Baker Hotel in Metcalfe, a community landmark during the memory of most adults in the area, will soon be no more. The old frame building, which stood on the town's Main Street, was the scene of an auction recently when memories of an earlier age seemed to gather around the auctioneer's hammer. The property was_ recently taken over by Don Wright of Metcalfe as an investment. It is the second major structure on the Main Street to change hands recently, the other being the adjoining brick structure. The old hotel, once known as "Paddy's Bar" was the home of the Leahy family between the wars. The last owner, a Mrs. Leahy, died in New York at the age of 101. The auctioneers, Carson Hill and Stewart James kept up a running fire of badinage and humour for the amusement of the large crowd of bidders on hand. The front stairway and balust- rade went for the sum of $17.50, explained' by the fact that, although once lending an air of distinction to the entrance hall, they had fallen into disuse and disrepair. A panelled wall in the second storey hall was purchased privately. A number of persons showed interest in the tin ceiling downstairs, moulded to imitate plaster flowers. Even the carved louvres high under the eaves went under the hammer. The auctioneers were indeed the hit of the occasion with Carson Hill getting off vintage cracks like, "If you don't go to heaven lady, it won't be worth going there', or "I can't get a word out of my friend James. He's gettin' married next week." When he failed to get a lively enough response in offering a spool bed, he cracked, "I can understand the problem, ladies. It's only a single bed."' The very timbers beneath the building went as well as a large sign which was in fact incorporat- ed into one of the downstairs partitions and which said, '"'Com- mercial Hotel'"' in large letters, an early example of the sign painters art. Russell school to English child- ren, Kathy Hamilton, committee secretary, explained. While the committee likes the idea of the proposed services being available to all township students, it doubts they can be incorportated into the new school only of $1 million, Mrs. Hamilton said. The committee's position re- mains that three French separate schools can co-exist in the township. 'Let the board build another school for English students if the need is there,' Mrs. Hamilton said. The secretary said a meeting is planned between the board, the consultative committee, and CONSECO to discuss alternat- ives. She noted that of 15 families who registered their children for kindergarten this fall at St. Joseph's, all but two requested 100 per cent French instruction; only one of the families is French. The board has said the kinder- garten class will be reserved for English students. Mrs. Hamilton reiterated that the committee, headed by Jean Millaire, will oppose the new school if it means the end of St. Joseph as a French institution. St. Joseph's 86 students are almost evenly split between those from French homes and those from homes where the primary language is English. Carmen Lascelle Bourgie, a registered nurse, is president of CONSECO; other members in- clude Marc Ryan, Geatan Leg- ault, Denise Emard, Pierre Miron, and Patrick Murphy. wg COUNTRY FLOWERS & GIREEN HOUSES POTTED PLANTS CUT FLOWERS FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS We specialize in wedding bouquets and sympathy tributes. A good selection of vegetable & bedding plants still available Regional Rd. 8, Edwards 821-2573 Russell volunteer firemen display safety devices which will undoubtedly make their job much easier Get 'em while they're hot... Corneau, Ervin Sunstrum and Ron Hubbard with fire extinguishers and smoke detector. and local houses much safer. 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