The Magic Lamp Of Aladdin- a production from grade 6-8 students at Zorra

Students at Zorra Highland are working hard to perfect the performance of The Magic Lamp of Aladdin. Grades 6 7 and 8 students are excited to have parents, friends, guardians, grandparents etc.. to come and explore this mysterious Arabian story on WEDNESDAY MAY 2nd and THURSDAY MAY 3rd... Donations will be greatly appreciated at the door... SO mark your calendars!!

A minute with the Major

So very much to offer! Our Community Centre and Arena

A special thanks go out to Scott Eaton for agreeing to this impromptu raw taping!

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Hey all of you Zorra Folks... just got FB from Jackie that this meeting is happening... wanted to pass along.. I know it is late notice,,,,TONIGHT

Please be advised that the Township of Zorra Council will be holding a Public Meeting
with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), regarding the Embro
Dam and the Harrington Dam, scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February
16, 2012, at the Embro West Zorra Community Centre in the Small Meeting Room.
Zorra Council has scheduled this public meeting so that a public presentation can be
made by the UTRCA. Council intends to initiate public input at the meeting so that a
decision can be made jointly between the Township and the Authority as to the best
process to follow to determine the future of the Embro Dam and the Harrington Dam.
On February 23, 2011 a delegation from the UTRCA made a presentation at a Special
Council Meeting on Dam Safety and the state of Harrington Dam. Detailed geotechnical
work followed from a Dam Safety Review completed in 2007. The geotechnical
stability review recommended either replacement or removal of the Harrington Dam as
the dam is below standard and may be more vulnerable to failure than it should be. The
presentation provided preliminary cost estimates for removal or replacement. Safety
standards for dams are administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources through
enacting legislation of the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act.
“The Township contributes financial resources towards the maintenance of the
Harrington Dam. Zorra Council and the Conservation Authority discussed the next steps
at the

Moving Towards Savings

Zorra OKs bright idea

By TARA BOWIE Sentinel-Review

Posted 14 hours ago

ZORRA— The bulbs lit up above the heads of Zorra councillors when an opportunity to convert street lighting into savings was presented.

During a January meeting, Zorra council gave the go ahead to CRU Solutions, a division of ERTH Holdings Inc., to change existing street light fixtures to LED street lights. Zorra Township is the first of ERTH Holdings’ stakeholders to approve the conversion.
“I think philosophically it was a good thing to do. It’s going to use less hydro and it’s going to save us money,” Mayor Margaret Lupton said during a phone interview Monday.
All of the township’s approximately 500 streetlights will be changed as soon as the weather gets warmer.
The municipality chose to debenture the $490,000 cost of the new streetlights, but Lupton thinks, in the end, the switchover will pay off.
“We’ll start to see savings right away because we won’t be using as much energy. There also won’t be any repairs for a while because they are new,” she said.
The project is expected to cut the township’s street lighting bill in half, providing energy cost savings of about $45,000 a year.
Estimates suggest enough energy will be saved in 10 years to pay for the cost of the lights.
In addition to the electricity savings, LED street lights provide brighter street light illumination and reduce pollution caused by traditional street lights. The lights come with a 10-year maintenance guarantee, competitive municipal financing rates, project management, a 20-year warranty on the photocell and a 10-year manufacturer's warranty on the LED street light fixture.
In the future, Lupton said she would like to add additional lights in rural areas at main intersections to make it easier for people from out of the area to find their way.
“Of course not this year because we don’t have the budget, but it’s something I’d like to see someday,” she said.

Local Residents... Thanks

Last call for two longtime firefighters

Deputy Chief Matheson and Capt. Shewan retire from Embro Fire Service

By John Tapley For the Sentinel-Review

Posted 17 hours ago

EMBRO – With more than a century of experience between them, Deputy Chief Al Matheson and Capt. Ron Shewan – two of the longest serving members of the Embro Fire Service – have headed into retirement.

Fellow firefighters, friends and family, the Township of Zorra and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office honoured the men during an open house at the Embro West Zorra Community Centre Sunday.
A life-long resident of Embro, Shewan joined the fire department in 1948 – just six years after it was established – because he lived close to the firehall.
At the time, the department had only one truck, a 1942 Chevrolet that had a soda acid system to pressurize the water it carried.
Back then, firefighters had “fire phones” in their homes. When someone dialed the fire department for help, a firefighter or their wife would answer. Taking down the information, they flipped a switch on the side of the phone to set off the fire siren on top of the town hall, alerting other firefighters to respond to the fire hall.
There was no bunker gear in those days. Firefighters wore rubber boots that could be pulled up to their hips, heavy black coats and helmets made of fibre.
Shewan said helping people is what he enjoyed most about being a volunteer firefighter and why he stuck with it for the better part of seven decades.
“Being able to help somebody who is in trouble and knowing that you could help (was the best part of it),” said Shewan, whose twin brother, Don, followed in his footsteps and became a firefighter in 1952 and worked his way up to serve as chief.
Ron said he also enjoyed working alongside his brother and helping bring about the purchase of up-to-date trucks and equipment over the years.
Shewan said he is going to miss being a firefighter.
“It's a tough day,” he said. “I had a good time.”

Matheson said he became a firefighter in 1971 after he bought the village grocery store and the chief invited him to join.

“Every kid wanted to be a firefighter when I was growing up,” he said. “I didn't know what I was getting into.”
Being a volunteer firefighter turned out to be a good fit, he said.
“You make a lot of friends, and I was always around since I owned a business in town,” Matheson said.
Fire phones were still in use when he joined.
“All the wives got to be the dispatchers back then,” he said, pointing out that, with 10 fire phones in the village, firefighters had to take turns staying home on weekends to ensure calls would be answered.
“If you were going away, you had to make sure one of the other firefighters was going to be home,” Matheson said.
From there, pagers and a central dispatching system were implemented.
Both Matheson and Shewan said they have seen huge changes in equipment, technology and methods during their careers.
“It's changing all the time,” Matheson said.
One of the biggest changes, he said, has been the increase in training for and response to medical emergencies.
Born and raised in Embro, Matheson said helping the community is what he enjoyed most about being a firefighter.
Both Matheson and Shewan said one of the highlights of their careers occurred within the last decade, with the successful rescue of a worker trapped inside a silo at the Federal White Cement plant.
Both men also gave a lot of credit to their families for the sacrifices they made along the way.
“There wasn't a call go by that my wife, Anne, didn't come to the door with my coat, hat and boots ready to go,” Matheson said. “She was used to running to the phone when I was getting dressed.”
Even without the responsibility of handling incoming fire calls, firefighters' wives still turn out with food and coffee whenever there is a major incident, Matheson said.
He said he wouldn't change anything about his experiences as a firefighter.
“Council has always been good to support us,” he said. “If there was a need for better equipment, there was better equipment. We always had the best.”
Being a volunteer firefighter in a community like Embro has been about more than responding to emergencies. Shewan and Matheson and their fellow firefighters have done a lot to support the community in other ways, including helping out with local events and raising money for various causes.

“The fire department is there to help out the community any way it can,” Matheson said.

Soup and Sandwich lunch

Well it is official!! The soup and sandwich lunch at Knox United Church in Embro is now going to be FEBRUARY 19th. This event is being lead by the Senior Youth Group and all proceeds go to the Mission Trip for this year. Looking forward to some good eats and treats!

Thistle Theatre Presents "Salt Water Moon

Hi Gang. Dave is directing this years second production for Thistle Theatre "Salt Water Moon" by David French, February 2nd thru 11th. Check out the website www.thistletheatre.ca. The play is about two 17 year olds in Newfoundland. Jacob has been away for a year but while he was away in Toronto, Mary has found a new love. Jacob returns to Coleys Point; will he win her heart again? Throw off those winter chills and find warmth in a story that you will never forget. Jess Warein, 17 and Geordie Pollock, 18 are two amazing young people. Dave had a dialect coach in second practice, Jocelyn is amazing. She came back last week and was astounded with the perfection of Newfoundland lilt these two have achieved. Dave asked a very good friend, mentor and highly respected director Terry, to play polish for him this past Sunday. He told the kids, "you had me fooled, I thought you were from Newfoundland!" Terry doesn't go to many plays these days(he has seen them all so many times) but said "David, I will be here to see this, it is going to be a wonderful show." If you can get here, we have two beds available for a sleep over! Tickets at McKays Embro Foodtown and ticketscene.ca or call us. $18.00 or $10.00 for students.

Submittted by Anne Parker

Youth In Our Community

Just a reminder, Senior Youth Group are fundraising for their trip this summer. Your support is much appreciated. As well, our Junior Youth Group are providing their help today with babysitting at the church. A young bunch of kids that are willing to donate time to other children younger than them and help support the parents in this Community. These children are the future. Lets embrace what they do and help to support their dreams and goals.

Camp Tanner Dinner Auction

Small Camp Big Spirit- That is what Camp Tanner's Mission Statement is.

Many children and youth have enjoyed a Christian Camp experience here at Camp Tanner. Annually a dinner auction is hosted to help generate funds to help offset the costs to run the camp. Numerous volunteers work relentlessly to make the camping experience a memorable one.

On Saturday January 28th the Camp Tanner Dinner Auction will held at Embro West Zorra Community Centre. To donate and / or purchase tickets please contact Sandra Schurman at 519-475-4833.