`New club rises from the ashes`

By Hal Johnson
Herald Writer

Eight months ago, Jamestown volunteer firefighters were trying to put out a fire that was destroying something important to them.

The Nov. 28, 1998, fire gutted the Jamestown Firemen’s Club a primary fundraiser and social center for the volunteer fire department.

Located about 200 yards away from the buried remains of the old club, the new Jamestown Firemen’s Club will host its grand opening Aug. 27-28.

With ground broken in late March, the new club was built in what once was a softball field, said Jamestown firefighter James E. Brown. It opened for business in late July.

Insurance proceeds and the club’s funds provided the more than $300,000 to build the new club, said Judy McKay, club manager. Anderson Construction, Pymatuning Township, was contracted to build the one-story club.

Serving up drinks to its dues paying members makes the club one of four primary fundraisers for the volunteer fire department. “It does a real good job at bringing in income,” Brown said. But the club also is a source of volunteer firefighters in an era when volunteers are hard to recruit, he said. “People come in as social members. They get to talking to the active members and they decide to become active,” Brown said.

The club also is a community service, he said. The fire department stores blankets and supplies to provide shelter for fire or disaster victims, he said.

Unlike the old club which was mainly a bar, the new club includes also a banquet hall that can be booked for parties and receptions, Ms. McKay said.

The new club also is serving lunch to the public, the manager said. Plans call to emphasize meals more than the bar, Brown said.

For its grand opening, the club will host a dance for the public featuring the band Nite Life on Aug. 27 and a picnic for its members on Aug. 28.

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Updated August 21, 1999
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