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AUCTION SALE OF TWENTY-NINE PUBLIC SCHOOLS RAISES $72,000 FOR BOARD from The Stirling News Argus, December 11,1968 According to Mr. Kelly, he will sell the schools at their normal mark-up plus real estate fees. He said that all the schools he bought were winterized and that the prices were reasonable. "Some places are too dilapidated to bother," he added. Many of the schools were purchased by men hoping to retire to them. Some were also intending to convert them into summer residences. Josip Pedzer, of Toronto, bought the Ridge Road School in Rawdon for the purpose of a residence. Mrs. Barbara Amm, of Willowdale, bought S. S. No. 4 in Rawdon as a "winter and summer retreat." The school cost her $2,700. Two schools were purchased for reasons other than speculation or for residences. The only Madoc School in the auction was pur­ chased on behalf of Madoc Township by Councillor Cecil Wood. This school is to be used as a township hall and recreation centre, a use it had already par­ tially served prior to the purchase Saturday. The Deloro School purchase by Keith Brown was described by him as "something for the community." He would say no more. A pair of Rawdon Schools were purchased by a representative from a Toronto firm, Fendale Invest­ ments. They paid $3,200 for the schools. A history-making auction sale of schools earned the Centre Hastings School Area No. 2 Board a grand to­ tal of $72,000, Saturday afternoon at Stirling. About 500 persons crowded the gymnasium of Stirling Intermediate Public School to watch or take part in the bidding for 29 schools in the Huntingdon, Hungerford and Rawdon area. The cheapest school went for $600 and the most expensive was bought for $5,600. The school at Deloro, a two-room cement building, was purchased by Keith Brown, a car dealer in Peter­ borough, for $5,600. The cheapest school, S. S. No. 9 in Hungerford, was purchased by Alex Kerk, of Don Mills, for $600. The 29 schools were purchased by 20 people and of those 29, 14 of the buyers were from Toronto or its surrounding suburbs. William Kelly, a real estate broker from Cookston, purchased the most schools, five in all. According to Mr. Kelly, there are "no better investments." He pur­ chased the first school on the slate, a two-room brick at Thomasburg, for $3,300. Mr. Kelly also bought Moira School for $4,000; S. S. No. 3 in Rawdon for $4,300; the Wellman's Comers school for $2,900 and the Rawdon S. S. No. 20 school for $2,700. MEMORIES OF RIVER VALLEY SS #19 documented by Vicki Bateman and Joan Bush lived. With my brother, Glenn, we would all strike off to school, not in a yellow bus but by foot. We passed the Chard home where there lived a dog called "Nip­ per." He seemed to know that Glenn was afraid of him; so many times he would chase Glenn. This is how Glenn got the nickname "Nipper" which stayed with him for all his life. Arriving at school, gathering around the wood stove, we would warm ourselves then check to see who had to carry in some wood, get a pail of drinking water, or shovel snow. There was a bank behind the school sloping down to the Rawdon Creek. The fence was in bad shape and we were well warned not to go over it and down to the water. How did the fence get broken down? Well over it and we just had to Alice Heasman's favourite school memories: Alice Heasman attended River Valley School from 1915 to 1921 along with her brothers and sisters. Al­ ice attended Stirling High School and then completed Normal School to become a teacher. She taught for 41 years. One of Alice's favourite memories of River Valley School are of the school fairs: "The schools all got together and did marching in their uniforms." Alice also remembers the great Christmas concerts held at the school. There was no hydro, so oil lamps were used. Once a month church was held there and Sun­ day school was held regularly for all denominations. If the building was needed for a funeral, the school would be closed for the afternoon. many times the ball went Jack Bush's favourite school memories (attended 1934-1942): Our Bush home on River Valley Road was a double house where my cousins Keitha, Harold and Jerry 8?h» ,h,re w«re the two mile buMn£» 22 I