The late and former St. Ignace Mayor Raymond "Pete" France was recognized at St. Ignace City Council's meeting Monday evening, February 18, at Little Bear East Arena and Community Center. Council also approved a $3 raise for firefighters and the fire chief.

Mayor Paul Grondin read aloud a proclamation honoring Mr. France, who passed away February 3 in Sparta, New Jersey, where he was staying with his daughter. He turned 80 January 1.

Mayor France was St. Ignace's 38th mayor, serving from 1959 to 1961. St. Ignace has had 45 mayors since 1883.

The city proclamation will be sent to Mr. France's immediate family.

Council accepted the recommendation of its Public Safety Committee to raise firefighters' pay rates, including regular runs, from $12 per run to $15 per run. Fire Chief John "Bucky" Robinson's rate per run increases from $18 to $21.

Firefighters will now receive $18 for each meeting they attend related to the fire department, $21 for any fire run that calls for use of water, and $18 for each training session or seminar attended.

Chief Robinson will now receive $21 for each meeting he attends, $26 for each call that involves use of water, and $21 for each training session or seminar he attends.

The Fire Department wages had not been raised since 2000, noted Councilman Don Gustafson.

There were 108 total runs by the Fire Department in 2007, according to Fire Chief Robinson. Of those, 28 were miscellaneous calls (gas or smoke odor alarms, or spills, for example), 17 were false alarms, 20 were structure fires, eight were vehicle fires, seven were forest or "wild land" fires, 20 were personal injury incidents, and six were assistance to ambulance calls.

Chief Robinson said the personal injury accidents, forest fires, and structure fire numbers were a little higher than average during the year.