The Peru Amateur Circus will go on

By KEN de la BASTIDE
Tribune enterprise editor

May 12, 2008 10:47 pm

— PERU — A Saturday fire that destroyed a furniture store also did considerable damage to the Circus City Center.
The Grant Home Furnishings building was destroyed in the Saturday fire, which also caused damage to the north wall of the Circus City Center.
“The show will go on,” Peru Circus Festival board member Alan Day said. “We’re hoping we can use this building.”
Day said eventually the north wall will have to be replaced because it was a common wall with Grant Home Furnishings. He said the wiring on the north wall will need to be replaced and the computerized light system was damaged.
“The smoke damage was extensive,” he said. “It will have to be gutted and cleaned.”
Day said the building was insured.
If the Circus City Center cannot be used, Day said the Hall of Fame has offered a tent for performances and Peru Community Schools has made a practice field available.
“It is sad to see some items gone that have been here for more than 40 years,” he said. “But they can be replaced one way or another.”
Tom Harp, building inspector for Peru, said Monday the home of the Peru Amateur Circus didn’t receive much damage as a result of the fire.
“There was some heat damage to the north wall,” Harp said. “There is nothing we’re overly concerned about.”
Harp said he didn’t see any reason why the circus couldn’t take place in the building.
The Peru Amateur Circus runs from July 11-19.
Harp said the city was awaiting a report from structural engineers on the extent of the damage.
“There will be some repairs that have to be made,” he said.
Wayne Mannies, chief of the Peru Fire Department, said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“There was extensive smoke damage in the arena,” Mannies said. “There were some banners that were burnt.”

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