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Jill yeleed SE IR SU \ [AS SE | [JR LEP 6 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 18, 1991 "Scugog's Community Newsp {i [ANY ID IEE PER aper of Choice" The Port Perry Star 188 MARY STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In* Canada $26.75 per year * Elsewhere $74.90 peryear. * Single Copy 65¢ EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten News Editor - Scott Anderson Featurés Editor - Julia Dempsey Sports Co-ordinator - Kelly Lown ADVERTISING Advertising Manger - Anna Gouldburn Advertising Production - Pamela Hickey BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Billing Department - Louise Hope PRODUCTION Annabell Harrison Trudy Empringham Barbara Lachapelle @«@ Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Lid. Port Perry, Ontario Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Lynda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil * GST included in price Editorial | Comment Deserves failing grade The provincial government deserves a failing grade on its decision to abandon the Ontario scholarship program. Until this academic year, graduating Grade 13 (OAC) students who obtained an 80 per cent average in their fi- nal year of high school received a $100 scholarship from the province. Although the award was not large -- and had not in- creased in value in recent memory -- the scholarship was a small monetary pat on the back. We say "small" because $100 does not a go far when one is considering post secondary education, whether it be at a community college or university. It certainly won't put a dent in covering the ever-rising tuition fees. And it won't cover one week's lodging and food for a student who has to board while attending school. It could, however; cover the expense of a couple of textbooks or the stationary requirements of the student for one year. But the abandonment of the program only contributes to a portion of our frustration on this subject. It's the timing of the announcement that adds insult to injury. The NDP government made the announcement only days before the students received their final grades. Stu- dents who worked hard over the past nine months to achieve an 80 per cent average were banking on the $100 cheque. If the province needs the nickels and dimes it will save from cancelling this three-decade-old tradition, wouldn't it have been in better taste to announce the decision earlier in the school year or to put the plan on hold until school resumes in the fall? Students don't 'receive' an 80 per cent average: It's an accomplishment they earn through hard work and dedica- tion to academic achievement. The Ontario scholarship program was money well spent on the continuing education of this province's future inno- vators and leaders. --Julia Dempsey Year-round schooling Another school tradition will soon change for a select group of Durham Region students. The Durham Board of Education has agreed to go ahead with a pilot project on the modified school year. The system could be in full force by July 1992 at two Dur- ham schools. Although we don't expect the system to receive univer- sal approval from local school board supporters, the modi- fied school year system deserves to be tried. Schools in Durham Region are becoming unbearably over-crowded. Portable classrooms are not the solution to the problem. Not only do they suck up available play- ground space, they also separate the students from the rest of the school facilities, such as washrooms, gymna- siums, computer labs and libraries. Building new schools to accommodate the influx of stu- dents to this area would be financially irresponsible. Rising land and building costs, coupled with the expense of dupli- cating existing resouces and maintaining the buildings puts an unnecessary strain on taxpayers. Surely these expens- es are much greater than the cost of installing air- conditioning units. More importantly, the system has educational benefits. Students retain more over a shorter summer hiatus and less review time is needed at the beginning of each new school year. (Turn to page 8) "Honey / Mh Us | SHRANK THE KID5 RONND NNR NCR SRA IY Jottings FATHER'S DAY Somewhat like Mother's Day, Father's Day is a time for families to take a moment out of their busy schedules to pay tribute to Moms and Dads, for the countless things they do for their families during the year. Not that most Moms and Dads really feel it's necessary, as a little consideration every day goes a long way to making the life of a parent much more tolerable. Breakfast in bed, cards with beautiful verses or gifts really don't compensate for the other 364 days of toil, worry and torment parents go through during the year, although they do help make you feel "very special," for at least a few minutes. Father's and Mother's Day have once again come and gone for another year, and at our house, neither was much different than any other ay. The kids still got up at 6:30 a.m., and wanted to eat "immediately." We dragged ourselves out of bed and made our way to the washroom in an attempt to have a shower and wake up. While doing this three little kids with three big mouths, six little feet and thirty curious fingers joined us in the smallest room in the house, making our first few minutes awake unbearable. Aaaahh, but kids are smart. Just when I was about to lose the fine edge, (and I think they sense this) they stop dead in their tracks, bat their big blue eyes, giggle and run with arms outstretched to give you a big hug and kiss. If my heart were made of butter, there would have been a bright yellow puddle on the middle of the bathroom floor. It really is very hard to stay mad very long with two little arms wrapped tight- ly around your neck. After half an hour battling for space in the washroom, its off to the kitchen. There we have a dog (if you can call a Pug, a dog) snorting, whining and waiting for breakfast. Our dog, Dolly, gets so excited at the thought of food, she quite often starts to hyperventilate, and it takes about five minutes to get her calmed down. Then there's our cat, Tom .... and a very noisy Tom Cat at that! I'm sure his 'mee-e-0-0-ows' can be heard all the way downtown in the morning, and until he get's his mouth filled with cat food, he keep up this unbearable noise. Finally, with the animals wolfing down their breakfast rations, our attention is turned to three 'starving' kids. After playing "guess what I want for break- fast" with the twins for a few moments, I'll pick them up, one in each arm, prop them up in front . of the pantry and ask them to point out what they want for breakfast. As you can image, it's usually cookies, but when we turn them down on that request, they generally pick one of about four different kinds of cereals on the shelf. Matt's the next one, and by now he's almost "starved to death." He will have been moaning and groaning for over fifteen minutes by this time, and continues his ranting from the family room while watc Sesame Street or some oth- er kid's show, until a bowl of cereal is slipped beneath his nose. Only then, do Nancy and I get a chance to sit down for a couple of minutes with a hot coffee, that we somehow managed to get perking amidst the turmolil, for a few minutes of peace and quiet. It was like this on Mother's Day... it was like this on Father's Day .... and you can bet itll be like this on Canada Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiv- ing Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. As you can see, one day is not much different another around our household. That's not to say I didn't appreciate the nice shirt and card from Nancy last Sunday morning, nor the hand-made card and pencil holder for my desk which Matthew made at school, nor the card from my daughter. They were all appreciated. As most parents know, it's not what you receive, but the fact you were remembered that is important. My family remembered me last Sunday, and that made me a very happy Father for those few touching moments. But after the gifts are opened, cards placed on the shelf, and the wrapping paper put away, nor- mality quickly returns to the room. Reality sets in quickly as the kids start whin- ing, we look around at the mess caused by break- fast and the floor already covered with toys, dolls and books and realize...it's just another day. As frustrating as it can be at times, I wouldn't have it any other way!