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Georgetown Herald A Division of Horn Company Main Street South Georgetown Ontario WALTIR C THURSDAY APRIL 29 OPINIONS OF OTHERS Nerval School The fight to public school is a causa In an era when citluns are finding that sometimes It is possible to fight city hall and win As we see In our community more and more citizens arc less willing to sit back and let somebody In authority dictate their lives and ruin their community Thus we have the citizen protest over Rebecca widening Six towers Wuthering Heights White Oaks traf fic routes development and urban decay Now comes school and it is an exercise in citizen power that ought not to be overlooked It is a heartening example of ordinary people determined to protect their lifestyle even if it means challenging the education board a administrative pow erhouse The administration has proposed that Nervals rural school should be closed And It paraded out a lot of facts and figures desig ned to convince Halton education trustees the school is not Justified But par ents remained unconvinced The parents did not simply voice protest as most people do when they feel offended by political authority They organized them selves then set out to prove with facts and figures that their school should remain open After tthe spade work was completed and Individual assignments compiled the Ner val parents put their case before the educa tion board It was an overwhelming display of the power of citizens to protect their interests Ratepayer spokesman Peter the defence of Norval school when the case came before trustees and his back up support was excellent First one parent gave a comprehensive report which showed that rather than being undesirable the Nor val school sewage system Is working re markably well Then another parent pres ented a report which challenged the admin istrations claim that school proper ty is smaller than minimum at acres This parents report revealed the property con be expanded and Is not landlocked he pointed out that there are no rulings laid down by any higher authority with regard to land requirements for public schools The choice of a minimum alio bos been mode en tirely on the authority of the county board and he showed that by comparison the school grounds at acres exceed rather than fall short of space requirements especially when compared to urban school yards sandwiched into crowded residential areas There were other briefs on the quality of education at In summary It is our belief that quality of education being offered in Nerval public school is not only equal to but superior In many Important ways to that offered In most larger schools Over the years the staff and students have over come any problems created by small facili ties with their Ingenuity and This school Is an excellent example of and has been the reason for the excellent com munity spirit of Norval and we believe that the important social aspects of education which these students are obtaining In public school cannot be obtained in any large school There was a detailed hometohome sur vey showing citizen support for the school and why people give their support Finally there was an eloquent lecture by Norval resident Julian Reed on the right and responsibility parents to educate their children Here is part of what he said In Canada for the first time In our history we are be coming aware of our Identity as a nation separate from our wealthier and more num erous neighbours to the south not so much by geography as by philosophy We are taking our Independent place among the na tions of the world with attitudes and ideas all our own Ours is the first generation in this country to do so We recognize that if we are to survive as a nation our children will have to be even more aware of their identity than ever Identity like charity begins at home We cherish the opportunity our children have at present to live and work in their own community We value an envir onment where they can assimilate their own heritage at an age when it will remain with them for the rest of their lives We value the time spent pulling a toboggan up a hill or swimming or playing ball or anything else for that matter instead of riding a school bus We value the sense of belonging our children learn at a very early age the early appreciation they learn for THEIB school and THEIR community These values are unique to a small community and cannot be dupli cated in any other environment hence the recognition of these facts in our Statement of Purpose which indicates as a matter of course that our children be educated in their home community Thus the case for Norval school was presented in a manner which left education board chairman Douglas Wood with no al ternative but to promise the matter will be completely reviewed For the par ents It was homework not simply protest that paid off Its a lesson for oil citizen groups dealing with city hall Nobody really thinks schools arc tax- supported babysitters but many parents seem to regard them as such nowadays So its refreshing to know that a group of parents care enough to be disturbed that the Halton County School Board wants to close their rural school Were they of a different bent parents might even appreciate the extra hour or two their children would be out of their hair riding buses to and from school These parents are concerned about their childrens educttlon and believe it can best be done at Norval School Theres strong evidence to support that position and they nave token the effort to gather it in building their defence of Nerval School Parents are ultimately responsible for the education of their children That is an obligation many have sloughed off onto ex perts thus their consciences and unburdening their minds But as they are responsible for their childrens education they have also the right to control over education Indeed tan Julian Reed one of the wo find in our democratic in all matters is tothe J Ho odds The acceptance of this respon sibility had bean taken no more seriously than In the Village of Norval and its surrounding area Since earliest times the interests of this school have been largely attended to by concerned parents who have taken on active volunteer port in its operation At the pres ent time many hours are given each year willingly and with a sense of dedication If the school board closes Norval School the loss wont be Just to Norval students and parents Sure that community will suffer the loss of the little school It cherishes one thats been there for years And the children will suffer through ted ious bus rides and loss of group identity as they are blended into bigger though not nec essarily better institutions But the biggest loss to Halton County cit izens would bo that of the right to be indivi dual in the eyes of government Individuality need not be personal groups are unique also citizens are asking for indivi dual consideration of them as a group Then there is the right not to have indi vidual needs incautiously diluted by a gov ernment bodys philosophy of what is best for most School for example ought to exist because citizens wont it to not because the school board finds it simpler to bus students other places Julian Reed said quite accurately There has been an increasing tendency of recent years for agencies of government to tend to act in the best Interests of the people rather than as the people direct This practice while expedient Is dangerous When government body ignores the that its region Is composed of seg ments and rules as though all were uniform soma segments get shabby treatment We believe said Reed that school boards being given their authority by the people are In fact an extension of the people and as such are responsible to them and must at all times be prepared to act in their be half Too often the largest or most influential faction imposes its will on everyone else And that of course Is why many people resisted a school board in the first place However there is nothing absolute in that reasoning and the school board ought to quickly quell peoples worries Board decisions should be based on the wishes of those most directly affected as well as the general good in the cos of Norval school any benefits from its closing are marginal at best Norval residents are the people most affected and they have spoken overwhelming ly in favor of retaining their school So should the school board Oakrme Journal IN THE MAIL BAD Stewarttown Proposes Fund for Family of Boat Race Drowning Victim To whom may be concerned As a participant in the Crazy Boat Race picture number la The Herald this last week by the way the name was Krisis Kraft not Kris Is a sup posed pun against Kris Kraft boats with a thought to the Credit River Conservation Au thoritys pamphlet Crisis on the Credit You can bet that every min ute in those Crazy Boats on that river is a crisis no matter how you spell it I would like to bring the at tention of the sponsors of this most Interesting and enjoyable contest to another similar meet ing held on the Beaver River this year Unfortunately one man was drowned years old years younger than I and no doubt also with family res ponsibilities In no way am I suggesting that this Crazy Boat Race be discontinued either on the its counterpart on the Beaver River I simply suggest that since there are mutual interests in volved the sponsors of Crazy Boat Race should prom ote a fund raising to help the family of this unfortunate man who drowned on the Beaver River And though the sponsors have given considerable thought and effort to safety on the Crazy Race a serious accident is quito possible here also Such a fund could also be designed help those who may suffer from a similar accident in the future I hope this enclosed donation will bo accepted by the spon sors as a starter for such a fund Yours truly Jt ONTARIOS PLACE TO STAND SIT WALK AND ENJOY Helicopter view of winter at Ontario Place In the foreground Is 800sent domed cincsphcre feet high 110 feet in dia meter Background shows four five Ontario Place Pavilion pods Four will colorful mixed media exhibits the fifth restaurant and banquet facilities The complex in Lake Ontario south of the Canadian National Exhi bition grounds Toronto will open May Bill Smiley How Smiley Dealt With Officer Types Working Women Things you probably didnt know about women in the labour force 38 percent of Ontarios women work for pay outside the home The average working woman is 37 years of age Nearly third are over the age of percent of Ontarios working wo men are married Just 10 percent widowed sep arated or divorced In only one married woman in seven was working Today one in three are working About one quarter of Ontarios mo thers ere working and about half of them have children under six years of age percent of the women working in Ontario are in clerical work and percent are in and re creation work Just 4 percent are labourers and unskilled Last year I had a rare cnance to do something Ive always wanted to do and I seized It with both bands and tongue I was to the Branca Royal Canadian Leg al lis annul observance the battle far VLmy Toe Vlmy branch is unique in tost nearly all Its members exofficer of the Canadian ar med force On the program for the ban quet was printed a list of the executive and the past presi dents It contained a bounty of Brigadiers a confusion of Colonels a mess Majors a wedge of Wing Commanders and a scattering of Squadron Leaders Senior officers Sit ting ducks Ever since my days as a fledgling flitter phot Ive Joyed a firm conviction that there Is no possible way any an pound anything late the head of a senior officer Here was a golden opportuni ty to prove my theory and I soiled into it with gusto didnt use a phoney survey or a lot of statistical facts but personal experience and let them have It with both barrets As a flying student I tint ran Into the of the color officer This wing com mander the chief flying In structor nearly had a stroke because Id tried to land from one end of the runway while another was trying to laad from the other How m I to know the wind had 1H degrees Id taken During advanced flying training in England a similar occurrence deepened my vidian I was coming I land every sense alert and my mind dallying with a 72hour pass and a chubby Land Army girl Some fool down on runway started firing red Hares went around again and again be did It I had check ed the carefully this time knew It was his fault not mine ray fourth preach I did the usual cock pit check and no red flares went np I rolled to a stop and squadron leader was standing in his Jeep his face a sort of mulberry shade And once ag ain the lnrensitivity of senior officers was displayed Not only did he call me a stupid clot who should be tent back to Canada in a straight Jacket but the dir ty dog cancelled my weekend pass And all because Id for gotten one Little item on my first three approaches putting wheels down Then there was my squadron commander in France I was his No nod wed made a dive bombing attack thing our can non as we dived which was our wont not to hit bat to bolster our He hoo ted something on the way down thought It was something like Hammer the Hon so paid no attention closed my eyes as was my went and the tit When we landed he was terrible flap because I was thn inly one who had dropped his bombs on wrong side of the bomb line I bought It was damn poor on his part I think what really bothered him was hat Id shot off a bit of his wing way down Then there was ridiculous squadron leader in flying con trol who made me land with hang up In those days a hang- up was not some trivial emotion al disturbance It was a used bomb dangling by its tail from your wing I tried to get rid of It over the en Nothing worked Hope fully I suggested Shall I ban out His reply Dont be Mi ry We need that aircraft were cheap aircraft One bounce on landing and it would be meat me all over the landscape And I ways known as TwoBounce Smiley Did you over see mouse with kid gloves walking on egg Thats the way I landed But what hurt was that he wouldnt let land on the metal air strip he t want it torn up when I blew up I had to land on the bumpy verge beside the strip Just a few of the examples I gave to the senior officers tn my audience fhe bone-head- senior officers They took It because of course they didnt undents in I offer ed to step Into the alley after wards with any senior officer Provided he was ever Two ancient brigadiers had to be forcibly restrained supposed To welcome With BUSINESS DIRECTORY Income Tax Return BOOKKEEPING SERVICES call KENNETH BURGESS of Associate Tax Consultants I CLEANERS Shirt Mam St Guelph Free Pick up and All work done on premises Wallace Thompson 3rd Small Claims Court County of Hilton Clerk A Commissioner MILLESSE Ontario Land Surveyor Duncan Drive Georgetown Residence CHIROPRACTOR Corbett DC Mill Street Georgetown For Appointment PHONE 877WM Evans Chiropractic Clinic 120 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