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THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2000 THE NEW TANNER GRAPEVIN Heart & Stroke winner Congrats to Acton's Ken Mclsaac, 26, winner of $1,000 in the North Peel Heart and Stroke Founda- ion's lottery. McIsaac, whose ticket was selected in a televised draw last Tuesday, will pick up his cheque at in awards ceremony on Monday in Brampton. Mclsaac has bought hospital lot- ery tickets in the past, but never had 1 winner. He purchased the $100 ticket over the telephone and forgot about it until recently when he opened his mail. "There was a letter saying I'd won $1,000. I was in shock," MclIsaac said on Sunday, adding he had no plans for his windfall. The annual lottery, with cash prizes totaling $5 million and 42 cars, is one of Ontario's most successful, raising nearly $10 million for heart and stroke research. Kudos to Krasnay Acton's Louisa Krasnay gets full marks from parents, students and staff at St. Joseph's Catholic School where she's an educational assistant in charge of bus duty and a parent of a Grade 6er. With good humour and precision the military would envy, Krasnay turned the chaotic gridlock of before-and-after school buses, cars and students -- 75 per cent of St. Joe's 385 students are bussed - into a care- fully orchestrated system Wearing a glowing orange safety vest, Krasnay routes the ic safely and quickly, dispensing good cheer optimism and, on Fridays, gum to the kids who have had a good week. On the back of her vest there's usually a hand-written sign announcing how many more schools days are left, or recently, counting down to March break. ; "Tf the kids were miserable when they came in I'dalways tell them there were only so many days left, then I thought everybody should know so I started making the signs and it cheered them up," Krasnay said, add- ing that she loves her job. It shows. Musical skating From Mozart to Martin (Ricky that is) skaters will perform to an eclectic music list as the Acton Figure Skat- ing Club stages its season finale ~ Musical Méods'6f the 'Millenium -- on April I; atthe'Acton arena. ©' The Club's'200' members, from three-year-olds in spandex and dia- pers to young teens with double Jumps, will strut their stuff along with some coaches and special guest star, nationally ranked skater Krista Petty of Rockwood. The club's synchro- nized skating team, the Acton Star- lets, will also show their precision skills. Club president Bev Bailie prom- ises a great show and has special thanks to several generous sponsors, including Acton Kinsmen, rget- own Optimists and Acton Legion/ Peewee Hockey Tournament organ- izers. Aye, carumba ! though their goals were few and far between, the Mexican bantam hockey team used its three games in the Georgetown International tour- ney on the weekend as a learning ex- perience. The team, made up of play- ers from a Puebla, Mexico hockey school run by an American, also played five exhibition games, shopped, and went sight-seeing with their Georgetown area host families. Acton faced off against the Mexi- can squad on Thursday in Acton. They stopped counting when the score reached 9-1 for Acton and turned it into a fun match for the rest of the game. A Mexican player took a hard fall after a check and was taken to hospital as a precaution to have his bruised and swollen leg checked out. The large crowd cheered louder when Mexico scored than it did when Acton scored. The Mexican players received leather key chains at the end of the game from the Acton team, courtesy of the Olde Hide House. Postcards from Down Under The 18-hour time difference makes it hard to stay in touch, but Acton's John Eddolls has called home a cou- ple of times from Australia, where he's competing at the International Life Saving Federation's world champion- ships in Sydney, as a member of the Canadian team. Mom Margaret Eddolls reports the team is tired after competing up at the Australian nationals and is primed for the worlds, which begin tomor- row (Friday.) "John was invited to attend an- other competition, representing Canada east at an inter-club competi- tion after the worlds wrap up on Sun- as hn, who celebrates his birthday April 1, re- ports the weather is great and the beaches are beautiful. Road warriors Kudos to the Acton Agricultural Society and Acton's Blue Circle Ag- gregates for their on-going commit- ment to the environmental through Halton Region's Adopt-A-Road pro- The two local groups were among 11 publicly thanked for their partici- pation in the public service program ~" at a Halton Council meeting earlier this month. Groups "adopt" a section of road right-of-way and keep it clean with regular litter collections. The Region erects a roadside sign for each spon- sor with their name and logo on it to acknowledge their dedication to a cleaner environment. Blue Circle adopted part of Regional Road 43 and the Agricultural Society adopted ap- proximately six kilometres of Regional Road 25 (formerly Highway 25) from south of Acton to Speyside. The Rotary Club of Acton adopted High- way 7 from Acton's eastern bound- ary to Sixth Line, Nassagaweya, un- dera similar provincial program. A Lenten Reflection In a radio interview to which I was listening. personal ads were being discussed. Some of the jargon used was incredible and one would have to be a regular reader to keep up with the vernacular. The one that caught my interest was 'SWJM non-religious' which translates literally 'Single-White- Jewish Male." Ican only imagine why he tacked on 'non-religious'. Was it fair warning that a suitor would be expected to attend family functions rooted in Judaism or could they expect other baggage in the relationship. To me it seemed like a good example of an oxymoron. How could one say they are of a religious sect and non-religious in the same breath? But sadly enough we see it in every denomination. People who are raised in a home where godliness is a way of life that moulds and shapes their ethics and outlook on life and have no personal relationship with God. So at this season of Lent I pray that as I raise my children their personal ad could read 'SWM/FDPC' Single-White-Male (or female in my daughter's case) Devout Practising Christian. Ian Pasmore SOAP STARS: Krista Fay (left) and Alicia Goldean took part in a soap carving session on Be) ede a Se Friday at the Acton Library as part of the March break activities. - Shannon Lee photo oe Wow, Actonians are certainly up in arms about the Halton District School Board's proposal to sell off a significant portion of the McKenzie-Smith Bennett play- ground. Good. Keep up the pres- sure, This is not the time to let-up. I can't remember another issue which has generated so many let- ters to the editor. I am especially pleased to see our students becom- ing involved in what may yet end up as an old-fashioned donny- brook. If you haven't signed the One reader thinks the provin- cial government, and not the local school board is to blame. We are admonished not to "fire at the mes- senger" as the school boards can- not "raise money for education on its own." but rather get grant money from the province to oper- ate. Like most parents, I'm con- cerned that the funding model may not be sufficient. At the same time, I am not convinced this is the an- swer to all the problems we face in education. His letter got me. to thinking though about the motives behind this ridiculous proposal. What, exactly, is the real message? I'm starting to wonder if the object of this exercise is not a con- tinuation of the education estab- lishment's fifth column campaign against the government. A cam- paign I might add, that started when Bill Davis was Premier and has continued, in one form or an- other, to this day. This Windsor Board is in open rebellion with its illegal deficit budget. The Durham Board has still not resumed extra curricular activi- ties. The unions are sabre-rattling and recently gave a rough ride to the Minister of Education. And now, in an election year, the Halton Board is proposing to sell off a play- ground The board can't seem to accept that the public is not pre- pared to go back to a system which gave them a blank cheque. The board's abused that privi- \ege. Its not going to be re-insti- What is the message? The Way I See It with Mike O'Leary tuted. School boards need to accept that and move on. The problem is Halton seems to be that the board will not make the hard decision to close several facili- to erutilized Until and' do, they can't schools in Georgetown South and other places. Meanwhile, the board has been sitting on Speyside and Wrigglesworth schools for years. I understand that there has been solid interest in the Speyside property in the past but the board wouldn't even respond to the inquiries. This sale would have returned much more to the board than the proposed sale of playgrounds. Why have these prop- erties, which negatively affect the funding model, not been disposed of? Why pick on our playgrounds? What is the secret agenda? Perhaps this debacle will push the provincial auditor to have a good hard look at the Halton board to see if our assets have been properly managed. I am still hopeful that the Town will come down hard and categori- cally state they will not change the zoning. Sure, a developer could ap- peal to the OMB, but with public op- position already a matter of record, the chances of an appeal are remote. The bottom line is that the Halton public Board doesn't own this prop- erty per se. Like all governments, they hold it in trust for us. We paid for it, we own it and we don't want to sell it. Unless Ms. Gardner and the rest of the trustees want one hell of a fight they had better back off this ill con- ceived plan. I wish I knew how to cool off the animosity between the government and the teachers. We are being pre- pared by both sides for a turbulent fall. The Tories aren't doing much to calm the waters with the Premier sug- TN gesting he's going to legislate the teachers into extra-curricular activi- ties. What a silly suggestion. What's next? Will he legislate the Ministry of Transport workers to join the Rotary? I know, I know, it's not the same, but teachers have always worked with the kids after school. It's been an understood part of the job. Draconian meas- ures are not needed. Nor are pub- lic musings by the Premier going to solve the problem in Durham. There's no need to swat a fly with asledge cr. over hours of work teacher testing. I'm not going to get into hours of work. Like most people I realize that teaching is not a soft touch and that most teachers spend long hours on their jobs. I don't understand why the government is insisting a written test for teachers? What would that prove? The real problem, that I have seen over the years, is how do you get rid of a bad teacher? I think the principal and parent councils should be given much more authority in this area. As with any employee, the administration should have to build a file, the employee is given an opportunity to improve and, if they can't meet expectation, they should be re- leased. Teacher testing isn't going to solve the problem of children graduating with less than accept- able English and math skills. Real change has to be made to curricu- lum now that's an issue I would support the teachers striking over. Having suffered through the last strike I hope both sides will back away from the abyss. Perhaps a mediator needs to be appointed so the personalities involved can stop butting head. The endless bickering and posturing will solve nothing. Another strike will only exacerbate an already bad situa- tion. Both the government and the union must be told to act like adults and find a common ground. The children deserve nothing less. --Y WHAT'S YOUR BEEF? Put it in a letter to the Editor! Deadline is Tuesday at noon.