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U £ l n i i w/\iv v ii-.i-.i-. JJJ^rv v i^i\ • I^UtivOUUJ, 1'iUIWll Happy Easter from Nick & everyone at Arts Fish & Chips. O p e n G o o d Friday 12 noon to 9 p.m. Home delivery from 5 p.m. 1 5 0 0 S ix t h L in e (Just South of Upper Middle Rd.) 844-9209 Local poet celebrates 100th birthday By W ilma Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR "I'm 'Sweet Sixteen' now" smiles Catherine Heeney, the picture of health and vivaciousness, as she opens the door to her small apartment in Bronte. It's hard to believe she's just cele­ brated her 100th birthday. She appears years younger. "I don't feel any older," she contin­ ues, with just a hint of a Scottish accent. "I've been blessed with very good health. I don't have arthritis or dia­ betes." She reasons this as a contribut­ ing factor for her longevity, in addition to long life running in the family. "My grandfather on my mother's side lived to be 108. He was the captain of the Cutty Sark. He was always in Get Ready f o r S p r i n g All seivices preformed by fiilly framed and qualified female professionals (estheticians, nurses physician. Comfort & confidentiality atv our priority. • Liposuction under local anaesthesia Complete varicose vein diagnosis and treatment Laser hair removal, facial veins, leg veins Glycolic acid peels - facial rejuvenation Removal of brown spots due to sun and aging Collagen Hylaform replacement for lips & wrinkles • Botox for forehead & eye wrinkles D r . C y n t h i a B l a i r , M . D . 1060 Speers Rd., Oakville Oakville Health Centre, 842-5533 Dr. Cynthia Blair has 15 years experience in primary health care faith concentration in womens health care and obstetrics. O F F IC E S K I L L S C O M P U T E R P R O G R A M H a l t o n C a t h o l ic D is t r ic t S c h o o l B o a r d IS OFFERING OFFICE SKILLS C O M PU TER PR O G R A M M SPONSORED BY Human Resources Developpement des Development Canada ressources humaines Canada Location: Adult Learning Centre 2350 Trafalgar Road Oakville Start/End Dates: April 12 - June 4,1999 (eight weeks) Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Interviews will be conducted on April 6 & 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 pan. Description: • Daytime classes - 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.; • Training for junior or intermediate level of employment in the business environment; • Topics include: How to use the Windows operating system, basic principles of word processing, spreadsheets, databases and slide presentations; • Software applications include: Windows 98, MS Word 97, MS Excel 97, Powerpoint 97 and Access 97. Eligibility: H Unemployed and receiving Employment Insurance benefits, or have received benefits in the past three years (five years in the case of maternity or parental leave). 0 Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Prerequisites: Grade 10 Literacy/Numeracy. A completed Return to Work Action Plan. Keyboarding knowledge essential. Proficient in written and oral English, AND/OR one of the following: Familiar with the Windows Environment. Previous office/clerical experience. Be able to demonstrate aptitude and strong interest for an entry level position in a business office environment. TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW, OR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL (905) 632-5858 >- »■ »■ »■ >- good health." Bom in Arbroath, Scotland, on March 24th, 1899, she immigrated to Canada in 1922 at age 23. On Jan. 1, 1929, she married William Heeney in Niagara Falls. Her happy marriage ended when he died at age 54 in 1952. He had served in World War I. She has four children - three sons and one daughter, 18 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. "When I first came to Canada I lived in Oakville," she recalls, her memory still vivid. Later she moved to Toronto, and Niagara Falls. "We used to go for long walks," she recalls of her years in Niagara Falls, still able to name the streets to describe her route. Two years after her husband died, she moved to East York to be clos­ er to her family, returning to Oakville about 30 years ago. She's lived at the Oakville Senior Citizens Residence in Bronte since the fall of 1995. "Catherine is just amazing," says Susan Moore, assistant administrator of the residence. "She's never bored." She reads large-print magazines and watch­ es television to keep current. "I asked her once about what's keep­ ing her so healthy and Catherine told me she always keeps a glass of water handy, taking frequent sips, and that she keeps happy by singing to herself," said Moore. Or writing poetry. "I write poems for pleasure," she says. "When I was 10 years old I had a school teacher who encouraged me to write poetry. I've been writing poetry ever since." For her 100th birthday celebration, the residence collected a number of her poems and had them published in a Photo by Barrie Erskine Catherine Heeney small booklet as a gift. The 22 copies were printed, at no charge, by Pocket Press in Oakville. She read some of the poems from this booklet at the party held for her by the residence. "Catherine has enjoyed writing poetry since the age of 10 and her gift of writing continues with new verses each day," states the booklet's Foreword. "She finds her artistic con­ tent naturally from her love of personal relationships and the beauty she sees in the simplicity of life around her." Nine years ago, she was encouraged to entry a poetry contest. She submitted a poem she titled Time Rushes On, reflecting her philosophy of life, and was judged a winner. "There were literally thousands and thousands of poems sent in from all over the world," she says, pleased with her achievement. She was invited to a convention to be held in August 1990 with 3,700 other poets. "Only 12 of us were to appear on stage when our names were called and read our poems in a loud voice so everyone in the room could hear." She was overwhelmed. "I was 91 at the time, and I sent them a very nice letter back thanking them for the invitation and adding that it was not advisable for me to travel. . . "The truth is, the thought of standing in front of a crowd of 3,700 scared me half to death. I didn't want to go." She would have met a number of celebrities including Joan Rivers, Bob Hope, William Shatner, Pearl Bailey, and Red Buttons. Having her poem chosen as among the winners was simply enough recog­ nition. The following year she received a letter stating her poem had been pub­ lished in a book. Recently, she was overwhelmed again. She was called to the alter at St. James Roman Catholic Church and presented with a large framed plaque from Pope John Paul I in honour of her 100th birthday. "It was presented to me by Father Mike. It was quite an hon­ our." She has also received similar recog­ nition from Mayor Ann Mulvale, MP Bonnie Brown, MPP Gary Carr, Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Premier Mike Harris, Lt. Gov. Romeo LeBlanc, the Queen, and from the Provost (mayor) and Angus Council of her hometown in Scotland. "I've been here for 26 years," con­ cludes Moore, "and during my first 25 years here we've had only two people celebrating their 100th birthdays, litis year we're going to have four of them, and all of them are healthy." W0SS hosts FAMS and 0YAP night Many students ask themselves this question: "Why do I have to learn this stuff?" If you are a Grade 10 student in the Burlington-Oakville area, you may be interested in two programs - FAMS (FORD Academy of Manufacturing Sciences) and OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program) offered at White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) under the auspices of the Halton District Board of Education. FAMS, a partnership between WOSS and FORD that began in September, integrates mathematics, physics, computer, business studies and manufacturing into one course. The course runs two years and takes two periods of each day. This program is available to all Grade 10 students, male or female, who are in either general or advanced level courses. The story of this program is rather interesting. It began in the United States when the Ford Company went to the American government and told them that their school system was not producing people who could do what they required them to do in their respective trade. The government sat down with the Ford Company and they came up with a curriculum that would prepare the students for work after school and college. The FAMS site at WOSS is the first one in Canada. The school had to bid for this project and because of its facil­ ities, WOSS won. The facilities at WOSS are among the best with numer­ ous lathes, milling machines, comput­ ers, and four types of welding: tig, mig, arc and gas welding. WOSS has received a donation of a large CNC (Computer Numeric Control), AXYZ automation router, and a Redcam CNC lathe. Both of these pieces of equip­ ment are the newest and best technolo­ gy. The school uses many computer programs like Coreldraw, Excel, the Internet, and most recently Mastercam - a program widely used in industry. FAMS provides opportunities for the future and leads to college or uni­ versity. Many people who were accepted into the program last year have had changes of heart about their futures. Some of them wanted to be doctors and lawyers but have changed their minds and found career paths in which they will be truly happy. This program opens the world up to students who will learn how to do things you never even knew existed. Team work is a major part of this course. Hence, there are opportunities to improve your social skills which are of the utmost importance in everyday life. The teachers of this program con­ sists mainly of the leadership team at WOSS. These teachers, who have recently been nominated for an award for creativity in education, have spent countless hours rewriting the U.S. cur­ riculum and bringing it up to Canadian standards. Many of these teachers have given hours of spares and after-school time to help and assist us with various assignments. The teachers of this pro­ gram are dedicated to the education of their students. Shannon Stewart, a Grade 11 advanced FAMS student, says that before she was accepted to this pro­ gram last year, she wanted to be a lawyer and now her ideas have changed because of all the opportunities this program offers. About the program, she says: "It has changed my life. I have learned useful skills that I will never forget. This pro­ gram will be etched in my memory as one of the best decisions I ever made regarding my future." OYAP stands for Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. It was started seven years ago to help students get into the apprenticeship of their choice. There are three areas in which to start an apprenticeship: cosmetology, manu­ facturing and transportation. Under cosmetology, one can get into a hair­ stylist apprenticeship; under manufac­ turing, one can become a machinist, tool and die maker or industrial mechanic apprenticeship; under trans­ portation, it is automotive service tech­ nician or truck and coach technician apprenticeship. All apprenticeships require a few years of work experience under the instruction of a professional. An apprenticeship is a government-regu­ lated program in which 85% of the learning takes place on the job and 15% takes place at an approved community college. Most apprenticeships are between 8,000 to 10,000 hours long, requiring approximately five years to complete. With this program, you can save about one to one-and-a-half years off your apprenticeship. The students begin learning the college level material dur­ ing high school, so they can get into the workforce quicker. They are learning college material in high school while taking time off their apprenticeship program. They are basically attending college without paying tuition. "These programs feature small classes, college level learning, high tech equipment to work on, and highly qualified staff," says Stewart. "Compared to the advantages of the OYAP program, the expectations are excellent." All you have to do to reap the bene­ fits of this program is attend class regu­ larly, show a willingness to learn, and work hard and maintain a 70% average which is not hard considering the teach­ ers you will have and the excellent instruction you will receive." There will be an information meet­ ing for all parents and students on Wednesday, April 7th, at WOSS South Campus; FAMS presentation at 6:30 p.m. followed by an OYAP presenta­ tion at 7:30 p.m. The applications are due Monday, April 19th. For more information, call Dave Lewis or Judy Osmond at 845-5200. W P R E P A R E f o r t h e J O B S m r . r n with two exciting WHITE OAKS programs i f K M P O o o r o w ACADEMY OP MANUFACTURING SCIENCES industry specific curriculum paid summer internship hands-on, integrated programs involving engineering, physics, robotics, CAD/CAM, CNC manufacturing & business Ontario YeuEi AppranMcaship Program O earn apprenticeship & OSSD concurrently O exemption from some college courses O paid co-op placements O AREAS: machinist, tool & die, millwright, hairstylist, automotive For PARENTS & STUDENTS Wed., April 7, 1999 FAMS at 6:30 p.m. OYAP at 7:45 p.m. White Oaks Secondary School 1330 Montclair Drive, Oakville F or M ore In fo rm a tio n CALL Dave Lewis 845-5200 Ext 272