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All Sails Set For A Happy Retirement I Il-'kg 9k Jc!LI451l, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, JUNEJ6, 1976 SECTION TWO New Contract' Talks Begin For Local 2375 The opening round of negoti.- ations between Local 2375 of the United Steel Workers of America and the Bowmanville Foundry Company Ltd. began on June 7. The contract between the Foundry and the 70 employees of the company ended May 31. According to a spokesman for the employees, the union negotiators would want a Ontario High School Discus Champion two-year agreement if the foundry's offer is not subject to Anti-Inflation Board (AIB) regulations. The union will seek a one-year agreement with the company if it is forced to follow AIB guidelines, the spokesman said. The company's wages now are between $4.22 and $5.52 an hour. Accept Tenders For Resurfacing Plus New Truck At a testimonial dinner in his honor on Friday evening, James Speers was presented with a yachting cap for 15 years of service as principal of Courtice Secondary School. The Laser sailboat (shown in background of photo) came later. Courtice staff, board officials and friends joined Mr. Speers and his wife Faye for the occasion, where the retiring principal was also presented with a color photo portrait of himself which will be hung at the school. Northumberland and Newcastle Director of Education Frank Thom, Mayor Garnet Rickard, board member Sid Worden and Courtice Vice Principal Harry Bradley were on hand to pay tribute to Mr. Speers while Prime Miriister Trudeau, Premier William Davis, Education Minister Thomas Wells and M.P.P. Doug Moffatt sent along their best wishes in the form of letters, telegrams and a plaque from the Ontario Legislature. Mrs. Speers was presented with a beautiful bouquet of roses and a gift from the appreciative staff. by Liz Armstrong When James E. Speers was a youngster, going to school had its fair share of ups and downs. Not in the academic sense, because the 11 tirirg CoUrti< Secondary School principal consistently maintained top marks, but in a literal sense. Along the road to his old alma mater, Caledon Public School, there were five long, descending hills which made the hike back to the family farm an arduous journey. And though he knew that riding a bike would provide quick transit en route to classes, he also realized that it meant pushing an extra load on the way home. Needless to say, he generally walked; the school buses which carry students back and forth to Courtice every day weren't in vogue during the twenties. Geographically, the route between the Speers' home in Whitby and Courtice Second- ary is comparatively level -- though it's safe to say that under James Speers direction as principal for the past 15 years, Courtice has definitely had more 'ups' than 'downs.' So much for lofty compar- isons. At the end of June, following 38 successful years as an educator, Mr. Speers will be retiring. Several tributes have already been paid him. He was the guest of honour at a surprise party on June lth which was attended by the entire staff and student body at Courtice. Last Friday evening, the teachers honored him with a dfestimonial dinner at the Bowmanville High School student, Tom Osinga (right) said that when the student job prospects looked bleak this summer, he and a fellow student, Dean McIntyre de- cided to make their own job. The students plan tò spend the summer repairing televisions Oshawa Golf Club, followed on, Saturday afternoon by a reception at the school which students, teachers and par- ents, both former and present, attended in large numbers. Recently, Mr. Speers ne- called some of the highlights of his past life and career. which began in hilly Caledon on February 15th, 1919. Following his graduation from public school, he went on to receive his secondary education at Caledon East and Alliston High Schools. Then, with the encourage- ment of the Anglican rector in Caledon, Mr. Speers attended Toronto Normal School in 1937 to qualify as an elementary school teacher. His first teaching position was back in familiar territory -- at Caledon Public School, though not the same one he attended as a pupil. In those days, the de- pression still had a firm grip on the economy, and Mr. Speers didn't get paid until the end of the first term. At the time his annual salary was the princely sum of $700., Each weekend he travelled home to work on the farm so that he could afford the room and board in town. It appears there was more than one reason that he was anxious to remain with his landlady, and it wasn't necessarily the home-style cooking she pro- vided. Her daughter Faye subse- quently became Mrs. James Speers on May 22nd, 1943., After three years in Cale- don, Mr. Speers moved on to Hawkesville, a few miles north-west of Kitchener. and radios. In fact, as soon as high school classes ended last week, they were puttting advertisements for their work on bulletin boards. Since they describe themselves as amateurs, they say they'll be charging less than profession- ai electronics experts, but Though he had 50 students from Grades 1-8 in his charge, he recalled that there were surprisingly few disciplinE problems. World War Il interrupted his teaching areer for three and a half years. After basic training, he served as a radar operator with the R.C.A.F. in the Gaspe Peninsula. After the war, Mr. Speers completed his Bachelor of Arts degree by extension at the University of Toronto, and then attended the Ontario College of Education to gain requirements as a high school teacher. He also qualified to become a specialist in physi- cal education and guidance. For the next 13 years, he taught science, math and physical education at high schools'in Almonte, Campbell- ford, Trenton and Whitby. In 1958, Mr. Speers received his first principalship at Elora District High School. During his three year tenure, he helped in the planning of the ,new school building there. Then, in 1961, he came to Courtice as the first principal of the new secondary school, which was officially opened by former Ontario premier John Robarts, who was then Minis- ter of Education. Mr. Speers describes the early sixites as the busiest time of his career. In addition to carrying almost a full teaching load, he spent a great deal of time supervising and helping new staff members. Left over administrative and organizational work had to wait until the evening. It wasn't until 1966, when a vice- principal was appointed that they expect to do a good job anyhow. The students hope to make enough money this summer to pay for tuition fees when school begins again in the fall. Dean plans to go to Waterloo University and Tom expects to attend Durham College. the demands on his time began toease. That year, the technical wing of theschoolwas added, wbich doubled the student population at Courtice to 1100 students. Enrollment peaked in 1969 when Mr. Speers bad 1200 students and 65 teachers under bis direction, then levelled off to slightly under 1000 when the new Bowman- ville High School opened. After 38 years, Mr. Speers finds that students are much the same as they were back in his early teaching days, though now they're more sophisticated, he said. "Our present student body is as well-mannered and courteous as young people were years ago. For the most part, they're as nice a bunch as you can find." Feminine and masculine roles are made less important these days, Mr. Speers said, noting that at Courtice quite a large number of girls are taking auto mechanics and several boys are enrolled in home economics. Mr. Speers regards himself as a conservative educator, and during the years when the Hall Dennis 'experts' ruled the roost, he joined others in objecting to the wide open curriculum. The ministry of education finally realized that it had gone too far, and this year Courtice went back to the system of requiring English and Canadian Studies as compulsory subjects in the Grade 9 course of study. Next ïeptember, mth and science will be added to the ist. Even when those subjects weren't obligatory, Mr. Speers explained that 99 per cent of the Courtice students chose them anyway, and he gives credit to the student services department for its excellent job in counselling., Physical education also occupies a central role at Courtice. Mr. Speersh as long been a believer that it is an important part of the regular program, and hes also an ardent Cougar fan when Courtice teams participate in interschool competition. Even though the retiring principal achieved excellent marks as a student, he doesn't think being on top is all that important. "Competition for the sake of it bas certain destructive influences which destroy a person's feeling of considera- tion for others," he maintains. While he urges students to do as well as they can, he dislikes it when they play down their own abilities to gain shallow popularity. At the surprise tribute held in the school gym for Mr. Speers two weeks ago, Student Council President Pat Wood- ley praised the retiring prin- cipal for some of his many achievements at Courtice. She commended him not only for supporting the physical education program, but also for promoting drama and music in the school. Under Mr. Speers guidance, many unique programs have been added to the course of study, she said, including Theatre Arts, Law, Photo- graphy, Grade 13 Phys. Ed. and Bachelor Survival. At the same time Mr. Speers bas also maintained high academic standards at Courtice. Mr. Speers was also imstru- The Town of Newcastle's public works committee has accepted a tender of $53,430 for hot mix resurfacing of about seven miles of roads in the municipality. Bennett Paving and Mater- ials Ltd., of Oshawa, was the successful bidder. The town's director of public works, Jack Dunham said Thursday that the hot mix resurfacing will take place on portions of the following roads: the third concession in Clarke, on the eighth con- cession, near Haydon; on Parkway Crescent, in Bow- manville, on Arthur Street in the Village of Newcastle and on Sunset Boulevard in the Village of Newcastle. An Orono road is also scheduled for resurfacing. The only other tender was by Harnden and King, a Cobourg construction firm. They tendered $55,900. Mr. Dunham told the public works committee that Sep- tember cm is the aexpected completion date for the resur- facing. New Truck Another tender accepted by the cominittee was for a new half ton truck to be used by the town. Seaway Motors was the successful bidder, tendering $5,489.90 for a new Ford F 150. The only other bidder for the truck tender was $5,746.06 from MacDonald Ford. Construction of Baseline Bridge Beginning Soon- The director of public works for the Town of said last week that construction of a Base Line Road bridge worth close to $140,000 can begin as soon as al the necessary contracts are signed by the town andihe contractor. Jack Dunham told the publie works committee last Thursday that the bridge has now been approved by the provincial government. Once construction begins, it is estimated that the structure will take two months to complete. The project creates one çomplication. Traffic along Base Line Road will have to be detoured while constructing is underway. Mr. Dunham explained that the cost of keeping traffic moving over a temporary bridge on the Bowmanville Creek would have been $2060. Mayor Rickard noted that the closing of the bridge could create problems for some farm implement users on Base Line Road. He suggested that in the case of farm equipment, permits could be provided so that the farm vehicles could use highway 401. The mayor also suggested that notices be place in local newspapers to tell residents that the bridge will be closed. Ont. Regiment WiII Run 'Bit of OId'Blighty'« Pub A highlight of Fiesta Week activities will be The Ontario Regiment's "A Bit of Old Blighty" at the "Black Cat" Public House in the Oshawa Armoury, 53 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, June 21-26. Here at the "Black Cat", patrons will enjoy British Music Hall entertainment nightly, provided by two stalwarts from CTV's "Pig and Whistle" show, versatile Scottish entertainer Billy mental in bringing the tech wing to the school, Miss Woodley said, making Cour- tice one of the best equipped facilities in the area. His efforts also helped in gaining the greenhouse, the east gym and the library at the school. "Along with these material achievements,"she added, "Mr. Speers has always been ready and willing at all times to listen to students and their prôblems." If all goes according to present plans, Mr. Speers will have a busy first year of retirement. Accompanied by his wife Faye, he hopes to take a trip to Paris and Southern Ireland in September and then make the long journey to Australia and New Zealand next January. In addition to all his work for Courtice Secondary, Mr. Speers is also an active member of his community. He belongs to the congregation of the All Saints Anglican Church and is a member of the Whitby Rotary Club. In 1973, he was Master of the Whitby Masonic Lodge and is a Scottish Rite mason. For recreation Mr. Speers curls in the wintertime and golfs and plays tennis in the summer. At the testimonial dinner last Friday night, he was presented with a sailboat, and he'll no doubt put it to good use this summer at their cottage at Lake Couchiching. The Speers have two married daughters, Mrs. Dianne Townson of Whitby and Mrs. Lynda Churcher of Oshawa, aqd three grand- children, a boy and two girls. Meek, complete with banjo, sax and concertinas as well as the lady with the frilly blouse and big smile, singer Kay Turner, who will entertain with her repertoire of English Pub tunes. Both versatile entertainers will be accompanied by the Jimmy MacDonald Trio, dressed in bowlers, vests and armbands, who will also perform interim music. "The Black Cat" pub will occupy the entire inside of the Armoury during Fiesta Week, and there will be refreshments and entertainment in an outside Beer Garden on the north side of the Armoury, on Richmond Street. A full selection of choice liquors, fine ales and good food. 16-year-old Colette Taylor of Courtice Secondary School demonstrates the winning style she used to break the Ontario junior girls' high school discus record at the O.F.S.A.A. meet two weeks ago. With a throw of 38.26 metres Colette not only smashed the previous record by 1.59 metres, she beat her own previous best ýby 3.72 metres. Altogether, 1000 students tookpart in the meet held at Etobicoke Stadium, with 29 competing in the junior girls' discus. - Photo by Liz Armstrong Legio-n Ladies Pay Tribute To Member Leaving- Area by Beryl Hughes On Monday evening, June 7th, in the Legion Hall, Zone Commander Audrey Bate officiated at the installation of two officers of the Bowman- ville Ladies Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion who had been unavoidably absent last mopth when the induction of officers for 1976-1977 took place. President Nyhl Sheehan, who presided at the meeting, announced that Comrade Kay Barrett, who has been a very active member here will next month be transferring to the Hamilton Ladies Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion. The president commended Comrade Barrett for her good work in the undertakings of the local auxiliary, and on behalf of all the members wished her good luck and continued success in Hamil- ton. ranging from Steak and Kid- ney Pie to Corned Beef sandwiches and barbecued beef on kaiser buns will be offered. The "Black Cat" will operate from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily during the six days of Fiesta Week. Entertainment by Kay Turner, Billy Meek and the gang starts each evening at 8:30 p.m. Comrade Diane Howarth volunteered to run the Bingo on Wednesday, June 9th. Plans were discussed for the trip to Burleigh Falls in July when there will be a pienie in the grounds of Comrade Rena Bathgate's cottage. Comrade Irene Whitney, who is 1st Vice-President of Branch 178 of the Royal Canadian Legion, asked the auxiliary to provide the lunch on Sunday, June 20th, when Branch 178 will hold a Film Exhibition for Senior Citizens. The auxiliary agreed unan- imously to do so, and Comrade Anne Plazek will be the convenor. She also informed the auxiliary that there would be a meeting of the Regional Euchre Committee on June 14th. There will be a pot-luck supper at 6 p.m. before the next meeting of the auxiliary on Monday evening, June 21st. President Stan Dunn of Branch 178 will be a guest and the auxiliary's donation to the branch will be presented. Comrades Florence Knight and Jessie Lightfoot will be in charge of entertainment. Comrade Trixie Brown, sick convenor, told her fellow members that Comrade Annie Clapp is a patient in Memorial Hospital. Comrade Clapp, one of the oldest members, is a popular Comràde. President Sheehan, as Sports Officer reported that the local team placed 5th of the 40 teams participating in the Provincial Euchre Tour- nament in Brantford on June 5th. ThQse on this team were Comrades Anne Piper, Jessie Lightfoot, Florence Knight and PresidenttSheehan. The High Pair lu this event were Comrades Lightfooand Piper. She also reported that she and Comrades Wilma Batçs and Jessie Lightfoot attended the Regional Sports meeting held in Belleville recently. Committee reports were given as follows: 1st Vice- President Phil Rose, catering convenor for thé Glee Club Banquet; Past President Nance Colmer, catering con- venor for both the luncheon after Joe Sheehan's funeral and for the Spry wedding reception; Sergeant-at-Arms M. Bates, convenor for the Birthday Box; President Sheehan for May Bingo and Comrade Anne Plazek cater- ing convenor for the Hockey Banquet. Comrade Howarth was the lucky winner of the draw. After the meeting a social hour was enjoyed and a delicious lunch was served. Courtice Entries Rev Up for The Great Canadian Race At the Courtice Secondary School Athletic Banquet two weeks ago, these four students were s the top athletes of 1975-76. Left to right they are Marilyn Tink, Outstanding Senior Girls' Ath Tenwesteneind, Outstanding Male Athlete; Lisa Welch, Outstanding Junior Girls' Athlete a Yellowlees, Girls Sportsmanship Award. Students Haven't Changed Much During H is 38 Yrs. of Teaching Says Retiring Principal of CSS BHS Students Start Summer Business SECTION TWO