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1-OooWeekly Times Wedneida epebr2,19 The Mighty Monarch Mico Sby Helen MacDonald Last weekend, on an educational excursion witb my fellow Trent Concurrent Education students to Petroglyphs Provincial Park, I had occasion to think more deeply about education -- about my education, my children's education, and about those wbo are the educators. Kyle and Garrett are primary students, learning the basics of reading, writing and aritbmetic. I'm back for another year at Trent, expandîng my 'basic' education, and focussing on the long-term. Along witb 115 others in my 'class', 1 am being educateSl to teacb. During tbe past two weeks of introductory lectures, I have been introduced to a few personal philosophies of education. Mostly, 1 bave beard about the sad state of education. I bave beard professors pleading witb young adults to attend reading and- writing workshops because rûany have inadequate reading, interpretive, and writing skills. One announced bis retirementnext spring -- be is planning to work with children, teacbing tbemn how to read because too many first-year university students are lost in the wiidemness of learning without these basic skills. Daily newspapers carry screamning headlines about a 25% illiteracy rate among Canadians, about higb rates of higb scbool dropouts,- about University students who can't spell or compose a decent paragraph. Most Ontario universities now require first-year students to take a Iliteracy' test. Responding toconcerns about the education of our children, the Ministry of Education is 'testing' grade nine students for reading, comprehension and writing skills. But, wby wait until grade nine? How do students slip through the cracks over an entire period of primary learning and not gain these fundamental skills? An Open Lettêr, Letter to Mr, Gord Milis, M.P.P. Dear MNr. Mills, My apologies, when I met you in person two years ago at the Provincial Volunteer Awards night I would have questioned your age being sixty. I took your advice and contacted'Ross Stevenson, MI.P. for Durham regarding Federal Transfer paymients to fthe Provinces for Hecalth, Educaion and Social Services and wish to share with you the following-- In 1977 the Formula for Health Care and Post Secondary Everyone wants to blame someone. Parents blame teachers, the 'system'. Teachers wonder why parents don't read to their children, or monitor their homework and other sehool activities more closely. Educators, seemn to continually re-invent the wbeel of learning, experimenting witb teacbing techniques on buman guinea pigs . .. on the minds (and futures) of our children. -And the cbildren themselves? Wbere do they turn wben set out into the world witb less-than- adequate skills? At a place along the Nanabusb Trail, sitting upon a rocky slope, niear a lake, witb the autumn sun and breeze touching me, I watched Kyle and Garrett search for rocks, snails, and dlams along the shore. socks and shoes tossed aside, pants rolled up to their knees, tbey looked, and splashed, and were absolutely thrilled when tbey camne upon some beaver droppings! Later, we read some tales of Nanabusb, and considered the culture of another people, wbile a turtle sunned himself on a log nearby. Jays screeched across the lake, and cbipmunks chattered among the trees. I can't answer ail their questions, and I don't know wbere to find some answers. Nor do 1 know that ail the answers need to be found. But 1 do know that there are fundamental skills tbat tbey require, and that 1 have a role to play, that die education system bas a role to play, and that playing, andlooking, and 'being' in toucb with'tbemselves and the world in which they live are crucial to their bappiness, and their ability to survive whatever their future might be. 1 All of this is revealed to me at the spot on the rocky slope, on the Nanabusb Trail . . . "when the world was new, the Ojib wa had much to learn and Kitcbi Manitou,, the Great Spirit, took pity on themn and sent themn a teacher, Nanabush". Education Transfer payments to the Provinces was modified. Mr. Trudeau changed the policy and made one transfer payment to the Provinces, no strings attacbed and no audit, it could cover Health, Roads, Works etc. what ever the Province wished to spend it on. The-present Federal Government is still making these transfer payments (excluding Welfare). These payments bave been increasing annually at the rate of infla tiQp, plus. The provincial transfer payment increases are higher than any other increases in spending hy the Federal Government. Mr. Peterson increased the amount of Welfare and ease of access, which resulted in a 10 % per year increase in Welfare costs. During high employment in 1987 by Bil unting On our last trip to Presqu'ile Roy Forrester and I, as usual, were looking for birds. However, wbile we did not see the American Avocet, that we bad boped to locat e, one of the things that we both commented on were the number of monarcb butterfiies we saw flying. These butterfiies were not just flitting about, but appeared to have a destination in mind, almost all were beaded in a soutberly direction. Indeed, as we stood by the ligbtbouse, overlooking Presqu'ile Bay and Lake Ontario, we could see many striking bravely out to cross Lake Ontario. The Annual Migration of Monarchs was underway. The Monarchs bave been with us all summer. However, these fail monarchs differ from the summer ones in one important' aspect. The summer adult monarcb lives for about a montb. During this time it feeds on the nectar of three of its favourite flowers, Asters, Golden Rod and Zinnias then, breeds, lays eggs and dies. The adults which emerge from the chrysalis in the fali remain productively dormant. They feed ontheirfavourite nectar bearing flowers and then begin their long trek soutb. That Monarchs migrate bad been known for years. Where they migrated to was not known until 1975. Dr. Fred Urquhart, now retired from the University of Toronto, and bis wife Norab, after forty years of trying, finally located their winter bideout in the Transvolcanic Mountain Range in central Mexico. Taking a bint from bird banding, Dr. Urquhart and bis wife perfected a method of tagging monarchs. Tbey scraped a few scales off one wing and bent over a sticky paper witih a number and a typed message, "Return to Museum of Zoology, Toronto, Ont." Retumns were often few. In 1951 3,000 monarcbs were tagged, only seven tags were returned. Over the years tbe Urquharts buit up a continent-wide network of research associates which lead to the location of the wintering grounds in 1975. Ahl told over 400,000 monarcbs were tagged. Tbey also found that the location was not general in nature but was specific to certain peaks in this range. Here tbe butterfiies dling by the millions, perbaps 100 million in ail, to the Oyamel first, in the rugged, foggy, sometimes snowy, 3,000-meter (8,800 ft.) bigh peaks. The monarcbs begin to arrive in their cool mountain retreat in late November. By mid January tbey bave packed tbemselves on tbe trunks and middle branches of the firs. In this cool mounitain retreat tbey are able to spend their .vacation" in a state of almost inactivity, tbus preserving their store of energy for tbe start of the Possible candidate for Green Party in Durham Riding By this time next week, another party may be added to the growing list of candidates in our riding. Judy Hurvid, known throughout our communi ty for ever effortless work in the area of waste reduction, is currently looking into the possibility of running as a federal candidate in the Durham East Riding, for the Green Party of Canada. She is currently going through the 'nomination process. It is required that an amount of $ 1,000 be reached to become a candidate. She is working now to the Federal Government disagreed with the ease of access and benefit level and capped the Federal Transfer payments to Ontario for Welfare. In my opinion Welfare payments and benefits over the rate of a 40 hour week at the Provincial, minimum wage discriminates against the person who is working, paying taxes and living on the minimum wage. What kind of an organization is the United Senior Citizens of Ontario? What rights do tbey have to demand that all nursing homes, become non-profit? Is the N.D.P. Government going into the Nursing Home Business? 1 will take care, the thought of living in a government managed nursing home chilîs me. Mrs. Lorraine Lover Newcastle earn the $1,000 by the deatline of September 28., The Newtoniville resident, as said is known for ber dedication to waste reduction. In the past, she bas, among other things, been tbe co-ordinator of the Town of Newcastle Waste Reduction Week. spring return. In late February tbey become active and by late March tbey are gone, winginýtheir way north. 0f these individuýls it is tbought that none witmake it back to the northern clin;es from which tbey started thée ptevious fali. Instead as they follow' spring north they will feed on the nectar of flowers, mature sexually, mate, lay their eggs on the milkweed plant and die. It is the new generation that we will finally sec flitting busily ainong the milkweed next summer. t has always seemed to me one of Nýature's secrets as to how an insect of very liitle bulk, wbich looks so fragile, and whicb bas no significant brain power is able to strike out for a location some 4,000 km (2,500 miles) distant, that it has neyer seen, and completes the journey successfully. Monarchs are tbe only butterflîes known, where individuals migrate in botb directions, soutb in the fall and north in the spring, ike the birds. GM can afford deal Buzz Hargrove, national president of the CAW bas stated that General Motors can afford the deal that bas been reacbed between the union and the CAW. He said GM bas made money in Canada over the past tbree years. The Chrysler deal gives workers a 2 percent, 1.5 percent and 1 percent wage increase over the three year period. Cost of living allowance wilV cover 90% of inflation. For most workers eligible to retire pensions wil increase fýrm the presenit $1875 to $2100 a month. In six years the montbly, pension payment reaches $2500. Current wages for assemblers at Cbrysler is $20.48 per bour witb skilled labour at $24.48. PUBLIC NOTICE NATURAL ICE RINKS The Municipality of Clarington's Community Services Department is continuing the natural ice program started in the winter of Il992/93. The program involves a partnership between the Community, Services Department and members of the community. If you would be infeërested in volunteering your time to assist in the provision of naturai outdoor natural ice rinks or would like additional information, please cali: James Cameron, Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Commuriity Services Department 623-3379 ext. 284 NOTE: ALL INTERESTED VOLUNTEERS SHOULD RESPOND BEFORE FRIDAY, ODCTOBER'15,1993. Date of Publication: Wednesday, September 22,1993 Wednesday, September 29,1993 P.O. 4761