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Orono Firefighters donate $1 ,OOO to School playground Last Tuesday night at the monthly meeting of the Orono Public School PTA, their Playground Equipment Fund got a big boost from the Orono Firefighters Association. Pictured above are Principal David Gray and PTA President Paru Hodgson receiving a $ 1,000.00 cheque from firefighters Peter Lomax and Steve Chad. The Firefighters raised this money fro m their recent Halloween Dance. The PTA would like ta thank the O.F. F.A. and all those who attended the dance for their generous, support. They have raised approximnately $8,300.00 s0 fan leaving a balance of about $5,600.00 yet ta maise. Fundraising is still ongoing and any donations are welcome. Thene is a diagram of the proposed playground and a thermometer displaying their efforts so far ini the front foyer of the school. One of their generous new PTA members, Michele Emst, is having a Discoven Toys Queen's Park Report from Gord Mills, MPP Durham East I don't want to start off this week's column by saying, "I told you sa" nevertheless, I do feel vindicated over my consistent stand over the non-selection of KK2 in Newtonville as the preferred dump site for Durham. There was considerable heat directed at me, at different time, none more difficuît than the confrontation on the bridge over Highway 401'on that hot and humid evening in July 192, when te pers flaned almost out of control, ta be followed by numerous very unpleasant lettens, along with confrontations and demonstrations at Queen's Park. All the while, I. attempted ta rationalize the process involved and the critenia to- be used. Not many were prepared to listen ta reason, in fact I wasn't allowed ta speak such was the furore bath on the bridge and later in front of the Legislatune. Gîven the situation then and the final outcome, it is rewarding ta have been right. 'm af course happy for the folks in the area of KK2, now they can get on with living and even retiring, free from any further worry. I don't have ta remind yau af the effects of the recession, and how we as a governiment have been forced ta take some unpopular measures in order ta just survive. Wc have becen working with the most difficuit set of economic, financial, and social problems of any Ontario governmcnt in history. Formcr Ontario Premier Bill David fought off the reccssions of the 1970's and 80's with massivc amounits of federal assistance. Wc have not LAd0th1t. This abiandonmcent of Olitaro'( by the former Federal Conse:rvative goverlimenýlt wsso obviaus tha;t aur goverwnent asked an outs i(leConsu I o ug It îr, I uformetrlica, ta take a ad, i1udepen1de ut look aï ( )tario's financial situation 'since aur electian in 1990. This study shows that by 92/93, the combined impact of direct and indirect off- loading actions has increased the provincial debt by almost $23 billion. That is flot a misprint - $23 billion! This is more than 50% of the Ontario debt incurred during that period. Is it any wander that we were forced inta a survival mode? A blinkened appraach ta federaîismn affected lot only funding, but also monetary policy. Because Ontario is the manufacturing centre of Canada and the largest exporting province, the high dallar/high interest rate policy of the previaus fedenal govennme nt had terrible consequences for our economy. Informetrica also found, that in 1991, at the height of the recession, the amnounit by which federal taxes paid by Ontarians ta Ottawa, exceeded federal government grants back ta Ontario by $15 billion! Thecir contribution ta social assistance, fell ta a mere 28% of Ontario's costs, leavinig. Ontarians ta make up the cost of praviding thecir shortfall in funding of 12%/ at a time when mare people in the history of Ontario were forced onto the wclfare rolîs through their job destructive high interest/high dollar policy., Infarmetrîca's analysis shows that between 1990 ta 1992, if Canadian interest rates had been more in line with U.S. rates, Ontario would have bcnefited from a 2.5% increase in its GDP, a 1.4 pcrccntage point decrease in uts unemployment rate, and 75,000 muore jobs. 75,000) rore jobs, thiîîk of that. To ail of those who wrote ta me saying wc couldnt manage a peanut stand, a nd ta othcrs whao wrote ta Say we were, fiscally irres.ponsIble. 1 hopc you caii now uîidcrstanl just wlîat wc have bcen Booth at the upcoming annual Onono Craft Show on Novemben l9th and 2Oth at the Orono Town Hall. She will be donating al proceeds from her sales that weekend ta their playgnound fund. They invite you to drap by and see her wonderful selection of fun and educational toys and perhaps buy some Christmas presents while supporting their fund at the same time. Thanks ta everyone for your ongoing support. up against sînce 1990. If you are fair-minded, I'm sure you will agree that the findings in the Informetrica studies are staggering. Wîth the election of the new federal goverfiment, we now have a chance ta draw a line in time and ta start afresh. For the record, and before my telephone rings off the hook, I want ta make it, very clear that I am not in agreement with the recent government decision ta nestrict competition, in those Public Service positions that are aiready nestricted in the first place ta those employed in the Public Service, ta women, the disabled, natives, francophones and racial minori ties. Having been a member of the Justice Committee that held hearings on Bill 79 (Employmnent E-quity) 1 heard over and over from people of ahl the above target groups that aIl they wanted was a fair chance ta compete for jobs on their menit. I believe the restrictions are full of good intentions, but they are ill-advised initiatives that give the goal of employment equity a bad name. I will be making my displeasure known in our next goverfiment caucus' meetLing - that you can be sure of. My staff and I are in the process of making the final preparations ta my 1994 Commun ity Directory. If you are a non-profit organizatian and wish ta be included, piease caîl my constituency office as soan as possible ta ensune inclusion. I am repeating the directory due ta the popularity of the previaus issue ini 1991. It looks now as if the Federal Liberal Party are going ta inherit a deficit of the size they didn't expect. As I remember our govermcent's situation in 1990, I can only say deja vu! Until next week then - it is by acts and flot by ideas that people live - take care. Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, Novermber 17, 1993 [ From A round .*. I HOUME It was off ta, Eastdale Collegiate, Oshawa, last Tuesday evening to catch one session of the Ontario Royal Commission an Learning. I thought it would be interesting to hear what others have ta say on the issue of educaflon and especially in fr-ont of the government appointed commissianiers Gerald Caplan and Manisha Bharti. There was another reason ta make the trip. Our local public school board is holding a Forum on Education centred in the family of Clarke schools and they are asking the general public for input as to their views. If one has something to say as to the local educational system this is the time ta do so but first one has ta register which can -be done by phone 1-800-263-7890 extension 200. You don't need ta have children atteiding school yes, and youi can -be a grandparent. In. speaking with Pauline Janitch they want more than educators speakîng at the forum. I thought attending the Oshawa meeting of the Royal Commis- sion would give some ideas what others were thinking and it did. The first speaker during aur attendance was from the Durham Separate School Board. They want nothing ta do with setting up one over-all board ta operate both public and separate schools. It was stressed that christian values with the separate board were beyond questioning. Further the quality of education was said ta be superlative time and time again. This presentation left us with the question "why the goverfi- ment ever considered the formation of the Royal 'Com- mission on Learning?" It just couldn't be this good. The next speaker was a mother with three kiddies in school and who was reasonably satisfied with aur educational system. She capably outlined her expectations for her children in the education system. She said the kids should flot have to accept mediocrity. She had a number of suggestions one being enhancing the entrepreneurial skills of students. She also suggested that schools use a community service program for student misdemeanors at school. The parent pointed out that she was a parent volunteer at her children's school and assisted in tutoring a slow-learner in one of the lower grades. Gerald Caplan, seemed rather interested in this fact asking what training she had for such tutoring. The answer-came - "none". "Has the school provided you wit h any programn for the student?" Again - "no". It was stated that the class teaçher and the parents did at tinies discuss the progress of the student and what course should be foll.owed, The next presentation centred around funding for the french schools and how the lack of funding was affecting the quality of education. We have heard it al before. 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