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12 - rono eekt Time, Weneuda..........1*~ Most students get extra day for Easter' It is flot likely that students wil be giving Bob Rae a pat on the back but if they relish, the extra 1 day for their spring break they just might want to. In many cases the Ontario government's Social Contract has caused boards and teachers to 1 agree flot only to some financial cuts but also to some days off teaching. Teachers with the local Separate Sehool Board did have last Friday off as a Rae Day. It was the only day off in the first year of the contract.- It is not yet 1 known the number of days that the Board or teachers may agree wo for years two and three. -Teachers with the Durham Board also had last Friday off as a Rae day. The Peterborough break County Board closed their schools Thursday and Fiday of last week. To be at the top of the ist the Hasting Board closed their scbool for the five days last week along with the five days ibis weekThIe kids in Hasting must love Rae. Teachers in the local Public School Board did flot take off a Bob Rae day last Friday. Tbe day was taken-off but due wo the fact that teachers did bave an unpaid day off. This is due wo the fact that schools are open on Remnembrance Day even though it is not listed as an instructional day. In the past five years the public scbool teachers have been taking the day off the Fniday before the spring break. Oshawa Presbytery UCW annual meet About 150 women attended the annual meeting of Oshawa Presbyterial UCW which was held recently at St. Paul's United Church, Bowmanvüle. Thirty-one locals were represented. Shelley Wright, president, presided until the new executive was installed by Betty Turcott in avery moving installation. Bessie Vaneyk is now president for two years, with Eileen Burgess as first vice president and Donna Johnston installed as second vice-president. Margaret Down of Ebenezer UCW introduced Alexandra Caverley-Lowery. She is a liturgicai dancer, a counseilor, an associate professor of Danceat York University. As an Anglican theologian she combines theology and movement of the body to bring ber story wo us. Movement is the language of her story- teiling. There was not a sound nor a cough as Alexandra presented her ministry and dance. Over 100 women sat down wo a delicious roast beef dinner prepared by the Host church. We were advised the January workshop that was cancelled due to inclement weather will bc held Monday, March 28th at Courtice United Church. Betty Turcott wil present ber study and worship kit based on the Purpose of UCW. This should be a very worthwhile workshop and ail United Church Women are urged wo attend. Leone C. Fisher Press Secretary Where have, ail the Blue Birds gone? The Bluebird is a member of the Thrush family. While Thrushes are found worldwide, North America is the only continent fortunate to have the Bluebini. There are three species of Bluebirds in North America the Eastern Bluebird, the Western Bluebird and the Mountain Bluebird. While all are slightly different in size and colour they are ail beautiful and beneficial and face sirnilar problems. In our grandfather's time, around 1900, the Bluebird was aimost as common as the ordinary Robin is today. Today we rarely sec a Bluebird. What happened? If man set out to purposely eliminate the Bluebird lie could flot have done a better job. H1e did flot of course but the resuits were the sane. In the 1800's a couple of people thought that it would be nice to have two old world birds in North Amenica.' They introduced the Starling and the English Hlouse Sparrow. Both of these birds are prolîfic breeders and fierce competitors. The result was loss of Bluebird nesting sites and food. The Bluebird is a cavity nester, that is, hie builds bis nest in holes created by Woodpeckers, rotten spots on trees or boles created by other causes. The result was that the former nest sites used by Bluebirds were taken by these two non- indigenous species. Loss of feeding areas was another nail in the Bluebirds coffin. Cities and towns started wo grow larger thus crowding out Bluebird habitat. Changing farming methods and farming new crops was another pitfall. Farmers now farmed right up to the fence lines thus eliminating rough headlands between fields. In a lot of cases livestock no longer grazed in pastures which were ideal feeding areas for insect eating birds. The cattie were contained in feed lots and the feed was brought to the cattie. To compete world wide farmers had to grow new crops, there is no food in vast fields of corn or soy beans. Farmers had to resort more and mout and more to chemical Hmostfamilies needed for exchange students World Heritage. a nonprofit, publie benefit organization, is seeking local host families for high school boys and girls from Spain, Mexico, France, Germany, and Sweden coming to this area for the upcoming school year. These personable and academically select exchange students speak English, are bright. curious and eager to leam about this country through liv ing as part of a family and attending high school. The exchange students arrive' fromn their home country shortly before school begins and retumn at insecticides and herbicides with the result that foods that birds depended on were elimiînated. Do flot for one minute think that I arn blaming the farmers for these changes. We have in Canada the best,, most efficient and conscientious farmers in the world, however, they were and are driven by world markets and world competition to resort to these modern methods. When DDT was introduced a disaster was created for ail types of wildlife. Bird's eggs were affected to the point that the young could flot hatch. Another disaster was born. Luckily the affect on wildlife was recognized after a period of time and DDT was banned ini 1969. Homeowners who winked at politicians lies about garbage dumps and dlean drinking water were the very same people who could flot stand a bug or weed in their lawns and now a great number of lawns are sprayed with chemnicals and this'unfortunately also applies to school yards and other municipally owned property. We are ail to blarne in greater or lesser degre for the decline in numbers of the Bluebird. The Bluebird is an early rnigrator, often arriving early in March. The vagaries of our weather often contributes to the loss of a great number of early aiving Bluebirds. The Bluebird is mainly an insect eater, however, he can survive for short periods in the spring if he can find certain kinds of bernies, fruits and seeds to tide hini over. Now you have heard the worst part, now for the positive part. In the 1920s a man in the United States noticed the decine in the number of Bluebirds, and decided that with ail the problerns that the Bluebird faced that the loss' of nesting sites was the only one that man could contibute very much to, so the Bluebird nesting box program was born. Since that urne thousands of nest boxes have been buîlt, erected and maintained by friends of Bluebirds. Nest boxes are simple and cheap to build and easy to maintain. The rewards are unmeasurable. The Bluebird is the most beautiful of ail our birds. H1e is friendly, beneficial and endangered. Wil you help? If anyone is interested in building and erecting a Bluebird nest-box, 1 would be glad to help. Royal Lee, 983-5664 the end of the scbool year. Each World Heritage student is fully insured, brings bis or her own personal spending money and expects to bear his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being mncluded in normal farnuly activities and lifestyles. At the same urne the student will be teaching their newly adopted host family about their own culture and language. The students are weil screened and qualified by'World Heritage. Families may select the youngster of their choice from student applications, photo collages and biographical essays. Once paired, students and families are encouraged to begin corresponding prior to the student's arrivai. Wonld Heritage is also seeking local higb school students to become excbange students abroad. Students should be between 15 and 18 year old and interested in living with a host family, attending school and learning about the lands and people of other countnies. Students should be in good academic standing and have a desire w learn of another culture and language througb living with a warm and giving volunteer family. Academic year and shorter terni. summer programs are available. (Continued page 13) NNorthcutt Elliott {)EFuneral Home THOUGHTFULNESS, SERVICE & CONCERN A Family Owned Business, Offering: Traditional Funeral- Services Prearranged & Prepaid Services - Cremation Arrangements Alternatives to Traditional Funerals - Out of Town Shîpping Cory Kuipers - President 53 Division Street Bowmanville, Ontario LI C 2Z 623-5668 OFF STREET PARKING MOIRRIS FUNERAL CHAPEL LTD. Established in 1881 623-5480 4 Division St. Bowmanville PRE-ARRANGED AND PREPAID FUNERAL SERVICES AVAILABLE MASARU KARATE CLUB SHORIN-RYU Classes for Children and Aduits Rick Jones Newtonville 905-786-2793 BALLS RAIDIIO & T.V. -REPAIR REPAIRS TO MOST MAKES STEREOS, COLOUR AND B&W T.V.s AND V.C.R.s P.O. Box 27 RAR 2, Orono, Ont. 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