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Ticklish Trustees on the Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education have requested a plebiscite on the controversial separate school funding funding issue this November. They're hoping to place the matter matter of spending public funds for separate high schools on the November November 12 municipal election ballot. ballot. It's a course of action that many education boards are recommending recommending these days. At the moment, the trustees are working on the ticklish matter of how to word the question. And then, they will have to get approval from municipal councils to include the separate school survey in the upcoming upcoming vote. It's nice to hear that somebody is considering taking the issue to the public. But it strikes us as being a classic case of closing the stable door after the horse has run away. Of course, it's not the fault of the trustees or boards of education. They were just part of a very long list of groups and individuals which were not consulted on the issue. Now, there is a committee investigating investigating the extension of public fdnds in the high school system. But any hearings or plebiscites oil thé subject are after the fact. The time for public input has passed and the decision has been made. Regardless of what new information information comes to light, it would appear as though the first phase of the extended extended funding will occur this September. September. Wording And that leaves the difficult question question of what to do with the results of any plebiscite. If it is overwhelmingly against additional additional separate school funding for higher grades, will the provincial provincial authorities undo their previous decisions? Or can they implement funding in some municipalities where it is desired and not implement implement it in others? The end result can only be confusion confusion in the education system. One hopes that the uncertainty and controversy controversy over the extension of the Catholic school support does not detract from the education of chil- .. dren already in the school system. But it is difficult to have much sympathy for the governments responsible responsible for the fiasco. All three political parties acted with the kind of haste that is rarely seen in politics. They made a crucial crucial decision with little .information, .information, little debate, and no public consultation. It is entirely possible that the extension extension of funds to the Catholic high schools is a wise decision. And perhaps it will be followed by the allocation of public dollars to any qualified private school. But the method by which the funding was approved is open to question. And if the three parties are now experiencing chaos and controversy controversy as a result, then so be it. Politicians who act without regard for the wishes of the public deserve no better fate. Election Enthusiasm It seems to us that all of the en- ■ thusiasm over federal and local politics during the past two years ; is filtering down to the municipal level. There have been some municipal election campaigns which were about as interesting as Watching paint dry. x This is not going to be a dull campaign. campaign. Although it's still early in the 1985 local election contest, it seenis to us that interest is at a very high level. Certainly, we cannot recall any other occasion in recent history where there were three people (not counting the incumbent) vying for the mayor's position. Perhaps we can attribute this to the recent activity on the federal and provincial scene. Politics, after all, is an acquired taste and as the public begins to enjoy the goings-on in the more senior levels of government, government, some of the enthusiasm also touches the junior government. All in all, it adds up to a very interesting interesting autumn ahead of us. And while a number of local citizens citizens have already indicated their willingness to stand for election, there is always room for more candidates. candidates. Democracy benefits from a wide range of views from which the citizens citizens can choose. So, if you have some strong opinions opinions about what can help make your community better. If you like people and enjoy an occasional debate. debate. If you have the time to spend away from your regular day-to-day activities on local government business. business. If you have a sincere desire to leave your town a little better than you found it, you should certainly certainly consider standing for public office this year. And while it is usually just town council that we think of when local government comes to mind, let's not forget that it is only part of the total scene. School boards eat up more than half of the total tax dollar and therefore are an important facet of civic activities. Not to be overlooked overlooked is the hydro electric commission. commission. This November, there will be positions positions open for trustees, utility commissioners commissioners and council members. It takes many kinds of people to make up a governing body. Perhaps, your unique skills would make a big difference. difference. If you have never considered running running for a political office, perhaps it's time you did. There's no time- like the present. And, win or lose, the experience is bound to be a great opportunity for personal growth and accomplishment. See You at the Fair! Spring fairs may have their place, but nothing can truly compare with an agricultural exhibition in the fall. For the Canadian autumn is unique and Canada's fall fairs are a part of the autumn tradition. In the fall, there's a chance to rest from the activities of summer. While the mild weather persists, there's an opportunity to enjoy the rewards of the harvest, to renew old- acquaintances, and generally enjoy oneself at a community outing for the whole family. And while fall is the time when we look with some reluctance at the rapidly-fading summer, we also look ahead with optimism towards new beginnings. Fall is, after all, the time when school careers resume resume and when most of the social and sporting and political groups that have been dormant in the summer summer once again take up their regu- season comes the annual fall fair. It offers the traditional displays and exhibits from the agricultural world. You will find, at the fair, the heavy horses, the sheep, cattle, and poultry. And, in addition, there are all the agricultural crops so proudly displayed. Baskets of apples, apples, sheaves of grain, bales of hay and bushels of corn are all part of the fall fair tradition. But then, because fairs offer something for all tastes, there is so much else to do and see. A fall fair is a chance to see the latest new products, to hear a concert, watch a horse race, visit the midway, or take in a beauty pageant. Yes, these are just a few of the highlights of a traditional Canadian fall fair. And, as we all know, one of the finest such institutions is the Durham Central Agricultural Society's Society's Orono Fair. There are many such community outings underway at this time of the lar activities. So the fall is both the end and a beginning. And into this unique year. See you at the fair! (Z^e (Eanabtan Statesman 623-3303 Durtiem County's Greet Family Journal Established 130 years ego In 1864, Also Incorporating The Bowmimrllle News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second claee mall registration number 1681 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 62 66 King SI, W,, Bowmanvllle, Ontario LIC 3K9 JOHN M. JAMES Editor -- Publisher RICHARD A. JAMES Assistant Publisher PETER PARROTT Associate Editor GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. BRIAN PURDY DONALD BISHOP Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All Uyouta »nd compoillkin ol •<!,#,Il»«m«nl« produced by the employee, ol Th» Cenedlen Sleleinun, The Newcelle Independent end The Jimee Publlihlnp Compeny Uinlled are ptolecled by copyright and imial not be reproduced without written petmleelon ol Ihe publlehere, 116.00 e year -- • month, MOO elrlclly In ed,ante foreign-160,00 « yew Although uvwy nwcmilion -will tx* tnkun to avoid iwoi.'Thu CnimUmn filnln'tmiin nccoph wtvwlifilng In iln colummi on tin* tmdiMfilmuliMfl ilml it will not tx* Imtilft loi nny imioi In llm wlvi'ilinmmml puWiMwd limmulw tmldr.fi it nmol ol Mich ««IvmimmiMMit it roguxnturi in willing by llm mlvoMtsm <md iiMiimcd In llm CniMtlmn tllnlvimmi busiirn'is oilier» duly *iM|imd by Urn itilvwlifmi him! with nwch tmoi of emmebonn plainly noted In wilting llmwon, nnd in lli.it ennt* il «my tuioi mi noted in no I coi inch'd by llm (htmidum fihilPfimivi Ils liability nhitll nol on mud Mich ti |K)ilion ol llm nnlno coil ol mull mfvi'ili'dmnnl on llm ftpneo occupied by llm nul ml vnoi txuith in llm wlmlu npucit occupiud by Mich iiilvnihM'iimni Summer Sunset SUGAR and SPICE Junk Mail x. Hill Smiley Because I write a syndicated column, I've been put on the hit list > of some public relations outfit -in, - New York. As' a result, I receive a stream of garbage mail containing fascinating material about some roduct or other that is being pushed y the PR firm. Usually, I spot it right away and toss it in the round filing cabinet without even opening it. Today came one of these missives and, distracted by something else, I had opened the thing and read a paragraph or two before I realized it was just another piece of puffery. It was headed News From: The Hamburg Group. For Release: Immediately. All press releases say the latter. Anyway I thought it would be a pitch for MacDonalds' or a string quartet. It wasn't. It was a series of little articles about Hamburg and Germany, touting that city's great variety of attractions. Such junk has about as much place in this column as an account of the origins of bee-keeping in Basutoland. And I'm supposed to print it free. What dummies these PR people are. However, I'd already read enough to hook me on the first article, entitled: Brewery's Waste Energy To Heat Hospital. It didn't make sense at first. Why should breweries waste energy to heat a hospital, unless they're trying to make amends to all the people who wind up in hospital with cirrhosis of the liver from drinking their poison? I took another look at the heading, spotted the apostrophe, and now it made sense. A brewery will deliver heat and hot water to a hospital. As part of its brewing process, the brewery used to end up with a lot of excess heat that must be cooled before it is released into the air. Now, instead of being wasted, that heat will be channeled into the hospital where it will be put to good use. Cost of the deal, equipment and stuff, is about 400,000 marks, to be assumed by the city. The debt will be liquidated through the savings on energy that would otherwise have to be purchased. Are you listening, Labatts, Molsons et al? Instead of pouring money into sports and all these phoney ads, about as subtle as a kick in the ribs, indicating that beerdrinking beerdrinking will make your life macho, full of fun and beautiful girls in skimpy swim suits, why don't you channel your heat into hospitals? Think of the free publicity ! Ain't them Germans something, though? If they didn't start a war every so often and get clobbered, they'd own half the world, with their resourcefulness and hard work. Last time I saw Hamburg was m 1944, and it was literally hamburg. The RAF had firebombed it by night and the USAAF had pounded it by day until it was a heap of rubble. I was a prisoner of war and saw it from a train window on my way to an interrogation centre in Frankfurt. Forty-odd years later, it has risen from the ruins like a phoenix, and is a booming city, visited by over a million travellers in 1981. But Hamburg-Schmamburg. I'm not going to urge my readers to go there. It was the article on heating that caught my eye. Aside from' the breweries m Canada, this country has another industry that could produce enough heat so that, if it were properly channeled, "we could thumb our collective noses at the Arabs. I'm talking about politics. Town and city councils produce enough hot air to heat at least one hospital within their limits. Provincial legislatives produce enough hot air to replace half the oil used in their provinces. And from that vast deposit of natural gas known as Ottawa issues daily enouth hot air to heat Montreal's Olympic Stadium, even though it has no roof. And that's only touching the bases, without going to the outfield or the infield. Think of all the hot air produced by teachers and preachers, union leaders, abortionists and anti- abortionists, public relations people, medical associations, school boards. And there's lots more where that comes from. The squeals of those caught with a mortgage to be renewed, the moans of farmers who are losing their shirts, the bellows of angry small-businessmen: all these are wasting energy by blowing hot air into our rather frigid climate, there to be dispersed into nothing. Add to this all the hot air that is poured into our telephone lines, that is batted back and forth over business luncheons and at parties and over the breakfast table. It's perfectly simple. All we need is a means of bottling the stuff somehow, and distributing it to the right places. If our scientists can send a missile to Mars, surely they can find a method of storing and channeling the incredible quantities of hot air that rise in clouds over our country. Peter Lougheed might have to cap some of his oil wells, but if somebody came up with the solution, we could not only tell the Arabs what to do with their oil. We could probably buy Saudi Arabia. Maybe I'll drop a line to the Mayor of Hamburg, see what he suggests. Dear Editor: On behalf of the Town of Newcastle I would like to thank you and your staff members for the press coverage coverage received during International International Youth Year, Sincerely, Toss Miller Recreation Program Director's Assistant Town of Newcastle August 27,19115 Mr. Sum Curcntz 34A King SI. W. Dowmmwille, ON LIC 1RS RE: Possible Shutdown of Darlington Nuclear Generating Generating Station Dear Mr. Curcntz: Poster Creek Developments Ltd. was formed this year by Stanford Cliicoyne of Newcastle Newcastle and myself. We have purchased purchased 05 acres of rcshlcntl- nlly zoned hind in Newcastle Village with the intention of developing il into single family dwelling lots, We are In the midst of constructing services for the first Phase of 29 lots at an investment of approximately $500,000.00. The feasibility of this project was determined on the oasis of tiie impact on the area of the influx of workers to the Darlington site and the success of it is certainly dependent upon il. This is the first development development in Newcastle Village in over 10 years, even though municipal services have been available, The construction of our project along with others would mean a healthy construction construction industry in the area over the next few years with the resulting employment benefits. The closing of Darlington would have a disastrous effect on our project for two good reasons, Firstly, the new Hydro buyers would not bo there mid, secondly, the workers who have already purchased homes in the area would put them up for resale, softening the resale market mid probably milking new homes non-competitive again, In short, il would almost certainly sound the death knell for our project. Since we are already committed to the first 29 lots and the purchase of the properly, it would mean substantial financial loss for my partner and myself, Besides our personal loss, the community would lose the development mid employment, employment, the Town mid Region would lose the taxes nnd development levies ami the area in general would lose the sense of growth and enthusiasm enthusiasm related to this project. While our situation may be somewhat unique, I am sure the effects of a shutdown would be equally serious for many small businesses in the area, especially those who have expanded or entered new projects based on the construction construction of Darlington. 1 hope you will consider our situation and many others before making your decision. Yours truly, Foster Greek Developments Ltd, Edmond Vmihnvcrhckv President CITIZENS FOR DARLINGTON NUCLEAR SURVIVAL (C.D.N.S.) is seeking support from individuals or groups interested in opposing opposing the government's proposal to abandon completion of Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. Please register your opinion in this poll on or before September 6,1985. C.D.N.S. is planning to present their position at Queen's Park. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT Keep Darlington Open Yes □ No U Name: Sond your reply to: Tho Canadian Statesman G2 King SI. W„ P.O. Box 190, Bowmanvillo, Ont. L1C 3K9