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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, September 18,1991 Section Two Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 137 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Rick Patterson, Julie Cashin-Oster, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Sean Pickard, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison, Pat Patterson-Savage Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Carnegie, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasancc, Marilyn Rutherford, Barb Schouten P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanvillc, Ontario, L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 Stop Ignoring the Error And Change the Name It would appear as though electors at the November 12 polling stations stations will find a question on their ballots. It will ask, in effect: "Are you in favor of the name Town of Newcastle for this municipality?" We predict that the majority of voters will indicate that they arc not in favor of the name for reasons which have become apparent over almost almost 20 years of regional government. For example, some will argue that the name confuses the Village of Newcastle with the Town of Newcastle. Others will suggest that the name should read District of Newcastle rather titan Town of Newcastle. For many, many reasons, the name Town of Newcastle is disliked almost everywhere in this municipality. A petition suggesting a change in name was circulated almost three years ago and it collected about 6,000 signatures if memory serves correctly. A similar campaign, sponsored by this newspaper more than twice as long ago also revealed that the general public really wants a change in the name. So, having gone to the trouble of including this question on the ballot ballot November 12, our elected officials will succeed only in learning what most citizens already know: The name Newcastle is disliked and we need alternatives. Wouldn't it have been better if elected officials had listened to the public in the first place and worked out alternatives to the name? In that case, rather than introducing a straw vote about the popularity of the current name, we could have on the November 12 plebiscite a genuine genuine proposal for a name change, complete with an actual new name for the municipality. It's unfortunate that rather than trying to solve this problem, Newcastle's Newcastle's elected officials have spent about a decade delaying and dawdling. dawdling. The municipality's name is merely a political football which gets kicked around every so often, especially in an election year. And then it goes back on the shelf. The plebiscite, if it gets placed on the ballot, will reveal that most of us don't like the municipality's name. And then, those with the stamina for it, will have to spend another three years discussing alternatives. alternatives. In other words, we will be right where we are now. The question on the November 12 ballot won't resolve the issue. Those who favor the name change must also vote for the council candidates candidates committed to changing the name once the plebiscite is over. Otherwise, it's quite possible that the referendum will prove to be nothing more than an attempt to delay the issue rather than resolve it. We are pleased that after more than a decade our elected officials are willing to admit the existence of a problem. What took them so long? Hat Conflict at School Produces No Winners Sorry, but we find it difficult to support either side in the great hat controversy which erupted last week at Clarke High School. The school staff decided to upgrade the dress code at the high school. Therefore, they ruled that the wearing of hats at Garke would be banned. The decision was based on the belief that a businesslike attitude attitude is necessary in order for students to learn properly. It was apparently apparently decided that hats didn't contribute to that attitude. We were quite amazed to hear hats were allowed in the school at all. Perhaps we're from the generation which believed that wearing headgear inside a house or office or public building was a social faux- pas and something that was about on the same level as putting one's knife in one's mouth while eating. Actually, most elementary schools don't allow headgear. But, apparently some high schools do. And therein lies the problem. Most people who have any understanding understanding of human nature know that it's very difficult to take something something away from someone. Clarke students always have had the option of wearing their hats in school. And they resented any attempt to take this privilege away. It seems rather high-handed of school administration to suddenly issue issue a new rule in just the second week of school and expect instant compliance. It doesn't seem as though there was much time to consult with students or parents. Come on, folks. This is the 1990's. You have to use gentle persuasion, diplomacy and tact. This business of drawing a line in the sand and demanding instant obedience went out with the hickory stick. Such methods are especially inappropriate when you consider the fact that students, since kindergarten, are taught to think independently, make their own choices and to arrive at individual decisions. decisions. You can't teach them to think for themselves on the one hand and yet expect instant obedience to new rules on the oilier. It doesn't add up. Furthermore, our society is being increasingly asked to tolerate individuals' individuals' differences and habits. Clarke High School must not have any students from groups who wear certain headgear for religious reasons. reasons. Otherwise, the school staff would find themselves on very shaky ground if they tried to introduce this kind of ban. Furthermore, it might be suggested that the wearing of hats has absolutely no bearing on a child's ability to learn. (Unless, perhaps, the headwear is so tight that it injures the brain.) And now for the other side of the coin. Students should accept the fact that all organizations have rules and regulations. And, sometimes those rules change. We arc only talking about hats, for gosh sakes. Even if the Clarke High School pupils aren't allowed to wear them, it's highly unlikely that the foundations of democracy will crumble. The teenage fashion of wearing hats is, for the most part, a passing fad which will go the way of the bell-bottom trousers and sandals. If the students feel they must object to this latest mlc concerning the school dress code, there arc other methods of opposition more in keeping with our democratic traditions. They could continue to discuss discuss the problem with administrators. They could start a petition. They could appeal to their board of education or school tmstccs. But, in view of lltc fact that the school staff was not asking.the students to do anything unsafe or illegal, staging a walk-out was not justified, Such actions get a few paragraphs of newspaper publicity, but little else. Finally, we feel that the students were rather unrealistic in suggesting suggesting that the decision to ban the hats was the fault of just one member of the school staff. It's unfair to blame the ban on just one person because because the decision was really made by the entire school administration and not any individual. . In our view, neither side dealt with this issue in the best possible way. But, then again, it's only human to make mistakes. Let's hope this little episode is at least a learning experience for all concerned. Isn't that what schools arc all about? [ -Report: Darlington G.S. Unit #1 shut down last week. Crews were able to make brake repairs on one of the fueling machines. >éah, Midas??... Ary specials, on diagnostic- brake- inspections?^ (-O'" Small Town. by John E. James "Well bilie..." Isn't this another fine mess we're in? Feels like the whole country is unraveling at the seams. How the heck did this happen, with all the improvements in labour and management relations? Ten years ago, we mighta tried answering that question. Older and wiser now, we know there's simply no point in trying. It's the same old public sector story, featuring callous disregard for the poor sap paying the bills. Each side, thinks the other is to blame. Both are half right. The weirdest things about this current epidemic of striking striking public sector workers is the "déjà vu" feeling for anyone anyone over the age of forty. It's the Seventies again, except for the absence of teacher unions unions to flavour the brew. (Nobody (Nobody does 'callous disregard' better.) Another absent group is OPSEU, Ontario's 60,000 Public Service union members. members. Give them time... You want irony? OPSEU is miffed. The government sez layoffs may be necessary. The union sez there'll be Hell to Pay. We say: Geeze Louise, if OPSEU can't get along with an NDP government, government, what else is left? (Pun intended). You want more irony? Picture the Fan Cow Poo if Poor Bob Rae and the Brethren Brethren shove "back to work" legislations legislations down the throats of two serious unions (TTC and OPSEU). Sounds dicey, huh? Maybe Maybe so, but what if the 'arbitrated' 'arbitrated' settlements are so lucrative lucrative both unions have trouble hiding the smirks on their faces? Oops. Ah well, no point getting all worked up about it. These days the issues are out of our hands. All we do is add the unending unending spiral of increased living living costs (Ontario Hydro just announced an 11% hike for next year), and calculate how much cheaper it would be to live in the United States. Many Ontario businesses - and taxpayers - have passed the point of no return. Long gone. Many more teeter on the brink. Hoping they won't have to jump. Wondering if they should have already done so. Count us among them. Folks need to understand how insane the tax situation in Canada has become. You pay too much for everything, especially taxes, and it only makes the situation worse. The best example we can offer offer is regrettably too damned close to home. Here's a brief outline of what happened when we sold our own business business last year: On April 30th, 1991 a huge cheque was sent to Otta wa as payment of a vicious rip-off called "capital gains tax". (Based on how much you increase the value of something, from the time you buy it, until the time you sell it.) Tax lawyers were hired to reduce the mind-boggling size of the initial calculation. The lawyers cost nearly $50,000. They saved us $200,000. . Impressive number? Not nearly as impressive as what remained. The final amount" paid, the same way you'd send a cheque for the phone bill at the end of the month, was almost half a million dollars! dollars! When that grotesque sum was first determined, the enormity almost made us physically ill. It's difficult to understand how anyone could (or why they'd want to) levy such a horrendous penalty upon the successful operation of a business. This particular business grew from four fulltime fulltime jobs to twenty during an economic period that desperately desperately needed any good news and new jobs it could scrounge. Isn't that the sort of stuff a government should encourage, encourage, rather than penalize? You'd think so, but if any medals were being handed out, ours must be lost in the mail. Please understand, for the privilege of being in business business during that risky period, we paid a big bundle of taxes every year along the way, and also poured more than $600,000 of our own money into the firm for equipment and building renovations. Faced with paying an outrageous outrageous penalty merely to sell an on-going business to new owners, our initial reaction was to call off the deal... until until our lawyer said: "Before you walk away, consider. There is no way the situation will IMPROVE in the'foreseeable the'foreseeable future." The other key factors which led to the decision to sell: a) drastically increased government interference in the form of Pay Equity, Safety Safety in the Workplace (WHMIS) legislation, and Smoking Bans for example. b) reams of additional red tape, particularly in accounting accounting procedures, to accommodate accommodate monstrosities like the GST tax, Did You Know... The latest figures from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation indicate Ontario still has the biggest growth in the housing market. The seasonally-adjusted figures released for the end of June indicate that Ontario will have 54,000 housing starts this year. A total of 38,000 housing starts are projected projected for Quebec. Three provinces were listed as having just 1,000 housing starts for the year. These include Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. by Laura J. Richards / c) continuously escalating costs such as Ontario's Worker's Compensation and UIC deductions, and the recent recent 2% (so far) OHIP payroll payroll tax. With so many obstacles to overcome before even start- ring to worry about personnel, marketing strategy, economic uncertainties, obsolete technology, technology, competition and profitability profitability (an ugly word today), today), there was no choice. We pulled the plug, and walked away from a lifelong dream. Remaining behind, unanswered, unanswered, are some important questions: 1) Remember not so long ago when government ' said Small Businesses would be the primary source of new jobs in this country? 2) "Why would anyone want to operate a small business business in this country?" 3) What happens now? This week's Outlook may disturb you and make you angry. angry. In some cases, it may locate locate a memory or two that has been suppressed for a long time. Do not think that you cannot cannot do something. At the end of the facts, I will list some of the things all people arc encouraged to do to break through the darkness of sexual and physical violence. violence. ' *)((***** Domestic violence •Almost one in 10 women is battered by her male partner. partner. Sexual Harassment •About 90 per cent of the women who work experience sexual harassment on the job. Acquaintance violence •Women are seven limes more likely to be assaulted by someone they know than by a stranger. Police reports •About 44 percent of sexual sexual assault survivors do not report report the crime because of their concern regarding police police and court attitudes towards towards this crime. Percentages •One in four women will be sexually assaulted at sometime in their lives. •Sixty-two per cent of all women murdered in Canada are victims of domestic violence. violence. •Only one woman in 20 ever reports an assault. Myths •Many people believe sexual sexual violence only happens to women who are in a lower economic class or who dress like "they're asking for it." •Many women do not believe believe that they will ever be in a situation where violence is likely to occur. •Many women fully believe believe they can talk themselves out of a potentially violent situation--some can, but not all. •Many women still believe sexual violence is their fault. It isn't. Assailants •They can be anyone, male or female. Flashbacks •One way for women and children to remember a scries of, or an assault, happening. Symptoms •Promiscuity or a dread of any type of touch. •Lying. Damage •Physical, psychological-- for many years and sometimes sometimes forever. (Many of the facts presented presented above came from the Summer Summer 1991 (Vol. 11, No. 4) issue issue of Canadian Women's Studies: Violence Against Women.) Sexual abuse and sexual assault can happen to you. To do •Lobby the government for stricter laws, especially with regard to the lowering of the rape shield law. •Join a rape crisis centre and fight sexual assault on a grass roots level. •Get involved with a protest. Tomorrow evening, Thursday Sept. 19, there will be a demonstration in Toronto Toronto organized by women. This demonstration is the annual Take Back The Night March. It, and many marches like it across Canada, are organized organized in the' hope that someday women, children (and men) will no't have to fear the night--and the types of violence it can bestow; on their (our) lives. Last year a multitude of women and children attended the information fair, rally and march together. An information fair will be held at 203 Sackville Green, Regent Park Community Community Centre located south of Dundas East. There will be a rally beginning at 7 p.m. and the march is set to begin at nightfall tomorrow. •If that seems too radical for you, keep your front light on above your front door whether you live in an apartment apartment building or in a house, beginning tonight and every night hereafter. •Or burn a white candle tomorrow night as your offering offering of hope. •Start up a neighborhood watch program. •Call some of your friends together for a discussion group and talk about sexual assault in your neighborhood. After all, it happens in the Town of Newcastle too. •Go to church and pray, then act as God tells you, He docs not like violence cither. •Teach your children about violence, especially if they arc handicapped. •And, most of all, care. m We Asked.... Should Federal Civil Servants be allowed to strike? ... And You Said Anna Bragg Bowmanvillc This is a free society - a free country - why should I say that they can't? I'm sitting on the fence on a piece of barbed wire (on this issue). If I went on strike I'd only hurt a few people but they're hurting many people. Art Brooks Bowmanvillc No. We're going to fall behind the United States where they're not allowed to strike. There's too many strikes going on. Lisa Dorsey Newcastle Village No. Pensioners need their money. They say they're striking but they're working to rule. People need the essential services. And people have needs to pay for things like mortgages. John Henderson Bowmanvillc No they shouldn't. I want my cheque next week and there is no one to write it. Next week's question: Should the Town of Newcastle name be changed? m B