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BACK-TO BASICS ■ Two Carleton University professors have stated that more emphasis should be placed.Oh the basics in high school to combat growing illiteracy and lack of mathematical skills, ' ' Keith North, chairman of, Craleton's science faculty saÿs às many as 40 percent of the students taking preliminary mathematic courses do not have a chance of passing. He states that the problem is serious because first .year courses in mathematics is a prerequiste for all science majors. James Steele, chairman of the university's English department says as many as half a class of forty might need remedial English courses today compared to about four ten years ago. Trevor Banks, deputy head of the English department ; at Woodroffe high school in Ottawa places much of the blame for student illiteracy on teachers who lack basic skills. Many teachers, he claims, are avoiding teaching grammar and instead are teaching literature, film and communications. This story is similar to many others that over the past few years come to light on a regular basis. Certainly there will be no surprise in these comments and possible few would even care. It does seem a logical time for Boards of Education to give serious consideration to a return to the basics in the process of learning and teaching. Boards are now faced with rising costs with little help appearing to come from the province who rightfully have shortened the arm that has feed the educational machine. There is no secret in that even the Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education is faced with an increase of over forty percent in their budget if no cuts are made. It is assumed that the Board will take a good look at their program with a view of cutting frills, and none-meaning courses now in existance. Even with some drastic cuts'the tax load is expected to incerease at least by twenty-five percent. The Board is faced with some bold steps even to the point that some teachers may be without a job come the 1976-77 term. Surely their French Immersion Kindergarten classes could have been the first step. But in this they failed and are seeking teachers to carry on a program that is in all reality going nowhere but in the taxpayers' pocket. A time to cut the frill, save money and get back to the basics in education. January 10,1976 Letters to the Editor It used to be that anyone who disagreed with a speaker or The Establishment was promptly dubbed a "Communist". "Communist". Now that the term "Communist" "Communist" is out of style, other denigrating terms are used. Twice this year, Mayor Garnet Rickard of the Town of Newcastle has tagged me with an opprobristic identification, identification, In January 1975 after Town Council" debate on Zondervan land matter, following appeared in press "Mayor Rickard nds Councillor • Lyalji's marks "Totally trrespons- the the the the Bra- Re- ible," In December 1975 - a few short weeks ago, Mayor Rickard defending his favourite favourite hobby horse-r-Regional Water and Sewer Rates--was quoted as the following "Mayor "Mayor Rickard Wants Region Rates Lyall's Voting Confused." Confused." The first time I am described described as "Totally Irresponsible." The second time I am described as "Confused." To both accusations I reply ."Like heck I am" for the following reasons. My purported "Total Irresponsibility" Irresponsibility" in connection with the Zondervan case. If any fair minded person would care to delve into the Zondervan matter whereby a piece of agriculture zoned land in Clarke Township was cut up for residential purposes, purposes, they would come to the same conclusion that I did concerning the action. If anyone is interested in so doing, please contact me as I have a file on the subject. My conclusion on the Zondervan Zondervan case, it should be hung on high placed former and current municipal officials who were and still are--up to the last meeting of the Newcastle Council-trying to conclude the matter to their satisfaction. This is being done despite the objections of William McAdams, Regional Commissioner Commissioner of Planning and Development who has stated that the subject lands do not conform to either the Draft Official Plan or the proposed District Plan. The Zondervan action also does not conform to the Clarke Zoning By-law that is still in effect. Now to Mayor Rickard's stand on Regional Water and Sewer Rates and "Lyall's Voting Confused." Regional rates for water and sewers as desired by Mayor Rickard would mean that taxpayers while paying for their current use for water and sewers would also be paying the capital costs for whatever new water and sewer plants Region politicians politicians would choose to build in the future. If Rickard's Regional Rates came about then the people today in Newcastle would- when and if the rates came into effect--be paying the capital costs of building the new water and sewer plants of tommorrow. These new plants would only benefit the land speculators speculators who now own the raw land in the Town of Newcastle and the Region of Durham. Now to the pattern of my voting at the Region meeting held December 15th, 1975 when this matter of Rickard's Regional Rates were debated. . * During the day, three opt- - ions were nresented to Reg ional Council for Councils choice. Some choice it was--- every one of the three options would result in the same* conclusion.. Costs would rise for users of water and sewer services because debt repayments for future new water plants, ; future new sewer plants and future new underground pipes' to service the speculator owned raw lands were included included in the three options. Realizing this was a. Hobson's Hobson's Choice, I voted "NO" right across the board on all votes and the votes were recorded. I did this because in my considered opinion, present water and sewer costs to taxpayers should be based on present services, present de- benturing, present government government agreements, present operating and present administrative administrative costs. The matter of future expansion expansion of the community and the connective capital costs for future water and sewage plants and future pipe costs? This is another matter to be debated at another time. As it stands now, Rickard and others want the present taxpayers through their present present water and sewer bills to pay for the future building of water and sewer services needed by land developers. Lyall and any other common common sense persons, insist that the totals on current and future water and sewer bills reflect the "NOW" costs for these services. If, in the future--and it is a big "If" owing to present economic conditions-if the taxpayers and future Town. Councils see the need of expansion, fine but let the needed water and sewer services required by land speculators be paid for by the .speculators in some equitable manner, This manner must be fair to the present taxpayers and to the potential home buyer. I may at times be expostul- atory and unorthodox but "Totally Irresponsible" or "Confused" I am not. Sincerely Kenneth E. Lyall Regional Councillor Newcastle, Orono and Clarke Want control John De With Real Estate Limited Realtor , Bowmanville 623-3950 and 623-3111 For Prompt, Efficient' Service when buying or selling Contact: Joe Bar noski 786-2202 Ross Davidson 277-2321 OUT AND ABOUT WITH CASSANDRA What I would like to see in 1976 (and probably won't). Being no longer young enough to nourish utopian expectations I look fprwafd in 1976 somewhat in the spirit of a man approaching his post-Christmas' bank statement : with pessimism tempered by hope that this time it will turn out better than experience suggests. Herq is what I would like to see happen this new year: Less political cant and philosophical drivel from Mr. Trudeau and his government and a return to the real world from the fantasy land they at present inhabit. When are we going to get an energy policy for Canada 1976 - mavbe?? A spreading realization that our chief problem is NOT sharing out a dwindling store of wealth but using our work and wits to replenish it. An improvement in the English language language and popular disfavour of veiling lies in truth's garments, so that "action" no fonger means "inaction", or "labour" to mean only those workers enrolled in trade unions, or "equality" to mean the ascendancy of the strong over the* weak, the many over the few, or "in-depth study" to mean "delay"--until someone makes up his mind. • 8 A coalitition government in Ontario, the best brains and ability picked from all three parties to restore vigour to Queen's Park and give us, at; least, a fighting chance ■ in the Hattie against inflation, unemployment and a host of other ills that beset us in Ontario. An end to the illusion that if any level of government gives us something it is "free". This notion is slowly beginning to' crumble as the burden of taxation begins to bite at ever lower levels of income. There are only_ four ways in which the national wealth can be spent. It can go into private consumption, private investment, public consumption or public investment, and more for any one of these means lèss for all the others. The new Day Care Centre in Bowmanville, 100 per cent funded by the Provincial Government is not a gift to the residents-of this area as Councillor Lyall implies in his article last week---we will all pay for it. For years all levels of government have acted as if two and two make six, in this new year I hope we rediscover arithmetic-in the public accounts as much as in the public schools., , And finally, the arrival of a good smaritan who would underwrite the cost of the Olympic Games. Have as good a year "as "They'll let you." VENEZIA Restaurant HWY 115 and 35 Vi Mile.South of Orono Phone 983-5651 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK We Specialize in: Pizza - Meals ALSO Weekend Specials councillors said they have not . control oyer education taxes which were taking a large share of the annual municipal tax levies. , r ' . \ Mayor Jack Heegan said that Cobourg council would haye tb issue two tax bills, one for education and one for municipal services. Mayor Heegan didn't know whether council had the right to reject a school requisition or if it had to be sent to the anti inflation board as minister of Education Education Thomas Wells said that property taxes are not subject to the federal guidelines. He also said that the question would be raised with treasurer Darcy McKeough and Mr. Wells during a meeting later this month. The motion was made in Cobourg to support Port Hope's resolution. Recently, Cobourg council supported a resolution submitted submitted by the Town of Port Hope in that both councils want the right to reject the school budget if it has increased more than ten per cent over the previous year's budget. The resolution was passed on November 10 and was sent to the Association of Municipalities Municipalities fhe right to reject ■ school board requisitions if the increase was more than ten per cent. Port Hope council passed this resolution because their »• ••emm e », • Confectionary and •Gifts J ORONO-983-5242 CÀNDY CIGARETTES TOBACCO GREETING CARDS A FRIEND OF MINE CALLS HIMSELF AN ATHELETErALL DAY LONG HE HANGS ON A BAR AND CHINS': WATSON'S Marine and Cycle Orono Phone 983-5343 e e » « , e • § and GIFTS » • e « e ,FOR ALL ; e ■ ® 9 • OCCASIONS t « [MONEY TALKS.BUtTF) {USUALLY SAYS."GOOD. 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