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9 Orono Weekly TJ m--;, We4r.es lay r-^hv-yy 9. 2000 Weekly Times East Clarington and Subscriptions $23.36 + $1.64 G.S.T. = $25.00/y ear Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Publishing 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0, E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwari Expanding horizons We welcome the good folks of Tyrone, and Jacqueline Vaneyk with her Tyrone Community Column, which had been a regular feature of the Canadian Statesman for many years. That column, like others before it, has fallen victim victim to a shift in vision at the Statesman, since it was bought last year by the Metroland chain of newspapers. When I tried to run an ad on that paper's community page last week, informing Tyrone readers they could now catch their Community News in the Orono Weekly Times, I was told, "it is company policy not to promote an other publication in our newspaper." They refused to run my ad. I think back to the time, not so long ago, when I first came to the Times. I always knew, when my pictures of community functions did not turn out, I could go to the Statesman, and borrow one of theirs, and would give them the photo credit. On the one occasion, they borrowed one of my photo's (it was a function they did not attend) they responded in kind. • Reading through 'The Orono News' of February 8, 1900, last week, I found the following item. "The best way to buildup a town is to stand by every man in town. All residents should be partners. In all likelihood likelihood the more business your rival does, the more business business you will do : -- every business man who treats his customers customers honestly courteously, and fair business that can be secured by united effort, the better it will be for all When the town ceases to grow, it begins to die, and the more people try to kill each other in their business, the more rapidly will utter ruin come to all. Stand together for the advancement of every citizen.- If the man shows ability to prosper, do not pull him down through jealoùsy or weigh him down through cold indifference. " I don't know if Editor Cuttle made this up, or copied it from somewhere, but its message is even more poignant one hundred years later. : Out of Africa ■ Part Here is the latest adventure painting their projects. The from Aubrey and Keren biggest obstacle to overcome Kassiser, of Orono, who have was the absence of water, as been in Africa since mid the two taps on the school December 1999. Aubrey as a grounds always seemed to run medical doctor, has yolun- dry. I finally got smart and teered some of his time at the filled up as many water bot- Howard Hospital in ties as I could from home, Zimbabwe, and Koren is then carried them the two teaching at a local school. kilometers to school. Then I was assured of a supply of Nyachuru Primary School water for washing and making the flour and water paste. Last week I started teach- In addition to the water siting siting at Nyachuru Primary nation, 1 was faced with many School. The school itself is hurdles before even starting, like a series of motels located First, communication at the just outside the Howard school is a weak link, and Compound. There are several despite special efforts to long buildings with outside inform the appropriate people doors to the classrooms -- no of my scheduled times with corridors. The lighting is poor the kids, every teacher was because none of the rooms still surprised to see me at have electricity. There are their door. Second, I hardly seven grades, four classes in slept the night before my first each grade, and a minimum of art class. I had severe teacher 44 students per class. anxiety, fearful of having Uniforms are mandatory, if . jumped in way over my head you can afford them; some teaching huge groups of have holes, while many stu- Shona-speaking kids who dents come to school barefoot have never, heard of paper because they cannot buy mache. shoes. Still, the students are The other project I under- enthusiastic and inspiring. took was teaching art work- 1 taught one half-hour shops to unemployed youth music lesson to every one of from the surrounding villages, the "infant" classes (transla- The vision of the coordinator lion from Shona: Grades 1 to is to teach skills that can be 3). The children were recep- used to create marketable tive and spirited and taught products., I introduced them me a couple of 1 songs in to paper mache by making Shona. At the end of the sec- picture frames while dis- ond day I had taught over 650 cussing other potential proj- students, I was exhausted but ects like sculptures, bowls, pleased with my first two and vases. This week we wjll days. be making handmade paper. My next task was to teach 1 have now finished all of two one-hour art lessons to the paper mache lessons and grades 4 to 7 (over 700 stu- will be finishing up the paint- dents). We spent the first ing sessions by midweek, class making paper mache Overall, the classes have run maracas, and the second class smoothly. Although they were pretty shocked to learn it is winter in Canada (it is summer summer hère) and that we have heaters in our cars, 1 have the strangest feeling I have learned more from this experience experience than they have. While teaching in the public public system in Canada, I felt frustrated at times by the lack of resources, especially concerning concerning art materials. My experience here puts everything everything in perspective. Whenever 1 asked if the ' Nyachuru school had what I consider to be basic supplies (brushes, tempera paint, plastic plastic bowls or containers, markers, markers, or pencils), I always got the same answer: "No, but we improvise." How do you improvise a paintbrush? The teacher demonstrated the technique for me. She broke a twig off a bush from outside and chewed on the end until it became soft - voila! It made quite a good paintbrush. I also learned paint can be made by grinding up leaves or mixing red earth with water. Your palette is only limited by the colours that occur naturally naturally and nearby. You just have to find them - "improvise." "improvise." None of this truly surprises me. The most important idea I expected to be reinforced by our trip to Africa is to take . nothing for granted. Since we have been here I am constantly,reminded constantly,reminded of all the things that many people here do without. The difference is that many people in the rural areas don't know any other way of life, so they are content. Even though so many of the basic necessities of a North American School do not exist here at Nyachuru, the students are still excited and happy and eager to learn. GRCA golf (continued from page 1 ) in camera.. The reason for the in camera session was the fact they were dealing with a property property matter, explained GRCA General Manager, Linda Laliberte. The Board approved investigating, investigating, not going ahead with the proposal, Laliberte said. "The Board's decision allows us to move forward to find out if this proposal is in the best interest of the conservation authority. We have a lot of work to do, and the public will be involved every step of the way." EnviroGolf, chaired by former former City of Toronto Mayor, David Crombie, must now meet with Manvers township council, where the 200 acres is located, and then join the GCRA in launching the public consultation process. Murray Weppler, Hamilton Township councillor on the authority board, was the only board member present who voted against the proposal. Both Clarington board members, members, Councillors Mutton and Trim, were absent from .the January 27th meeting. , Weppler was also the only board member to oppose the call for such projects. Reduction in provincial 1 funding levels have put the Board into the position of looking 1 for new funding sources, said Laliberte. Up until 1996, Provincial funding accounted for 45% of the GRCA's budget. That level is now 11%. The six member municipalities contribute 37% through a municipal levy. The remainder is made up through a series of user fees for planning planning services, membership passes, educational programs, and timber sales. The Board will now be in an information gathering phase, said Laliberte, who was not aware of any EnviroGolf .atidubon signature golf courses courses currently' in operation.