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published by: Scugog Citizen Publishing Ld. editor : John B. OCNA Member advertising ie Ellis 'THE SCUGOG CITIZEN CoNAManber senior advertising sales rep : Chris Hudson an independently owned and operated advertising sales rep Gibson community newspaper, accounting : Sibylle Warren is distributed, free of charge, - 8 © if reception : Janet Rankin to over 13,800 homes and businesses production : Tanya Mappin 36 WATER ST, PORT PERRY, ONT. L9L1J2 in and around Scugog Township CCNA Vefel feature writer : Heather McCrae Subscriptions sold outside Scugog Township. Circulation Controlled "Prowd Canadians, prowd to call Scugog Township home." a co-publishers : John B. McClelland, Valerie Ellis i Phone ; (905) 385-6397 Fax : (905) 985-1410 _-- : EDITORIAL A teacher's quiet lament Jane McCaig is an English teacher ho works somewhere in the Durham Board of Education. She's been a teacher for 33 years. If she's as half as good a teacher as she is a writer, her students are in great hands. Ms. McCaig recently penned a heart-felt and very elegantly-written essay for the Toronto Sun. (March 5 edition) The piece was sub-titled "teacher shocked by board 'excess." She writes about her first ever visit to the new Durham Board of Education Centre, a multi-million facility that is now home for administrators, researchers, bureaucrats and of course the trustees of the Durham Board. She writes with a subdued anguish about what she encounters daily in her portable: lights that flicker, student desks (when there are enough to go around) that wobble, the lack of computers, the over-crowding conditions for teachers and students alike, the lack of such basic supplies as grade ten novels to replace the "62 damaged and defaced copies for up to four classes to use at one time." She writes "despite repeated please for a replacement novel, none has ever been ordered. Repeatedly, we are told there is no money." On the other hand, at the Board's new "palace" on Taunton Rd. in Whitby, no expense has been spared. Ms. McCaig, again in elegant prose, describes the "custodial staff constantly cleaning the terrazzo floors, walls of windows and plentiful washrooms, upholstered chairs in all meeting rooms. "Modern overheads and demonstration materials, a library, computers, TVs and VCRs are available as needed." Here is the crux of her lament: "One wonders, or at least, I do, just what messages are being sent to the public by this contrast. My belief is that it says students and teachers are not as important as superintendents, consultants, researchers, the director of education, board members or board personnel. "While teachers, custodians, and secretaries lose Rae day after Rae day, administrators and personnel unassociated with students clatter happily in a $28 million plus building oblivious to their true purpose and to the ethics and morality their behavior demonstrates to the young." Precisely. Anybody who has been in the new Education Centre can't help but be struck with the sheer opulence of the edifice itself and the furnishings and fixings from the multi-storey foyer to the plush chambers where trustees ponder where to spend the education dollars, which are in very short supply. The message in this article by this brave teacher (she is, after all, an employee of the Board) is not so much the luxury of this new Education Centre, but rather of priorities. She makes a strong case that her students at least, are being sadly short-changed. This article is anything but a "rant." In fact from the way it is written and from the photo of the"author, there is nothing to suggest that teacher Jane McCaig is a "ranter." It is a subdued "cry from the heart" from somebody with 33 years teaching experience whose first ever visit to the Education Centre left her "nauseous, angry and sad." There is something sadly wrong when so many millions can be found to build a "palace," yet grade ten English students are making do with damaged and de-faced text books because, as they are repeatedly told "there is no money." | 'As the jntrg to this article by teacher Jane McCaig says "her message should be of concern to parents, students and taxpayers everywhere in Ontario." Rls ©ASPERIE SCLBOE CIMI2ErD -- la A - - § PARENTS... YOU'RE ABOUT TO ENTER ANOTHER DIMENSION. A DIMENSION OF WEIRD SIGHTS 3 AND LOUD SOUNDS... BUT WAIT... AT THE SIGN POST UP AHERD... DON'T WORRY MARCH BREAK (S MORE. THAN HALF | I ---- > LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | 4 The golf course debate To the Editor: In response to the February 14/95 letter of Misters Bradbury and Guindon concerning "Facts about Golf Courses." Gentlemen, please add me to the list of those not too concerned about losing a proposed golf course in Port Perry. Consider these facts- 1)Aquifers can be depleted when ponds required for irrigation are dredged, especially in an area where high water table and shallow bored and dug wells exist. 2)We already have and abundant supply of golf courses in Scugog that would welcome new members. . I am aware"that Oak Ridge for one, is making efforts to move towards a more environmentally friendly golf course. (pond mills instead of algaecides) 3)Chemical free meadows with vegetation native to the area, are able to filter air and water without the constant intervention of artificial pesticides and fertilizers and irrigation that are required for golf turf. 4)At 8 miles and hour, chemical mists can travel over Scugog Island in a few minutes. Drifting will occur in any winds, chemical sprays do not respect boundaries. Often, spraying reaches only about 10% of the targeted area. 5)The American Cancer Society states in their brochure that "children are as much as 6 times more likely to get childhood leukemia when pesticides are used in their gardens" and that "95% of the pesticides used on idential lawns are bot RY by the Environmental Protection Agency". In response to Mr. Donald Robb (Feb. 14/95-"Scare Tactics of No Benefit to Anybody"), it is obvious that you too do not have all of the facts. Golf courses do consume large amounts of water compared to virgin land. When was the last time you saw an irrigation system set up for a wild field?_ I found out that the Glen Abbey course is currently revamping their existing irrigation system in an effort to reduce water consumption. When you talk about "advocates" and "friends of.the environment", I got the impres- sion that you find yourself on the opposite side of the fence. Are you telling us that you-are not an advocate of the environment? Mr. Robb, it is true that the Audubon Society is working with many Golf Courses in cleaning up their act. What you fail to mention in your letter is that there is only one course in all of Canada (Cranberry Village, Collingwood Ont.) that meets the , Societies stringent qualifications. Audubon inspectors make site visits from New York to take soil samples. There are six achievement categories that courses must meet, all the way down to waste management of the club house garbage, in order to become a Certified Co-Op Sanctuary. The categories are as follows: 1)Environmental Planning 2)Wildlife and Habitat ment 3)Member/Public Involvement 4)Integrated Pest Management, 5)Water Conservation 6)Water Quality Management There are people willing to pay as much as a $24,000 American premium to back onto one of these sanctioned courses. I appreciated your experience in your field, however, there is a new environmental wave afoot and one can either join it or bury their heads in the sand. If you find this a little scary, well the state of the environment is just that these days, scary! Let's be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. W. Stevenson, Seagrave Letters policy The Scugog Citizen welcomes le any topic, local, national or international in scope. to the Editor on just about We will endeavour to print all letters except those that we consider to be outside the laws of libel and slander. We would also ask that letters stay reasonably within the bounds of good taste for a community newspaper. Our policy is to insist that the writer of the letter allow his or her name to appear with the letter, however, we will make ptions in certain ci Deadline for letters is Monday at noon. You can mail to 36 Water St,, Port Perry, LOL 1J2, or fax to 985-1410. or p g P