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; a "A Famlly Tradition for 133 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 2, 1999 - 3 The lights should stay on when the, new year rolls around in 11 months 'time, says a local hydro official. Terry Adderley, manager of Scugog Hydro, said the much anticipated and 'dreaded Y2K phenomenon shouldn't have much effect on his utility's system. But, he added, Ontario Hydro, which supplies power to the local utility, is bling to deal with anticipated affect infrastructure systems that are controlled by computer. It's believed Process 'stacked' unionsays =~ -- only the | * Predictions range from the dire -- _ such as the shutdown of such essential 'services as hydro, air traffic control i ~ Adderley. ts "Thé so-called Y2K Bug is forecast to some computers won't be able to recog- nize the al two digits of each year. and communications systems -- to the 'inconsequential. a © But Scugog Hydro's system won't be affected, simply because it's not depen- "Our system is quite simple," he said. "It doesn't have any electronic switching in it. It's what you call a Switchandfusesystom®, . -.. .-. Fear 2000, because most read dent on computer technology, said Mr. Never the less, Mr. Adderley is receiv- ing frequent updates from Ontario Hydro, whose technicians are grappling with the complex problem. "They're working all the time. They've been working for at least three years on this," said Mr. Adderley. - Scugog Hydro customers will be glad to know that the one area of the utility's operations that may be susceptible to any glitches is being addressed now. + "The only area we're actually looking at right now is billing," said Mr. ~~ Adderley. ~ "We expect to have that all updated Meanwhile, the Scugog. a y he 1d Electric Commission has announced that its customers will see an average 1 per cent decrease on their monthly bills in 1999. Thedecrease -- there have been a number of rate drops over the past sev-. eral years -- would mean a bill totalling about 70 cents less for a residential dwelling using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month. Mr. Adderley said the savings were made possible through the introduction of improvements that have made the - system more efficient. Teachers call for judicial review of {8 imposed contract By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star Secondary school teach- ers in Durham Region have launched an appeal against contract arbitra- tion handed down last week. Pat Jermey, president of Local 13 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, said the arbitration process was "stacked" against teachers. The union is seeking a judicial review of the arbitration decision. Teachers in Durham's public high schools are angry with the arbitration decision rendered by Queen's University Professor Richard Jackson. He essentially sided with the Durham District School Board in his ruling, imposing a con- tract that has teachers handling an average of 6.5 classes out of eight each day. That's what was put forth by the board in its final offer to teachers, who last fall went on strike when no resolution in their dispute with the board could be reached. Teaching time and wages were at the heart of the dispute. Teachers argue that spending more time in the classroom hinders them from carrying out all the tasks involved in their jobs, including preparing lessons and extracurricu- lar activities. The board - countered that it is bound by classroom time require- ments imposed by the province, which provides all its funding. Teachers have argued that the board could find a way to keep classroom time requirements lower by spending more money on teachers. As it is, more than 60 teachers will have to be hired by the Durham board to accommodate the terms of this contract. "The Durham District School Board, that has received international recognition for excellence in public education, is the best example of the dam- age caused by this (provin- cial) government's cuts to public education," said Ms Jermey, charging that "this process was stacked against the teachers from the beginning." Meanwhile, high school teachers employed by the Durham Catholic District School Board have had an arbitrated contract imposed as well. York University Professor Graeme McKechnie handed down a ruling last week that calls for the teachers to teach the equivalent of 6.7 of eight classes a day. The board and the teachers had already agreed to a 2 per cent wage increase effective Jan. 1, 1999, and a further 1 per cent increase next Jan. 1. Teachers also managed to bargain for an improved benefit package. Their rotating strikes resulted in the board clos- ing schools for a week last September, at the same time public high school teachers were on strike. It's Groundhog Day, and winter-weary folks here and across the coun- try are casting their eyes skyward to see if there's a cloud cover, or if bright sunshine is pouring down. As legend has it, Feb. Look up! It's Groundhog Day! 2 is the day the ground- hog sticks his head out of his lair to check weather conditions. If he sees his shadow, we're in for lots more winter; if not, spring is just around the corner. The forecast yesterday called for rain, so.... PRICE" YAH 341 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 -9:30 AM to 8:30 PM SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 - 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM ONLY! Men's, Women's and Kid's Fall and Winter Fashions - Men's, Women's and Kid's Discontinued Fall and Winter Shoes and Boots - *excludes Sorels, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi's, Guess? 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