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Recommend $100 Million Cut In School Building Costs Luca: Illflhcllalb “It: UCIIVCLCU Uy board courier to make sure trus- tees will have time to study each page of the agenda, and if neces- sary, contact other trustees or staff prior to the meeting. Noth- UaLIIUUC RCPI'CSCHLal/IVC dUllIl nau- iowski. We wish them good luck, 1 and from our seat behind the press 1 table, we hope they will not be in for too much burning of the after- midnight oil. Congratulations, bouquets and accolades â€" to the Richmond Hill Curtain Club for their premiere performance in their delightfully intimâ€" ate â€" but beautiful â€"â€" new theatre on Elgin Mills ll Road West. Followingthe final curtain of East (Continued on Page 12) human behaviour under en- vironmental stress." In it Bettelheim writes about his observations and conclusions of human be- haviour in the concentration ‘ ramps of Germany. .1-‘llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllll\illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllelllllllllll‘ Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt‘lll‘l'lll'\lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll~F First there would be an accept- ance of the fact that man manages to “foul up” in some way or other most anything he undertakes. If we could get away from a “utop- ian” approach to our world in our local politics or anything else we would be starting from a much more realistic base. We could, therefore, begin 1973 with a profound sense of pessim- ism. This is especially true when there is an apparent resurgence of the power of those who have a privileged status and are determ- ined to maintain it at all costs. Looking at the situation from a Biblical perspective the following could be suggested as an alternate approachto the new year. The Region of York’s biggest business will have eight new people on its 20-member board of directors in 1973, and since the operations of this business affect just about every person in the region through taxes and rents,'it is very important that the board maintain a very high standard of performance, economy and effic- iency. Rev. Bernard Barrett, St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Richmond Hill We begin 1973 with a world not much different from the one with which we began 1972. In spite of another trip to the moon and lots of elections (and promises) we see many aspects of unrest and disease in the world â€" a war going on in Vietnam -â€"â€" people suffering from want of love, meaning, shelter, work, peace, or food â€" and many people increasingly disillusioned by our social, political and educational systems. We could. therefore. begin 1973 Then there would be the proc- lamation of HOPE for man and his world in so far as man acknow- ledges his need of what Christians call “grace”. This is the support- ive-creative activity of God which enables real change to take place in men and situations but which is often blocked by man’s prideful unwillingness to accept help. Such a hopeful approach is vastly dif- ferent from the superficial optim- ism which is so often expressed around us. This business is the York County Board of Education which had an operating budget of more than $39.6 million in 1972 and employs about 2,600 people including teachers, caretakers, office staff in the schools and other board offices. After attending and reporting on innumerable meetings of the board we are wondering if these eight new trustees have any idea just how much work and responsibility they have let themselves in for in seeking and winning a place on the board for the next two years. To begin with, only one of the candidates who ran in the Dec- ember 4 municipal elections at- tended more than one meeting of the board before election day, and that candidate was not elected. Since their elections, however, the new trustees have been sup- plied with mountains of paper â€"- reports of various committees and department heads, and along with all other trustees they will receive a full agenda, including reports on the Thursday preceding the reg- ular Monday night meetings of the board. Our advice to them is, “Take a quick course in speed- reading. You will need it if you are to read and digest all the reports that are coming your way in the next 24 months.” These materials are delivered by board courier to make sure trus- tees will have time to study each page of the agenda, and if neces- sary, contact other trustees or staff prior to the meeting. Noth- The Ministry or Education's rrcent press release. which in- cludes a committee recommen- dation that money available for school construction be reduced from $59 million a year to $50 million is not all bad news for residents of York‘ The recommendation was in the second interim report tabl- ed in the Legislature by a special committee on the costs of education appointed in 1971 to examine all facets of the costs of education in Ontario. In his press release, Educa- tion Minister Thomas Wells says he doubts that the reduc- tion in the amount of money available for school construc- tion will be as severe as that recommended in the committee report. "Enough money will be allot- ted to ensure that essential new school requirements are met". said Mr. Wells. The report also recommends that public and Roman Catholic school boards jointly plan ac- commodation needs. a move an- nounced by Mr. Wells in a policy statement in November. For the past two years. the Ministry "has been reviewing with particular care" every school building proposal which has been submitted, said Mr. Wells. The report also recommended that minimum standards for school sites be established by the Ministry, and that, where- Tough Road For Trustees RNA @5132 liberal THE LIBERAL, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Thursday, Dec. 28, 1972 “A Happy New Year II An Independent Weekly: Established 1878 ""8: Subscription Rate $6.00 per year; to United States $7.00; 15¢ Single copy Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Published by Richmond Hill Liberal Publishing Co. Division of Burlington Printing Co. Ltd. W. S. COOK, Publisher “Second class mail, registration number 0190” ever possible. school sites be developed jointly with other municipal agencies, such as parks departments. to insure that the best needs of the area may be served. Another recommendation call- ed for the Ministry to provide grants for 100 percent of ac- tual construction costs eligible for grants. rather than the preâ€" sent 90 percent. and that no portion of capital cost for swim- ming pools or other facilities built under agreement with local municipalities be borne by the school board. The Ministry should pay 100 percent of the annual repay- ment of principal and interest on debentures issued by school boards for approved new con- struction after January 1. 1974, said the committee report. Some of these recommenda- tions will require further analyâ€" sis in order to assess their feasi- bility and ramifications. said Mr. Wells. The report is one of several interim reports to be produced by the seven-member com- mittee headed by Mississauga Businessman Thomas McEwan. It was appointed by the Minis- try to examine all facets of the costs of education in On- tario. At the request of the Minis- try. York County Board of Ed- ucation's Superintendent of Planning and Development, Our institutions (educational, social, medical, governmental, etc.), our social groupings, and we our- selves need such an approach. The awareness of sin and grace allows for a dynamic development of our human situation and would be an adequate foundation on which to build a Happier New Year because it would be dealing with the quality of life in all its aspects. The coupling of the realism men- tioned above (which has usually been called original sin) with the openness to grace allows for an approach to the new year which could be summed up as one of renewal. ing throws a spanner into the smooth workings of a school board, (or municipal council) like the inane Questions of a member who has not done his homework, who arrives I‘nprepared and involves the board in endless hours of quibbling about matters that have been clearly spelled out in the agenda. The trustees are also urged to attend the three-day orientation conference .for new trustees which will take place early in Metro in January under sponsorship of the Ontario Trustees Council. Those who have attended in the past have found it very helpful in equipping them for the task that lies ahead. As well as informed trustees, the board will need a strong chair- man to keep the business on the track. (Present Board Chairman Ross Jolliffe of Vaughan has given notice that he will not be a candi- date for chairman in January). This is a question the 12 seasoned members of the board should ponder carefully before the inaugâ€" ural meeting January 8. The newcomers to the board will find a sympathetic collaborator in Education Director Sam Chapman who was recently appointed to the board of governors of York Uni- versity. He is all too keenly aware of the problems confronting a new member of an on-going operation. York County Board’s new trus- tees are Rev. Craig Cribar of Newmarket, Norman Weller of Aurora, Donald Sim, Donald Cous- ens and Mrs. Doreen Quirk of Markham, Douglas Allen of Rich- mond Hill, John McMurray from Whitchurch-Stouffville and Roman Catholic Representative John Ran- iowski. We wish them good luck, and from our seat behind the press table, we hope they will not be in for too much burning of the after- midnight oil. Stephen Bacsalmasi. was loan- rd to the province in 1971 to °ervc on this committee. The b‘ard agreed to share Mr. Bacsalmasi with the province fcr a period of about 18 months. He has been spending 80 per- cent of his_ working hours on work associated 'with the comâ€" mittee and 20 percent with his own department in the Region of York. York County Board of Edu- cation Director Sam Chapman agrees with Mr. Wells that there are “big reasons why it would be very difficult" for the province to cut more than $100 million from its allotment for school construction. Mr_ Chapman welcomes the reccmmendatlon that the Min- istry provide grants for 100 percent of construction costs eligible for grants rather than the 90 percent presently allowed. Such a proviso, he told “The Liberal” would spread the cost of new construction over the whole province, easing the bur- den on rapidly developing areas. This recommendations. said Mr, Chapman, appears to be design- ed with developing communi- ties in mind. At present. he pointed out, communities where there is little room for further growth, which already have adequate facilities for education, are pay- ing for the schools in new sub- divisions sprouting up around In 1119 Spoili ghfl On November 10, an historical plaque honoring Mazo de la Roche was unveiled at Wesley Brooks Conservation Park, Newmarket. This plaque is one of a series being erected throughout the province by the Historical and Museums Branch, Archives of Ontario. Shown (left to right) after the ceremony are râ€" Canon James Rhodes, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Newmarket; Mrs. David Reese, Toronto, adopted daughter of Mazo de la Roche; Dr. J. M. S. Careless, representing the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Boar-d; John Van Krieken, a student at By MONA ROBERTSON " Ring Out The Old! So many events took place during the final days of 1972, I have just room for capsule reports in my final column for this yea1:._ First, I’d like -to make special mention of a lovely card received . . . One produced by the training centre, Local Association For The Re- tarded, Richmond Hill. Drawn by Trainees Margo, Virginia, Belle and Mildred it illustrates a group of happy people and a one-man band. Happy Noel to all at the centre and the school too. “The students of grades 7 and 8, Lillian M. McConaghy, spent a happy and rewarding afterâ€" noon visiting the residents of the Villa Nursing Home. As one student remarked, ‘You’ll never know the true meaning of Christmas until you do something for someone else.’ The group per- formed playlets, sang folk songs, served cookies and refreshments â€" made by the girls themselves â€"~ then strolled around to all the rooms singing Christmas Carols, bringing joy and happiness to the whole Villa. A highlight of the visit was helping one resident celebrate her 93rd birthday. It was just marvelous seeing all the happy smilingr people and it made the girls’ Christmas very special and happy indeed.” (Our thanks to Linda Robinson, grade 8, reporting for L. M. McConaghy.) Mala de la Roche Was Native 0f Ne wmar/(et If the Ministry pays 100 per- cent of the annual repayments c’? principal and interest on debentures issued by school hoards for construction of these new schools. said Mr. Chapman. it will eliminate this kind of inequity in the future. them In the past decade. he said debenture costs have placed a heavy burden on boards in rapidly developing areas such as the Boroughs of Etobicoke and North York, and the Reâ€" gion of York 1.: now finding it- self in the same boat. Despite restrictions placed on nopulaticn growth north of Metro. said Mr. Chapman. it is not inconceivable that there could be a big upsurge of build- ing in York after January 1. 1974, when the committee rec- ommends the province assume greater responsibility for the cost of new school construction. In the matter of sharing with the Roman Catholic Board. Mr. Chapman reiterated an earlier statement. that the boards in the Region of York have for several years shared many servâ€" ices and facilities. Each board. he said. will have to look very carefully at the nature of existing accommoda- tion and share space in existing schools if either board finds it- self short of pupil space while the other board has unused space in the same community The York County Board, said Mr. Chapman. will continue to place elementary school pupils in secondary schools where there is overcrowding in one school and vacant space in an- other. Commenting on the recom- mendation that school sites be designed to meet the needs of the community. the education director pointed out that many new schcol sites purchased by the board are not up to the recommended size because they are adiacent to municipal parks, providing open space that meets the standards set by the local board and by the province. Nor is the committee recom- mendation that facilities such as swimming pools be financed by the municipality rather than by the school board a new idea to the county board. The Town of Markham is paying for the swimming pool in the addition to Thornlea Secondary School in Thornhillâ€"the only school pool in the region. Costs of operation will be shared on an hours-of-use basis by the school board and the municipality. Most significant. said Mr. Chapman is the recommenda- tion that the province assume full responsibility for repayâ€" ment of Principal and interest on debentures. This, he said. would be to the advantage of the municipal taxpayer. Two US. Textbooks Approved For York Thanks to Miss Geraldine “emar; for the fine review )3 the Ecu nenical Choir con- :arts founi in your Decem- ‘ r 21 issue. Her recognition of the im- portance cf accompaniment was very much appreciated. since this aspect of musical “The Moral Ambiguity Of America", a series of 12 lec- tures on the CBC by the late American Writer Paul Good- man, will be one of three new textbooks to be used in York high schools next year. The book, along with “Slaughterhouse Five" by Karl Vonnegut Jr.. and “The Informed Heart” by Bruno Bettelheim, was approved for use by a meeting of York County Board of Education December 18. LHKADI'MAS MUSIC )car M1: Editorâ€" In the first book, a staff report said that Goodman “describes the ambiguous pricrities of America: pov- erty. in the land of plenty, life. liberty and the pursuit of loneliness in place of hap- piness.” Vonnegut's book is said to interweave fantasy and fact in an effort to relate the “destruction of war to the perplexities of peace". “The Informed Heart” is a “voluminous exposition of human behaviour under en- vironmental stress.” In it Bettelheim writes about his observations and conclusions of human be- haviour in the concentration camps of Germany. She died in 1961 and is buried at St. George’s Church yard in Sutton. Newmarket High School who gave an account of Mazo de la Roche’s life and Mayor Bob Forhan of Newmarket. Mazo de la Roche, creator of the Whiteoaks of Jalna series was one of Canada’s most internationally famous writers. Daughter of William and Alberta Roche she was born at Newmarket. The famed writer added the “de la” to her surname when she started writing in 1902. With this in mind, we must acknowledge the contri- bution of Mr:. Elizabeth Har- wch‘, who accampanied the chair on the piano during many weeks before the per- formance. GORDON FLEMING, p:r.o:mance is trequently ig‘ nored. 177 Parkston Court Richmond Hill. . T0 ignite the Centennial ’73 Flame t0 Officially Commence Richmond Hill’s Centennial Year William C. Lazenby, Mayor FRONT ENTRANCE RICHMOND HILL MUNICIPAL OFFICES 56 YONGE ST. N. 11:30 P.M. RICHMOND HILL, ONT. SUNDAY, DECEMBER Slst, 1972 William C. Lazenby, Mayor Elect Council Chamber Richmond Hill Municipal Offices 56 Yonge Street North Richmond Hill, Ontario The Citizens of Richmond Hill and their Families The Citizens of Richmond Hill and their Families Come and meet the new Council Members and and their families The Richmond Hill Centennial ’73 Committee in co-operation with the Mayor and Council of the Town of Richmond Hill extends a cordial invitation to The Mayor and Council of The Town of Richmond Hill Mayor’s New Year’s Levee extend a cordial invitation to to attend a ceremony I am curious to know why the town would spend what- ever amount it cost to build a sidewalk and then NOT keep it ploughed for pedes- trian traffic. After all, isn’t that what the sidewalk was built for in the first place? Dear Mr. Editor It was three days ago that it snowed and people are still having to walk down the road amongst the cars on one of the busiest streets in town. ONE WHO WORKS ON CENTRE STREET EAST to attend the SNOW PLOWING u-uvtv‘c “Jo-~00 M. Robert Warner, Chairman Russell J. Lynett, Clerk Monday, January 1st, 1973 Russell J. Lynett, Clerk “There are a lot of people around here knocking high- rise apartments, but they don't seem to have any al- ternatjves.” You keep hearing people. political candidates, saying things like this. This editorial is about al- ternatives. It's about a few of the somewheres we could give people to live other than the 12 storeys above the ground. umum“mumuuuumuumluuu\uuuuummuuuuuumm Some Housing A nswers Or they say: “Don't forget, you’ve got to put the people some-where." Something to think about though, it‘s going to take more than just readjustment on the part of the developers to change the whol pattern of development. he rate- payers' groups are going to have to give up a little too. Most important. we're go- ing to have to forget the old idea that a quality resident- ial area must have housing lot frontages of 100 feet. What's needed in Etobi- coke and across Metro is a good house built on a 30 or even 25-foot lot. Designing a house to go on this kind of lot wouldn't be all that difficult, in fact there are probably more than a few architects who already have drawings or at least ideas ready in the event something like this comes about. The problem rests with the municipal councils and plan- ning boards and the ratepay- ers’ group: representing the already entrenched home- owners. It rests with ‘the inability of these grouns. for the most nvart to see that houses can be built on narrow lots and still be an asset ‘to the com- munity and in many cases an imnrovement. The way to stop the surge of high-rise is to provide an alternate source of housing that people can afford. and oreferablv one they can af- ford to own. Th9 cw” of land makes the 'I‘Wditicnal idea of single familv dwellings on one or fwn lave1< spread out on a 100 f’o' lnt obTOIet'e. B” i' doe=n't rr"ke it im- 0""ible tc build a house the weragn working man can ctill afford. So, you see, there is a way nut. all that’s necessary is for people to co-operate., 1 Narrow lots and in some cases town houses are the way we can beat the need for apartments and give peo- nle a decent place to live. where they can have some Drivacy and their own backâ€" yard. (Etobicoke Guardian)