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Public . By Jim Irving York County Board of Education, which last year stood firm against its secondary school teachers for six weeks before agreeing to an arbitration award of bet- ween 15 and 24 percent salary Increase, was less resolute when discussing a pay hike for its own members Monday night. As a result, the trustees â€" 10 of them veteran members and 10 of them newcomers â€" will see their monthly honorarium jump 100 percent from $250 to $500, or $6,000 a year. The increase, which the trustees voted themselves, passed 9 to 7 on a recorded vote, with three abstentions and one ab- sentee. . . A reluctant Don Sims, who voted against the increase, also accepted an additional $2,000 to his annual honorarium. The members voted this to him in his capacity as chairman. Under current legislation, the board is allowed to pay itself a maximum honorarium of $600, in keeping with areas having a school enrolment of 40.000 or more. Made motion The motion to go for $500 was made by Trustee Colin Barrett of Whitchurch- Stouffville. He was elected to the board for the first time in December. Although the motion generated con- siderable debate, it generated little heat. The members, especially those in favor, spoke in controlled and measured tones. One of the most vocal against a raise of any kind was Chairman Sim. He reminded the members nobody asked them to serve on the board. “Everyone of us went looking for the job . . . " he said. He said the trustees knew what the salary was beforehand and, so far as he knew, none of them told the electorate they would be raising their pay. So it wasn't as if they were committed to giving themselves more. “If we raised our salaries, to the maximum, we'd be no better than the federal MP5. I hope we don’t stoop so low," Sim said. Rejecting this argument was Vice- chairman Craig Cribar of Newmarket. “I don‘t know that Mr. Sim was dragged into law," he said, “I think he sought it out. We all do. We also seek out a wage we think we're worthy of." He said he knew of only one other area that paid less than education for expenses, and that was his Own profession. the ministry. He felt the members should not have to be out of pocket for expenses. Trustees receive 10 cents a mile while on board duty, compared to the average 15 cents a mile in most businesses. Moved amendment Mr. Cribar later moved an amendment calling for an incometo $375. with a boost in mileage pay to 15 cents. “Expenses break your back more than anything," he said. The amendment was past. Trustee Margaret Coburn of King said the results of recent meetings of various boards showed six of the 46 boards wanted the maximum scale, four said they would accept less and 25 were not sure. The meeting felt the scale should be based on the workload. she said. Later in the meeting Mrs. Coburn said she wouldn‘t have any compunctions about accepting the raise in her area. “I think the taxpayers would like to feel the board attracts good people to the job,“ she said. Another trustee who felt calibre and cash went hand in hand was Doreen Quirk of Markham. She said some people wanted to run, but couldn‘t afford it. “We know it needs to be raised if we're going to attract good people." Mrs. Quirk said. Two newcomers, Trustees Joy Horton of East Gwillimbury and Chris McMonagle of Markham, were opposed to the motion. Mrs. Horton, a frequent critic of the board last year as a member of WEB (Watchers of Educational Bureaucracy) said that, while sympathizing with those who felt running imposed a financial hardship, she was “Happy to go in for $3,000." In fact, “I would have run for nothing," she said. ' Mrs. McMonagle, another WEB spokesman, said she felt it was premature to vote for a raise at that time. The trustees should remember that the money was an honorarium, not a wage for a job. If $3,000 wasn‘t enough, then it was too bad, but it wasn‘t the taxpayers' responâ€" sibility to reimburse them, she said. (continued on page 2) L. ‘E Closing day care Richm, onana 'l'llH 1n ONOnHDIv ' ts LHOIaM 93 1 *avag' QuonHDle WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1975 at 'ln EssenfiolstJnHy;in Nonâ€"EssenflalsLiberuuin 0H HHngs CharHy” 48 pages Price 15 cents Barbara Robinson, year 5 Valerie King, year 1 Carnival prssas Yes, there will be a Winter Carâ€" nival in 1975. The dates selected are February 7, 8 and 9on the Mill Pond. Festivities will start February 6 at the Royal Canadian Legion with the Snow Queen dinner and dance. The same committee which has looked after the popular mid-winter celebration since its inception several years ago, is already in full- strides Members ‘are planning for this year under the chairmanship of Bill Ituttle (who took over from Shaun Beggs last year). Secondary school students are deeply involved and the Rotarians are lending a. much appreciated helping hand again this year. The latter are in charge of Ookpik sales. The program will include all the old favorite events â€"â€" hockey games, snow sculptures, carnival rides, delicious refreshments, etc., etc., and will also include some new features. Arrangements have been completed for a log-cutting contest and are well under way for a sky- diving demonstration. The public and separate school children will be asked to participate again in the Ookpik coloring contest as well as in the hockey tournament for which the playdowns are already underway in the arena. The finals will be played on the Mill Pond. Architect Doug Allen has agreed to again head the judges of the snow sculptures. ‘ More information will be available for next week's issue. . Laura Brown. year 2 McDermott Gail Amodeo. year 3 Representing Langstaff Secondary School in the Snow Queen Contest at the annual Winter Carnival are these five beautiful young ladies. Pictures of the candidates for the Snow Queen title chosen by the students of the other two secondary schools in Richmond Hill will appear in later issues. (Photos by Fawn) re-elected chairman of RC board 0MB continues Buttonville airport [rearing Allege Markham hid noise study report By James Daw Pertinent evidence has been withheld “quite im- properly" from the Municipal Board hearing on the Buttonville Airport, the board was told yesterday. Robert Macaulay, counsel for Toronto Airways, said Markham Town Council commissioned a planning study of noise contours around the airport and used the Kates, Peat and Mar- wick report as the basis for turning down a reâ€"zoning application. But the report, which cost taxpayers $5,500, he said, was not introduced as evidence. He told the board there are legal precedents for assuming the report corroborates the case of Toronto Airways. The owners of Buttonville Airport applied in 1969 to rezone 85 acres to the south on Don Mills road to permit the extension of one of its two runways by 1,200 feet. When the municipality rejected the application, an appeal was launched and 0MB hearings were first held in July. Hearings were adjourned twice and reconvened for the 12th day Monday. In summing up the case yesterday, Macaulay said two other actions by the municipality favor the position of the airport. He said in 1965, when Buttonville received a license for a charter ser- vice, the clerk of the municipality wrote a letter to communicate council's belief the airport is “an asset to the municipality,” and a necessary service. Then in its submission to the inquiry commission on the proposed international airport at Pickering last year. Markham noted the ‘(continued on page 2) Teachers protest against lunch hour baby sitting A group of eight Hen- derson Avenue Public School teachers, who have served notice to York County Board of Education that they don’t relish acting as baby sitters for students who stick around the school during their lunch hours, will have to wait until at least January 27 for a hearing. That was the time set by the board Monday night (January 13) after Trustee Doreen Quirk of Markham brought the matter up for discussion. Mrs. Quirk said she at- tended the Thornhill school recently and cited three examples of the kind of problems facing the teachers, who felt the board policy in the matter “has too much scope”. Mothers' reasons In one case, the child brought his lunch so the mother could go’curling. Another had gone down- town. The third mother spent her noon hour baby sitting three children from another family, and she found handling four children “too much". In a letter to the board in December, the teachers felt the onus for allowing the students to stay at school during the noon hour was left to the principal, whereasit sould e the Inside The Liberal Junior hockey excitement mounts Richmond Hill Junior ‘A’ Rams won two big 3.1 ones against Markham and Aurora over the ' weekend. See the results of these and last night’s " crunch game against Dixie on Page 15. ,. 50llocal naturalists have just been out con- ducting the 20th annual bird census and came up a 3 with a count of 8,074 feathery friends of 51 species. See Nature Notes on Page 18. responsibility of the parents. The clause governing this granted permission when the principal felt “undue hardship” would be caused, “either on a one-day or continuing basis if a student is required to go home”. Emergencies only The teachers felt the clause should be revised to handle emergencies, such as a death in the family. Then the parent would be required to contact the If he has another op- portunity, Richmond Hill Mayor David Schiller will definitely hold the inaugural meeting of council in the evening. He said last week he was surprised to learn Rich- mond Hill was the only municipality in York Region to hold a daytime meeting. Mayor Schiller called it an error and an oversight that he did not think to question the traditional timing of the meeting. “I guess I didn’t think about it enough,” he said. “If I get another chance I’ll hold it in the evening.” Unlike most other councils in York, which alternate the times of regular meetings of council principal prior to sending the child with his lunch. “Working mothers or mother’s occasional outings are not considered an emergency situation," the teachers added. They also asked children not covered by the clauses be sent home if they showed up with their lunches. Unnecessary lunch duty cut into a teacher's planning time and extraâ€"curricular sports activities, the letter said. Mayor favors chning inaugural between the afternoon and evening, Richmond Hill Town Council plans to hold all evening meetings, Mayor Schiller said. Council also hopes to hold most committee meetings in the evening to make it easier for citizens to attend. Numbers explode The teachers said the number of noon-hour students had grown from eight to 50, and could be 100 by February if it continued in the same vein. Mrs. Quirk said she had some reservations about the recommendations. Could they be sure it was an emergency? Also, if a child were sent home to an empty house, would the board be responsible if he hurt himself while on the premises? She suggested the board initiate. an immediate review of the lunch hour policy; also staff be asked to investigate various pay- lunch schemes. The board, however, decided such a motion was premature and, on a motion by Trustee John Stephens of Markham, decided to put the matter over to January 27. kindergarten is blow to singles Some single parents from Richmond Hill and Thor- nhill say they may be forced to apply for welfare assistance if the kin- dergarten section of the Richmond Hill Daycare Centre is phased out in September. Parents learned recently of the decision in a letter from York, Region Administrator of Daycare B e t t y S t o k e s . Approximately 40 of them met last week to consider action. They have made personal contact with several regional councillors and by the time The Liberal con- tacted Dr. Owen Slingerland, the com- missioner of health and social services, he said he had no comments. “It has stirred up such a hornet’s nest, it will be brought up at the health and social services committee (Thursday of next .week)." he said. Dr. Slingerland said the decision to phase out the classes for 25 children was reached by he and his staff without the approval of the region council committee. "I'd quit work before I would put my daughter out into the merry-go-round of babysitters again." said Michelle Temoin of Bayview Avenue. Richmond Hill. As she is a single parent, this would leave her without a means of support, she said. “I would have to go on welfare." Mrs. Temoin said her daughter Suzette, 4, had great difficulty adjusting when she had four different babysitters in two years. “She is just starting to get adjusted at the day care centre after two years (continued on page 2) Average home price was $61,426 in Hill The average price of a Richmond Hill single family ~ home for the third quarter of 1974, was $61,426, according to a recent computer survey taken by A.E. LePage Limited, Toronto. This was a decline of $1,742 from the average for the first six months, the company said. The survey also showed the average third quarter price of a row condominium was $35,870. George Cormack, senior vice-president and residential general manager, said the Rich- mond Hill survey covered 96 transactions for $5,759,190 and formed a segment for an over-all computer study in greater Metro, covering 21 reporting areas and 15,721 transactions. Uncertain conditions These figures were in- dicative of today's average house prices resulting from the current market’s un- certain mortgage conditions and the typical yearend lull, Cormack said. “Although housing costs have increased recently, now is the best time to buy a -home, as it is the only in- vestment that keeps up with the rate of inflation,” he said. He said housing costs were not going to decline to any great extent in the foreseeable future. 4-yearclimb The average Toronto home sold on multiple listing service increased approximately 83 percent from $29,492 in 1970 to about $54,000 in 1974, almost double the rate of inflation, Cormack said. Despite the ominous figures, the company ad- vised those who could afford it to buy a home now. “It not only provides shelter, but is an excellent investment; even more valuable than a pension," the company stated. Area prices Average price for single family homes in other parts of York Region are as follows: Aurora, $54,160; King Township, $64,137; Markham, $77,504; Markham condominium, $38,200; Newmarket, $48,738; Vaughan, $108,381; Vaughan condominium, $50,000; Whitchurch - Stouffville, $63,356. John McDermott was re- elected chairman of the York Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board at its inaugural meeting January 7. Trustee McDermott represents Whitchurch Stouffville and East Gwillimbury on the board. He took over the chair- manship a year ago. suc- ceeding Eugene Jacobs who held it since the inception of the board in 1969. The new vice-chairman is Alex MacGregor of the Town of Markham. who succeeds Leo Wigglesworth of the same municipality. The inaugural was held in the parish hall of Our Lady Queen of the World Church on Bayview Avenue. Rich- mond Hill and was preceded by a mass in the church. The parish priest there. Rev. Francis Robinson. is one of the three Richmond Hill trustees on the board. John McDermott Northern trustee The index of news, features and advertising @011 the inside pages is as follows: i Classifieds 24-27 Letters Real estate 23-24 Editorials, opinion Business-professional 27 Yesterdays ,§ Sports 15.17.s.9.27 lnthe Hi" :3 Maple news 11 Scheduled events {,1} School board inaugural 19 Bayview Fairways its; King-()ak Ridges 6 Richvale Record t7} Victoria Square 18 Gormley social Temperanceville 6 Bayview Buzz Rock Talk 5 Police blotter LETS; finialâ€"1'": ‘,.'._'*",:*-“i-&1 if . .L’j’ififi' Lav} i" r' c Candace Jones and Donald Fraser of Richmond li llill won the senior pairs division at the Eastern " Canadian Figure Skating Championships held last weekend in Oshawa. They are seen above in one of r the figures of their free skating program. The win léléli "HAI~I©O~Ul-‘-UI â€"-._. Li. (Photo by Holiday Studio) ‘ Eastern Canadian Figure Skating Champions came despite a music failure in this part of their program which necessitated them repeating the final third of it Saturday night. They will now compete in the (‘anadian championships in Quebec City later this month.