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Some trustees sure have nerve I picked up a hitchhiker the other morning on my way to work around Steeles Avenue, and wondered as soon as he stepped in the car if I’d made a mistake. Clad in the usual blue denim garb of the long-haired young â€" in his case, about 23 â€" he seemed friendly enough, thanking me for the ride when he got in, but he smelt strongly of booze. And I considered whether he’d get a bit .mruly. N “Where are you going?“ I asked. “Richmond Hill.“ “You’re in luck." “Yeh â€" I'm on holidays. Gotta friend on Oxford Street.“ BY JIM IRVING ' [didn’t feel like talking, so I didn’t But my friend persifisrted. _ “Yefi, I used- to live there." Then, "Would you like a smoke?" he asked, extending his pack. I told him I didn’t smoke. “Do you mind if I do?" First. the bus trip was primarily for trustees other than members of the school board’s planning committee. For myself. I have spent 436 hours travelling over 3,427 miles on board business since mid-November, mostly on behalf of the planning and building committee. .S‘ to uffvi/le trustee charges Schools story discrepancies Dear editor: I believe I should correct some discrepancies in your June 16 article concerning school projects. Members of the York county board of education sure showed a lot of nerve last week when they stalled action on the planning and building committee's capital ex- penditure recom- mendations. If they‘d seen Holland Landing Public School, it would have been a real eye opener. They didn’t get their facts sitting on their behinds at home while only a few trustees turned out for the bus tour arranged The purpose of the trip was to allow the trustees to see the condition of the schools outside their own areas. However, only four trustees, other than planning and building committee members, were able to take the trip. As you mentioned, I have visited 53 schools. some more than once. About half of this has been at my own expense. Viewpoint from the regional desk Where did they get the information upon which to base their complaints? Letters Advance appointments were made with principals and in most cases I made a thorough inspection of the physical facilities, accompanied either by the principal or the head caretaker. But I didn‘t travel by bus, as was reported. but in my own car. The Richmond Hill engineering committee Dec. 4 recommended to council that the (south Richvale area) sanitary sewers should be financed by way of local improvement, if a petition for the sewers by a majority of ratepayers was successful (66.6 per cent required). Dear editor Council pushing Rich vale sewers The récommendation was approved unanimously by council. Ward 6 Councillor Mike Burnie in an early January newsletter reaffirms his stand that the petition method of obâ€" taining approval is the way it will be done. Nov. 25 the commissioner of works submitted a report to engineering committee. The report indicated there were approximately 100,000 feet in the total project. In early March a 1976 capital budget Somé of thése visits, such as those to PUBLISHER J.G. fiikifi'fiéni EDITOR HAROLD BLAINE The Liberal is published every Wednesday by Metrospan Community Newspapers Limiled â€"â€" Norm Division, which also publishes The Banner in Aurora- Newmarket. Tnewchb'idne Vaughan News, and The Bolton Enterprise. PAGE A4 E112 ’ifihtral mm Yonge Street, Richmond Hill. Lac 4Y6 On'ario Making it to the tap “No.” “I’m a reporter." “Lottsa guys would, you know. They “A reporter, eh? Hey â€" you made my don’t like it â€"- if they don’t smoke." day. Imagine, a reporter. I never met one before.” Bowing all night “Have you been boozing'?” I asked. “Yeh, all night." He settled back in his seat and took a hearty drag on his cigarette. “Been standing on that comer for an hour. Hitchhiked all the way up from downtown. Wouldn’t take a bus. They want the exact change. I got on, gave the guy a dollar and he said he wanted 50 cents cash. ,Hell with him." “What do you do for a living?” I asked. “I drive cab. That's a nothing job." liwhy1?!’ “Well, it is.” “Why do it, then?" “I’m just in it for the bread." “I guess we all are." “What do you do?" In this regard, I take full respon- sibility for the position of Ross Doan on the priority list. German Mills and Reesor Park schools were included in my first round of inspections in December. Second, the capital expenditure Ross Doan. Holland Landing and Newmarket, were most revealing. The administrative staff have known my thoughts on this school since my visit in February. project was established to cover the sewer area. All this information was available in early March. Yet despite repeated requests, members of the South Richvale Ratepayer Association couldn't obtain any approximate figures on costs. At the May 3 council meeting Mayor David Schiller, Councillor Burnie and others reversed their previously made commitments. so they could inspect all the region’s schools. It looks tous as if some lazy trustees could well spend less time playing politics for the benefit of their local areas, and a little more time doing their job. They said this was due to the time factor. to a request from town staff and because regional council required information on sewer allotments up to the end of 1976. This wasn’t necessarily so. Trustee Harry Bowes of Whitchurch-Stouffville, acting chairman of planning and building, had good reason to be upset enough to write the letter to the editor that appears below on this page. This important meeting received very little publicity for one which in- volved such an important decision. We suspect timeâ€"is short, as council WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, I976 Harry Bowes ....will still strive Reporters no different “They’re no different from anyone else.” I replied rather lamely. “Yeh, I éuppose. What’s your name â€" Clark Kent?" Then without waiting for an answer: “The first ride I got was from a salesman; now a reporter. What do you report on?” “Meetings, mostly." “Yeh, but what about cops and that stuff?” “What about them?” “Don‘t you dig up stuff there?” “To a degree. But mostly it’s meetings." forecast still has 19 names on the list But the recommendations we made were to be put at the top of the list because we were advised not to lie dormant even though the money was temporarily frozen. “Whi aren't you working on one of‘ those big papers in Toronto?" “It’s a long story." Third, this project list was compiled with the aid of administrative staff who have expertise in this area, and with the aid of capital expenditure forecasts from the last four years. This list is basically the same as that in the capital expenditure forecasts made by previous planning and building committees, and still contains names of projects which you mentioned were passed by. I was elected trustee and later ap- pointed to the planning and building committee to help carry out the Education Act of 1974. EDUCATION: MRS. HORTON This proclaims there should be equality of educational facilities. To this end I will strive, unless the bubble of equality bursts and leaves a lot of people ‘all wet‘. says, because information that could have been presented earlier was delayed so council could push through the scheme for undertaking con- struction of sanitary sewers. From all appearances the council and engineering department have continuously misled those who have tried to obtain information on the costs of the sewers. Now the town is attempting to push through the whole project in a little over one month. One month within the holiday season gives ratepayers groups little op- portunity to discuss the project and consider it in the context of the Official Plan of the town. It wasn't a hit and miss proposition TRUSTEE HARRY BOWES, Whitchurch-Stouffville, York County Board of Education. 164 Hawthorn Ave.,, Stouffville, Ont. 46 Roosevelt Dr” Thornhill, Ont. ROBERT MARQUIS, SAYS THE SYSTEM HAS GONE SOUR, AND SHOULD RETURN TO 3 R‘s.... "Look!!! ...... We‘ve been going in a circle ..... Reallya Musician “I know, friend, I know.” He was smiling now and decided it was time to put his own role in perspective. “I'm just driving cab for awhile. I’m a musician." “What do you play â€" guitar?" llYeh-17 “That’s a pretty crowded field." “Yeh, but I’m planning on being the best." “Are you planning or doing it?" “No, I’m doing it." I looked at him, pack-marked face and shaggy hair. “Where’s your guitar? Why aren’t you doing it now?” “I’m on holidays." We drove past the Richmond Inn and into The Liberal lot. “This the plant?" Olympics W0 W! The 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium will be (if ever completed) one of the continent’s landmarks â€" truly an architectural triumph and a fitting modern companion to the city‘s many beautiful churches and buildings. MONTREAL â€"~ I have been to the Mountain and have come away a believer! However. the stadium. which resembles somewhat the household iron. seems from the outside deceivingly small â€"â€" built as it is on sloped land and in a built-up area of mixed uses in east end Montreal. Inside, however, there's no question that it’s hpge. Towering over the stadium and becoming a predominant feature in the east end are the pyramid-shaped towers of Olympic Village which will house most Olympic athletes. Far more than the stadium, it‘s the village which captures the eye. This past week the scaffolding started coming down, revealing to the public more and more of the controversial structures, and they are as magnificent as they were supposed to be. Won’t be ready The huge tower over the stadium from which a coverlet was to billow over the stadium’s open centre in the event of inclement weather, will not be ready for the Olympic Games due to start next month. And that's too bad for one gets the impression that one would like to stand outside the stadium, rather than in, and pray for wet weather just to see the cover billow into place. 7 From an original estimate for the games of $350,000,000, the tab now is up to $1.5 billion dollars. Montreal will be left with some pretty fantastic buildings and facilities â€" but one can‘t help wondering whether there will be a royal commission created to find out what happened to the money. To put it into perspective, the interest alone on such a sum would be twice as much money as the York county board of education needs to finance a year‘s education for all the children in the regional municipality of York. Putting it another way. the sum could provide about 1,200 fully equipped elementary schools or about 500 fully equipped high schools. Makes man cry It‘s enough to make a grown man cry when one considers how hard it is to get capital funds for the much needed repairs at Thornhill Secondary, and that dank girls‘ gym at Newmarket high school. Nevértheless one's enthusiasm for the Olympic Games coming to Canada should not be dampened by such thoughts, since the world will focus on Canada during the two- week period July 17 to August 1. Eveiryone will remark on By John Stephens School trustee “This is the plant." He climbed out. “Goodbye, thanks for the ride." Disappeared from view “So long," I said. “Good luck,” Then I looked in my rear view mirror for a glimpse of him as I started to roll down the lot. but he had disappeared from View. The best musician in the world knew where he was going â€" right then, anyway â€" to Oxford Street and his friend’s house, where no doubt more booze would await him. And with the head start he already had and the fresh supply in front of him, by the time the day was over he would have already made it to the top of that oh, so crowded field. Canada's inability to get the facilities completed in time. but what will be there will be marvelled at. Last week the Quebec government started a $400,000 campaign in the public media congratulating itself and Quebec workers for “saving” the Olympic Games. Proud and ready In La Presse an advertisement featuring the province’s fleque-lis symbol over the five inter-laced Olympic ring symbol says “It’s ready" (On est pret). “Yes, we’re ready and really proud of what we’ve done and of our Quebec workers who have toiled on the world’s biggest single project. Proud too that Quebec took up the challenge and gave the whole world something to remember.” “Best of luck to all athletes." For two weeks then. Canada will take pride in the attention paid to this country. There may never be another oc- casion again when so much attention will be focussed on every aspect of Canada. its people, the way of life. and the country‘s achievements. Security question Since the Munich Games, the question of security is uppermost in people’s minds. Will someone take advantage of the situation to bring attention to their own particular problems? The Olympic Games in Montreal will not resemble an armed camp, but effective security measures will be in force. This past week military personnel have joined the RCMP at major international airports in Canada. Anyone using border crossing points lately already is aware of delays caused by more careful checks by customs officials. Movingpeople The roadways leading to the Olympic site are not exceptionally wide, as anyone who has travelled Sherbrooke Street and Pie IX will vouch. The stadium's Olympic~prepared subway stop is huge, but how many people can move in and out of the station before the next train pulls in and lets loose its passengers? How accessible the parking lots will be is a matter oLconjecture because of the volume of traffic expected. Best bet: Take the subway two hours early and leave the car away from the Olympic site area. Even without his guitar A lemul (alumn or own-on by our raiders. Subm-ssmns should be na more than no words, 'vped D'rlErIbly Opimon ls House minority regime working? TORONTO â€" The Legislature ad- journs June 22 for the summer recess and the question in everyone‘s mind at this time is: is minority government really working? The concept of minority government is new for Ontario and no party presently represented in the House is used to the idea. It is completely irresponsible on the part of the NDP‘s Stephen Lewis to try to provoke an election on every issue as he is. and it would be a real slap in the face to the electorate for Premier Davis to go to Lieutenant-Governor Pauline McGibbon and say. “I can no longer govern. it is time for an election". Power balance For the first time in 33 years the Liberal Party of Ontario holds the balance of power in the Legislature. On Sept. 18 the electorate gave us a minority government and by that mandate the voters said they wanted the situation changed from the Con- servative majority and thereby gave the rest of the legislators a chance to have some say. Nevertheless the Toronto press has been very demanding. For the first half of this session between the time of Bob Nixon's resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and Stuart Smith‘s election. we were leaderless. The Liberals are going through growing pains. More than half of the party's members are new to politics and the new leader is likewise new to politics. Shortly after Stuart Smith's ascen. sion to the leadership he took a stand on an election. Since then the Toronto press has cast him in the role of one who flip flops and if refuses to view him differently. Big precedent Most recently. the Farm Income Stabilization Bill represents the first time in living memory that the government of Ontario has been told to take back a bill, reconsider it. re-draft it and re-present it to the House. People spoke But the people told us they did not want a $20 million expenditure at‘that lime and so he changed his mind. This was accomplished by an amendment of the Liberal party, ac- cepted by the_ ND? and incorporated info its avmendment Tfiis panel will also be open to questions from the floor. As Stuart Smith and the Liberals begin to pull together. the strength and expertise of the Liberal' caucas is beginning to emerge. Legislative record ' Look at our legislative record for this past session. It was an amendment drafted by the Liberal Party of Ontario and accepted by the Conservative Party that made rent review flexible and workable. Recently in Bill 55 it was as a result of the strong voice of the Liberal Party that the bill was amended. thereby leaving what little power the municipalities had over their own planning destinies to those municipalities. ‘ l drafted an amendment to that act which would have given the municipalities more effective control over their own destinies, not by dismantling regional government. but by requiring the municipal and regional councils to plan together and zone by agreement with one another. Meeting Thursday In closing please remember the meeting Thursday at Thornhill Secondarv School. 8 pm, wherein a panel discussion WI“ take place concerning spending your tax dollars between MP Barney Danson. myself as MPP. Regional Chairman Garfield Wright, Mayors Schiller. Roman and Williams, plus School Board Chairmen Doug Allen and John McDermott. The Liberals said the Farm Income Stabilization Bill must be a farm in- come protection plan based on participation by farmers on a voluntary and contributory basis and it must be presented as such to the Legislature presented as before Oct. 30 Both the Conservative and the NDP voted against my proposed amend- ment. The Liberals in Ontario are a party to be reckoned with and in the House this week Robert Welch. Conservative house leader. publicly recognized the fact there has been good legislation eminate from this House in the present minority government situation. By Alf Slang MIA York (‘onlre