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Maple decision took courage Don '1‘ fish in Thornhi/I pond Vaughan councillors sure showed a lot of courage last week when they took a stand in favor of the 320-acre Leisure Centres amusement park plan. They aren‘t trying to win any easy, instant popularity contest. These councillors must be convinced the plan is good for the town in the long run. Otherwise they wouldn‘t stand against the loud public outcry opposing the proposal. It is the council’s job to be responsible as well as representative. Dear editor: I would like to protest the fishing in the pond on Highway 7B in Thomhill. The pond is a very pretty spot and very rel_axing for me» a_nd others. I'go there'every night after all the work is done, to feed the ducks and relax. It is the only peaceful time I have all day. It helps me and others to unwind at the end of the day. They could catch the hook and swallow it. Another reason I‘m against fishing there, and the main reason, is the ducks. This could lead to suffering, and maybe to a slow death. The ducks could also get their legs or wings tied up in the fishing line. If they can’t swim, they are easy prey for dogs and other predators. They think you are feeding them when you throw in your fishing line. I‘ve seen fishermen at the pond cut off a piece of useless fishing line and throw it into the pond. They should put it in the nearby trash bin. I saw three Canada Geese tonight. But they didn’t come in close because of the fishermen; BY JIM IRVING It is Saturday afternoon and I am sitting in my shorts out on the balcony fronting my dwelling, letting a benevolent sun â€" that is all but keeping the sky from being completely blue â€" touch up all those white spots it missed between my ears and my ankles when it shone for a solid 28 minutes and 32 seconds on that unforgettable day on my holidays, during the soâ€"called summer just past. Meanwhile, the magnificent sub- cellar tones of Alexander Kipnis singing “In Diesen Heil’gen Hallen” (Within this Sacred Dwelling) from Mozart's Magic Flute, join me and the sun from just inside the door. And I know that, even if what I‘m trying to write doesn’t come out just exactly the way I want it, it won't be because the setting was wronE. Viewpoint from the regional desk If. however, the whole thing has the heavy tread of a school board report on “Easy and Instant Communication," then maybe there will be those who will say I spent too much time in the sun and not enough with the muse. And thven, of course. there will be those who won't notice any difference, anyway. Which brings me back to the beginning, and as good a place to start as any. It’s not enough, I keep saying. to maintain a high standard of production. nor to cop a few acting firsts here and there. So. at least one of us is going to enjoy my efforts today. Curtain choices Every so often in~one of my writing asidw, I drop a hint of sorts to the Curtain Club to be less English in its presentations. They should remember they are in Canada now and perhaps assimilate a bit more. That latter bit is most necessary. as Canada is probably the only place in the world where the newcomers don't seek to be accepted by the natives, but where the natives seek to be accepted by the newmmers. It isn't very often they come in, so it is So. as residents of Canada. the club All the more power to The Lubeval IS publvshed evevv Wednesday by Mevospan Communny Newspapers Lm’uled A North Dwusmn, which also publishes The Banner m Aurora, Newmarkel The Woodbndge Vaughan News, and The Bolton Entevpuse WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 8' 1976 PAGE A-4 Letters E11: ifihtral 10101 Vonge PUBUSHER J.G. VAN KAMPEN ASST. PUBUSHER MURRAY SKINNER EDITOR HAROLD BLAINE Sweet, Richmond Hull UK: 4Y6 Onlano It’s curtains for me! very special when they do. However‘ they will stop coming if the fishermen are allowed to continue. .There isn‘t much in the way of fish in that pond, just goldfish, other small In a recent V letter to the press, Director Sam Chapman has gone and made it a question of decency. Dear editor: A difference of opinion has arisen between Mayor Margaret Britnell of King and the York County board of education, regarding the percentage of increase in this year’s education taxes. It remains to be seen (he says) if Mayor Britnell has enough of a sense of decency to make an apology to the staff of the board (for being wrong, or unable to cope with simple arithmetic). I don’t know how Mayor Britnell, or any of us, could have the decency to apologize to the board, since that very decent body seems to have pretty well cornered all of the available supply. them for standing on their belief. It is a tough decision. There is the bad and the good in the project. There is the part that emotional opposition to change plays in public opinion. These factors have to be sorted out. It is true many citizens hereabouts haven’t faced the fact all the green fields and woods around them are destined for some kind of development. They are living in a dream world. You may remember, too, how it used to comer all of the available parking space near the town library before being presented by the grateful tax- payers with its present modest The choice is between 1:z-square-mile of commercial recreation area or some other sort of use which certainly won’t be farming. That doesn’t mean only Canadians could then try out, but only that those English members of the club would have to tone down their accents a bit. Audition Canadians Or if it’s an English play, then auditions should be just as wide open to Canadians, who would then have to attempt an English accent. members should try to slip in the oc- casional work with a North American setting. Which is fair enough on both ac- counts, n‘ cestâ€"pas? For aren’t per- formers supposed to be able to do just that very thing? As I say, I‘ve harped on this off and on for some years, with my latest spiel coming just a few weeks ago. At that time I said the club should audition a few Canadians for its English plays. “You’ll find they not only walk upright,” I wrote, “but probably can do one of those foreign accents from across the sea as well. “You know what oi mean?" the latter. of course, meaning we could sound as English as the best of them. What they did So what happened? Did the Curtain Club politely ignore my little outburst as usual and head down to the docks to audition the latest boatload of im- migrants from over ‘ome, the way any sensible group would do? No. Instead it cast about in the usual manner and then, when it found it was still short one. Gerry Crack, its distinguished and astute director. called me on the phone one day. “James, old boy," he said in that hearty cross-theâ€"sea voice of his, “how’d you like to in o_ur opening play?" '(See How They Run â€" an English farce). “We need someone to play the part of the intruder. “I think you might be right,“ he added. neatly sidestepping the fact nobody else had tried out for the part Usual aplomb “Well. gosh. I-uh, ah, sure, I guess â€" I mean. uh. well, thanks,” I said, with the usual aplomb I have in such mat- N0 trustee flu for me fish, and turtles. I’m sure there are other ponds which are more productive for fishing. I’m not 'totally against fishifig. I’ve done some myself. facilities With great decency the trustees recently voted to take no action to roll back the rather decent salary increases dished out last fall to Director Chap- man and his executive staff, in cir- cumstances of the most dubious legality. Ehabman’s salary, for instance, zoomed from $41,000 to a very decent $47,765. ' They have now most decently been taking thermoneyrfor about a year. “ These decent increases were all massively in excess of the rather in- decent guidelines of the Anti-Inflation Board. A recent letter to the board from Jeanâ€"Luc Pepin, indecently called the raises excessive, and questioned the methods used in obtaining them. After saying that, Pepin very decently passed the buck and threw the decisiofi Back on the trustees ters So, naturally I accepted. I mean, isn’t that just what I’d been grousing about all along? That Canadians could do those foreign accents as well. So now tHat I’ve accepted, will I have plays baseball. And'golf. and hockey. And squash. But'baseballi is his passion. I’m fairly passionate about it too. Passionately bored. Let me hasten to add that it is an active boredom. I’m not bored because I was waiting at home for him. I'm bored bscause I was at the ga_me. - I'I ,A-L____ -r D I wonder what it is like to be one of those baseball wives who thinks a diamond is something one wears on one‘s finger. or doesn‘t really know what hubby does when he leaves the house in that strange little boy’s uniform and comes home late and smelly and mad. Why's he's mad I know he's mad because he bOoted the ball in the third inning and struck out to end the game. I know he’s smelly because the batter who followed him kept hitting foul balls that had him yoâ€"yoing back and forth between first and second for five minutes. I know he’s late because he was at the pub replaying the game and arguing he deserved a hit, not an error, his second time at bat. vi eépecially know about the error because I scored it. Route to sanity After nine baseball'seasons, I find the only way to keep my sanity THORNHILL â€" My husband By Sharon Brain But I‘m against it in the pond at Thomhill. Do something now before the ducks are injured or killed. WIV’m writing with the support of a dozen of my friends whose signatures They, of course, very promptly, by a vote of 12 to 4, solidly established decency. He l5 now considered to be thoroughly decent, and can once more sleep peacefully. - I heard recently that Civil Servant Sam has already applied for his salary increase for the coming year. 7 Which should be a ve'ry} comfortable year. For him. » v For he no doubt applied for a very decent increase, the better to demonstrate his relentless resolve to very decently restrain the costs of education. The name of John Raniowski. chairman of the salaries committee, was thus cleansed. The exact figure is top secret to protect anyone from being indicted for mass manslaughter of taxpayers dropping dead from shock. any difficulty sounding like an English- man? Who said anything about sounding like an Englishman? I play the part of a Russian. I-élso'read today that the board of Oh, well, it’s a start, isn’t it? while sitting on those granite bleachers (cleverly disguised to look like wood.) is to keep score: It gives me something to do other than swat mosquitoes. It also means people talk to men “What‘s the inning?“ or “How many runs did they get?" may not be my idea of great conversation. But it does help pass the time. Categorizing chatter I also amuse myself by categorizing the chatter. » Chatter is a term for the words that come out of a baseball‘s player‘s mouth during the lengthy pause between pitches. Most of this chatter is addressed to the pitcher. Without a constant stream of encouragement, the team fears he will cease to function. A lopvtil (nlumn or opumon by our readers Submusslons inn-Ila In no more Inn loo words, lvvec ordereny trustees seek written comment from the public on their draft policy on ‘values’ education. Their statement reads: ‘The board believes the purpose of values education is to assist students in the development of a personal moral code that will give them strength â€" ‘(I have to break off here, since I feel myself being overcome by an attack of ex. treme decency.) H 7 W Really I Wouldn’t want to rub shoulders with the board of education and many of its trustees: » What with the present risks of swine flu, encephalitis, and legionnaires’ disease, to get infected with a personal moral code, and decency, would be just too much. also appear on this letter. Thank you for allowing me to express my opinion. BONITAâ€"ALICE JOHNS 7636 Yonge St., Thornhill, Ont. Isn’t it? Or does it really mean “Do svidam ya,” (Daws vee tawn ya) as they say in Russian. And “Goodbye” as they say over here. mumbles or pleads. “You're the best in there, Chucker, you’re the best. Throwin’ honey ball in there, throwin’ honey ball. Break his heart. He’s a looker. Take him yourself." If the talk dies off at all, one of the players will call disgustedly, “Gotta hear you guys,” and they all begin again wffitht-xiofigrht of someone with a stammer crouching behind the plate fills me with terror._ Catcher leads The leader of this chatter is usually Vthe c_atch_er. ‘AL , I know that then the game would take at least five hours. as it is impossible for the pitcher to release the ball until the catcher has gotten off at least five lines, such as: “Hummin’ good in there. Blow it by him. You got him. He’s yours. Down the pipe. Here it comes batter. Honey ball." _ ,ru The team at bat spends most of its time encouraging the man at the plate. but still finds lots of time for “rhubarbs for the Ump and the fielding team. Ump gets sarcasm The Umpire, by virtue of his authority, gets mere sarcasm, as in “Nice call, Ump." So the team in the field yells, SID BRITTON. 84 Hillsview Rd Aurora, Ont. the fieldefs are ignored until a AW Schools just fine We have a firmly entrenched tradition in our house, instigated by yours truly in a moment of madness one Labor Day‘s eve. It‘s called Kids' Day. It means every Labor Day I do just that â€" I labor at making breakfast and taking it upstairs on trays so our three offspring can partake of it while still in bed. a, r’THéy have a ball the night before dreamingAup menus: _ These' hzive tended to get more elaborate with each passing year._ The dreamers wonder why they don't get presents too, since they have to cough up for them on Mother‘s and Father's Days. It‘s the day they don‘t have to do any chores. They have the whole of the last day of freedom before school starts to relax and enjoy themselves. Tribulation day They need it, to build up their strength for the trials and tribulations of the next? day. The new blouse will inexplicably pOp a button. The knowledge will dawn that all is in vain since having no duo-tangs today means certain failure next June. Jeans will have to be worn that everyone will laugh at because they don't have the same label as everyone else's otherwise identical jeans. They'll have other problems to cope with too. They can't communicate with anyone and no one can communicate with them (It‘s true, you read it right here in this newspaper.) Skills they lack They don't know how to read or write, parse or spell. Nation-wide, media have been reporting on studies showing the extent of the problem - kids graduating from universities who can‘t yet read at the Grade 3 level, PhiD‘s who can’t~ add, math majors who don‘t know a‘slide rule from a yardstick. But what if we stopped worrying about whether they learned to read and write? I have a feeling that may happen in a few years. The written word is going to become less and less important; A And I wonder if our thousands of years of history and culture would necessarily be lost. Highway signs are little pictures and computers have invaded all of our lives. Language itself is becoming pithier and more abbreviated. They're future If kids were encouraged to develop along these lines I’ll bet they‘d end up just as communicative in their way as we like to think we are in ours. "'Aftrerrr alf, how many of us have read Sophqcles lip, the qrigjpa] Greek? Our society séems to be headed in that direction right now. Or heard Homer‘s Iliad sung, the way the tale was told for its first 500 years? Or seen all of Shakespeare’s plays staged in the round? We‘ve managed to hang onto our culture all these hundreds of decades simply by absorbing it in our own fashion. The next generations will do the same. Maybe they'll even come closer to the original way of conveying it. They‘ll watch Greek tragedy being performed, they‘ll perform Shakespeare themselves, and they might even get the bright idea of put- ting the Iliad to music. History alive History will come alive for them, because they’ll see it enacted right before their eyes on the big screen. In a hundred years or so they’ll probably think of us as the last generation to get ideas across by the slow tedious method of the written word H "fii'éy won’t knew how to add, sub- tract, multipy or do long division, either. '_;l‘hey’ll use electronic calculators, more sophisticated, of course, than the ones they‘re starting to use now. But thén, when wa's the last time you used an abacus? And do you really miss it? WI think they‘re going to end up far more aware, far better informed, than we ever were. particularly bad play delights their Opponents. _ "i‘hen a cheerful form of raillery occurs. Personal remarks are par- ticularly well received, as in “Get yourself a ladder, Shorty." They’re in there All this chatter is designed to show the players are really ‘in the game‘. I suspect it also helps keep both them and the spectators awake. Its object is to humiliate the recipient until he an§wers back. Next the Ump ('who is useless) and the coach (who knows nothing about baseball) are discussed. Then highlights of the present season and those just past, are replayed. Swap stories Then stories of famous ball players, who were no better than team members when they were kids together, are presented. H Firét the V game just piayed is recalled in loving detail. (Mrs. Brain lives at 85 John St. in Thomhill. â€" Editor) After the game any team worth its stretchy pants retires somewhere to gloat, moan, and wet its lips. Finally, talked out and over- liquified, the team staggers home. It could have been worse, I guess. It could have been a tournament. They go on for days. By Lynda Nykor