The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Protestant involved in RC controversy (Continued from page 1) consider what I would do, including discussion with the board and those discussions would have to include the possibility of her dismissal.‘‘ But he again denied he had threatened the teacher with dismissal. Following her private meeting with Clifford, in which she says she was given three days to make a decision, Balser wrote Clifford her reply In a letter, she says ‘‘during this meeting you stated that you felt, in all consciousness (sic), that a Protestant teacher in the Separate School system should not be treated any difâ€" ferently than a Catholic teacher in regard to reâ€" marriage after divorce. ‘‘You then requested my resignation. You also stated that if I reâ€" signed immediately, you could probably arrange for me to continue until the end of June. If I did not resign, you would have me terminated by Christmas _ ... you requested that I inform you of my intention on Monday, 27 Oct., as you wished to present my reâ€" signation to the School Board at their Monday night meeting. "I feel that this is an unfair and unchristian attitude, and by submitâ€" ting my resignation, I would be condoning this action. I therefore deâ€" cline youur offer." The matter apparently was not formally disâ€" cussed by the board at its Oct. 27 meeting. _ Instead, on Nov. 3, Clifford personally deliâ€" vered his response to Balser at St. Thomas Aquinas school. In his letter, Clifford wrote "I acknowledge your position in which you are declining to subâ€" mit your resignation. I will not be pursuing your contractual status with the Board any further at this time. If at any time in the future I will be discussing your contracâ€" tual status with the Board you will be inâ€" formed in advance of the discussion."‘ In the letter, Clifford did not deny any of the assertions made of Balser in hers. When asked in yesterâ€" day‘s phone interview what he meant by the phrase "at this time" mentioned in the letter to her, Clifford replied "I don‘t think I had any meaning to that at all. I can‘t foresee the fuâ€" ture." At the press conferenâ€" ce called about a halfâ€" hour later. Clifford atâ€" tempted to clarify his When asked of the posâ€" sibility of termination by either of the two dates Balser had menâ€" tioned, Clifford said only that various times for a resignation to become effective were disâ€" He said that after Balser‘s refusal to rsign, I discussed the situaâ€" tion with the board and said they did not have the right to pursue it through dismissal and that nothing further could or should be done. She will receive a reply from our solicitor telling her that her position with the board remains intact." He emphasized later‘‘I have no intention of going to the board any further in Mrs. Balser‘s case." FRANK CLIFFORD Clifford also stated he would invite all nonâ€" Catholic teaching staff of the board to a meetâ€" ing to explain the board‘s position on such matters and ‘‘discuss any questions they may have"‘ to alleviate posâ€" sible concerns of those teachers in regards to their positions with the Asked when the meetâ€" ing would take place, he said "exactly the day we don‘t have to deal with the questions and emoâ€" tions we‘ve been dealing with lately." At the press conferenâ€" ce, Cli[(Q[\t;l was asked why he would suggest to Balser that the board might discuss the posâ€" sibility of her terminaâ€" tion when he has concedâ€" ed she could not be disâ€" missed for denominational _ cause, that is, because of her marriage situation. Clifford said "I was clear we didn‘t have the right under the BNA (which allows for disâ€" missal for denominaâ€" tional cause). We would see if there were other routes we could take." However, he declined to name any other route open to the board. _ Clifford said that in the five years he has served as board direcâ€" tor, there have been a total of six cases, includâ€" ing the one of Ann Sutâ€" ton, where a Catholic teacher had their conâ€" tractual status disâ€" cussed for denominaâ€" tional reasons or due to their conjugal life. Balser‘s is the first, he said, involving a nonâ€" Catholic. He said two of the teachers were granted leaves of absence to seek an annulment and then returned to their teaching position, whereas the others left the system. Balser has been with the board for 14 years and was hired when she was separated from her first husband. Four years ago she was divorced and someâ€" time after that she met an old boyfriend from her teenage days. In July of last year, she married her old flame, George Allen Balser, now a technical writer with National Cash Register in Waâ€" terloo. She belongs to the United Church, but the couple agreed to marry in the Baptist church herâ€" husband belongs to. Balser is the former Mary Lowes, maiden name Tofting. She said she was enâ€" couraged by her doctor to speak out on the issue because "I would probaâ€" bly be angry with myself if I kept it inside. "I had a cancer operaâ€" tion three years ago and this doesn‘t help at all," she said, adding her docâ€" tor had temporarily put her on mild tranquilizers "‘"because I‘m very nerâ€" vous about the whole thing. But she says there is no doubt in her mind that Cliford issued an ulâ€" timatum and in regards to her statement on that she says "I‘m at peace with my soul."‘ Her Kitchener lawyer, David Zimmer, conâ€" firmed that Balser had suffered "some very serious health problems and this situation creaâ€" tes a level of anxiety." He referred to Balser as "a firstâ€"class teacher who has been with the board since 1967 and is considered _ an _ exâ€" emplary teacher." In addition to writing for clarification of her status from the board, Zimmer said a history of the case has been sent to education minister Bette Stephenson. (Continued from page 1) tion, Waterloo was represented on reâ€" gional council by Mayor Marjorie Carâ€" roll and the two top voteâ€"getters in the last municipal elecâ€" tion, aldermen Mary Jane Mewhinney and Doreen Thomas. But Thomas placed fourth in last week‘s election and isn‘t eliâ€" gible to sit on regionâ€" al council. Carroll was acclaimed to ofâ€" fice and Mewhinney placed second in the aldermanic race and both will return to reâ€" gional council. Thirdâ€"place _ finâ€" isher Glen Wright said in an interview he would take the reâ€" Johns Weins (left), chairman of Waterloo Mennonite Homes, is presented with the key to a senior citizens‘ apartment complex at 27 George St., Waterloo, by Harold Freure of Freure Homes of Kitchener. Looking on is Herb Ens, coâ€"ordinator of Wâ€"K United Menâ€" nonite Church, which owns the $1.5 million, 46â€"unit apartment complex. About 260 people, including Mayor Marjorie Carroll, attended the official opening and dedication of the building Sunday. (Photo by Gail McMichael). Bishop defends RC board (Continued from page 1} He said in the case of Sutton "it‘s not a quesâ€" tion of her morality. It‘s a question of her giving a public sign that is contrary to the institution she stands for." The bishop emphasized that a public sign was the important factor when considering grounds for dismissal for denominational reasons. As an example of another type of public act that could be grounds for dismissal, the bishop said ‘if a Catholic publicly stated that he did not believe in the teaclfings o{ the church in regards to the Eucharist. I believe that would be good grounds." Erb declines region seat MENNONITE HOME OPENS gional seat that was declined by Erb. I‘m eager to repreâ€" sent Waterloo," Wright said. _ Wright â€" said . a priority item he‘d like to see tackled, after he gets settled, is the regional budget for next year which has a proposed inâ€" crease of 19.1 per cent. ‘‘What I‘d really like to do is find my desk first,"" Wright said. ‘"But the budget increase strikes me as being too high. I don‘t think it should pass without further study, discussion and paring if at all posâ€" sible because I think it sets a dangerous precedent." at the regional level. Mewhinney, who "I‘m waiting to see has served nearly two how the committees terms on regional form fl Mewhinâ€" council filling a vaâ€" ney said. ‘"The health cancy left when Herb and social services Epp entered provinâ€" department is setting cial politics, said in up a children‘s diviâ€" an interview she inâ€" sion and I‘m interestâ€" tends to keep her seat ed in that." Archbishop speaks The mission outreach and work of the Church in the Canadian North and Overseas will be the theme of an Evensong Service at the Anglican Church of the Holy Saâ€" viour, 33 Allen Street East, Waterloo, on Sunâ€" day, November 23, 1980, at 7:00 p.m. Mewhinney, who has served nearly two terms on regional council filling a vaâ€" cancy left when Herb Epp entered provinâ€" cial politics, said in an interview she inâ€" tends to keep her seat Bishop MacDonald said ‘"if Catholic people continue to challenge the system, if she (Sutton) continued to teach after going to the Human Rights Commission (for instance). then 20 years down the road the government would say to us ‘what‘s so special about your school?‘ _ The Guest Preacher _ *‘The school board took a long time to do this, he said. "I heard about this case at least in early September . The bishop conceded the Sutton affair "is a complicated thing and most regrettable," but said the board tried to treat the matter carefully in previous deliberations with Sutton. will be The Most Rev. J.A. Watton, recently retired Archbishop of the Diocese of Moosonâ€" ee, in northern Ontario. The choirs of the three churches from the city of Waterloo, under the direction of Angus Sinâ€" clair,. will participate in the Service.