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Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Changes in the Waterloo County board of education‘s accommodation review procedure mean Waterloo residents and parents will not have sufficient input into the decision on whether or not to close Brighton school, residents charge. According to uptown residents Cindy McMenemy and Larry Richardson, the excluâ€" sion of parent representatives from the review committee, which studies schools for possible closure, is a serious "void" that jeopardizes the accountability of the procedure. "It‘s a real source of concernâ€"â€"we won‘t know if the information getting to them is accurate; we won‘t have a feeling of where the committee is going," said Richardson, of 11 Central Ave. "I wonder why they made the change, other than perhaps to eliminate the opposition."‘ ‘"Now the only (vehicle) for resident input is via the public meetings, and that‘s not enough. There‘s no decisionâ€"making component for the residents. We can nod all we want, they can nod all they want, but when it comes to making a decision we (residents) won‘t take part. We won‘t hear why the decision was made," maintained Fountain Street parent McMenâ€" emy. Both McMenemy and Richardson were active participants in a highlyâ€"contentious campaign two years ago to stop the proposed closure of Brighton school. At that time the board gave Brighton a twoâ€"year reprieve after the City of Waterloo joined the resident protest, and asked for time to stimulate residential development in the core to generâ€" ate more students for the school. As set out in the board‘s former review policy, community submissions were made to a 13â€"member Brighton accommodation review committee, which presented its recommendaâ€" tions to the board. Richardson was one of five Waterloo residents to sit on that committee, also composed of former Waterloo trustee Bob Kleinschmidt, trustee Twyla Hendry, school administration, three principals and a repreâ€" Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff A fight to save Erbsville school could occur if the Waterloo County Board of Education decides to introduce French immersion proâ€" gramming at the new Beechwood west school, members of the board‘s school review comâ€" mittee were told Monday. "Out here I feel we have quality education for the kids. 1 don‘t want to take them out of Erbsville and put them into a situation like Empire school where the English program has become a dumping ground because of immerâ€" sion,"" said Beechwood North resident Linda Harrison. "If Beechwood West is going to immersion, I‘d like to see Erbsville stay open. I‘d rather have my children bussed here, live with the restricted facilities here and keep the Englishâ€" only school," echoed Farraday Court parent Alan Jones. "If it‘s immersion over there, 1‘d give serious consideration to fighting to keep Erbsville open." Erbsville has been targeted for closure in 1987 because the majority of its students will be transferred to the new Beechwood West school when it opens. All but 14 of Erbsville‘s 83 Grades 1â€"6 students now come from Waterloo‘s Beechwood subdivision. However, residents told the committee closure of Erbsville would be premature because of the rapid growth occuring the Waterioo‘s west end. They noted that they new Beechwood school will reach capacity within three years of its opening. "This school is going to be neededâ€"the question isn‘t going to be whether the school will be needed in the next three years, it will Omission of parents from review process source of concern /, community submissions were made to "I know in talking to my neighbors that nember Brighton accommodation review feelings are very strong about keeping the rittee, which presented its recommendaâ€" school open," said McMenemy. ‘"We don‘t to the board. Richardson was one of five know if this is a perfunctory assessment of the rloo residents to sit on that committee, situation or whether there‘s a hidden agenâ€" omposed of former Waterloo trustee Bob da...our general attitude is we‘re fighting a schmidt, trustee Twyla Hendry, school battle. We don‘t take anything lightlyâ€"â€"we nistration, three principals and a repreâ€" can‘t afford to." Immersion issue at Erbsville review sentative of the Waterloo planning depart ment. That policy was revised in 1985. As a result the present committee is onlycomposed of school administration and five trustees: Ray Kropf (who serves as committee chairman), Waterloo trustee John Monteith, Ted Clare, Sue Coulter and Susan Sanderson. Committee input is gained through special board hearings this fall. In an interview Board chairman Elizabeth Witmer stressed that the policy change was made to provide for greater public input, not less. "I can appreciate their concerns, but 1 really feel this is to their advantage," she said. "The meetings we will hold with the commuâ€" nity this fall are critical, and there are many opportunities for the residents to keep coming back." Witmer said board experience with closure studies done under the former policy revealed the "entire procedure had serious flaws." For example, she maintained that on occasion the parent representatives on the committees did not speak for the entire community, causing "problems.‘" Now, she said, all groups and indviduals ‘"can approach to board and state their case." Witmer also argued that the new policy leaves local trustees who do not sit on the review committees with greater freedom to actively help residents in campaigns to save threatened schools. Brighton closure meetings begin this eveâ€" ning at 9 p.m. at the school with an information session to outline the new review procedure and respond to resident questions. _ Both McMenemy and Richardson promise to be at the session, to begin anew the fight to keep Brighton open. o o be a question of how many additions they‘ll have to be putting onto it,"" said Jones. Others argued the school should be preâ€" served because of its uniqueness and the high quality of its educational program. "This school has a longâ€"lived reputationâ€"it‘s a special school. I want to keep it open. There‘s a certain feeling amongst the staff; there‘s a great deal of caring. I know it‘s been wonderful for my child," said Waterlioo parent Ruth Denis. .« Monday‘s meeting was an information session sponsored by the review committee to inform the community of the board‘s review procedure. Committee chairman Ray Kropf told the approximately 20 parents in attenâ€" dance they have until September to prepare responses to the possible closure, which will be presented to the entire board at special public meetings. Kropf‘s committee will then study the school situation and any community submissions before making a recommendaâ€" tion to the board in late November of Deâ€" cember. A final decision on Erbsville‘s future will be made in January. o Stillmeadow Circle resident Gwyneth Jalâ€" bert reminded the audience that this is the third time in six years that the board has investigated the possiblity of closing Erbsâ€" ville, and in both of the two previous reviews parents have been instrumental in keeping the school open. "A couple of years ago the impetus was to keep the school open until Beechwood West opened. Now I‘m hearing something entirely differentâ€"keep the school open no matter what because of the quality of education here," she said. Kâ€"W residents face long lineups at the Twin Cities‘ two hospitals, which are beginning to feel the effects of the weekâ€"old doctors‘ strike. Melodee Martinuk photo Students face According to Swann only two things will end the strike: immediate withdrawal of the legislation, or the appointment of a "mutuallyâ€" agreeable mediator to look at the situation and come up with a comâ€" promise. p uP L w4 & $z M on e e Doctors BUCMESCAMIR® "‘Most members would probably go back to work tomorrow if a mediator were appointed. Unfortunately Mr. Peterson has repeatedâ€" ly refused OMA calls for a mediator," he said. . ut B in isnn dcrton cce anivlietin ds i dn oc o en annnaaiay‘ 3 As an indication of local support for continuing the strike, Swann said that of 166 physicians attending Tuesday‘s Academy meeting, only one wanted the strike to end. (Continued from page 1) goers proceeded to put holes in the walls. "This is a problem that has increased a lot recently. Today‘s student seems to be more rebellious than those of a few years ago. No matter what you do for them, you‘re still a dirty old landlord," said Glaser. ‘I‘m just fed up with pouring money into it."‘ Glaser says as each student lease expires he will inspect the unit before making a decision on whether to offer a renewal. He is also letting students out of their leases now if they so wish. Any action he will take, will be done strictly in accordance with the Landlordâ€"Tenâ€" ant Act, he says. . When the flushâ€"out is complete, it will mean a loss of approximately 200 beds for university students. UW Student Federation president Scott Forrest says Glaser‘s decision is "very unfortunate". ‘"‘The average student is not like that. It‘s very unfortunate a very few students spoil it for the rest," he said. VLli;_Eyd'tv ul":(;rre.:;tâ€"ls also concerned with the enforcement of the various regulations. o D y .â€"‘-‘Xlrth-e';ev{l;iâ€"r-nvg;ére positive in the long run but will definitely have a negative affect in the beginning. The situation this year looks pretty grim," he said. _ _ o â€" . One move to alleviate the housing woes of UW may take place in September. At that time, university officials will decide the fate of a proposed $8 million, 100â€"unit townhouse complex planned for the north campus. But even if the project is given the goâ€"ahead, it will do rflothing for the 1986 problem, since it will not be completed until the all of 1987. .-::I:S’;rér';t'fiing hinges on costs. If construction costs taper off and interest rates are OK, we‘ll go ahead. Right now we‘re on a deliberate stall," said Eydt. o â€" S Wenpelavt S101, SEERCE MAS NTCY Even if the project is approved, the units will not be cheap. Eydt estimates each of the fourâ€"bedroom units will cost $960 a month to rent, a far cry from the $433 that students were paying for threeâ€"bedroom homes on Sunnydale. To combat the problem facing his housing office this fall, Eydt says workers are currently in the process of phoning every homeowner who has ever listed with the university to see if they will put up one student. ‘"I‘m hoping landladys will open their doors," said Eydt. Recent figures from Wilfrid Laurier‘s housing office indicates 10,000 students will be living in Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo this year. The number of listings for a normal year at the UW office is 2,700 ‘"Obviously there are a lot of students we have no idea where they live," said Eydt. f UW and WLU will make a joint appeal in late July for homeowners to open their doors. rooms. (Continued from page 1)