The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario lnc. at 131 Brock St. N,- Whitby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 'TorontoLine 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maunoe Pither - Editor* Alexandra Martin -'Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Registration #05351 Freeway link would be a disaster To the Editor: The proposod- route for the north-south frseway linking Hwy. 401 ta the future Hwy. 407 would bu a disastor 'for Whitby. No wonder the mayor and councillors wsre astonishsd, and offsnded, when thsy heard h -for the firsi lime on Feb. 10. IR this route la adopted, people ln the western pari 0f towni will have ta stay indoors with the. windows shut ail yeur round, and, Praise for Montesso ri. education To the EdItor: >Wth regard ta The Fr.. Pres article on Feb. 12 about the Whtby Miontessori Schooi, 1 would l0<. ta say o appy w. are, as parents wlh adaughtsr ln g rade l ai Ibis achool, wilh'the educallon shs las receiving. 9f you are apalleda we wsre, by the trsndy7 educaton toch- nlq ues now ln vogue ln the early grades of the public schoal system, then the cholos cf a more traditional educalion based'upon the basfics les what wouid bue o speclal attraction. Each child progresses at their own paco ln rsalty, not ln thsary as ln the public system. Such *Illogical nonsense as 'whole language reading', famous only for the Inordinats numbur cf'illiterates it produces;, is loft ta the public schools ta practIce. My daughter is now working on the baslcs9 of division and muliplication and is dolng cursive wrlting, whlle chlldren ln th public system usar playing ln water or sand acllvity centres. Guess who will have the' butter chance of bulng a. productive, literais membur cf socisty? Way ta -go, Montessori. David J. Gummor Whitby even thon, they will heur the roau from'the freeway. Apparently, the route was chosen by some committes of anonymous bursaucrats ai Qussn's Park. Instead 0f selecting a route ln the middle of the six-kilometre wlde, f lai and almost smpty seurch usea, where the noise Impact and the disruption ta municipal planning would be t a minimum, they chose ans located less than hait a kiiometre fram the Whitby residential usea which extends from- West Lynde ta Rossland Rd. Only the resulis of the evaluallon wer&-ý given'.ta the council but apparentiy the bureaucrats gave Preai wsight ta some trifling farmmng and wildIfe Impact which, unlike 1h.e noise Impact, would bu temporary. Even thon, 1h. chosen route was only slightly ahead 'ofochers in the evaluation. The word 'noise' wasn't even mentionod ,In the presentalion ta the counc'il. This astonishlng proposai ,will bu .the subjeot cf a public -meeting on Tuesday, Feb.. 25 at theý Whitby municipal building between 3 and 9 p..I étumnout ln force we may be abe ostopIL. David Hwitor' Whltby Satire was enjoyed To the EdItor: 1 enjcyed Bill Swan's column regarding Bob's (Rab) tlevison appearance <hitDy Fr0.Press, Jan. 15/92). Even for a politician so lntlmnately lnvolved in partisan strategies, sucb satire la '5h11l enjoyable. Onesael point, you might bu interested In: Bob did ht with anly one tae. Drummond White Durham Contre MPP Fair and equal To the Edîtor: i wonder if the 200 shametul Tory MPs and senars ceiebraied 1h. tirai aniniversary cf 1h. rape.of the incomes of the pon, veterans, unomployed and pensionens wih as much exuburant elalion as they did when thoy rammed the obnoxious GST into those already acre tbroals. They now tcur 1he country tellng us la t*quit bitching,0 ta accept the kicks in the teeth, i.. the GST, free trade, economic fiasco, hungry children, etc. Forget the lies: no tax on food, equai and fair taxation throughoul Canada. The veteran and senior la still paying GST an the donut hale, the tycoon roclaima bis banquet. Fair and equai taxation? Tell R ta the marmnesl Harold Ealdsn Nanooso Bey, B.C. The Whiby Free Press welcomes letters ta the.editor on any subjeot of concem ta our readers. Letters should be brief and ta the point - raîely more than 300 worcls. Ail letters must be accompanied by the nanie, address and- telephone number of the writer; however, on request~ your name may he withheld from publication if we agree that there is a valid reason. The paper reserves the right ta reject or edit ail letters. Send ta: The Editar, Whitby Free Press, Box 206, Whitby, Ont. LN 5S1, or drap through aur mail slot at 131 Brock St N. To th. Edîtor: Capy cf letter ta Richard Allen, Minister , f Collegea and Universities. Dear Sir: Five years ega 1 wrote a letter ta Sean Conway thon Mlnstsr of Celleges and , Universities), pontig eut that the Durham Bor f Eductlion's ,flve-year farecast of, capital expenditures was thon an unbellevable $100 million. Little appears la have cbanged except the pain cf lncreased taxes. The forecast for 1992 la now $136 million, and the flvs-year torecast la nearly $500 million for the public boaud alone. 1 am sure you have hsard aad atonies tram bath boards the!thI isla.a unlquely expending usea that emusl have* extra maney. But the 'wsll la dry, and taxpayors are blooding. W. have eyes and do not choose ta see. We are restructurlng 'lhs country, province, hsalth cars and Industry. Evntemighty GM, IBM and the cil industryý are making painful ch es as aur akilîs and producis are chaiege from abroad. It la time ta restructure aur education system without further squendering of scarce taxes. Per-pupil costs ln Ontario are amon9 the highest ln the world, and dismal resuits prove thai more money la not tho answer. W. must roduce a dropout rate that denies To the Edîtor: Re: Tewnhauaes rwaffardable hauslngw), site plan application for Mouay Blv~d. If we wented te livo ln the aluma, or next door to anse, we would have not paid the money we did for our bouse, nor do we -expect ta pay lb. arnount cf taxes we do ta do so? 'Affardable housing, 9 unfortu- netely, are just nice words ta describe 'aluma.' We used ta cali them low rentai and they are,,ail the saine. I have seen them tram Coast ta coast, and dewn the rond they becomne.slums. 1 have' a sister who lves ln one, and not by choice. She lae a single mother and k la pure bell for ber, for everything that can't bu carrled eway la damaged. She bas had ber barbecue, that was cbalnod and radlacked, bikes, lawn furniture,, awnmower, even clothes ram ber lino, stolen and asebas bail her car dmaged a couple of timos., Il s one hellof aweto live wben this stutt la s dons e h ne e nase, end every nigbt asebas ta move ail 0f ber bulonginga Inta the, bouse. Ther isa c- mon Rosslend post-secondary schoollng.'ta 70 per cent cf aur children.- Human natu're la such that 10 per cent wll excel under the worst conditions, 80 per cent. Mvili perform in a range of poor to.very good- under normal circumatances and 10'per cent wlll fal under any cîrcumestancea. The latter will bu the rssponsibllity of Social Services, eavlng 90 per cent. as a target te complote posl-secondaay schealing, -compured ta the present 30 percent.. These are Our chlldren, growing through crucial lite cycles that are ignored by educatars. It la not by accident that modem achool systema -complote 1h. primary phase of schoaling. et grade 6, about age il -- the onset of puburty and adolescenice. h l mportant.i ýthai ýthey graduats ai this highly emational age into secondary achols,. surrounded and supprled by. their pers. By age -16, grade 11, they have- sharpened their akilla and are moving Inta early- adulthoad, a restîess and defiant stage, and tbis ls where we lose thefirst massive dropauts. They are toa immature for university, and 100 big fer their britches. They want ta move an, and makecareer decIsions, but are fruslrated by the systsm, their parents adsecandury achool educaiers t rying ta fo01 thsm wlâth otp this nnensebylsnigt wha tesecmpute-eksar because'ih ls 1only about four orflive years old but these pacesý are poarly bult., They have leaklng faucets, wal fixtures'that don't. work, drafty windows and doors, and the>lst goes on. The co-op le' ln no hurry ta do anythlng about Rt. My sister has, a number of times. put hsr own money-oultao pay for repaira and paint. R is too bad that ln these- places there aien't- more p eople like my sister but thal lsa Just not the 'case, and, these people who j ust don't. cars give these places bad naines. Homneowners ln the Olter Creek ua .take pri-ld Intheir p roperty..That. is whywe moved, nere séenyears ago and'thatIs' why ws have 'stayed. As a Whtby taxpayer, 1 want to bu counted as ons cf 'those concerned about 'the 'impact, of increased t raff lec .congéestion, *additioniai prtables ai aur achool, more hydro outages, pote ntial .,vandallsn, and home break-lns& Nf the Towýn of Whilby lots this permit 'CO throuh', thsy have Just lowersd 1h. valuecfyhosan P roperty and'that af svery other homeownsr in tho Otter Greek area. Tanya and John, MacDonald Whltby tryingoto tellus. The are ready for a tertiary level oysducation -t he proven commnit colag- -- chlenglng thsmn witb a zillion patha ta succeos Many would choose two- or thrss-year careor courses ta eurn nationally , recagnlzsd diplomas, ýta help thsm gsI that firat job. Others would take spscalizsd prs-.univsrsity studs doslg nod ta o pasa -101 level qaifyln9 .sxams, assuring universites cf > .competent candidates,, and , gre4Auedinq students Into,,socond-year situdios et age 181 ta 19. You,,know, thiS system bhas-buen WOrking. In Canada for over 20 years,_bu ths gonerai public,'dosa nat. Dropping twa 'I«;dsnVyears! tra th peset primary and secondary. syatem ïWad,.roduce the nsod .fora" numbur'oet achools and prtaIbles,- and the',surplus teachera woVld,,graduai. uùpwards whh their studs.nts, Into sxpanded TI. l wnul p, ai,'sr, -staris with yo and, the,1-lnourabe Tony Silipa. Vour competing. ministries muai bu fusod into aingis Minislry of Education and Training, gar ta creiate','modem, world-class education systm. R would move studonts along Integretod mhai, each ta blW/her level of competence, tram kindiergarlen te PhD), using 'computer-enhencod, continuousfow-tachn methoda. The major problem wl1 bu Inertie and -realsiance ta he:.immediate' taskla ista survive th., next ouple af y. us, and, meet, the demanda o students, taxpayers and teachers, ln that ard r. The follcwlng mlght help thepurbarn boauds!-' must haveu nee more, local autonomy and.' freedm. taIo nnovais; ïa moratorium - on, new pragrama, including Ju.nior' kindorgarten; lurger class ,ý sizes .-ý where necessary; autharity ta Implement year-round achoollng and"shifts; mare efficient use' and shuing af achoolsand, busesbotween public and beparaie 'bauds; a raIl-back ai salarylncreases tao match the one ta two par cent ,lâvel et transfer payments. t ëf!-JiInternatiinalcomparisan af aur aldnts, leaVos,'n%" dout that band-aldtroaiontia fiot enaugh. If i--hoe..la ment. lnthe proposais; outllnod-hor, the rospansemlght b.- , an exý'pe nsive task torce, - rocastinatian aid palitical basas. Th. urgeà t,.,recodaf Durhami Reglan. aid the enarmous ceai af -dsly throughout the province, cae for" an a ternatlive solution: doer this 'a Itest u.sâfa ta,'evaluate advanced concepts' and sysies of oducation forth. 2lst century. 1Téa bu effective such a project would noed te bu-managed ,by the mlniutry, -biS ,would bu doomod to fail If Witdid ne»t enliitthe idems and opinionset the. publie-;- studMnt%, SNE PAGE 19 j To theedsor , Min istry of Education and- Training suggested Affordable housing: "slums"l