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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-08-02, Page 5Acres of Memory ' .CONTINUED FROM P. 4 One day, Duncan was not waiting for Jimmie when he came out of the house, and he did not appear whilst he milked the cows. It seemed that for one day at least, Jimmie might be free from the shadow of the "dummy". Jimmie saw his chance to hide, and took his team and wagon down to the cedar swamp tb4cut fence posts. He worked until noon, sinking his axe into the soft trunks. They would fetch quite a few dollars in the village - the swamp was always a source of ready cash. When the sun was directly overhead, he paused to take a bite. He had brought half a loaf of bread, some cheese and a large onion. The snapping of twigs behind him, told him he was not alone. He turned and saw the towering figure of Duncan looking down on 'him, his face leering as if to say, "thought you could get rid of me, eh?" Secretly,. Jimmie feared this creature. Sure, he seemed harmless enough, but he had read somewhere that such people could become violent. How long would it be before this placid mountain turned into an avalanche of hate? He shivered at the thought. At this moment he was completely isolated - if he cried out for help, nobody except Duncan would hear him. Maybe he should humour the "dummy". He tore the bread in half and offered it to Duncan. A hand as large as a ham snatched it away from him. The huge, lumbering body retreated, and sat underneath a tree to devour the food. After the brief repast, Jimmie picked up his axe and began to hack into a larger diameter tree - one which could be used as a fence anchor post. He was an expert at felling trees and could drop a cedar within inches of his intended spot. Jimmie had cut the wedge, and was about to move it the other side of the tree when his • careful plans exploded into disaster! Perhaps it was some stinging insect which caused the horses to bolt. They moved forward and the wagon edge caught the almost cut -through tree. Jimmie moved quickly but not fast enough to avoid the branches of the falling cedar. He was pinned, to the earth and writhed in agony in the soft black swamp muck! Later that afternoon, a half -ton truck moved up the second concession. _ The driver was confronted by a mountain of a man, standing in the middle of the road and holding another man like a child in his arms. The party line was busy that day. "Told you the dummy would git 'im. Yes, 'es in the 'ospital." Old Mrs. Fraser broadcast her news over and over again. "The dummy? Oh, they took 'im away - shoulda took 'in} years ago!" It was nearly three months before Jimmie returned to Redtrees. We heard the truth then. How it took herculean strength to lift the tree's weight off Jimmie's body and how Duncan had carried him more than a quarter of a mile to the second concession. This had undoubtedly save Jimmie's life. I still see Duncan's actions as a miracle. Of all the people in Redtrees, he was the only man with the strength to accomplish such a feat. What is more, in spite of his mental handicap, he KNEW what he had to do! When I pointed this out to Angus, he gave me a little of his own philosophy with the usual jerk of the head. "Sure it were a miracle - did yer never read the Bible? Sez in there, the Lord works in wonderful ways." He limped away and called out over his shoulder. "Yud better read it - it 'ud do yer a whole lot o' good!" Dispute real costs to the board BY JEFF SEDDON Just three months after the apparent set- tlement of the 31 day teacher strike it appears the board and its secondary school teachers have still not learned to agree. • The most recent dispute centres around the arbitrator's report made public last week in a press conference called by boardof education 'chairman John Elliott. The teacher strike was finally settled April 13 when both parties agreed to let an arbitration hearing decide on three contentious, issues --sick -leave gratuity payment, teacher workload and the pay in- crease for teachers in the 1978-79 school year.. The board flatly refused to send the issues to arbitration during the strike conceding to the intervention only when teachers agreed to have the arbitrator rule on two contracts, the one in dispute and one under which teachers will work in 1978-79. Board chairman John Elliott claimed throughout the strike that third panty in- tervention was too risky for Huron taxpayers. He said the board could suffer as a result of the arbitrator's decision Claiming elected trustees should not put taxpayers in that position. Elliott said in the press conference last week that his fears were realized after the ar- bitrator's decision was made known. He said the decision was "preconceived" and that it appeared the arbitarator had based his rationale on neighbouring counties ignoring the Huron board's claim that Huron taxpayers couldn't afford what other counties were paying for teachers. Hesaid the decision confirmed the reluctance of the board to go to arbitration. Elliott said the 6.75 percent increase in wages awarded the teachers by arbitrator Dean D. L. Johnston of the University of Western Ontario could mean, a 9.18 percent increase on the countysalary grid for secondary school teachers. The comment was based on the assumption that the same teachers on 1977-78 payroll returned for the 1978-79 school year. TOOK EXCEPTION Gord Johns is one teacher who took exception to Elliott's statement. The financial officer for District 45 of the Ontario Secondary School Federation recently went 'as far as to say the board saved money as a result of the strike. Johns indicated the board chairman's com- ments were an attempt to make political hay and that the taxpayers actually saved 5.6 percent of the board's projected budget costs as a result of the 31 day work stoppage. Johns said he lost about $3,500 in wages during the strike, about 15.75 percent of his total annual salary. He said the wage increase awarded him through arbitration increased his salary by 6.75 percent or about $1500. The lost wage, about $2,000 represented about nine percent of his annual earnings. The Goderich District Collegiate Institute teacher said salary increments, a wage in- crease given every teacher with less than 10 years experience who returns to teach in a county school another year, account for about 2.2 percent of salary costs to the board. He said salary savings to the board are realized when a highly paid teacher retires and is replaced by a new teacher making far less money. The saving reduces that increment cost to about 1.5 per cent. The end result of Johns' exercise is that the board 'saves 7.5 percent in salary costs as a result of the strike. He adds that if salaries are 75 .percent of the board's budget, then the saving would be about .5.5 percent or 75 percent of 7.5 percent. HOW MUCH DID ARBITRATION COST? Elliott said the arbitration award would cost Huron County taxpayers additional funds that could have been saved had the board not gone to arbitration. He indicated that the arbitrator had been less than fair with the board in making his decision but would not say how much money the board was prepared to pay its teachers. Each year the board includes a percentage increase in its budget to cover salary increases to teachers. That sum is kept strictly secret since if it was public the teachers would be assured of that much of a raise. By withholding the sum the board hopes it can negotiate a raise less than the one projected in the budget. A reliable source said the board trustees felt that a seven percent increase, without in- crerrient, was a reas rnable goal for the negotiation team working on the 1978-79 con- tract. The arbitrator's decision to give teachers a 6.75 percent increase, plus increment', means the extra cost to the board would be about 8.25 percent. The arbitrator's pay its teachers for 1978-79. That computes to slightly less than $50,000 in the county's share of the budget and while to the average taxpayer it appears to be a large sum of money, when spread over the entire county it is not worth creating more hard feelings. M IRONICAL CLAIMS The bottom line for the taxpayer is that the arbitrator's decision to increase wages will cost him more money. Johns' exercise can be used to make a saving apparentbut to the individual that .saving will compute to less than five dollars. The average tax bill for 1978-79 will not show any reduction in homeowner costs due to •wages not paid during the teacher strike. Lucknow Sentinel, Wedi ewlay, August 2, 1978 Page 5 The column that's read for purpose .. A‘ii W. Ha by Scotty mftton Mail your problems to "Impact' c/o f, is paper. All letters will be answered provided a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. Some of general interest will be published. Letters must be signed but we ,will NOT reveal your identity. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE "These Ouest ions and Answers based on Ontario La are published to inform and not to advise. No one should try to apply or interpret the law without the aid and advice of a trained expert who knows the facts, since the facts of each case may change the application .of the law." A Syndicated Canadian Newspaper Feature LETE FLOWER SERVICE DESIGNERS TO SERVE YOU QUICKLY & EFFICIENTLY DAILY DELIVERY TO LUCKNOW. TEESWATER BRUSSELS. GORRIE & ALL POINTS IN BETWEEN COUNT ON OUR EXPERIENCE TO SERVE YOU WITH THE VERY BEST IN FLORAL PRODUCTS LEWIS FLOWERS, 357-3880 135 FRANCES WINGHAM SEPOY DRIVE-IN Restaurant • FULL COURSE MEALS • DAILY SPECIALS OPEN 7 DAYS.A WEEK Mon. -Sat. 8 a.m. to 2 s:m. SUN. 10 A.M.-MIDNIGHT LUCKNOW • 528-2034 I am seeking a divorce and want to obtain - one as cheaply as I can. It was my intention to work through one of those "do-it-yourself, divorce firms", but a couple of girls where I work have told me that they are all a big racket. If they are right then how come these firms are allowed to stay in business? Could your column give me some advice on this matter? The firrns that advertise do-it-yourself divorces, do• give, (as a general rule) exactly what they advertise, namely, •non -legal assistance to people who wish to handle the divorce proceedings themselves. In many cases this has worked out successfully, but in many other cases a person has found that, for one cause or another, a lawyer is essential and a judge may so indicate. C. A. BECKER EQUIPMENT LIMITED i'60P) Ilk Sales Service Rentals Field test a new '8S tractor to-dayl LUCKNOW figs 529-7993 My question for "IMPACT" is this: I was in an accident in which my car was quite badly damaged. The accident was clearly the other drivers fault. He refuses to pay for the damages or even to inform his insurance company because he says he doesn't want his rates to go up. He says he has no money soit won't do any good to sue him. Is there any way I can recover the amount of the damages to my car? Yes! By section 225 of the Insurance Act, if you recover judgement against him in court you can have his insurance company pay the damages lowed directly to you. •