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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-02-08, Page 8PAGE 8--GOD•ERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSL AY, FEBRUARY 8, 1979 Battle of the ooks not oa BY JEFF SEDDON The Huron County Board of Education was served notice Tuesday that the battle of the books is far from over. The board received a letter from the Huron Freedom of Choice Society asking that Margaret Laurence's novel The Diviners, removed from the board's list of approved English literature books, be rein- stated. The letter also asked that anytime a trustee is involved with a decision to approve a textbook that the trustee be made to read the book before making that decision. The board shuffled the issue off refusing to re -open the debate on approving or disap- proving of books for classroom use in county schools. The novels became the centre of a bitter and emotional contraversy in 1978 and resulted in the board taking The Diviners out of the classroom. The Huron chapter of Renaissance Inter- national, headed by Blyth resident Lloyd Barth, started the issue boiling last year when it asked the board to ban three novels, The Diviners, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. The request brought book supporters and opponents to the field of battle andculminated in a highly emotional public meeting in Clinton that at- tracted about 500 people. The board reacted to the issue by taking The Diviners off the list of approved texts. That meant that the book could not be used in classrooms but would be left in the school libraries. The board did not consider the move a ban on the novel. Freedom of Choice members felt different. The group formed a few months ago with the' idea of forming an organization similar to Renaissance International but with opposite aims. Members hoped to gain enough representation to have the same impact on trustees as Renaissance supporters. Some of the members of the Freedom of Choice were willing -to leave The Diviners off the approved list of texts and concentrate efforts on future issues. But in its January meeting the group decided to ask the board to re -instate The Diviners. Board chairman John Elliott was not in- terested in re -opening the book issue and asked the board for a motion to recieve and file the letter from Freedom of Choice. Elliott in- dicated later that his intention was to have the request dealt with according to board policy, policy adopted after the last book fiasco. The chairman said the board had adopted definite policy to 'handle such requests and he felt that policy should be followed. He said English department heads, superintendants of education and some teachers will be meeting with the board's education committee in June to approve textbooks and the board will look at a recommendation from that committee at its August meeting. Elliott said if Freedom of Choice members wanted to meet with the education committee to make a presentation they could request such a meeting. Zurich trustee Herb Turkheim felt that the letter deserved more than that. He asked Elliott if the board intended to acknowledge the letter or "completely ignore' it. Elliott pointed out that the board acknowledges every letter it receives. He said he felt the hoard policy adequately covered the situation and that action to acknowledge the suggestions from Freedom of Choice was an "adequate repyly". "When the book banners came along we gave them two audiences and now the other side comes out and we are saying po thanks we're not interested," said Turkheim. Lucknow trustee Marion Zinn said all she got from the Freedom of Choice letter was that the group was asking.trustees to read_ books before taking any action. "There's a lot of stormy days ahead -we should be able to read a lot of books," she quipped. Goderich trustee Dorothy Wallace suggested that the board's action was "giving an im- pression of being a fairly autocratic board". She pointed out that a group of citizens is making a request and the board is "just filing it" Exeter trustee Clarence McDonald asked that when a letter of reply is sent to Freedom of Choice that it be explained that "the book is not banned it is de -listed". McDonald said the word banned is not the proper expression and asked that the letter explain that. Margaret Rivers, author of the letter, said she was dissappointed with the board's action. She said she did not think the boa5d would re- instate the novel but sne cud think the matter would be sent to committee. Rivers said she did not know how Freedom of Choice would react to the board's move adding that the group is meeting later this month and further action will be planned. She said she understood the board's action adding that in a way it was fair. She conceded that the issue can't be debated "over and over". "I feel it's time the board put its foot down and said this is the way we are going to deal with this but it didn't do that the last time," said Rivers. She pointed out that the Renaissance group was given an opportunity to,address the board the last time it brought the matter up. She said the board discussed the matter with the Renaissance group adding that it "irritated" her that that opportunity was denied Freedom of Choice. •Newspapers topic of w�rksho Anita Robinson and Jim Whytock were married on December 30, 1978 in Calgary, Alberta. They are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Robinson of Goderich and Mr. and Mrs.- Lloyd Whytock of - Lucknow, 0 3 DAYS LEFT School is no longer just a place; to learn the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic. On April 20-22, 35 high schools from Sarnia to Kenora will be studying a new subject, newspaper work. Central Huron Secondary School (_CHSS) 'in Clinton has set up and will.be hosting the two day workshop for some 65 students. As well as producing a weekly page of news and features for the News - Record, the students of the Newspaper club also publish a 1,000 circulation monthly tabloid paper distributed in the school. As well as writing and laying out the "tab" they also sell and compose advertising to pay for it. The CHSS- in -school paper, which has been in full operation for over a year, will combine with the other schools to create a 24 page tabloid edition over the weekend. Over 7,000 copies of the paper will be printed and sold in the schools who " participated in its making: Rick Brown, editor of the CHSS paper, ex- plained that each school delegation will send in news copy as well as bring $20 worth of ad- vertising for the paper. Once the workshop is in session, the 65 students The biggest hi-fi and record event of the year ends Saturday. ' Never to be repeated prices on everything. CHARGEX MEM VISA • Thursday only - all classical records I/2 price. • Friday - all jazz records, another buck off • Saturday - all remaining rock 'records, another buck off. MUNI 40 ONTAQIO 6TQEET 6T122ATFOQD 9v DAILY 10,6 master charge will be divided into groups and each given two pages to work on. With this, they will edit copy that has come 'in, design the layout, make up the ad.vertisements and put the pages together. Rick went on to say that workshops will be held on • editorial writing, news writing, • interviewing, photography, layout, advertising and graphics. Along with help from other students in the school and CHSS teachers, Rick hopes to have representatives from the Toronto Star, tht Canadian University • Press, papers , from Guelph University, University of Western Ontario, Mohawk and Centennial College at the workshop. To help fund the am- bitious project, each student will pay a $30 fee and Rick is looking for Police move to unmarked cars. O.P.P. Commissioner H.H. Graham announced, that effective February 5, 1979, a stepped•up E n- forciment program utilizing unmarked police cars equipped with radar will be implenicnted. This departure fr•orr established O.P.P. policy is an all-out effort to reduce the incidence' of death and injuries on our highways. 0 In the past radar spee.g detecting equipment was - generally used in.' the .familiar black and white cruisers equipped with roof mounted lights and antennae. Both types of police ,cruisers will now be used. Commissioner Graham said a recent pilot project ,in Western Ontario was very ef- fective. Commissioner Graham efnphasized"tiiat he is confident the motoring. public support thisventure, as the force. has received many complaints of speeding, tail -gating and unsafe lane changes, etc., in- cluding many involving commercial vehicles and buses Sheppardton Mrs. Agnes Foster has received Word of the arrival of a great- granddaughter, Renate Ruth, in North York Hospital, Toronto on January 30. She is the daughter of Mr. and"Mrs.. Peter Halozan of Markham. Mrs. Halozan is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norval Anderson; former residents of Goderich. $1,200 in sponsorship. Each sponsor will receive an advertisement in the paper. The CHSS student council will help pay for the paper costs until money from advertising is collected. The paper will be printed at Signal - ,Star Publishing in Goderich. The students attending the seminar will be billeted in Clinton over the weekend. 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