Zurich Citizens News, 1978-05-04, Page 1Board defers action on dirty' books
• BY JEFF SEDDON
The Huron County Board
of Education sent its dirty
book problem to a committee
Monday to decide if three
English literature texts
contain material "ob-
jectionable" for teaching
county secondary school
students.
The board voted to give the
problem to the school
programs policy committee
which. decides what text-
books to recommend to the
board for use in the
classroom. The move was
made to avoid another
confrontation between
teachers and students who
feel the books are wor-
thwhile and parents who feel
they should be banned from
school use,
The three books — The
Diviners by Margaret
Laurence, Catcher in the
Rye by J. D. Salinger and Of
Mice and Men by John
Steinbeck — became the
centre of attentionrfor a third
time recently when the St.
Joseph's Catholic Women's
League from Kingsbridge
began a letter writing
campaign to have them
taken off the list of books
used in the secondary school
English literature
curriculum in Huron:
The CWL cited about half a
dozen excerpts from each
novel in a campaign in-
volving board trustees,
parents, members of
parliament, the minister of
education, township council
in the county and other
Catholic Women's Leagues.
The campaigns asked that
the groups and individuals
contact the board requesting
the three novels be banned in
Huron high schools.
Seaforth trustee John
Henderson said at Monday's
board meeting that he would
like more positive action
taken by the board. He said
the board had wrestled with
the problem" before and still
faced the same controversy.
Henderson said once it
went to the education
committee, once to the
executive committee and
now the school programs
committee. He said he would
like the motion sending the
three novels to the com-
mittee amended to have The
Diviners taken off the list.
Director of education John
Cochrane told the board that
by doing that the board
would probably face another
parent -teacher -student
confrontation, He said that
move was suggested before
and one board meeting
brought the groups together
in an emotional display that
solved nothing.
Cochrane suggested that
by sending the matter to the
committee the problem
could be resolved between
the principals of the schools,
English department heads
and trustees. He said the
books would probably not be
on the list of texts for next
year if the board took that
route.
"It would be a fair bet, if I
were a betting man, that the
books won't appear on the
list next year," he said.
"That's the reason they
were sent to the committee."
The director told the board
that recent board policy
required the board to allow
one month for groups af-
fected by a board decision to
come to the board to appeal
the decision. He said by
Please turn to Page 18
NO. 18
FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS
THURSDAY,MAY 4,1978
WEEK DESIGNATED — A proclamation signed by Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell of-
ficially kicked offa nation wide campaign in this area aimed to focus attention on the preven-
tion of mental retardation. Watching the proclamation signing are Pat Wright, chairman of
the prevention committee of the South Huron and District Association for the Mentally Retard-
ed, Don Campbell, executive director of the Association and Dee Beuerman, a member of the
.prevention committee. Staff photo
Works in strife -torn Afghanistan
Former area resident safe
Carol Erb, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon Erb of RR
1, Zurich, is reported to be
safe following a bloody
military coup , in
Afghanistan.
The coup which started
Thursday and ended Sunday
took place in Kabul,
Afghanistan's capital city
and saw deposed President
Mohammed Daoud and 30
members of his cabinet and
family executed on Friday.
Although no direct com-
munication between Carol
and her family had taken
place the Canadian govern-
ment has stated that there
were no Canadian casualties
in the coup.
According to Jim Wilton of
Strathroy, brother of Lillian
Wilton,
a registered
nurse
and Prysbyterian Church
deaconess who lives in the
same home as Carol, un-
derground ham radio
operators have told him that
the fighting took place on the
oppositeide of the city from
where the Noor Eye Institute
is located and where both
ladies work.
Wilton said that Canadian
officials had told him that
airlift of Canadian citizens
has been planned as soon as
the airport is opened to
commercial traffic.
Mrs. Erb said her
daughter was planning to
return home ° in September
for a break in any case.
"Maybe this will hurry
things up."
Miss Erb has been in
Pakistan for the past five
years and travelled to the
country initially under the
auspices of the Mennonite
Central Committee. For the
past two years Miss Erb has
been working for the
Christofle Mission for the
Blind, an organization from
West Germany that takes
part in the running of the
hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Erb returned
Wrong number
In last week's story on the
addition of the Bluewater
Rest Home to the fire
department's answering
service, the Citizens' News
erred in the telephone
number,
The correct number is 236-
4311 and not 236-4331,
from a two month visit with
their daughter in November.
Price Per Copy 20 Cents
Township, Institute at
impass over kitchen key
Hay township council has
remained resolute in its
request for a key to the
kitchen in the Hay township
hall and the Zurich Women's
Institute remains deter-
mined that such a key will
not -be forthcoming.
An eight lady delegation
met council Monday evening
and presented a brief
outlining the Institute's
stand.
The brief which was read
by Mrs. Newell Geiger, said
that they would like to
continue with the present
arrangement that sees the
Institute having the keys to
the kitchen.
"The Institute sincerely
maintains that the operation
of the kitchen as a service to
those who wish to rent the
Hall can best be continued
under the present system of
control and respectfully
requests that such system be
permitted" according to the
Institute's written
statement.
The township has
requested that a key be
entrusted to the clerk -
treasurer.
Councillor Lionel Wilder
said that .there have been
occasions when they have
been unable to obtain a key
from an Institute member
for township functions when
access to the kitchen has
been needed. He added that
ready access to a key incase
of a fire in the kitchen would
be advantageous.
Mrs. Victor Dinnin said
that the Institute has
checked with other Institutes
from around the area and
found that they "were not out
of line" in requesting that
the local women's group
have the only keys to the
kitchen facilities.
At Crediton where Stephen
township has similar
arrangements, the township
has no access to the kitchen,
Mrs. Dinnin said.
A major bone of contention
between the two sides seems
to be the quality of janitorial
service which the hall is
presently receiving.
Institute members said that
on several occasions the
kitchen has been left
unlocked.
Lloyd Mousseau agreed
that the janitor should not
have a key to the kitchen and
that the idea of a supply of
water upstairs but outside of
the hall was good. Later in
the meeting council agreed
to seriously consider the idea
of installing taps and a small
basin in the hall.
Reeve Jack Tinney said
"We have to have a key to
the kitchen or else."
Mrs. Dinnin said that her
group did not agree with the
township's request and
would discuss further among
themselves their next course
of action.
In other business, council:
Granted land severances
to Martha Weigand, Doris
Gore and Henry Stasik.
Accepted preliminary
applications for work to be
conducted under the Ontario
Home Renewal Program
from Ross Fischer and
Ralph Geiger.
Approved the attendance
of the clerk -treasurer at the
annual convention of the
Association of Municipal
Clerk -Treasurers of Ontario.
Passed a resolution sup-
porting the construction of
water system for Dashwood
and that they advise the
ministry of the environment
of their decision.
Approved of the location
of the Claybird Gun Club on
part lot three, concession
five of Hay. They will advise
the ministry of the solicitor
general of their decision.
Learned that the Anti-
inflation Board had ap-
proved of the wage increases
of the Hay employees.
Received a letter from the
Council on Canada in Unity
asking for township's sup-
port of June 21 to July 1 as
Canada Week.
STARLITES ARE CHAMPS — At the Zurich ladies' bowling league banquet held recently, the Starlites were named the league
champions. In the back row (left -right) are Pauline Miller, Pat Schroeder, Elaine Datars and Sheila Miller. In the front row are
Shirley Kipfer, Mary Orr, Sharon Brokenshire and Diane Becker. Staff photo