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WHIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9,ý1986 PAGE 5 'II have aworn upon the altar of God eternal hoatility againat every form of tyranny over the mind of man@" - Thomas Jefferson THE CANADA 70BuL CROW'S"NEST Thee by Michael Knel ninguhs ea einrstrmbewngi tbis fair community of late concer- discovered (but flot always foilowed) policy of flot giving new grants to local torganizations turned down the band's request for $1,000 to belp fund their trip to rilMontreal in May. Havlng stated the facts, let's get on witb the opinion. Firstly, (and some of you are going to curse me for this) council was perfectly right to reject the band's request. Now for the reasoning. Reason one la simple. In my view, it is a matter of jurisdiction. I would like to quote from a letter written to members of council and Mayor Bob Attersley by band director Bruce Court. After reviewing the fact that their grant; request was denled, Mr. Court said: "At the same meeting a grant of $1,500 was approved by the same membera of council to assist the County Town Singera in their trip this year to Expo '86. Wbile I applaud greatly the efforts of the membera of the County Town Singera, I feel that the members of miy scbool concert bandbhave been dealt witb unfairly." It should also be noted for the record that the letter was written on Durham Board of Education'à letterhead. In my view, Mr. Court and the band parents' committee should bave gone to tbe Board of Education for the grant in the first place. The band is a recognized school project. Mn. Court is an employee of the board, I assume that tbey approve of bis involvement, grant bim time away from class on occassions to fulfili his duties towards it - the board may even supply some or al of the instruments. Therefore, it is up to the board to finance this pnoject. Under no circumatances sbould the Council of the Town of Whitby finance an activity that rightly has the sanction and support of another level of municipal government - iLe., the achool board. After ail, the town doesn't ask tbe board for money to run its programa and provide its services. In his letter, Mr. Court goes to great lengths to sbow tbat tbe cbildren who are membens of the band are, in neality, ambassadors of goodwill for tbe com- munity. He forwarded to council ail kinds of clippinga and letters to, demon- strate ail the goodwill tbese kida bave imparted. Nobody is disputing tbat, least of ail me. Tbese kids do a great job. They deserve our support and our applause. But they are also tbe financial responaibility of tbe Durham Board of Education. And considering tbe taxes we pay tbem, tbey ougbt to be fulfilling tbat respon- sibility. Mr. Court also neminded council of a atatement made recently at a meeting of council at whicb someone said tbat councillors bave a "vested" intereat in tbe well-being of the young people in tbis town. He's absolutely rigbt, but a littie. narrow in his tbinking. Every citizen and resident of tbis community bas a '"vested" interest in tbe young people of our community. They are, after ail, our only and best bope for tbe future. But we also, I would like to point out, charge tbe responsibility for the proper diacharge of tbat vested intereat to tbe trustees of theDurham Board of Education. IL is to tbem tbat Mr. Court sbouid go for tbe money for this trip. In fact, having reviewed the materiai tbat Mn. Court submitted to council's operations comznittee Monday nigbt, I saw no reference made to the con- tribution of the Durbam Board of Education, so I'm left wondering if there was one at ail. Those of you wbo've put up witb my assorted rantinga and ravinga over tbe last few yeara know that I'm not a big supporter of council grants to anyone. I'rn not convinced that tbe property taxpayer sbould be toucbed for a few extra bucks every year in support of an organization that he may or may not support as a private individual. Since council cannot give a grant to every citizen's favorite charity, community group or minon sports organization witbout raising taxes to an unbearable level, tbey sbould give grants to no one. In my view, this is the only way to be fair to everyone. A 'no grants' policy is tbe best policy and the most equitable policy. The only exceptions that I support are those given to the Wbitby Arts Inc. and tbe Whltby Historicai Society. Botb of tbese organizations are cbarged witb grave public nesponsibiities and need tbe money to carry tbem out. For exam- pie, Wbitby Arts la responsible for tbe operation of the Whitby Arts Station Gallery, wbich is owned by the town. The-histonical society operates botb the archives and the Lynde House, botb of whicb are community treasurers. I would also like to auggest tbat Mr. Court take bis example from the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts are forbidden by tbeir constitution fnom asking for or receiving local govennment grants. Boy Scouts are also not allowed to naise money in any way tbat would compete with tbe local business community. Fur- thermore, tbey must raise tbeir own money for ail of tbeir activities. They bave to plan, organize and wonk like h... if tbey want to get a project off tbe ground. And, you want to know sometbing? I bave neyer known a Boy Scout onganization to fail to acbieve its objective. The Boy Scouts stress leadership, seif-reliance, tboughtfulness and bard work. And tbey are almoat always suc- cessful. Every organization in town, especially tbose for young people, sbould learn and practise the Boy Scout experience. I know tbis means tbat in tbe case of the Whitby Senior Public Scbool Concert Band the musicians do double duty as fun- draisera but Boy Scouts already perform, tbose double duties. I know those kids bave afready been out there raising money. That is Lo tbeir. credit. But if anyone sbould make up the difference, if anyone sbould contribute that $1,000 - it should be and must be the Durbam Board of Education. Aften ail, it's their responsibility. Il started simply. as many such thinga do. "I tink," she said one day, 'we sbould redo the bedroom. " Andbhe: "Tbat's fine, dear." "Peacb, I tbînk. Don't you?" "Peacby," be replied, from the middle of a com- puter program. "Wbatever." Peacb it was. Hurdie number one passed without a furry word. Hurdie two: one Tbursday night. Late in the evening. A couple watcb the news. "That reminds me," she said, as tbe television sbowed tbe bombed-out interior of a jet ainliner. "Do we bave enougb brushes and paint trays and tbat sort of stuff ?" He tbougbt, briefly, of asking "For what?" but tbougbt better. "Plenty, " be replied. It was the safe answer. "Peacby, "she said. Friday, thunder sounded as they drove downtown. "Turnbhere," ahe said. "Wbere? " "To get tbe paint, of course, " she said, pointing to tbe store. He turned, is eyebrows knitted, bis tongue twisted between bis teetb. "Paint?" "Peacb, " sbe said. -Remember?" "Ob," be feigned. "Yeah. " Inside Oie store sbe studied paint samples for color, compared prices, flipped back knowingly tbe bristies of brusbes. He wandered, avoiding as best be could tbe towers of paint cans. Sbe caiied to bim from the otber ide of tbe Donald Duck wallpaper sample. "Wbat about tbe ceiling? " Yes, wbat about tbe ceiling? Tbe flat roof with poor insulation bad caused water stain problema. Tbose sbould be fixed. But properly, tbis time. "'Yes, tbe ceiling," be aaid, in a way he bad wben be tbougbt be knew wbat be was talking about. "Finat, I tbink, we give iL a proper vapor barrier tbis timne, say witb aluminium paint. Tben two coats of ceiling paint ought to do it. " Hé sbould bave koown imself wben be pronoun- ced aluminium (al-u-miri-e-um) instead of aluminum (al-eum-in-um). Ai-u-min-e-um is much more pretentious and is likely to cost more. "Wby not just sbellack? " abe asked. "Sbellack will seal," be said, "but won't provide tbe vapor barrier we need. " Since women read ban- dyman hints tbese days, one bas to be quick with a reply. "So," said tbe paint store clerk. "TbaL's a gallon of peacb, a gallon of latex ceiling flat and a gallon of ..aluminum." "Rigbt."l "There you are. Have a good weekend." Ha. "Tbis weekend? " be asked wben tbey were in tbe car. "Tbis weekend, " sbe replied. "Peacby, " besaid. Tbe aliminium went on easily, covering tbe ceiling witb a deep metallîc ecbo, mucb like tbe in- aide of a tank. "It'il cover, " besaid. She arcbed ber rigbt eyebrow. Tbe peacb walls went ... well, peacby. Latex paints work s0 smootbly, dlean up 50 easily. Tbe ceiling took longer. Latex dnies in four bours; aliminium takes 24 to 48 bouns. Okay, be Lbought. Twenty-four ought to be plenty. Tbe firat coat of ceiling latex went on smootbly and covered fairly well. Four bours later, tbe second coat went on just as smnootbly. Strange, be thougbt. The first coat of white lef t lit-* tle ivers and chasms. "Second coat will fix that," be Lold bimaelf. "la that going to be al ight?" she asked, paint bruah in band. "No problem, " be replied. The full job was completed by ten o'clock Sunday evening. On the walls: two coats of peacby peacb. On the ceiling, one coat of tank-intenion aluminium covered by two coats of latex ceiling flat. Well, almoat covered. And of course a den, ballway and boy's bedrooni full of overflow froni tbe closets and walls. And another nigbt ahead, sleeping on tbe living rooni SEE PG. 6