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Page 4, Whitby Fre@ Press. W*eesday, March 9. 1994 Sehool board reluctatyokaysJoan plan By Mark Reesor An agreement that will see the Durham Board of Education receive loans instead of grants from the province for capital projects -has been reluctantly approved by a board committee. Trustees on the finance and transportation committee had lit- tle choice but to okay the loan agreement with the Ontario* Financing Authority (OFA), set up by the Rae government iast year. To flot do so would have meant losing- provincial dollars, includ- ing t hose already pledged for the Sinclair High School/board head- quarters project. The whole thing is a matter of semantics, said superintendent Brian Cain. Althouh provincial money will be funneled through the OFA and now be called loans, the board doesn't have to malte pay- ments unbesa the poice lîrst gives it the money te o2s. 'The goal, as it apears, is simply te reduce, in he public oye, the debtload of te provin- cial government and increase te debtload of school boards across the province,» Pickering trustee Louise Farr commented, 'te make us look like the bad guys and make them look good and put them in a supposedly better credit rating position. «It' so 0unfortunate because it' distorting the truth for the public... I think it's amazing that this kind of bureaucracy would corne from a government who I think it is a nightmare" .- Whitby trustee declares to be working with school boards to inaximize effici- oncies - what stalfing muet it take at the provncial level to imnpie- ment aýil of this kind of agree- ment back and forth between boards" "I think it is a nightmare,» sad Whitby trustee Allan Gunn, who worries about what happens «down the road, when folks for- SAVE To70 % Wele Got More Funiture Than Places To Put Lt! We're up against the watt with extra inventory and the new furniture we bought will be rolling in any day. You'11 save big on every piece because we need roomn. TWO DAYS ONLY! Friday, March 11lth~ 10:00 arn - 9:00 pm Saturday, March l2th~ 9:30 arn - 5:30 pm TWOLOCATIONS 216 Mary St. E. (Our Main Store) 400 Mary St. E. (Our Clearance Centre) \\4 0 ry E w Sofas & Loveseats 4:~ Dining Discounts *** Chairs & Recliners <Occasional Bargains *.* Bedroorn Buys ..... ... get about what. this littie simple paper transaction was... "As an accountant, I start look- ingr atthe financiai stability, the public sector balance sheot of this organization, and I start te see the debt this organization ie carrying," said Gunn. «I wish 1 had the faith that other trustees have around where the province is going and the fact that that money will be paid," sald Whitby trustee and board chair Patti Bowman. The loan areement is retroac- tive and applies te capital project grant money the board's already receivod, noted Bowxnan. She expressed concerned that the present or a future provincial government may retroactively change its mind about covoring the board's boan payments. "Our auditers have common- ded this board repeatedly for the way we have handled our debt and having coming out of déen- ture debt and then réturned to it... «Now we are really paying the price in perception and image for the province s mishandling. of public funda and inapproprate, use of public taxpayer's dolflars,~ said Bowman. "On one hand, I look at this whole thing positively as a job creation exorcise for lawyers and accountante,» jokod Ajax truste Duncan Bead, a lawyer himself. On a more serious not he, like Bowm an, wondered twhat'o the long-termi political implica- tion of alI of this in terms of the down-the-road government situa- tion that were in?" Natalie Bubela of Whiùtby was one of four new members appoin- ted to the Durham Region Dis- trict Heaith Council. Bubela is director of nursing services at Scarborough Graoe Hospital, is associate editor of Canadian Cancer Nursing Jour- nal and author of numerous arti- cles. Also appointed were Lloyd Clarke of Courtice, former Cana- dian chair of healtk care benefits for the Canadian Autor Workers Union and former sehool board trustee- Susan Larsh of Bow- manvile, graduate student in environental tudios; Mayah Sevink of Burketon Station, director of Durhamn Region Fam- ily Respite Services. Waste processing plant PROM PAGE 3 tracks have no reason to fear his company's plans. lie only materials processed in the Whitby plant will be "solid, non-hazardous» waste such as wood, d al and card- board Hars a s7 No fiousehod or non-recyclabie waste will be handled, ho said. Although ho conceded that "restaurant garbage» couid find its way in with other commercial waste, Harris said that material would be separated and taken te a landfill site. Processed material wili not be stered on site and ail work wili be done %ttally indoors,» Harris said. "We wili have recyciing con- tainers which will be filled, tar- ped and sent te market. It goos out daily,» he said. «What we can't recycle in Whitby will go te Toronto." A famiiy-owned business which has been in eistence for about five years, Simtor has Unothing te hide,» said Harris. «W. purchased a property which sat vacant for two -years and I think what we are propos- in& is not detrimental te the neighbourhood,»he said. "I know there are concerns about truck trafflc but this is an industrial area, aftor Il.» Hopkins Street ýr dealer Peter Van Hemmen a%-mitted he didn't have many details about Simtors propsai, but "it doesn't sound good, ho said. Van Hemmen also expressed concerns about traffic and the type o f material processed. Uthink it should be dloser te, the lake,» he said. r111~ATTStore Hours - A U Mon.-Wcd. 10:00-6:00 Thurs.-Fri. 10-9:00 Satuday9:30-5:30 216 Mo Closed 26Mary St. E., Whitby 668-3483, Toronto Line 660961,1-800-387-0242 In-Ste Fmncing Avaable