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MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WPEamWeekende l»IARMACY0 Miltons Independent Phannacy 10% Seniors Discount FL ERLTONP •AI Drug PlansAcceted MLO rtnDrug Inonnation vlable0 "At Zak's We Care About Your Health" 70Main St. E. 875-2424 A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 139 No. 22 Friday, May 15, 1998 28 Pages 75¢ (GST included) Purgess to singfor the hospital By IRENE GENTLE Special to the Champion Milton District Hospital will be getting a little flash with their funds this year thanks to the star power of Canadian Michael Burgess. The acclaimed singer best known for his soaring tenor voice, will perform two fundraising concerts for the Hospital Sunday September 20 at St. Paul's United Church. Show times are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available starting May 22 but act fast. Mr. Burgess' last appearance in Milton sold out in 48 hours. Mr. Burgess made his musical mark in Canada with his role of Jean Valjean in the original Canadian production of Les Miserables. Reprising that role more than 1,000 times between 1989-92 helped make Mr. Burgess a star in his native land. Born in Regina, Mr. Burgess is the eldest of seven children. He discovered his • see SINGER on page 7 Probe goes on The Halton District School Board released an updated report on the cost of inspecting and repairing portable classrooms last week, includ- ing the fees of consultant Pinchin Environmental. A total of just more than $236,000 has been spent on 70 portables at 13 school sites, with close to $224,000 of that attributable to 50 structures at eight Oakville schools. Ail 186 of the board's portables are being examined at the rate of 14 per week in accordance with an order issued by Halton's medical officer of health two weeks ago. \ 1 m ILI \ KYNI R \1 327 Dr. Jo-Ann McKinnon 875-1322 Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Fit for the test Milton Masters Swim Team member Lee-Anne Greer stretches during warm-ups prior to a recent swimming practise. One of the club's top swimmers, she is part of a contingent of eight going to the nationals this weekend in Edmonton. One in 10 high school teachers face layoff in Halton Layoff notices are being issued to more than one of every 10 Halton public high school teachers, with a union official predicting devastating results to the quality of education. AI Tanner, president of the Halton branch of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, said the impending staffing cuts will devastate the public system. "I don't know how they can possibly hope to run the system like this, something has to give," said Mr. Tanner. "It's really quite scary, what's in store for our students." Layoff notices will go to 118 full-time equivalent teaching jobs, or as many as 150 posi- tions including part-timers. That's a significant portion of the 981 full-time equivalent positions at the Halton District School Board. A certain number of jobs will be saved by the retirement of some teachers, though the numbers aren't available now. The union leader says the layoffs come at time when more classroom teaching hours will be added for the staff who remain. That means less time available for offering individ- ual help, teacher preparation and grading. Also, more teaching hours means reduced time for coach- ing teams and organizing extra- curricular activities, said Mr. Tanner, "so the things people have always taken for granted AIlTanner are threatened." The reduced number of high school teaching positions results in part from provincial legislation requiring teachers to spend more time in the class- room, but also from a new provincial per student funding formula. A typical high school student is assumed to be taking 7.2 credits a year in Ontario - that's below the 7.53 average in Hatton. "Teachers have continually gone the extra mile to uphold the quality of education, even with the cuts, but it's getting to the point where it's impossible * see NEWS on page 7 Student job centre open in Trafalgar Square The Milton Human Resource Centre for offers assistance on resume preparation for young building. Students is now open for another summer of youth people looking for summer employment. For more information on any and all services, employment in Milton. Also available are job postings for employers as call the Milton Human Resource Centre at 878- The centre provides free information sessions on well as a pre-screening service. The centre is locat- 8418, ext. 216 or the Youth Info Line at 1-800- job searching and interview techniques. It also ed at 310 Main Street E., in the Trafalgar Square 935-5555.