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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, February 27,1985 SMALL TALK By Donna Fairey No Junior Kindergarten Erma Bombeck modestly modestly credits her success success as an author and writer to a single simplistic strategy. "I write where people are," she once told an interviewer. While I wouldn't for a moment presume to be in the same league as Ms. Bombeck, the same approach applied to my Small Talk column has produced its share of gratifying feedback over the past five years. It has opened doors which permitted me to grow both as a writer and a person. Hence, it is on a somewhat somewhat bittersweet note that I say good-bye to the column and its readers. The experience experience has been grand in spite of the dry periods when deadline-Tues- day arrived and the copy page remained blank. It was about five years ago now that I walked into the boss' office office and asked him if I could write a column. Being an eternally agreeable agreeable guy, he responded, responded, "Sure, why not." For the life of me, I can't recall the inspiration inspiration responsible for the Clinic in Oshawa Emphasizes Importance of Saving Heat beginning of the weekly outpourings that we dubbed Small Talk. In any event, the column truly earned its name. It has contained light bits of this and that and a lot about the good and the bad which has befallen befallen me over the period. My father frequently shook his head in moderate moderate disgust over the column. "Can't understand understand how you can wear your heart on your sleeve and reveal personal personal things about yourself." "But Dad," I used to tell him, "that's the kind of stuff people want to read." He was reluctant to believe that the public generally generally prefers to share the miseries and joys of others in situations where they can personally personally relate. On the other hand, whenever I wrote a column column about government or a world disaster, or a similar "heavy" topic, rarely a word of feedback feedback was ever received. But write about me, my friends, my kids or an everyday situation and response was almost guaranteed. Some people even took the time to write. I ap- preciated that. Indeed, through the history of Small Talk I very often felt like my family was extended to include hundreds who were kindly interested in what I was doing. So it is that leaving it behind behind - closing the chapter chapter so to speak - is not done without feeling. This sentimentality, in fact, will take me two weeks and two columns to properly air. There is more than one thank you to be extended before before my weekly space is filled with other copy. The latter half of my swan song comes next week when I write probably the toughest piece ever for me - a very special Dear John letter. Four-year-olds whose parents can't afford afford to send them to nursery school will be at home another year. The Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education decided last week against instituting instituting a junior kindergarten kindergarten program this fall. While the trustees overwhelmingly supported supported the junior kindergarten kindergarten program recommended recommended by the administration, administration, the majority felt the '85 budget could not stand the added financial strain. strain. Thus, their decision to start saving for the project now, in the hopes that they'll be in a better financial position position to implement the program further down the road. "We simply do not have the money, period," said Donna Fairey, trustee for Bowmanville. Bowmanville. "We didn't plan for this. If we are going to implement it we must set some money aside to prepare properly," said Mrs. Fairey. According to the Bowmanville trustee the board will have to start a junior kindergarten kindergarten program at some point, in order to remain remain competitive, but now is not the time. Newcastle trustee William Carman shared Mrs. Fairey's opinion saying he could not support a the program program in excess of one million dollars when there were other more pressing concerns. • The cost of the program program in the first year -- due to heavy one-time start up expenses such as the purchase of portables portables and equipment-- does run into the million million dollar range, ver ified the administration. administration. However, most of that amount would be picked up by the province province in the form of grants. Assistant business administrator, Gord Savage estimated the cost to the local taxpayer taxpayer in the first year would be between $236,000 and $250,000. The local costs for the second year would then drop considerably to approximately $71,000. While these costs may seem exorbitant, Mr. Savage said if his projections projections concerning provincial grants are accurate, in the years following the initial two-year period, the program will cost taxpayers taxpayers nothing. In fact, the money, received from grants is expected to exceed the expenditures. expenditures. 5f BEST CHOICE Here Are Just a Few el the Best Representatives of the Oshawa Centre and the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce Commerce look over one of the displays illustrating the Heat Save clinic underway underway in Oshawa for the next two weeks. From left are: Bill Diamond, head of the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Kathy Huse, senior marketing director director for the Oshawa Centre, and Ontario Energy Minister George Ashe. The group is looking over a thermogram which records the amount of heat given off by a home. The upper photo is a regular picture of the dwelling, while the lower photo shows the thermographic portrait of the same building. Various colors indicate the amount of heat escaping. The Heat Save clinic will be open to the public during regular business hours at the Oshawa Shopping Centre until March 9. INCOME TAX RETURNS for individuals, farmers, small businesses GEORGE WEEKES Agent for Guaranteed Investment Certificates and Registered Retirement Savings Plans Offered by three of Canada's long-established "Grade A" Trust Companies 5 Lorraine Court, Bowmanville Phone 623-7345 KUT 'N' KURL BEAUTY SHOP Pre-school Break SPECIAL MARCH 1st - 16th Van Belle Floral Shoppes ... much more than a flower store! 4 STORES r A • Highway No. 2 l\ • King St. E.. Oshawa mU|gB •SlmcoeSl.N.. ne oihswâ ■■F .King St. W., VAN BELLE* Bowmanville •Trademarks of Van Belie Gardens Lid For Students and Children I it 20% OFF All hair services To serve you are: Wendy, Lorraine, Darolyn, Diana, and Violet "Open 6 days a week' Mon., Thurs., Fri. evenings (by appointment) 71 KING ST. "EAST" BOWMANVILLE ^ PHONE tfAl m, 623-5019 UA v > „ a a SJ ' K^\jJ i? Zf A OV) rsjp ^4; m ft mb BEST CHOICE ★ ON FURNITURE - ASK FOR DETAILS €6 THICKS0N RD. AT DUNDAS ST. E., WHITBY.. 571-0000