Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 10, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba G Basic English course draws wide variety of Manitoban by Gary Hunter George was 68-years-old and had worked for Winnipeg s sanitation department for 40 years when he decided it was time to learn How to speak English. He had held a steady Job or four decades owned a Home in the Winnipeg area and raised a family using the language he had brought with him from the old country. But at 68, George found a new incentive to learn English he wanted to communicate with his grandchildren. So George joined some 200 other men and women who each week attend classes at the International Centre of Winnipeg to learn the basics of Reading writing and speaking the English language. The Centre is located on the Sec and floor of the former Carling o Keefe brewery administration building on Redwood Avenue. The program set up originally to serve new immigrants to Manitoba has been attracting Many Long time residents of the province and even some Canadian born citizens. Mary Johnson program co Ordin Ator says the classes supported by Volunteer tutors who teach on a one to one basis Are available to everyone. We make no distinction in status. They can be visitors new canadians or old the two hour classes Are scheduled four times a Day with the last classes starting at . To offer maximum flexibility for students most of whom says Johnson Are holding full time jobs in addition to the up to eight hours of classes a week. On mondays and wednesdays the classes Are in Reading and writ ing Basic literacy. And on tues Days and thursdays conversational Canadian English is taught. On a recent Wende Sady evening during a break period Between classes he lounge area at the Centre looked like a casually dressed mini meeting of the United nations. People of a variety of racial Back grounds sat around tables drinking Coffee and conversing some with heavy accents in English. One of the morning classes in Reading and writing now underway includes four women from Poland a Man and a woman from Russia two women from Yugoslavia two from Chile and one each from South Korea and Paraguay. Alvina Giesbrecht coordinator for the Centre s volunteers said the morning classes Are mainly attended by mothers in immigrant families. While the husband and school age children May quickly acquire the language of their new province a Mother who is House bound May begin to feel inadequate As the rest of the family moves past her with their English language ability Giesbrecht said. It can be very frustrating for a Mother if she is unable to help her Grade one child with exercises they bring Home from she said. The Centre offers a baby sitting service so mothers can bring their pre school children while taking the class. Giesbrecht said the 100 Volun Teer tutors who work with the 21 professional teachers now involved Are invaluable to the program. For students who Lack the Basic vocabulary to Benefit from the first level of classroom instructions the Tutor will help the students through the initial stages until they can be absorbed into the classes. The tutors Are also available for special students some with physical handicaps and unable to attend the Centre. In one instance a Blind woman is being assisted to learn to read English Braile. Giesbrecht said the volunteers come from various backgrounds and include retired and Active teachers University students and housewives. Sponsored by the citizenship Council of Manitoba and with its teachers being paid by Winnipeg school division no. 1, the Centre does not charge students for instruction even exercise books Are supplied free of charge. Want a better answer try us a v Telephone answering service 7 947-1661 City wide paging service Winnipeg free press tuesday october 10, 1978 City news 2nd class Mai registration number 0286 it leaves you breathless Barbara Cansino Queen Elizabeth in fat pheasant under Glass scotch on the rocks Vichy suisse on ice fish and foliage in ice. Queen Elizabeth in edible fat Michelangelo s David in edible fat. Pheasant scotch and Vichy suisse can been seen on any menu in any serious restaurant. But fish and foliage in ice Michelangelo s David in fat was there a significant party that somebody missed in a Way yes. The culinary Competition and Dis play presented by the Manitoba association of chefs de cuisine two weeks ago in the convention Centre could add i footnote or two to larousse gastronomic be. There were several categories in the display cakes meats breads and the like and certainly not your run of the Mill bran muffins Ham burgers and dinner Rolls. There were breads in curl cues a chocolate Vio Lin a glazed Turkey Indian head with White Turkey breast feathers a roast beef cascading ladder with 58 slices and cauliflower adornment. But the most intriguing of All. The most aesthetically compelling were the ice sculptures and fat sculptures. Although they had melted somewhat by mid afternoon with a few watery fins and feathers floating about in the tray there was a Mas Sive poised Eagle in ice a proud pea cock and n fish against foliage and it was possible to imagine How they must have looked before they gave in to the heat. Atlantis must have been something like that. The ice sculptures puled by the fat sculptures not Only because the fat sculptures did not melt though the Odd nose or extremity broke off some of the less durable works but also because the designs were More original the detail More minute. Everybody has seen a fish and an Eagle if not in ice. But everybody has not seen Queen Eliza Beth and certainly not seen her in edible fat. The Queen Elizabeth bust by chef Nick Marchak of the hotel fort Garry won Gold. She was regal. Michelangelo s Pieta 18" x sculpted by chef Joe Colosimo of the Nia Kwa trave Lodge also won Gold. And chef Ian h. Neilson of the Village Del who took the most Gold of the show and won one Silver Tuo won one of his three golds for his 14-Inch Michelangelo s David in fat sculpted Down to the last Toenail. His Silver was for the Myles Robinson s son Richard Robinson bar Mitzvah bust in fat. Neilson explained the fat is a Spe Cial pastry shortening. How Long did it take to sculpt David it depends on the individual s said Neil son. I wonder if they Ever asked Michelangelo How Long it took to make he explained that the Robinson bar Mitzvah bust was a commissioned work. I did Myles Robinson s son s bar Mitzvah at their Home on september 23. They had about 4.10 guests in their Home. You should see their Home. It s got a Squash court an indoor swimming Pool. I was compiling the bar Mitzvah menu with mrs. Robinson and i suggested i do a fat bust of the son because Down East i had done several busts for Young boys for their bar Mitzvah and i thought it would be something different for Winnipeg. Mrs. Robinson is a very elegant lady and she loves to have the Neilson a native of Scotland who trained in Grosvenor House in Glas Gow is doing a Charlie Chaplin in fat for his next exhibition in 1979 and Hopes to go to the olympics in 1980. Christmas shopping Christmas shopping it s Only octo Ber and the leaves Are still Golden and the Cross country skis Are still against the basement beam. Just the right time. Christmas Cata logs Are now available for mail order shop Ping by All the big spenders from All the big shops Asprey of London for jewels and China Baume Mercier of Geneva for watches Cartier for diamonds Alfred Dunhill of London for pipes Garrard the Crown jewellers Gucci for bags rotheby Parke Bernet Neiman Marcus for everything. Back Home to Earth there Are some Choice items creeping in to the Winni Peg shops. Buy now gloat later when Osborne Street is shop to shop procrastination when Only the Dregs remain in the shops because the Good stuff All went before halloween. For openers the new York times 1979 Cross word Puzzle appointment Book is available at the paper gallery 388 Academy Road for it s a week at a glance Type with a crossword for each weekly Page. It will take a week to do each Puzzle with clues like Delhi instrument and choke Berry geniuses. People who Don t have Green thumbs can buy the Cactus Candle for at the Glassy i d-472 River Avenue at it looks like it s growing. The same shop also has the ice Cream sundae Candle which smells of ice Cream at the banana split Candle at the Chianti wine bottle Candle at the big Canvas sneaker carry bag for gym clothes at there Are some new and timely calendars on the Market for 1979. Mary scorer books at 121-b Osborne Street says there Are 270 calendars in the Book Trade this year. The spinoff Factor is big six Tolkien calendars Are coming out and the Tom Thomson Calendar at the Jill Uris Ireland at and the in Vogue at calendars testify to last year s Best Selling books. The current sports and participation mania is also evident. Angus Murray gifts books 163 Stafford Street has the Tennis anyone Calen Dar at and the Complete runner s Day by Day log and Calendar at it s by James Fixx who wrote the Book on running. The Alligator pie Calendar at featuring bumper is to Date the Little people s Choice. The sexes two thursdays ago Csc television reported on the new in training program in Gimli. The announcer said that training is available in both official languages and both official sexes. Unofficial sexes need not apply. Working at Manitoba school for Retar dates inmate volunteers prove valuable by Ron Campbell How can a prisoner at heading Ley jail help at the Manitoba school for Retar dates at Portage la Prairie since May 1, inmate volunteers involved in the work program at the school have been providing Posi Tive and often unexpected answers to that question. At first the school administrators put the heading Ley inmates to work doing relatively simple chores such As laundry housekeeping and Gar Dening. Then said the school s senior nursing administrative officer mor Ris Irwin we realized we were dealing with some characters that had a lot to for example one of the prisoners with a background in food consulting studied the school s food services and was Able to Point out Cost saving techniques and make the depart ment More efficient. That would never have been done Here without that Irwin said. Another prisoner repaired a Chain saw the school had then he and two others built an adventure play ground for the school cutting up surplus Utility poles for climbers fastening tires together with chains and creating a Sandy play area. Once again we had that skill we tapped into. If they had t built it that playground would have been just a Irwin said. Two prisoners work in the school s recreation department two work in occupational therapy another with a music background works in the speech training program. On two consecutive fridays this last prisoner formerly with a band in Winnipeg came out to the school and entertained multiple Handi capped residents. Since the program s May Day starting Date a total of 24 heading Ley inmates have volunteered their services at the school with Between eight and 11 participating at any Given time. As of mid week the inmate Volun Teers had done Man hours of work at the school receiving the top jail rate of a Dollar a Day. Though the prisoners could simply walk away from custody while at the school none have. They Are screened very carefully before being accepted into the pro Gram no one with a violent sexually aberrant or drug addiction background gets in. Irwin said there have been no complaints about the work program from school staff residents or the prisoners themselves. The majority i be talked to say that at least they re doing something useful out they work from . To . Monday through Friday. The group has averaged about 10 but won t number More than 15 because it would be too unwieldy and Ade quate supervisor could t be maintained. Two of the prisoners recently went through an eight hour St. John s photos by Dave Boito school residents play on a swing constructed by inmates inset an inmate cuts an elderly resident s hair. Ambulance first Aid course and will successful candidates get their certificates. So far have sentences from a year to it is also planned to give the 21 months. Prisoner volunteers a four hour course in behaviour modification and lectures on epilepsy and retardation. The residents really accept he said. Some prisoners have worked with residents in the school s recreation program in swimming baseball or escorting residents on bus outings. Fred Saunders coordinator of work and education programs at heading Ley said that before an in mate is even put on the consideration list his file is reviewed by Saunders or the prisoner s counsel Lor by the Security officer then by officials from the school who decide whether the prisoner s Abili ties can be fitted to the school s needs and at what level. Those selected for the program must be serving reasonably lengthy this is so they can spend a meaningful amount of time in the pro Gram before they re due to get out. Of those who be participated nine have been paroled and the rest have received temporary absences of from one to 90 Days. Bradley said similar work schemes Are being considered for the Selkirk mental health Centre the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the society for Crip pled children and adults of Manitoba As Well As for the provincial corrections department s juvenile probation division. It is this last project that has the greatest likelihood of Success at the moment Bradley said. All that needs to be done is to get the proposal officially approved. It is hoped that under this pro Gram probation officers would regularly bring six to eight boys under their supervision in to heading Ley jail for rap sessions with selected inmates and staff. Hopefully thai would prove to be a the inmate Council at the jail has approved the concept and Bradley is confident the corrections depart ment will go for it too. Both Bradley and Saunders say the prisoners participating in the Portage work program have experienced personal growth As a result realizing a sense of personal Worth from helping the school. Heading Ley superintendent Al Carruthers first suggested the Pris Oner Volunteer concept to the por Tage school a couple of years ago. This year school officials took him up on it. Boy has it Ever said school director or. Glen h. Lowther. He said one inmate has even applied to work on staff. Manitoba Library lowest in Canada Ronald Friesen Library funds Low priority Here by Hope Kamin Manitoba s libraries Are among the most poorly funded in Canada Ron Ald Friesen president of the Manitoba Library association says. Friesen whose association is a Gen eral interest organization of librarians and members of the Public said libraries Are and always have been a Low priority for Manitoba provincial governments. In 1976 the per capita provincial government Grant for non capital expenditures for Public libraries in Manitoba was Friesen said in an interview. By comparison the per capita Grant in Saskatchewan was and in Prince Edward is land he noted. The argument we usually get is that we re experiencing a Lime of restraint. But the fact remains that other provinces some of which Are considered have not provinces Are doing much he said. What s happening is that the government just simply in t funding libraries in proportion to their use and function in because the provincial Grant for Public libraries in regions or municipalities with populations of or More is Only per capita up to 50 per cent of operating costs the Burden Falls mainly on the municipalities which operate from smaller tax bases and often cannot afford to support a Public Library system Friesen said. With municipal contributions included the per capita Grant for pub Lic libraries in Manitoba in 1976 was which Friesen said puts Mani Toba behind such provinces As Ontario Saskatchewan Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The total provincial and Munici pal per capita Grant for Winnipeg Public libraries was in 1976, putting it behind such cities As re Gina Ottawa and London ont. Friesen said that underfunding of libraries both Public and school is a particularly serious problem Given the number of people using the ser vices. For example he said Winni Eggers or about 25 per cent of the City s population Are Active members of the Public Library. And that does t include people who Are casual reference users or browsers. If people say that libraries Aren t being used they should look at these figures. How Many times do you Call the police or fire Frie sen said. Friesen suggested a solution to the problem in Manitoba moving to a comprehensive provincial plan like that in Saskatchewan where a provincial Library system is set up to allocate funds to regional networks of local libraries. That Way municipalities would not have to rely so heavily on their often meagre tax bases for Library funding ;