We look back at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1980
Belfast Rose Erika Turk (24) will represent Ulster in the Rose of Tralee Competition. She is pictured with former Glen Road winners Therese Gillespie and Marita Marron
Electric meter box war starts
THE Electricity Service is making what appears to be another major effort to stop working class domestic consumers reducing their soaring electricity bills by interfering with the meters.
They have introduced a new type of tough cylindrical seal to replace the old soft lead plugs that have been used for years. The Electricity Service refuse to confirm or deny that they propose to methodically change all seals in the province. But, an electricity worker confirmed that he had orders to fit the new type seal on all his domestic service calls, whether this required work in the meter box or not.
This latest action by the electricity service and the rising costs of electricity charges and debts, coincides with an attempt by a group of concerned community workers to mount an “Action on Debt Campaign” in an effort to highlight the worry and hardship caused by electricity arrears and methods of debt recovery. The Northern Ireland Association of Community Workers and the Action on Debt Campaign, held a half day conference on the subject. Various speakers voiced their concern at the poverty being caused by the astronomical charges on the basic necessities of life, such as housing and heating.
The government and the Electricity Service came in for some strong criticism for their attempts to lay the blame for electricity debts fairly and squarely on the harassed domestic consumer while industry and commercial consumers are to a large extent exempt from criticism, and their massive debt overlooked. The group intend to continue with the campaign in the hope that they can alleviate a situation that has now reached crisis proportion.
Rossa ‘B’ team won the Allied Irish sponsored Andersonstown Leisure Centre Handball League. Neilly McMahon, Billy Sterrett, Billy Maguire and Jim Gartland take the honours
Editorial
ONCE again, the selection procedure for transition from primary and post-primary education is in the news. And again, just like every other year, no-one seems able to answer the questions or provide satisfaction for the disappointed parents and children.
As pupils, apparently qualified for grammar schools, are rejected (something to do, it seems, with the 1st choice), schools blame the Education Boards, who in turn blame the schools. Both, however, say that their only interest is the educational welfare of the children.
It would be too easy to blame the school and/or the Education Boards. Both have to make do with a system (or lack of system) whose faults are only too obvious. We all know of instances of secondary school children who would make swifter progress in a grammar school if they might be given the opportunity.
Then there are the unfortunate grammar school children who find the plunge into the ‘academic’ world at 11 years too sudden and too deep for them. All too often such children finish up at a serious education disadvantage.
In the welter of argument and accusation, one point seems to stand out – that the case for going completely comprehensive is strong. That all children should make the transition together and that any selection, filtering or streaming, should take place in a less painful fashion, within the new system.
Teachers, individually and through their unions, seem to favour this; as do educationalists and administrators, on both educational and human rights’ grounds. Why then doesn’t it happen? Are the authorities at fault? Or is it at a grammar school/secondary level that agreement breaks down? That is, if agreement is being sought. Or is it true that the grammar schools simply want to hold on to their ‘privileged’ position? For better or worse.
The layman (that is, parent and pupil) can’t be blamed for feeling at a loss. Or worse, for feeling that the whole business has nothing really to do with them – it’ll be settled by higher minds. Public discussion, at the most basic level, is needed to bring some understanding to a problem which has all the appearances of being an on-going debate.
Phoebe Rock, Lower Andersonstown Thursday Club, presents a cheque to Sister Tinsley from the Royal Victoria Hospital Cardiac Unit. Patricia Armstrong hands a cheque to Sisters Armstrong and Farrell of the Maternity Unit. Also pictured are Lily Cassidy, Bobby McLaughlin, Mick McCaughey, Annie McVeigh, Bobby Oakley and Mary Brunt
Milltown strike
BURIALS at Milltown Cemetery will cease unless harassment of grave diggers by the British Army comes to an end. This harassment has been stepped up recently, and seems to be worsening.
On Monday last, in pouring rain, at least 40 British soldiers took over the cemetery and there was a veritable roadblock inside the gates. They questioned workers, but their main aim was to photograph mourners with the funeral of Mrs O’Halloran from Ardoyne, whose son is on the blanket in H-Block.
When the workers had this trouble before with the British Army, contact was made with Monsignor Mullaly who immediately rang Lisburn and the result was that the officer in charge had to apologise to the workers involved.
The present harassment is usually the arrest and detention of one of the men and the petty census which is taken regularly. The men have been in touch with their Union, ATGWU, and a meeting is expected to take place today between the men, the union and Monsignor Mullaly to prevent he strike taking place.
McCormick Cup BWMC New League champions, Jim McShane, Joe Fox, Malachy Corbett, John McDonnell, Eddie Delaney, Seamus Fox, Gerard Fox, Sean Fox and Martin Smyth
Dogs gone
OVER twenty missing dogs have gone missing in the Andersonstown area within the past two weeks; they are all hunting dogs and local people fear that there is a ring of dog-stealers operating in the area.
The dogs missing included at least eight Jack Russells and they were taken mostly in the Rossnareen/Gartree Place area. Some of the missing dogs have been reported missing and advertised in the Andersonstown News. Owners fear that the business is being organised and that the dogs are being kept somewhere not too far out in the country.
One of the dogs taken was ‘Digger’ owned by the Millar family from Ramoan.
