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The Acton Fro Press Wednesday January 7 1970 net tcijJ The snowmobile is not a toy and requires a skilled driver to handle it safely under all conditions It was tragic during the 196869 season how many people had serious accidents the first time out on snowmobiles and now the problem has been multiplied by the appearance of more and more of the machines in this district Theres really no need for the hazardous conditions if proper driving instruction is taken the operator realizes his limitations and takes it easy until he has built up a background of experience that will enable him to use the vehicle with ease and confidence Prime requisite after absorbing knowledge of how to operate it snowmobile properly is to know the law regarding their use Police in Acton have been receiving many complaints from residents about reckless drivers invasion of privacy and excessive noise Owning a snowmobile gives no one the right to circumvent the laws or display an unusual lack of courtesy towards pedestrians and motorists The snowmobile can be a real source of winter recreation but there are inherent dangers which should be recognized to get the full enjoyment from the machine and avoid needless injury Few will shed tears as the 1 960s fade from memory although looking back at the past decade there have been many successes for mankind and the technological breakthroughs have been spectacular Man walked on the moon for the first time and the day may not be too far distant when the stars will be within reach Canadians are enjoying unmatched prospcnty Indications are living should be even better as the years go on There is almost universal recognition that peace is preferable to war Civil rights for minorities are being recognized diseases have not been cutting big swaths through whole populations without check like they did at one time There are countless other advances which have made the lot of many human beings more pleasant It would be sensible to deduce that man then must be happier than he has ever been despite the lapses in Viet Nam and the inroads violence has made in society But this is not the case Utah J inhumanity There is just no accounting for the way our socalled democratic form of government works or as the television program puts it people are funny The thought is triggered by the uproar surrounding the Ontario Governments year long efforts to legislate a new aw the use of stray animals for research We the people take it in stride when Queens Park saddles us with an extra 175 million dollars of payments for the health plan We shrug with resignation when the politicians vote themselves a per cent increase in take home pay We gripe only a little when Robartsrobs Affluence has not produced happiness nor has it solved the problems which plague people all over the globe much of it caused by human failures and the ughness of permissive society which is leaning close to anarchy There are foolish appeals to freedom without the balance of responsibility often from people guided by their senses rather than brains or hearts We could do with a little new fashioned self control and a taste of self discipline in the march towards a just society and freedom Man cannot live in todays complex society without some mutually agreed upon adjustment with others This requires selfcontrol and a measure of discipline All the laws in the world mean nothing if they are not observed or respected Freedom can only come when society is committed to preserving its ideals by building rather than seeking to destroy us of another area of local autonomy in his determined dnvc for regional government Man inhumanity to man can provide a sadistic thrill but we are instantly humane at the mere thought an animal might suffer Countless atrocities have been committed by the Robarts Government agamst the people of Ontario and they have suffered in silent resignation Since spring this same Legislature has been trying to pass a bill to provide a sufficient supply of animals for research purposes and the outcry has been so vocal Bill is still stymied The Glengarry News the COUNTRY ROADS ALWAYS HAVE a charm of their own but during the w ntar they reflect a special beauty with trees and fences rail and wire the tedium of end loss snow and defining growing areas Snow is piled high along the but the w nter sun already becoming stronger and rocks soon lose their shallow coverings Photo by Jim Jann s ar and S by bill pice smiley You probably have some predictions for the 1970s as I do Lets see how they match Remember this is for the whole decide not just 1970 Let get rid of the dirty ones first There is going to be more and more racial trouble And this means more and more violence hatred killing and both physical and psychological The whites are going to be beleaguered and are going to fight back ruthlessly most of them There is going to be more and more pollution noise air water despite the strenuous efforts of a vocal to do thing about it The almighty buck will continue to dictate policy in this field Taxis will go on rising and inflation will go on inflating The only solution would be controls of wages rtnt food etc and no politician will have the guts to impose them And if he did the public would raise a holocaust of hue and cry that would send mm smartly back to his law practice The standard of living will increase and so will the standard of dying Welt have more things and well lull ourselves faster getting them There will be just as poor people in as there were in and THE SENIOR class of Acton public school In 1S23 lined up with teacher Miss Anderson for their annuel picture n the front row left to right are Thomas Gibbons Bill Williams Gordon Hansen Howard Swttzer Tommy Steele Gordon Bart Gibbons Charlie Holmes second row loft to right Andrew Buchanan Jim Hoard Blair Margaret Bauer Cora White Florence Cross Laura Hall Clara Bauer Torrance Shea Billy Jones third row loft to right Bob Halt Isabel Bruce Viola Smith Lens Kathleen unknown Irene Cross Marion Rigby Stewart Helen Hillman fourth row Herb Taylor Colin Lloyd Bruce Stuart Lantz Frank Winters Murray Smith top row Gordon Currie Clarence Anderson Joe Woods unknown Bert Patrick Glen Ryder back row Gordon probably more people talking about it and doing less People will drink more and think less The drug scene will make the Sixties look like a Sunday school picnic where somebody had too much lemonade The Vietnam war will peter out ignommiously The Communists of North Vietnam will take over There will be vicious purges And then the Vietnamese will go about their business of rebuilding and living Millions of today hippies will be sick with arthritis and kidney trouble will be on welfare and wondering why they did it The Arabs will continue their efforts to wipe out the Jews and get some bloddy noses in the process Husbands will continue to beat up their wives on Saturday night Or vice versa Education will go through its lowest swing of the pendulum in 100 years as the discipline of learning is replaced by having a ball doing projects and talking when you haven anything to talk with or about Canada will become a very junior partner of Uncle Sam That is if it first t become a gaggle of minor republics with about as much international prestige as Monaco Sounds like a pretty sordid Seventies t it But it won be that bad That s the big picture and big pictures are often third rate as witness most of the bigscreen movies youve seen lately In the little subjective world where the individual lives it ail black Babies will continue to be born and chuckle and have their little soft bellies blown on and be precious and funny and utterly delightful for a few years And the foul brown mud of March wdl gradually give way to the lush green grass of May and the dead black twigs of winter will become the green mist of April and the rich joy of June And the brutal winds and biting cold of February will inevitably turn into broiling brown beach July And the wheat and the peaches will turn gold And the potatoes will come up plump and firm and scab lea And the fish will be fat and the beef will be beefy And perhaps you will do something good and kind And perhaps someone will say something that makes you think you are worthwhile And perhaps you will have model teenagers hah And perhaps you will grow in understanding and love And perhaps your cat won have kittens I think the Seventies will be like most of the other ages of man bbek and white grey and orange blue and gold Well all we can do is wait and see chaps But don t hold your breath waiting my predictions to be wrong Just carry on and live each day as a precious gift which will never come to you again Happy Seventies I fed like maid who sold her only piece of furniture week had all her personal piled on top When the buyer arrived to collect his purchase the told I Just a minute Ive got some things to get off my chest Tho new year is only a few days old and there arc a few thing I d like to get off my chest which expanded attains a healthy 39 deflated plummet to a sickly with a stretchy tape measure The first item is a healthy hurrah for officials of Hockey Canada who had intestinal fortitude to tell those who pretend they are running pure hockey teams in Europe it is lime to shed the hypocrisy and let the Canadians use pro hockey players After all the European clubs have been using pros ever since they started serious competition The difference is that in Canada a pro hockey player is called a pro hockey player the old spade a spade deal An amateur is a shamateur there because he likely collecting a few bucks under the table for his services The Swedes the Russians the East Germans the Czechs and only Bunny Aherne knows who else pretend they are not even collecting the proverbial peanuts for playing shinny And fooling whom Only the peons behind the old iron curtain and even they arc beginning to suspect the wool is being pulled over their eyes more often than when they remove their turtle neck sweater It is time Communist political philosophy was banned from international sport What is wrong with making a buck for playing hockey Nothing absolutely nothing And Hie comrades who accept their pay for some other occupation and play hockey full time arc exhibit number one in support of the profit theory Canada withdrawal from the international hockey scene all that pure but the press in the free countries no longer pictures the Canucks ds world hockey villain Weve shed the villain role and adopted the Sir Galahad pose of tell ng the truth people and Number two on my personal new year crusade to get things off my chest is another paean of praise This time it goes in the direction of a waitress in Barcelona Spain who retired recently at the age of This took a job a a waitress SO years ago intending to do an Horatio Alger and achieve the stature of a master chef She retired still a waitress but insisted she was a success I storied at the bottom but liked it there and decided that it s tops Waitresses get to know lots of people and have merry friendly the told astonished So wc say bully for her She found right niche early life and stayed there despite all the propaganda broadcast that everyone must claw their way to the top The final chest matter we d like to shed is a hoary old chestnut which has survived many shows and is periodically resurrected by street corner wags Two residents of the county home for the aged were comparing the condition of their wives who had long since passed to glory One gentleman his eyes filled with tears reminded his fellow resident that his wife had a wooden leg That nothing replied the of the pair mine had a cedar chest In the event that is not a item you want to file in your hope chest may I take this opportunity to wish all readers of this column a happy and prosperous 1970 since 1 abdicated my responsibilities last week Thanks for reminders of the omission but it was intentional 20 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press Thursday January 5 1950 The inaugural meeting of the first town council for Acton had appropriate ceremonies that will make the event historical The last village council with reeve Jones occupied the seats at the council table Mr Jones handed over the symbols of office to Mayor Mason Declarations of office were taken by Mayor Mason Reeve E Tyler Deputyreeve J McLeod and councillors J Greer Thompson J Hargrave T Nichol L HotchenandW A retirement and profit sharing plan has been announced by Baxter Laboratories Contributions by Baxter and its employees to a trust fund will accumulate to purchase annuities for employees on retirement Mr and Mrs J RR 3 Acton celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Many friends here learned with regret of the death of Kenneth Henderson grandson of the Hon David Henderson of Acton at Montreal An unpredictable mercury rising to new heights forced postponement of both the Intermediate and Junior H A curtain raisers this week The first new arrivals at Acton Nursing Home were Michael Earl son of Mr and Mrs Yule of and a daughter born to Mr and Mrs C Thompson R R I Canadians smoke about 15 million THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE But end Ed Off cigarettes a year and grave doubts are arising over the possible harmful effects of some of the chemicals in them Medical opinion differs on smokeinduced damage to the lungs but there has been a marked increase in cancer of the lungs in recent years years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press Thursday Januarys 1920 One of the happiest famdy gatherings that assembled under the home roof tree during the holidays was the celebration the golden wedding anniversary of our esteemed citizens Mr and Mr Wilham Williams on New Year Day it on Mill St It was nearly years since all the members of the family had met together The wedding gift were numerous and included a purse of gold of substantial amount Fortyfour years ago they came to Acton and through year sunshine and shadow they have been among our best citizens A very enjoyable evening was spent by the members of the League and their friends on New Year Eve A skating party was held on the rink and at the church lunch was served around an improvised camp fire A service of tongs prayer and brief addresses followed Ninetecntwenty was ushered in with zero weather and gales of wind and snow The day was generally pretty well spent indoors Few motor cars ventured out and the skating rink was deserted St Joseph s church was scene a pretty wedding on Wednesday morning 7th when Ethel daughter of Mr and Mrs George Benton was joined in the bonds of holy wedlock to John J Smith of the Toronto Suburban Railway As the bride entered the sacred edifice leaning on the arm of her father the wedding march was played by Miss Irene Mulholland The ceremony was performed by Rev W G Miss Dehne Gibbons attended the and Mr George Benton was groomsman The bride looked very pretty in her travelling suit of navy blue tricobne with ha to match and a corsage bouquet of American beauty roses The company assembled at the home of the brides parents Mr and Mrs Smith went east on the two clock Toronto Suburban electric on a bitef honeymoon tour They were the recipients of numerous fine gifts Why is it that every little squirt thinks hes a fountain of wisdom A well informed man is one whose wife has just told him what she thinks of him Definition of an exsquirt says a colleague if a drip under pressure