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The Acton Free Press Wed November 3 Editorial Page Oil spill emergency When a tanker trailer overturned last week spilling 9000 gallons of oil on the street reaction was prompt and appropriate The speed with which each department acted was commendable Within hours almost all the had been cleaned from the Black Creek Police firefighters and the Ministry of the Environment apparently all share the same con plans which agree on the correct methods to follow during specific occurrences Straw dams in streams for instance are the standard practice for oil spills Halton Hills workmen rushed in to help building the dams and sanding the oily roadway The spill was not danger ous at it might have been No 2 oil won t ignite as easily as gasoline But it is gratifying for our people here to know that our firefighters police and workmen with the assistance of a representative of the Department of the Environ ment can cope most capably in the event of such an emergency Feed the birds Esther Taylor made an excellent presentation to council this week explaining the plight of the birds on Fairy Lake The works committee will surely now take the initiative back into their own hands and arrange for the birds to be housed fed and watered this winter We only hope the bird watcher s observation is correct and that the numbers of birds is not increasing greatly each year Too many birds could result in water unclean for swimming The buck has been passed from hand to hand in hope of finding an expert on the subject who truly knew the right course of action to take Apparently the answer must be found right here not in some official s office Esther Taylor is showing council the right way The birds are a town responsibility Hometown businesses Shopkeepers find the disruption of the main street just before the dins season discouraging They are concerned about the possible drop in business Retail outlets in general did not have a good spring and summer is never the best time for profits The pre Christmas season is important to the small business people who run their independent businesses here Sure the parking is poor the driving is difficult the dirt is dirty But how about a little effort and consideration for these home town people who make their living here Part of our community There will be more policing in town from now on and more of it on foot hopefully Halton Regional police chief has assured councillor specific concerns and complaints will be looked after and that his men want to do a good professional job here as in all of the county A discontent perhaps vaguely felt expressed itself in different ways Councillor under took to get to the bottom of some of the statements and he went to the police commission to ask why The people of Acton do not yet seem to feel free and friendly with the regional police Only one of them lives in town Some come each day from as far as Mississ- auga to work a shift in Acton There are changes in personnel How many people could name their own police officers These men are assigned to Acton to work with us to share in our community They uphold the laws passed by our elected people They are doing the will of the general public in maintaining law and order They haven t had the best of public relations since they came over a year ago Of course they arent mind readers They must be informed of problems Perhaps it would be a good idea if they could get to know more Acton people who are not in need of police services too There are many of them Compared to other towns our crime rate is not bad A couple of serious incidents such as murders which put us in the daily newspapers are unusual Acton is a good place to live and our police are an integral part of it OUR READERS WRITE Policing will improve Editor Free Press With your permission I will lakt the liberty to respond to some matters that have local concern Regional Police Since this concern came to my attention at a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting many hours have been spent in an attempt to resolve it Schwantz of Division One spent an afternoon with me in Acton talking to local citizens I have talked with the chairman of he Police Commission visited local offices and talked to many people before placed heir concerns in writing to the Commission and attended a meeting last Thursday in During the discussion with the Police Commission and Chief Skerrelt reference was made to the transfer of Staff Sergeant Ward the reorganization of District 1 the local office left without a sergeant in charge staff transfers public relations communications citizen responsibilities and the effect all these matters have on the constable serving the public The Police Chief the Commission recognized lint the citizens of this area had rtusons for concern in and outlined to mc would be done mediately In Improve Ihe situation We have i Police force with an excellent reputation and as local citizens we have a responsibility to help them In future I would ask that local citizens who have a problem for the police contact by telephone or visit Sergeant Hilton in the office and ask for his cooperation Let us unite behind and his men lb uphold the good name of the community I will be reviewing the situation from time to time to assess our progress To help you become more familiar with police organization is divided Into three districts Burlington and North The chairman of the Police Com mission is Mr Glenn Magnus on Georgetown Ontario Police Chier Chief District Supt Milton Georgetown Acton and surrounding area Acton Office Set Hilton Any citizen In wishing to contact the police dials G W Pat News scoop of the week Mill St Sugar and Spice by bill smiley An i nglish poet Browning asked a rhetorical question years ago What is so is day in June The obvious in swer is Nothing so d ly in June in on which is not lining is a rare thine in deed and something quite fine The world is soft and effulgent with the sights ind scents of Aimers Rut the sentiment much meaning a in June usually means a he it wave mosquitoes Soggy armpits an irritating whine in the bedroom iking much more sense to a would be What is so rare as a in October I don I know about you but for there is nothing on God good earth to a golden October day when the is thoughts of a saint land lies fillow and the wild free honk of the sends the chills up the spine in the West the poplars shimmer their burden of gold coins In Last the Mister Painter his drunk and is slashing unbelievable colors across landse Mother has delivered the fruit of her womb and is still feminine lvinLtnck and suckling her children spent but rtstiiic She has yet done her Inn bit eh into the clothes Hid Man Winter quite mother kettle of fish On Ihe golf course the turf is still green ind springy and it almost a lose ball in a heap of fallen leaves the water is i blue so mlcnst h it it shouts back in mockery to he deep calm blue of ihe sky Around the pot holes and sloughs is the humping of the heart as ducks head in land or take off with in morning that makes the idrenalm pump the rivers wrapped like infers Hast for that last lurking rnnbow rout thai will pounds 1 here is thump of ither in ilhtr is Hit foothill he ids ft r there is Hit lit f Irack where young push sinew to jump farther run faster There is the r iking of the leaves md the jumping in the if piles by little folk if town hasn passed stupid law the burning of leaves there is the sheer jo of tint lit nit i mom ml there The burning of the issymbohcas the planting of the seeds bulbs in the sprint It should be a time for neigh Imrs lo be chatting lining back onto pile turn for children to st up poke with slicks It should a time for meant Vie ire cremating our beloved with tenderness and regret but without sadness know they will live iLnn tint what October is all It is of dying when life flares up in ill its splendour briefly but before quiet with dignilj to all these things come on a Canadian with yellow sun filtering through wild ecstasy of the m iples and the water and sk so blue it hurts and give vou a glimpse of glory win in from golf or fishing or bunting ilking into the incredible smell of roasting turkey i glimpse of Draw oak logs the bite of and the women making gravj the kitchen and grandchildren climbing all over me and a discussion of those other turkeys the and I iride pi with Shah of in the of or Pope Its then I have in liimks giving It s lone time to bt married to a strange woman but we rt still together M grandbabb les ire as bright as but My diughtcr has her head sorted out is lough and self reliant And quite beautiful despite tht new toughness There is food in the house There is oil in the tank even though we be feeding the furniture into the fire in ten My ten per cent worse than list I have some good friends I like m work teeth are gelling ropv but hearing sight ire excellent monls seem to be in the sinu old shape not good but soso no worse I don have that unfilled I don great ispirations Inch fact consider ihlj innovs those who think I should I m This sound complete hedonistic it is I paid mv dues in suffering and fruslnlion I like to sit back and watch mj grow which it wont and tell my till ales and chuckle it the human race Maybe week 111 be on with Women si Labour or Hit A IB or food panels to white Ethodesnns But this week m just on m kick The story of the poppy a Loch November over ten million poppies bloom in Canada Dotting the lapels of half of Canada population this symbol of remembrance makes Its annual appearance as it has done each year since Although everybody knows what the poppy means nobody is certain of how it all began thepoppy becamcsoclosely associated with remembrance of the war dead The association was certainly not new when the poppy was adopted In Canada in 1021 At least a hundred ten years before that time a correspondent wrote of how thickly popples grew over the graves of of the dead He was speaking of the Napol eonic War and its campaigns in Flanders But a Canadian medical was chiefly responsible for this association more so than any other single know factor John McCrac was tall year- old member of the Canadian Medical Corps Ontario An artillery veteran he had the hand of a surgeon and the soul of a poet went into the line at on That the afternoon the enemy first used poison gas The first attack failed So did the next and the next For 17 days and nights the allies repulsed wave after wave of attackers During this period wrote One can see the dead lying there on front field And in places where enemy threw an attack they lie very thick on the slopes of the German trenches Working from a dressing station on the bank of the Canal Lt Col McCrae dressed hundred of wounded never taking off his clothes for the entire days Sometimes the dead or wounded actually rolled down the bank from above into his dugout Sometimes while awaiting the arrival of batches of wounded he would watch men at work in the burial plots which were quickly filling up Then and his unit were relieved We are weary in body and wearier in mind The general impression in my mind is one of a nightmare he wrote home But came out of with lines scrawled on a scrap of paper The lines were a poem which started In Flanders fields the poppies blow These were the lines which are enshrined in the hearts of all soldiers who heard in them their innermost thoughts McCrae was their voice The poem circulated as a folk song circulates by living word of mouth Men learned it with their hearts In the United Stales the poem Inspired the American Legion to adopt the poppy as the symbol of Remembrance In Canada the poppy was officially adopted by the Great War Association in on the suggestion of a Mrs E of France But there is litUe doubt that the impact of poem influenced this decision ThcpoemspcaksofFlandersfields But Ihcsubjectisuniversnl hat hey will be fogotten that their death will have been in vain The spirit of true Remembranct as symbolized by the poppy must be our eternal answer which belies those fears IN FLANDERS FIELDS In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row That mark our place and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly Scarce heard amid Die guns below We are the Dead Short days ago We lived felt dawn saw sunset glow Loved and were loved and now we lie In Flanders fields Take up our quarrel with the foe To you from falling hands we throw The torch be yours to hold It high If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep though poppies grow In Flanders fields John The Free Press Back Issues 20 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press or Thursday November 81858 Future commercial growth here must incorporate off street parking just as Acton present commercial area must find off street parking This is one of the salient assertions put to Chamber of Commerce members Monday evening when town planner P A Deacon addressed the seasons first general meeting of the Chamber membership At the same meeting members later named Frank Terry to preside next year He succeeds president J Bruce Andrews brought a trophy home from a race meet in Toronto Saturday He finished third in a two mile road race there adding to his laurels There were entries Mrs Norm Robertson of Acton just received word from Milton Fair that she has won he Simpsons Special for the most points in ladies work in the Hall special for most points in baking and Christies for the most points in hams and jellies With a 10 per cent coupon Darinka won in the Appreciation Draw the post office labt Saturday afternoon Runner up was Beerman who took the regular prize Next week jack pot is up toJ200 Friends here were relieved to learn Paul Beer was able to leave strifetorn Budapest in a hist week 50 years ago Taken from issue of the ree Press October Acton Council adopted a rather distinctive crest for use in public documents correspondence papers and corporation announcements The following resolution was passed unanimously by the Council Resolved that the thanks and appreciation of the Council be and are here by extended to Mr P Moore for his presentation to the Council of the specially designed crest and coal of arms of Acton and engravings of same which places in unique position of having an individually designed and registered crest Sir who prepared the Acton crest suggested its adoption our Council but changing the oak leaves which support the design of the crest for Canadian maple leaves A mock Parliament was organized by the oung People 1 of the United Church aL their meeting on Monday night Prank Cook was elected as Premier The legislature will be composed of Govern members Opposition and Progr The members of the league are looking forward to a number of interesting sessions of the Parliament during the winter WO years ago Tjkcn lie issue of the tree Press Thursday November 1816 Council met Thursday evening and the following accounts ibS2 50 for cutting thistles Thos Campbell JO for lodging and feeding tramps on the order of the reeve S merman for grading streets and making sidewalks No other business was tor a number of sears past a flesh tumor has been growing on Ihe hip of Mr John 1 ho resides on the 2nd line of and it became so cumber it he resolved to have it cut off On Freeman and Cosford of GcorLiK ind McGarvin of Acton to his residence and decided lo proceed the operation without the use form or other narcotic When cut off the lum r found to weigh several inches in length Mr who is about of age rwem tht operation without a murmur He iv no doubt highly gratified at suceessfullv relieved of the me omitted last week mention that the jurj had finally rend end a verdict in the Whiteside case There wis no frch evidence given and there no rnson for expecting any further light to thrown up on the mystery the coroner to the jury that he was prepared Mr on behalf of the prisoner and Mr on behalf of the row bneflv addressed the jury after which thev retired and in about half an hour returned with the following verdict Sept We the under signed jurv find a verdict lhal Robert lo his death on night of tin of bv by some person or persons unknown lo this jury David look foreman THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office lnintvntot rt ting good or at wrong not Advrt ting and Kay Don Editor Copyright