4 The Acton Freo Press Wednesday March 2 Units for Acton now Talking with the various people involved the planning of senior citizens apartments in Acton it seems apparent everyone agrees the building should proceed here as soon as possible except for Ontario Housing These officials who make the decisions infer they are not con vinced there is a need in Acton They dont feel any urgency to proceed Councillors who were expecting to see construction start in the spring realize now that more action is going to have to come from Acton if the hopes of expectant older people are to be filled If we have to prove a need here we can But no one had ever in dicated to us we would have to do it The idea has come as a result of individual concerns from people who were asked if they would move miles away to live instead of stajing at home as they had ex pected Obviously the officials have given little concern to the feelings of people of this age some of them with legitimate worries about finances m these days of ever- rising costs Remember back when the Legion offered to sell its old build for a steal to provide downtown accommodation for seniors The Legionaires finally gave up in disgust doubled the price and sold elsewhere Now although a site on Elizabeth Dr is ready Georgetowns build is getting priority In the matter of senior citizens housing Halton Hills should not be considered as one town This seems to be emerging as the rationale behind asking our senior citizens if they would be willing to move to Georgetown Some impetus for Acton will result from Monday s special meeting Plastics the future A blow to the community is the closing of a second plant within a couple of months The plastic pipe division of Building Products is being phased out immediately putting about people out of work United Carr closed its manufac tunng operations here December also leaving about without employment Plastics were the product of the future when Micro Platics began production here about The material of the future brought problems with its future too Union workers were told there are 134 plastic pipe plants in Canada and only one of them showed a profit last year A few years ago there were 200 employees at BP Its down to about or so now with 30 of them due to leave soon Micro Plastics was established by Jack Long and Jock Sault in a building on Wallace St since used for storage Mr Sault left and Neil Bowles came into the company It was sold to Jack Kent Cooke to Building Products and subsequently Imperial Oil owned by Oil of New Jersey plastic pipe was one of the early products along with welting for the shoe industry lacings and the oncefamous hula hoops It was one of the first plastic extruding plants in Canada Restore our town hall The price tag of to repair the town hall seems a high one but there are more things to be con sidered than money In the same issue of the Free Press that records the estimated cost of repairs houses were ad vertised at anything between for a brick bungalow in town to country houses at 129000 and Certainly our old brick town hall is well worth more than one or even two single family houses It belongs to the community It is an obvious subject for loving care in these days when more and more people are payingattention to their past A current favorite volume is one containing photographs of weathered old railway stations some of them in use as restaurants or craft centres now Enough said about stations Not many of our old houses are intrinsically beautiful We dont have too many buildings worth spending money on to preserve Certainly the town hall is one of them rotting wooden bell tower CBs and the weather Commuters who have had to face the roads all through this long winter have discovered what a boon their CB radios can be Many report advice that was invlauable to them what roads to avoid what hills were impassable and when there were accidents ahead Certainly the radio weather reports fall far behind the ef of the CB flock City reports cite weather that is ab solutely wrong as far as the Acton area is concerned A major gap is the inability to predict impending fog The Dominion Officers of the Royal Canadian Legion met last weekend with the Provincial Presidents and Secretaries and un rededicated themselves to the principle of a united Canada and reaffirmed that the Legion will continue to work towards that end in every province and territory of Canada O Canada We stand on guard for thee Perfect day for an ice dip LAST ONE IN is a Halton Scuba Trek diver Nobody else joined the six experienced club members in Fairy Lake Sunday afternoon Top left a Toronto TV crew filmb the dive the sound technician protecting his miLrophone inside his coat Lower left Jim Mulholland tries to loosen the last patch of ice in the noli by jumping on it Top right Jim No fans wife Kathy and daughters Sarah Jane four and Carry Lynn three Lowernght oneofthediverssurfaces Sugar and Spice by bill smiley AH there nothing more that Rood old fashioned imdnn win Icr Us this same guy wrou glum lugubrious column Ijst week the physical and financial horrors it such just had llirec of sun and no snow all those red drippy nosed hacking whining snow of week ago havt been Ir ins formed into vibrant smiling hearty exponents of the fabulous Canadian winter I made my stand a day or two aft r last weeks column I thought to myself Screw this or word to that effect I i go berserk he Old Lady is getting my friends are depressed or tent I gonna make the great escape So I did A certain group of young punks lo whom am forced to refer as rn ml leagues have been mi slyly and maliciously for about two years one of their poker evenings Tliey knew perfectly well that my wife wouldn let me go even if I told her It was a group of Sun day School teachers and we were only going to play for mutches They got after me agin last Thursday Maybe It was the weather but something snapped said Right What time They started to snicker and poke each other with their elbows This is known In their circle as- humor Sure you won I have any trouble making Wo some limes stay up as la It as midnight you know Smiley How ya gonna get through the next day work And soon treated this juvenilia with the respect it deserved There was only one more hurdle and you know what that was Hut there was no real problem with her All I had to do was gel and check all my Insurance policies make sure the ears and the were properly signed over and promise not to have a drink before dinner in ease I had one at the poker den and Ihc Old caved In Oh not completely As I went out the door she was yelling And don l expect the door to be unlocked when you get home and If you re not here by midnight II coll the police But that was nothing In the old days when she really loved me and was really jealous she d get physical She d throw her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and I d have a hell or a time getting through door before I could brush her off against a tree or dump her In a snowbank Anyway the picked me up and off went into the wild night The last of the was just easing off but it was curtains of snow off the inks I thought we were going couple of miles In town Turned out we were heading for chalet out in the hills lfl milts and the driver of the I itsun in winch was ensconced fancied If contender In the Grand Winter It illy of or something Had to tall on old steely fighter pilot nerves refr from screaming Lemme Out i go home and TV However true grit prevailed and six hours later is home steady as a rock about the night and ready for a few hours sleep t bore you by telling you what kind of poker these aging juvenile de linquents play Almost no stud or draw poker They play what we used to call before the male chauvinist crap began Women Poker Games like Twenty seven skip lo My Loo ninth card wild in your armpit doesnt count and split the pot four ways It took three limes is long describe the game to be played is it did to play it id a Mississippi gambler or even an old cowhand been asked lo sit in on just one of those deals he have pulled his derringers or his 38 as It might be and started shooting poker players right and kit I lo mention one more detail But old enough to be Ihc father of most of Ihem I was work the next day bright as a shiny new dollar teaching with my usual superb elegance and looking askance some of these bleary eyed young gam biers who thought they were showing the old boy a big night out 1 in rougher games than thai when I was 17 However I forgive them their mis conceptions and if they wont to call a hangover being down with the flu thats their problem Point is I had made the big break through of the winter blah On Saturday morning was up at the crack of noon and off skiing In the bush wllh my wife She fell five times I fell once Sunday My wife fell four times I fell once Followed this with an ski party with old friends Dandy fire going Wizard mulled wine Massive Injections of hot homemade soup and homebaked bread And home to bed a ten clock with a tremendous sense of physical and moral rectitude I been feeling good about winter ever since and oil depression is gone Why don I you try if You don I have to begin with a poker game out in the wilds Especially if you happen to be an BO year old lady But do something Kick the cat Give your grumpy old husband a goose thing you know they II both be chasing you around the house and your winter blues will vanish Of this and that The Ontario Safety League notes that a translation of one of Chinas road signs reads as follows Go soothingly on the greasy mud for therein lurks the skid demon In weeks like these its nice to look back to the summer time Sure Remember it Nine rainy weekends in a row Books II s driving me wacky it sending me crazy This thinking this writing all this creating I get no rest with no relief in sight It s called learning The accounting laid out in neat little columns It has not balanced for days ve been struggling This torture this agony when all at once It jives It called learning The leacher said write ideas use your materials It s amazing your bruin numbs like a puff ball You fuss and panic to spark one tiny idea It s called learning Mathematicians poets artists and all Went through this crazy phase of life 1 sure Will we make it over the top What if we do It called learning A Student I The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free of Thursday March 1 1987 Eddie Bush coach of the Hamilton Red Wings of the O H A A series was a guest along with the juvenile hockey team at Acton Lions dinner meeting Monday night The dynamic speaker kept the meeting entertained for almost an anecdotes and advice on hockey as well as answering questions Juvenile coach Howie Leader Manager Pop Schuts Mr Bush captain Barry Elliott and Lion Chief Dave Hunter were among head table diners As a parting shot Bush invited the juvenile team and the Lions to the next Red Wing game Thursday at the Hamilton club s expense A constable with the Acton O since January 1966 Peter Campbell received word he has been transferred to the Oak detachment effective March 1 1967 Corporal Ray Mason announced this week OPP constable Robert of the detachment will lake Constable Campbell posting here 20 years ago Taken from he issue Ihe Free Press of Thursday February 1957 An early evening blaze completely levelled the barn on the farm of Murray and Clarence Coles Friday a mile and a half east of Acton Possible cause was reported as electrical by Chief J Newton Damage estimated at was reported by fire chief Newton who explained the estimate would not cover replacement Rescued from the blazewere 36 pigs a dairy herd of cattle including calves and some horses A tractor as well as harness and milling equipment were also saved Spring is coming Mrs Jessie McEnery reported he first robins to the Free Press She spatted the welcome birds Tuesday when Ihe weather was balmy Maybe Wednesday cold sent them south again 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the ree Press or Thursday March 3 The Community Glee Club concert last Wednesday evening was a real community event The club is a fine male chorus of forty voices and when they faced the packed auditorium at the Town Hall they must have felt lhat their efforts were backed by the town and vicinity en masse Weeks of practice had been gladly spent by the club in preparation of the programme they presented and their efforts were cer la inly well appreciated by the citizens who were fortunate enough lo be in attendance at this first concert Following ihe programme the club mem bcrs their wives Ihe assisting artists and other guests enjoyed a banquet in the Parish Hall where brief speeches were made and a basket of roses presented lo Miss Gray as evidence of the club appre ciation of her valuable assistance The net proceeds of the concert are to be devoted to community work and the club is lo continue and will start immediately to rehearse for another programme which will be presented sometime in the spring 100 years ago Taken from issue of the Press of Thursday February 1877 Sketches of the leading industries in Acton were carried in this issue of the Free Press Storey and Co Glove Works The establishment was commenced in Acton by Mr W Storey in 1B6B At that time the operations were not very extensive being principally confined to the manufacture of harvest gloves and coarser grades of men wear But now all classes of goods are made here comprising over 60 differ lines and embracing the finest quality In year 1872 Mr Storey entered into partnership with Mr James Marore and with Dr McGarvin in 1B73 when the were increased a tannery was built for tanning and dressing the skin s The sale of Acton gloves extends from Halifax lo Winnipeg The present tariff operates to the great disadvantage of our manufacturers The wholesale value of gloves made here the past year is From 35 to hands are employed and wages average about a month paid every Saturday evening The firm has two travellers constantly on the road The entire process of making gloves is The Storey Glove plant was razed to make room for the new post office on Bower Ave THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE 853 Business and Editorial Office Mil withdrawn I Copyright 1977