The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesday Dec 29 3Vrtm 8532010 BunMdEwrsiotfic in every by MeinMend Printing ltd W0ow Slreei t7J Tetephar 5191 Sutocnpeont Ken Bellamy Publisher Don Ryder Director of Advertising Hartley Coles Managing Editor event error the Qui mm together reaeonabk be charged but the the Pom The Weekend Pom The Etobcote Guardian The Geo lawn liNjepandent and Sun The The New The Weekend The North York Beaver Beaver Tho Week CHhawe Weekend The The The Slouftvito Trbone Second den Number tote end be withdrawn any MM merely en offer EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Edftor Murray Mew Edhw Helen Sport Den Nancy Punched ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Cook Rend Advertising Manager Sale- Kirk Davy Ctaaaffiad AdvenWng- Carolyn BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Office Manager Jean Shewn CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Manager McAnhur Climb on hall bandwagon Wed like to congratulate the nine members of Hills council who voted last week to give the citizens of Acton an opportunity to save a piece of Actons past namely the town hall Georgetowns Marilyn Ser- jeantson deserves particular praise she had the courage to change her vote from two pre vious nos to a yes even though she admitted she still wasnt convinced the citizens could re store the building Mayor Peter Councillors Ross Knechtel Dave Whiting and John McDonald again sup ported sale of the hall to Acto- nians and newcomers Rick Bonnette Tom Hill Phil Car ney and Finn Poulstrup added their support Again Coun cillors Pam Sheldon Harry Levy Russ Miller and Mike Armstrong supported de molishing the historic building though we had trouble under standing their reasons this time going to cost the Town or more to demolish it there was nothing written that the Town had to take the building back once restored no tax dollars were going into it from local government the citi zens groups buying the building were taking all the risks and the restoration project is going to create needed jobs So why were four councillors opposed toil They expressed fears of the municipality having to pay later to tear it down or worried the Town will have to maintain it in the future We guess that could happen down the road but knowing the spirit of this community and its track record for taking care of itself we doubt very much that anyone will going back to the Town for anything on this project Be sides all of the hard workers who have fought to keep this dream alive have something to prove to the doubting Thomases The hall supporters have a lot of pride to go along with alt that perseverance and energy And we cant fault the ma jority of councillors one little bit for declining to donate the funds set aside for demolition to the restoration project There isnt universal support for the project in Acton even now so tax dollars shouldnt go into it We dont think the hall sup porters were too disappointed to miss out on the money though going without those dollars will just make their triumph of restoring the building that much sweeter Theyll have proved their point that Acton can accomplish great things and maintain its identiy with or without Halton Hills help Now that the long battle is over its our hope that all of the community will now climb on the victors bandwagon and make sure the town hall will be something all of Acton can be proud of for years to come It will be best for Acton in the long run if Sheldon Levy Arm strong and Miller are proved Municipal complex issue finally on right track Georgetown Councillor John McDonald took the words right out of our mouth Last week Halton Hills coun cil set up a new committee to take care of the municipal com plex issue and also voted to have a number of external carried out One study will examine space needs for the municipality for the next 20 years another will be an ex amination of the present site of the municipal offices on Trafal gar Rd to see if they are suit able Also studies will deter mine if it is more cost efficient to centralize municipal opera tions in one location or keep them scattered The final study review ways a municipal complex might be financed When this course of action was unveiled and unanimously endorsed by council McDonald observed that if council had done this in the first place in stead of springing a de posit on a piece of property nearby at the first meeting after the election council wouldnt have left itself open to criticism We still have many questions and concerns about the whole notion of a municipal complex however the independent stud ies should answer the ques tions The studies may or may not alleviate our concerns Our initial concern was the to say the least strange timing of the whole matter being rais ed Council was entirely right to discuss buying property behind closed doors last summer But when they took a straw vote in camera and supported picking up the option their agent Bob of Mark- ham had placed on the pro perty in September they should have made the whole thing pub lic then True a straw vote in camera isnt legally binding but then as the mayor himself said they reconfirmed their earlier decision on November 22 Regardless of whether they did it on purpose or not it will always appear that the coun cillors agreed to keep their September decision quiet until sometime after the election so this wouldnt become a political football Had they done the studies they are now embarking on be fore putting down the deposit it might not have been a political football To announce the plan to put down the deposit on top of the spent on studies of the site would have turned the whole thing into a political football and maybe it shouldnt be an election issue in its infancy However we think it would have been better to risk letting the issue be a political football to at least have given the voters what information they had at that point than allow the appear ance of playing politics to tar nish the council We were outraged at coun cils apparent disregard of the voters rights to examine all issues which will face the coun cil in this term However its water under the bridge now and council appears to be on the right track with this matter finally Admittedly public outrage didnt match ours From talk ing about it with many citizens it appears many werent all that surprised or shocked Its a sad commentary on us all that we have become so used to not being given the whole story on everything before we vote by other levels of government that when it happened In our own back yard it didnt phase most 16 ONLY ONE JHLm we From the editors desk Which is pure province By Murray Free Press editor For years Ive heard commentators taking jabs at Ontarios so called strange liquor laws Allegedly Ontario the pure Is be hind everyone else in liberalizing our rules and regulations governing where when and how alcoholic beverages will be consumed This kind of talk was particularity common when here was no beer at the ball park Presumably we were behind the States where you can buy wine and beer at just about any store even in gas sta tions in the case of suds or Quebec which has a similar marketing arrangement As 1 told you last week Ive recently returned from my first trip to the west and Ive got to soy theyve got some strange- laws when It comes to booze You can start drinking earlier for one thing Another Is the government stores where beer and spirits combined are sold just like Erin are open longer hours even in smaller centres was told I only visited an Alberta liquor store once and I was a amazed to discover the beer wasnt sold in any size larger than a 12 pack and there wasnt a in sight Friends who have been out there years tell me they havent seen ounce bottles ever though a native thought they were tried out there for a time once The same he said with bottle cases of beer they just never caught on He did allow that since he had once visited Ontario he might be wrong and beer and spirits were never sold In the larger quantities we have be come used to in Ontario Another thing prices were lower almost on a Vodka Anyway I wondered this practise of selling in smaller quantities had any thing to do with trying to discourage If It did It made little sense to me since they have another wrinkle Id never seen before anywhere They have this thing called off sales of beer In bars You plunk down your dough and can leave with a case of cold ones Hardly a way to discourage drinking I felt My friends told me they didnt think the Alberta legislature was any more concerned with discouraging drinking than- any other government in the country though they are clamping down hard now and possibly harder in the future on the drinking driver They agreed with me selling cold takeout beer in bars wasnt exactly the best way to discourage drinking and driving With all the wide open spaces out there and the easy availability of off sales I suggested there was probably a lot of road running taking place I delved a little deeper into these apparent contradictions and learned that Alberta is indeed tougher than we In Ontario are on the person who flunks First conviction means a six month suspension of ones drivers licence as well as a fine Thats compared to fines of or in pure Ontario and just a three month licence suspen sion But I was told Alberta wants to get even tougher Currently the penalties increase for second third etc of fenses The government Is considering increasing the first offense penalty to a one year licence suspension and mini mum line And if youre caught a second time you wont be driving again ever 1 heard Saskatchewan is just as tough and is considering equally drastic action against repeaters Clerg Comment Jesus YOU By Rev Hodgson The world Is full of sin frustration turmoil and fear Who can you turn to in the hour of need No one seems to understand Has anyone got any an swers The future looks so dim I may as well give up and die Is that you feel I would like to take this opportunity to recommend the name of someone you can turn to His name is Jews Jesus loves you Jesus knows your name Jesus died for you Jesus wants to be your friend Jesus understands your burdens Jesus will give you a rea son for living Jesus brings peace in the midst of the storm Jesus promises life after death To many the name of Jesus is just a swear word But to those who know lira personally He Is the precious Son of God There is no salvation apart from His name Acts Neither is there salvation In any other for there none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved For years I ran from the name of Jesus trying to find true happiness In the pleasures this old world 1 found the pleasures of sin only lasted for a season but what Jesus offers lasts for time and eternity Each one of us makes our decision where we spend eternity We will all bow before Him someday Phil Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in Heaven and things in earth and things under the earth And that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins I John 1 9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to for give us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness strong tower the righteousness runneth unto It and is safe Jesus is the only safe place to hide for He a shelter the time of storm When you have Jesus Christ Irving within you you cannot only face the future but you can know you are prepa for eternity It may sound pretty tough to lose ones drivers licence for good but if it works then it is a route Ontario might consider following In the future Of course a lifetime suspension from legal driving I also heard they really throw the book at you if youre caught driving while your licence Is suspended but learned no specifics does assume that no one will ever learn their lesson and smarten up and possibly there should be some way to earn ones of driving back again At the same time statistics show drinking drivers are a real menace on the road half of the fatal or injury accidents In Canada each year Involve at least one driver who has been drinking so severe penalties are needed Were in the midst of spot check sea son They are out west too But they seem to be doing more of it than we are in Ontario I must admit I havent been In Toronto this holiday season so the only spot check I saw was one night on High way here in Acton in the Peel St area However I have been in the city other holiday seasons and Ive got to say in Edmonton they are trying it seems to catch more drinking drivers You cant go much more than a half dozen blocks anywhere without getting stopped And I say more power to the cops on this one Im all for the roadside Alert machines and the rest of It And frankly Im getting a little sick of seeing the courts across Canada tied up with people trying to defeat the intent of these laws such as the Newfoundland case which went to the Canadian Supreme Court over a presumed drinking who burped continually and so eventually beat the rap of refusing to take the breathalizer test Tough laws and stringent enforce ment Is needed to stop drinking drivers and the courts should be as concerned with the intent of legislation as the wording and quit allowing people to squirm out through loop holes Anyway the reason for this little lec ture is simple New Years Eve Is coming up and were going with a group of friends to Kitchener I and Im sure the rest of our party have no desire to be creamed by some drunk on the road I can tell you Ill be driving down but Helen who doesnt mind a bit not drinking or only having a couple over a several hour period so she can drive home if I over indulge will drive us home And It doesnt bother me a bit being home by the wife either Ive noticed over the years a lot of guys who have had too much refuse to let their wives drive home from parties and other gathelngs in fact a friend of ours does It all the time Let the wife drive home theres no crime or shame in that I must admit Ive driven on when I shouldnt have too so Im not just throwing stones But that was be fore I sat in court one say and saw dozens of normally responsible people humiliated because they didnt know enough to take a cab home and return the next day to get their car or felt they werent so drunk they couldnt drive or wouldnt let the wife take the wheel or the dozens of other dumb reasons for driving when youve been drinking No I think Ive learned my lesion without having had to pay and hope a lot of others have too as I con template driving tins Friday fright Drinking and driving could ruin a fect holiday season not Just for yourself but also some other poor unfortunates years ago December 27 19TZ After serving Acton for a total of SO years Reeve Frank Oakcs and Councillor Jack Greer are retiring from municipal politics The pair of veteran were presented with engraved cufflinks at farewell party at the home of Reeveelect Pat McKenxie Mr and Mrs John Last and fam ily maintained the family tradition of spending Christmas at Wood- bridge with Mr and Mrs A Conron and family George Cook was home for the Christmas holidays from Edmonton Alberta Because of the fog at Malum his plane landed at Windsor with the passengers coming the rest of the way by train Peter Mario home for the holidays from Boston University where he is studying business ad ministration with aid of a hockey scholarship years ago Decern 19M Mr and Mrs Gordon Thompson Longfletd Road received a Christmas surprise early when Santa arrived at their home Christ mas Eve In the form of two representatives from the Acton Chamber of Commerce The couple received a cheque for for the best decorated home in Acton Christmas carols readings and exchanging of gifts were featured at the December meeting of the Greenock WI Mrs Calvin Altken was hostess Acton Business Mens rolled out the red carpet Sunday afternoon when the Red Wings from Rochester NY were in town Acton won the game Mrs Mary MacAuley Is spending the Christmas holidays with her daughters and family near 50 years ago December 132 Under the auspices of the Acton Fair Board a New Years Dance will be held in he Town Hall Acton on Monday January The Community Christmas Tree has been erected at the Mill and Main Corner and Is subject of much favorable comment ExWarden A Mason and Reeve of Acton attended the Wardens dinner at Milton last Friday The regular meeting of the Dublin Womens Institute was held at the home of Mrs Near on Wed nesday afternoon Mrs Storey presided and the meeting opened with a Christmas carol followed by a prayer 75 years ago December 1907 A number of County Councils will cooperate with that or Halton In petitioning the Government of Ontario to Increase the amount of grants for good roads to at least one- half of the expenditure on county systems Messrs P Barry and Co are till shipping large quantities of luralps here The Royal Scots Concert Christ mas night will be well worthy of patronage The Methodist Sunday School Orchestra invite your presence Mr John McMurchy has been engaged as Principal of Nerval Public School and commences his duties the first of January One of the largest saw logs seen In Acton for many a day was teamed to the GTR yards for D A Dickson on Saturday The jolly load of seventeen members of the Congregational Church and choir enjoyed very much their drive to Churchill last Wednesday night years ago 1SS3 The installation of officers In Walker Lodge A and A took place last Wednesday evening St Johns day Our chief constable tolled the old year out and the new year in with the Congregational Church bell Mr J A Speight met with an accident while working with a shaping machine In hit shop last week by which one of ma fingers was severely injured Last Thursday Duncan fell while climbing Into a hay mow breaking his right arm Dr was called to the home Messrs H and Lucas Jr left on Monday for GlovemUle NY I