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Slim pickins' Most of our Grapevine sources are on holidays at this time of year, so things are a little slow. This is a good time to remind you all to call our office (or drop in -- we're right in downtown Acton) with any bits of information or news you uncover. It's not always easy staying on top of everything that's happening in our area, and we need your help! Summertime is here? Yesterday (Tuesday) was one of the most humid days of the summer so far and it had us all here longing for the "nice, cool" weather of the past few weeks. Ha! It seems that we're never satisfied. Either too warm or too cold. Too close or too faraway. Let's all promise to just take things one day at a time from now on, and never worry about the weather. Be it storm clouds or-sunshine, let's make the best of what we' re given. Blackout bang-ups Yesterday's power failures caused havoc in Acton, especially at our traffic lights (both of them). At approximately 8 pm at the corner of Mill and Main Streets there was an automobile accident, evidently caused by the failed traffic signals. Also, our sources report that a similar car accident occurred at the Queen and Churchill lights around the same time. We had no reports of damage or injuries at press time. Sign of the times For those Actonites who have yet to visit us at our office (yes, there still are some), finding our office location will be lots easier now that our new business sign is up. Now there's absolutely no excuse left for not getting thoses sports reports in to us regularly. Another fine thing Acton's Social Services and Information Centre know that it is difficult to get out-of-town appointments without your own transportation. Therefore, for appointments of a medical, counselling or legal nature, ASSIC staff and volunteers transport clients within Acton, or out to Toronto, Milton, Oakville, Guelph, or elsewhere; Although there are two staff members transporting clients via the ASSIC van, it is often volunteers who give their time to help those in need of transportation. Clients are asked to make a donation toward the ride if possible, however assistance is available to those who are financially limited. If you are interested in receiving more information on this program, you can call the ASSIC office at 853-3310 or drop in to their place at 19 Willow North. Prizes, prizes, prizes We've got some great prizes lined up for you to win when you sign up as an Acton Tanner subscriber this fall. You really can't lose in this deal! Stay tuned for more info. Summer voyages down Acton fs mighty rivers HEY! Do you think helmets should be mandatory for all bicycle riders? "I think all riders should wear helmets all the time and not just kids. Look at all the head injuries we could prevent. I don't buy the comfort or loss of rights arguments." Linda Fendley, Church Street "Helmets are very necessary because so many kids have serious head injuries that they probably could have walked away from if their heads had been protected. Like seatbelts, it will take government action to make everyone wear them." Mike Miroslavic, Mill Street "I think everyone should wear a helmet but I don't think the government should force us to unless they pay for them. Some people can't afford them and it wouldn't be fair to stop them from using their bikes because they didn't have enough money to buy a helmet." Joey Parker, Young Street "I don't feel helmets should be mandatory for everybody -- maybe just for children. I think we are being legislated to death and people should be able to make their own choices and take their own risks." Susan Cashmore, RJt. 2, Acton Back in the Twenties, when we were kids, we had our own playground, a wonderful wilderness of rusty tanks, coils of wire, worm-eaten lumber and a creek upon which we sailed to far-away lands, withonly our imaginationas compass. This property north of Robert Little school extended along North Main Street to the C.N.R, tracks. It was known as the Old Tannery, although who owned it when we took possession as squatters, we never knew. When adulthood brought an interest in historical research, I unearthed a few facts about a sheepskin tannery that operated in this area before Canada Glove Works took over the property and tanned their own leather on the premises. Whether these nuggets of information were one hundred per cent gold, I'm still uncertain. However, small matters like ownership did not bother our gang of enterprising urchins. As far as we were concerned, this was our very Own Place, and heaven help anyone who challenged our rights to the Old Tannery. The creek, spring-fed, ran the full length of our playground under the railway culvert into Dan Young's meadow. It was deep enough for rafting and would-be mariners had plenty of lumber at hand. Our rafts were not always seaworthy, because most of us were lousy carpenters, especially myself, who could not hammer a nail straight. I was not in demand as a raft-builder, but compensated for this disability by dreaming up scenarios for our summer voyages down mighty rivers like the Nile and the St. Lawrence. I still remember the thrill of poling under the culvert in cool shade, stopping to peer at a phoebe's nest mud-cemented to the mossy wall. That poor bird! It was a wonder she survived our interest. Yet she returned year after year to nest in the same spot. At PETUNIA PATCH With Esther Taylor least, in our gleeful ignorance we assumed it was the same Phoebe. When marauding tribes ventured into our territory, all hell broke loose. Everything not nailed down was used as weapon and missile before hand-to-hand combat developed. During one confrontation that involved teen-age girls and their suitors in search of romantic privacy (how desperate can you get?), I was outmatched by a hefty wench twice my size and weight, who got a firm and vicious grasp on my long tresses. Trapped and sizzling with rage and terror, I reached up and bit her on her fleshy thigh. She released me promptly, bursting into tearful profanity. "You little expletive-deleted, expletive-deleted devil. I'm bleeding!" So she was, poor girl. The little devil made tracks before further damage was done. I was not proud of this exploit, but I did memorize and treasure the new cuss words heard on the occasion. Another caper that I still remember with remorse was the big snake hunt. The Old Tannery was a haven for garter snakes, which we ignored until the leader of our gang proposed a tuft-scale massacre. In our ignorance, which is no excuse, we thought snakes were vermin to be exterminated. Yielding for the first and last time to blood lust, I killed those poor, harmless reptiles like an avenging demon. I still shudder remembering that hot, muggy afternoon of slaughter in the Old Tannery. I was haunted for days afterwards. Retribution came when I picked berries alone below the railway tracks. An enormous snake unwound from the deep grass, surveying me with cold, vengeful eyes. Yelping in guilty terror, I fled the spot, and left behind a pail full of berries. Since then, I have treated all reptiles with respect. As members in good standing of our gang, we were bugged from tome to tome by little sisters and brothers who yearned to follow us to the Old Tannery. Permission was given grudgingly, provided our siblings would submit to initiation rites, our leader, not lacking in fiendish indignation, ruled each candidate must crawl through a roll of wire through dried snake skins, while we mighty ones sprinkled the wire with bugs and noxious weeds. My sister Barbara, a determined child, began her initiation crawl with a set face, as we chanted and capered around her. Suddenly, she screamed and the initiation went awry. Among the snake skins was a living serpent! Barbara snatched it up by its tail and rolled out of the wire, roaring with rage and terror. She took a swing at me and chased me clear to the creek, brandishing her garter snake. We had pushed our candidate too far. "I don't want to belong to your stupid gang," sobbed my sister, and fled homeward. She never did join our gang. In time, with the coming of adolescence, we outgrew our Old Tannery. I was the last to abandon it, longing not for the last time, to turn back the clock to earlier years, when we sailed the Nile under the culvert into Dan Young's sunny meadow. Aqua Duck expands horizons at Provincial athletic competition BY TREVOR BANKS Local athlete Julie Pliotas is currently competing in Toronto at the National Tetrathalon Championships. Pliotas qualified for the National meet after finishing second in the junior division at the Provincial Tetrathalon competition. The tetrathalon consists of four events: riding, shooting, swimming and running. Competitors in the junior division ride a horse over a cross country terrain that includes jumps, shoot at a stationary target for accuracy, swim as many lengths of a pool as possible over a three minute span, and run two kilometres. With the meet being held in Toronto, Pliotas is able to ride her own horse. This gives her greater confidence than if she had to ride a unfamiliar horse. Competitors from out of the area find it too expensive to transport their own horses. The 13-year-old athlete has been swimming for the Acton Aqua Ducks Swim Club underthe Julie Pliotas displays silverware from Provincial Tetrathalon. watchful eye of coach Gerry Ockenden. Referring to the Provincial Championship, Ockenden predicted that "no doubt she'll win the gold medal based on what I've seen over the last two years." Pliotas is interested in pursuing this sport, as she is interested in all four categories of competition. She has also started fencing lessons so that she can move into the next category of competition, the pentathlon. LEGION BRANCH 197 NEWS BY MIKE MATTOCKS H. Weideman's name was pulled for the weekly Loonie Draw. Unfortunately, he was not signed in, so the carry-over is $90. .j Winners in the Aug. 1 Meat Draw were: Regular--R. Clarke, D. Allen, K. Andrews, J. Thompson, K. Lumbers, S. O'Donnell, J. Robson, B. Hilditch, R. Harmer and G: O'Donnell. Large Prize -- J. Thompson. Euchre winners on Thursday, July 30, were: R. Keely, R. McDullough, C. McLean, C. Oldfield, H. Parent, and G. Yates. Unfortunately, we lost another Comrade this past week. Comrade Tom Wylie from Rockwood passed away on July 26. Our deepest sympathy to his family. The Do-It-Yourself Steak B.B.Q. and dance will be held on this coming Saturday (Aug. 15). Tickets are available at $6 each, and can be purchased at the bar. The Corn Roast will now be a separate event and will be held Aug. 22 and includes a dance. The Korean Vets will be visiting that day, so come out and make this a specal day for everyone.