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THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2007 THE NEW TANNER 7 GRAPEVINE with Mike OLeary The Way I See It MS rides One of five bicycle rides through Ontario this summer to raise money for multiple sclerosis (MS) research and services will wind its way through parts of Halton Hills and Eramosa on August 18 and 19. The annual RONA MS Bike Tours are staged by the MS Soci- ety of Canada, and include cyclists of all ages and abilities who must raise a minimum of $200 in pledges or donations to participate and pay a $50 registration fee. While organizers dont like to publicize the route in advance to prevent people from riding on their own before the route is set up and monitored, the Brampton to Waterloo ride includes rest stops at Limehouse Public School at the Fourth Line and 22 Side Road, and at the Marzo Glove plant on Highway 7 at the 5th Line, Nas- sagaweya. This summer, approximately 650 cyclists are expected to help raise $575,000 for MS on the bike tours. Save Lives, Make Memories Blood donors at the upcoming August 16 Canadian Blood Ser- vices clinic at the Acton Legion can win a Kodak digital camera as part of a Save Lives, Make Memories campaign to boost donations during the normally slower summer months when the demand is high for O negative blood because traumas on the roadways and waterways tradi- tionally rise. Along with the chance to win a camera, donators are encouraged to share their donation stories on- line at www.blood.ca/memories To book an appointment to do- nate blood at the Acton clinic on Thursday, August 16, call 1-888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283.) The clinic runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Successful summer Acton High grad Kaitlyn An- drews was disappointed with her fifth place finish in shot put at the Junior Pan American Track and Field Championships in Sao Paulo Brazil last month, caused she be- lieves, by too little rest after two years of hard training. Home for the summer after her first year studying kinesiology at a Texas university, Andrews placed first in the shot put at a Provincial Track and Field championship in Ottawa. She also defended her Canadian Junior shot put title with a throw of 13.73-metres at the National championships in B.C., and placed fourth in the discus. Andrews is taking a well- deserved six-week rest from throwing and lifting, and returns to school in mid-August. Trunk sale resumes After a brief hiatus, the Acton Trunk Sale resumes on Saturday after a summer rest for the mer- chants and the Along with the good deals, great food and latest news, entertainment will be pro- vided by the No Name Band, a group of senior musicians. The Trunk Sale runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hair help A 10-year-old Acton girl is preparing to cut off her near waist-length hair and donate it to a company that makes wigs for people who have lost their hair due to illness. On August 17, Samantha Mur- ray will climb into the chair at Profile Beauty Salon and with a few snips, the hair that has taken years to grow will be gone gone to a great cause. Anyone who would like to sponsor Samanthas fundraising efforts for the Acton branch of the Canadian Cancer Society can sign a sponsor sheet, available at Profile. Fountain home? Now that the drinking fountain donated to the people of Acton by the Womens Institute in 1921 has been relocated, the search is on for a perfect location to install it. For years, the fountain was on the Mill Street sidewalk beside the former YMCA building that has been converted into offices and apartments, When the building was renovat- ed several years ago, the fountain was removed from the sidewalk and the new building owner had plans to restore it and install it, possibly in the same location where it sat for years. Those plans never materialized, and now theres a move afoot to strip the gold paint off the old fountain and try to find a suitable location where it could be hooked up to once again offer a cool drink to passersby. Send your location suggestions to the Tanner at thenewtanner@on. aibn.com I snuck away for the long weekend to do some of the chores that have been piling up at out place up north. Its not that I have been procrastinating but the weather has been so rainy this summer up north when we are there Im way behind. While Im away I love to read. Nothing serious mind, but rather mystery, adventure etc. One of my favorite authors is David Baldacci who spins a great yarn. One of his recent books is The Collectors. Its the story of an elaborate con job intertwined with delightful mystery. Lest you think this is a book re- view there was just one line from this 436 page book that struck a chord with me. It said the best way to con a mark was to let the mark suggest the con. As soon as I read that I started to chuckle. Let me tell you why. This all happened in the early 90s when we had a retail store in what is now the addition to Andys restaurant on Mill St. in Acton. It was a pleasant Monday morning (Take note of that, its important) in June. I had a sup- plier in the store who was a giant twerp and I was scheming to get rid of him quickly. Through the front door came a pleasant looking stranger. The Bride, and then I asked if we could help him make a selection. He replied that he was just window shopping while his wife shopped for shoes down the street. I grudgingly turned my atten- tion back to the twerp, who was demonstrating a unique computer program that I had every con- fidence would be enormously successful and make me filthy rich. Notwithstanding the ex- pected end results, he was still a twerp. The stranger, who introduced himself as Scotty took an inter- est in the presentation. He asked thoughtful questions and faster than you could say pickpocket, the three of us were discussing market potentials for this innova- tive product. Scotty then told us he lived in Brampton and worked at the airport in customs, He flashes a badge that looked official, But in hindsight, could have said Ju- nior G Man for all the scrutiny I gave it. We started talking about his job and the different ways people would try to smuggle foodstuff and liquor into the country. In the course of the conversation I asked him what customs did with the confiscated liquor? He told us they pour it down the drain except for customs officers and high ranking political types who get to buy it at huge discounts. Thats when greed reared its ugly head. After some consideration and prodding on my part, he agreed to cut us in. Because we were such hard working people he said. Sounded reasonable to me. Friends, I dont have many vices but I love my Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac. He told me he could get as much of that as I wanted for $10 a bottle. I think it was selling at the L.C.B.O for just under $40 at the time. How much would you like, asked Scotty? I asked if 12 bottles would be too much? No problem, he said, pay me when I bring the stuff back on Friday. The twerp asked for 12 bottles of expensive scotch. No problem, my friend Scotty said, I think I get paid this Thursday so I should be able to pay for all that. Afraid my deal would go sour I insisted I pay for it up front. Scotty said no, hed handle it. Please take my money, its only fair. The twerp also insisted he pay for his. As soon as Scotty left the store I had the feeling wed been had. I remember asking The Bride: This is Monday, isnt the shoe store closed? Many stores in small towns closed Sundays and Monday. I raced outside but Scotty was gone with $240. I called the police and learned there were more than 10 warrants out for this guy all the way back to Manitoba. The cop had a smirk on his face while I told my tale. But when he asked if I had been threatened. I replied No I said, please take my money. The cop couldnt hold it in any longer so he bent his head down to the top of the cash counter. His shaking shoulders said it all. I tell this tale because the book reminded me of my experience. I also want to remind readers that if a deal is too good to be true it probably is. There are so many people out there today trying to scam us all, we have to be con- sistently on guard. By the by, the computer pro- gram was the one where you entered the persons name and birthday or anniversary dates. The computer then printed out big events, songs and movies from that date. By September of that year Hallmark and Carlton both were selling a similar product. They made tons of money off this item over the next 2-3 years. I was out $120. Irish luck was consistent even back then. I should look online for it. This time, I took my sisters advice and it was no joke. Amigone Funeral Home has been in operation since 1926. Now, Amigone is probably not pronounced Am-I-Gone, yet, it seems to be a pretty suitable name for the business. It just goes to show that every once and a while when your travels takes you off the beaten path and your wife has difficulty reading a map, there is more to see on a trip than a four lane highway. Continued on page 6 Off the beaten path... Examine the gift horses mouth SUMMER AFTERNOON: The vista of Fairy Lake from Elizabeth Drive is often captured on film but it is never more serene than when the lake resembles a giant mirror reflecting the shoreline of many species of trees.