The Acton Free Press Wed August 1976 Petitioners will be watching Local people got together for a cause when they willingly signed petitions against the proposed municipal complex Its usually terribly difficult to get people interested political issues This issue that touches the wallet man aged to rouse us The fact remains as some coun cillors and others insist that the cancelled complex could be later replaced by an even bigger one in Georgetown The people who signed the first petition here will be watching Lord Thomson in Acton Lord Thomson of Fleet has died it 82 Newspapers in three countries are publishing columns of type about his life and career and he owned many of those news papers himself His publishing empire includes neighbors The Georgetown Herald and the Guelph Daily Mercury Not one of those newspaper articles nor indeed his bio graphy mentions his days in business in Acton Ontario Those days t provide any jewels for Rock and fruit land his crown or any profits either It was way back 55 years ago that Roy Thomson set up business in the present Blow Press plant He manufactured luggage racks for the side running boards of those early automobiles and battery clips Some of the unsold battery clips are still there It wasnt successful he closed up But otherwise and in other places Hoy Thomson did well Acton just had no place in that empire It is distressing to read that 7 acres of tender fruit and grape land will be put under pavement and ment for housing if Niagara Reg Council has its way The argument in favor of is that the farmers are go ing bankrupt and the land is lying idle Farmers say they cannot keep their properties viable as farms Surely the solution to that pro is not to lose the land forever Something more reasonable should be considered The land is surely the main thing ft could be sold with proper com pensation to the present farming owner and even kept while some thing in the best interests of the is devised If farmers really have to be subsidized so be it Per haps large farms art the answer That the land could be so dimply lost seems irrational to people in this area aware thai we are all now under the of the gara Escarpment Commission If a commission can take good tare of a rock surely will look tcr fruit land Of this and that Has the wrong decision been made on the feeding of ducks at the lake People are beginning to feel that the birds are hungry even in the summer time since regular feeding was cancelled The Credit Valley Conservation Authority theory is that in the fall when natural vegetation disappears the hungry birds will fly south In past years they had been fed by the town each day and stayed on at the lake Surely a new assessment of the situation should be made Canadian International Paper Sales Company orated the Olympics and does some novel advertising by sending Olympic athletes and their own customers red maple trees The Free Press maple tree arrived in a cardboard box and has been care fully planted at the front of the building by Colie MacColl watch carefully if you come to inspect you could just step on it and squash it completely by mistake Life s difficulties are meant to make us better not bitter A too shuffling through old papers produced the wrong mation in the 50 Years Ago column for a couple of weeks The columns were in fact a year early in appear having been taken from the is sues of the summer of 1927 instead of Don t know how that happen Can t even blame it on the heart Our apologies Mary and Stan Matthews whot wedding ap peared a year too soon just celebrated their anniversary Today Years Ago column with the right date on it mentions the fine new booth erected by the Women Institute at the park This is the wooden building just de to make way for a block structure by the pool It was in bad shape and not repair able It had half a century of good service to the people of the area Too bad its replacement have been combined with a build ing for other needs in the park leaving us with one cement block building instead of two Certainly they havent much charm A SUMMER AUCTION still draws a crowd of the attractions of cottage country This one last Sat urday saw many household items on the block The sale was for Mr and Mrs Edward Harrison on the McNaughton property near Acton in slip bull I tin In pulling rick in wlulhir lasl unlit inn so so mi vour j mi Ms wiiinmj ibuiit Hit miss hi midi bout lit I of ill women could selling voursilf in struls obi In kup both ind soul together if inll jwnld tin iitil irml Hid nut sh milts win break pit Bin mi fruil juice unless or ham fnsh bread lulling win worse An hour id decide whether is io i eaki w in iream or i la Hill ii is w itching llul blew iipilu im llnl lift ill mil iLKius cosy i mm linn mi tin us nothing io link il wis Hit mint initiian world liildrinwitiilln billies and sink Hun liinbsof Ih children lurn ind binding streaming with pain howling their anguish because Iiim lost children and 1 find Hit m I piddling blinks be lid In I igt liNlltr jumps is jMiund lnvi when Hit of liquor is I I In idup Ihn tan f Ihtinnuiim i in iwlnlilhis till no hohriiv of IlllSt tun ickind suffi Ii screen running like wn spending i unkind lid in tin I mi of lien is and nothing to ilioul i dine drinking Hit ri hr Hill wlm dot ill minim ill limn for rise in highs lln ilcoholn serines will idilv upward ill i ils or buxom Mi I ins s hive poor quite i ft w llnl be put io il o in mid i si to freezing in ill ilh Or dying be nullum for disc it least we in slop knelling in our ind fact facts lhal no smiriir or working or r looking OUR READERS WRITE Ihu much suffer from l oft i Customer feels insulted Pet of the week TAWNY SITS BESIDE A wicker basket full of her black and tan Airedale Terrier offspring Tawny whose full name is Champion Tyandaga Tawny Leaf C bore one dozen pups four males and eight females They are six weeks old The sire is Champion Man Tawny owned by Ken and Cathy Slaney of Main Street South Acton is a half years old Tawny who is registered with Bncklestone Kennel has had one previous litter Aug J 1476 This week while visiting in Alien I eided logo to a downtown with he intention purchasing he owner promptly approached me with the usual Can I help you I answered I m just looking thank He then staled that the store under renovilinns which I had and if I was buying he would welcome my business ib I had jusl entered Ihc store ind had not had a chance find what I wanted 1 was asked to leave and come back another day I always found he merchants in both friendly and only too glad of customers browsing through their Moris I hon thi my customers in Acton don I get reception Hid fiet as I do that I will enter that place agnn Mis if he wishes to renovate he close his doors of insulting Sincerely Deborah Rose Box 1473 Pcnelanguishcne Do we really need parking Letter the This letter expresses my views on the motion before council buy Itakcry and turn it a parking lot irst I have lived in Acton for years and have been driving for two years during which lime I have always been able lo find parking spot somewhere close to the downtown area within half a block There Is usually room on Mill Slrcet or in one of the four downtown parking lots If I find a spot there there is always room on Bower Church Willow John or Main Streets Second Do we really need more parking spots downtown Is it really worth our hard earned tax dollars Several councillors believe it is but they ore also merchants and it is to their advantage because it would mean in creased business in their stores If I were a mini I would probably be in favor nisi 1 would have nothing to lose I Third Iherc arc several reasons which warrant parking on back streets or parking in one of the parking lots Parking on the is considerably less difficult than parking on the main streets Nor is it so frustrating You mighl have a short walk lo the stores walking is good exercise remember TION Also your car is probably subject to less chance of being damaged because there Is less traffic And finally how many more parking spaces could the bakery provide and is the per parked car worth the money which would be spent In concluding I believe there are other priorities and more important ones that our lax dollars should be spent on Yours truly Concerned Citizen The Free Press Back Issues 20 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Press of Thursday August IB 1956 EmestWcst formerly of Acton and now a lawyer in Kitchener was the speaker at Aclon United Church Sunday morning In the absence of the minister Rev Gordon Adams He gave a very impressive message heard with interest by the congregation and about scout leaders a course at Blue Springs scout reserve One of the latter an ordained minister himself particularly congratulated Mr West How have your beans been Can you beat this one Mrs II W Hinton reports a Scarlet pole bean that is 13 and a half inches long in her garden on Lake Ave Thompson Motors inaugurated their new location at the former Garner garage site with an Open House films refreshments and a car display were enjoyed by mony Bob Marshall won a coke cooler in a draw Other winners were Doug Brown of Milton Dive Dills Watson Kirkness Brown Cam Sinclair Walker Ted Hansen Goodwin Tyler Bill Andrew Frank Jack Cooney A Gervais Believe about bad luck happening on the 13th Russell Johnson had four cattle killed by lightning two cows and two yearling heifers on Monday August 13 He recalls that just four years ago he went to hospital for treatment on August 13 50 years ago Taken from he issue of the rte Press of Thursday morning 1926 That the people of Acton and vicinity have real local pride and community spirit w is manifested in the splendid crowds that at the Gala Day celebration held in park on Monday Civic Hob day In the morning a ball game was played between Acton and Georgetown The jazz hand paraded the streets and put into the affair At one clock the parade formed up at the band hall with George as marshal and the bear and Italian comic outfit lead ing They were followed by Aclon Citizen s Band and the fire department new motor truck ind apparatus and decorated veh and a band of The prize for the best decorated vehicle was to A O Deforest for the 1913 model he prizes for best costumes went to Robert Chalmers Harold fleid Helen McDonald and Mary Athletic events followed ladies baseball match was an event The band gave a generous continuation of musical numbers or the evening a very enjoyable garden parly programme had been arranged and the largest crowd that has attended such a function in Acton in years was on hand to enjoy The band also played a sacred con cert on Sunday in the town hall A dance on platform at the drill shed quite an attraction for a number of people The fine new booth erected by the Wo men Institute was commission for the Gila Day It is an asset for the plans for the general improvement of Pros pect 100 years ago Taken from the the Free Press IH7S Cheap excursion on the Grand Trunk next Wednesday the great baseball match at London Fare from Acton and return only SI It is probable a special train will start early in he morning We are informed Mr that last Saturday night someone was heard prowling around his house apparently trying to get in he following morning was discovered an had been made lo pry open one of the windows with some iron instrument Those tramping scalli wags are a great niiisincc were the formers of the marriage vow Why have ladies been silent in the post suffering much long Why have they been willmc take down the word obey and never raise voice I for one will not be surprised if word chokes me yet It is a relic of barbarism and must have originated in good l old days Council met Tuesday A special committee will make enquiries about the road allowance leading to which is only from to 30 feet in width be tween the village the own line There was no other business except Ji to John Quite a limber of our villagers attended a picnic it the McLaren s castle at Caledon THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office