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Bustling 81 year old Ballinafad man enjoys life to hilt by Am life after SO a special gift to those who enjoy it to the full Touching 1 Norman Elson shares his gift with his friends bund reds of them down the street and around the world isnt at the library hosting a weekly gathering of coffee books and con which welcomes anyone who cares to drop in hes helping his friends from 10 months old to 100 years or writing letters weekly or monthly correspondences to friends in several different countries Getting old doesnt mean finding something to do it means finding the time to do it all says with a laugh times he admits when his country pro with its parched grass whose lawn isnt I and large garden could stand a bit more attention but he has other things to Mo things like showing his visiting and nephew around the good picnicking spots giving a hand at Pioneer Days or helping Lynn Bernard owner of Pen Or reading a story to a four year old neighbor while his mother rum an errand Sometimes he sits and relaxes and reads book after book cor magazines anything which looks Interesting Those relaxing moments too frequent though Come lote summer starts his preserves hundreds of Jars of marmalade conserve jam jelly and pickles Last year he made varieties of mar malade thoroughly enjoyed trying several different recipes and thoroughly enjoyed sharing it with his friends and neighbors For it just another hobby another skill to explore Im fortunate that I have so many good friends and good neighbors here said with a smile as he lounged in his back yard and tipped coffee Theres never a dull moment Perhaps it himself rather than life which is never dull He Tint came to Canada sent by the Brit ish firm for which he worked several years to open up a Canadian branch in IMS He spent 20 years living in the Montreal and Toronto areas before returning to Britain in 1968 When he returned in to retire he and his wife settled in Ballinafad We had been assured that it would take a long time for all our furniture to get here from Great Britain so we took a driving tour of Wales before flying across to Toronto re calls No sooner had they arrived at their son house in when a message came from the shipping office to say his fur had arrived Needless to say our move to this area was more a matler of finding a house fast to fit the furniture we had than anything else he recalled The settled in Ballinafad and quickly made friends with the neighbors To Martha Lewis who lives next door he was a godsend He has so many the theatre literature travel children culture in general He tries every thing He not bad at baseball but he can throw a too well she added with a grin toward her neighbor Elson became a surrogate grandfather to the children in the neighborhood sending them postcards when he travelled I think children need to be exposed to older people be asserted Especially if they have grandparents who live nearby people should be able to mingle and get along with friends of all not just stick to one age group Since became a widower his act in the community have increased A few ago when Georgetown Library was temporarily moved to Guelphview Square El son was asked to run a library on Main Street once a week I hav no idea why they asked me but apparently they were getting complaints from residents of the old part of town that the library was too for away son went to the Guelph St location Thursdays chose books from the library stocks and set them up in a room at the back of Pennies worth On Friday morning people would drop In browse through the books and chat over coffee Not wanting to spoil the goodwill est by the Friday morning library group the library decided to continue the program after the new library was opened on Church St They called it Coffee Books and Conversation and a few regulars drop in every Friday between 10 a jn and It isnt quite as successful now as it was before El son commented It was through the library program that he met Bob Barber an expert on lilies He gave me some sample bulbs to begin with and I started growing lilies Elson ex plained Barber showed him how to cross pollinate to mix various colors and develop hybrid strains s latest hobby began Norman bison In the garden of his home sprouting ail over his back yard in white yellow and orange Since then his lilies have won prizes at Hamilton Flower Show Normans greatest gift however lies in making friends Letters are verv important to me he claimed Sometimes theyre the only link I have with people Ive known or years His describe everyday occur the books they read the plays seen and the places theyve been to Like everything else he cant keep a good thing to himself His correspondents are interesting individuals Mrs Lewis describes He receives lots of letters from people all over Canada the S and Eur ope and he shares them with us It seems that we know these people just as well as Norman does himself Was Georgetown Ac ton Wednesday August 3 1983 a e Lepage HEAL ESTATE SERVICES LTD REALTOR NDP savs Must keep NEC Dramatic Arts participant from Georgetown took advantage or the II die I wood Dave and I lolly Verba eg en Hamilton Susan television studios at Ha I Ion Cable Systems Limited in Acton last bodeau and Bethan Evans They were under the supervision of week to film their own show Children taking part were Leon tie Cables John Dramatic Arts program on Haton Cable by Susan Dramatic Arts Supervisor Looking into a TV camera is a regular special event for participants in the Recrea tion Department Dramatic Arts program Thursday the group gets together with John Cable Program Director for a workshop in television Everyone learns a bit about how to work a and how a TV show Is taped but the most fun is seeing the final product Tune in to Cable 4 on Wednesday August at 10 p to see this weeks Wild Wild West show For Information how to register call B77 extension Licences add money to Town coffers Its not only marriages that need a licence Town demands licences and the accompanying fees for more than diff businessype operations To have adult entertainment more commonly known as strippers the licence costs 500 A refreshment vehicle costs a year and its driver to a newspaper vending box each and a cigarette vending machine each An amusement arcade pavs a but each pin ball or video game costs an additional each and every pool billiard or bagatelle approximately III each Wh a midway comes to Town theres a lioence fee before they can open up shop but a circus has to pay when book ing and a day A movie theatre must have a CO a year licence andadrivingschoolalMllcence In addition the driving instructor has a a year licence and the vehicle another licence Public halls renting to less than people pay to between and people and over that number CO A laundromat a trailer camp a I ISO licence and a wrecking yard a 30 licence A taxi company must pay a COO startup licence then a a year one The Taxi driver loo pays a IS fee Lodging homes face an a year licence A large number of licences apply to tradesmen such as plumbers electricians and building renovators licences issued in the first six months of this year amounted to 901 injuries to livestock Dogs running loose In the rural area cost the taxpayer so far this year in com pensatlon for injuries to livestock or poultry The Town of Hills paid with province making up the remainder Joe Snoj lost an IE pound gander Walker Wood Farms a pound lamb Peter Branch four iambs and a breeding ewe and Chester Early an pound market lamb Ivan MacLeod had a two year old quarter horse and a goat Injured while dog licences have brought in until the end of June The in the Town coffers from licences until the end of June is Close three rec programs The Glen Williams Homby and summer activities centres have been closed Hills Recreation Department Closed Ihe three centres due to lack of in The Limehouse program is still slated to operate and registration for the weeks beginning August and August 15 is being accepted Call information The provincial wants to pressure Ihe ruling Tory government to debate the future of the Niagara Escarpment Commission NEC and its Plan and the Hearing Of fie report on the floor of the Legislature Two critics visited the Standard Aggregates Speyside site Thursday morn ing and talked about the issue with Council lor Sheldon and Ratepayers official Jim Kenzie The recent recommendation in the Hearing Officers report on the Niagara Escarpment Plan that the lands on this site Standard Industries in Speyside be changed from Escarpment Natural to Escarpment Rural makes a mockery of the protective goals established in the Niagara Escarpment Planning Development Act Mel Swart and Brian Charlton MPP Hamilton Mountain said In prepared press releases The two NDP critics who Sheldon noted approached the Speyside Ratepayers about getting involved In the fight applauded NEC for standing firm and refusing to agree with the hearing officers We urge the Ontario government and particularly Norman Sterling Secretary for Resources Development to back Ihe NEC and reject the proposed rcdeslgnation This sensitive area must be protected from the devastation which would inevitably result from aggregate extraction on these lands Surely alternative sources of supply if needed can be found In less sensitive areas Simply stated the need for additional reserves for one particular company Standard Industries Is not sufficient enough a benefit to justify the negative environmental effects that come with aggregate extraction Standing looking at a large marsh off St Helena on Standard property Swart noted Ihe hearings are over and the report has been tabled so now the government must makeup its mind whether to follow the NEC a views or the hearing officers It s the moment of truth on if the Escarp is going to be preserved Now is the time to bring all the pressure we can to bear on the government He explained Sterling must make a public statement on areas of the hearing officers report which he with Sterling doesnt have to comment to the people on the aspects he supports Citizens will be able to comment on Sterlings negative findings in writing up to days after he makes his important statement Also Swart said Sterling decisions will likely be final since the cabinet doesn even have to report to the Legislature despite the tremendous importance of what Sterling and the cabinet will be determining The is demanding no decision be made on the hearing officers report and NEC Plan until the new Legislature session in October They also want cither time set aside In the Legislature to debate the issue or else on emergency debate The new NEC Plan covers just per cent Rec Dept plans an Open House The Recreation and Parks Department is recruiting the support of community organ- buttons who provide recreational Halton In effort to inform the community of these opportunities available they are planning in conjunction with other service providers an Open House where all recreation related groups may partici pate Tbemrolvemtmt would include setting up a booth in a local hail providing Inforn- far distribution and a person on hand to answer any inquiries This is an excel opportunity for any group to familiarize the community with your organisation and perhaps boost your membership All recreational organizations axe en couraged to participate The open bouse is scheduled for the early part of the new year A response from a majority of the Hills groups Is required to provide this Open House If your group has not yet let the Recrea- Department know of your interest in participating please call SI Is Pan Sheldon gang la try and gel the Town engineer and to go f new she designed a roads Pan with Jim aba at the Ratepayer groop met with Briaa Charlton and Mai Swart Ont ario critic Tharsdsy la the aggregate Hut the Niagara Escarp ment Cam the fcearfag mem report and need to Park of the land originally to be protected by the NEC Swart said adding the hearing of fleers recommendations to exclude certain areas from future protection cuts the area down to per cent They are deeply con cerned about the hearing officers report calling for enlargement of permitted uses on the Escarpment especially In en vironmentally sensitive areas like Speyside Niagara and Beaver Valley Also the hearing officers suggestion thai the NEC be disbanded means there will be no watchdog over municipalities If this happens there will be nothing more than a facade at protecting the Escarpment Lands may be protected from develop ment or aggregate In plans and legislation even but without an agency policing the sit uation rules are soon forgotten he warned We have good reason to distrust preser vation policies in any plan unless there is a policing body Charlton complained that at the end of the year Niagara Escarpment preservation process It Is now a closed door process The NDP also feels that the development permit process hasnt been protecting the Escarpment since per cent or all applic ations big and small are approved Even when the NEC has fought major develop ments Queens Park has Intervened and played politics If it the governments plan to break Escarpment preservation it will it has the power Swart observed But we want to make them do it out in the open If thats what they wan to do If they want to do that then it must be done with full public Input Charlton said the wants a process for dealing with this issue which maximises public input and minimizes political wheel ing and dealing The area is one of the most environmentally sensitive Swart served and if efforts arent successful in saving the Beaver Valley and Niagara now then in the long run we wont be able to save any of the Escarpment He said the caucus is unanimous but the Liberals are split Some Grits though like Julian Reed are expected to back the NDP in their fight Theres enough licenced and zoned pits in areas like to supply all aggregate Swart said Sheldon noted the aggregate Industry doesnt create jobs cr there have been layoffs In the local rcgate industry in recent years Its a question of need for aggregate or the needs of Just one company she declared Swart warned if Ihe hearing officers rep ort Is accepted Speyside will be under a longterm threat Standard he claimed would be able to apply to open a quarry on Its land in or years and it couldrrt be stopped even If circumstances have changed or If more people are living in the Speyside area The NDPs plan of action is the only one left open now to the people Sheldon declared She said she hopes he Liberals unify on this issue with the and the government listens and allows a Legislature debate on the Issue She added residents have received good represen tation on this Issue from Reed This issue goes beyond preservation of the Escarpment to preservation of the democratic process Sheldon declared Content and aim of the NEC Act wasnt fol lowed by hearing officers she said warning provincial actions could default the legislation It goes on all the time All the time regulations are used to rip the guts out of legislation Chambers said Besides urging the NEC be preserved and It be given the power to make sure the new is incorporated In municipal Official Plans and zoning bylaws The wants a proposed million endowment for Escarpment land acquisitions approved as well protection of the Escarpment for its entire length Thechoiceisnowclearlheyaaid Either the Eacarpment is to be protected and pre served for future generations or II is In be squandered by present one The choice is now up to cabinet