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

Georgetown Acton Wednesday Apr Founded in every by Metrotend at Street Acton Ontario Telephone Smote copra each par year In other than Canada Nuinbat Don Ryder Director of Advertising Ken Bellamy Hartley Cotes Managing Editor Tho Acton Free Proa one of group which The Aurora Banner AJPickenngNe Advertiser The BoHon Enterpr The Brampton The Poat The Weekend Post Tho Guardian The Georgetown Independent Maikham Economist Sun Tha Miton Champion The The Newmarket Era Tho North York Manx Oaknle Friday Beaver Oahawa Tha Week Weekend IJberal ThomhU Liberal The Scarborough Mirror The Stouffvile Tribune end Wood bridge Printing a a divaxm of Entarpma Limited EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Edrrer New Editor Helen Murray Sport Mark Darkroom Nancy Tad Brown ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Rata Manager Cook Sales Kirk Davy Susan Sandra CI Caroyn Debbie BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Office Manager Joan Town budget benefits Acton Except for the tax in crease on the average assessed home Acton has very little to complain about in this years Town budget In fact there are a number of projects to cheer about Council committed to buying the Stone School with the local BIA bought an old building downtown which once demolished will give us space for a parkette as well as a busy corner easier to navigate a new soccer field and initial development of a new park Elizabeth Dr continua tion of the Glenlea reconstruction and some other less significant goodies Its really quite amazing that any of these projects can be done this year considering the fact the pro vince is bailing out on its long time duty to help municipalities fund an adequate level of service dnd facilities for their citizens This years tax increase for Town purposes only isnt really that much larger than others the past couple of years it barely makes up for what has been lost in provincial grant and subsidy cutbacks Budget committee meetings were as usual held behind closed doors so we cant say for certain who deserves credit for a pro ject like the Stone School making it through the chop ping and trimming exer cise However one doesnt need a crystal ball to know that the debate must have been a spirited one so the Acton councillors ability to argue on our behalf must have been tested severely as was the level of goodwill towards Acton of George town and Esquesing councillors Any tax increase in distasteful to many tax payers a severe hardship for a minority But considering how bad the news might have been and how little we could have had to show for it Acton should be smiling a bit about the Halton Hills budget Well done councillors Readers will report drivers who leave keys in car ignition Dear Sir J find it necessary to start off with an apology to all those for whom this letter will offend or bring up painful memories but 1 feel someone should bring this to the attention of all drivers and pedestrians alike There are few people In this town who wont remember the tragic accident when seven of our young people were killed in en accident oh Highway because someone neglected to remove the keys from the Ignition of their vehicle Figuring only moments would pass before they returned to their ear- instead they must live with the hor rible memory of what happened Being unable to change history we must all learn from mistakes be it the hard way but we must learn The point of this letter is this last week coming out of a store I was in the parking lot and there was only one other vehicle In it This car not only had the keys in the ignition it was also running I had a good mind to go over and take the keys out myself and give the driver a blast and report it but I did not Only three days later walking hqme from work I turned a corner to see exactly the same thing again I was sickened with the thoughts of what may hove come of it Especially when I thought about my 7yearold son walking home from school at that time of the day along with hundreds of other in nocent kids who could Just be in the wrong place at the wrong time as were seven others not long enough ago to ever forget I guess I am writing this to clear my conscience some of the guilt feelings for not doing something about it when saw it 1 know I will not hesitate to report the plate number of a vehicle I saw left unat tended like this ever again I hope others will fee the same and use caution and good sense with all aspects of the law per taining to the privilege and it is a privilege of being a licenced driver Observe the law and use your own common sense where yours and the safety of others is concerned If this letter makes even a few more aware then it has served its purpose Lets not give crime an inch Louise Town Our readers write 10 years ago April 1T4 Actons last mayor Duby is Citizen of the Year for Centennial- Ontario Housing Corporation Is very much interested In building A four or rive storey senior citizen apartment complex on the site of the present Canadian Legion Hall it was revealed at Halton Hills council Monday night Four hundred names were drawn Saturday night from a drum In the climax of the annual club draw at the Legion The crowd filled the hall for the elimination draw which ended with Bruce Barber Mason Blvd the big winner of the Maverick from L and Ford or the cash equivalent Kris or 2 Acton sped to victory in the age group to earn the Schlitz Gold Cup in the sixth annual Schltz Nastar finals a recreational ski racing champion ship A total of skiers from all over the country competed in the event March 2930 at Sun Valley Idaho and she not only out nine others in her age group but topped who competed Must pay for education we want 2o Dear Sir budget time and along with it come the headlines about taxes going up again 1 want to talk about education taxes which are also go ing up It probably will be Just enough to keep what weve got but not nearly enough to make it sig nificantly better You read it right We had better be willing to pay for the we say we want our kids and adults to have I include adults because there Is an increasing number of adults who are returning to day schools to upgrade their education or get a diploma These are people who went to school in the good days to which we often compare present education and find it wanting It was also wanting in the good days Its time we recognize that todays educational system no worse than it was and as far as offering opportunities for learning It a lot better This costs money I speak of offering oppor tunities for learning rather than how much people are learning because there Is a difference The difference is where the respons ibility lies The schools are by and large meeting their responsibility for offering opportunities This of course Is limited by finances since much of the equipment necessary Is expensive Walk into any high school and find computers technical shops with modem tools business education rooms with word processors and class sets of electric typewriters science labs with electronic scales ripple tanks and the most up to date microscopes Some private computer schools charge 12 thous and dollars to teach what is being offered in a computer studies course in High School If kids are not learning its not for lack of opportunities It is the job of teachers to teach and they do It is not nor should it be their Job to run after students to get them to attend class and complete or hand in their assignments or to get them to behave That Is the responsibility of the students esp ecially in high schools A student who does not want to learn simply does not learn Teachers spend a lot of time on them only a few change their mind Taxpayers have the respons ibility to promote education and that is not done sufficiently We need to spread the idea that education is more than training its learning to identify and solve problems related to living Going to school is only a beginning in education We need to stop dumping on the educational system and especially on teachers because if we dont value them neither will our child ren and a lot of time and money will be spent on disciplining and politicking and less on teaching It costs an average of a year to school a adult in the public system It costs two times that much in the private system and private schools dont spend significant time on discipline and they have smaller classes In a probably futile effort to please the public the government has just spent in the millions of dol lars revising the educational op portunities for the intermediate and senior schools This raises the price tag of education even more And its not going to make any difference unless taxpayers can first convince themselves and their children that education matters and that its worth money to have the schools continue a process that should have started at home The educational system is not perfect by any means but we get what we pay for Welfare unemployment and prisons are much more expensive alter natives Eva Sanson We share the grief This community shares the grief felt in our neighboring Town of Milton in the terrible cartrain crash which took the life of six teens and severely in jured another Following so close on the heels of a dou ble fatality involving two well known men from that community the previous week it sent shock waves across the Province and country We dont know how the crash happened or why but what we do know is theterrible grief that accompanies tragedies such as the one in Milton There have been the usual recriminations about how to avoid another tragedy of this kind There is already agitation to have arms installed on the railway crossing there maybe some for an underpass and indeed there should be One accident like that is enough for any small community And if another tragedy can be avoided by all means let it be done For the present all we can do is express our sorrow and shock at the snuffing out of so many young lives We send our sympathy and share the grief of those families who lost sons or daughters in a tragedy we hope and pray will never be repeated anywhere Coles stow Corner renovations can be help to downtown The announcement last week that the Canadian Style Donut shop the corner of Mill and Main Streets has been acquired by the Town of Hills and the dilapidated old yellow brick building will be torn down was greeted with enthusiasm by this writer Especially the news that the Town and the Business Improvement Association intend to construct a on the land The should make a big improvement to that corner of and Main which has been an in creasing eyesore over the years Bill Yundt has moved Into his new drug store across the street and the should help the Image of the downtown business section which has suffered in the but two decades Bricks have fallen off the building exposing the board and batten underneath and the corner u a hangout for all types of casually dres youth torn of whom bed reputation for vulgar language and garbage dispen detail give this community very good Image with people who drive through end form their impres of the Town by the condition of the downtown recenUy The presence of a decaying building in the heart of the down town doesnt help the image of other merchants either That corner used to be one of the showpieces of Acton Remember when William Cooper had his gents furnishings store there and the immaculate fashions in the window When Mr Cooper retired Gord bought the business and ran it for a few years keeping the reputation for sartorial splendor of his predecessor He was followed by Bud from I believe who operated one of the cut rate mens clothing stores Then Lambs real estate business was located there for many years before he closed up and moved out of town The building has had several occupants since finishing with the shop I remember Agar had a coal office upstairs My grand father unable to do manual work because of gassing in the tren- of took orders and kept Mr Agar books there A frequent visitor was the by Hartley Coles Managta Editor village constable the epitome of spit and polish Both of them British Army end very Impressive for a boy used to more casual ways as they played and swapped stories The door leading to the coal office now leads to an upstairs apartment Theres a old canard about that door about a zealous firefighter He so the story goes broke down me door with his axe only to discover the blaze was else where Actons Early Days noted that this corner has always been a busy place starting with Mrs Sarah Augusta Scord and her three sons John Fred and Percy who came to Acton in the mid IBOOs Mrs the book maintains was a woman of many excellencies with the advantage of a good education and a remarkable ability for business The family started in business in the store and residence now the site of Alec Johnsons real estate office When that building was destroyed by fire the lady and her family proceeded with the erection of a better store and resi dence on the opposite side of the street a frame building neatly constructed and painted white says Actons Early Days now the target site After years In business the Secord store went to Ward Howell who came to Acton from Jersey- ville and was for years the head of the department in Murray- Kays Toronto Eventually that loo was destroyed by and the present store was and occupied by the establishment of Cooper and Aims and then Win Cooper always been a busy Now If plans wort out this busy corner will be like extension of the interlocking brick sidewalk with plants trees and park benches A sort of oasts in the heart of the downtown Im sure it will beautify the corner but there are probably others like myself who hope It wont degenerate into a hangout for some of the punks who hang around the streets day and night Im not talking about those who engage soda activities such as meeting friends on the corner girl and boy watching and other acti vities but those who deface the buildings smoke grass ad scare shoppers and others from patroniz ing the downtown How arc they going to keep it from becoming a hangout for disreputables Maybe the police would like them all in one place so they can keep an eye on them since observers say many of them are from neighboring towns Not me Anyway the corner can now be restored so it will help rather than hinder the efforts of the BIA to enhance the reputation of Actons downtown Lets hope It does help make Acton a pleasant and pleasing place to shop April 1 1904 Easter Joy came early for three Acton Hydro employees last week when commission members ap proved a wage increase for superin tendent Doug Mason to secret as urer Audrey to and meter reader Newt Hurst to The first carnival undertaken on a small scale by the newly formed Acton Figure Skating Club Saturday gave a promise of fine skating and many more carnivals to come Mrs George Wallace and Mrs Alex attended the convention of Home Economics Teachers of the Ontario Educational Association which was held at the Lord Hotel Toronto March 31 50 years ago March The Midget Hockey banquet was held in the Legion clubroom The Crescents were in charge of Ben Bayllss the Three Stars under L G King the Red Wings under E the Majesties under Harry Holmes WD Talbot look charge of the visitors at their table Familiar songs were sung with Mr J Salt at the piano There continues to be much controversy on the best way to handle the bequest to the town from Mr A J Murray All high school marks are published Those who ranked on top are Hazel Wilson J Cross A G Gibson J Blnnle Mary Young K Chapman E Braida Bralda J Graham M The Girl Guides are now meeting in the school Mr George Mason gave them a talk on camp years ago April 1 IBM Dr J M Bell has sold to David Storey of sixty feet off the rear of his property on Frederick St adjoining Dr Grays property the depth of the feet Mr Storey will erect a twostorey brick residence the coming summer thereon He will then retire from his farm and take up his residence in town Rev R Kelleman the newly- appointed rector of St bans Church will arrive from Passaic NJ this week He will be ac companied by his mother and two sisters Reeve Swackhamer contractor has been engaged the past week on a new entrance with double oak doors at The Acton A fire escape has also been installed and a doorway I leading to it from the third floor 100 years ago ISM The Trustees of our public school have gone to considerable trouble in preparing a list of all children of school age from five to years and win insist that all attend school for at least days In each half year At Spring Assizes in Boo Justice Osier approved of purchas ing farms and erecting poor houses Tor men unwilling to work and earn their living They would be com pelled to work and would not be a burden on society Householders must clean up their back yards and remove the filth to avoid a large amount of sickness The village lamplighter deserves credit for keeping the street lamps so bright and dean The lights should be turned up a little higher yet though A number of tow talk shout pulling the- ears for fooling them Mdhr Us fix day