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

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012 THE NEW TANNER 7 GRAPEVINE Dutiful donors When Margaret Barnstable gave blood last Thursday in Acton, she was wearing a tiara made by her very proud daughter ­ and she deserved to be treated like royalty as she donated her 100th unit of blood. And, she was not alone in making a milestone donation, joining Acton's Peter Hargrave who made his 125th blood donation. Dalton Pinkerton donated for the 25th time, and there were two firsttimers. In all, 44 units of blood were collected; seven people were deferred and asked to come to the next clinic on Monday, November 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the arena. To make an appointment call 1-888-2366283. Rural food grant Acton's FoodShare food bank, which feeds approximately 95 children each month, has applied for a grant to the new Rural Kids program offered by the Ontario Association of Food Banks and the Grocery Foundation. The Grocery Foundation has committed $100,000 each year for the next three years to help feed the 14,000 Ontario children living with chronic hunger. Children account for nearly 40 per cent of people served by rural food banks. Acton FoodShare chair Arlene Humphreys they hope to get some grant money ­ awards could range between $1,000 and $10,000 ­ but "there are no guarantees." "We really need more food available...the cupboards are not bare, but we've got a lot of empty boxes on them," Humphreys said. "Albert" Day Approximately 50 students at Acton High School wore black last Tuesday in honour of a former student, Albert Piccioni of Campbellville who was killed October 4 while riding his mountain bike, without a helmet, in Thorold. Piccioni, 19, was attending Brock University. The "outgoing, friendly, different" student, who graduated two years ago, was known for his constantly black attire. He was known at Acton High for always wearing black, according to friend Rachel Mein who, with two friends, organized the "Albert Day" which included a brief talk about Piccioni, his time at Acton High and his death, followed by a group picture and signing of a card, which will be given to his parents. Love, Obey and Betray A novel by former Acton native and The New Tanner reporter Maggie Petrushevsky has been published by Sun Dragon Press and is available through Amazon.com. Set in Milton in 1974, the intrigue/thriller, Love, Obey and Betray , is the story of how far a Ukrainian immigrant, married to a former WWII Ally spy, will go to protect his family. Ace Employee Congrats to David Lindsay of Leathertown Lumber for receiving the Employee Recognition Award from the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce. Lindsay was recognized this morning (Thursday) for his "outstanding customer service," superior product knowledge and excellent project coaching skills. Doubt: A Parable The Georgetown Little Theatre's production of Doubt: A Parable opens November 2 at the Acton Town Hall Centre for the first of 10 performances. The Pulitzer prize-winning drama is set in the 1960s, a time for social change in the Catholic Church and in society. For tickets, call 905-8773700, or order on-line at www. haltonhills.ca/theatre or pick them up at Acton's Home Hardware. CARD SHARKS: The Acton Skating Club hosted a fundraising poker night at the Acton Town Hall Centre on Saturday. Among the three tables of gamblers were, from left: Mark Lerouzes, Bruce Cooper, Randall J. Ovellette, Tyler Holmes, Phil McLeod, Jacob Kentner, Nick Newby and Dean Fidlin. - Ted Tyler photo Links2Care Holiday Hamper Program To the Editor, Applications for the Links2Care Holiday Hamper Program will be accepted at Links2care's Acton and Georgetown offices until December 7. The Holiday Hamper Program provides hampers of new children's clothing to children, aged 18 years and younger, from lower income families in Halton Hills. If the holiday season will be financially challenging for your family this year, please drop by one of our locations to fill out an application form. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. This program could not exist without the generous and caring community members who sponsor families and donate to Links2Care. If you would like to sponsor a family this holiday season, we will send you a family profile with the ages, sizes and clothing needs of the children so that you can shop for the items on the list. Donations of money, new children's clothing, and gift cards are also very much appreciated. In Acton, applications are available at the Community Support office at 47 Mill Street East, (use John Street North entrance), and the Ontario Early Years Centre, 85 Wallace Street. For more information please call Cathy or Janet at 519-853-3310. Regards Cathy Gerrow Links2Care Acton Quarry can be stopped if we speak out To the Editor, This is an open letter to everyone. The Acton Quarry expansion is bearing down on Acton. Right now, if the new license is not accepted, in four years there will be peace in the Hills, and the quarry can be rehabilitated. Maybe we can even figure out how to promote tourism on the Escarpment in Halton Hills to support the economy of our community. Tourism is the number one economic development tool and we have untold natural assets, here, in our community that could act as real drivers. If we don't stop this quarry, we are facing at least another 18 (plus four years of the existing quarry) of active quarrying. The new quarry license means 18 more years (minimum) of quarry trucks on our roads, 18 more years (minimum) of blasting that is closer to more homes. The new quarry license means 18 more years (minimum) of drawdown of the ground water into not only the existing holes, but new holes (how much can our aquifers take?). The new quarry license means 18 more years (minimum) of problems for wells and the drying up of our wetlands. The new quarry license will force endangered species and species that call the area of the quarry home to struggle even more ­ and what about the existing forests and farmlands? If the mining company is having difficulties solving the problems related to their current quarry operations, how can we have faith in the promises and plans they are proposing for the new expansion area? The new quarry license will have an impact on our community that will not be finished within many of our lifetimes. The new quarry license would leave a legacy to our grandchildren and their children as it would be at least three generations before the impacts of the quarry have stopped. This is not right. For those of you who think trying to stop this is pointless, it is not. On October 11, 2012, a ruling came down that said no to an expansion of the Nelson Quarry on Mount Nemo. We can have the same happen in Halton Hills if we just step up, take action, and, speak out. Please consider your legacy to the future residents of Halton Hills and to the escarpment, its function and species. Find your voice and say no thanks to the Acton Quarry. P.O.W.E.R. (Protect Our Water and Resources) is saying no, residents are saying no, please add your voice. According to the Niagara Escarpment Commission, the Acton Quarry expansion plan has been a very quiet file, with few comments from residents. Now is the time to end this proposal before it is too late. Contact Brian Hudson, senior planner for the region at brian. hudson@halton.ca or Mark Klug, Halton Hills planner, at mark@haltonhills.ca or Nancy Mott-Allen at the NEC at nancy.mott-allen@ontario.ca Why not express your concerns to all three? Let your voice be heard. Together, as a community, we can make a difference. Regards, Doris Treleaven, President P.O.W.E.R. ALBERT DAY: Students at Acton High School honoured the late Albert Piccioni ­ who always dressed in black ­ last week. - Submitted photo