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6 EDITORIAL with Frances Learment THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012 Sing more joyful songs The New Year offers an opportunity to examine our lives ­ to look back as we move forward, sometimes thinner, smoke-free, and with more joy. In resolving to do more, or less, many follow Janus, a twofaced mythical Roman king whose head first appeared on a calendar in 153 B.C., looking both back and forward to the future. The New Year can be a time for new beginnings, a firm date for action. Losing weight tops most resolution lists, followed by quitting smoking, getting organized, enjoying life more, learning something exciting and spending more time with family and friends. While more then half the population makes resolutions, less than 10 per cent actually follow through ­ a tough, some-what discouraging statistic, maybe overcome with a resolution to be more optomistically positive. American scholar William Arthur Ward had the right idea: Another fresh New Year is here . . . Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give! I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs! 4-H WISE: Acton's Katelyn Donaldson, shown here with her winning entry in the 4-H competition at the Acton Fall Fair, represented Ontario 4-H as part of an eight-member team competing in the 41st Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Saskatchewan last month. Donaldson's team placed second over-all, and she placed 26th of 80 participants. ­ Tanner file photo Hometown cool Well it's been quite the year. I'm having a hard time coming to terms with it being the end of the year. For me, I just don't know where it went. It's been a really different year. There has been lots of stuff going on and yet at the same time there has been so many interesting events and such that I can't just pin point a few to sum up the year. Instead I was thinking about a few things in town that are pretty nifty. Over 30 years ago, our Acton Town Hall was about to be demolished to a pile of rubble. It was seen as useless and perhaps it could have turned into a parking lot, or maybe another plot to squish some row housing onto. Instead a group of individuals in town decided to save it. After winning the plea not to demolish the building, decades later, some of the original group and a lot of new members of Heritage Acton have made the old lady a grand old lady once again. The building is now utilized by tenants on the main level and upstairs the auditorium has been restored to a show piece that is now hosting many events from everything from the speaker's series to weddings. As of recent, construction on the much anticipated addition has commenced to make the just maybe other trains like VIA stopping here. You never know. The other thing I was thinkBy ing about was the renovation and addition to the Christian Angela Tyler Reformed Church at the East building even more accessible. end of town. Have you seen that Now that is a great story. She thing? It is absolutely massive. I had one foot in the grave and thought their last renovation was now look at her...who is laugh- huge and quite impressive and ing now? now this one...wow! I haven't Speaking of decades ago, it had the privilege yet of seeing was two decades ago that the GO the inside, yet if it is anything train actually considered Acton like the outside I am sure it is an actual stop. I will admit I never wonderful. It isn't the size that thought it would stop here again. makes it impressive for me. Sometimes when smaller com- What I find impressive is how the munities loose something like church has improved the North this they don't usually get them West corner. While increasing back. However, with much en- the parking area, they also discouragement from our Mayor, the cretely landscaped. It is so much train is stopping again starting in nicer to look at and drive by now. January. We have an official sta- As well, the stained glass wintion sign and the train stop area dows from our former Baptist is quite nice. I had visions of a Church were repurposed in this construction trailer being our new church during the renovations. I `station' when they announced just find that so cool. they were going to put one in. There are a lot of cool things Allllllllll aboard. We said we about our town. Some are events. wanted it. Our elected officials Some are people. Some are storfought for it and now it is our turn ies. And sometimes they are a to support GO's decision and start train stop sign or a historic using it. If you don't want to lose building or stained glass winit again...use it! Maybe if there is dows moved from one church enough support instead of a train to another one of a completely stop maybe we can once again different faith. I hope you have even get an actual station and a super New Year. Distributed to every home in Acton and area, as well as adjoining communities. Every effort will be made to see advertising copy, neatly presented, is correctly printed. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions in advertising, but will gladly reprint without charge that part of an advertisement in which an error may occur provided a claim is made within five days of publication. All articles, advertisements and graphic artwork appearing in The New Tanner is copyrighted. Any usage, reproduction or publication of these items, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher of The New Tanner is a copyright infringement and subject to legal action. Happy New Year Looking Back · In the third week of the Halton police Holiday R.I.D.E. program, 28 Highway Traffic Act charges were laid. Police stopped 7,875 vehicles, testing 49 drivers and charging two people with impaired driving, issuing 11 12-hour licence suspensions. · Blueprints for a new ambulance station on Churchill Road beside the fire station revealed a pubic meeting at the Acton arena/community centre. · The "average' Halton home valued at $300,000 faces an additional $16.54 in combined Halton, Town and school board taxes after Halton Council approved its budget with a 1.3 per cent increase. · More than 10 large bags of new toys were collected by students at Acton's St. Joseph Catholic School in an annual toy drive that had students choose an angel from the tree that included information about a needy child. Ten Years Ago Five Years Ago Publisher Ted Tyler Editor Frances Learment Angela Tyler Editorial Contributors email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.com 373 Queen Street East, Unit 1 Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 Advertising and Circulation Marie Shadbolt (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052 Composing Traci Gardner, Iain Brennan Typesetting Melissa Paul