4 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013 EDITORIAL with Frances Learment Fuelled by hot coffee and donuts supplied by the contractor that built the $3.4-million Acton GO station, commuters including Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette who took a symbolic ride to Georgetown celebrated as GO train service resumed in Acton at 6:38 Monday morning. A GO Board member told the Mayor must be happy to have two GO train stops in a community of 60,000, and Bonnette was quick praise other levels of government for the will and money to return the service, killed 29 years go by the NDP government at Queen's Park, citing low ridership. To Bonnette, there is a permanent look to the station with its three heated shelters, ticket vending and PRESTO machines and parking, which is to be expanded another 50 spaces in the near future. He's confident ridership will grown, heeding the words of Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig who said they expect between 40 and 100 commuters to use the Acton GO Train stop daily, and will carefully track those figures. Transport Canada says offering a range of transportation options is one way in for small and rural communities to help retain employers and residents, maintain the local economy, ensure equal access to services, jobs and educational opportunities, address the needs of an aging population and improve the health of residents. Just what Acton needs. All Board! CREEPING COLD: Inch by inch, the sheet ice is taking over more and more of Fairy Lake. Frances Learment photo PAST PAGES Ten Years Ago · A growing number of Acton property owners are worried the most recent provincewide reassessment will translate into huge property tax increases. · A visit to Acton by two newly-graduated physicians may be just what the doctor ordered to help cure the community's acute need for general practitioners. Five Years Ago · Superior Glove announced it was growing again, constructing a new 16,500-square-foot warehouse, twinning a 2005 expansion to meet increasing sales and growth, particularly with cut-resistant gloves, one of over 2,500 styles made at the Acton plant. · From December 1 to December 31, Halton Regional Police stopped 35,877 vehicles in R.I.D.E. checks throughout Halton. One hundred and ninety roadside breath tests were conducted, 28 drivers received 12-hour licence suspensions. Three people were charged with Impaired Driving offences (two in Burlington, one in Oakville). I found it challenging for a bit with the kids. One was just starting to be independent and do things for herself and want to do more things less baby stuff while the little guy was still a baby and couldn't really do much of anything. It was an awkward time. However things are progressing and it's getting into the fun phase. Just before Christmas, after watching Little J pretend to ice skate around the house with two plastic boxes (I don't even know how she thought of knowing how to do that), I dug out my figure skates from 1985, wiped them off, shook out the mouse poop, got the blades sharpened and got her a skating helmet to go along with a pair of ice skates a friend got her. I found the family skating times for little kids at our arena and there were skating aids available. I was inspired. The arena had skating aids. Decades ago, I learned with a chair on the ice at the curling club at the end of the season before they took the ice out. When we got to the arena I realized just how long it had been since I had been ice skating. First, it was self serve for paying just a money drop box at the door on the honour system. I finally found someone to tell me how to get onto the ice. Keep in mind I hadn't been on the ice since a decade before Let it snow.... By Angela Tyler the old arena was knocked down. With skates on I realized it probably would have been beneficial if I had tried skating by myself before I tried to teach a three-year-old how to. Needless to say, the skating aid was well used by both of us. She was cold after one trip around the rink and 30-year-old skates weren't very comfortable. However, it was a great outing. The rink was almost empty so we could be as slow as we were with no pressure or public humiliation (ha ha), it was fun and cheap. Now that Christmas festivities are done we are going to head back soon. On the weekend, Little J announced she wanted to make a snowman, snow angels and toboggan. Last year was very limited for snow play because quite frankly there wasn't much snow. On Saturday afternoon, I bundled up both kids while praying nobody had to pee after being bundled, grabbed a couple borrowed sleds and scooped the Dude from work and we were going tobogganing. I suggested Donald Mann Park until the Dude asked if I remembered how big the hills were. I hadn't even been there to toboggan, ever. He said they were big and suggested the smaller hill over at the new soccer field in the industrial area. He said a couple runs down the hills and the kids would probably be done. I thought he was crazy. I had visions of us being there for hours. Not long after we arrived and unloaded I realized he could be right. The kids had never walked up a hill packed with snow in full snow gear. I wasn't much better than them. "When was the last time you did this?" the Dude asked me. I remember it well. It was Grade 12 winter semester turnaround...translation 1986. Sledding wasn't much better than skating for me. I never really found the most appropriate way to get my arse into the sled. I tried every angle and position and it was just a sad, sad sight. Soon though Little J was a sled expert and had mastered walking the hill. The little guy got frightened with the snow blowing into his face. In the end we did more than a couple runs and had fun. Just a few more things to do in Acton that if you haven't done, you should try out. We're looking forward to the winter carnival at the end of the month and hoping there is lots of snow for it. Publisher Ted Tyler Editor Frances Learment Angela Tyler 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. 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