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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1998 GRAPEVIN Factory leather outlet coming Any minute now a discount leather clothing store -- The House of Leather -- will open at 145 Mill Street East. The Montreal parent company, BFC Manufacturing, has five retail outlets in Quebec and chose Acton for its first Ontario store to capitalize on our Leathertown image. The store will sell Canadian- made leather fashions for men and women at factory outlet prices. A company spokesman, who wished to remain nameless, said they aren't just aiming at people drawn to Acton by the olde Hide House marketing. The store is leased from Acton businessman Paul Jordan, who is moving his family to British Colum- bia. Asked if they had a long-term lease the spokesman said they'd know better six months down the road. "Tf it doesn't go we' ll pull the plug and we'll be gone." Hope for downtown A Ministry of Agriculture rural community advisor is working with a group of Acton residents to try to revitalize downtown Acton. Minis- try rep. John Swan, who drives through Acton daily en route his Georgetown office, has enthusiasti- cally offered to try to help bring life back into the core. BIA general man- ager Janis Fread, who described the downtown as being in a sorry state with many vacant stores, said plans are at a very preliminary stage, but they want to involve downtown mer- chants and the Acton community in a cohesive plan to "turn the core around" and attract some good sta- ble businesses to the downtown. Fresh paint and pies The spruce up at the New Variety store at 122 Mill Street East includes fresh paint and fresh pies. A coat of white paint brightened the exterior of the store and fresh pies and coffee are now available along with con- venient Interact banking. The Kim family of Ballinafad, which has owned the store for 10 years, has taken over day-to-day operations. Daughter Judy Kim said they will refurbish the interior and add new product lines and more current movie rentals. Soccer celebration The Acton Soccer Club celebrates its 30th anniversary with a video dance September 11 at the Acton Legion. The end-of-season party is a chance for parents, coaches and sponsors to celebrate and kick off the championships which will be held at the McKenzie-Smith Bennett pitches on September 12 and 13. Tickets for the video dance - re- stricted to those 19 or older - are $10 and include a buffet and prizes. Search for Miss Acton Are you poised, comfortable speaking to crowds and do you know why Acton is known as Leathertown? If you have a good general knowledge of Acton, are 16 or older and either attended Acton High or live in Acton, Rockwood, Limehouse or Ballinafad then you're eligible to enter the Miss Acton Fall Fair pageant. Pageant organizer, former Miss Acton ('84) Linda Robson stressed that it is nota beauty contest. "We want someone who can speak well and make people comfort- able and my instructions to the judges are clear. I don't want the prettiest girl unless she's the one who makes people feel most at ease." Miss Acton Fall Fair represents the Town at various functions throughout the year, acting as an ambassador. For details call Robson at 853-1591. "Our Survey Says... Do you think a curfew for youth in Acton would help control vandalism? Yes it might help. There isn't enough for them to do. Bob Thomson I don't mi Okay. Sounds like an idea. R. Shannon It probably wouldn't help. Teenagers might try to rebel and cause more vandalism. Jenny Tremblay Oh yes. We live downtown and see more of it. ind them being out if they weren't causing trouble. Colleen Barlow Yes. It would keep kids at home doing family things. It would help change their attitude. Sean Haefner This week's New Tanner survey by Angela Tyler THE NEW TANNER BETTER ROADS: Nellis Construction of Acton has equipment, including this big backhoe, work- ing on improvements to old Highway 25 north of Acton. - Ted Tyler photo Gee whiz! A guy takes a cou- ple of weeks off and everything goes to Hades in a handbasket. The dollar goes into the toilet and the Supreme Court gives a definite, positive, Canadian "maybe" over the Quebec separation issue. I, like most Canadians, can only watch and shudder as our dollar heads down to historical lows. Anyone who thinks the only Canadians to be hurt are the rich, with stock portfolios, and those vacationing in the USA are living in a dream world. The auto pact and base resources keep our ex- ports high. When it comes to food and consumer goods, however, we are substantial importers. Once the local produce is used up food prices will skyrocket. At the same time we all switch on our furnaces so the drain on family finances will be at an annual high as heat- ing fuel bills arrive. I'm not look- ing forward to $3.50 heads of let- tuce. The Prime Minister, who clearly is clueless about how to handle this crisis, is performing his usual ostrich act. "Don't worry. Be happy" is not what I consider to be the inspired leadership nec- essary to guide our dollar through this financial storm. As for his at- tempt to find a silver lining in this cloud by saying it's good for tour- ism; well, that's just asinine. Tour- ism accounts for less than 2% of our GDP. Statements like that just rove how shallow the man and is policies are. What is needed is a substantial tax cut and a concerted effort to pay down our massive debt. These ideas are, of course, anathematized by the current crop of tax and spend socialists in Ottawa. Paul Martin, whom many con- sider to be too fiscally conserva- tive, put through the biggest tax grab in history by goosing unem- ployment and social security taxes. = Meanwhile, I'm, getting tired 'P.M. fiddles while loonie burns' The Way I See It} with | Mike O'Leary of the Feds beating the drums about balancing the budget, They cut trans- fer payments to the provinces so drastically that provincial programs such as health care have been ad- versely affected. The whole presen- tation of the country's budget is noth- ing but a shell game. It proves the old saying - figures lie and liars fig- ure. So where will the dollar end up? If may dip below 60 cents. We'll con- tinue to suffer a devalued currency until the Feds face-up to the hard decisions necessary to restore confi- dence in the looney. Until then, I'1l continue to sweat each time one of my US supporters calls me and watch my margins shrink. Frankly, I don't care if some "Oakie from Muskokie" is up here catching our bass. At first blush I thought the Su- preme Court ruling on Quebec's right to succeed was a victory. for the Good Guys. Further consideration proved that my first observation was too optimistic. Granted, the ruling that the "question" must be clear and that a "clear majority" of Quebecers must vote for separation set some ground rules. The Feds were, unfortunately, outmanoeuvered by Benedict Bouchard and his merry band of trai- tors. They spun the decision to make it appear that the court actually sup- ported the Separatist position. Mean- while, the Federalist side mused in the media about what a "clear ma- jority" meant. The P.M. things its around 66 per cent. Charest insists it's 50 per cent. Plus one.. Why can't these guys get their act together folks? Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber are running this country and we're in trouble. We nearly lost the last referen- dum. If the Tweedle Twins carry on business as usual I wouldn't give odds on the next one. What really frosts me is the im- age of Benny Bouchard as states- man and the Federalists dashing about snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory. Stay tuned. This fight is far from over. MII -Closer to home, another poli- tician has her Birkenstocks planted firmly in her mouth. To- ronto Councillor Judy Sgro, who is also on the police services board, objected to the ads being run by Metro cops. My comment is not on whether these ads are right or wrong, but rather on councillor Sgro's defence of her own comments. Sgro doesn't like the commer- cials. She things they're an at- tempt to "intimidate Toronto council. In an interview on CFRB however, Sgro was quick to point out that the Police Association commercials could make it hard for her to get budget approval for police programs and equipment. So tell me - who's trying to in- , timidate whom? Talk about your typical weasel politician (no offense meant to weasels every- where.) Why is it acceptable for teach- ers unions to openly collude to bring down the government but cops can't speak out? You don't think it's because the Toronto councillors are afraid that the po- lice are more popular and believ- able than the politicians, do you? You're darn tootin' they are. In closing, if I never hear an- other story about "Studs" Clinton or hear another "tribute" to Prin- cess Diana it will be too soon. I'll bet the majority of Canadians would agree! "J WHAT'S VOUR REEF? Put it in a letter to the Editor! Deadline is Tuesday at noon. .. ~