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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 THE NEW TANNER 9 GRAPEVINE with Mike OLeary The Way I See It Weather guessers blew it again The weather reporters prom- ised us a perfect weekend for the fair. Supposedly, Friday was going to be cloudy in the morning but Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday were to be sunny and hot. Weather forecasters they call themselves. Weather guessers is more accurate. It appears that these people couldnt tell you it was raining unless they went outside and held out a hand. In spite of the wonky forecast the fair was a huge success. In other stories in our paper you will have read that this was a record year for gate receipts. This success was also enjoyed by the vendors and other venues. Everywhere I went, people were smiling and enjoying the country fair atmosphere. The children had a great time at the fair, especially the rides! You could see the excitement in their eyes as they arrived and the joy when they left. The little ones would be begging their parents for just one more ride please on the way out. I found myself wishing I could see the fair, just one more time, through the eyes of a child. To experience the thrills and wonderment that innocence cul- tivates. Alas, thats not to be, so we adults have to be content with the simple pleasure of making a child smile. Thats not such a bad trade-off after all. The Agricultural Societys booth showcasing the new build- ing to be erected at Prospect Park received lots of attention. The good news is that at the council meeting last Monday, final approval was given for the construction contract to be signed by the mayor and clerk. Soon you will see signs of building activity in the park near the tennis court. Actually, theres quite a bit of construction going on in Prospect Park. In addition to the Ag. So- ciety building, the Acton Rotary Clubs bandshell project is well underway. Located in the far end of the park, near the Regions pumping station, the bandshell should be completed this year. By the spring of 2007 we will be able to enjoy concerts in the park and the comforts of the Ag- ricultural Societys new building with its state-of-the-art indoor turf surface. The next months promise to be an exciting time in the history of Prospect Park and indeed of the whole town of Acton. But back to this years fair. We didnt have any major prob- lems during the weekend. Sure, we had the usual insect stings, turned ankles and the like. St. Johns Am- bulance was kept fairly busy with bumps and bruises. We must give a tip of the hat to the well trained volunteers who took such excellent care of our fair visitors at the St. Johns Ambulance van. The Ken-Jen petting zoo with their wide variety of animals was a popular attraction again this year. We missed out on the pig races which proved so popular last year. Ken was in Ottawa herding the swine (no, not those porkers) but I hope we can book a return engage- ment for 2007. We had to turn away a few people again this year who brought dogs to the fair other than for the pet show. Some were amazed that their pooch couldnt come on the grounds. By the time we explained the safety concerns most folks understood why the decision was necessary. One lady was incredulous and said if her whole family wasnt welcome they would leave. The last I saw of them they were turning left on Hwy #7. For your informa- tion, we instituted this prohibition after several instances of two dogs going after each other along the crowded midway. Saturday night, as usual, proved to be a popular time for folks who have moved away to meet and greet at the beer tent. Young adults who grew up in town, and are now pursuing careers, look forward to the fair for this reason. Our daughter Erin came home for the day and was planning on returning to Waterloo early Sat- urday night. A few calls later and off she went to the festivities. I havent heard of any major problems at the beer tent over the weekend. Although the paddy wagon was on the grounds I hear the crowbar taxi went home empty both Friday and Saturday. This is a testament to todays young people who show more discipline and responsibility than revellers in the past. There was one disappointing occurrence that happened after the fair was over. Several young teens took the opportunity to van- dalize the decorated hay bales at the entrance to the midway from the parking lot. You may think thats no big deal but someone had to clean up the mess. That someone was an exhausted vol- unteer from the Ag. Society. In that sense, it was a big deal. Not to be content with mugging innocent hay bales, the group (it appeared to be the same gang) went through the pioneer cem- etery and pushed hay wagons through the snow fence at the back of the parking lot. This was especially stupid since the Ag. Society was gathered for a dinner in the tent next to the fence. Proof positive that vandals are not the sharpest pitchforks in the barn. I couldnt help comparing these mindless vandals with the sharply dressed, polite and courteous Air Cadets who had a booth at the fair. Actually, theres absolutely no comparison. The Cadets are winners. The 93rd annual Acton Fair will go down in history as being very successful. As you read this, plans are underway so our 94th edition will be even better. See you there. GEMS/CADETS From Bible studies to games, to badge skills, outings and friendship theres something for all kids, aged six to 14, in the GEMS and Cadet programs being offered at Bethel Christian Reformed Church. Registrations are being accepted today (Thursday) for the two pro- grams that run on Thursday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m. from now until April. For details, call Chris at 519- 853-9760. CHAMBER THANKS The Chamber of Commerce volunteers who worked on various committees this year will be feted at a cocktail reception on Septem- ber 27 after the Chambers annual general meeting at the Halton Hills Civic Centre. Walter Begin, volunteer secre- tary/general manager for several decades until the early 1970s is the posthumous recipient of the Cham- bers annual Volunteer Award. FAIR STUFF The sharp harmonies and show- manship of The Essentials, an A Capella group from Toronto, sure impressed everyone within earshot of the Miss Acton pageant on Fri- day night. The foursome had the crowd spellbound during breaks in the pageant. Nice one to the stumbling drunk who was sick in the front garden of a Knox Avenue residence just outside the fair gates and who then almost got clipped by a passing car as he weaved onto the road just before 11 on Saturday night. Kudos to the volunteers who made Education Day on Friday a huge hit with the 1,003 students, teachers and parent volunteers who enjoyed a midway-free day, learn- ing about agriculture. The fire departments fake smoke was a big hit with the kids who were taught how to find their way to safety in a trailer filled with the fake smoke and that off an alarm. The department will soon have a more realistic house set up in a trailer to educate kids. FEWER SHUTTLERS Tyler Transports free shuttle bus proved the better way for 557 people, down quite a bit from past years, on several hundred trips be- tween the Legion parking lot and the fairgrounds on the weekend. One of Tylers five drivers, Pat Robinson, received kudos from Miss Acton pageant organizer Leigh Whiting for donating her time to drive contestants between the fairgrounds and Knox Church on pageant night. KILN AGM Past success and future plans to continue restoring the heritage lime kilns in the village of Limehouse will be discussed at the annual general meeting of the Limehouse Kiln Society on Saturday, Septem- ber 30. All are welcome to the meeting that begins at 10 a.m. at the Lime- house Memorial Hall. FIDDLING FUN Some tickets are still available for fiddler/showman Scott Woods September 29th performance at Knox Presbyterian Church. Woods is the Canadian fiddle champion and a CD playing dur- ing the churchs family fun day last Saturday sounded like it will be a great show. Refreshments will be offered, and proceeds will be used for church programs. Contact Knox at 519-853-2360 for tickets. NAVY LEAGUE The Navy League Cadet Program is coming to Acton, offering moral guidance and encouragement, and mental and physical training to de- velop patriotism, good citizenship, a sense of duty and self-discipline in a nautical setting. The Acton Corp will meet Wednesday nights at the Acton Legion, lead by Navy League Of- ficers and instructors, including Commanding officer George De Rabbie who helped man a booth at the Acton Fall Fair on the weekend to recruit neweight-to-12 year old members.For information call George at 519-853-8682. BRUNCH TIME Good food and a friendly at- mosphere is on tap this Sunday (September 24) as the Kinette Club of Acton host their monthly Community Brunch at the Acton arena/community centre. The all-you-can-eat brunch fea- tures a delectable feast for $6 preschoolers are free. The brunch runs from 9: a.m. to 1 p.m. DRIVERS NEEDED The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteer drivers in the Acton area who can transport elderly and frail clients to and from medical ap- pointments. If you can spare a few hours a week, call Judith at 905-875- 1459. RACE CHALLENGE Slow and steady or fast and furi- ous? Those are two possible strategies for teams who enter the Towns new Race for the Hills fitness challenge a 10-kilometre race, for adults over 18, who are willing to endure physical and mental challenges to win. The race begins at the Gellert Centre at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oc- tober 14, with the awards ceremony slated for 1:30. The Town is looking for 25, three-member teams registration is $75 and includes a prize package and T-shirts. For details call the Town at 905- 873-2601, ext. 2262, or visit www. haltonhills.ca and click on the Ac- tive Halton Hills logo. A REMINDER: Ashley Mancuso, left, and Kellyk Withers manned a booth at Acton Fall Fair remind - ing patrons theres a municpal election on Monday, November 13 and they should make sure they are on the voters list. Halton Hills is conducting a campaign to get out more voters for municipal elections. - Angela Tyler photo