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Open air rinks good idea Acton Parks Boards proposal to construct open air rinks for use of skaters in Acton is a sound Idea with much merit There is a need for rinks to take some of the load off the arena and allow youngsters and adults the opportunity to get out in the fresh We also liked a last year suggestion of Parks chairman Hugh Patterson that skating should also be developed on Fairy Lake although we are not sure this should be a parks board responsibility Skaters have the option of using the ice on the lake merely by shovelling it off when ice is safe The best plan would seem to be two open air rinks in town and a third if CHRISTMAS AND STREET LIGHTS form a gigantic inverted stocking for photographer Jim Jennings as he zoomed over town just after dark one recent night The Mill Street business section of town is easily identifiable while the Queen St business section can be seen in the right top The hydro building on Alice St ablaze in Christmas lights is also easily identifiable middle left The effectiveness of lights on is very apparent when compared to older sections of Acton Recognize your street Bill Smiley Never fails Had written a column extolling the grand mild weather wed been having when the wind came out of the north with a bone in his teeth and the snow flew and the car and I both started coughing And almost before Id begun rueing the writing of such a jinx column my wife yelped something like Holy Old Whackers Its almost Christinas And are enough 11 almost Christmas when we were all young was worthing There was looking forward to school associated with sleighs and toboggans and skating and coming in wet roj as a cherub hungry as a hyena was the of decoration banging stocking paper and a vast magnified- dinner a once-a- treat Christmas shopping was no problem had an Of course the decisions were there even then For adults should it be something prac tical a new or long or should it be something magic and enchanting a tame or a book No question of both For kids with mabe hardearned pennies to spend there was no problem A bubble ptpe for our it and supply his own soap a coloring book for sister and find her own a beautif cup and saucer for our mother at and a purple and tie for your dad at the were bigger cut your cloth And you did all your shopping on the day before Christmas There was never a frantic thought that the stores might be sold out of bubblepipes or long underwear Then there was the symbolic significance though we didnt even know the meaning of either word then There was the church concert usually held in the Sunday School hall There were games and carols and choirs There were the telegrams from Santa read aloud periodically and with mounting excitement to say that he was getting closer and closer from the North Pole though Dondcr had come up lame Then the entry of himself the wild clamor and the dispensing of those string bags with candy and an apple in each And the Christmas pageant in the church the nativity scene Invariably broken up by a angel piping 111 Mommy me Im a angel while Mommy blushed deeply between embarrassment and pride I still look forward to Christmas but theres a difference Its about the dif ference with which a prisoner would look forward to a getting out of jail or going to the electric chair Nowadays we anticipate Christmas all But what we look forward to is a hectic expensive scramble with precious Utile of the mystery and delight remaining The Christmas turkey Is now just a dirty great bird that ha3 to be stuffed and then stuffed into us and then cleared up after A turke today is not a gruesome thing hanging head down in the woodshed by its dawlike feet Its just something you COLES SLAW Its important that a newspaperman gets away from his beat now and again It broadens his perspective as well as helps to shed parochial feelings he accumulates after a of co wing the same territory This fall spouse and I accompanied Mr and Mrs Charlie Perry on a two week junket to the Southern United States The target was Florida with several stops in between One of them was at the new wonderland called a real carved out of 27000 acres of scrub which must have had only alligators for residents prior to the Disney coming We arrived at Disney World in central Florida in the first week of operation Many of the attractions were still getting finishing touches and some others were Just in the construction stage Despite this this Disney dream is well worth the trip to Florida for its sake alone Over the next few weeks well be telling you about the trip and about our impressions of the Bahamas where we also sojourned for a couple of idjlllc days Hope you can bear with us Why Disney World Kind of boring for adults isnt it you might well ask That would have been my sentiments exactly chaps except that adults out numbered children at least when we visited It may well be built for children but is the adults who seem to get the most kick out of the shows Besides the new World has two lshole golf courses four and a half miles of beaches 1567 hotel rooms and what must be the worlds biggest and best amusement park proving attractions are aimed at adults as well as Jimmy and Jane Its no Mickey Mouse show Our Junket started out from Acton and travelled by Detroit down Interstate 75 which winds up in the heartland of Florida the sunshine state For our money it is now the humid stale First night stop after an interlude in Bowling Green Ohio and a brief stop at roadside comfort stations was at Kentucky where Colonel Sanders started out on a chickenking career Corbin is situated in the mountains of Kentucky and has some of the hillbilly flavor the area is famous for as well as lots of oldfashioned courtesy and mountain dew which some of the people in the hills brew for kicks Colonel Sanders original store is well advertised and illuminated but when we arrived at our motel the proprietor told us not to bother eating there Colonel Sanders eats at our restaurant across the street when he comes back to town he boasted indicating the motels dining spot And you couldnt blame him Continued on Pace necessary One could be situated at the eastern end of Acton and the other at the west end Perhaps yet another could be constructed in the town centre Big problem for parks board Is going to be situation There ore not many areas large enough to build a rink Hopefully they can find suitable space We are sure people who use the rinks would help to maintain them According to arena manager Harold Townsley the town of Georgetown maintains three outdoor rinks Costs amount to only about per rink per season a small price to pay for many months of enjoyment The busy schedule at Acton arena has made skating times less favorable than they once were and it seems that children who dont play hockey or figure skate arc getting the short end of the ice time stick Open air rinks would help ease the situation but likely require some supervision to see that shinny games and older children do not monopolize the ice Skating is an enjoyable exercise and when it is combined with fresh air it takes away many of the mental and physical cobwebs that tend to gather during a long winter Outdoor rinks would likely find wide public ac ceptance and be a welcome addition to the towns recreational facilities Fluoridation case not settled Voters in Milton left no doubt they opposed introducing fluoridation into the town water system by rejecting the project almost three to one in recent municipal elections According to a spokesman for the profluoridation group the main reason rejected the additive was that it would be forced on some who may not want it However another prominent Milton resident told this writer that the cost of the process was the real reason voters rejected it We do not know the real motives behind rejection of additives like fluoride but we suspect the general public is highly suspicious of chemicals and their reactions Experts may claim or disclaim as to the advantages of this or that additive but the public is aware they have been proved very wrong Remember the case of thalidomide babies Introducing fluoride into water may seem like a trivial case since most water systems probably contain natural fluoride anyway But many people do not want to be guinea pigs or receptacles for artificial aids to living And their wishes must be respected One dentist in Milton has indicated that fluoridation of water may soon be compulsory if communities are to be enrolled in a provincial denticare scheme Theres no way the pro vincial government pay for dental work that could have been prevented he forecast noting per cent of Ontario municipal water supplies are already fluoridated It will be a sad day in this province if the Government decided compulsory fluoridation was necessary with so many opposed to it Far better to implement a scheme where those who wish to use fluoride may do so while those who prefer can reject it in favor of some other toothsaving plan There is no doubt fluoridation has a beneficial effect on teeth but obviously many people are not yet convinced of its merits buy and stick in the free7er anytime during the year in case you have unexpected weekend guests Shopping has changed immeasurably The panic button is pushed about the end of October and we are warned shouted at and scorned by the various media until we have a tremendous guilt feeling If were not Christmas shopping by midNovember The agonizing decisions are still there but most people have some money now which quadruples the decisions Every year at our house we firmly decide about Dec 1st that there will be no gifts or cards this year And every year at the last minute we plunge into an orgy of both and wind up Christmas Day feeling that we were right in the first place Every year the big problem is What To Buy Grandad Its not that he is The Man Who Has Everything The trouble is that hes The Man Who Doesnt Need Anything He doesnt smoke or drink His slippers are good as new And he has at least six in his bottom drawer not even unwrapped bought on previous desperate birthdays and Chnstmnses The symbolic significance is still there of course And the Christmas concerts and pageants Hut whats a bag of candy to a kid today He probably collected eight times that amount on Halloween and also has an allowance so that he can buy his own not that cheap stuff in the Christmas bag And the pageants the pity tend to become second cousins to lashings of liquor phoney TV Christmas programs and sheer greed I wanna snowmobile Preserving natural beauty One of the most pointed commentaries on the high voltage hydro line proposed to run through adjoining townships is supplied by Mrs G Symmcs of Terra Cotta Mrs Symmes and her husband were partly instrumental in having the gravel pit license of consolidated Sand and Gravel cancelled in Terra Cotta because their house was not on the site plan The minister of mines said the Government had decided it was important to preserve Terra Cottas natural beauty Now the Symmes face the possibility of 10 storey high hydro towers crossing nearby Mrs Symmes sent a letter to Premier Bill Davis which read in part It is ironic that this blight on any landscape is to go within one thousand yards of the gravel pit site Leo your Minister of Mines had just closed down that day because of the importance of preserving the natural beauty of the Terra Cotta Considering the concern your Government has expressed for preserving the Niagara Escarpment and the Terra Cotta area could you not assure us that you will not countenance such an arbitrary decision by Hydro engineers WE wandered all over Disney World Photo 20 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press 1951 All will regret to learn that MayorElect Thomas Salmon was taken seriously ill following the municipal elections last week and complete rest is essential His letter of resignation has been sent to the clerk New Years in Acton will be broadcast to all Canada on Monday December 31 and Tuesday January Don Mr Palmer and Mr Boyle of the CBC made preliminary arrangements with the mens Club to sponsor the event and proceeds go the the Men to help with their work George Murray noted Irish tenor and Bill Evans of the radio show The Craig Family will be featured Last Friday evening was the annual get- together for the Public Utilities Commission Members all the staff and their wives gathered at the Station Hotel for a chicken dinner Then they attended the Rox Theatre and to the home of Mr and Mrs John Lambert for euchre Supper movies and a visit from Santa us comprised the Sunday School concert at the United church At the regular Board of Directors meeting of the A Cliff Sutton gave a progress report Point winners In the church sports competition are Ruth Landsborough high individual Ron Sinclair Bob Armstrong Bob Marshall Tom Oakley Don Wdds Peter Hurst Michael Hurst Lynda Mann Elizabeth Pat Smethurst Bob Wahlman Jim Wahlman Alfred Roach Baxter Bob Bill Johnston Elaine Deforest Anne Deforest Betty Bean Marjory Culling Wayne George Williamson George Oakcs Ernie Bruce Andrews Marilyn Woods Fay 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday December St Last week May the dear little daughter of Mr and Mrs William Smith died of diplheria Mrs Dr Grays handsome new home at the corner of Church and Frederick Sts has been completed Mrs Gray and Miss Laura are getting comfortably settled there The building Is a high compliment to Mr John Cameron architect and builder who has constructed more of the finer residences in town than any other contractor The brickwork was executed by John and and the cement work and foundations by Allan Smith and N Forbes Mr W F did the plumbing metal work and installing the furnace Idiocy has reached Its zenith in the style of womens dress declared Judge Bruneau in Montreal while hearing evidence in a separation case It has reached such a point that today In the cold blasts of Mid- December we see women in the streets In decollete dresses very decollete some of them and wearing slippers and silk stockings whereas in the months of summer we see them with their necks encircled with the warm fur of the silver fox little Miss Laura Hall who has been very ill with dipthcrla is convalescing nicely Skating at the rink is hoped for Christmas Christmas trees are wanted Some THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office enterprising boys might make a little surplus money by bringing in a load or two At McPhedran and E and Son cut cord of 16inch hardwood in six hours with a circular saw outfit The Canadian dollar now worth cents on the market in New York the highest in some years 75 years ago Taken issue of the Free Press of Thursday December 18M Messrs Cheync and Cheyne will have their new skating rink open tonight It is the largest ever opened here feet by feet giving ample room for an enjoyable skate or game of hockey ManyofourcitiienswUlno doubt spend Christmas Eve in the enjoyment of this beautiful pasttime The members of council the press and municipal officials were entertained at a quiet oyster supper at Mrs Adams last evening Messrs Storey and Sons put in a fine new safe last week of Immense proportions to accommodate their rapidly expanding business The town hall was crowded for St Albans Sunday School entertainment The pretty cantata King Winter was of course the about which the Interest centred The merry sleigh bells give Christmas a debghtful oldfashioned flavour This will be a busy day among the merchants and Santa Clans excursions tonight will keep salesmen busy Symon Hardware Corner Mill and Main The regular Old Sandy carries mare but we have a fine name Hanging Lamps Mrs Potts silver Irons spring skates hockey skates all kinds of Christmas presents Molasses quart pink plus boxes lb light brown sugar Guelph has new one cent evening piper were well attended and the- students performed very creditably There were many visiting parents and clergymen Guelph hasanewonecent evening paper The Advocate A pioneer resident thinks the new south eastern annex should be called Mount Campbell rather than Campbellvllle Nominations of municipal council and school board Monday at noon