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MiniComment The Acton Free We Juna Gerontologists believe your full intellectual potential may be reached only In the sixth or seventh decade of life Studies have shown that the older person excels at problemsolving moving through a chain of events as opposed to merely exercising memory There is also proof that over have done just as well as under on intelligence tests as well It Is time society recognised these facts too instead of relegating elderly people to the scrap pile Although the young may chafe at the bit and damn the aged in their impatience to get things done they should heed the advice of the over more seriously recognizing that the over may have faced the very same problems they encounter now and maybe solved them Worried about drug abuse or Its effect on someone you like The federal Department of Health and Welfare has issued a new booklet entitled A parents Guide to Drug Abuse which is available free of charge by writing the NonMedical Use of Drugs Directorate Place 333 River Ottawa The booklet attempts to answer some of the most frequently asked questions by parents about drugs and drug abuse Drug abuse of course is not new has existed in various forms and different societies throughout history This part of the globe may not always have ideal weather but we are indeed fortunate that many of the natural disasters such as floods earthquakes tornadoes and hurricanes visit us only infrequently and then with just a touch of the savagery with which they afflict more pleasant climes We would like to see walk signs for pedestrians at the MillMain corner as was suggested recently at Acton council It can be confusing when the intersection is busy for and motorists School is out this week and this means drivers must take extra precautions with lively youngsters on the streets at all hours of the day Drive carefully in builtup areas Summer and sun tans are synonymous but one four yearold with a bad sunburn observing it in the mirror rebelled Only four years old his mother heard him murmur and I am beginning to wear out already The OMB has spoken By concluding Hint In arc not operating properly ami suggesting reaching the Enrnionn through the soil the Ontario Municipal Hoard has decided that the vlllngtt find tlw river would best bo nerved over Out long run by the Introduction of a municipal sewage treatment system The decision will never bo fully accepted but unless costs far morn than estimated It Is likely Rockwood will soon be digging up street to handle the twin systems It is dangerous to compare situations In different municipalities but residents of Rockwood will be In no worse a position than residents of Acton or who also have such systems In Actons case quality of the stream was Improved when a tertiary system such as Is proposed for was introduced In spite of the objections we think the engineers of the knew what they were talking about and defended it ffMfl At mum we Kim thorn by and laymen and motive It hi of ml thought in of Mills also fully within right to proposals put affluent Into the river pollution Who wunU Ut swim in other peoples The thought would stop all aquatic activity Ttn Hoard has decided that quite there are already pollutants in the stream and treatment plant will Improve it over the long run by looking future troubles Right or wrongthe die is cast Cost Is now the factor which could cause officials embarrassment is built on almost solid limestone meaning many of the sewer will have to bo blasted Homo competent Iwvm cost of the twin far beyond which would mean that tiut Ontario Municipal Board approval would not be valid In event arc in line will have the option for awhile at leant choose whether they want to Install water and sewers of the rocky nature of the will laterals could be very expensive but ft is consoling to know once they are hooked into the system water and sewer problems will be over It has been a long and arduous experience both for those who supported and opposed the sewage and wjUt projects Now the participants can sit bock knowing they have done their best to uphold or oppose Only events in the future will show whether the OMBj decision was right or wrong Budget criticism is valid A majority of Acton council has decided that a nine man budget committee of full council would be awkward and hamstring the setting of the towns annual budget All five members of council who voted against extending the membership of the committee are on the present committee which of course makes it sound like a closed shop They obviously feel other councillors were supplied with suf ficient information or had access to it to vote on money matters when the towns budget comes up each year In theory councillors not on the committee can ask members for their information on any item and theoretically they would be supplied with the answers But theory is not necessarily fact Councillors who did not sit on the committee were not equipped to vote intelligently on some individual budgets this year and they were right in challenging the procedure For instance the deputy reeve objected to being asked to vote on the recreation committee and Citizens Band budgets until he knew what was in them and had a chance to peruse them thoroughly Copies of the budget were promised over the weekend prior to the budget meeting but pressures of time and other business intervened They were never supplied Consequently the first time nonbudget members of council saw these budgets was the night they were expected to vote on them This is poor business procedure and we think all members of council are aware of the bad impression it creates Members of the finance committee were in effect asking the four other councillors to accept their recommendations almost on faith It is like being asked to sign a contract without reading the fine print All members of council were elected to represent the people of Acton All are expected to participate fully in budget information But the same token those who prefer the present procedure are defending the traditional way of setting the budget They are not setting up some new system which flagrantly disregards rights of others on council We think council would have been better to set up a compromise than to settle for the statusquo which events this year proved could be abused Since they opted for the old system whereby the committee receives the individual budgets and make recommendations the budget committee should also ensure that all members of council in future have equal access to budget figures in time to study them thoroughly before being expected to vote on whether they are acceptable To do otherwise would be to invite much more criticism Back Issues of The Free Press RECOGNIZE YOUR PLACE Free Press photographer Jim Jennings took these shots of Acton while cruising around in a plane piloted by Peter recently Top is the Quarries between the Third and Fourth Line Esquesing Middle left in the foreground is the Building while the industrial park is centre and the north end of Acton beyond Middle right is a look at Acton coming in along Z Bennett school while Warren Grove immediately ahead and the subdivision stretches into the distance Bottom is overlooking Churchill Road South and the plant while the countryside extends from Esquesing into Nassagaweya I had hat experience this wry morning The story concerned Gene MacLdlan The name won t be familiar to most of my square old readers but will be to my younger ones if I have any MacLeUan Is a Canadian songwriter who has made it big in the music world One of his song Snowbird became a million record seller for singer Anne Murray That led to a wave of saris successes which In turn led to an avalanche of royalty cheques Well dear reader and youd better take a deep breath at this point McLellan is quitting No he broken his guitar arm He had a heart attack He had a shattering emotional experience He is dropping out because he is making too much money and does not want the pressure of responsibiliues ft caused He is giving up his Interest In a company set up to handle his affairs and has asked that the royalties be used in part to help young performers He has abandoned the farm he bought in I and given away most of his possessions He and his wife left with to definite plans probably to hitchhike through Europe Canadian Press quotes Macallan I don t know what I II do I know when or if come back that a refreshing little story I envy and many others caught in the material treadmill will too Im sure Of course Im not naive enough to compare him to Diogenes who lived a barrel and owned nothing but a drinking bowl Some of those royalties will still find their way Into MacLeuana pocket and he wont be begging in the streets Bill Smiley But 1 admire a man or woman who can turn his or her back on the whole thing and walk away More and more of our people are doing it or the worst of reasons some tor the best Some opt out because they decided to let George do it They deliberately become bums have no scruples whatever about begging stealing welfare They are dirty promiscuous malodorous and blasphemous But often highly intelligent On the other side of the coin are the young people who get off the boat for dif ferent reasons At some point they take a look at their parents at the lives they themselves are living and decide This is not for me second group tends to be idealistic They want to create They want to make a that t depend on status and the buck They will work extremely hard for something they think is worth doing They re almost Invariably gentle tolerant and r clean They are not bums but seekers after something they see In our society They use the same fourletter words the other group uses but unself consciously They are not blasphemous but in a strange nay religious Friends of ours have a son Mike His parentsdespalrcdofhlm He had a fantastic I but kept flunking in high school buause he was bored silly Never did finish school Bummed around worked quite a bit quit Then he He is at present pioneering the faith as they call it at Baker Lake in the North west Territories among the Eskimos He happy working hard and wants to get some more schooling so that he can go back and teach Eskimo children His parents are proud of him Here was a lad charming witty handsome He had every opportunity to go to university and would have mode a mark in society He chose otherwise but may be making a bigger mark in the long run Our own son has done pretty much the same sort of thing is charming witty and handsome He has a great musical talent He Is highly intelligent After a couple of goes at urutersit he quit He had his wild times and bad times Now he too Is a He doen t a degree but he con talk tings around most university professors in French or English He works at a tough job second chef in a restaurant to support himself He had a chance to be a bartender for more money but serving liquor is against his principles He planned to go to to pioneer the faith Then he thought there were enough missionaries there and made a deliberate decision to attempt to spread the faith in the east end of Montreal I can see much future In trying to convert to Bahai any substantial number of FrenchCanadian Catholics But Hugh has a peace and serenity and a simplicity of life lhat one can only envy He doesnt want any things just enough to keep alive and keep covered I wish I were twenty years younger Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday July 3 1952 Officials expect nearly Haiton citizens will visit the newlyconstructed Centennial Manor on Sunday July Hie five winged building will be open for inspection The opening of the new building brings to a close an agreement between Hull on and Peel counties that has been in existence since 1909 when purchased a half share of the Home in Brampton Mr and Mrs Eric Clarke are superintendent matron for the Manor Mr Clarke Is a former Major In the Salvation Army Archie Bull has been appointed Medical Officer of Health for succ eeding James Mather school held its annual picnic on Friday evening when over 100 gathered at the school to spend a social evening with Mrs Pearl Kennedy who has resigned It Bean was elected president of the A board of directors Others on the board are C Wood Allen Oder Garner C Sutton J Hurst F Lawrence Eiscn G BHton M Nell is The Men cleared at their annual auction It was years ago on Tuesday that George Mann began the task of caretaker of Acton schools Ted obtained first class honors In his first year at the University of Toronto Many from here attended the Waterloo band festival Saturday Stonework at the side of the post office steps is being repaired Hives lacrosse team had their sixth straight win Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday June 1922 A meeting of the Free Library Board was held in the town hall on Monday afternoon H Moore chairman presided Mr UN Farmer secretary was given three months leave of absence to permit him to take his proposed European tour Miss Ethel Stark- man was appointed secretarytreasurer pro tern Miss Laura Scott was appointed assistant librarian to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Miss Isabel Elliott now chief librarian Mrs Isabel Watson Mrs Frank Mooney has received papers from Portage la Prairie Man giving details of the devastation from cyclone and fire in the town last Friday The picnic excursions of former days appear to have been discontinued with the advent of the war Organizations and Sunday Schools used to charter trains engage bands and run excursions to Toronto Burlington Beach Niagara Falls O A C Guelph Kitchener and other points Since the war they have not been revived An unusual number of our teachers are engaged as presiding examiners at the entrance and departmental examinations Miss has been at Toronto Miss Bennett at Georgetown Miss Bennet Miss and Miss McDonald at Acton Acton Farmers held a monster garden party at the home of N Brawn A huge crowd assembled Harold Wiles who managed the Acton Pickups ball team was unable to down the Bannockburn Nine Utile Miss Helen Ostrander gave quaint recitaUons and Miss June Frank sang The band played Taken from the issue of the Free Press of Thursday June is The thirtieth anniversary of the Dominion was favored with typical Canadian summer weather A very large proportion of the population was out of town Those who remained here spent the day In the viewing the case ball matches attending private- picnics boating driving or wheeling and the evening was generally spent by attending St lawn social at the home of Mr T Smyth Altogether the day was a success People of all ranks of life had an enjoyable outing and having derived benefit therefrom returned to work again refreshed in mind and body Holmes drover shipped the finest car of cattle from here Monday which has been seen in Acton for years It comprised 22 head of threeyearold steers all fed in one stable by James Gibbons Jr The lot brought their fortunate owner nearly Rev HA McPherson broke the record of short services last Sunday evening The enure service occupied but minutes Owing to the humidity of the atmosphere the congregation appreciated the brevity The romantic and picturesque hamlet of Limehouse was Invaded on Dominion Day by half a hundred jolly picnickers from Guelph the guests of Mr and Mrs John Moore The afternoon was spent in viewing the many points of interest in the locality vocal and instrumental music fishing gathering wild strawberries mosses and other curiosities which so profusely abound here School examinations were given in reading writing drawing spelling history composition arithmetic literature physiology and geography THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office OUR Were just a village voters are few There is a funny building On top of sandy hull The or architect Was feeling awful ill He had a dream they needed A place in which to hide So he built it like a washroom No windows in the side A gift from our own government From taxes that they dug There is no useful basement In this awfully ugly mug The folks around the village Are so ashamed they re crying To think they spent such money On a place that horrifying If they had built this little place For folks to come and drink Or praise their governments virtue Or even come to think They might have liked it better Than what its supposed to be A place to post a letter Or pay a government fee So we ha ve to take what we can get This place for all to view Were just 8 little village Our voters are but few