The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Can Norwich Plan revitalize downtown Acton It Is a well known merchandising fact that people like to shop where the surroundings are pleasant Over the last two weeks the Free Press has polled merchants and shoppers In the downtown area and both groups seemed to agree that too much business was going out of town and something should be done about It before It was too late Other nearby towns have experienced the same symptoms and tome have done something about it In December of the downtown merchants of Oakville were faced with a mounting series of problems relating directly to shopping centres and big cities They decided that action must be taken to preserve their position as suppliers to residents of ville They engaged the services a merchandising consultant who decided that the best way for the merchants of to pull up their collective socks would be to Implement the Norwich Plan The Norwich Plan What Is It Its named after the city of Norwich England where the Civic Trust proposed a Joint project which would show how the appearance of some given area in the city could be Improved without major alteration expense So they picked out one street- Magdalen because Its problems were felt to be typical of other streets In other areas Through the years Magdalen St through carelessness thoughtlessness and haphazard development lost much of its charm and character much like the business sections of downtown Ontario have done through the years What was needed planners said was for the street to be looked at as a whole by an experienced eye appraising Its potential Then If everyone was willing a of renovation and would be prepared Good points would be emphasized bad points camouflaged and a pleasing new face presented to the world It was not a rebuilding It was simply a restoration and repainting project The appearance of Magdalen St started a movement that soon crossed the ocean ville was the first Canadian municipality to Implement the plan Streets and women have one problem In common they both want to be In style and yet present a different appearance Many people who hear of the Norwich Plan for the first time visualize a scheme where every street is made to look like every other street punched out with a cookie cutter or pulled down and rebuilt from scratch at enormous expense But thats not the Idea Rather It Is to make each and every street as different as possible with a personality and appearance all Its own All that Is required to Implement the Norwich Plan Is that the street or area be examined by an experienced eye and an organized plan set up to bring out the polntsof beauty cover ugly blemishes or remove them entirely Costs should be In the region of normal redecorating expenses for the premises unless very drastic alterations arc called for And It works The plan Is more of an Investment than an expense Communities where the plan has been adopted and completed have reported on Increase in business from to percent and still rising There are other dividends too Besides the greater Interest In trade there Is greater pride in the community and more attractive working conditions One of the most Important features of the Plan Is ft Is adaptable to any community or street regardless of background or locality One point to remember however Is that the street or area defined should be as far as possible one entity with a definite beginning and end or with a clear cut perimeter The Plan Is not a panacea for all the Ills plaguing the community but it could be the first step toward making our home town the place we want it to bo Planning Is sometimes forgotten in our busy world but now In the midst of some of the greatest changes In history people beginning If we haven t sacrificed some of the beauty and convenience or our own district Towns and cities where the Plan has been adopted are pleased with the results Right now the Town of Milton Is considering such a plan and meetings have been held was the first municipality in Canada to adopt It Niagara fails has Implemented the plan and Bolton Acton Is not the only town with decaying downtown core The publisher of the Georgetown Herald said he is afraid the downtown section of his town will soon be a service centre rather than a for shoppers Brampton newspaper people report downtown Brampton Is dead while the bulk of shoppers patronize suburban molls Will Acton wait for a similar fate As downtown merchant Ben has said facelift of the premises never hurts and It may a purchaser for the first time but only congeniality honest value and good service keeps customers arc other necessary Ingredients if Acton is to have a thriving downtown core where shoppers arc welcomed and feel at home Obviously many shoppers already feel that way about Acton main stem as the downtown poll showed but the same people criticized the appearance of the downtown the condition of some of the older buildings and the lack of choice Norwich Plan would seem to be the viable alternative society Is concerned with today and could revitalize the downtown area Ninety Eighth Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY AUGUST Fourteen PagesFifteen Cents BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENTS line up in front The school is sponsored by Bethel Christian of the stone school at Robert Little school as Reformed Church and has to 12 classes for classes resume after a mid morning break to 12 yearolds Pink Kevin Parker captures further skating laurels Fresh from his first place finish at an invitational summer free skating competition at St Catharinea yearold Kevin Parker of Campbellville skated to higher and further laurels Sunday by winning the Juvenile men championship of the summer figure skating the championships sponsored by Central Ontario Section of the Canadian Figure Skating Association Five hundred and twenty young skaters from four provinces and states were entered in the competitions held at the arena in Metro Toronto Competing against older and more experienced blade artists the young skater a member of the Figure Club outpointed Ron Velra of Troy New York and Mark Bystek of Woodstock the Miss Acton Fair in contest today Hiss Acton Fair Brenda Bruce enter competition at the C N for the title of Miss Ontario Fairs Events begin this morning in the new contest which has entries from aU over Ontario Miss Bruce was chosen at last years Acton fair KEVIN PARKER other two prize winners in the class There were skaters in the class divided Into three sections Kevin won his section and then competed In the finals where his artistry on the blades won a huge trophy and gold medal He was accompanied to the competitions by his parents Mr and Mrs Ernie Parker and the club professional Mrs Lynn He was the only skater from the club to compete in the competitions which Is the largest held in the summer He was entered on the recommendation of the club pro fessional Kevin also did well in the bronze interpretive skating placing sixth in a large class It was his first attempt at compe titive interpretive skating He has been in three competitions this year but up until Sunday had competed in pre juvenile contests Sunday championship was his first juvenile class Kevin started skating with the Acton Figure Skating Club and transferred to the club when the family moved to their new home on the Guelph Line near Brookville He is skating this summer at Gait arena and although he did not arrive home until two In the morning after his triumph was urging his father to take him to Gait for lessons at 10 ajn the next morning Nursing graduate Shirley Lynn Stewart daughter of Mr and Mrs George Stewart graduated on July from the Kitchener Waterloo Hospital There were GO nurses in her class Attending the graduation exercises were members of her family Miss Stewart will be on the staff of the KitchenerWaterloo hospital North cant agree about boundaries Future municipal boundaries in a regional government setup are a contentious issue with 30 council and staff members from the five North Halton municipalities A meeting last Wednesday in Milton failed to reach any agreement about boundary lines which took up so much of the meeting there was no time left to discuss the functions of two levels of government Representatives from Acton Esquesmg Georgetown Milton and arc at loggerheads about which is the most important issue but the boundary dispute emerged as the main priority The meeting was closed to the press It is another in a series which the northern municipalities of will hold to dispense with preliminary prior to the second major meeting involving the entire county set for September The first one was held to discuss recommendations in the report an outline of recommendations for regional government from the clerks and treasurers in the county to implement regional government The division of power between two levels of government and boundaries were the most contentious issues at the first meeting The TECO report was the first attempt to achieve some coherent steps since Queens Park asked the county to submit regional government proposals for consideration It followed a number of studies from Queens Park The TECO report lumped Acton Georgetown and most of Esqucsing into one of five lowertier munici palities or boroughs Milton a small portion of North Oakville and most of Nassagaweya would comprise another A portion of Northern Nassagaweya would be given to Wellington County would remain virtually the same Burlington retain all the rich assessment land in their present boundaries and a new municipality would be created containing North Burlington with East and parts of West Flam- borough and townships Boundaries were to be based on watersheds which the TECO committee decided would make Ideal guidelines Under the two tier plan many responsibilities held by local munici palities would be turned over to the regional council The scheme came after meetings and more than three months of study by the TECO committee The report encountered some heavy opposition in its first airing in but most municipalities did not have the time to study proposals thoroughly and the North of Halton is trying to settle many of the contentious issues before the second meeting September 9 SORRY MAM but we dont allow no hangln around here For story and more pictures see the Free Press snorts pages Hugh Patterson assistant clerk Hugh Patterson has been engaged as assistant clerk for the applications for town office his duties to begin position which were Augusta narrowed down to five for The appointment was made Several special necessary by the upcoming held before the retirement of clerk- mate special administrator Joe Hurst in April meeting Wednesday of Grant Usher is presently his assistant Free Press takes three awards SHIRLEY LYNN STEWART The Acton Free Press took three prizes in the Canadawide Better Newspapers Competitions it was announced this week by the Canadian Community Newspapers Association The awards are being presented this week at the annual convention of the Association in Montreals Hotel Judging was done by Information Canada The Free Press received the highest marks of any newspaper in the competitions for its editorial page which won the P George Pearce Memorial Award donated by the Reformer Second prize went to the Gananoque Reporter and the Creston C Review while the Delhi News Record and the Wingham Advance Times shared third place The Acton paper took second prize in both the best all round newspaper and best front page competitions in its own class being edged out by the Gan Ont Reporter for these awards Third place went to the Standard and the Durham Chronicle respectively in the competitions which were dominated by the Ontario ne High marks were also obtained by the Free Press in the competition for best sports page best Christmas edition and best womens pages although no prizes were won The Brampton Bramalea Guardian took the top prize f or best sports page the Steinbach Manitoba CariDon News was awarded the top spot for Christmas edition The three national awards Join three prizes won in the Ontario Better Newspaper Awards this yeara first for general excellence top corres pondent and a third for the editorial pages in an allOntario class The Free Press was the only Halton or Wellington County newspaper to make the winners circle The Brampton Guardian one of several newspapers owned by Inland Publishers formerly a sabskmary the now defunct Toronto Telegram took first place in the Best ADKoond competitions in the top circulation class