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

MiniComment Its a matter of practicality that election candidates tend to follow their national leaders and spend most of heir time campaigning In the areas of their riding which are most densely populated and therefore represent the highest number of potential votes Unfortunate victims of this almost necessary procedure are residents of outlying areas who sometimes never see the men and women who are vying to represent them Although Its been three weeks since the federal election was called the Free Press received a call Thursday from a Nassagaweya enumerator who was still unaware who the candidates are in the riding of Is one of those peculiar ridings in which a majority of the voters reside in one municipality namely Burlington For the benefit of our faithful readers in the candidates and their party affiliations are liberal Norm McGidness a marketing manager from Burlington Progressive Conservative Bill Kempllng a businessman and Dickson Bailey a McMaster University graduate student from Dundas Folks if you havent seen them yet you likely will once they read this The three candidates are trying for the seat formerly held by the con troversial John McGuiness dumped the MP at an exciting Liberal nominating convention in March r In Wellington County suggestions arc being made that there are too many fairs The county warden Allan Snow said hed rather have two or three really good fairs when he opened Fergus fair the same day as Actons From enjoying Acton fair we think Mr Snow missed the point At a time when the shabby old Acton arena is undergoing minimal repairs and folks are wondering when Ice will be installed its Interesting to note what other communities of comparable size faced with similar problems are doing A recent edition of the Dominion reports work has begun on the construction of an addition to the East Kent Memorial Agricultural Centre Ridgetown has a population slightly over half that of Actons The Amprlor Guide has taken an editorial shot at that towns recreation department for announcing that ice will not be available until October 15 October is early by traditional standards says the Guide editorial but it Is still not early enough The recreation department should reflect the wishes of hockey enthusiasts and have the rink ready to go by October True it will be an additional expense but the arena sits around unused long enough as it is Here in Acton players and skater would probably accept the October 15 date if they could be sure of gtSnrrsssifcr Editorial Page The Free Prow Wednesday September 27 Election Act changes A new municipal election act came into being in Ontario this year and it means some important changes in the method of nominating and electing the local council plus trustees for boards of education Most dramatic change is the abolish ment of the old fashioned town or township nomination meeting Nominations will now be spread over a fiveday period starting Thursday and ending at pm Monday Nov The old town meeting or township meeting where incumbents presented a report on the work they have accomplished and the challengers gave their election speeches to the voters interested enough to show up Is no longer an official nomination function Another significant change is the establishment of one general election day for the whole province and the invoking of a standard two year term for all elected offices In the past municipalities have had a free reign and were able to set election dates whenever they pleased thats all changed now and Monday Dec 4 Is officially election day across Ontario Vote 11 to Even the hours that each polling booth remains open have been stand ardized Dec you can vote between 11 am and only The revised elections act includes many more changes affecting voters and candidates for municipal council and school board seats It also devotes a lengthy section to describing how conflicts of interest can be ascertained But candidates and members of the general public which voles them into or out of office will be more interested in learning how the changes in the act affect them Hence this short summary translated from official legal jargon into words the ordinary voter can understand First lets look at the nomination of a candidate To get yourself in the running for a seat on the local council the County Board of Education or Halton Separate School Board you first check to make sure you are JUDGE OF the Free Press photography contest found children particularly appealing subject First place photograph above was taken by Haslctt The boy and dog which won honorable mention below are photographed by Sheila Smith The judge expressed appreciation of pic tures in which the camera is not an intruder Back Issues of The Free Press 20 years ago Taken the issue of the Free 1SSI Bob of Toronto begins duties this week as general secretary of the Acton C A He is married and has two children An open house is planned to meet him At the Junior band practice last week there was a record turnout with six new majorettes A centuryold house that has stood on the comer of Mill and John is being moved to a site on No Highway The movers say the big barn timbers are still good condition The lot was In the original Adams subdivision Angus Kennedy bought the lot In 1832 and built the house The last tenants were lifelong Acton residents Mr and Mrs A Brown The present owner of the property is Doug Manning who plans to erect a business property The house was purchased by Jack Fields Public Utilities commissioners J MacArthur and Wood requested council to take over the operation of the sewers and plant when they addressed council in regular session Gibson was elected president Pruning Cor interschool competitions Acton High School staged its annual field day Champions were Cheryl Morton Gary Dawkins Janice Baker Wayne Spitxer Don and Fred Gordon The anniversary supper of Presbyterian church was interrupted by a storm which put out the lights However with the help of flashlights lamps and gasoline lanterns the ladies managed to continue serving the guests 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of October S Acton fall fair has for years enjoyed a growing reputation for excellence The fair of 1822 was on Tuesday and Wednesday a recordbreaker notably in the unusually large attendance and the competition in the horse classes The exhibits in the ball set record in all categories except boxed apples The exhibits of electrical articles by Norman Speight of Georgetown and Acton Hydro Shop were most interesting The display of shoes showing the ad vantages of chrome sole leather tanned by and Co was most commendable There were more cars and motor vehicles in town than ever before in the history of the automobile The midway as quite a feature and Brass Buttons kept the barkers straight Plainclothes detec- headed off the pickpocket gang left over from Milton fair The two busiest men at the fair were president McLean and secretary Did you observe how the thousands of visitors quickly and quietly got away lost night from the fair Two things account for THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office it 1 automobiles 2 no booze The aeroplane that let loose of flutter of radio literature caused quite a flutter it circled low over the grounds The parade of School children was led by Acton Citizens Bund under bandmaster Mason which had about members pamg Ford Dodge Bros and Studcbaker tractors and cars were quite an attraction The merry-go- round worked to capacity all day but the absence of a hand organ was most noticable and the phonograph used was hardly able to make music of sufficient volume to fill the bill years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday September 30 Just as the hour of three was striking on Monday morning the fire alarm sounded and hundreds of citizens were roused from their slumbers The bright light which illuminated the town at once indicated the fire was at Harris bakery but it was far before being discovered The fire brigade had two lines of hose laid in the shortest time since organization Owing to the continued dry weather a small quantity of water was coming down stream to the tank on Mam St where the engine was stationed but the flour mill gate was open and in a few minutes the supply was ample The house and bakery were engulfed flames and the houses on either side Adam Stewarts and Easterns were in jeopardy When Mr Harris was wakened by his dog he let his daughter down to the ground through the window by means of a The neighbor then Mr Hams with a ladder The rest of the family was away Not even a suit of clothes was saved The insurance was on the house and for the oven bakery fixtures furniture organ clothing and other belongings This is the first fire which has taken place in Cook survey and the value of the brigade to the residents there was amply demonstrated Mr Storey broke the record last week in the matter of dispatch on an important business trip He left Acton at on Thursday afternoon for NY transacted his business and returned home on Saturday afternoon reaching here at eligible Generally youre able to hold such an office if youre a Canadian citizen or British subject an owner or tenant in the municipality and IB years of age You can NOT run for a council or school board scat If you hold any contract with the Municipality or the school board but the legislation here Is pretty tricky contact your municipal clerk if there is any doubt in your mind and let him sort out the legalities for you Need 10 nominators Once you decide youd to be a councillor or school trustee you need to fill out a nomination paper To be of ficially nominated your paper has to be signed by at least 10 electors whose names are on the polling lists as eligible voters The nomination paper must state your name occupation and address plus the name and address of each elector signing as your nominator If youre running for a seat on the county board of education your nominators should be public school supporters that is their education taxes are directed toward supporting the elementary public schools of the and if you want a seat on the separate school board your nominators should be separate school supporters Get your nomination paper to the clerk of the municipality where you reside Its his responsibility to post the list of those legally nominated In a public place Warning on Monday Nov 13 is the final time your nomination can be filed with the clerk But you can file it as early as Thursday Nov Youll also have to sign a paper called a qualification declaration its really just a consent in writing that you will accept the office if elected or acclaimed Likely a meeting Now youre nominated what about the nomination meeting It isnt necessary under the act but you can be assured there will be meetings in every municipality to enable the voters to meet the prospective candidates Local ratepayer groups Chambers of Com merce and even municipal councils will be planning some form of public When I tottered downstairs last Sunday morning and my wife greeted me cheerily and told me to sit down and brought me in a big glass of orange Juice with a stiff belt of something in it I was as wary as a ground hog I sniffed the air wiggled my ears and peered about to sec from what direction the danger was coming Its not that Im suspicious by nature Basically I am a naive and trusting person But this was too much Something was up While she sat down across from me smiling an uncanny fashion I took a quick slug and let my mind flicker over the poss ibilities She was going to divorce me No I She was going to buy a third piano No No place to put It except In the woodbin down cellar She was going to have a baby No shes had a hysterectomy Kim is going to have a baby and Im going to be a grandfather and old That seemed the most logical Do you know what day this is gently but firmly My mind raced over birthdays graduations and such slipped a few cogs and finally ground to a halt I knew It was our anniversary How could I hove forgotten it even though Id forgotten it every year for twentyfive Easy The bride isnt any better Every year about two weeks after the date one or other of us says Hey we forgot our anni versary again And look at each other and laugh Some people make a tremendous fuss over wedding anniversaries Its as though they were tryingto recapture something lost forever Husbands who either snarl at or ignore their wives for 361 days of the year arrive home- with an expensive present or at least a bundle of flowers on that sacred day Reminded by their secretaries Wives who spend the whole day in suspense thinking The rotten louse He hasn even called Hes forgotten smile falsetoothed through their tears and crack open a bottle of vintage 1971 Canadian champagne Many of these couples who havent exchanged a civil word for weeks actually go out to dinner and even thrash around the dance floor in their inimitable 1930s or style a threat of life and limb to all near them A few of them actually have the stamina to press on from the ridiculous to the absurd and make love Next day the glow gone slightly hung they become acutely aware again of such mundane things as heartburn constipation bellies wattles bald heads and crows And real life begins again Im not knocking anniversary cele brations as such Theyre quite beautiful if the love and tenderness are still there But If those elements are missing the anniversary Bill Smiley I waltz is an ugly charade Thank goodness we forget ours until Its too late to do anything but recall our wed ding day and laugh hilariously as we reminisce Nowadays its not unusual to have two or three hundred people at a wedding reception with a bar dinner and orchestra for dancing The bride has had eight showers before the wedding and the couple has amassed about two thousand dollars worth of gadgets and cash We had about twenty at our wedding A scattering of my wifes aunts and things Nobody from my side except a few old buddies to whom Id issued the invitation Hey I m getting married Saturday at Hart House chapel Why dont you drop around No reception No bar No orchestra Music supplied by an old friend who played organ in a downtown bar Dinner we had after the wedding at a crumby hotel In a small town Alone We drove about two hundred miles in a borrowed car We had eighty dollars No presents It was raining all the way We talked about highway conditions But I wouldnt trade It even though my wife wore flannelette pyjamas on our wedding night At least we didnt have to smile and smile and smile at a host of people we scarcely knew And here we were some years later Sunday morning My wife had remembered our anniversary She had bought each of us a present and she handed me a piece of paper on which she has summed up the war Her words To Us May we continue until death the battle which has raged for twentysix years Always attacking never retreating shall we glorify In our victories deny our losses Let us be constant In making our skirmishes as violent in intent as our One Big War for we might lose courage weaken in moments of apathy flounder in surrender May we never be tortured by thoughts of love and peace for these might lead the way to a glimpse of hope and glory Let us remain steadfast in the face of our single purpose forum where voters can meet and hear the hopefuls What if you decided after on Nov that you dont want the office And what If you find yourself nominated for two offices You simply go see the clerk before pm on Tuesday Nov 14 and sign a form with drawing from the office or one of the offices If you get nominated for two positions and dont sign a declaration the clerk has authority to post your name for election to the office to which you were FIRST nominated Next comes election day Monday Dec Each municipality must hold two advance polls one Monday Nov and one Saturday Dec 2 for those not able to attend the regular poll on Dec Proxy votes allowed Students attending an educational institution and disabled voters can obtain a proxy vote and have someone else cast their ballot for them But a person acting as a proxy cannot vote for more than one other person unless It is an immediate member of the family Police village trustee boards and public utility and hydro commissions are covered under the same new legislation The new act also introduces a uniform assessment of eligible voters The enumeration started right after labor day weekend by enumerators from the Regional Assessment Commission Office and that office must file an uptodate list of eligible electors with the local clerk by Oct The clerk is empowered to add names of anyone missed by the enumerators up to and including election day This year the voting franchise has been extended to all tenants with the exception of money bylaws You no longer have to OWN property to vote for your councillors school trustees village trustees or public utility commissioners Provision is also made in the new act to allow byelections And fines of up to and jail terms of up to six months are also provided for bribery improper voting and stuffing ballot boxes with illegal ballots We have fought a good fight Hey shes talking about our life together Shes being ironic and thats my field Whats going on here Then she handed me another piece of paper Her words Along came Bill An ordinary guy Youd meet him on the street And never notice him No thats not the part I mean I love him Because hes wonderful Because hes Just my Bill MiniComment The Conservatives have had their launch the Liberals and the NDP have had their nominations and now presumably the Federal election in is firmly underway The average voter has yet to indicate much beyond a mild yawn about the exercise but perhaps when the much more exciting CanadaRussia hockey series has ended voters will stir themselves to look at the candidates and the leaders No one seems to have agreed on issues yet although theres a valiant effort to make it unemployment Crowded help wanted columns in this area keep getting in the road and confusing that view however Our Readers write Garbage to Acton Dear Sir think it is awfully big of Metro Torontos executive committee to Invite and rail to submit proposals to dump tons of garbage in the Acton area has offered to haul this for per ton In the National press the actual site was not but it was specified as near Acton In my opinion this is a prime municipal election issue Politicians worth their salt should be digging to find out where this site is People in Acton and the Acton area should be asking themselves Are we now to suffer the stench of garbage soil and water as well as the obnoxious odours from the Tannery Those people who ha to watt at railroad crossings for the seemingly tinea at railroad cars will have their frustrations compounded when the CN or start their garbage run from Toronto to Acton William A Johnson