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B The Acton Free Press Wed Jan Common objectives are vital Bill SMILEY Lost week column mentioned that unspeakable species the That reminded me of a speech I made about Good Reading Habits lo a croup of honour students So I dug up the speech and propose this week to pass along some of the more worthwhile points in It It not primarily for students but if you re not Interested you can go and cry over your post Christmas bills became a readoholic shortly I learned to ad My mother would moan as she tore the flashlight out of my hot little about Billy Smiley you II be blind by the time you rt fifteen if you don stop reading in dark corners and cubby holes Well I been reading in dark comers and bright ones on planes and trains in the bathroom and In bed In revolting doors and on escalators ever since and I not blind yet I don even wear glasses But dont want you to think I just Ignored mv moms admonition I have never since read In a cubby hole In fact can your hands on a cubby way of spats and straw hit- I had trouble with that speech to the kids principal had suggested the topic Good Reading who was I to tdl him it was a dull and stupid topic When I sat down to write the speech I could think of good reading habit Many years ago when I was in public school they taught us in health classes that you should always with the light coming over left shoulder I know why They still teaching It This good reading habit is ralher useless if your left shoulder is higher than your right one as is sometimes the case And of course if you ore reading Hebrew or and rend from right to left it seems more logical to hav the light coming over your right shoulder I had to admit to the students that this was the only good reading habit I could remember That seemed the end of the speech Then I thought Heck this is no good So I confessed that I could say without prick but with little fear of con that I had the most atrocious reading habits of any male in Canada I suggested that I talk instead about Bad Reading Habits Then if they listened carefully immediately afterward forgot I had said they would bt well on the ay to acquiring Good Reading Habits There was general agreement that this was a sensible approach I warned them of the depths of degradation to which a readoholic would descend to get his stuff I told them an alcoholic or a drug addict would stoop low to get the wherewithal for his abit And I told them this was kid stuff compared to what the readoholic would sloop to I gave them an example a friend of mint during the war He had the habit very badly I lost track of him but heard from friends that he had managed to kick it Then one day couple of months after the war I met him in Alexandria North He was a handsome Sikh with a skv blue turban and black beard But right away I knew from the red rimmed eyes glazed took that he was stilt hooked on reading He was leading an old lady Ihe hand I him who she was and where they wtrc going had the decency to look ashamed as he answered ambiguously Old friend am knowing what to get a book before I later that the aged lady wis his mother and he was on his way to the slave market I he got for her Or in readoholic terms about twenty two paperbacks Oh I put the fear into those honour students But then I tried to soften the blow Told them of some of the great discov erics for which readoholism had been respon Newton reading under an tree The old story is thot he was sleeping but the truth is that he had just picked up a copy of the recently published Fanny Hill and was definitely reading Apple fell hit him of Gravity without which wed be in very shape And there was the Greek Archimedes lie climbed into the bath one day for a quiet read he opened his book he knew something was wrong He leaped out of the tub crying Paprika Somebody had put paprika instead of bath salts in his water And thus was discovered Archimedes Principle a very important law in the study of physics I don know much about the Principle hut I think it something like a is better than This anecdote brought mt toward my peroration It reminded me thai I knew of another Good Reading Habit This made two A Good Reading Habit is to read in the bath tub Someone once said that the ideal lear situation was a boy sitting on one end of a log and Mark Van the great US educator sitting on the other notion of the ideal learning situation would be a classroom with thirty five bath tubs instead of desks And up at the front a super tub preferably in pink pearl for Mr Smiley It might be a little expensive but think of the special effects we could when teaching The Spanish Armada in history or Old Man and the Sea in Commenting briefly The comet Kahoutek has been visible at about these days This one isn a O it s well documented Those who see it are surprised at how low it appears in the sky and how fast it moves across its arc before sinking again fr it appears that the Outers club from the high school will continue to collect glass and newspapers regularly Knowing another collection will be coming soon should help encourage people to save all they have for this ener energetic group They are expecting to buy canoes with profits The young people must check through all the newspapers to take out magazines and all other on shiny paper ewspapers only is what they can sell Thanks to the many people who bent us cards at Christmas The kind words of thanks are much appreciated Don t itch for something that you are not willing to scratch for A Happier New Year to Acton s popular fire chief Mick Holmes who has been a pawn in the brand new game of regional government The storm that followed his recommendation as fire chief centred in Georgetown of course Actoruans seemed mainly con fused and the area councillors to- be speak for publication We don know Georgetown fire chief we just know we have always had greatest faith our own and will continue to have THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Businessand Editorial Office An auspicious occasion a historic event an opportunity to break the mould of restrictive parochialism new ground an obligation to get together and work They were the words and phrases with which speakers the new Hillsf during that council s inaugural last week They were of promise hope not empty platitudes The merging of three histor established municipalities and several communities into a single one is certainly a historic event Two decades ago local rival would never have allowed it and local loyalties would have opposed it Today it is a legislative fact and despite the yards of stories written about it the average citizen will find the impact only in the days ahead as his life is touched in some way by the new form of government An opportunity to break the mould of restrictive Rev H said And in this brief phrase he summed up the very real crunch that the politicians and people face Each is to think on a broader scale Statistics reveal something of the dimensions people spread over 120 square miles Thoughts of our town or town ship will not be broadened over night to encompass the area that includes most of north It will lake time and the attitudes of Hills politicians will much of the evidence as to whether not the mould of restrictive parochialism is broken during the ahead 111 it there is new ground to be broken as Hills enters the opening of a new form of govern is obvious A realignment and merging of municipal staff a icadjustmentof personal loyalties i new communications arrange so people may remain in con tact with their government without undue difficulty a varied arrange of responsibilities between the local and regional councils the new ground is extensive loin Hill said it an obligation of the people to get together and work must all be willing t i give of our time energy and con eern Undoubtedly that sums up And of course working to gether mean tint social and organizations must merge to their objectives Co operation is possible and the mile of I that lie between Georgetown and Acton must as a bridge It is not necessary for local traditions to be abandoned nor is it necessary for a mass induction of to become blood brothers Hie importance is in the collective objectives to make Hills despite its size a via efficient and pleasant com in which to live with and responsible elected officials It common objectives are vis iblc the inaugural meeting of Hal on Hills council last wet will in deed be recorded in future history books as an auspicious occasion Editorial Pagr A broader issue Acton t need any ad ditional off street parking according to a recent traffic study part of the text of which has been reproduced in the last two weeks in the Free Press That conclusion sui prises and astonishes us Perhaps as often happens some statistics can be assembled to prove that thesis if one looks only at cars numbers parking spaces and ignores the other deep rooted problems which go beyond traffic itself The town s core area has been changing over the years and more and more service stores as com pared with retail stores have been locating there The result has been that less and less parking may be required However it is akin to the chicken and egg conundrum that lias stumped generations Would more retail outlets have located in the downtown core if there had been more adequate off street parking Wc suspect this might easily have happened Flic rosy hued traffic survey is bung turned over to the new Halton Hills Council and since it indicates all is well in Acton little more can be expected to be heard on the sub jett Perhaps what is really needed is some kind of local study perhaps even by local people who are knowledgeable to determine the future of the town s downtown core Earlier attempts fortunately get too far but it tin core area is important to the town for shopping and as a point of central focus it will require local Sound off in type The temptation is always to tell it to someone rather than write it That s why editors and reporters often get told about a person agreement or disagreement with a public action an editorial view point or a public attitude It is interesting but far more effective would be a letter to the editor out lining that strongly held view Sometimes we re criticized be cause we don suddenly take up Hie cudgels for a point of view that is expressed to us Bear in mind that issues are pressing in from many sides and our space for com ment is limited A simple brief straightforward letter to the editor with your name signed to it can be even more effective than more mention rather than more experts Parking lots at St Alban the United and Knox churches arc fine downtown employees who want lo leave their car for a day but for tin shopper lugging groceries or purchases they arc not very Mill street is definitely on the narrow side and someday the province will spell out parking on one side only when that happens tin rosy parking picture presented in the report will have changed considerably and shopping and malls will develop increased attraction for the frustrated driver If the town s core area is it is worth a broader look than seems to have been given in traffic report comment from us Next time you re inclined to sound off to us put it in a letter that can print That will get your point of view across and you may even feel better after having written it We urge of course that you state your case fairly and with out malice Freedom of speech still requires some responsibility too Back Issues of The Free Press years ago J Margrave has been appointed as of applicants for motor vehcle drivers licenses in Acton some there has been no examiner in Acton and applicants have had to go to other centres is a former reeve and presently a member of Acton council first motor vehicle license number issued in Acton year w is of Nassagaweya whowas leaving for a trip south Saturday mornine was on and the plates were attached S Cooper was installed as tt of Walker Lodge by Installing Master II I Ritchie and Past Ma stirs Acton council short one member who will be elected if necessary following the towns third nomination meeting held Us Inaugural session Monday when in little more than two and a half hours councillors dispensed with the motions resolutions ana committee designations necessary at the year first meeting Prior to Tylers initial remarks Rev A Currey charged the members to fulfill the of their office G A Dills who has been sole owner of the Acton Press and Canadian Champion Milton has taken into part and James A Skating at the arena was enjoyed for the first time this season on Saturday morning Richard tarns of starts his year as correspondent for the free Press He was engaged by Moore in Dec Mr and Mrs Martin Kelly celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at the home of a son Henry Kelly of Campbellv ille They have lived most of their married life at Acton and Camp 50 years ago Tint is progressing very m inifestly proven by the numbers of and waterworks connections which in being installed every week The of electric users is now nearly Tin number of waterworks installations is now between and and the plumbers in town are still busily engaged in pulling in every week liarel in the history of Knox church has there been a quarterly communion service fnught wilh such and rest as that or last Sunday As a result of the faithful and continued personal effort on the part of the minister the Rev StLwart and his session persons were received into membership They were mostly young men and maidens Mr If gardener Fairvicw Ave is adding another greenhouse to his plant lh feels there is a splendid field in for potted plants and cut flowers Col Brown term as Commanding manding Officer of the Rifles this month but he has been asked to remain for another six months Smoking is now to be permitted in the first car of passenger Irams Mr William Plank and family enjoyed turkey sent them from west by son red The skating rink opened for the season Friday The managemenl was generous and allowed everyone free access The Concert Co will render a highclass concert in town hall tomorrow evening The manufacture of radio receiving sets is developing into a profitable industry and vicinity has a very fair share of enthusiastic radio users 75 years ago District roads hjvi been in condition Tin men who ad in successful and profitable operations lo ill large manufacturing concerns are Ihe energetic commercial travellers The staff of travellers for Iht Canada Glove Works left for their various outside fields Vi T Smyth to British J Smith to Manitoba the Northwest At lo Nova Scotia I- to New llrunswick A Murray to Prince Island Messrs II and Son a large trade this season It has become an family Ira for Ihe children and grandchildren of Mr Christopher of dull gather home and on tht inst his four boys and five girls with their families enjoyed the freedom of the home speeches was gone through in which nearly all took part many families are so circumstanced that ihey can assemble together even once a year Owing to the prevalence of measles attendance at the public school is reduced by a half Modern desks and seats will be Installed in school A carnival was held on the Ice at Rock wood New Year s night There were some good character costumes The event of the season for Crew sons Comers took place home of Mr John Walker in the form of a social dance Between and CO young people were present Leslie school is closed since the teacher Miss is confined to her home with diphtheria Wc are pleased to state she Is recov