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4 The Free Press Wed September The optimists will meet Trie time has come to not just talk about improving the downtown area but to actually do something about it The impetus for a meeting called for next Tuesday is a government plan called the Business Improve ment District With the assistance of ideas in a book The of Retail Districts merchants are finding their footing in the ever sticky problem of the downtown core The main responsibility for implementing the plan rests with the business people here them selves There must be cooperation and group action because the Oshawas facelifting problems are beyond the scope of any few individuals The Chamber of Commerce is organizing this most important meeting Merchants who have already agreed to be assessed to pay for more parking downtown have put themselves in an optimistic and forward looking position already Now they are ready to proceed even further The plan is a big and important one It s not the tune for pettmess and complaints This meeting can be critically important for the town Acton s optimists will be at the library Tuesday Oshawa is a prime example of a city whose business district is undergoing a rebirth as a result of renewed interest of its own citi zens There suburban malls were actually in operation when the downtown merchants and others realized their deep dilemma They also took advantage of the provincial legislation which allows for the creating of an improvement area Acton is considering this same scheme In Oshawa all businesses in the area had their assessment raised by about seven mills The hope is that assessment will increase and the tax will decrease Locking sidewalk was used in too plus attractive new light posts bearing illuminated glass balls New trees were planted inside ornamental guards Planters benches and garbage containers were set out Then there was a special promo tion program Entertainment shopping promotions and Christ mas lighting were arranged Now other things are happening in downtown Oshawa condom apartments a new hotel an office tower and a senior citizen housing unit More people will be living down town The Canadian Real Estate Association newsletter reported on the changes in Oshawa where the man chairing the Improvement District committee is a veteran real estate broker in the city He says any other place can duplicate Oshawa s achievements if there is proper motivation Of this and that A bright motionless object the northern sky Friday at dinner time brought puzzled people outside in this district The bright white light was obviously not the evening star Gradually it turned pink diminished and disappeared altogether as the sky grew dark Meanwhile the radio reported calls on the light and an answer from the powers that be it was a weather balloon There goes another UFO story OUR READERS WRITE Delegation is bitter seeking some answers September 28 1976 To the Editor Last night Monday Sept I appeared in front of the A C General Administration Committee for the town of Halton Hills as part of a delegation on the matter of ice rental rates for Junior and Intermediate Hockey Clubs in Acton The decision arrived at that meeting sounded the death knell for Intermediate hockey in Acton The rate of hour for practice hour for games and hour for playoff games plus the cost of referees would mean an outlay of for he season without consideration for sticks tape sweaters socks travelling etc In order lo cover the above mentioned the average attendance at home games would have lo be 155 a dull paying fans Unless a sponsor is found who Is willing to lay out 5 with a likely prospect of getting llltle or no return on investment he Acton Swords are dead There arc some other points however I would like to moke and some questions I would like answered Point a Recreation Director Glen Gray referred lo Junior and Intermediate Hockey as private enterprise and as such small gales and high costs were not his problem but ours and we were not doing a very good job al fund raising If we were In financial difficulties Even though Councillor Ric Morrow insisted Mr Gray remarks were laken out of context I think the matter deserves some attention In Acton In particular such a thing as private or free enterprise In sports as he stated does not exist A few queries by Mr Gray would indicate that as few as 20 individuals In the Acton area help coach manage and look after Minor Hockey help with the Figure Skating Club and Its car nival and also serve as directors coaches and managers for both Junior and Inter mediate Hockey run equipment exchanges during hockey registration and all for the privilege of spending ten to twenty hours of their free time a week at the arena with no thought of remuneration In many cases money out of their own pocket help keep the organizations operational So much for private or free en terprise with the insinuation that both Junior and Intermediate Hockey is operated lo make a profit Point lb The comment was made during the meeting that Industrial leagues and the like pay less because they are recreational and arc on a local level I think hockey is recreational regardless of the level played and those that play Junior and Intermediate have just as much right to the facility as the players In other leagues and at the name price otherwise they arc being discriminated against as a group Point Since the facilities are supposed to be used for local recreation at the lower price are all Industrial Hockey players in the Acton and Georgetown Industrial leagues from ihc Region of Now the questions The statement was made last nigh I that Arena would run at a deficit of some to this year without any Capital Expenditures The city of London has approximately 14 arenas under the recreation commission last year the average deficit arena was 6 all arena employees are paid union scale wages This year Ihe projected deficit per London rink is 7 Ice rental lime la hour Tor minor hockey and figure skating and 22 hour for everyone else The City of Guelph has a number or under its Parks and Recreation department including the 3 scat Memorial Gardens The rent for an outside team for this latter facility The Acton Junior Hockey Club is twenty seven dollars and fifty cents per hour a How can a facility such as Memorial Gardens be rented per than the Acton rink The Gardens is far superior to Acton tb How can the City of London rent any of their facilities out less expensively yet pay higher wages than the Town of Halton Hills What makes up the awesome deficit for the three arenas In Incidentally the Region of Halton Hills Is not alone in charging high prices for prime ice time we Region of Peel is worse d Are the people whose salaries are paid by the taxpayers ignorant of local conditions and Inequities such as Acton or don they care I dare say there is a damn sight of dif between putting 700 fans Into the Sugar and Spice by bill smiley END of summer notes Can I think of one single useful constructive thing I did during the past summer Which is is should be twice to paint tht back stoop and the picnic table and chairs Hut on the days whin I is ready lo put Ihc stum on tht picmt equipment rained thank goodness I never did figure out how to paint tin stoop The tat sleeps there nil I wis cither to have it with ereen feet or I hive to lie him the lilac tret until punt dried which I thought was a bit mhum in One of the big of tht summer was having an oik tree taken down It wis about TO feet high and two feet Ihick at hi base It was quite a thrill to watch the tree slaters two of them scrambling iwjj up into the blue of a summer evening slinging ropes around in all sorts of mysterious ways shouting incomprehensible lions to other like a couple of reefing fort sail around Cape Horn lowering tht mighty oak in sections I now four woodpiles in my back yard about sixtordsof firtwood ill sorts of people are Listing eye forget it friends It cost me 300 to have that dow and I m going lo enjoy if I to keep the fireplace burning day and night all winter I it was a bad week come down the washer in the I blew its The dryer was shot loo so this is another An tx aline The washer and dryer I down our eellir stairs The boys hid rip out the stairs and lower the Bui lhe with great goodnature and ingenuity Wcdidn Hose a single in Nor a married one It never happen if you bought Ihe outfit from one of the big out of town firms They d sneer if you said The to come out That was i SI week of pure loss But wns somewhat redeemed the following week whin I lo Halifax and won an award which included a handsome cheque for made me think God was back in His heaven after out to lunch for week is quite a place II looks like for an ivtragt Gemini last year versus trying find pirkinc Tor even hair that i f fans around the arcn Perhaps some of the bitterness that some of us feel over last nights decision can be iged by some common si 1 resident Swords Intermediate Hotkey Club Limehouse residents concerned following is a copy of a letter sent the clerk of Region regarding excessive speed of vehicles along Road formerly September I Garfield Brown Esq Regional Clerk Regional of Dear Sir 1 live on north side of Road between Township sixth line and Ihe Village of Limehouse The purpose of his teller is inform you and the members of the Regional of the grave concern fell by myself and my family and neighbors following an incident on day September 14 last when a young girl of was hurled from her bicycle and slightly injured by a speeding vehicle at 4 p m in front of my residence The Incident wus prompty rtported to the police in Georgetown whom I understand are investigating This accident is however the mination of a scries of near misses ex by local residents and their children particularly over recent months Because of our concern for the safety of pedestrian and cyclists on this stretch of raod a petition addressed to you as Re gional Clerk Is presently being circulated in the Limehouse area and you may he inter to sec the draft copy of it which is en closed The final signed copy will be for warded shortly 1 In the 14 months that I and my family have lived on Road here appears Parking in No Parking zone to have been an increase in the number of trucks and cars using There arc notice- ibly more speeding vehicles a year ago and vehicles travelling at estimated speeds of tinlhe30mph zone are a common daily occurrence Motor vehicles travelling at Ihe legal speed limit are very few far between My children and Ihosc of many of my neighbors have no option but to walk lo Public School or to the sixth I me to catch school buses each day The hard shoulder which is almost nonexislent in places is very narrow al best affords totally inadequate pro tection to pedestrians and cyclists who use Provision of signs and or more speed limit signs might be effective lo some extent bul I would strongly re commend that a more frequent police pre- in form of radar traps and or more frequent surveillance would be Ihc most effective and prompt deterrent In conclusion I would stress that it is likely lo only a moltcr of lime before a further accident occurs if the speeding is not and I and my neighbors are fearful that next lime someone likely i child will be seriously injured or even killed Please therefore bring this matter to the of the appropriate public author so lhal urgent and Immediate steps arc before lives are lost Acton Ont Sept 1S76 The Acton Free Prcs3 Willow St Acton Dear Sir For several years now the lack of avail able parking spaces in the downtown business section has created And for several years nothing has been resolved but to Investigate the situation further The controversy continues Except for one businessman that Is Judging by the fact one merchant vehicle sits parked for hours without moving in front of his store he has token the matter own hands It stands toreason that were there sufficient parking spaces this vehicle would nol have to park illegally for such lengthy periods every day Since spaces arc limited perhaps this policy of parking In no parking zones with out consequence should be extended to all shoppers in many of these presently banned areas Most customers do not spend four hours in downtown Acton Think of tlie potential customers these newly created areas might attract Who knows how many people might be tempted to refrain from spending elsewhere If ho parking areas were replaced with restricted areas Just another ridiculous suggestion to add FIRST PRIZE in color photo category was assigned to this entered in the Free Press photography contest at the fall fair Murray Smith took the picture which would make a perfect calendar illustration a city in Germany circa that has been bombed is rebuilding Beautiful new buildings rising right next to deadly three storey slums with winos hanging out Ihe windows Last time I was there was in Hit spring of 1042 on my way overseas and Halifax was real then Cold wet dismal poor food England looked like par idise after war time Halifax Now it swinging lively city Had a fine trip on the II nil sails set spanking along in the sunshine Don miss this Witched in fascination as a prominent western editor fell asleep not once but three limes during a speech by Joe Clark a potential prime minister Humored an eastern editor who armed with credit card from the Grand Trunk personally signed by Sir John McDonald thought he could finance a trip for several of us to Paraguay Listened to a number of editors of my vintage lei me Ihcy re rich retired and work one day a week just to keep my hand in Which of course means in terfenng with their sons or daughters who are trying to pay off ihe old man the tremendous sum he for the business Gave advice and a bottle of rum lo a young woman called Toklas who me she had quit running around Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway and Scott and all I hose rotters of course we vehadThcBoys as they are now called The Boys arc the two gnndsons When they are here it takes four adults full time to keep things even minimally sane One is at the hell on wheels stage ihe crawling if you can eat it pull it over on your head slage And every lime our daughter leaves with The Boys we are cleaned out She goes away with a big green garbage bag full of steaks thicken pork chops a box full of canned goods and a pillow case with new clothes for The Boys and herself Next morning wt have to go shopping lo get enough grub for our own breakfast Then been the golf No matter what she does my wife is an enthusiast Slit believes that nothing succeeds like So ve played golf every day She is really a rotten player because she read books about and practices her swine I am just ordinary rotten I m afraid re going to be thrown out of the golf If had tried to lell me that my sweet shy bride of few years ago would tome out Ihe language she uses on golf course Sir pistols at dawn or nine irons at nine Take your pick I try to help in gentle sincere of way When she flubs a shot I merely point out that her grip was slack her stance sloppy backswing too fast and her head went up tike a toilet seat and she screams at me right across Ihc fairway I heard one elderly lady golfer saying lo her husband quite concerned Mark rny words she going to kill him Why do you think she takes her seven iron home every day after they play I hear he s well in sured to those already discussed over the years none of which has brought about action The Free Press Back Issues 20 years ago Taken from Issue of the Free Press October 1958 Rebuilding the centuryold rear wing of Acton public school charred and blackened Tuesday noon when fire ate Its way through seven rooms in two storeys seems unlikely this week as Board officials await a report from the Ontario Fire Marshall office which is scheduled to Investigate the ruins today A board member said yesterday lowing a meeting Tuesday afternoon that Inspector Skuce doubted very strongly if the Department of Education would per mit repair and reoccupation of the old wing Mrs Margaret of Acton was hospitalized Monday evening following a twocar accident about two miles north of Milton on Highway suffering a sus pected chest injury fractured ribs and head and hand lacerations Her car had been in collision with another car driven by Robert Kerr of Main St Milton Acton firemen were called late Saturday Bessem on the town line north cast of Crewson Corners when an oil stove became overheated and set fire to the wall and ceiling near the unit 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Press of Thursday Another gratifying success has attended Acton Fall Fair This is the usual exper ience Strange as may seem despite the fact that Ihe dates have for years fallen upon autumn equinox when weather disturbances are expected almost invar ably the weather has been favourable The display in the show building had numerous attractive features The exhibits of flowers and culinary preparations and the ladies work departments were un usually good There was a magnificent showing of horses yesterday and the entries for cattle sheep and pigs were large The exhibit of poultry commanded the attention of poultry raisers and fanciers during all the day The improved entrances to the park and exhibition grounds and buildings were very favourably commented upon The facility of ingress and egress without the usual dangers incident to crowing was at once manifest Mr John M Warren a former esteemed resident of Acton figured quite pro minently at the laying of the comer stone by His Honor Lieutenant Governor of the new York Township High School on Vaughan road a special children service Sunday at St Alban Church prizes were awarded to Jones Herbert Joan Blanche Smith Ester Taylor Phyllis Lillian Perry Lena Water house and Olive Rooks C Browne lale manager of Acton Co operative Store has opened a new company of Produce and Grocery Miss Madge Chapman has succeeded Mr Browne as Manager of the CoOperative Store 100 years ago Taken from the issue at the I- ree Press of Thursday September The Township of Agricultural Society s ploughing match will come off on the of October The attention of the Council is respectfully directed to the bad state of the crossroad leading from Speyside to the 6th line The culverts and bridges are sadly in need of a thorough overhauling Indeed it is said that this is the worst piece of road in Ihc township and lhat is saying a good deal The council meets on Friday of next week and our Speyside friends should make a special appeal to have the road fixed Village Council meets on Saturday Evening Mr Duncan Morrison and his wife of returned from their trip to the Lower Provinces on Friday They were away for six weeks and expressed them selves as highly satisfied with their jour There will be a social at Mr S Arm strong on Friday evening in behalf of the building fund of the new Congregational Church to which the general public are invited The damage to Ihe property of Mr Jos caused by the recent fire in his bush which was started on the adjoining farm of Mr Thos Davidson was left for settlement by arbitration The arbitrators have assessed the damages at 150 and awarded that against Mr Davidson with costs THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office itton Ontario of in m an Con AUK allon and Canada In all in Canada cop I emit M ror advert no I Tarn w in raownablt ft llnoltocharotdforbuMnabalanca oflnaodvarl wl Mpald for thaappll tola raft In of orTOr odvart good or a wrong or aaf v may bo told Ltd David Dili Publtnar I lor AdvrHtlngMnMr Copyright