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One Hundred and Second Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 1b 1976 Twenty Six Pages Fifteen Cents Suns and crowds welcome Santa to town on Saturday The weather was perfect when Santa Claus came to town Saturday afternoon behind entries and two bands in a lively parade The Mill St paving t finished and if the temperature had been any higher the three blocks of dirt could have been a quagmire of mud If the temperature had been any lower musicians would have had trouble with their instruments Just one or two degrees below freezing made for optimum conditions and the sun was shining brightly a clejr blue sky for the happy oc casion Jimltiveti headed the tommittet this His committer numbers points out his dub jusl and the participants are all took the initiative hit eol with Ihe piradc and people He Hit says there will in ill pirade was i real community hood be another next Swine flu shots available in town BEARDMORE PARTY drew crowds to the plant Saturday afternoon for fun food and gifts Here Susan Lindsay takes her turn on s knee while Miss Acton Fair Charmaine Bigelow assists Remove tow Repairs needed for town hall swim flu will laid in St Mall j2 Willow Si I rid from to It I host persons I Mil I Jtrsi Swine those mil riLtiM ilcnl v chronic s Structural repairs required to bring Acton town hall up to standard were outlined for Ha I ton Hi lb council last Tuesday in a preliminary report from Zeegen As consulting engineers The report concluded that the first and second floors of the building appear to be in good order but a detailed examination of he structural floor system would have to be made to determine the load carrying capacity of the floors The report suggests the bell tower on the roof should be removed Parts of the roof system are overs tressed undtr current conditions and some rem forcing would be necessary The exterior masonry walls are extensively cracked and repairs to the and some foundation work would be necessary hut A heating system would have to be installed for the second floor The present furnace at the first floor level would have to be enlarged Re wiring is needed for the systems Washroom facilities need insulating Insulation is also required for roof exterior walls Tht fire escape from the second floor is currently pro vided by an exit door onto the existing flat root Some fur ther firerelated work would be necessary to bring the building up lo standards Fine lamp It The firm said the two storey brick building is a parti fine example of the type of architecture common in Southern Ontario during tht period of its construction The first floor now houses the police office and the citizens dropin centre The second floor is one large open area still containing tht fool deep raised stage with small dressing rooms The main arch over the front entrance doors is badly as is he masonry in the area above the arch Masonry cracking is also noticeable at most of the win There was only one crack which appeared to run into the foundation wall the report stated This was very fortunate since it indicates that only a small area of underpinning may be necessary to stabilize foundation movement this point With he exception of the fronl arch which would have to be rccon most of the defective brickwork can be removed and replaced at the locations of the cracks is basement The second floor reached now from tht first floor but vi the staircase The second floor seemed to in good condition with some tracks and stains in the plaster There were irtis of wood rot on the roof dtck and rafters but generally the wood was in sound condition of the long spin rafters and mam wood beams would need reinforcing as irt tower The wooden lit 1 1 tower tht main roof The bell tower is supported on posts which bear in the two main wood beams which in across building btll tower has a kin to it and the report suggests that tower should be rtmoved since not only is it probably unsafe but removal would re from the main beams below Heated trough for Lake ducks dutks will have their own heated drinking trough 1 litis tounul Tuesday night will nit In housed is lht wort list but town will ittr Town I Hob Austin Hit i had h ducks housed or winter their Paving done hopefully soon King Paving equipment in still Mill St toil i Wednesday hut Hit work will be completed soon Christmas rush on at post office The Acton Post Office is experiencing the first few das of Christmas rush according to Postmaster McKcown Monday afternoon seemtd to the beginning of the rush he said wilh over pieces of mail being sent out to various locations each day Ihiswcek The average in the off season is a day Mr also said the amount of incoming mail from lowns has been heavy but has not yet reached Its peak No additional staff has been hired but the present part time staff may have their hours extended if they are needed Mr McKeown said this should be enough staff Letter carriers in town will be working extra hours during the rush They are already slated to be delivering mall this Saturday and will work a normal shift until Friday Mail service will shut down from December to December with regular service resuming on Wed December tor New Year holiday staff will work a regular day on Friday December 31 but have January off to observe the holiday Three injured Milton Ontario Provincial Police estimate damage a car driven by Frances Teasdel 13B King St Milton after it wcnl out of control on Highway Just south of Slderoad and crashed Into a hydro pole on the side of the highway Police say Mrs Teasdel was beading northbound when the incident occurred There was damage to a hydro pole report the police Three people were Injured eluding the driver and were IrcatetF at Hospital year He would like to see it on effort to cooperate big equipment was moved out earlier weekend however Saturday morning of way probably in late November men were at work The state of Mill St was a levelling the dirt roadway flo wastheM and it had hoped Manholes that were I Bennett entry it wins the paving would all be done protruding too high- could Second overall was the Acton by parade day wasn but have diffitulties for Mens green caterpillar the construction mtn mode wnlkerswertremovtd Ml anv vaccine are those who are allergic I thicken or feathers those who have an at present those who have received in kind of v item ition in the past two weeks or in lo in the next two hints have already held at Milton Health Unit on and luesday m the Georgetown Unit and again at Milton Health Unit The dime will return lo the Georgetown Unit on building said the hair offered steel posts and to build to Ial McKtnut said ildfow I d in t to be inside in winter engineer said lie phoned two supposed txptrts on wildlife who both said if fttds them they will to open wattr will not Councillor 1 es said there is no easv solution to the problem so tht town should simply them I lie engineer the town has had offers from farmers to put them in the ponds wlueh they keep open in winter I not duck the issue quipped Sykts Hyde suggested it would he simpler to let the farmtrs takt the and Hit town supply the feed said in the past the lake was kept open and the town workers fed ducks Kit Morrow staled the ducks should not be fed Ail the experts say lo stop feeding them and they will fly Sorry you ve got Ward One problems retorted Why don you gel rid of us Dick How i It said horse owners use troughs with a heater in them so the water doesn freeze and suggested the same could be done for tht ducks at very little cost In Aeton we have a lake and ducks and the people like to see them It an in but the people PARADE WITH 22 entries and two bands led Santa Claus into town Saturday afternoon A large crowd watched the glittering parade in the bright sunshine Men spearheaded the organizing of the parade for in succession More pictures inside Three police forces in pickup truck chase Several Out ino Police cars with sirens ing chased a pickup truck through streets of Thursday afternoon before the truck was finally forced to stop south of Acton on High way Ironically the spot where the truck finally slopped was close to where seven Acton youths were killed in a high speed car chase last March For the driver it was the end a bizarre chase which began in Cambridge led three police forces over back roads lo Acton and finally damaged two police cars which finally forced Ihe truck to stop Police claimed it was not a high speed chase because road conditions were bad t bring the ducks said Duby Council agreed to put a heater in a watering trough for the ducks The truck however pur suing police ears re ithed speeds of up to BO miles per hour at poinls between Cim bridge Atton chase begin pm Thursday when Const Brian of tht loo saw a blue pickup truck ick into a irked on Main Street in Cambridge He stepped front the truck but had to jump iwiv when the vehicle on pagi IMo news is bad news The lack of information at headquarters riltd Councillor He told Hills council Tuesday night people in Ward Two who feel like driving to Gordon Artn Georgetown I know what was going on they phoned election headquarters they were lold they out that Information Councillor Pat said he planned to zero in the poor show of pro in the new year He said many people away out near had to drive to lo and people living in downtown Atton hid to go to the on outskirts t Roy Booth chimed people in Ward Three had to go past one poll place to gel to the one where they voted Councillor Russell Miller said he had sevcril calls from people in who called him at tht arena lo try to gel some information He said the Clerk Admimstrat6r had instructed people ing results not to give out any information Winning each us tops in category were First Aclon Beavers for service groups St Alban church for church groups Salamomca Construclion for commercial entries Speystdc public schools for schools and Acton fair board for other Other floats were entered by scouts Bell Canada Acton fair board Acton scouts First Acton Beavers Acton Brownies Halton Hills recreation Aclon fire department Country Mart Robert Little school Churchill community church Acton Junior Farmers Robert Grundy Acton Snowmobile Club and the Georgetown firt department There were actually two more entries last year Judges were Dr Frank Oakcs Dr Jane and On com ml Km Working wilh Jim on Ihe parade committee were Chamber of Commerce sentative Paul Nielsen churches represcn Terry Bridges Y Men George Wailis who was in charge of finances and Ralph Hail Louise Clark and Lynn Robertson firefighter Larry Mark and Dick Hilton of the regional police as well as Dana Coates Mr had praise for the many other people who operated as well Donations covered all the costs he said New route Starting the parade on the Crescent workedout well It was an innovation dreamed up by firefighters who were very capable parade marshals There was traffic congestion Scouts with CB radios helped keep track of the parade en route Parking was reserved at the arena for the big floats Georgetown Girls Pipe Band joined the Acton Citizens Band in providing instrumental music Some of the people on the floats sang as they proceeded down the street and one entry broadcast recorded music About candy canes were given out along the route and in Ihe afterward There were balloons given out as well Some flints had riders who I out gifts of candy Three friends of committee chairman Jim Rivett came out from Toronto to take part John Pool who was Big Bird Bob Ritchie who was Daffy Duck and Bill Reid who was Ihe egg Two of them were invited up by last yeir chairman Tom Madnck and had such a good time Ihey were happy to come again they said Other clowns were Men and members of the Georgetown fire department Shin Sin There were two people who shared the rote of Santa For the parade Bert Robertson drove his own horst which was decked out with antlers to mimic a reindeer His cutter was mounted on a float The cutter had been damaged in a fire at the Robertson home last winter but had restored it for this year parade Afterward Ron Douglas took over the character in the and did a tremendous job talking quietly to many children who their turn and made up the clowns Another rate increase for Acton hydro DIVISION COMMISSIONER Joy Cox left pins a thank you badge on the lapel of a surprised Deputy District Commissioner Bea Ginger day evening during the Brownie and Guide Christmas party I- or the second lime In less than a year hydro rates are being increased Acton Hydro Commission announced on Thursday At the commission monthly meeting represent from Ontario Hydro lold the members an increase at local level was necessary to alleviate Acton costs due to the Ontario Hydro per cent increase due January The local commission pays Ontario Hydro and bills customers for services rendered In order to raise money to pay Ihe higher echelon Local residential eon Burners will be paying per cent more for hydro as of March 1877 These customers are billed every Iwo months and will be paying 8 cents per kilowatt kwt for the 100 and 4 cents per kwt for the next kwt They will also pay 2 cents per for the balance People who rent a hydro water tank are allowed 1000 kwt at 15 per kwl at no balance charge This is an increase from cenls per kwt for the first 100 kwt cents for next kwt 1 G cents for Ihe next 1000 kwt 1 per being paid for the balance Commercial consumers billed monthly face a per Increase for tht next and ttnls per kwt for the next kwt The of the balance will be tents per kwl This marks an increase from for the first kwl cents for the next kwl cents for ihe nexi and 15 cents an the balance Water tank rentals will remain the same al two dollars for a gallon lank and for a GO gallon lank per month The minimum monthly bill will slay the same also at per month for commercial customers and every Iwo months for residential consumers The Hydro Commission is absorbing nine per cent of Ontario Hydro increase instead of passing It along to Ihe consumers The commissioners ex plained that Ihe rote increase conforms the federal government wage and price control guidelines