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Old 1976 is just about finished join him in looking back on a year of people in the news orr- 2 of todays Free Press One Hundred and Second Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29 1976 Eiflhtcon Pages Fifteen Cents Five trucks to fight 10000 blaze fighters from and Milton joined forces to combat an approximately blaze in the upper of Marilyn Oltaway home on Side road near the Line Monday night Acton sent Iwo trucks and stayed until after Milton s three vehicles arrived to take over the task Milton stayed about three hours and Acton for about two The fire was reported about Mrs was alone at home at the time and was to General Hospital but Milton said slit was not taken to us result of he fire Sick tire chief Mick Holmes said Mrs Otlaway had been sick that her brother and sister came lo the house see bow she was when they noticed the fire The fire is believed lo have started in a bedroom and heal and smoke quickly spread through the upper floor of the Milton fire A Cle ment sold that the fire is still under invesli gallon and that no definite cause for Ihe blaze has been pinned down ire chief Holmes said that there was smoke damage through the upstairs and Water damage below Mrs Otlaway two chil were away at the time Mrs is Ihe pro prietress of Marilyn Village Boutique on Mill Street East Christmas Day crash sends four to hospital A twocar collision Christmas Day the inter section of Highways and resulted in four people being sent to hospital for cuts and bruises Guelph Ontario Provincial Police report Vehicles driven by rick Jansen R Rock wood and JooslDrosCR Ft Staffa sustained on estimated 2700 total damages Passengers in both ears and Sim and the drivers were taken lo General where Ihey were treatd and released The incident occurred at a Mr and Mrs are the parents of the yearold who was killed November 13 on Highway just south of in a two car crash which claimed two lives Sanding Hills were out by Monday evening and worked through the night covering snow laden roads according to Works super i lend en Frank ACTON AND Milton firefighters battle the blaze at the Ottaway home Monday night Falling snowf lakes appear as blobs in the picture Water break frost unreal A water break on Churchill Monday evening gushed water up into the ditch and over the roadway The break first discovered m and Ihe repair work was not completed till about a Houses in the neighbor hood were without water much of ihit time The regional workmen had to struggle through four feet of solidly frozen ground to KICKING UP THEIR heels the cabaret number at the high school Christmas concert are lively grade 13 students It was one of the highlights of a sparkling which featured originality and outrageous umor Front row left to Carol Grant Sherry Ferguson Sandra Early Charlebbois Linda McKenzie Duval Becky Baxter Shirley Mason Deb Rippon Susan Bruce and Silcock Some of the male chorus line members shown in the back are John Gorjup Neil McMillan Alex Pitt Robin Dave Hannah and Steve Stanley Special meeting Region will choose new chairman by secret ballot Ha lion Regional Council members will cast secret lots to choose a chairman for the new term when the council metis at a special meeting next Tuesday Jan at 4 The idea is thai council will debate the election of a chair man along with Ihe terms of reference for the job the pay Ihe expense allowance and Ihe prousion of a car that meeting all of the people interested in holding position for the two year term will make presentations to council and answer from the floor This Is the first time he regional council has had to choose a chairman Current chairman Allan Masson was appointed by the provincial government for first Ihree year term of Region Division Prior lo thai the choosing of warden under Ihe old county system of government was a controversial matter The election of a chairman has the potential of causing a lot of division and antagonism within the cil itself It was with that In mind thai councillors agreed to a straw vote by secret ballot ClcrkGirfieldBrwntnldlhe council that secret ballot no secret billot he wis required law to tall for an open stand up vote at the meeting of council Wednesday Jin I have to call on lo openly declare your vote it the inaugural meeting What the boys in the backroom dcclire or don declare is of no concern to me he While council his n legal status is yet and can not accept motions or vote on them there is nothing to stop councillors from holding an inform caucus it which cm make Inanimous The meeting on Jan 4 will be open and the debate ill be public but the voting will be secret If everything goes according to plan all will then vole for the winner at he inaugural and noone will have to know who supported whom for the post Hills Councillor Rie Morrow was a strong advo cate of the secret He said the secret vole on mal tcrs of his nature is an inte gral pari of the democratic system and the only way lo protect each person rights from pressure and arm twisting I opposed to a stand up vote I seen what happens in a stand up vole he added Harry Bar opposed the idea of a meetinf 1 to this I in open vole This is just trying to circumvent the rules You into caucus and mike deals and God only knows what goes on I saw it in the County Coun don want any pari of it Doit in Ihe open Do it by the rules he said Morrow argued thit councillors who did not support the winner could be subjected lo two years of misery because they did not want him There is only one way lo protect the democratic right of choice and hat is by secret ballot II is too damn bad the law allow for It Think God those voters who vote for us are protected by the secret ballot he said Barrett said under the system it was so sec ret he wasn even invited to the caucus meeting because he t support the right people Councillor Jim Watson said he supported the secret ballot hut recalled Councillors Mor row scuttling a similar at tempt to do that under the county system Burlington Mayor elect Mary said she felt the chairman should be elected by he electors a region wide vote She conceded however that as long as that isn 1 possible Councillor row s proposal for a secret is the best way to go The inaugural meeting for regional council will be held Jan 12 following the swearing in of the members the election of Ihe chair man a reception with wine and cheese will be held Chairman Allan Masson defeated Burlington Mayor George Harrington Burling Ion alderman Jack and former Burlington Reeve and County Warden Jim Swan borough arc among the ious contenders in the race Several councillors have in d ico ted support for but least one councillor claims Raftis has an inside Nobody seems confident enough to lake bets at this point however David Coons he man who had appeared to be grooming himself for the big job and who had a certain amount of support now says he wouldn t touch it with a to- fool pole Some councillors claim Coons was actively but quietly soliciting support prior to the Dec election locate the break One of them said the frost condition of the ground was unreal A baekhoe and other equipment were brought from Milton and a sand truck from Georgetown The wfls required since water was pouring onto he roadway making driving hazardous One regional workman from Acton Brent Marshall with Iwo from Georgetown and one from Milton were In many hours in the re past week The lines break pairs here more frequently in winter There were also two when is deep in he breaks in Georgetown the ground Animal hospital is fully equipped Three inaugurals slated next week Hills council Milton council and Board of members will be Ihcir res offices next week Hills Council will hold its inaugural meeting Wednesday Jan at m Clerk Doug said the meeting would be cur tailed to he swearing in followed by a reception with coffee and sandwiches me inaugural meeting lor Milton Council is planned for Wednesday Jan cillors will be sworn into office and following some short speeches newly elected and returning councillors will mingle with the public at a reception The following night day members elected lo the Board of Education elects a chairman for the year at Ihe inaugural meet Traditionally no regular business is handled at the first meeting On Wednesday Jan 12 Hal ton Regional Council w ill hold Us inaugural meeting at 1 30 m in the regional office in Burlington A wine and cheese recep tion open to the public will follow Regional council will cially elect a chairman for the new term that day but if plans go according to sche dule he election by lhat time will be just a formality Plans call for a straw vote to be taken prior to the inaugural mecling The idea of the straw vole is to protect members from revealing which candidate they support for the choir In the past several weeks Ihe old James Henry Heed home on the Corner of Main and River Streets has been completely renovated to provide the residents of Acton with an animal hospital Trenton a grid of the Guelph College has moved to from the area to lake over where he now retired Frank left off He and his family live in the same building as the hospital so he may provide round clock care for am which may have lo stay over night The new veterinarian is looking forward mecling he people of Acton and treit ing their pels While in Klein burg he worked on race horses and small animals He also practiced in Lexington will hold an inaugural meet man s job The first vote will ing at the board be by secret ballot and the crs Line Burling stand up vote in council Jan ton will legalize and confirm The board traditionally the action already taken Merchants happy with postconstruction sales Downtown merchants were very pleased with Christmas trade since the Mill St paving was completed according to Chamber of Commerce member Paul The store owner said a lot of the merchants he spoke to had experienced record sales in the last day or two before Christmas after losing an estimate half million to in sales during the reconstruction period Accident in takes Arthur mans life Arthur man was killed on Main SI in Rockwood Thursday morning when his cor went out of control and rammed into a tree Ontario Provincial Police said James Robert Forrest of It I Arthur died and a passenger Daniel Bonus 17 of Rock wood received cuts and bruises The accident near Ihe intersection of Highway at l a Mr Forrest Is survived by his wife Judy Breese children Willy Wendy and David all at home his parents Mr and Mrs William Forrest three brothers George Leonard and all of Rock wood three sisters Phyllis Mrs W McDonald of Arizona Sharon Mrs and Mrs D Ho Kentucky for a short lime His hospital complete with examining room and room is equipped to handle to patients a day equipment ken nels operating equipment and mam- other veterinarian hive been pur chased the doctor In order that his will have Ihe of care It was Trenton s love of as child which led him to ehoose his as a career He explained he had dogs cats gerbils turtles and horses to name a few His wife Carolyn will help him the office as well earing for their two da ugh one year one on Hi Trenton has always liked small towns and is get his practice was predeceased by one daughter Barbara Funeral service was held from Skipper O Funeral Home Friday with Archdeacon A Hill of Interment took place at Woodlawn Cemetery RON TRENTON is setting up an animal hospital on the corner of Main and River Streets His new equipment was being delivered last week and patients are being lined up