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The Acton Free Press Wednesday February New direction for Chamber Whats the difference between the retail section of the Chamber of Commerce and the proposed Busi ness Association A public meeting is being held March 8 to find out The town could perhaps benefit greatly from having the two separ ate groups Possibly the split would open up new areas for the Chamber of Commerce and their change in direction could benefit us all Cer tainly Acton needs a voice which is heard outside our own boun dariesas far away as the council meetings on general issues such as the upcoming town hall repairs and the concerns of the Actonlans for Action committee Editorial Page Outrageous suggestion have been distressed to hear that Ontario Housing offi cials have been implying to our older people that their only hope for senior citizens accommodation will be in Georgetown Another unit had been expected on Elizabeth Dr and that is where our people want to be in town with their own rela tives friends doctors churches and stores The whole story is not in yet councillor is finding it difficult to discover the reasoning behind this upsetting suggestion Certainly on the surface the idea seems outrageous Thank you Judy McLin Acton is a kind of pilot project with its unique Community Ser vices Centre and many people in the field of social services are keep ing their eyes on us to see how it goes It goes well and a good part of this is due to the first coordinator of the centre in the Judy She created the atmosphere of the brandnew job around herself and made that atmosphere one of quiet competence She made many of the initial visits to groups and doctors and agencies which introduced them to the Centre She had a sympathetic ear for everyone who phoned and came in even the many who thought they had phoned the arena and just wanted to know when the hockey game started She was able to assist many people with a quick answer Others had more serious problems and she would set up appointments with the various participating agencies or the counsellors in different areas The new office and a meet ing room right in Acton were a boon for these agency people Acton is the only community in Halton with out a Health Unit office or anything comparable Now we have provided these facilities for ourselves and it is rewarding to see its role filled more and more successfully as the months go by as general accept ance is Judy has left her mark in our community and we thank her font Back by popular demand Back by popular demand the 20 Years Ago column Quite a few people missed this column when it was changed several weeks ago to 10 Years Ago As a result of com ments we are now presenting weekly Years ago 20 Years Ago Years Ago and 100 Years Ago Each date seemed to have its devoted readers However weve reached another snag All the newspapers from to are currently away being microfilmed Although a whole sheaf of 50 Years Ago columns had been done in advance weve run out of them now and the books still arent back Everything should be straightened out in a couple of weeks Recognize firefighters With the current trend of amalgamation with Georgetown perhaps more appreciation should be shown for a special organization in town which cannot be taken from us The name can be changed but it will always remain m Acton The Acton Volunteer Fire Department is perhaps not receiving the attention it deserves The menon the crew headed by chief Mick Holmes are all highly skilled and prepared for situations ranging from house fires to respirator calls They drop every thing at the sound of the siren and for their unselfish dedication to the town and surrounding area they should be commended To many in the town especially the newcomers the fire siren is probably a nuisance as it blares in the middle of the night bringing them from dreamland However to the firefighters it is their summons They could be up the rest of the night fighting a fire and then have to go to work as soon as they get home Most of the people in town for tunately have not required the services of the volunteers However the ones who do realize how invaluable the men are to the town and surrounding townships Why must it take a fire for people to have more appreciation How can an individual express his or her appreciation It would be silly to print up bumper stickers saying Tell a firefighter you love him but on tha other hand it is wrong to just sit back and assume they will be there whenever needed Last month Fire Chief Mick Holmes made an appeal to the residents of Acton to clear the snow from the fire hydrants closest to their homes This request was made only because fire can strike anywhere at any time and the hydrants are needed for water A week after the appeal was made the firefighters a whole Saturday out in the cold with their shovels locating the hydrants It was hardly fair that the fire fighters had to do this in their spare time when homeowners are sitting in a nice warm house which could be the next victim of fire and in need of the emergency outlet What must the volunteers do to make some poeple in town realize they are made of flesh and blood have families and require some sleep Does it seem to some people that when the fire siren blares the men come out of the woodwork and crawl back in when the job is done waiting for the next job The firefighters held their annual Appreciation Night Saturday evening and were very disap pointed at the attendance of Halton Hills councillors All were invited but only the few local representatives made it there Actually the firefighters should have been invited to an appre ciation night rather than putting one one Of this and that THE BEE THAT COULDNT BUZZ read by Eileen New delights children during the story hour held every Wednesday at l at the Acton public library The hour usually opens with some games and singsongs and the children finish up by colouring pictures of the story they heard Suga We have such a crazy climate in this country thai by Hie time this appears in print some dingbat will have spotted the first crocus peeping its dainty head lhroih the now But right at the moment any crocus would nave to come from ihi garden of King Kong This winter has been a little unlike a sorl of arctic King Kong a controllable monster laughing with fiendish glee at the prospect of puny man trying to cope with his whistling frigid breath his frosty and fickle fingers and his extremely bad case of dandruff Around these parts weve had 13 to feet of snow depending on whom you are conversing with If you arc talking to me youlllearnthalwevehad 18 feet wife would soy About undo half feet in that sickening righteous tone of hers that has made me hurl the hatchet and the butcher knife deep in the 16 feel of snow right behind the kitchen door to moid temptation Though we have a pretty good running pa rryand thrust on everything rum pea soup lo politics from golf to garbage we just dont fight about the weather Until this winter Now Us hammer and longs almost every day And I seem to have wound up with the tongs I stagger out through the blizzard ever morning brush the snow off the car scrape the tee off the windshield with m fingernails because she has lost ihe scraper and sit there freezing my padded bum for 10 minutes warming the beast up Then I bomb the vehicle out of the driveway risking my life every morning rand Spice by bill smiley because I can see anything coming from any direction I park it on Ihe street On the mid occasion when she decides to shop she minces out to the cor heavily garbed climbs into a warm wagon parks behind the supermarket and walks feet time she goes out it has nig for one hour the wind has for one hour and the sun gleams fur one hour She leaves the car out on the street when she comes home I clean it off again buck through drift into the driveway climb through more snow that goes in over my boots and totter breathless land forlorn into ihe house do make such a fuss she its been a beautiful winter I don mind her scoffing at my golf game being able to ski twice as fast and far as 1 this winter shes gone too far One of us has to break either the weather or She won I be so dam smart when she wakes up on the first day of March break and finds a note pinned to her pillow Off In the Canary Isles for days Hear theyre loaded with Scandinavian girls in bikinis or gasp I topless Why dont you go and visit Grandad for a week or so Love Bill Shes a Celsius and it drives me nuts Hut it s only my v ife who has helped with the aid of this atrocious winter lo depress me Its the cost This is rough reckoning but close enough From last November the first it has cost me approximately 420 for fuel oil for driveway plowing for The Kaye Shoppe and its proprietor will be remembered with fondness Townspeople who have shopped there and enjoyed the imaginative window displays in passing will wish a happy retire ment for Kaye Roszell after remarkable years in business here the kid next door snow shovelling for battery boosts tow rucks and other winter Hems for cars That my friends is bucks for Ihe privilege of spending the winter the true north strong and freezing Oh Canada You can well say that didnt need to I could have saved a bit on the oil bill by burning the furniture And 1 could have saved a bit on the plowing and shovelling if I had been able lo quit my job and shovel about four hours a day But it seems rather a peculiar way to save money And of course by now Id be dead of a heart attack so heres the percentage Tell me some of my who go south every winter Does it cost more to eat down there Less you say Does it cost more to drive a car down there Less you say Does it cost more for Less you say and you add that it can cost for an ordinary double room in Toronto Montreal Vancouver But dont you get sick of all that fresh orange juice and those crispy salads twice a day No you say Dont you feel you are deserting the ship somewhat when your country needs you when it is the duly of every man and woman to put his and or her shoulder lo the car thats stuck in the drift No you say Have you no thought no slightest sympathy for Ihe pensioner who tries to peer through his frosted windows who is scored to venture forth because he might bust his back in a foot skid or freeze into a statue on his way to the liquor store Definitely not you say O K o lhavenlfigureditoutyct but Ill devise some way of some day getting even with all you rotten rich who arc loafing around in the sun while I battle with the Old about the windchill factor In the meantime its the least you could do somebody anybody lo ask me down for a long weekend From about the fif teenth of February to the Ides of March would be just right White Caps Of this and that Its the week for bouquets to the leaders and participants of those lively Scout Cub Beaver Brownie and Guide groups Its their week and theyre making the most of it The way to happiness is to keep your heart free from hate your mind free from worry Live simply expect little give much Fill your life with joy scatter sunshine Forget self think of others Do as you would be done by Quoted by Dr NV Peale source unknown Bird watchers say there are very few small birds around this year Scarce in numbers are the spar rows chickadees and starlings which usually flock around the backyard bird feeders appointment of Len as Minister of State Small Business in the Department of Industry Trade and Commerce is a major advance for small business in Canada Now the ownermanaged sector which employs per cent of all working Canadians has its own voice in the federal Cabinet The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday February 1967 Ilea estate agents in Acton are optimistic about Actons acute housing shortage being relieved this spring Its expected new houses will be erected as soon as weather permits in subdivision A 32unit apartment building will also be built on property fronting on Church St and Maria Streets Additional housing units will be constructed by smaller concerns on existing lots elsewhere in town Grade eight students Carol Patterson of Robert Little school in Acton and Rosemary Young won the public speaking honors In the contest for the Inspectorate of Halton 4 on Friday Bill McLaughlin scored his second goal from a scramble around the Acton net with less than four minutes lo to give Sea- Beavers a marginal win over Acton Tanners last night in Fire in a television set at the home of Mr and Mrs Reg Hoare Arthur St was doused before firefighters arrived last Wednesday night In pouring rain and sleet Fire chief Mick Holmes said smoke in the living room was so thick smoke ejectors re used to clear it out The fire was confined to the TV set 20 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday February 1957 There was only one winner at the Appre ciation Day draw Saturday The reason- Mrs Horry Gordon won both the and the percentage draw Two different coupons bearing her name were drawn The Girl Guides held a successful tea in United Church Saturday afternoon Draw winners were Mrs and Barbara McEachern Mothers of Guides and everyone interested were invited to the meeting next Tuesday Observance of anniversary of the Boy Scout movement and the anni versary of the birth of Robert Baden Powell founder of the Scout and Guide movement will include a church parade here Sunday Mrs Fulton of Montreal is visiting with her daughter Mrs Tom Watson Mr Watson and family Master Ronald McKmght is a patient in the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto The Boston Bruins visited him and he got four of their autographs Mr and Mrs Charles Misses Helen and Ruth attended the wedding of Miss Laura Rcid and Orville in Trinity Baptist Church Hamilton last Saturday Miss Joanne was flower girl 50 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press Thursday February 1927 It was through ihe suggestion of Sir Harry Bnttain member of the British House of Commons for Acton Borough that the Coat of Arms now in use by the muni cipality of Acton Canada in all its stationary and advertising was conceived executed and registered Sir Harry is now to forge another link in the chain of happy relationship between town of Acton Canada and its municipal progenitor Acton England A presentation is planned The Duke of Devonshire Chapter of the IODE will hold their regular monthly meeting next Tuesday evening March l at the home of Mrs A Dills Frederick Street At the evening service in the United Church next Sunday the pastor will be assisted by Rev Robert D a missionary on furlough from Korea Dr Gnerson will tell the story of the great success of the Christian missionaries In that country in recent years He is a for ceful and inspiring speaker and should be heard by everyone who is interested In the missionary work of the church The Acton Glee Club concert last evening attracted an audience which crowded the Town Hall to the doors years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press of Thursday February 1H77 This issue of the Free Press contained an article on each of the towns industries These will be summarized and included In this column in the coming couple of weeks has six churches Presbyterian Methodist Church of England Baptist Congregational Is I and Disciples Two hotels Tt- Dominion kept by Mrs Robert Agnew and the Ross in House by Mr Thos Campbell A Temperance Hall and a strong division of the Sons of Temperance THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office