The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The Acton Free Press Wednesday 6 1977 Editorial Page Show window of town It has often been said the main street of a community is its show place Downtown Acton with its asphalt sidewalks and chipped curbs has long left visitors with a poor impression There has also been so much construction in the downtown section it has hurt local businesses toa marked degree Thats why it is good to see the last stages of the construction on Actons main stem comple tion New curbs are being installed the new red brick interlocking side walks are being laid and it wont be long We hope before a new coat of asphalt is stretching from the CN tracks through the downtown busi ness section They are much needed improve ments and should add to the busi ness centre as a place to shop plea santly in this community Some store owners such as Acton Delicatessen and Acton Family Bil liards have- already renovated the exterior of their premises We understand other store owners plan renovations outside when street and sidewalk construction is fin ished There are those who will com plain about the new red brick side walks but we believe they add an attractive new dimension to the business section which can be enhanced further by pride in busi ness places This is not always easy with absentee landlords holding purse strings but even a fresh coat of paint on store fronts and renovated interiors will attract shoppers and revive interest Those communities which have lost their downtown business sections to plaza developments on the outskirts or outside the boun daries often moan over the loss the old downtown They let them become seedy looking and lost clientele Acton is in the fortunate position of being able to spruce up and shape up before any malls or plazas appear keeping the focus on the existing business centre An attractive business centre will also attract new business and make available to the community goods and services which may not be available at the present time Consequently the improvements planned by the Business Im provement Area Committee are designed to assist both businessmen a shoppers Acton may soon have a reputation proving what a small town with limited resources can do with its business section tailoring the need to suit their purse Summer menaces A typical drive down one of the busier residential streets in Acton means a driver going the posted 30 miles an hour speed limit often has to slow down to ten miles an hour or come to a complete stop at least four or five times In one block there are one or two youngsters who think the road was made for their skateboards They continue almost every day to ride the slabs down the middle of the road If and when they do ride at the side of the road the board in variably gets away from them and shoots out across the road into the path of oncoming cars with its owner not too far behind People walking three abreast on the road ignoring existing side walks also cause problems When they come to a parked car instead of walking on the sidewalk side of the vehicle they walk abreast on the road side A driver would have to be an Evel Knieval to negotiate through the walkers at any speed The law states that when walking where there are no sidewalks a person must face the traffic Bicyclists are among the most dangerous groups on the road Even though the number of bicycle related deaths have increased 50 per cent between and there are still people who do not even know the simplest laws Some riders on this particular street would have a tough time passing their beginners licence driving a car They ride on the wrong side of the road The law says a bicycle is a vehicle under the Highway Traffic Act and must therefore ride on the right hand side of the road with the traffic Only one per son is to be on a bicycle at one time unless it is a tandem bike Local police stations have pamphlets list ing the rules of the road for bicycles In Acton it seems most riders forget the rules of the road and do the opposite The most dangerous practice on this particular residential street is very small children including mere toddlers playing chicken on tricycles with cars This of course is not an organized plan It seems they start in driveways and see who can be the first to reach the ditch on the other side of the road The children are so small a motorist cannot see them in a driveway unless he scrutinizes each driveway In some areas of town this is necessary with tricycles coming out of hidden driveways out of control Drivers have enough to look after what with pedestrians bicycles skateboard riders parked cars and other vehicles with the same problems They should not be expected to have to watch drive ways also Whose responsibility is it to educate these youngsters and adults The local police and schools have already done as much as they can to drill safety factors into the heads of children However no matter how much they hear it at school children follow the example set for them at home Parents have to teach their child ren Even though parents cannot keep their eyes on a toddler at all times they should at least impress upon them the fact that roads are not safe to play on Does Acton have to have death before parents will smarten up Region needs reevaluation Many people in Acton have been chafing ever since regional govern ment was implemented in Halton Their attitude was apparent in the brief presented to the committee of Regional Council reviewing Bill 151 the documents which set up the new form of government here Actons main complaint has been the loss of identity experienced since they were forced into a partnership with Georgetown and Residents feel out of the swim of things with only three members on a man council geo graphically isolated and unable to effectively control events in their own community probably the most serious criticism is rapid and escalating costs which irritate the other con cerns and the belief that services have not increased accordingly says It is our con sidered opinion that our current system of local government in Hal- ton Hills and regionally in Halton has become too costly to maintain at its current rate of growth in taxes The brief calls for better account ability so the average citizen can understand the financial opera tions of regional government It also calls for an independent over seeing auditing body reporting directly to taxpayers to increase understanding and control of municipal spending Study for the brief has been going on for several months and some of the concerns voiced by the Acton- for Action committee could be applied to both Georgetown and Esquesing as well We believe along with the Acton committee that it is time for reg ional government to be re evaluated to iron out bugs which LOOK ON MY works oh ye mighty and despair this decrepit barn illustrates the transcience of Shelley was talking about a king and his pride but human works justassurely Sugar and Spice In laffaire my sympathies are all with our Prime Minister whatever I man think of him politically Its tough for an old turkej to hang on to a beautiful chick I kno Ive been trying to do It for And Im not that proud or because Im trying to butter her up I m it as a fact And Im sure en one who know her will agree 1 am not tall dark and handsome I am short white and rather Or as we ugly people say my facehusa lot of char So as may imagine Ive had a lot of trouble handing on her Not that shes a philanthropist extending chant to male who comes along Nor is she 1 list flirting freely in order to stamp on ego She even a philanderer line world I was looking for in the first place I No theres little chance of her running off with another man She knows to the penny how much insurance and pension I represent Shes not going to throw thai for anjbodv less than Robert Ited ford and we dont see loo much of him in the crowd we hang around with And still I have trouble hanging on to her Its not in the marital department Its in the arms department I have trouble hanging on to her arms by bill smiley when shes going to hit me or tear out some of m scanty locks or clobber me with a telephone or something When we were first married I didnt have so much trouble I was stronger than she and I lung on to both her wrists put head down to avoid a butt on the nose and raise one knee in front of me to ward off a kick in he groin Hut years of sedentary and licentious living have made me a shadow of my former self and she like most women has got steaddv stronger Look around and youll agree that most women of a certain age could take their husbands In one round with one arm tied behind To add injury lo insult she has been doing exercises of late and has eloped muscles neither of us ever knew existed is a long suffering woman do doubt about it How would you like to be to me for Jo But you can be long suffering and have a short fuse one of lifes little dichotomies She has n fuse about three quarters of an inch in length lake last night or example She had dinner all ready but not cooked Vege tables In the pot ready to turn on Chicken livers in the pan salted peppered floured and ready for a quick fry in butter French fries all ready to dunk the boiling oil We sat down in the living room for one of those intimate chats that are just as much a part of marriage as post coital depression whatever that Is I read it in a book she recently lost her cleaning lady and that coupled with a visit from the grand- boys had put the house cleaning 10 light years behind schedule if you believed It all I listened with my usual interest and sympathy occasionally interrupting to read her fascinating bits from the news paper I was reading Finally I got the drift Sweetie Youre exhausted Let mc get the dinner Over riding her protests I strode into the kit chen calling over my shoulder Just relax You know I can handle everything I kept up a cheery banter from the kit chen Is that all the vegetables were going to have theres enough t chicken liver here to feed a threshing gang Not a sound from inside I thought she was lying back maybe reading the womens page Turned on the cooking nil On high Got the boiling happily Put the chicken livers on high tor that first golden searing Took small libation from the cupboard lo keep my head clear Dumped the french fires in the pot of hot cooking oil Clouds or smoke spatters of grease on walls and self Seems youre supposed to put them a wire basket or something Screams of rage anguish and bad temper Pot of fries torn from my grasp and carried to backyard as billows of smoke posited Continued on Page 6 have developed and right the legis lation which has never showed any tangible benefits Whether this means Acton should leave the Hills trinity or stay is some thing for an independent body completely sepate from vested political or other vested interests to study Ontario Treasurer Darcy has long maintained that costs in municipalities not yet in regional government have in creased almost at the same rate as those where it has been imple mented Mr figures have been disputed by the Acton committee which has done some PICTURE LOANED to the Free Press by Grace Nelles shows students in SS No 12 school Lome School in Teacher in the back row third from the right is Switzer who retired recently after 35 years of teaching Recognize any faces The picture belongs to Mrs Nelles sons investigating in other munici palities but they dont make their case as strong as it could be with out their inclusion Acton councillors Pat and Peter Marks have been quoted as saying that if Acton wants to go it alone their costs would rise dramatically with the present level of service That may be so a committe member points out but Acton cut the cloth to suit when they were autonomous He could see no reason why there should be such a drastic change In any event it is time for a com plete serious reevaluation of reg ional government both by Queens Park the region and the munici palities involved to see whether much touted benefits have actually occurred or the whole exercise has been merely a costly error The Independent Georgetown The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from the Issue of he Free Pre Wednesday July 1987 Acton Legion Choral era were a big hit Expo 67 this week They arrived home lasi night after several days of singing enter taming and sightseeing In a formal service In Trinity United Church last Thursday evening the new minister the Rev Gordon Turner was inducted Six Acton and Rockwood residents aged eight to 19 received minor injuries early on Monday morning when the car in which they were riding went through a stop sign and into a ditch on the Line at Eden Mills The Williamson clan held a centennial picnic at the home farm or Mr and Mrs George Wallace on Sunday June Re latives were there from Burlington Acton Toronto Georgetown and other locations A wonderful time was spent especially meeting relatives who had not seen each other for some years Mr and Mrs A Mrs Mabel Symon and Mrs Marguerite Taylor visited with the formers son Mr Archie and family at Clarkson recently Mr and Mrs Charles Perry were at Expo on the weekend and heard the Choraliers perform Mr and Mrs Jim and family of Montreal and Brian Robertson of who works in Montreal also went to the exhibition to hear the Acton group 20 years ago Taken the Issue of the Free Press Thursday July 1957 Mayor Tyler reported this morning confirmation on the sale of a large indus trial acreage in Acton It is understood industrial site will be developed within a short time and the location of the industry In Acton is finalized It was explained no further details could be released at this time but the picture looks very good according to the Mayor Charles Kelly Browne Honorary Past Grand Master B Ontario West of the Orange Lodge Past District Master Past County Master and Past Commander of the Scarlet will be marching in the July parade at this Saturday with as around town has not missed a parade since he was eight years old and walks in every one Bruce Andrews of Acton member of the Legion Track Club won the Canadian juvenile one mile championship under is years at the Canadian Relay Championships held on Saturday at Varsity Stadium Toronto His time was four minutes 31 seconds This Is a remarkable time for Bruce who celebrated his 16th birthday on Friday Mr and Mrs Earl Lambert Mrs Nelson Lambert Acton and Mrs Hector Guthrie of Toronto left on Saturday for a two week visit with Mr and Mrs Len Lambert of Dartmouth Nova Scotia 100 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday June 1877 The members of the Baptist church here are neither very numerous nor very wealthy and they consequently have not been in a position to support a regular pastor With considerable liberality they recently undertook to expend a consider able money in putting their chapel in a much more comfortable condition of repair The old benches have been taken out and replaced by comfortable seats the pulpit remodelled and the inside neatly painted and decorated On the Sunday the reopening services morning and evening were attended by large congregations On Monday evening a Soiree was held in the Shed under the auspices of the Baptist denomination It was largely at tended and an abundant supply of excellent provisions was furnished Elder Cook gave the history of the church building which some 19 years ago was moved here from The money expended in repairs was about but many members had given freely of their time Subscriptions and col lections have amounted to leaving about yet to be provided for With some further remarks a subscrip tion paper was circulated and the required amount was soon subscribed The people are likely to have a lively time on Dominion Day There are various games and amusements for which has been offered In prizes a under the auspices of the Knights of Good Templars a dramatic performance of Ten Nights in a Bar Room and a social Hop at night The Acton Brass Band has been engaged THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office Priming Co ltd Copyright