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The Acton Free Press Wednesday Jan Region can be better When regional government was first proposed Acton councillors joined in its planning as did councillors and citizens throughout the county Proposals were made plans were prepared Acton council wound up its business in a manner designed to use monies at hand in the best way possible for the people They felt they left their affairs in excellent condition as Acton has always been run When the region was begun in January Acton and Georgetown were set into one area and reorganization proceeded as intended In particular our councillors optimistically faced the problems of the new system deter mined that they would make it work Meetings were run in the usual orderly way and the issues that were parochial were talked out Our mayor has said that no local issue ever failed to pass because councillors from other areas deliberately outvoted our representatives However in Acton the people talked together of their feelings of dissatisfaction As a result a group of people got together to put these thoughts down on paper When the region set up a committee to review regional government the for Action committee prepared a brief It was directed from the region to Halton Hills council however as councillors at regional level said the concerns were local Indeed they were The Actonians for Action put out sheets in stores for people to sign and in short order they had over 2000 signatures They prepared a to go to Ontario Treasurer Darcy cKeough requesting a review of regional government Since legislation indicated a review could be ordered with SO signatures they reassembled the required 50 The request of this group was rejected When he spoke to the Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last week region chairman Morrow stoutly defended regional government criticized Acton Support for the fair people and went so far as to refer to separation The Actonians committee asked for a study not for separation Al though at one point there was some street corner discussion on whether Acton would be better off with township oriented to Guelph nothing came of this Where Mr Morrow derived his impressions on separation for Acton we dont know We have never had as many letters to the Editor on any subject as those with criticism of regional government Perhaps he has read these Our three councillors and the people here have cooperated well ith the new system The for Action are indeed speaking for many people but they are doing so a reasoned intelligent and calm way They have been seeking facts as well as responding to emotions Last Wednesday the Liberal task force on regional government set up its hearing in Milton Actonions for Action were there with their brief and outlined their case agiin to the panel of Liberal No councillors from Halton Hills attended this meeting The group has had short shrift from the region their own area council and from the Ontario Treasurers office They responded at a time many here wanted a voice They have done and are doing a most commendable job One of the great drawbacks of the old county council system was its inflexibility for change The one thing that bothers us most now is the continuation of the attitude that there is no room for and fact strong opposition to change at the regional level One of the great hopes for regional government was the expectation that change could be made not for the sake of change but to improve the system of local government Were not opposed to regional government in Acton Were not considering separating Actonweare Quebec were not It is surprising to the many hundreds of people who enjoy the fair to realize the board is faced with a deficit of 7426 Bad weather was a main reason with steady drizzle on the Sunday New president Brent Marshall pointed out and rightly that many groups and individuals benefit from the fair yet do not share the burden of organization or finan cmg Contacts are being made to try to remedy this The fair board is planning fund raising events to try to wipe out some of the deficit Those of us who enjoyed the fair would also do well to support these events Of this and that Surely we received our last Christmas card Tuesday of this week It was mailed in Scotland on November and the past week we received Brian Cnstalls Abbotsford BC news paper well over a month old There were 60 Meals on Wheels delivered last week In case you forgot to make your New Year s resolutions on the first of the year its never too late Start compiling them any time and then do your resolving on any of the following New Years days Chinese February Per March 21 Siamese April Mohammedan April Alexandrine August 29 STONE SWAN HAS SEEN more than one winter and has not fared well at Januarys hands Fate of the inorganic swan mirrors that of Fairy Lakes live waterfowl who are crowded into a small area of open water now and probably not enjoying the experience very much After all duck can never tell their I remember the blizzard of very well This Is because ducks cant talk Theyjustquack ICICLES GLOW IN THE sun as warmer tem peratures returned at least for a while Watery stalactites were photographed Thursday afternoon but had melted by evening the same day Sugar and spice of the most pleasant experiences in the world for those of us who If not over the hill at least sitting at top contemplating with a mixture of dlsma and scored exhilaration the slippery slope we have climbed and the greasy one we are about to descend Is getting hack normal after lurching through the joys of the holidays that end year And if one of my students gave me a sen like that last one on composition I probably tear it to ribbons for lack of coherence and unity But perhaps those very things and he things bo lacking in the holiday season and to which we return with a sigh of relief In the short cold days and long cold nights of January We had a rather bleak Christmas this year Our hearts wire In the right place but my teeth Several of them had joined that little limbo where your teeth go when they decide to leave you to your own devices otherwise known as gums I put a good face on it trying to conceal from my wife with her flashing white teeth my mental spiritual and physical humiliation at having to exist on pea soup soft boiled eggs and medicinal brandy We had the usual fight about the tree finally getting It up after four hours of recriminations tears and explosions or rage and frustration This year we put It in a bucket of wet sand after years of trying to set it up In palls of coal in various tree and on a flat board nailed to trunk As usual It toppled heavily In all directions but the right one and we had to tic it to the wall with string Every year my says other people jet their tree to stand without using string And every tar I defy her to show me one in town thai isn trussed to the wall In some way Christmas dinner I d bought a fat duck Hut the old lady feci like eating an entire duck by herself So we sal around rather vacantly and stared at the luge of under the tree which could not be opened of course because per cent of them were for the boys and the boys weren expected till the day after Boxing Day So the day Ihey did arrive noses running freely we cooked the duck and a roast of beef and a happy time was had by all trying to put frontend loaders and fire trucks and other pi as lc monstrosities together You know there was something to bald for those old days during the Ion when kids got a pair of mltls or and maybe a 15ccnt bubble pipe least the have to spend hours trying to find parts for Tinker Toys and and Sesame St scattered all over the living room They have to try to get together stuff would have taxed Leonardo da Vinci However the were a roaring delight as always and their Gran spoiled them silly and their mother told what was wrong with my entire attitude to teaching she s been at It three months and all the questions and most of the an and heir father drowsed quietly during the piano concert that fallowed and jours truly ran out every hour lo scrape inches of snow off the car Hut this is not normalcy How joyous It is lo gel back lo the old humdrum routine To that thrilling drilling sound of the clock at totter to the bathroom with arthritic joints giving out cracks like by Bill Smiley maple trees in a deep frost and to emerge in threequarters of an hour smelling of shaving cream toothpaste and honest soap another chapter of a novel read How very pleasant It Is wade out to the garage in the barely lighted morning snow flying in all directions scratch the ice off the Inside of your windshield wllh your finger nails and try to start the old beast which emits a couple of grunts like a lady moose in labor and fails totally unforgivably silent How thrilling to get back to work the salvation of many a man and woman and exchange wllty repartee about losing your boots at the New Year Eve party and whose snowmobile broke down and why Jack nose is swollen with grog blossoms and how much white there Is in the driveway And then there the delight of getting home after work and sitting down for one who tells you at Interminable length how to place a dart In a pattern for sewing when all you know about darts Is that II played in a pub And to discover that for dinner you re having Hamburg and onions which you had In the cafeteria for lunch And that the bill for the furnace repairs came to and that the man wants 50 bucks to clean the Ice off the roof and the paper boys claims you owe him for six weeks I don t know about you but I can t stand too many of these holidays the slothful lying In in the morning the staying up until three to watch a late movie the one- hour coffee breaks morning and afternoon It s debilitating It contributes to moral delinquency Far better the comfortable horror of the regular routine of a Canadian winter Our readers write Thoughts on leaving Acton January 1978 Dear Koy It was Ihc spring of nearly 10 years ago when I drove into Acton for the first time I was looking for new accomodation for September when I was to begin my position as head of guidance at Acton High School One of first families to welcome me was the Dills Both you and Dave made me feel quite positive about my move lo Acton am now In my final weeks of employ ment at the High School utter having resigned last month Although I am excited and enthusiastic about my move I find myself becoming reflective and somewhat sad to leave the community In which I have lived worked and made so many friends and acquaintances I moved to several years ago but I have maintained my tics with the people of Acton as a result of my work In the school When I leave at the end of January I will continue my private practice In the persona marriage and family counselling field In addition I will be working as a consultant to business and Industry In Ihis area I would like to thank all the people of Acton who have made our stay in this area both active and enjoyable Some names that I would tike to mention for special thanks are Russell Margie and Carol Patterson Kayo and I and Joanne Marks Sue Sales Gloria Coats the family plus all the present former students and staff members of Acton High Thank you for contributing In significant ways to my life Yours sin Brian D Smell the coffee boys January 1078 Business Association I in I ton Hills Acton Ontario Dear Sirs We would like to comment on your state ment If the Banks were open rlday night and Saturday It would be good for the whole business community First has anyone given a thought to the bank employees Some might be surprised to learn that thoy do not go to work at and leave at 3 They put in a full day like everyone else Including being open until on Thursdays and Fridays Bank employees are not human Nobody believes that they like to spend time with their families or enjoy a meal with them Is that they there to serve the public and don t like to lead normal family lives We would like to suggest the merchants of town stay open until midnight so the bank employees can do their shopping after they get off work Several years ago the local banks ex tended their hours until m We feel this is adequate for this town Many of the people who work out or town also bank out of town It Is outrageous that the Business Association would use extended banking hours to bribe the people to shop In town Wake up and smell the coffee boys until this town gets some decent shopping facilities better quality selection ana decent prices banks could be open hours a day and would Btlil shop out of town Anonymous Acton Free Press The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from Issue of the Free Press of Thursday January IMS Only grandmother In a group of graduates Mrs Nsn Hunt received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the versity of The town office has been moved into the council chambers for a few weeks until their quarters are renovated John Goy was returned as chairman of the parks and recreation committee with Brendan as vicechairman Ted Tyler told the committee they have to make a decision on what to do with Park along the lake on Elisabeth was also discussed Bob was elected to head the planning board for with Sid Salts as vicechairman and Iain Williams as secre tary treasurer Cranston Griese was resent concerning a plan of subdivision for is property The presented a life membership to Mrs Veldhuls years ago Taken from the Isiue of the Free Press of Thursday January G W principal of the Robert Little public school was officially ap pointed International Director of the Ontario Region of the s Men s clubs on Thursday January at the regular meeting held In the Bill of London past International director presented the new director with the official pin of office Progress over the past year in the Acton Citizens Band will be quite noticeable to residents of Acton when the band com mence their summer engagements Added to the ranks recently has been a new drum section with approximately 15 new faces playing bass side and snare drums Principal E Hansen told members of the North Halton school District Board Monday that an additional teacher might be required in the fall to accommodate the Increasing enrollment 50 years ago Taken from the liiue of Free Press ol Thursday January 1928 The first session of the County Council was held on Tuesday afternoon The main item at this initial meeting is always the appointing of a Warden Ex Warden was present at this meeting and with the promptitude that has char his municipal activities presented the customary photograph of the County Council of 1927 The choice of he Warden was an unanimous one for Mr A Blakelock Reeve of Oakvllle The chairmanships of the committee were allotted for 1928 as follows Finance Committee W H Trafalgar Road and Bridge Leslie Esquesing County Buildings A Mason Acton Printing M Near Georgetown Education Burlington Special Communications E Milton Railway Legislation and Nassagaweya The Ontario Bakeries of which Mr Browne is the Acton representative have placed a bright new delivery wagon on their bread route 100 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press January Since the last municipal election affairs have taken a rather curious turn Mr Storey who was elected by a majority of four has disclaimed the election on count as he says of the bitterness of party feeling which prevailed We regret that this election has caused so much ill feeling Persons who were formerly on the very best terms are now bitterest enemies If this kind of thing is permitted to prevail respectable persons will refuse to allow themselves to be drawn into the municipal area The meetings in the chapel are still continuing from night to night The attendance is Targe At present there arc a number of pigs parading our streets The pound keeper should see that they are impounded mediately The Rockwood Dramatic Club presented Ten Nights in a Bar Room In the Union Hall It was well rendered each member fulfilling their part creditably They showed most vividly the harrowing scenes connected therewith and it should serve as a warning not only to those in the habit of frequenting such places but also to those in the business that liquor has the to transform all that Is good and Into that which Is unholy and wretched The thermometer yesterday stood at degrees below THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE 2010 Business and Editorial Office Copyright 1978