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The Acto Free Press Wednesday Feb 1 1978 Were all affected Anyone seriously interested the future of Halton should attend the Acton area meeting to discuss the draft official plan for the Halton planning area It will be held in the library on Wednesday Feb 8 It too often happens that few people attend this kind of meeting We re sure the library isnt ex an overflow crowd But the importance of the docu ment is impossible to estimate Its decisions will affect us for years Do we want our population in Halton Hills to increase from to 000 in 1986 and to 50000 in What about farm lands What about open space transport sewage water waste man agement utilities and industry The document goes a lot further than these basic issues It includes a section on our heritage sup porting the conservation of hen features On social and health services Energy The Niagara Escarpment These decisions will touch all of our lives We are being given an to come talk and ask Welcome Canadians Welcome French speaking Canadians A list has now been compiled of who speak French and it has been distributed to gas stations restaurants and other places where travellers might be able to stop here If these people have any tions or problems the proprietor of the business can now refer to the list of local people willing to help There are seven names on the list with phone numbers It was all Clarkes idea A French speaking man came into the town office recently looking for the post office While she was able to communicate fairly well she thought it would be better to have a list of people who could speak French She made a few contacts and had some volunteers and now her idea has become reality Acton will be able to give a friendlier welcome now to French speaking travellers Walking in winter Many more people than ever be fore are making a point of enjoying the outdoors in the wintertime After last leeks storm cars lined the roads near the popular areas for crosscountry skiing tobogganing and walking on park trails If you havent any special equip ment walking is still a delight on cold and sunny days Good advice for people on winter trails Tell someone where you plan to go and when you will return Dont start out on a long trail late in the day Try not to overexert yourself while getting into shape tired muscles are easily injured Concentrate on exhaling for cibly it is very effective in reducing the tiring effect of strenuous exercise Keep an eye out for landmarks On longer or unfamiliar trails carry a compass and map Never cross a lake or stream without knowing the ice conditions Travel with a party of three or more In case of a mishap one can remain while one goes for help Be prepared for emergencies When snowmobihng carry a spare drive belt spark plugs toolkit and first aid ket When skiing carry a first aid kit and spare ski tip Do not build fires along the trail Stay on the marked trail If you fall while crosscountry skiing and damage the trail repair or retrack the trail If snowmobihng avoid travelling on the ski trail Carry your garbage Clothing should be lightweight yet loose It is better to wear several light sweaters than one thick heavy one Use a backpack or a when carrying food wax extra socks etc Tuck your inside your socks keep them from getting Mittens keep hands warm longer Always take a hat along if you get cold put it on Feeling Limit perspiring if possible If you sweat now you will be cold later Anticipate becoming cold Put extra clothing on before you need them not after Eat high energy food and drink plenty of warm beverages If you are cold exercise to in crease circulation and body warmth Practice the buddy system Check your buddys face for frost bite the affected area will turn white Usually the first areas af fected are nose forehead cheeks and ears those areas exposed to the wind In colder conditions the hands and feet can suffer from frostbite The safest way to deal with frost bite is to gradually warm the af fected area with body heat Remove gloves or tight boots and put hands or feet of the victim inside your jacket and under your armpits A sympathetic ear The Globe and Mail reporter who attended the Liberal Travelling task force meeting on regional government in Milton titled his column Singing Regional Blues Its still out there the fierce resentment of this child of the Davis majority years Norman Webster wrote Regional govern ment or the fear of it certainly played a part in keeping large sections of southwestern Ontario in the Liberal column last year Its a sore spot one the Liberals in particular intend to keep probing He included Norm Elliott and Lou remarks as well as those of former Actonian Dave Katz Mr Webster seems to have had a sympathetic ear Lou Bonnette from Acton tells a comicopera story of his struggles with layers of bureaucracy Mr Katz says the most discour aging thing is that despite all predictions to the contrary regional government will not benefit his children and grand children and for this reason it discourages becoming involved discourages the assumption of personal responsibility It is too remote and bureaucratic The point from Dave lingers in the air Are people in creasingly saying Whats the use If history is harsh on William Davis it will be for these reasons That really was the message from Milton Mr Webster concluded And the snows came Sugar and spice by bih smuey O Mitchell well known res peeled Canadian writer came out with something on a national TV Interview with which I wholeheartedly concur He suggested more or less that every thing hot is wrong with the Canadian character can be blamed on our Canadian winters After couple of months of winter we feel harassed persecuted vaguely wronged We become insular grumpy gloomy and generally unfit to live with When has snowed and for a couple of weeks on end or a couple of months on end as it has around our place you arc ready to kick the tat complain about the cooking snarl at your children or quietly climb into Iht bathtub and open your wrists I haven any figures but I II bet our suicide rate soars after the holiday season when we face three months of being cold and being broke I insult anybody by making this bet in Canadian dollars Make it yen or marks or francs I would like to expand on this and make the bet on divorces and deaths People get to the point about the end of January where they can t stand themselves let alone their spouse so they split up Old people and sick people huddlcdathomeor in hospital get so sick of living that they just up and die You will retort that a lot of affairs begin in mid winter This is true But it not love Most of them are among the ski crowd and it sex or a desperate measure to keep warm I can t Imagine anyone falling in love while whining through farmers fences on a snowmobile or shoving a car out of a snow bank What I can imagine is a sober decent citizen perhaps a kindly retired clergy man committing murder with a shovel the town plow has refilled his drive way Tor the fourth time in hours I can contemplate with some sympathy the ordinarily happy housewife and loving mother being hauled into court for child battering just after her kids with friends have trooped in with half a ton of snow and slush on their boots and marched across the kitchen floor she has scrubbed three days in a row You may think I exaggerate I do not I one of the mildest sweetest chaps you d ever encounter have seriously considered mayhem when some lurkey with bald tires starts up an icy hill ahead of me skids sideways across the road and leaves me there with my wheels spinning and smoke coming out of my ears I not against winter in principle Just against winter in Canada They can have all the winter they like In principle Nor am 1 unaware that there is a tiny benighted portion of our populace that thoroughly enjoys winter Children on the whole love it Instead of going through red lights on their bicycles and being killed by cars they can dart out from between two snow banks into the path of a car that is sashaying along on glare ice Teenagers another notoriously unstable group also seem to like winter Instead of breaking their legs riding motorbikes or their necks In speedboats they can break Our readers write Snowflakes Extend a hand An Acton man just back from Hamilton says anyone who com plains about Acton streets should see Hamiltons Our snow removal is vastly superior he says This would have been a good year to have help in plowing main side walks from the town Council is considering snow removal on side walks Although the work supenn tendent says the interlocking paving cant be plowed there are other sidewalks that would benefit from some help alright Especially this year 152 Mill Street West Acton Ontario January 1978 Mrs Kay Dills Editor Acton rec Press Willow Street Acton Dear Mrs Dills Without doubt the sympathy of the entire community has on Prank who suffered a grievous injury in the loss of a leg during towing operations at the height of last week storm We would like to suggest that we all could extend a hand to Mr Toth by starting a fund In his name We re certain through your good auspices the local banks and hotels would be pleased to set up donation boxes where the community could make its con cern known in a tangible way Only the victim can appreciate the con sequences and concerns accompanying such a traumatic experience Yet we can all realize the therapeutic benefit and boost to morale accruing to Mr when he witnesses the sympathy and support of his community Others may already have suggested such action In which case merely consider this letter in support Enclosed is our donation to Mr and our wishes for a speedy successful recovery and return to his business Sincerely Editor note We trust the banks and hotels will follow through on this excellent idea their legs riding snowmobiles and their necks on a ski hill At any given time in any given winter half a dozen ski bums ore dumping around in the average high school with casts on their legs Curlers loo don to mind the winter They drive in a heated car to a heated and often luxurious curling club where they can run up and down the ice for two hours in beautiful tight pants and ihcn sit around drinking and dis cussing every rock thrown ad nauseam The only thing more boring is a golf four some going over every shot in the bar But at least they have the sense lo do it in One other segment that professes to love winter is the swinging singles Every weekend they pile out of the city in their thousandsheadingrortheskihills And he chalets And the big drinking sessions And the chance of meeting Mr Big or Ms Boobs And on Sunday night after spen ding perhaps wo hours skiing often none they pile back in their fast cars and head for home a menace to everything on the road They re in the same category as the same singles who do the same thing in summer except that the ski mob the city slickers don know how to drive in snow But ask anybody sensible If he loves winter Ask a hydro lineman Ask a mow plow operator who has to work a double shift Ask a cop It not necessary I believe to ask a guy who has a fuel oil franchise Aside from the sights of winter red runny noses slush and ball all over your front lawn BOO pounds of icicles hanging from your caves there are the sounds side and rattle and slam of the window at a m The sweet howl of the wind about your windows The crash of falling ice The thump and gulp of the furnace sucking its life blood My solution Either give It back to the Indians poor devils or send everybody over south for six months and let the other idiots revel in it And pay the bills This and that Thursday is Groundhog Winter cant get worse but it can get longer Check the shadows tomorrow February the month of love and affection Neighborly News and its Over 90 birthday club mentioned Acton several times during the year The CBC program is heard Sunday mornings The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from the lime of the Free Press of Wednesday January 31 IMS More than residents crowded into school to learn details of the proposed dam and lake at The dam proposed by he Grand River Con servo on Authority would cover acres of land north west of town The Everton site was one of three surveyed Hespeler and Guelph were also considered of said The Authority thought it could do the most with the least amount of dollars from the site The town engaged Ernie Marks as building inspector A resolution was also passed that the building Inspector be paid 100 per cent of the building permit fees with a minimum yearly salary of The annual meeting of Eden Mills United Church heard from treasurer Marshall who reported an Increase in envelope donations off set an increase in expenses The books balanced with some credit 20 years ago Taken from the Free Press February 13 Ricky Ironside and Mrs Anthony Ironside had the misfortune to receive a fractured shin bone while skiing near Acton last Sunday Con valesdng at home with his leg in a cast Rick claims he intends to raise money for the Red Cross by charging for the privilege of autographing the cast Acton Model Railroad club sponsored a teen dance at the Y on Friday with over boys and girls present Over 300 attended the annual Junior Farmer drama festival at the Robert Little school on Friday Mrs Dunham of Acton acted as adjudicator The Norval group had the best play A new store and apartment building i being constructed at the corner of Mill and Elgin St by Albert Van Gils Members of I who received awards were Kay Joan Eleanor and Marjorie Edwards Mrs s Music and Movement group of children will appear on Kitchener TV Helen Benton and Jon Hurst will be singing solos 50 years ago Taken from the issue of Free Press of Thursday February From Clerk Former we the following vital statistics for Acton for the past year There were births registered in Acton last year marriages were recorded and deaths Clerk Farmer issued 19 marriage licenses To keep in close touch with the growth of the plant of the Acton Tanning Company here it seems to be imperative lo pay fre quent visits to this manufacturing establishment Starting last week another new department was added to plant The Free Press found that the new department was just getting here This new part of the plant will manufacture from the leather produced at the tannery skate straps slicker straps and in fact any description of straps in quantities pump washers and valves from the largest to the smallest The Mason Orchestra have this year arranged for a dance to celebrate St Valentine s Day It will be held on Friday evening February 10 in the Town Hall here Bert Davidson is the floor manager The posters promise a good lime for young and old and the prizes will be allotted for old time as well as new time dances The Mason Orchestra will provide the music WO years ago Taken from the issue of the Press of Thursday February Georgetown skating rink is to open with a grand masquerade February and it Is to be hoped that Ihe entertainment will be infinitely belter than the shabby posters which announce it The school board has appropriated to be used in supplementing the public library A farmer named John Butts from near Crewsons Corners took a load of wood to the TR station in this village on Saturday last and while returning when directly opposite the Disciple Meeting House one of his horses fell dead The horse was a valuable one The New Presbyterian Church at Hornby was duly opened last week The proceedings were entirely in keeping with the known dignity of the Presbyterian body there was no soliciting or sub scriptions The furniture and all necessary fixtures wa about This has all been provided for THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE 853 2010 Business and Editorial Office Copyright