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Earthquake victims now living in Acton Steve anil Ballade fled From thiir Immes in June fearing aftershock from an earthquake which almost lomplilrlv their In Greece lire now slaving daughter I is son in law I and grandton I In until Ihev feel resume J life In Greece and I niolhirinit a remain int recce Steve and saw five storey apartment buildings fall like tooth picks They felt the earth move under them and heard screams of people trying escape only to discover there was no place to run An earthquake measuring on the Scale hit Northern Greece In early June leaving many dead and thousands homeless The area had been experiencing small tremors for a week but never expected the devastation which was to literally fall upon them Mr and Mrs are now safe at he home of their daughter Mrs in Alton but for four months they had live in temporary accommodation their lives turned upside down When the earthquake hit the of Thessalonlker Hie couple were in bed They looked out the window and actually saw buildings collapse and prayed for the strength of their own apartment budding Luckily it sustained only a few cracks Amidst the destruction the couple fled the city to go to a brother cottage They were of Iht lucky few who had a place to go Many were forced to live in tents Daily telephone calls daughter I and son in law in Acton soon con vinced them come to Canada for a few months to forget the trauma they had lived through mother also living in the city both brothers and sisters of the local couple wanted to stay with their homes and try to start life over again Mr and Mrs arrived in Acton in early October hoping to wipe the memories from their minds and calm nerves down At and years of age they are not young enough start a new life and insist on returning home in March They realize how lucky Ihey are that they have a home a return to an empty apartment waiting for their None of their relatives had been physically hurt though all had been beared emotion ally The couple hod never been out of Greece before and are finding Canada a wonderful place to be according who translated her parents feelings Christmas in itself is a new experience for Ihcm In Greece explains cele brations are quiet There arc parades no gifts no real Christmas trees They ore all artificial It is a different world here in Canada for the However in spite of he richness they have been experiencing Ihey will be reluming their own country in March memories of a lot of new Acton friends One Hundred and fourth ACTON ONTARIO THURSDAY DECEMBER 28 1978 I Pulling strings 1t a Christmas kiss rum Champion Kerwin looks Ulan I Saturday he I North Junior Roger performed for the In Haton Hills Chairman calls meeting approve development A Jack Chairman Raft is proved he was man of his word when he said he would do whatever he could to encourage development in the region He called a special meeting Wednesday Dec for council lo approve an apartment development in the Georgetown urea of Hills Hills needed the region approval in order to complete the necessary requirements before a build permit could be issued By issuing i permit this year the town qualified for a incentive Peter Pomcroy said he regretted hiving to ask for i special meeting but the matter had been allowed to lie dorrmm The legion authorized he execution of between itself and the apartment builder ham NcNallv Construction Council greed to reimburse the developer for part of east of a main which is to be con rue ted A letter of credit wis approved as was a to reimburse Ihe region for liny penalties or administration expenses Mayor said councils approval was beyond expectation tie sua it was an example of regional government in action Not all councillors ap proved the manner in which ihe business was passed Laurie Terry son respectively from questioned the motions Mr M said I m suspicious of something being radically wrong by ramming it home at this lime I just don like the way this is going Although Mr questioned the regional solicitor Dennis on the apartment the mailer was approved by the of councillors Council also passed pro posed plans for in Hills and Burlington Early morning blaze guts Crewson Corners building Brampton man fined on fatal carbike crash Fin gutted i three rnnm Corners this morninc owned im within s fin I seem first in I tin chief s used for Mr Mrs celebrated Ihelr anniversary on Boxing Ids win lark ni is In hi in their are 60 years wed Trustees trim funds A motion to step up energy conservation in schools was approved by School Board Thurs day minus any to spend money The original motion from trustee Len Auger called for funds to help the board follow through with cutting energy use in schools The of any such measures initiated has to be less than the estimated cost of the energy saved over a period of four years states the written motion in part the motion was approved presented money would be sought by the energy managenitnl committee for consultants who would look at two or three schools which waste heat and light Tlie Oakville trustee watered down the consultant steps and agreed as long as the following are taken while keeping an acceptable learn ing environment minimize the of energy provide the chance for participate in activities that will icach them to and protect natural resources Mr who In re the fnme slru when the fire truck hive vcirs Their is i bridge Tnhclpcnmbitlhmes lis wilh his wife in heir home in the dure In first kiuw of the Thv hive no telephone lived it row sons ibout dist incc south of we si i pump Free Press 20 The price of Acton Free Press lo cents next week from the present It cents Publisher Don McDonald says the increased of material and labor midc the men ise Most weekly newspipcrs mere price lo cents igo he si id Press has been able hold the price until now However inflationary trends and men for mileml and makes thi five cent necess Some of increise will he pissed on to retail outlets Sixty years of marriage were celebrated Boxing Doy and Hie couple has been active community life all their married life and are very well known They are members of ind active in the Knox Presbyterian church Mr and Mrs were married in Wyevale on December 1928 Upon moving to Mr wis a and in the past few years of his he kepi shop in the front of their John St home The couple have three children daughter Helen of Jaek of Montreal whopaida surprize visit on Tuesday and Hill at home A small parly was held for Mr and Mrs Year end review Tuesday the visitors wis Pom troy who presented the couple i plaque They ilso received a letter from Julian and plaque from the Ontario Christmas eve house fire Christmas spirit went up in smoke for f irmly of William as fire extensive dmnge in their It Milton home Christmas eve According Hills fir chief Mick Holmes an of dam ige could not be releastd However he did say was extensive smoke and fire dining throughout The ire department responded to the The memory of a fatal traffic accident haunts a Brampton man who wis con in Milton day but Hit judge made it plain the penally is solely for the error in Mr Hermans driving and does reflect the gravity of the result It s haunted him since September quite I think it will haunt him for the rest or his life defence lawyer K Harris old the court The died of injuries she suffered ifltr the bicycle she wis ridinc to Acton on High way wis struck from Ihe rear the car driven by Mr Hermans Miss was on her way to at the Heller and Company planl when the miship il ipproximatcly I see the bicycle until I hit it said Mr Her mans on the stand Prom testimony from witnesses and Mr the court learned he drove ibout feel until he hit bike with light from he sun in his Meanwhile he wis paying ittention lo a line of oncoming Mr told the court he was keeping to the right of is much is possible He slipped immediately ifler Mr Hermans was int from I Ontario The sun had bothered him earlier in the morning so he flipped the visor down OPP con stable Jules who arrived at the accident scene soon after said he was not bothered by sun too much once he got over a small crest west of Ihe scene Defence counsel Hams introduced evidence from witnesses that here is glare off dark pavement and that the was freshly faced with asphalt investigitlng officer Terry Might from the Milton detachment said there were no lines on Highway Seven Crewsons Corners Visibility w is clear accird to officer It never my mind to a hike there said Mr Hermans Why yuu brake when could i see right portion of tht road asked Crown Brian I should hive sir I should hive replied Mr ins from the stand Tlie definition of driving under the Highway Traffic Act used the crown is driving without due consideration of other per sons using the highway Milton officer Mr Hermans as despondent and during lie investigation coopera Keith Hill of George town was one of Ihe drivers in westbound lane who witnessed the accident and who with others slopped lo help Someone went to a near by home to beg blankets and nt police Miss who had ittended High School died in Georgetown and trie Memorial Hospital about in hour ifter Ihe incident Town hall group pleas for pledges cry mail box in tow n is he Hall Committee lasl week Residents received i one olive colored plea for funds lo save Ihe century hall on Willow Street Hills cording to committee gave the people of Acton until years end lo prove ihey to keep the red brick The mailing came so lite in the year to committee member Doug I read Bower Avenue because the committee is reluctant to interfere with campions eonduclcd in the fall is only com in Hills without a municipal owned public hall according to the A senior citizen is suggested as a use for a restored building as are the following a meeting all for civic groups and service clubs i central hall and municipal office space Restoration will cost Grants could cover ill to of this sum People of Acton must pledge this before these prints can be obtained town hill hosted much stales the pledge form Treasurer indicates tax rise of 3 per cent Hilton I per cent 1979 it the first meeting of fimnce ind ad mmistnlion committee Dec regional Ireisurer Hon Farmer siid in irntiil sludy of next years costs indicated an increase of i per cent could be possible However the forecast t include projected cost of policing and roads Committee in of said ihe committee is of percent thief executive off He id s objectives he has been sludvint with reLird Ihe budget are LXiminitif existing services pi inning for the inticipaled of existing staff levels ind die budget on i net gross irm ivorsonthe committee hid solid figures in next voir Over 400000 damages irs six fires plagued 1978 Acton volunteer fire fighters saw Iheir hardest year ever with almost in damages caused by six fires The biggest fire was the destruction of the Canadian Tire warehouse on the July 1 long weekend Five families were left homeless in five separate blazes one of which also destroyed a family bus Shoes It was also a year of change In the town as the fallowing synopsis of 1978 will show January January Ron who two weeks ago became the first harness driver to win more than SI million in purse earnings in one year of driving in Canada broke a second mark in racing as he won his 300th race of Ihe year driving Kaloomba A to victory In the ninth race at Greenwood January Peter Dunham president of the Tanners Association of Canada and of and Co is harshly critical of those importers and retailers who have been objecting to quotas on imports innounced by the federal government December 1 January 18 The fight opposing proposed kV hydro power corridor from Bruce lo Milton Is not dead by any means according to Interested Citizens Group spokesman John Minns January sion will be given the Acton townhall restoration com mil tee lo give members lime to determine what funding may be available on a pledge basis February One of the most intense storms in a drove furious winds and snow ihrough the district Ac were common many people were Schools and stores and bus closed early The storm circled a hub of low pressure that set a record for Ihe years Ihey have been kept Winds reached up to kilometres hour Tow truck owner Frank lost a leg In an accident during the storm Mr had been called to pull a police cruiser out of Ihe ditch He was working at rear of his truck when a northbound car blinded by the driving snow rammed him into his Off duty police con stable Alex and Ken Chappell rushed to the scene and transported Mr to Guclph General Hospital in Mr Chapel station wagon as they could not wait for an ambulance February According to a draft of the regional budget taxes for regional purposes will range from an increase of per cent in urban George town to a decrease of 15 per cent in the former lown of February 15 Damage is at following fire which completely destroyed Shoe Store Mill St at supper time fire fighters from Acton and Georgetown fought the flames for six hours wiring Is blamed blaze than hours later on the same street forced Mr and Mrs Cory Van Merkestein and son Shawn to from their home about three am as flames engulfed the entire house The Ihree had been forced lo jump from a second floor balcony Mr Van sustained back injuries in the jump and he and his wife were trans ported lo Georgetown hospital in ambulance Damage was estimated Hills has decided to buy the former Bakery on Willow St for downtown parking March March Fire ripped a owned by Mr and Mrs Colin causing In damages March Ontario Minister Reuben placed he fate of the finished parts of the v Hydro corridor the op his priority list after a meeting in Toronto In the construction of hydro towers of the to I lines has reached Highway March 10 The Acton town hall has been declared safe by the Ministry of and tht building has been condemned Neither the k hydro corridor or Ontario cabinet are being moved by a plea for a rerouting of the line cheaper and what some ex perls consider a belter route Ulan the proposed route from Hie Bruce generating station lo Milton March The Province Hills have agreed huge Acton Last develop ment cast of Churchill will have lo be put on hold Sewage capacity was cited as the reason March Alexander Best former Continued on