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Music lessons at Watsons part of many memories by Jennifer A familiar memory or many people in Acton Now In their and final year in business the Watsons estimate they have instructed well overt students in music Edwin Watson began his musical career early in life As a young boy living in Nassagaweya just off the highway between Acton and Rock wood Edwin studied musical theory and played by ear until he completed elementary school At the age of 14 he joined his family on the farm and let his music lapse During this time he played the piano in a small orchestra at parties Before the days of electronic Instruments an orchestra was a violin or a harmonica and a piano At the age of he became ill with polio and was unable to return to a life on the farm It was then he decided to take up music seriously It was to become his way of life In 1938 Edwin married and he and his wife Florence taught private lessons to children For six years he taught music with the East and West Flam boro school board It was after giving up teaching that Edwinand his wife commuted from their Line home to open the only music store in Acton Their first In 1953 was where Larry House of Buys now stands Mr Watson explained that he had no prev ious business experience and was the only music store from GuelphtoToron to After hours and on Saturdays Edwin and Florence Watson taught music lessons to countless children and adults once taught a man old enough to be my grandfather Mr In the late 1950 Edwin began to play the pipe organ at Eden Mills United church The church had picked up the organ from a Jewish Synagogue soon and Edwin had worked many long hours trying to Install the organ in the church It was at this time that he had to buckle down and teach himself to read music Mr Watson said that as a child he had an exceptionally good ear and never needed to look at a music book If I heard a tune once then I could listen and play It without ever looking at a note he so id Mr Watson played the organ at Eden Mills church for IB years but had to give it up four years ago due to failing health Although they were kept busy through teaching instructing lessons and running a store Edwin and Florence still found the time to raise five children One of their sons lives in one In Kitchener and wo in Belevillc Their only daughter is married and lives in Acton Mrs Vickery has followed in her father footsteps and is now a music teacher at school Through his years as a teacher Mr he found that musical talent does follow a peculiar pattern Through the years I have found that talent comes out quite strong every third gen cration In my travels around the schools I have observed and studied and found this to be quite true lean taccountforit but it does happen he said In his own family the musical talent has spread through to his daughter and two of her three sons Wade and Jamie are quite good at playing the guitar Mr Watson said All of the Watson child rcn played the piano sometime during their child hood Through his years of teaching Mr Watson has found that private lessons are the most valuable to the student In all these years we have never had class lessons always private The only thing students pick up in group lessons are what the other has been five years since Edwin Walton played the pipe organ at Eden Mills United Church As this reporter found out he t lost his touch After students don t know Mr Watson said that guitars were scarce during the and organs were a church instrument Mr Watson said he built one of the first electric guitars years of business at Watson Music Edwin and his wife Florence are closing up shop Photo by Jennifer The idea for a guitar which he is presently refmishing came from the days when he listened to Ray on the radio in I had never seen the guitar but I listened to the sound on the radio and designed it from the knowledge I had of the guitar and the sounds I had heard The guitar Mr Watson built with the help of a friend who designed the amplifier Ten years ago the Watson moved to their home on Victoria Ave Acton At this time he took over the motor license vehicle business He gave up the business a year and a half ago For six years while his wife ran the store Mr Watson worked for Kcates Organ Company It was he who found out and Informed Mr Keates about the available rental space in Acton is now located in the Industrial building His work with organs has included installation of the United church organ in Acton and Eden Mills the church and helping to install toe Christian Reform organ Commenting on the musical sounds of today Mr Watson found it difficult to name a modern day artist with real musical talent He feels there are very few real good guitar players They make noises and noise is not music He said that whenever he hears a band he listens with a critical car The Acton Citizens Band is a good band which works on the quality of their music something that is becoming increasingly rare today according to Mr Watson Mr Watson feels that the musicians of today are letting the quality be sacrificed for the volume Volume is a part of music but not all of It he said Mr WatsonreferredtotheBeatlesasgoodmusic ians but their style lacked soul The music today covers up the soul with noise From his own experience Mr Watson has found music to be a natural ability that must be educated If someone had natural ability and gets the proper training then they can become accomplished If the talent goes uneducated then it is wasted One Hundred and Fourth Year No 32 ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1979 Eighteen PagesTwenty Cents Noisy scene at council but plaza meeting still on Threats of ejection from the council chamber and an actual order to the clerk administrator to escort Henry Joseph consultant for Shopping Centre from the meeting created a shortlived but heated scene at Monday night meeting of HOIS council The eruption began when a letter from Ron Burnett on behalf of the Acton Business Improvement Area asked that a public meeting scheduled for February 14 of March Just as discussion got underway spec tators called out We re from Acton we should be heard Jerry of Shopping Centre said the public should be allowed to talk You promised 300 people they would be allowed to talk said Joseph said they were asked to come to the meeting by the clerk administration and they should be heard He insisted and kept talking despite Acting Mayor Roy Booth telling him he was out of order Finally Booth said sit down or get out Joseph remained standing At this point Booth asked the clerk administrator to escort him out Finally Joseph sat down When the meeting calmed down Mike Armstrong said council had made a commitment to the people to have the public meeting February 14 He said if the consultant is not going to be ready it has nothing to do with the public meeting Councillor Marilyn Serjeantson said she too agreed the meeting should go ahead as planned but was upset with the comments from the audience Councillor Walter opposed the February date He said we arc just going people saying they want more stores Councillor Ross Knechtel said it not the function of council to limit competition but It is their function to see a plan of the community is feasible He said he had no objection to the meeting going ahead as planned He pointed out a commitment had been made and misunderstanding would result from any post pone m Booth said he was upset by the outbursts from the proposed developers but felt the meeting should go ahead An eleventh hour change would only be stalling On the vote to postpone the only Counc llor George and Harry Levy were in favor so the meeting will go ahead on February Sheridan opens first course here For the first time Sheridan College is of a course to be taught In Acton The course which starts In two weeks is tit led Building Better Relationships Acton resident Peter Marks is In charge of the course which is aimed at giving practical and proven keys to encourage greater understanding within a variety of family relationships Some of the topics to be covered are ways to reduce stress anxiety and depression how to enrich a marriage by resolving conflicts plan family goals and values how to encourage responsible behavior in children Acton Trinity United Church is cooperating with Sheridan College in sponsoring the eight to ten week course The course is held Wednesday even ngs in the church Mr Marks is a director of the Marriage and Family Life Assoeja ion as well as being a consultant with the Addiction Research Foundation He Is also a former town councillor For information and reg si ration contact Acton Community Services Centre Row row row your boat Hills Recreation Director Glen Gray lefl and Mayor Peter Fitness week will kick off February 18 with a Regional Winter Pomeroy are limbering up and doing their exercises to help publicize Carnival at Kelso and special events In both Acton and Georgetown Hills first annual ritness Week from February to Photo by MURRAY Chamber told Group effort key to saving downtown Thieves grab church money Silver for Kevin or triple jumps by Brian wai all that stood In the way of figure skater Kevin Parker In his bid for he Canadian Junior Men Championship Kevin an Acton High School student led heading into the final program but dropped to second In the final standing For story page Bl Heart campaign See Page 2- Thieves got away with in collection at St Joseph Church in the early afternoon Thieves pried open a storage box The money was in small bills and change About in cash was also stolen over the weekend during a break and entry at St Joseph school Entry was gained into the building by breaking a window Monday one of the doors on the side of Morse Pro Hardware was tampered with No entry was gained Police are also check the theft of a Homellte chain saw from an l nursery and firewood business last week A window screen was removed and the window opened however entry into a Nelson Court home appears not to have been made Saturday Police continue to invest gale into another case of a bouncing cheque This one involves an person and Store on Mill Street Fraud in the form of cheques here and in Georgetown sparked a continuing investigation by Regional Police last week Cheques for 36 and were passed at the Jewellery and Home Hardware late last year while more recently two cheques amounting to more than were passed at the United Op Store in An Acton resident reported the theft of his car to police Immediate action and group effort by chants of downtown Acton are what Is re quired to save the area according to Chamber of Commerce guest speaker Boris Speaking at the Cham annual meeting Mr told the group that the deterioration of the downtown area In Acton is similar to that of many other small com munities Mr Shean revealed in his speech the findings of a grade 12 marketing and a grade geography class during a survey for the Chamber in the fall of 1978 From the facts pre sented in the survey Mr Shean drew conclusions in his speech and gave recommendations for a better more unified Acton Mr old the of the need for an anchor store in the down town area In the mean time he appealed to the merchants to make all of downtown a drawing card Mr creating a mall atmosphere through the use of trees lights con trolled parking and com signs and awnings Create a mall image while retaining the charm of old Acton he said Mr Shean said the vey concluded that people like the con en ience of shopping locally Other fringe benefits in eluded with local shop ping are friendliness and personal service People completing the survey were dissatisfied with the variety and prices of local stores Price is still a great molivator To keep people in town compete with out of town prices Let s add competitive prices to our image said He also suggested that merchants examine their present advertising pro grams to be sure they are getting the most effective coverage and results Mr Shean recom mended merchants be come involved with local groups and services that new Actonlans are likely to come in contact with as well as creating some themselves Business Improvement Area president Henry Stachyra told The Free Press he was pleased with the speech by Mr Shean We the I A are looking for ward for additional development in down town We have added parking and awnings His speech gave us the en couragement that we were on the right track Continued on Page 3 Inland newspapers capture 22 awards Sister newspapers of this newspaper owned by Inland Publ Co Limited arc nners of awards in Ihe Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association 10 A Better Newspaper Competition Leading the way is The M winner of six awards best all newspaper in class Ontario largest circulation group for newspapers over Other awards for The News in its class are best sports pages best local advertising best classified advertising and In the Premier awards category best photo and best special edition IGjOI and over All newspapers enter the Premier competitions Week is third the same class ciplunng four awards Included are best composition and layout best editorial page and best front page in the divis on The Guardian has the hist front page and best photography in the same class Georgetown Independent is the best newspaper in Class rculation to In addition to best over all Georgetown Independent has the best editorial best sports pages best classified advertising and best news and feature The Canadian Champ on is third in this class The Newmarket Era is third In Class circulation 10 to 16 It also wins best front page best classified advertising and in the Premier division champion correspondent for Mane Wheelers column I ast Inland Publishing Co Limited newspapers captured awards The awards will be presented at theOWNA s annual convention to be held March 1 in Toronto