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The Acton Free Press Wednesday Nov press Don McDonald Publisher in 1H75 is jeeepted on in of sing lot bo or Iho In of Ftoo Praia is pa pom which Tha Ian Tho Burlington Post town Independent Mark no tho Inland Publ Co Limited group of news AJaWWhl I by Pooling Advertiser Brnmpton Guard Poll hom Economist Sun Tho Canadian Champion Em This WoeW ind Tho Tnbuno EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor Murray District Eric Sports Contributor Helen ray ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT I Cook Solon BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE I CoolynAticm DEPARTMENT n TELEPHONE 853 Business and Editorial Office A day to remember Sunday is the day set aside to publicly remember the dead of two world wars and the Korean conflict The Royal Canadian Legion will be conducting vices at the Acton cenotaph The service is similar to other years with the traditional hymns sounding of the last post and reveille the reading of names of those who died in the wars that were fought to end all wars Wreaths will be laid symbols of grtef for those who fell Appropriately November pro vides some of the gloomiest weather of the year as a setting for the ceremonies Sometimes there is thin sunlight and the splashes of colour from veterans medals glint as they swing along in orderly file for the annual rites Its a solemn occasion and it should remind us that our way of life our freedoms our agree ments to disagree about many things were not bought cheaply Few families in town or district have escaped the scourge of war Take a few moments on Sunday even if you cant attend the ceremonies at the cenotpah and think of those who made the sup reme sacnfice or were affected in any way physically or mentally by wars Then say a prayer for them and for Canada that she never has to go to war again to preserve freedom Air views on playground Dear Sir The article dealing with the installation of playground equipment in the green space adjacent to Division Street is poor Journalism at best The piece is fraught with innuendo regarding the attitude taken by property owners whose homes border the area in question At no time has the Free Press attempted to talk to the dir affected homeowners to obtain their opinions and concerns but has seen fit to print an article based on second hand and obviously biased Information When the subdivision was developed people purchasing property bordering on the greenspace were charged a premium for this privilege The area was identified as green space and not playground and has such for the post tight years Therehasbcennohuenndcry toal ter the status of the area as It was enjoyed by many child and adult alike in its ural condition At some prior point the municipality had engaged a consultant to study recreational needs in Hills Keeping In mind that consultants are in business to make money they produced a report detailing recreational requirements for the various areas of the Town The need for development of park was a product of text book analysis rather than necessity At this point it should be noted that wo realize our position ed by the change In status from greenspace to playground What should concern them however is the carte- blanche adoption of any con report without due consideration to other priorities and requirements and the attitude of seme town officials towards anyone who questions their programs The equipment did not grow there whatever its cost it was paid for by tax dollars In spite of what appeared in your article the only notice residents directly affected by installation of the equipment received was when Councillor approached one resident known to him personally shortly before the equipment was to be installed It soon became apparent that many of the residents were displeased by the poor planning and design that went Into the initial package of works Residents went out of their way to re arrange schedules on three occasions when they were told that Mr would come to the site and discuss the sit however to their chagrin the meet ing was not forthcoming The sketch of the proposed works sub sequently provided was basic in content and devoid of detailed information The of this lettersized sketch on a board on Main Street would not seem to negate the obligation on the part of Town Officials to advise and consider those individuals who would be directly affected by the Installation of the play ground equipment Particular exception Is taken to Mr comment that the residents are taking a selfish attitude and dislike hav ing the space put to use Perhaps he is not aware that children have been using the park these past years for football base ball soccer kiteflying and many other pursuits that did not involve climbing a 12 foot structure Possibly there is some thing wrong in allowing children to pursue spontaneous and imaginative recreational activities without the psychological slim provided by program equipment The installation of this piece of equipment has verified what resident had predicted in that It has attracted many older children and teenagers from various areas Acton with younger children forced to stand back while the bigger ones take over throwing sand and using abusive language to anyone who attempts to check them Several children have been Injured already after falling or Jumping from the structure which is often overcrowded thereby increasing the possibility of a serious Injury Judging by your quote In the article Mr Shcpard does seem to have a somewhat flippant atUtude toward the possibility of a serious Injury as a direct result of the Installation of this equipment Your quote attributed to Mr Dunn sh ould also be put Into context as he does not occupy property directly adjacent to the site and Is an employee of the mun How many busy mothers would agree with his comments concerning smaller children and the fact that they require supervision where none was necessary before because the town Instal led a potentially dangerous facility It is apparent that the Free Press has attempted to depict the residents on Dlv islon Street directly affected by the In of playground equipment as fish child haters Your motives can only be arrived at through conjecture but your credibility as a community newspaper that could be relied upon to provide curate and complete accounts has been seriously damaged HasslerH Hassler Linda Webster Vic Webster Rick Gooding Gooding Rick Sleep Liz Sleep John Barratt Audrey Barratt A Irwin Mnry Irwin Valerie Irwin Margaret Box Lock- wood Karen Fraser Reld Lynda Robert Em Mr and Mrs C Jago Mr and Mrs D Pratt Trotter Nick Trotter Couple made Halloween Hallowe en sure isnt what it used to be When I was a child we used to start work ing on our costumes about the first of Oct the point being to be totally unrccog nimble on Halloween night We used to scour our brains to think of ways to scare each other Getting the treats was great sure but It wasnt the main point of Halloween as It seems to be today The kids come to the door in paper costumes or even regular clothing Intent only on getting as much candy as possible I guest thats why I feel that the people who operate the Haunted House on Road deserve a public thanks I dont usually take my children that far but wed heard so much about this house as we started out that my boys aged 8 and wanted to go It wasnt hard to find The house was totally dark except for a red outside light Wisps of old hung from the archway and the door Moans and groans horribly realistic sounded softly from inside The door opened and out swooped a terrifying version of what I think was The Hunchback and cither witch or a corpse gliding behind him Both totally in black with white dead faces I now realize wo were the only ones left near the house Too embarrassed to run though I sure wanted to I froze I was holding my little girl by the shoulders In front of me my 6yearold I had by the hood till I noticed he was trying to shed his coat to get away yelling all the while My 8yearold meanwhile had In those few seconds made it four houses up the street running for his life Deserted Laura and I stood Silently the creatures waited only their white faces showing in tho darkness The hunch back beckoned his cape swirling and I gently pushed Laura forward He darted close dropped a treat Into her bag and after a few swoops towards the people on the sidewalk the two of them glldea back into the house To the wonderful couple who gave their evening for the enjoyment of the children and also many parents of the neighbour hood I must say your performance was horribly spinetingling a real thrill for everyone who saw it You have the real spirit of the occasion and not only did you teach the children real meaning of Halloween but Im sure you helped more than just a few adults return to the Halloweens of our childhoods Jeff TVS If MO PROBABLY APS Smileys heart goes out to city dwellers in the Fall This is a time of year when my heart goes out to citydwellers Its a time when rural or small town living Is immensely superior to that in the concrete canyons the abominable apartments the sad suburbs of metropolla In the city day ends drearily in the fall Theres the long wearying battle home through traffic or the draughty crushed degrading scramble on public tratis The city man arrives home fit for nothing but slumping for the evening before the television set And what greets him The old lady would up like a steel spring because she hasn seen a soul she knows all day theres nothing to look at but that stupid house next door exactly like their own and the kids been her hell He stuck with It For the whole even Thats why so many city chaps have workshops In the basement It much simpler to go down cellar and whack off a couple or fingers In the power saw than listen to Mabel Life Is quite different for the small town male He is home from work in minutes He surveys the ranch says Must get those storm windows on one of these days and goes In to the good fall smells of cold drinks and hot food His wife saw him at breakfast again at On the resident and former Pierre donned his skates recently for the Chicago Black Oldtlmers when they faced the St Louis Blues Old timers thats hockey for those less sports minded than myself Judging from the Toronto Maple Leaf game I was at Saturday night Toronto could use some of those socalled Oldtimcrs Acton could soon become household word around Montreal and not Just because of local travel agent Rick Bon wild weekends there The Montreal Canadlena a centre named Keith Acton with the team Next weeks regional councillor race could go down to the wireor In this case the hair Both candidates incumbent Ed Wood and challenger Dave Whiting sport dashing beards although theyre beards of a different color And they todays generation Isnt learning their three anybody notice anything funny about ward two municipal council candidate Sheldons lawn signs Whoever was the overseer of Mrs Slieldona signs seemed not tosee a lunch has had a good natter with the dame next door and has been out for two hours raking leaves Willi the kids She doesn need him Instead of drilling off to the basement the small town male announces that this Is his bowling night or he has to go to a meeting of the Conservation and Slaughter Club and where a clean shirt And that all there Is lo It While her city counterpart squats in front of TV gnawing her nails and won why she didn marry good old George who has a big dairy farm no the small town gal collects the kids and goes out to burn leaves There is nothing more romantic than the back streets of a small own In the dark of a fall evening Piles of leaves spurt flame White smoke eddies Neighbors call out lean on rakes Women kerchiefed like heap the dry leaves high on the fire Kids avoid the subject of bedtime dash about the fire like nimble gnomes Or perhaps the whole family goes to a fowl supper What in city Ivllng can com pare with this finest of rural functions A crisp fall evening a drive to the church hall through a Hallowe en landscape an appetite like an alligator and that first wild whiff of turkey and dressing and the ling mistake Councillor Is on several signs If wins I guess this will make her one of a councillor The ghosts and goblins were out in full force Friday night to no ones surprise However one thing I was surprised about the kids dont seem as greedy as in my day Local youngsters came trooping to our door carrying plastic shopping bags orange plastic pumpkins and tho all fav pillow cases However there didn t seem to be too many garbage bags full of goodies As a youngster growing up in Colling wood In tho days of no inflation our Halloween haul was much more worth while After we were old enough to go out without my older brother and sister my younger sister and 1 would take our gar bage bags and hit the streets We had It down pat up one side and down the other side of each street Wc did have some restrictions We wercn tallowed to go past the railroad tracks or down by the bay Georgian Bay Past the railroad tracks was too far away and down by the water was too dark and scary anyway so we never went out of bounds Anyway once we got our garbage bag full we went home dumped the load hid our Potato chips so our Dad wouldnt cat them and headed out again Usually by the time that bag was three quarters full most people had run out of goodies Once In for the night wc sorted out our loot quite similar to gangsters going over the nights take I didnt like tho candy so It went into my bro thers pile but I got all his black suckers hated those candy kisses and put them in Dads pile In return I got to stay up just a little lomtcr Juices flow free in your cheeks But It on weekends that my pity for the citydweller runneth over Not for him the shooting match on a clear fall Saturday with Its good humored competition its easy friendliness Not for him the quiet stroll down a sunny wood road shotgun over arm partridge and woodcock rising like clouds of mosquitoes It s not that he doesn t live right or deserve these pleasures It s just that its physically Impossible to get to hem easily If he wants to crouch in a duck blind at dawn he has to drive half the night to get there Maybe on a Sunday or holiday in the fall the city family decides to head out and see some of that beautiful autumn foliage They see It after driving two hours And with 50000 other cars they crawl home in late afternoon bumper to bumper the old man cursing the kids getting hungrier the mother growling Small town people can drive for 15 mm and hit scenery at least around here that leaves them breathless Or they wheel out a Tew miles to sec their relatives an the farm eat a magnificent dinner and sit around watching TV in a state of del clous torpor It tough to live In the city in the fall So this year when the kids dropped In I deliberately took nolli of what they were carrying and how much was In it Sure Is sad inflation has hit the Halloween bas kets One pointer to the kids for next year tho way to get the most is not to go out at all It was Halloween was stricken with measles Thats when older siblings come in very handy they went out trick or treating they told the adults about their poor sick sister home in bed not able to come out Sympathy seemed to product twice many candles that night Within a few minutes they came back with my bag full of candy and went out again and again f I ve been out trick or treating only once In at least 10 years and that was In my first Acton Halloween And I didnt take any bag at all Janet Marshall and Carolyn Artem then Duval and myself hit several houses In town This weekend Is the annua high school commencement Most of us have been through it the reunions with old school chums the long speeches the applause of our parents and former teachers that unending walk across a stage or whatever trying lo remember which hand you shake with and which hand you take your diploma with the special awards that you know darn well arc for the others not for you the final singing of your school song and then the end A goodbye to the people you promise to write to but never do But despite all graduations being the same each one la a special moment to those Involved Congratulations to ell tho graduates The road ahead may be rocky at times but In the end Its all worth It Back issues 10 years ago November 1970 Hallowe en was quiet according to generous householders The subdivisions in particular were thronged with children many with the now familiar boxes A couple of signs were bent firecrackers and eggs thrown Pert Pat Kcntner plays the female lead in There A Girl in my Soup in the George town Little Theatre presentation Principal Dave Katz kicked off the football game The fear some teachers who won were Bill Coals Jim May John Brian Earl Keith Black Wally Rowley and Boris She an Receiving Ontario scholarships at commencement were Marie Timbers Cheryl Lee Nancy Morris and Mark Hurst A record graduated Including Marsha McKenife and Patricia Last who were granted early admission to the University of Acton s population is up to 4 Another in the series of proposals for development of the and Vyse farms came before planning board Chair could take nine months to a year 20 years ago Novembers 1960 About zoo children gay in the downpour collected pennies for on Halloween Proceeds to date are about There was a party at the Y afterward Costume winners were Brian Binnie Lynda Hams Fiona Gidman John Bcatty Heather McGcachie and Billy Hansen Transport for the children was arranged by the Rotary Men and Lions Scout troops United Church young people and Rovers patrolled on toot years of service with the C N R were recognized when Jim telegraph operator was presented with a year pass He waved the allclear signal No Friday night just before he retired He was also presented with a gold watch and sum of money by fellow workers James Henry Reed former school at tendance officer passed away Mrs Amos Mason who helped her husband establish Mason Knitting Co In the former municipal power house passed away Her husband was the town first mayor Once manager of the theatre Bill Leslie has died Lome president of the Citizens Band is widely mourned 50 years ago Novembers Halloween provided lots of fun and the property damage was not serious It was a credit to the young folk Knox Church Young People Guild held an enjoyable Hallowe en parly The costumed group were taken on a harrowing walk through gloomy corridors Taking part In the program were Allan Marguerite Kcntner Delia Van Ena Robson Ruby Smith and Near The remodelled school at was formally opened The alterations and ing of the second storey with the additional classrooms cost 18 There are two classrooms assembly room and science room for the Continuation School upstairs There are pupils in attendance at the Continuation School The Public School has three rooms downstairs and an attendance of nearly The trustees Mr Charles Harris Mr Stewart and Mr George Peal deserve credit for their part in the welfare of the young people of today Many of the factories in Acton are working overtime to keep up orders 75 years ago Novembers The electrician has reported to the chair man of the Committee on Electric Light that It will be unsafe to Install any more lights He is of the opinion that the adoption of metre system will relieve the pressure Mr Charles who is an engineer on the R in the Northwest with head quarters at Dauphin Man has been in pital with typhoid for four weeks and has suffered a relapse His father left iatciy for the West The private telephone system connecting the Reeve s office the Municipal Officer residence and the power house has been fin ally installed and Is a great convenience J J Holland has disposed of the Albion Hotel to Samuel for the consideration of Mr takes possession next week 100 years ago November Sunday night being Halloween the ur chins of kept It on Saturday night and on the latter evening bars bolts and locks were freely applied to doors and gates which were constructed bo as to be easily removed and which might bo carried away and hidden from mortal ken A good deal of mischief was Indulged In but no serious damage done Tarn hats are very popular In Acton They may be fashionable but they are anything but pretty