The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Acton Optimists honor youths A star basketball player and president of the Student Association are this year a recipients of the annual Optimists Youth Week awards Smith and Hob were presented with a plaque a book and a cheque each last Tuesday night Nov at a dinner at Family Restaurant The award presented on annual basis honors a boy and girl student at the local high school for scholastic extra and community achievements the third year the local Optimist group has the award was center of the junior basketball team at Acton High and is member of the Gospel Temple 18 a newcomer to Acton was a volunteer worker at M Z Bennett and Developmental Centre and headed the Fellowship Committee at Trinity United Church She is president of AHS Student Association this year Dive Hall president of the Acton Qptimisls said the prize winners were selected carefully The chairman of the club selects a committee which draws up the guidelines for the search The guidelines are approved by the board of directors before the school is contacted The principal then conducts own search and presents several worthwhile candidates to the Club After a process of elimination two names ore selected and presented to principal for ap proval Then the recipients and their parents are invited out for dinner by the Club to receive the award Hall said Rob is a good choice He s an exceptionally good basketball player helps his father and sister at home and Is a good example of a decent upstanding youth All this has been con firmed by his principal teachers and parents Blaire is a good member of both the church and the community Last year recipient Chris chaired this year a selection committee Hall said after Geggie learned of the Optimist goals and creed he joined the group and asked to be a member of the com m it tee Hall said the Optimists are a youthorientated club with all funds raised going towards the community youth They sponsor Red Cross Blood Donor Clinics oratorical contests in elementary schools the bicycle rodeo soapbox derby and a baseball team And added Hall hey hope to sponsor a hockey team and soccer team as well next year There are members in the Optimists Smith Winning the Acton Optimists Youth Appreciation Award came as a complete surprise to 1 fry earold Smith the tall blonde student at Acton High School I t even know I was up for It she said But once you find out has been up to since moving hero two years ago with her family it easy to see why she is a worthy recipient moved from London two years ago and has since became president of the AHS Student Association and of the Fellowship Committee at Trinity United Church As president of the students she is head of the student body organizing school events and acting as a spokesperson for The Fellowship Committee is set up to organize such youth events as movie nights and skating parties within tho church a congregation As well Blaire has been a volunteer helper at Bennett working with the primary grades for a couple of hours twice a week and at the Developmental Center for mentally retarded children once every two weeks in Milton lasty year concern for others Is leading her towards a career in law although she said she Is still un decided about the future She said after graduating from grade 13 this spring she would like to take year off to work Then enter either the University of Toronto or University of Western Ontario for law Law has always Interested mc she said I took a law course a couple of years ago and legal Continued on page The Acton Optimist Club presented Us Youth Appreciation Awards last week during the regular meeting Club President Dave Hall left presents the award to wlilli award chairman Chris presents the award to Blaire Smith and Smith are Acton High School An Inland Community Newspaper One Hundred and Sixth Year No 19 ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 1 7ue the olde Hide House opens Ac too newest and one of biggest commercial ventures hatched In years the Hide House opened to fair slied crowds over the weekend Featuring leather and suede coats jackets pants leather accessories western wear early Canadian style oak and pine furniture and sheepskin rugs Here some of staff left to right Steve Pap Keith Betty Blair and Dawklni model many of the Items sold at the Riant store The aide Hide House Is employing about people full and part time Lady grabbed at knife point A young Acton woman escaped unhurt after being attacked by a knife wielding man on Tyler Ave Saturday night The resident whose name has been withheld by police was walking on the street at around m when a man jumped out of a parked car walked up to her and shoved the knife in her face The man who was in his late led her to the car and ordered her to get in The entire time he kept the knife close to her face At the car he let go of the woman momentarily and she ran off Her assailant fled the scene Staff Sergeant Ron Southgate Regional Police said they dont know what the man s motive was grabbing the woman He gave no indication if he was going to kidnap her or sexually assault the woman Police have suspects in the case and the investigation continues Suspicious man lurking at schools Photo by said there have been Ac to school Police think someone suspicious is lurking around two Acton elementary schools bothering children but they don believe he is a child molester as many parents fear Regional Police Detective Sergeant Ron Southgate says he has five men investigating reports of a suspicious man hanging around St Joseph and Robert schools last week He similar reports from Police worry businessman Acton may need vigilantes Following hard on the heels of Bert and Mary announced intention to sell their Rest because of increasing vandalism and lack of police protection another local businessman has voiced considerable displeasure with Halton Regional Police In a letter to Police Chief James Harding and the Police Commission which was filed for pub lication with The Free Press See our readers write on page 4 L and L Ford president Lome Dober his deep concern suggests a vigilante group may be needed in Acton and urges officers live in town and become part of the community He also would like to see a full time police station in Acton and thinks the town should consider leaving regional government and bringing back the OPP Hellers sells Wallace plant Acton Terminal Warehouse is expanding its operations with the purchase of the Frank Heller and Co Acton Terminal Warehouse spokesman Steve Gay aid the 700 square foot plant is an addition to the existing operation and will be used for warehousing and storage This expansion could create a few new jobs In the future Heller has no need for the Wallace plant now that the firm has moved its Acton operations to Diss ton factory G Alec Johnson Real Estate handled the sale Friday night thieves hit L and L Jacking up a truck and removing all four tires and rims and then leaving It on blocks they brought with them to Ihe scene of tho crime In Ihe letter Dobertheln outlines some of the other crimes committed on his premises and complains of the apparent lack of concern and BIA backs ABC Acton a Business Improvement Area is go ing to back the new Acton Bcautifi cation Committee ABC ABC chairman Bill Coats spoke at last Wed board of management meeting and received warm reception The has decided to help sponsor the ABC first project a most welcoming door at Christmas contest Every step that Is taken that will beautify Acton- is beneficial president Larry Greaves said In praising the formation of ABC Details nailed down for the most coming door at Christmas contest yet but the has decided to supply first price an Actario ticket The BIA members may donate other as well as advertising the contest and publishing the entry form attention on the part of the regional police also expressed regret that a local re sident Constable Bob Andrews was transferred out of Acton He compared the regional police unfavorably with theold Acton Rumors as to what this suspicious man has done to children arc running rampant There have been reports the man who has fallowed some children home to the Kingham area thechildren with a knife Southgate said while there are some similarities there is also conflicting evidence to indicate the man who was lurking around the schools isn same man who attacked a woman Kith a knife on Tyler Ave Saturday night Southgate said police are puiilcd why if it is the same man he is first after little boys and then women Police have talked to a number children who say they were followed by the suspicious man and are convinced part of their story is the result of the children all age eight to 10 talking among them selves He says he stories are too pat almost like the children have read the descriptions somewhere He said there doosn t appear to be any connection between the incidents Thursday and Friday in Acton and reports of a possible child molester in the Kilbride area Southgate continued the police are sceptical about some things they have been told because one child said the man came at him with a fe but told no one of the incident for sometime We re not sure some of this isn fabrication Southgate said adding police wonder why no older children have been bothered just eight to 10 year olds have received calls from worried parents and parents are advised to go to and from school and elsewhere with their children if they want them to be absolutely safe Ever since St Josephs principal Sean sent a note home to parents about this matter and rumors began spreading rapidly around town many parents have been walking their children to a id from school or driving them to the door He said he doesn think there is a potential child molester on prowl In Acton but there is somebody out there a suspicious person lurking around hose schools While there haven been reports of this recently in Acton Southgate said police seem to be investigating Incidents of suspicious adults hanging around schools bothering children fairly frequently Continued on page inside Acton Legion is expanding Seepages M Bennett has a parents association and disci was the topic of discussion for the first meeting See page 2 Defeated regional councillor Ed Wood says good bye Turn to page This will he the scene downtown on Saturday November IB when the Acton Men sponsor the annual Santa Clam parade There II be band floats mar chlog groups and of court Santa In the big parade Float entry forms are in today paper and must be In by November The have at least in year parade fifth they have Men are hoping to organ lied