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The Acton Press Wednesday Mar 1981 Founded in si Wednesday by Inland Co Si Acion Oniaio Telophonn Subset nolo copies Canada I count Canada Ftoo of Inland Publishing Co Im tod a of nowi AianvVh no Advorl Tho Q romp on Gun Thu Burl Post Bur Wookond Post Gaiotlo Tho Georgetown Econom and ton an Chomp on Tho a Ookv lo Boovor Ths Week Oshowa nnd Tho Ha Tr bund Don McDonald Publisher sin too CO pad or at a a may bow Of A Bureau on a lypograph or that rem together roasonablo Iho balance the a cm cm I bo ypoQtaph or goods at be sold Advert EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor Murray lit lei Editor Eric Els Sport Diana Walt ma Rock wood News lor Contributor Ho on Murray Darkroom Lynda I ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Manager BUI Cook Sales Advertising Pat National Advertising Sales Rep- Dan 1061 BUSINESS ACCOUNTING OFFICE Office Manager Tl II ShrleyJocqua Carolyn A nam Meryl 1hur Let the public test boards next budget What you see is what you need is how a Halton Board of Education trustee described the 115646671 spending estimates for the year What he says may be so however how do taxpayers really know They don Smart money though says the record budget is padded That not known for sure But and it s a big BUT the proposed estimates represent a per cent increase ten per cent or so for inflation plus 2 47 per cent for new programs over what was spent last year That reasonably tight assuming the previous budget was also one of the what you see is what you need type But it t a squeaker last year There was a surplus In the private sector that called net profit Granted there is some benefit to the public producing puffy board budgets Better some extra change in the till than be forced to borrow at cloud scrapping in teres rates How are budgets written Well trustees and board ad ministrators labor on a commit tee to bring one to the rest of the board by the March deadline They do their work in private Comes budget night trustees and staff unfold their revelation in something twoandahalf In two and a half of Dallas television time they il lustrate how one hundred and fif teen million six hundred and for ty six thousand six and seventyone dollars are to be spent Once the budget is presented taxpayers have a couple of weeks to examine it and come up with questions But its doubtful if any informed questions will be for Afterall where does one begin with such a pile of dollars People are having dif ficulty with their house budgets let alone the boards mega buck plan of spending Some other mechanism of public scrutiny is needed Trustees do the best they can however with a nine figure ding plan no harm would be done in letting taxpayers help with the budget preparation Why not test the budget and the reasons for its items The following are two proaches to public scrutiny which may have some success Number One Let the press each year pick a budget item say in or education services or plant operation Then In one public meeting go through that item from start to finish line by line Let the taxpayer with trustees get full answers from tion on just what is in category supplies and services or fees and contracts Approach Number Two A qualified accountant might be useful examining the budget Better still why does not some citizens group or the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation or Elementary Teachers Association hire a budget wise person to challenge I the budget next year Why not I consider the boards finance and business He us retiring ypar And he knows the budgets soft spots Administrators and trustees ought to welcome this additional public examination It is not afterall a threat to their authori ty What would this new public scrutiny accomplish Perhaps it could trim some of the fat Say one per cent That amounts to half a tidy half million dollars E The harp of Erin Cuth Graham fi I once again Fret readers Si Pair Day next Tuesday Ireland is unique among the nations of the world in having the harp as her emblem Who has not heard it and not thrilled lo its strains The hirp still retains a place in the world great symphony orchestras but thi days of its greatest glory have passed Today there arc few performers the only one I know of is Yeats the Irish writer granddaughter The Irish missionaries after the time of St Patrick carried the harp with them to different countries and Irish music became known and loved all over Europe The Irish missionary Maongal was ap pointed head of St Gall in Germany where the scribing of Sacred Music such a feature that they provided all Germany with copies of Gregorian Chant beautifully illuminated wi i Celtic designs similar to those found in the Book of Dante the famous Italian poet left a written record to say the Irish mis introduced theharp to Italy The Irish harpists continued to develop the instrument until the Brian harp came into existence This is lheodt harp in Europe can be seen at Primly Col lege in Dublin It was a harp of the type us by Calhal 0 Daly He wrote the words music of IrelcenAruih and lived In the Century Prior to Daly time songs were writ ten in two strains He introduced a third strain effect in his songs and helped to make possible the work of the great Euro pean masters centuries later Most of the Irish airs would have been lost had it not been for the Harp Festival held in Belfast in last of its kind held in Ireland Here ten harpists attended some of them over years old Edward Bunting the famous musician noted on paper the airs that these clans played that gave Thomas Moore in spiral ion to write his famous melodies I will conclude with one of his famous melodies The harp that once through Tara halls The soul of music shed Now hangs as mute on walls As if that were fled So sleeps the pride of former days Her thrill is or And hearts that once beat high with praise Now feel the pulse no more No more do chiefs and ladies bright The harp of swells The chords alone that break the night Its tale of ruin tells And now since freedom seldom wakes Theonly throb gives Is when some heart indignant bi To show that stilt she lives ion rates Belleghem misinterpreted Dear Sirs It was Mark Twain I believe who said Recent rumours concerning my death are greatly exaggerated Will Rogers of course is reputed to have said All I know is what I read in the papers It was with interest therefore that I read in several papers that I had resigned as President of the Burlington C Association To my knowledge there has only been one res and that person reasons are his own business At the height of the recent con while defending the Assoc iation Executive position In putting the letter of the law before political ex pediency the propriety of which has now been vindicated I was asked by some reporters what I in tended to do after the election I replied in a probably somewhat frustratedstatoof perplexity that upon completion of my term as president at the next annual meeting in the spring it would be a great relief to let my critics Continued on page Possibly with wother MM A book My suspicions were confirmed this week The dogs on the Buckeye Beer commercial are local canines from Kortar Kennels The commercial shows a team of beautiful SiberianHuskies pulling a sled I ad I remarked on the resemblance to the Kortar dogs but shirked it of on the basis that all dogs look alike However the dogs owner Carol Broadhurst recently let us know all about them The ten Canadian Champion Siberian Huskies are indeed hers I met some of while doing a feature on Mrs and her kennel at 1 Campbellville some years ago This was shortly after one of the champions was mode a star in magazine ad for a dog food and on the bag of the same brand One the lead dogs on the recent commercial Champion Kortar won the of Breed award at the prestigious Metropolltican Kennel Club Dog Show in Toronto As well a 7 month old pup Kortar Khaki Kolonel made his debut to win Best Puppy in Breed and Reserve Winners as well as first in the puppy class both days Congratulations on the recent wins and for the beer commercial But please pardon me If I don t ask for an autograph Whoops it t happen very often but when It does I the first to admit it I made a mistake in my column a few weeks ago I told everyone Miss Acton Fall Fair Lisa attended the Ontario Agricultural Societies Association or something like that convention in Toronto last month Well she She was sick in bed as was first runner up Gwyncth Gibb Second runner up Kym stood in for Lisa There still time to make your pledges for the Rotary Than this weekend All area schools arc participating The kids are sponsored per lap Proceeds flaised are divided among the schools and the Rotary Club There are prizes galore for the youngsters taking part Adults can skate Spent the weekend at the Hotel Toronto attending the annual Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association con vention and got a chance to visit with a number of former Free Press staffers who have gone on to other pa pern sports editor Penis Gibbons news editor of the Burlington Post was as usual the life of the party I think what made Denis weekend was finally meeting current Free Press sports writer Diana Denis has wanted to meet her she wrote about him In her column Murray Scoyne owner of the Dominion is probably remembered in Acton for his reporting days with the Dills brothers Thursday hubby was introduced to a former Dills linotype operator BUI by Don Ryder and Hartley Coles Bill is now editor the Bolton Enterprise of our newest sister papers Other Acton faces at the convention were Mr and Mrs Don McDonald Mr and Mrs David Dills Mr and Mrs Hartley Coles Laurie Cook don ask why as well as and I I have always been paranoid of heights and staying two nights on the floor was a bit unnerving When we checked In thefirst thing I did was locate the fire exit and plan my escape route in cose of fire Luckily the weekend passed with no disasters but a sight I saw in the lobby made me wonder how the building did not catch fire As God was checking out I sat in a chair In the lobby I noticed a newly lit cigarette in the ashtray Thinking the owner would return shortly I left it there By the time it hud almost burned itself out I realized the owner was not coming back It is carelessness like this that kills If you must smoke please be responsible for what you light and listen to Smokcy the Bear s advice -f- special award for youth was an at the convention The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards Program Is sponsored by the Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and CP Air and is designed to honor the youths of Ontario The competition is open to both boys and girls between the ages of six and 18 years and will run from midmarch 1081 to December 1 1981 To be eligible competitors must have performed acts of physical heroism overcome disabling physical or psychological handicaps made a meaningful contribution to personal family well being or have been Involved in some worthwhile community service endeavour Competitors will be nominated by those Ontario residents who are aware of the outstanding deeds or accomplishments performed by the youth of their com m unity during the year Nominations will be made through the member papers of the OWNA Nomination forms will be available in the future at all community newspaper offices CP Air ticket sales outlets and all elementary and secondary schools throughout the province Fifteen of the most ouatanding nominees which could include group of two to an entire classroom will be selected to receive the awards constating of a framed citation certificate outlining the In dividual s or group accomplishment a savings bond a Junior citizen of the year pin and a family portrait with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario John Alrd next years newspaper convention Have you or a friend been away for awhile or had company Maybe you know someone who has done something out of the ordinary Well let me know Call me at after five or at the office Shy Drop me a line instead Learning drawing at he Library Kind Art Group the lout Saturday of each monthnre left lorlght bandy Gillespie and Laud Gillespie The Time television program for children vtas brought Acton public library Saturday much to ihc delight children ant parents Erica whose program appears on cable TV and Toronto performer Jerry leashed much laughter and general amusement for 45 minute A TV crew was on hand to tape he episode Bonnie Smith gives drawing lessons at the monthly meeting of the Kid Art Group of Acton Library Back issues 10 years ago Wednesday March 10 1971 Every bowler dream a game was rolled by George Shorty at Acton Bowling Lanes It the second perfect game rolled there The first was by Mrs Frances Crooks In 19G2 Proprietor Ken Hulford smelted a perfect game around the ninth frame Tomorrow students and ts leave Acton for the Mediterranean Acton council turned down a resolution to renovate the cells in the town hall for gency overnight for travellers or youths who hod been kicked out or home The cells arc not used at present was the hit of the night the Ma and Pa Prizes were given out by mens president Bob Drinkwalter and ladies president Mrs W years ago Thursday March a 1961 The mortgage on the scout hall went up in smoke Scout group committee members watching with interest were Sid Newton Frank Bill Pendleton Gord Jim ledger and George Recently the Rotary Club took over sponsorship A wacky high school play They Gave Him a CoEd filled the high school auditorium two nights Mrs E Franklin was dir In the cast were Barry Klrkness Paul McGeachie Bill Eva Hansen Andrew Smith Brian Sproston Ricky Currie Moira Gertrude Barbara Nor ton Mary Beth Elliott Beth Parsons Andrew Tarrant Janice Gardner and Car man In this issue Alt Long tells of his hunting trip in the African jungle Town workers spent a sleepless night Monday to keep the streets open 50 years ago Thursday March 12 The euchre and dance in the town hall held by the Junior Chapter of the was attended by a large crowd The Regent Mrs Jas A damson welcomed special guests the members of the hockey team The Busy Bee group of the Acton Women Institute gave a concert In St ban hall with Rev Poole as chairman Among those performing were Black orchestra Davidson William Hall Jack Noble Mono and John McGeachie Pearl Mrs Poole Mrs A Bishop Rev Miss Hawthorne Mrs Evans LaVerne Smith Jean Evans Beatrice Woods Acton curlers met with defeat and the Peter Smith trophy goes to Georgetown It has been recommended to County Council that officials salaries be reduced All accounts for indigent patients will now be paid by the county rather than the municipality 75 years ago Thursday March 1006 The monthly meeting Acton Women Institute was held in the Council Chambers The subject was Spring Sewing The promoters who are applying for a charter for an electric railway from Port Credit to by way of Acton are interviewing the Railway Committee this week Robert Campbell Esqucslng has sold his farm to our townsman John Elliott Esq for MOW and has purchased the Donald farm adjacent to Fairy Lake from George A Mann for There is no body of men in the country more generous to their fellow workmen in the time of accident or trouble than the employees of the tanneries Last week Mr Tyler in behalf of fel low employee Robert Craig who had his hand so badly lacerated handed the unate man a well filled purse to assist him and his family whlleheisoffwork Mr and Mrs Craig appreciate this kind act very much 100 years ago Thursday March 10 mi A musical and literary entertainment under the of St John church Rockwood was held at the Town Hall Crewsons Corners Council has limited the number of tavern licenses in Acton to three with the fee The young men who enjoyed snowballing on the street on Sunday are a disgrace to the community One of Mr JC Hills shop windows was smashed Tuesday evening was the cause of consid erable excitement among the fair sex the cause as usual being marriage cere mony The contracting parties were Mr Scott and Miss Caroline The bride and her three maids were fashionably attired in silks satins etc The happy couple left for their now home in Tor onto on the m train