Acton Free Press (Acton, ON), July 8, 1981, p. 1

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Acton mans homing pigeon sets Ontario speed record fell SCOUtS Front left Height Rick Venturer and a leader all left Thursday lor Bl the Canadian Scouting Jamboree In Alberta right Peter Kuechler Don McDonald and Jo ion Sharpie Back row David Forest Tim Gibson Ted Moyse and Ken A homing pigeon owned by an Acton resident has set an Ontario and possibly a Canadian record Tony Van Dams pigeon number It doesnt have a name flew from Logans port Indiana to his roost on June a distance of 385 mil en In record lime for that distance The bird was let go In at a and arrived in Acton at pm Van Dam Cook St a member of the Acton Rac ing Pigeon Club said there are footer speed records but they are for shorter distances He thought it was amazing clocked miles an hour considering a year ago the bird was still In an egg His pigeon naturally won the race for all pigeons from Southern Ontario that day All 14 members of the Acton Club entered birds and 825 topped a field of about plgoom In the race for year old birds Pigeon enthusiasts bet on their birds but The bird paid off a little better in the way of hardware though Van Dam will receive a trophy from the Southern Ontario Branch of the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union as well as en award from the Aclon Club Last fall one of his birds won him and three That bird won a race from Michigan Van Dam has been racing pigeons since 1977 and now has about racing and breeding birds Each week he enters six or seven birds in races starting from points south of the border and about in Southern Ontario races Races are run by the dlan Racing Pigeon Union and they arrange for birds to be taken to the United States tor races Van Dam raced pigeons In his native Holland and back In tried to get an Acton club launched with no success A few years the local club was finally born Pigeon flew home a third Taster than any other bird In race and Canadian Racing Pigeon Union officials were so amazed by time they sent two officials up from St Catherines to check that the bird was really home Van Dam was pretty amazed too At first he thought the bird was one that t return homo a week earlier when the pigeon was lost in a tornado In tho United States pigeon which set an Ontario An Inland Community Newspaper One Hundred and Sixth Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY Twenty five Cents Town hall step closer to saving province to help pay for study The Acton town hall moved a small step closer to the goal of restoration Monday with the announce ment at Hal ton Hills council that the province plans to help pay for an updating study The study will look at the structural soundness of the building up date restoration costs investigate funding for restoration and determine uses for a renovated hall Clerkadministrator Ken Richardson also said the Ministry of Culture and Recreation has indicated it will extend the deadline for municipality apply jnaiocalVinlariogriuitpajitAugustL A couple of weeks ago council balked at a bid by Acton councillors to have Halton Hills commit itself to the restoration project and opted instead for a new study expected to answer many questions about the town hall restoration project Following the meeting Monday Councillor Terry Grubbe chairman of the towns special committee dealing with the town hall said she thought the news was positive She was pleased to see the province Is willing to help fund the study and extend the grant application deadline past the start of next month She added there has been no In di cation the town hall Isnt still on the tracks towards restoration Richardson reported recreation director Tom Shepard has met with provincial officials three times regarding the town hall in the past two weeks Terms of reference for the study have been drafted They were to be set and approved by cil Monday but the ministry is making a few minor changes before committing funds for the study Council has set a limit of as its share of the study cost and that money comes from the set aside a few years ago which was originally sup posed to pay for demolition of the building Shepard has been told the province will contribute to the study and extend the Wintano deadline as long as the municipality keeps moving on the pro ject Richardson reported Richardson said terms of reference will be com this week and a list of provinceapproved consultants compiled for the special committee to review at a meeting next week Then the selected consulting firms will be asked to submit bids for the study He added by having staff and councillors in volved for the next two weeks no time be lost before the next council meeting on July at Hide House adds furs gift shop The Hide House even a year old yet but it is again going to grow Renovations will take place this month which will add a fur salon and gift crafts and arts shop to the Hide House The business was opened in November in the old Heller factory specializing in leather garments and fine wood furniture Within weeks it proved to be such a success at drawing shoppers to town from throughout the Metro Halton and Peel regions that planning for an expansion was underway Natsagaweya Presbyterian Church was he scene of a special Terry Fox Memorial Service Thursday Speakers were back row Lome Garth Hunter Front row Christine Strang and Pam Gnats on Terry Fox memorial service draws about 100 mourners About people took part in a Memorial vice for Terry Fox last Thursday evening at Presbyterian Church Rev Desmond Howard officiated at the vice and Milton Mayor Krantz read from the Old Testament Four guest speakers told why they ran with or for the Marathon of Hope runner who died last Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer Actons Doberthien pointed out he was stricken with the same affliction as Terry and had also lost a leg He has since had three lung operations and extensive chemotherapy He noted that when he was first stricken seven years ago the odds of survival were five per cent Now he says optimistically they are per cent Its not going to be easy fighting cancer he said Its going to be a long hard fight for everyone and Terry helped In a big way Gnutaon a Milton District High School student explained she ran for Terry last fall because she felt someone had to do something to help him reach his goal My dream is to find a cure for cancer she said I am very proud to run for such a great man and I hope everyone will continue what Terry started she said Christine Strang became interested in Terry Fox journey last summer when he stole the hearts of all Canadians When she heard he became ill in September she wanted to do something She went to the Milton District High School principal and asked what could be done The school raised Garth Hunter pointed out the impact Terry had on so many lives and the motivation stirred In everyone So often people look at a problem and say one person cannot help so they dont try Terry Fox proved just how much one person can do In the Spring more space was added for furniture display as well as an area devoted to western wear General manager Don says the current expansion program Is significant not so much in space but in its nature A substantial fur salon will be built above the foyer There will be a selection of 150 fur coats in a square foot area That Is a good sized salon Dawkins says In addition underneath the fur salon there will be a square foot gift shop featuring arts and crafts Farming prospects Weather yields are pretty good With a few exceptions It has been so far so good for north Halton farmers Ihls season as far as weather conditions and crop yields are con Halton Agricultural rep Henry Stanley reports farming Is going pretty well He said haying has been going rather slowly because of frequent rains and poor drying con the last three weeks Because of this the hay being brought In or stilt to come in from the fields Is a little too mature and lower in feed val ue In addition there has been some alfalfa weav il damage but the yields have been good which compensates Pastures are in good shape for cattle and sheep because of the rains they burning up un der the sun as sometimes happens this time Of year Corn for silo and feed is producing at least an average possibly higher than average yield In the area of fruits there has been some bad news Spring frosts have chopped the apple yield down by per cent higher somo types of apples Frosts have also wiped out cherry crops in north and poach trees never had a having been destroyed by the bitterly cold weather of last year s Chrlitmas season Strawberry crops though are strong and raspberries look liko they good too As for various vegetables grown In this area Stanley says there is nothing really good or bad to be reported Yields are average or all above average and there has been ade quate rain and the vegetables are coming off the field in good time Winter wheat looks good its starting to ripen and the harvest three weeks from now should produce a good yield Spring grains heading out now should prod uce a good yield in August inside An Acton youth Is going to jail for months See page 2 Two drownings in two days at Waterfalls Park More on page 2 The oldest Yugoslavian Immigrant Marko Vujaclc Joins Ilalton Hills Mayor Peter Pomeroy in culling the rib bon to officially open the Canadian Yugoslav Cultural Centre south Acton on Sunday afternoon More photos on page This Week Thru the Leas Exchange pro Ron Skeffington heads to Manitoba Philippines Ron left yesterday for seven In Manitoba and the He returns In February by Helen Murray Actons mad scientist left yesterday tTues day on the first leg of an international exchange with Third World countries Ron who earned public acclaim as the mad scientist in Acton High Schools of Superman this past spring was chosen through a complicated computer system to take part In the exchange sponsored by the Canadian World Youth Organization Ron originally applied for the exchange a few years ago but was rejected In fact he was re jected again this time and placed on on alter nates list He had no sooner been put on the list than he received a telephone call asking him to go to the Philippines his first choice of countries Exchanges take place with Asia Africa and Latin American nations and are eight months long In preparation for his exchange Ron needed all his shots and had to learn Manhong the native language of the area he is going to He to learn I rench The first leg of Journey takes him to Man until October There the Canadian group meets their Philippino counterparts and work and live together on farms The Philippines will be totally immersed in the Canadian culture Just as Ron will be in the Philippines In OctoDer the group flics to Manilla are bused to outlying areas and then take a river barge into the jungle where they will spend the next four months In the Philippines Ron says the group Is split upand stay in different villages Ron says he will probably be the only white roan in his area total immersion for the Canadians begins right away They must shed their western clothes and wear native clothing eat Ihe native food mainly because there v Ill be no choice and do the native jobs such as clearing the Jungle building huts etc At Christmas the Canadians plan to get Ron also plans a visit from brother at Christmas He explains his brother works on the oil fields in Saudi Arabia and will stop for a visit on way home lor the holidays A stopover In Vancouver planned for the Canadians upon their return in February Here a debriefing will take place They have been forewarned that the biggest shock they will en dure is not in the Philippines but coming homo when they see the wealth and waste of the people and country Ron will be paid a week with all his transportation costs and lodging paid for He recognizes the exchange as a chance of a lifetime but he also realizes he had to pass up another opportunity In order logo A few days after Ron had been chosen for the exchange he was invited to go to Los Angeles start a year long world wide tour with an ting troupe sponsored by Christian faiths Ho was forced to turn down offer but hopes the organization will let him tour with them next year Following that he plans to enter university to study drama and psychology opportunities with a great future ahead of hlmand he didnt even have to do away with Superman

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