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Miss Minnie Bennett celebrates her birthday at party today Miss Minnie Bennett Miss Education in Acton celebrated her 101st birthday today Wednesday A resident of Central Park Lodge nursing homo in Kitchener she celebrated with a cake and party this afternoon with other residents of the seventh floor according to spokesperson Clemens There were about residents expected to attend It was to affair Yesterday she was vis ted by a roup of retired school teachers and a resprcsentat of the was expected to drop by today with another plaque commemorating her long life Staff wasn I aware of any other tributes being sent to Miss Ben or of family friends or former students plan ning a birthday visit as of press time Local sources didn know of anyone from Acton planning to v sit either Miss Bennett was described as having good and bad days nix health t changed much nee she celebrated her birthday lost year Ms Clemens said Miss Bennett year t been too hard on her In fact she looks very much as she did last year on August 5 Miss Bennett has lived at the rest home for 13 years and is its oldest resident in that time The closest people to her age are and Bennett a former citizen of year lie first women school principals in Halton and left an mark on Acton schools When the board of education opened a new public school in Acton in 1057 it was named after Miss Ben nett as a lasting memorial to the dedicated teacher She was citizen of the year in 1964 Miss Bennett career as an educator started in when Queen Victoria was on the throne in Erin Township School She later graduated from the Toronto Normal School son and went on to teach at Clay Hill School for per year The reputation as an able teacher and a skilled disciplinarian which was to mark Miss Bennett career soon spread us far away as Hornby Trustees of that school invited her to instruct their pupils in IMS Two years later Miss Bennett gave up forever having to teach alone Snc was appointed to a ed school in Acton where she was able to enjoy the company of other teachere One of her pupils was William R Stewart who became a deputy minister of education for the provincial government In the school board engaged Miss Bennett as principal of the public school a post she would hold for years Miss Bennett encouraged students to do their beat Her efforts bore fruit Indeed In iflia the high Actons were earned by one of Mi is Bennett students today it beloved citizens Miss Bennett Is celebrating her 101st A Community Newspaper One Hundred and Seventh Year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY AUGUST Twenty five Cents Surf sup and so is John Bryan Crcascy nod John found the surfing For more water fun see page 3 at Fairy Lake Jim right Tor a little Photo by DAVE Tracing our leather herita Fascinating Acton history make fine walking tour There should be about 30 fascinating stops on the Leathertown historical walking tour when It is developed the three students researching Acton history particularly our leather heritage have concluded To most long lime residents the reams of historical tales and material Anne Lind say Laurel and Elizabeth Morrison have gathered In two months of research isn really news But to the few newer residents made privy to the information gathered so far through the in w the Leathertown committee Ac ton s history has proved fascinating The girls note Chip Ho and a few others are eager to quiz them about what they ve learned on an almost daily basis and are by range and depth of Acton history This fascination by those who t as familiar with Acton bodes well for the success of the future walking tour and even a museum Our heritage should prove to be just as interesting to the thousands of tourists the Committee hopes to attract to Ac ton In the years ahead after they have some attractions besides the H de House to lure them here If a person Is Interested in historical sites and facts then they 11 enjoy Acton and the walking tour MissLindsayspeculatcs But she thinks Acton will really have to do a Job publicizing whatyouhavehere They hope their final report which they II be gin compiling shortly won wind up gathering dust on some shelf in town However they don t really expect this hap pen The small but energetic Com Laurel Is busy these days making of Acton and landmarks for lour displays Elizabeth Morrison has found lots or history in the bound copies of the Free Press will carry through on the work the girls have started Chip won I let It die they de clare confidently And they facts they vo uncovered are foslnat Here just a sample In its early days Acton council used to appoint residents to the positions of Path finders It was these residents civic to keep the streets clear of thistles and fix potholes if they didn t carry out their duties they be fined semidetached homes on Bower Ave w be years old in These homes were known as the syndicate homes because they were built by a syndicate of local businessmen trying to provide cheap housing In town Acton area was once renowned for ofall things turnips Apparently early farmers grew excellent turnips and extraordinarily huge amounts shipped off to the States on the Grand Trunk Railway There have been about different firms in Acton at one time or another involved in the leather Industry Acton s first school was at the corner of Main and River and there was no play ground so child- n used to play on the street When River St was opened the course of the creek was changed forever but only slightly At least one Acton historian disputes the following facts although the researchers have heard it from a number of sources In MP starts petition legislate end postal strike MP Otto Jelinek has started a petition call ing for the federal government to legislate inside postal workers back to work He is also urging his in other ridings the country to start petitions amongst their constituents in the hopes of bringing enough pressure on the government to take some action to end the over a month old labor dispute which has shut down the post office Because of the mail has enlisted the aid of riding newspapers to publish his petition and after they arc filled out return them lo the newspaper office The Free Press is cooperating He will pick up Acton petitions on a regular basis at the Free Press He Just started the petition In on Satur an I by Tuesday morning had collected over To be a legal petition presented to the House of Commons and federal cab net people must print their name sign the form and put down their ad dress This postal strike has resulted In his offices in Halton and Ottawa receiving more calls and telegrams about the strike than any other Issue dur ing his political career Now he has started the petition and it is really snowballing He hopes hundreds and hundreds of thousands of signatures can be collected across Canada to be presented to the Postmaster General Andre Oulette and the rest of the Liberal cabinet He notes it can t be presented to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau because he Is in Africa on vacation Calls and telegrams have been coming in stop since the start of the strike and In fact are in creasing each week the strike continues Jelinek proportionately he received as many calls and telegrams from Acton as from the rest of the riding Yugoslav Centre Town plots legal action Halton Hills Is considering taking legal action against the newly opened Canadian Yugoslav tre on Highway south of Acton Noise from the Centre has neighboring residents at the end of their ropes with frustration and anger and noise bylaw violation charges have already been laid by Halton Region Police The matter was to be brought to court yesterday Tuesday but the results were not known at press time George of the Third Line a half mile from the centre attended last nights council meeting to present a petition from disturbed residents In his presentation to council describ ed what neighbors consider a nightmare every Sun day afternoon since June 14 Until then no one was even aware of the centre He explained the public address system was turned on about 30 and continued into the early evening Nothing was said because he and neighbors thought It was a one day picnic Tho next week the same problem and noise arose By July 5 the noise was loud enough to call police said Before the day was out the police had to visit the site three times and still the noise persisted he claimed The public address system has been on as late as Cathy says According to Mr tho police have been called every Sunday since then except for one week when the weather waB poor Residents In the area for years are Just as upset as he and his wife who Just moved to tho area three months ago pointed out on July thepresldentof the centre visited his home and asked neighbors to compromise said he pointed out the Continued on page inside Acton a first da care centre will open next month More on page Police had to disperse a large crowd from In front of Eden House Is a happy place to live Details on page He is particularly concerned about the strike impact on small businesses which are dropping hereby petition the Government I flics right across Canada including in Halton rf cmnda Pffl for purpose of the legislating the an on of Postal Workers back to work in order that full postal service may be restored NAME print isn sure how much impact the strike is having on Acton firms though he did receive a telegram of concern from a horse magazine produced Acton where staff was laid off His petition calls for the Immediate recall of SIGNATURE Parliament to legislate the Canadian Union of PostalWorkersbackonthcJob ADDRESS Remember bring your petitions to the Free Press of ice on Willow St North during business hours put through tho mall slot off hours Bill Gregg shown here with his fully restored Tiger Moth biplane When he feels the need from his farm he Just off Into the wild blue yonder When Bill takes off he really takes off Really getting away from It all When Dr Bill Gregg wants to escape the long he Just revs up motor and takes off But when Gregg takes off it isn down the road but up into the blue in a rare and fully re stored Tiger Moth biplane Gregg bought Tiger Moth one of the very last built and had It restored to flying con ditlon by expert aircraft Wat Martin who incldenlly restored tho Moth once used by bush pilot Max Ward no the head of The aircraft was purchased as a form of side exhibit to complement Gregg unique Canadian Military Historical Society museum which features perhaps Canada finest tion of Second World War trucks armored cars and light tracked vehicles And when Dr Gregg straps on his goggles and turns over the diminutive twoblade wooden pro peller of the Gypsy engine anyone lucky enough to come along for a ride begins to understand why there was so much fascination w flight prior to the present age of jet propulsion Off the short grass on Grcftg property at a stately a Tiger Moth docs not so muchshoot Into the sky as waft upwards All the vibrations and the sensation of moving flaps and busy little Under motor come literally through the seat of the pants The ground Is never more than a few hundred feet Even if the engine should develop a there la the feeling the Tiger Moth would Just glideslowly back lo earth like a butterfly Another sensation Is that of the pilot being in full control at all times instead of the closed door at the far end of first class I mag be Instead of Just spending a bright summer day sitting around home having the ability to hop in your own aircraft and as Dr Grcggsays Justtnkeoffandflyaround What a way to go I