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The Acton free Press Wednesday Apr 21 press Founded in 1 875 fa Lin TELEPHONE 853 20 nil Aden On 17J Telephone cocao 30 Canadi ho Ac on to u In Lid of I includes WMby Pickering nor En Era Weekend The on Burl on The Bo Weekend no dan Economy and Mil on Champion Tho Neva Weekend Ed No h IsBeevo Oakwno Beaver Thm Week Ostaa Ths Weekend Richmond HOI Libera Tho Sea bo Tho Woodbridgo Don McDonald Publisher accepted on tin thai ha event typos portion the apace occupied be torn together with lot not bo charged for but I ho balance of bo paid fo t applicable no In of a error goodi awrpnopnee good may not bo oid an off to tail and may bo withdrawn at any is KM EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor ay Editor Helen ay Dan Oat Mi ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Manager Bill Cook Number BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Oftica Manager Thorn ill Mary in CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Manager McAnhu Good reason to complain about teacher PD days Parents are always ing about teacher professional development days but in the past couple of weeks com plaints about the time children are missing from school seem to be filled with more anger than usual There s likely two reasons for this stronger than usual re action Pupils were just off for an en tire week recently for winter break and now they just en joyed a five day break for a pro fessional development day Good Friday Saturday Easter and Easter Monday No wonder parents are scratching their heads and wondering when their kids are going to get an education Several mothers and fathers have told us before and after both breaks from school the children seemed to be hav ing more field trips and outings away from class as well Another reason parents are more annoyed is these eight school days when there were no classes have coincided with the unveiling of Board of Education s record budget and staggering average Acton tax hike of for education We made our feelings well known on he subject of the bud get so we won t go into details again Suffice to say parents gotten the message from trustees that per cent of the budget goes to pay teacher and staff wages and councillors have succeeded in making it clear to everyone who will listen that the education in crease isn their fault but the boards So ptrents are sitting back and looking at what value they are getting for all that money and seem more displeased with the teachers taking a day off from teaching their children than usual Professional development days have never been accepted by parents nor by many tees for that matter very well They look at the average wage of 27 a year for tea chers for a work year of days compared to the average of 225 to 245 for the rest of the work force and figure teachers could find seven to nine days a year for professional develop ment at the beginning or end of their July and August vaca tions especially considering the fact they have a week s vacation at Christmas and in March We fully agree with of professional develop ment days Teachers are paid well They do have fewer work days than the rest of the popula tion We have no quarrel with the need for professional develop ment days just with having them the period between September and June which re sults when combined with days schools are closed for statutory holidays in just one month February when classes are held Monday to Friday every week The argument for profes sional development days being the same as days away from re gular work for conventions and seminars in business industry and government is often heard That is quite true except few people in business industry and government who attend seminars and conventions also have 10 weeks vacation annual In fairness to the teachers professional development days just days off work as many claim covered professional development days and teachers are at seminars and workshops But just as it is for someone else in the public or private sector who attends a convention course or seminar they are a nice break from the routine and hardly can be con sidered work Our readers write I Thanks Heart Fund stories Dear Maj I lake this opportunity on behalf of Board Directors to express thanks for jour sup port and assistance during our 1M2 Heart Fund Campaign Asouknov Chairman He makes a First grass fire of season Flrrtlfer hard patting amt a trass lire on the Sixth Nituga around It the lint of the Fire Holmes Back On the tremendous effort on our behalf and expressed gratitude to your paper for the excellent coverage you give the Heart Fund and our annual campaign Thanks again for your help Yours very truly Charlotte Freeman Area CoOrdlnalor Acton resident Heather Whiting of Real Estate recently was presented with the Outstanding Perform Award In recognition and what is called the million dollar dub She was presented with a plaque at a special luncheon last Thursday at Harrops In Milton A Cardlo Pulmonary Resuscitation course will be held April and May 5 in the The course will be taught by a qualified Canadian Heart Foundation instructor and will Include a slide presentation and practical training in CPR using a Each student will receive a certificate Participants will understand healthy lifestyle and risk factors Involved in heart disease learn to recognize signs of heart attack and stroke know how to try to prevent a heart attack victim from going Into cardiac arrest leam the importance of airway breathing and circulation in an unconcious victim acquire the skills of one man CPR and know how to save the life of a choking victim For more information call the at 1070 or drop in Congratulations go to David McGuloway who won Ihe coaches award for the Most Outstanding Player in the playoffs at a banquet Friday night David a former Acton Sabre Is now a member of the Burlington Cougars An observation from former Free Press editor Hartley Coles recently came my way Hartley says this the latest he has ever seen ice on Lake Can anyone else recall the lake being frozen on April Let me know Dr and Mrs Harvey Hassan from London Ontario spent last Tuesday after noon and evening with Pat and Mary McKenzie of Jeffrey Ave Many Acton residents will remember Hassard Drug Store where Heady Hair Styles now stands According to Pat Harvey was one of Miss Minnie Bennetts outstanding students and taught public school in Acton area and then served in the before obtaining his B A He then moved to Ottawa to teach high school Harvey then became head of the Guidance Department In Ottawa before moving back to University of Western Ontario in London to He received his Doctor degree from Michigan State Mrs Hassard Pat Baker taught high school In Acton Just after WW Pat says Harvey has written many articles in Guidance and represented the university at a conference in Greece last year Lilt Friday the university honored him with a retirement party He retires on June Mrs boarded with the while she taught in Acton and Mary McKenzie worked in Hassard Drug Store Harvey was one the first teachers Pat met when he came to Acton in 1939 His purpose Tor being in the area last Tuesday was because he had to speak at a high school In that morning Milton is celebrating its 125th annlver sary this year and Dave Brush would like to invite all former residents home for the July holiday weekend Who Dave Brush He s the chairman of the 125th Anniversary Master Com For further Information on anniversary events contact Clare Henderson The Acton Business People are ing in the Spring next even at Wooden Heart Inn A wine and cheese party is planned for to p Coral Greaves and Pat Wood are the people lo call Tor further in formation One of Acton Eva drawings has been put on the front of the Children Aid Society CAS Annual Report to go across Ontario in May The design used was from a Christmas card she made up three years ago Many of her Christmas card designs have been on the cover of the CAS Christmas issues or Journals In all the CAS has used four of Eva designs Not a bad track record One of Eva Christmas sketches While Canada Constitution was being brought home in a special ceremony on Pari Hill In Ottawa Queen El at least one Acton family was also celebrating In my wanderings Saturday I noticed a large Canadian flag gracing the upstairs window of house on Klngham lid near Theflagwasonlheoulsideof the house I don know of any other in town who marked the day in any special way If you did let me know The Decoration Day Committee would like a representative from all groups In town at their meeting next Wednesday in the board room of the Acton Legion Decoration Day is set for June and organizers would like to see a good number of groups participating The Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces which will play two con certs at Acton community centre on June played at the airport Thursday for the arrival in Ottawa of Queen Elizabeth The band is being brought here by the Wellington District of the Free Masons Walker Lodge here in Acton MI- RINGS by Mabel Bar km an Creepers An old song we use to a ing began with creepers where you get those peepers While in the song the reference was lo eyes at this time of year 1 longing to hear the peepers in the ponds It a noise we look forward lo every Spring In fact when it becomes a full chorus we turn off the radio at night and Tall peacefully to sleep The little fellows must sleep dur ng the day because they are not heard until dusk The old wives tale says that frogs must be frozen in the ponds three times before we get Spring but I am happy to halt the arrival of their peeping any lime now The only discouraging thing is that Ihe mosquito Inevitably follows the croaking of he frogs Clergy Comment by Rev Chuck Beaton Christian people are basking in the aftermath of Easter In spite of fact that our weather remains un seasonably cold and miserable That one of the confusing things about Easter We often identify it with the changing seasons the coming of spring and the bursting forth of new life more than v focus on the power of the resurrection event itself There are happy Easter cards daf chocolate bunnies and colored eggs But there is a difference bet ween Easter and the rite of spring What sort of card would you send young parents whose 7 year old child had just died of leukemia Or what about the 19yearold wife whose husband is in jail for child molesting How about a card for the family about to lose their home because the rates are going Then there are the starving people in Cambodia Somaliland and a multitude of other places A card with chocolate bunnies would be nice for them This is neither flip nor cynical when we remind the world that nearly 000 yean ago on a certain Sunday morning God came into the midst of human misery with a power unknown the world before On Easier God said Enough of Ihis and raised to life the young Jesus who had been killed by all the respectable forces of the day That is good news and is the very heart the Christian message The resurrection happened in the midst of brutal suffering and it still speaks with meaning particularly to people who are In one of life crisis For example Easter power won t rid us of cancer but can do two things One is that it triggers bodily forces that produce a remission sometimes Secondly it can make possible what specialists call a good death The patient may die of the disease but not be conquered by it Easter power won I heal our crazy economic system that robs people of their homes but it will sustain the fighters who believe that the church must dirty its hands in politics when Justice is at stake The rite of spring calls us to walk into the face of the wind It often lets us fool ourselves to remain blind to our duly The celebration Of Easter calls those of us who are comfortable to step down into the fury of the world misery intbefalmthalourrfsraLord is among us to make life better for all issues years ago April is mi Saturday is a big day for local Scouts and cubs Forty thousand trees have been pledged by the public and on Saturday Cubs and Scouts will be headed for several areas of the County and Credit Valley Conservation Authorities to plant them Mrs Steel and her dogs Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are to be special guests on tho Elaine Cole show CKCOTV Kitchener on Friday June Steels kennels are located on 17 Slderoad south of Acton Acton Lions Club is again sponsoring the Canadian National Institute for the Blind canvass In Acton and they are looking for volunteers Acton Centennial Commission starts a serious campaign to raise money for the building project Putting the fun into the fund week the commission introduced a Buy a Brick program Average homeowners in Acton will pay more this year In taxes The Junior math contest written some time ago placed AH 11th out of 13 schools From Acton Ian Coats placed first Rob second and Glenn Lee third 20 years ago April 1962 Fred Dawk ins a student of Acton High School was chosen for the Adventure in Citizenship to take place around the middle of May in Ottawa Miss Madeleine Gibbons received her engraved plaque at the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner Thursday Miss Gib bons was voted Actons Citizen of the Year Chamber president Bert in ton made the presentation Mrs Joe Whllham had one of her paintings chosen for entry in the area show in Brampton in May when Judges made their selection during the Five Counties Art Exhibit in the Robert Little School on Saturday Mr Garner of Press was In town Tuesday and took an order of new books for the library Deciding the order were Mrs Jack Chapman Miss Madge Chapman and Charles 50 years ago April At the meeting of the Acton Council on Monday night Councillors Cowle Jones and McArlhur were present and Reeve George Barber presided Mr and Mrs Ernest Near and Master Robert of Toronto visited his mother and other Acton friends over the weekend Over the Hill will be the special feature at the Gregory Theatre tomorrow Friday night Mr G A Dills and David spent the weekend visiting his sister in Toronto Mrs Ritchie Mrs Mrs Clifford Mrs Mrs Waller and Mrs Bishop motored to Hamilton on Tuesday to attend the Annual Meeting at Cathedral or the Women Auxiliary 75 years ago April IB 1907 Mr Edward Kingsbury had quite a successful ploughing bee at Crewsons Comers on Wednesday Quite a number were entertained In the evening Messrs Beardmore and Co have the largest stock of hemlock bark now stored in their tannery ever stacked In Acton Every shed is filled and outside stacks are now being built The few plank walks left in town are in dangerous condition due to loose boards Miss Amy Doty of London has com practices for the annual Methodist Sunday School concert She Is planning an International flag drill and symbol march by young ladles pantomime and choruses by as many as 100 scholars Mr NP McLam will return to town He has completed the purchase of the black JR Anderson He has splendid prospects In the oldest stand of the blacks mi thing business in Acton 100 years ago April 1BS2 Our usually quiet little town was thrown into a state of excitement by the of a report that one of our citizens made an attempt to commit suicide How ever he had not taken a sufficient quantity of laudanum to do him any harm The scare had the good effect of reconciling the husband and wife and they have decided to die natural deaths In consideration for their feelings we suppress their names County of druggists licenses have been given to J E and M Forstcr M of Acton The annual entire horse show in con- Junction with the Agricultural Society was held In Wednes day A Urge number of leading farmers were present and the horses ihqwn were good There Is a movement afoot to lower the rate of postage to two cents Please refrain from throwing branches bones etc from gardens Into the streets