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

GeorgetownActon Acton TELEPHONE Busnse and Otfce Founded in 1875 Pubbsned Wednesday try Acton On farm dm each Ken Bellamy Don Ryder Hartley Coles D of Advertising rig Ed lor The Acton Free ra a on of the Printing and Ltd suburban which includes Tha Whitby Pickering News Aurora Banner Enterpnse Brampton Guardian The Post Tha Burhngton Weekend Poll Guardian Georgetown Independent The Post Thomh and Sun Tha Champion The News The Newmarket Economist and Sun The Milton Champion New The Newmarket Era Tha North York Minor dey The Weak Weekend The Liberal The Scarborough or The EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT EdhorGord Murray New Edtor Sports Robin Paul Nolan Chart Payn Nancy ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Ratal Adverttslna Manager- Cook Sale Davy Susan McKimon Sandra Wtoon Cararyn BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Office Manager Caxdation Need many more costs for complex Trie Town and Hydro space needs study has answered a lot of questions but it s unveiling and the future of this issue also raises many more tions What councillors have long suspected has now been confirmed by an out side authority the Town has been operating with far far less space than it needs Halton Hills Hydro has been too though not for nearly as long because it was bom later than Halton Hills No question more space Is needed for the various departments Also no ion a municipal operation mostly under one roof would a more efficient Another consideration has to be staff morale and the public image of the municipality A municipal complex would likely make staff more willing to stay working for Hills and would be an asset in terms of recruitment A municipal complex would give the Town a more professional image in deal ing with outsiders as well as a greater identity and appearance of and direction But all this must be weighed against costs The consultant estimated there was to a year wasted in staff because of the scat municipal operation However before a municipal complex can be sold to the public much more cost savings advant ages of a consolidated operation must be pro duced We need to know which municipal and Hydro pro perties will be sold and what price they will realist not appraised value but market value fetch How much money will the sale or rental of surplus pro perty bring down the cost of the new building land and maintenance We need a companson of maintenance and rental costs for current Town and Hydro facilities with the yearly cost of running a new budding This examination should look in detail at costs associated with running a new building versus old buildings terms of utility costs Another question to be probed is if there will be any saving of mileage and car allowance costs with most staff under one roof The Town and Hydro must compare 1983 or 1984 cost of building a complex in a time when construction pnces are pretty good because of tough competi in the industry brought on by the recession and government grants which are available now but might not be when the economy improves with the cost of waiting until the taxpayers can better afford such a mammoth project and creased taxes to pay for the undertaking Also council and Hydro commission will have to decide if having the op timum amount of space is absolutely necessary con the estimated cost of a complex of million or can they achieve most of the results they want such as reduced maintenance costs and improved ciency with something less The bottom line is this new report should be view as simply a working document or guide for the Town and Hydro not a final decision or even definitive direction to move in We re pleased to see the building committee will be looking at sites not just the Steven s Estate site in Georgetown which may be the best one available but was tainted by the way and the time the old council took out an option to buy it One thing people will have to keep in mind is the joint cost to Hydro and the Town of a complex Just because it could be a shared facility for two separate bodies doesn t mean costs can be viewed separately Everyone must bear in mind that the same people will pay the cost for both the Hydro and Town portions of the project the taxpayers and hydro cus G M From the editor s To print names or not big question Coles stew- by Murray Free Press editor Part one To print names of people charged with crimes or not to print names that is the question It s a question I ve been asked off and on by readers of both the Free Press and Georgetown Indepen- nine years rarely I suspect satisfying the questioner with my answer It s also a ques tion which Invariably prompts debate in community newspapers news rooms at conferences and conventions It was even the sub ject of an inconclusive Ontario poof rRce paper I abo suspect for years to come Ihe debate will rage on As simply stated as possible we only run the names of people charged if we intend to follow the case through court That been the policy under three owners of this paper while I ve been here And we only follow a case in court if it is very serious carries a probable jail sentence such as murder man slaughter rape use of a dangerous weapon wounding or attempted wounding drug trafficking or cultivations major thefts or robberies or crimes which are newsworthy or of extreme interest to the Last week at the first Neighbor hood Watch meeting this news papers policy was once again questioned by citizens Some thought we should be running photos of people charged with crimes like burglary so they would recognize culprits when they are In their neighborhood Others thought if names were printed the parents and presumably the children too would be embarrassed Unfortunately for those who want us to carry the names of people charged with break ins this rime doesn t meet our court coverage criteria Only after break ins have become a long running habit do offenders go behind bars For good reason too There are so many break in charges there not enough room in Jail and while it can be quite up setting to the victim considering the whole spectrum of crime clogging our courts it is com para not that serious Also there are so many break in cases they individually unique or worthy So why don we go to court more so we could print more names It comes down to a simple lack of bodies to put in court covering cases Five days a week Acton and area residents are in court facing a wide variety of charges Daily there are Acton oriented cases coming up in the provincial courts county courts supreme court even in Milton Burlington and I say we d need at least a half dozen reporters in the courts to cover each and every case from impaired driving to murder If you re going to cover one break In case you have to in all fairness cover them all You can cover a break in case but it had better be pretty unique or different and you d best be able to Justify bending the policy to the accused and their family Also covering a case in court is a long drawn out time consuming and space eating proposition You don Just cover the verdict and sentencing Court coverage involves being there for remands as many as six or seven in cases we covered preliminary hearings which we legally can even report on reporting the evidence and com of the police witnesses judge Crown Attorney defence counsel and accused at the trail and sentencing So for one case you II usually go o court six to eight times and write several stories including at least two trial and sentencing which result in lengthy and Involved articles Do readers want the paper to become nothing more than a court journal on all the culprits in Acton nothing but crime and court stories filling pages What about the other news And what about having reporters on hand to cover picture assign ments and news during the day while our staff is all tfed up doing nothing but court coverage Why does court coverage have to bo thorough t it sufficient to report the verdict and sentence especially if your goal is to simply embarrass parents and their children We could approach It that way but that t be fair The accused has the right to have the whole story told and evidence and comments most often deter mine the outcome and sentence If you were charged t you want the whole story told Why do we have to be in court for all the appearances leading up to the trial Because It s darned near Impossible to keep track of a case due to the tremendous volume going through the courts if you re not there for every appearance Court staff t the time to keep the papers posted on the progress they don really have the time to check records and advise us over the phone even of a per son next court date Besides It not their job Also if a mistake is made and a case is settled when we I there it not fair that is hasn been reported properly If the accused s name was printed when they were charged But why is it so important to follow a case when the charged person name is printed After all a charge is a fact That true Continued on page 10 John Roots memoirs contain a wealth of information by Hartley Giles tog Editor The man who typified rural Ontario along with colleagues like Leslie Frost and Tom Kennedy has written his memoirs They should be In every library and school room in the country John Henry Haines Root who represented term in the Ontario Legislature for years succumbed to pressures and wrote his memoirs from his rural Orton home It was published at Star and Videlte Printing in Grand Valley and Mr Root now years of age dropped a copy in for us to peruse this week Mr Root has been out of the limelight since he retired from politics in 1975 but many remem ber him fondly when be ted Erin and Eramosa townships in the Legislature He was a fixture at the fall fairs and public meetings of this area always attentive to the needs of bis constituents unflapp able and very much tbe politician under an unassuming exterior His memoirs contain a wealth of about that area and own family but the a way of lite isrfortmurteb has vanished It to tbe story of a country gentleman using lb noun fas proper sense John Root lb of a long line of Boots who came la Canada from Buck County Id the Yankees they bad bad of me Refugees from religious persecu tion In the German and earlier in Switzerland the Roots decided they had a better chance Tor freedom under British rule In Canada They sealed near vflle until John great grandfather came by covered lynch wagon to Erin Township in 1B33 a scant five years after Nathaniel settled at Ballinafad was tbe first settler in Erin Township John Root was raised on the family farm which still treasures many relics of the past such as the candle mould His grandfather used to make candles from sheep and beef tallow There a grind stone a cross cut saw a hand operated washing machine with a scrubbing board dash and barrel churns and even the rope bed he slept on with its straw tick The lynch pin wagon his great grand father brought from Beamsville has been given to the Ontario Agricultural Museum near Milton As Mr Root relate the farm and church have played a prominent rote in tbe lives of tbe family since area was first settled They also gave John Root the background which earned him the respect of the province as well as votes of a riding which bad been Liberal until be And didnt cone easy It took Root four tries before be was elected as the or Then be carried tbe Memoirs John Henry Haines Root As retained the rkflng for tbe Tories baa He may have but I don recall ever hearing John Root say a mean word about anyone in the worst of political hassles He served in the Cabinet as well as being chairman of Ontario Water Resources Commission offices which were often the centre of controversy Although today he would be thought blond Mr Root introduced a number of measures In the Legis lature which have vastly unproved the life of Ihe people of this province Including legislation to protect our precious water resources He recommended that a third lane be added to long grades and at intersections Tor slow moving vehicles on the province a two land highways These are only two of the measures be At same time be carried on a vigorous family and community life and has travelled widely A dedicated Baptist be has also given much of his career to his church and advanced to the degree in the Masonic Order Musically Roots are well known across the province Tbe story of the Root family perhaps would not make an tag rnotlon picture but It is families such as theirs which have been the backbone of Ontario Mr Roots memoirs contain invaluable tafor- which fortunately not be lost now because be took tbe time to down and write Ms memoirs years ago April IS Iff Acton High schoolers held a to raise money for a camping trip to Northern Ontario scheduled in July About 000 was raised and students took part in the event A bid to put steam back on tbe rails between Cheltenham and Georgetown met with a cool response from Terra Cotta residents Ontario Rail Association representatives who want to put a steam train on abandoned tracks were astonished to hear residents complain that the smoke from the vintage train would pollute the air Miss D Simmons was elected president of Acton Women tute at a recent meeting Mrs Fryer Is vicepresident and Miss Nora Kenny second vicepresident 20 years ago April IS Acton Firefighters had their hands full with eight fires reported in five days this week Firefighters took on seven grass fires and one industrial fire between Friday afternoon and Tuesday evening Acton Figure Skating Club ended its first season Thursday with a display for parents and friends Andrew is skating in Highlight of the show was a solo performance by Linda Braida The Alert Evening Auxiliary of Knox Presbyterian Church held an evening of song dance humorous readings and entertainment at Manor recently Per formers Included Carol Masoles and Karen Ashley Marilyn and Lloyd Mclntyre and several young dancers 50 years ago April IS 1133 The Easter cantata given by the United Church choir was one of the finest given for some time The organist Miss Fern Brown was assisted by Mr D Taylor of Toronto Mrs CL Poole Mrs H A Messrs G Simpson and Masales Mrs AK Harrington and Mrs Haines had solo parts Despite last year a deficit it w decided to operate the lawn bowling and tennis club again this year and Co have previously met tbe deficits Each member was to sell five member ships It would be a decided loss to the town if the grounds were closed as they are a beauty spot which every citizen should be proud of Note the bowling greens and tennis courts were located where Canadian Tire store is now 75 years ago April II IMS The Easter concert of the Methodist Sunday School for the third year under the direction of Miss Amy Doty of London was an other pronounced success The orchestra played and over 100 took part in choruses solos recitations marches drills calisthenics and other exercises There was a terrible fatal dent in the sole leather tannery by which John Moffat was killed Tbe particulars of the accident are very narrowing They are recorded at length An inquest was held and It was determined the hoist was Insufficiently protected The enumeration of dogs has somewhat increased Last year there were BO males and three females this year there are males and 12 females Thepopula tion of the town has decreased by occasioned by the temporary closing of tbe tanneries last fall 100 years ago Acton should move in the matter of fire protection We would not favor the purchase of a fire engine as those generally introduced into small towns are of very little vice when their assistance is necessary but a Hook and Ladder Company should be formed without delay Mr R LituePJ Inspector set a commendable example by planting about young maples on the streets adjoining premises Maples are being planted on Bower Ave in front of tbe Association tenement houses Our enterprising little becoming year by Fashionable girts have gone back to our grandnwtbers days and are patdbwen Tbe Scott Act now ban effect a year and has left the county osteons of bsnrs of