Popular Citizen of the Year Memorials pay tribute to Billy 90 Georgetown Ac ton Wednesday Sept 5 Cradle Roll is taking care of tots Three separate memorial services this week bear ample testimony to the warm regard had for former Cltoen of the Year Billy Middleton who died Friday at age 90 As if the Acton Legion Hall wasnt already crowded enough with friends and admirers last May for his gala birthday party managed to make a few more charming new acquaintances with his Acton and inspiring with his hopes for the future Canada Customs and Excise office a Job he held from ISM until bis retirement in 19S9 One of the soldiers fighting in Europe who received Middleton s packages during the Second War John Goy recalled Monday how his old friend helped him obtain part of the old Acton post office for his warehouse as a memento He and Vic Patrick recently brought Middleton out to Goy Cartage to take his picture standing atop the stone that was removed from the post office when it was torn down It bears the inscription Customs and marks Goys own customs port at the warehouse The loss of the old post office was another black day in Acton history as far as Billy Middleton was concerned Middleton served on the Acton public and separate school boards and during World War II helped form the Acton War Services League dispatching gifts and supplies to righting overseas Among the many community projects that shared his attention in later years was the construction of the Scout Hall where he also served as a Scout leader Knox Presbyterian Churchs second annual Cradle Roll Tea brought a host of preschoolers and their proud mom and grandmothare church hall Sunday afternoon for a getacqualnted party tod- dim will take pan In their own Christian education program during regular Sunday unlets one activities organized by the churchs Congregations Lite Committee BILLY An esteemed member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197 and the Masonic Walker Lodge died at General Hospital where he spent the previous two weeks He is survived by his wife Helen of Acton and brother Jim in Toronto Funeral services were held yesterday Tuesday afternoon at the Shoemaker Funeral Home with Rev Don Matheson of Trimly United Church officiating Pallbearers at the funeral which followed at Cemetery were all members of Branch John Goy Vic Patrick Pat Ed Harry Norton and Jack Ridley Mid diet on memory was honored at special services at Walker Lodge Sunday night and at the Legion Monday night Chosen Actons of the Year In Middleton was known as a proud bemoaning Its loss of municipal status with the coming of regional government and pledging his undying support for the com munityand the Legion branch he loved so well He was bom May 1894 in rant ford one of Gavin and Mane Middleton six child He fought overseas throughout World War I with the Tenth Signals Brigade and liked to Joke in later years about being wounded just I wo months before the Armistice He married Helen Oct 11 1920 in ford and the couple moved to Acton three years later He worked as an operator for CN before taking on a new post in the acquitted on perjury charge ByERICELSTONE The last owner of the Dominion Hotel Costmo Mercuri was acquitted last week of a perjury charge arising from his testimony during a murder trial two and a half years ago Mercuri who is in penitentiary for second degree murder was found not guilty by pro vincial court Judge Douglas Latimer last Wednesday in Milton The Crown alleged that knowing gave false evidence while testifying under oath in March 1982 He testified that he did not have a sexual affair or close personal relation ship with Heather Moreland a bartender at the Dominion Hotel told the court last week that she and Correction A story in last weeks Free Press concern proposed developments in the area may have given some readers the mis taken impression that the Residents Organization is opposed to Stone Bam Holdings plans for a convention centre In fact the has decided to take no action on the matter The same article incorrectly Identified Stone Barn president Andy as Andy McGraw and said the proposed inn would feature rooms It would in fact contain up to rooms Our apologies Mercuri did have a sexual relationship that started in and ended in the summer of 1980 After the August 1979 fire which gutted the hotel police followed Mercuri and Moreland to a Brampton urea motel An officer saw them fully clothed on a motel room bed No sex was observed Under crossexamination by defence lawyer Rory Comale indicated that she did not hold a romantic view of the affair For me the relationship was relief from a gruelling work schedule and it was also to maintain a decent working environ ment so I harassed or bullied Basically thats what it was for she said She acknowledged that she knew he was seeing another woman at the time of their relationship The court heard that committed perjury during Mercuris preliminary hear ing Court also learned that she recanted soon afterwards in time to correct the impression she had given discounted Cornales view of Ute role police played in getting her to change her preliminary hearing testimony She also indicated that she does not know why she perjured herself In the first place but recalled a sense of relief after having changed her testimony The police were not Ihe reason for my at tempt to commit suicide Moreland told the court Based on the standard set by the Supreme Court of Canadathat for an accused to be convicted of perjury he must have made false statements under oath known they were false and have intended to mislead the Latimer found Mercuri not guilty In the opinion of this court there is no evidence of him intending to mislead the Supreme Court of Ontario he said The Crown argued that based on testimony the court could draw an inference Perhaps he was trying to give evidence of being of good moral character and there fore he would not have set the fire said the Crown Comale reminded Judge Latimer that during the murder trial Mercuri admitted having the affair with the other woman Mrs Mercuri and her son were in the provincial court room during the perjury trial last week was convicted of the second degree murder of hotel resident Howard Gibbons He died when the hotel located on Main St beside Acton was com gutted by fire Mercuri is seeking leave from the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal his murder conviction That effort has been scheduled for next month The Ontario Court of Appeal denied a simitar appeal by Mercuri in February The Supreme Court of Ontario sentenced Mercuri to ten years in prison before he will be eligible for parole Relatively new to Actons Knox Presbyterian Rav Craig Crlbar sees social and educational activities for members of congregation even the little ones listed on the Cradle Roll as an Important part church func tlons Those voices we hear in church are the voices of the future Rav Crlbar told parents and grandparents at the Cradle Roll Tea Sun day Dressed up in their finest outfits the youngsters quietly down to tee at their own tables while flashbulbs popped Taste That Winning Combination Whopper Meal Combo Now Only When you order a Whopper Meal Combo nght now you get a juicy Whopper large fries and a medium Pepsi Thats a taste combination thats hard to beat and at a savings thats even harder to beat So next time youre feeling hungry satisfy yourself with a Whopper Meal Combo Thl3oirerexplre90tt0br7 Hungry HALTON HILLS PLAZA 2S3 ST GEORGETOWN MKWMWnnMWMIt Pat Trotter and Linda Ford announce few Management Sale September 26 to September 29 FABRIC UP TO Reductions on new arrivals Selected Patterns each SUPER SPECIALS WHILE SUPPLY LASTS 75M1LLSTE STORE HOURS MondaySaturday 530 p Thursdayonly 10am8OOp