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the HERALD Home Newspaper of Hallon Hills Established A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Guelph Street Ontario IM I I IIOH I Second Mail Our salute As a tribute to Small Business Week in Canada The Heralds editorial staff have taken a close look at a number of small area firms Wear a poppy The Royal Canadian Legions poppy fund has a threefoJd purpose it provides employment for disabled veterans and their widows money for veterans welfare and a simple but meaningful way to remember ap proximately 114000 Canadians who died in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean con flict Where does the money raised through their distribution It could provide bursaries for children of exservice per sonnel or help operate a Legion Service Bureau that assists veterans in making pension claims It could also be used to operate daycare centres for seniors or it might help needy exservicemen in other Commonwealth or allied countries There are as many uses as there are veterans Most importantly wearing a scarlet poppy is a way to remember the thousands of young Canadians who died years ago I It says we havent forgotten The recession from which the nation is only now slowly recovering has left Canadians with plenty of reminders of the important roles small businesses play in the health of our economy Statistics tell us that most of the nations work force is in small businesses small businesses not only pay out billions of dollars in wages and taxes they con tribute to community groups sports teams and fundraising efforts Small businesses the Canadian Manufacturers Association says have a future in an extremely hightech economy because their smaller sizes and low overheads means they can move into developing areas of business faster than their larger less athletic cor porate cousins As the articles in this issue suggest it isnt easy running a small business these days the economic outlook is only marginally brighter Major investment and hiring trends among larger manufacturers may capture most of the publics attention But the countrys economy continues to roll on the ambitions of small businesses and what they put into thousands of communities across Canada Fronton Regulars at store treated more like family Question answer surviving the 80s Editors notebook By DAVE ROWNEY In recognition of twill business week Herald staff writers and Chris prepared a of articles profiling businesses In Hills or my part I over to Kentners Dairy Bar last week with a tape recorder to Interview Chamber of Commerce president Dave K raiser He and his wife Gerry will be celebrating their tenth anniversary next April running Independent catering business Here are some excerpts from oar talk On our situation In Hills do we differ from other areasT Dave Kentner I think that email businesses are the cornerstone of any community The Georgetown smalt business community and the Hills small business community are really a typical crosssection of the business communities of any area or region The effort of the committee and the Dawklns boys Ron Heller to set up the Olde Hide House the Market and so on Its unique businesses the discovery of insulin was related right to Best from the Georgetown area Glen Williams was the birthplace of the transmission of hydroelectric power from Iheslteof genera ling power to the place of using it the old paper mill dam and dynamo About trends In 1 1 Ills over the past 10 years for small businesses Dave Ithlnkthalduring the flush years of our economy there was a splurge of people looking for secondary incomes possibly their mute or children were looking for a business opportunity They turned and invested into opening small businesses to service the community Of course the community was growing at the same time these people leaped in to fill the gaps there and to bring these new ideas As the economy tightened up Home of these people Inst interest because they making money and their businesses closed Some of hem began to rely on that revenue so Ihey became even more expert at running their business On small businessmen today Dave Kentner I think todays small businessman compared to the small businessman of yesterday is a more highly educated more aware business person The room for error is much smaller in the 80s your overheads are far higher percentage wise than they were In the past You must much higher revenues You to be able to lake advantage of credit Interest and so on in order to be able to survive Large businesses who are the suppliers to small businesses are more and more becoming akin to dealing with only large businesses and theyre actually starting to make decisions to terminate the small businessman Minimum orders minimum delivery weights specific delivery days and on and on and on putting all the onus on the small businessman to juggle all this On people supporting local busin ess In town Dave Kentner I believe there is a high degree of community awareness I would be negligent if I didnt appeal for an ever broadening sense of awareness The small businessman cannot support the community the charities and community organizations that all solicit their support If I might throw In a small plug very shortly director Lynn Barnard of the Chamber of Commerce will be 120th anniversary project in celebration of that anniversary In which we hope to address those very problems On rewards of being a small businessman Dave Kentner The true reward of a small businessman or business- person is probably more in the social ego personal lifestyle of the business man I get a personal thrill out of putting together a successful package for someone or for organizing an event and watching it go off smoothly on behalf of my client Problems of chain ownership affecting small business Dave A chain would be a direct threat to a small businessman if the small businessman chose to tackle the chain head on with an identical marketing strategy because he does not have the resources buying power and finance and the expertise to outachieve the chain Chains are rather indexible they have a set pollen strategy formula that works for them and theyre foolish to alter from it e a small who is willing to be flexible In product and services and In hours and In techniques and so on Staff Til Comment Regulars at the Ballinafad General Store arentrcally customers quite guests either No theyre more like family It been that way since the early 1900s and as long as Bonnie Walker is running things it will stay that way In Ihc burly world of busin ess the General Store and others like it la a bit of an ism Too many of Ontarios general stores which anchored down single corners of fourcorner villages have disappeared into history If been replaced at all its usually by tottip bread variety If a chainowned milk store opened In Ballinafad area residents would likely collapse in shock viewing it as an impersonal Big City intrusion No doubt there was a communal sigh or relief when Mrs Walker and her husband Davidresidents of Ball for about seven yearsbought the store from the Shorthllls Like the atmosphere of the store the Shorth sign outside remains unchanged With immense understatement Mrs Walker says we carry a little bit of everything True to its name the Ballinafad General Store carries a lot from quick in and out items like cold meats milk and bread to hardware items paint brushes rollers ax handles wood stove dampers nails by the pound gloves hats caps boots gun oil huge funnels lays gifts and ceramics many made by local people pocket knives things for your cow things for your horse things for the dog and cat razor blades and stamps Yes Indeed addition to minding the general store and running the adjoining tack shop Mrs Walker Is postmistress A tiny corner to the rear of the store belongs to Canada Post Corp The store is the centre of activity for the entire village Mrs Walker said when I dropped by Sunday If somebody has lost a dog or a horse they phone here If somebodys miss ing they phone here From this nostalgic picture the only things missing are a cracker barrel and several well used choirs Theyve been replaced by sandwiches to order and the welcome a full coffee not The Store Is Mrs Walkers first business venture While the hours are long often stretching to 14 hours a day when one Includes bookkeeping she says she enjoys meeting people and the respons ibility the job demands Sure many people do most of their major shopping at larger centres in Georgetown Guelph and Erin draw on the general slore for Incidentals But there are still a few residents either less mobile or who con stand shopping plazas who still consider the store their main source of supplies Many a long and dreary search for some hard tofind Item or another has successfully ended at the General Store But visitors here are 1m media aware of something else even before Ihey breath in the rubbery leathery smells of hardware and tack and the soothing aroma of hot coffee Its the essence of Canadian small busincssa firm playing not only an important commercial role In the community but a muchappreciated social function as well Letter to the editor Santas coming to town To the editor of The Herald We would like to announce that once again the Santa Claus Parade sponsored by the Acton Hen will be held Nov at 1 30 m from the MacKenzlcSmith Middle School It will proceed west on Mill Street to Park Street north on Park Street to Knox Avenue and cast on Knox Avenue to Main Street where the parade will terminate Wo arc calling upon all businesses Service Clubs Churches School and Childrens groups to participate in this years Parade Float entry forms can be obtained from the Aden Social Services Centre on Mill Street West or the Recreation Office in Georgetown Yours truly Jones Chairman Acton Santa Parade THIRTY YEARS AGOCompletely re designed and refurnished the Corner Cupboard Restaurant wilt reopen on Friday after being closed since Mon day while extensive alterations were made Mr and Mrs Stan Wade who purchased the business earlier this year have given the restaurant a new color scheme in gray and chartreuse provided a new waiUng area for Gray Coach passengers as well as changing the style of counter and creating two rest rooms TWENTYFIVE YEARS 500 in cosh was netted by safecrackers in a break in at the IGA over Die weekend The break in occurred sometime between p Saturday and 10 IS a m Sunday morning and was reported to local police at approximately 30 a m Chief Constable Roy Haley and Cpl Jim Bllsborrow were immediately notified by Const Evan Rollins who received the call over the cruiser radio Entry to the supermarket was gained through a hole knocked In the roof of the building by a railroad sledge hammer The hole was made within 10 feet of the safe located at the rear of the store on the east side There was an estimated 1670 In the safe but close of that amount was destroyed by the blast Thieves arc believed to have reached the roof by climbing a hydro pole located four feet from wall at the south east corner or the building TEN YEARS may be heading for deep trouble Garbage trouble that is Bill Johnson of GUARD Group United Against Rural Dump ing and a member of Garbage Coalition which meets in Georgetown this weekend sees trouble ahead when the town opens Its new landfill site He has expressed fears about the volume of garbage to be handled as well as the handling costs ONE YEAR AGOTown planning board chairman Mike Armstrong has challenged complaints made last week by Georgetown Area Ratepayers Association president Brian Bush about the process leading up to councils approval two weeks ago of the Hills official plan In a Herald Interview Mr Bush expressed his groups disappointment in plan commenting that there seems to be a total lack of rationality and no logical process behind it But Coun Armstrong told The Herald that he doubts Mr Bushs views are shared by ail members of GABAs executive committee I have nothing against GAHA Mr Armstrong said Im supportive of any group wanting to Involve itself In community Issues But Brian a comments lost week were strictly his nobody elses Council and Its committee formed to steer the towns urban boundary review made every effort to keep the ratepayers group informed Coun Armstrong said denying Mr Bushs accusation that queries about the Georgetown urban review and the official plan were never addressed THE WAY WE WERE nd Burt m In elm SUM I ail b lb for Mclnlgn ml fi hi lira J Lit Willi Bill SSS Ibid Mm Port Ml Mr Lyai Letter to the editor Think about our Bicentennial To the editor or The Herald The Esqucslng Histo rical Society held a par ticularly interesting meeting in October when invited the Twcedsmulr History rotors from the Womens Institute Branches In George town area who brought their books for viewing They arc the ones who merit mention and de serve much credit for their dedication In re cording the valuable community history con tained In their most interesting volumes Their material con sisting of the story of their neighbourhood its farms churches schools organizations etc dales back to the lsZOs and IB30s and their curators past and present hove been com piling it for the post thirty years Lucky they began when they did or much of It would have been lost by now The books contain many snapshots and often clippings are added too Those who submitted books who should be mentioned are Dublin Anne Dodos Sil verwood Mary Marchlngton Bannock- burn I Rene Mor Dorothy McLean Ash- grove Betty Books from the reference sec tions of Iho Halton Hills Libraries from the dis banded Branches of Acton and Georgetown were also on view My job as District curator is to assist these ladles in organizing their material for microfilming and nine of these fourteen books have been microfilmed As well I am In charge of our District Tweeds muir History where we record biographies and pictures of our presl dents and secretaries our District activities and Branch summaries As a member of the Georgetown Agricultur al Society 1 am also Involved In helping collect and record their one hundred and thirty- seven year history We have book of sixty pages now that wo are finding is a valuable resource for newer members We know there are still stories and pictures of people who were exhibitors In years past who raced on the famous track who showed horses and livestock and which we would like to Include In our history Maybe some of you folks out there can help us find these missing pieces 1 mention this latter activity so that other groups might be encouraged to begin a history of their maybe it would be a good Bicentenni al project for History Is something we are all unconsciously writing every day Are you one of the few who is recording Yours sincerely Mrs John This summer I was fortunate to have the loan of an Ability Phone terminal to witness for myself Its versatility Using this device severe ly disabled individuals can make and receive phone calls control lights appliances door and window locks and manage finances Safety and security devices can function manually or automatically triggered by preprogrammed messages smoke heat or burglars Aid Is summoned by three preset phone calls dialed automatically with appropriate messages delivered to police fire departments or friends for each emergency The phone does not give up until answer On completion the Ability Phone reassures the owner that help is on the way If reminders are necessary to take medication or perform other self care tasks it can be programmed to inform a person of up to ten different reminders during the day Likewise five reminder dates will relay messages from doctors appoint ments to car payments due Using flashing lights printers visual display screen and adjustable synthetic voice prerecorded message or sound Baudot code it Is able to communicate with almost everyone as well as most machines from standard telephones TDDs and TTY a to computers As a calculator using basic mathematics It has large easy to use keys with a larger than average display The reaction time to each key can be adjusted from Immediate to time delayed in case you strike the wrong one or change your mind A voice andor the screen will Inform you which key was pushed if you wish Calling for help or selecting prclisted phone numbers can be accomplished by selecting one key In fact If you wish the entire unit can be operated by one key a single switch by hand foot sip and puff wobble rocker body heat etc As you can see control of this unit is exceedingly simple requiring little dexterity by the owner or set up by the dealer The Ability Phone Is the size of the Toronto phone book and has many functions than mentioned here It does have flaws however but to find out youre going to have to wait for another column