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~ Community pride pulses in Acton Hometown Proud is the motto Acton residents and businesses have adopted - and appropriately so. In tough, often vicious eco- nomic times, with little if any help being offered from outside sources, the community looked inward and discovered its most valuable resource; namely, its own people. Working together, community members from all walks of life focused not only on community pride, but also on the innate spark of pride that fuels individuals and similarly makes them valued community-contributing members. It is a spark that can be dimmed by various levels of governmen- tal interference or incompetence but - we hope - never snuffed. This Acton pride was never in more evidence than last Friday with the staging of the second Lighten Up Canada day. It is estimated that about 40 communities (including Toronto) stage Lighten Up Canada days; but back off interlopers, this is an Acton-inspired idea and should always be recognized as such. Acton resident, Jack Carpenter, a broadcaster on FM 105 in Kitchener, came up with the idea last year after learning that 300 Britons had sported clown noses just for the fun of it. From that point, the idea was off and running. ‘Acton’s Mill Street was jammed last Friday as an attempt was made to make the Guinness Book of Records in the “Longest line of red noses” category. It’s still to be determined if the Guinness book has such a category. Regardless, hand-picked counters dutifully tallied 1,352 of the red nose extensions in the line and the rest - as they say - might be history. Media representatives from across south-central Ontario covered the event and local businesses got into the spirit of things by offer- ing discounts to customers on special items for customers sporting red noses. A sign on Mill Street proudly proclaimed, “Acton - Home of Lighten Up Canada ay.” Crowds numbering in the hundreds - residents and visitors alike _ wandered the streets of Acton enjoying the lighthearted activities. When times are tough, we have only each other to turn to. Acton, a valued member-community of Halton Hills, has the right idea. ‘Without pride, individuals and communities will wither and die. With pride, however, communities and individuals can survive - if not thrive - in uncertain times. A tip of the hat to Acton for showing us the way. The little guy gets the shaft Once again it appears the federal government cares little, if any- thing, about low-income earners. In a published report, tax accountants attempted to point out an apparent error in millions of tax forms sent out to Ontario taxpay- ers. The error would only affect low-income earners attempting to determine their provincial tax credits. ‘The error, according to the tax accountants, refers back to line 506 on the main income tax return but should instead refer back to line 406. Tt could mean that low-income taxpayers could end up miscalcu- lating the tax they are required to pay, which conversely, woul affect tax refunds. The obvious solution would be to re-issue corrected forms, Revenue Minister Otto Jelinek, will have none of that. “There are ways and means of dealing with minor errors,” Jelinek was quoted as saying in reference to the foul-up. Excuse us, Otto, but those who can at least afford it will be the victims of “YOUR” mistake. Jelinek is confident Revenue Canada’s computers will be able to ms roll in. but Right, available to explain to the low-income earner who will have to wait months for the problem to be resolved ripped-off - of money glitches? Once again, the little guy gets the shaft while the feds get the Saturday team pose with their proposed out-of-town Sargent (upper right). To the Editor: 1 knew it would happen someday. They’ ve finally lost their minds - snapped - gone off the deep end, right round the bend!! It was just too much for them - the success I mean. It went right to their heads and clouded their brains and “voila”, before you could say “Blue Box” they’d lost their collective senses. Of course I’m referring to our Regional and local councils. Since recycling began in earnest in Halton Hills (coincident to the beginnings of “Acton quarry for a dump”, RSI and POWER), the resi- dents in the area, rural and urban, have progressively pitched in to do their bit for the environment. In recent time, that “bit” has gen- erally been considered well in excess of Provincial goals and a tremendous volume of local “garbage” has been eliminated from the waste stream and directed to recycling programs. This was achieved not by luck nor by design. It happened because the right programs and facilities had come into place and the resi- dents became aware of the need to use them, and so they did. ‘The facilities I refer to are: - The curb-side Blue Box pro- gram for Urban residents. While the types of articles accepted for recycling were restricted, they are now being expanded. - The Leferink Transfer Station on Armstrong Avenue. This facility serviced the rural residents’ garbage disposal needs and has pro- gold mine to play with. gressively expanded its” recycling from conducting a highly successful door-to- large collection of bottles and cans, tourney. With the boys are te Wake up and sm program to be able to accept glass, newspapers, metal containers, card- board, scrap metal, drywall, rubber tires and compostable materials. The urban resident was also able to make use of this facility for materi- als not acceptable in the Blue Box rogram. - Wastewise - conveniently close to the Leferink Transfer Station. Services both rural and urban resi- dents and businesses and has gone beyond the collection of tin cans, newspaper and glass. It has been a trail-blazer in finding a place for practically everything that wasn’t true garbage. The list includes plas- tic containers, plastic bags, alu- minum foil containers, styrofoam packaging, most forms of paper, cardboard, brown paper bags, milk/drink cartons, postage stamps, rubber bands, corks, beer bottle caps, clothing, etc., etc. and has taken in practically and household item that somebody else might find ause for. Unfortunately, space lim- itations have forced Wastewise to stop accepting some household items until existing stocks are reduced. Lo} tegion and tion of Blue Box materials at Wastewise. Many rural residents have indi- cated their unwillingness to pay Leferink to dispose of their garbage and recyclables and just as many agree it’s not “worth the drive to ell the garbage ud morning’s sub-zero temperature didn’t ‘deter members of Georgetown Minor Novice Raiders door bottle drive in Georgetown. money from which am trainer Ed Pearce (uppe! Members of the local hockey will help cover the cost ofa x left) and coach Jeff Photo by Dianne Cornish Milton”. Without Regional/Town support with the collection of Blue Box materials, Wastewise’s already lim- ited space will compel them to cease accepting those items. (The Town’s response will be that they have provided four “igloos” at the works yard on Trafalgar Road. These igloos have “mix” of, body is going to have to “sort” the materials at some point, i.e., sepa- rate the cans from the broken glass and the newspapers from the card- board etc., which is very labor intensive and will cost money, the same stuff that could be used to pay to provide a pick-up at Wastewise of pre-sorted materials.) Rural residents are being given the “run-around”. To get rid of their the region. If unresolved soon, the end result of this crisis will be that the volume of recyclables being put back into the garbage and eventually into the: landfill site (or strewn around the! countryside) will increase. All because of sheer short-sight- edness and an inability on the part} of urban councillors to look bey: their own Blue Box serviced back: yards and recognize facilities thi work! What a success story — fro riches to rags!! Wake up for goodness sak Halton, and smell the garbage! Sincerel; Letters Welcome Halton Hills This Week wel- comes your letters. Letters must be signed and include your full name and address. Names will be with- held on request. Halton Hills This Week reserves the right to edit, revise, or reject any letters on the basis of factual Send your letter to: The Editor Halton Hills This Week 232 Guelph St., Unit m3 Georgetown, ON For Pete's Sake Her! Legco mY L7G 4B1