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Port Perry Star, 24 Feb 1987, p. 4

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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tues. February 24, 1987 Editorial Comments A Starting Point . We can't find too much to quibble about in the Recreation Needs ' - Study that was handed down last week by a consulting firm. The consultants are suggesting that the Township should con- tinue to enhance and improve existing recreation facilities in all areas of Scugog. | But when it comes to the *'big-ticket"' items like an indoor swim- ming pool, a second pad of ice at the Scugog Arena or even a large banquet hall to seat some 500 people, the consultants are suggesting a 'go slow' approach over the next several years. 3 Z These items, they say, are indeed needed at this time, but the "a X . AMZ planning and the financing of such projects must be carefully examin- : ed and scrutinized to the finest detail over a lengthy period of time. This kind of approach makes good sense. Sure, it would be grand to see a huge banquet hall, an indoor pool and a second pad at the arena, but the price tag is in excess of $3 million. That factor alone means there are a lot of i's to be dotted and t's to be crossed before the Township can even start giving them serious consideration. | As for the major priority recommendations, we can't argue with the suggestion that Scugog Township now needs a full time, qualified and professional recreation director. This municipality is growing quickly; it is a young community and obviously good recreation is a Ra 5 priority for a great many of the people who live here. a a Likewise with the suggestion that if Scugog Centre, the land around the arena, is eventually to become the site for 'a multi- oh dimensional recreation area, a feasibility study is necessary to dete- , = mine if the site is capable of being developed for this purpose. . In light of the Fairgrounds controversy, hindsight would suggest by Cathy Olliffe "LET'S 5EE NOW --- TUNA AND COD DON'T SEEN) TO AGREE WITH ME --. I'VE HAD MY FILL OF FLOUNDER -.. How ARE you FIXED FOR DIGESTIVE COOKIES ©" \) N ATR \ BR NWN SAE AR a Maa NN awa Q NN NN MAN H \\ \ NN N "this feasibility study on the arena lands should have been done a year - ago. we But that's hindsight and it's easy to have 20/20 vision looking backwards. no The Rec Needs Study, with'its 79 recommendations, all of them prioritized and with approximate cost figures attached, is at least a 'starting point for the municipality. It's not a Bible with the message etched in stone, It is a tool for planning the future. Even the one recommendation that promises to be most con- troversial ---- the future closing of Blackstock Arena ---- doesn't come out and say that facility should be shut tomorrow. PORT PRONTO, Tuesday, February 24, 1988 dawned hazy and pay the Fair Board, in order to have the fair mov- cold on Lake Torgog, where the Perry family was ed to another location, in order to build a new It suggests instead that no major expenditures be made on the Arena in Blackstock, for purposes of safety or to provide adequate ice. Well, it goes without saying that if the ice plant suddenly went "pop, or the roof threatened to collapse, the council of the day would have to take a long, hard look anyway and decide whether to spend a lot of money to keep it open. The consultants themselves say the facility should be able to function as it has for the forseeable future. There may be some who will be disappointed the consultants ~ did not put a higher priority on such items as a second pad at Scugog Arena, or a new swimming pool. But to do so might have raised the expectations in the community and put the municipality under con- siderable pressure. : The consultants rightly recognized that the determining factor Is not demonstrated need, but dollars and cents. If the community Is serious about such facilities, the planning should start now, but implementation may have to wait five years or longer. Finally, we are pleased to say that the consultants have recogniz- _ Just waking up from their sleeping bags, cramm- ed together in a tiny ice hut, somewhere off the west shore of Torgog Island. Young Josh Perry, the rebel drop-out from Port Pronto High School, poked his head out the Torgog's frozen surface. ty ras : "I can't believe there's still smog like this. in the middle of winter,"" he grumbled. "Close the door!" his grandfather Peter Perry, growled. "It's hard encugh keeping warm in this stupid hut without letting the cold smog in." Josh's father, and Peter's son, Bill Perry, agreed with the old geezer. 'Just for that." he said from the side of someone's barn. I think Brook's Farm still has some siding on it. At least it did yesterday. although Port Pronto administrator Jerry Torlor said there were quite a few exiles milling around. Maybe they already stole the barnboard for their own fires. Who knows. in this hut door and gazed at the smog setting on Lake to Josh, 'you can go this time and steal board school, Scugog Councillors gladly took out a loan from the City of Toronto. Problems ensued when the Fair Board took the money and still refused tomove. Unable to get the money back or sell the + fair land, Scugog was repossessed by Toronto in the summer of 1987. : . Immediately, troops from the Metro Police - Peacekeeping Unit moved in with tanks and heavy artillery. A nuclear device was set inside the water tower. Port Perry was now known as Port Pront: Scugog as Torgog; Greenbank as Smogbank; Nestleton as Hogton, etc., etc. ad nauseum. : Local people were cast out of their homes as exiles and the lucky ones sought shelter in ice huts (which weren't being used anyway, since the pollution of Lake Ontario was transferred to Lake Torgog. and all the fish died). Other exiles wandered aimlessly through the surrounding city-side, many 'dying of cold and ed the enormous potential. for recreation development in this hunger. Port Pronto's City Memorial Hospital | Township. The municipality, and the four former municipalities prior crazy world. . oo couldn't keep up with the numbers of sick people. to amalgamation, had the foresight to acquire land for parks, com- Just then, Alethia Perry entered the hut. and had to turn most away. : munity halls and so on - slamming (he Soap telig hee, Sermally a peo Meanwhile, the core of Port Pronto filled up : : ty woman, the daughter of the geezer looked tired. ith people who had for years been homeless on The study suggests ways Scugog can tap the potential, but the mascara smudged under her eves, hair tangled the streets of Toronto, along with cityslickers who message is go slow and do it right. Amen to that. wildly, and stale champagne on her breath. had always wanted to live in the country. Peter Perry stared disapprovingly at his Queen' Street was now called Bay Street , daughter for a moment. then looked away Astony North. The two banking institutions on the street Port Perry % j silence prevailed until the elder Perry left the hut were built into skyscrapers and the sidewalks fill- CNA to do his morning chores -- collecting SNOW to ed with men in grey suits. The restaurants were -- AE melt for water, Co oo forced to serve trendy bite-size sushi and gaz- i oO Alethia sighed. It Ss as if he blames me tor pacho. Port Perry's former favourite, the hot beef (049) Foronto's takeover of this town. CL sandwich, virtually disappeared. Nowhere could -- =a "He blames everybody." Bill replied. But be anyone get a real meal, a hearty meal of a ham- 235 QUEEN STREET PORT PERRY. ONTARIO particularly hates seeing you running around with burger and a beer. People starved. The beef and Phone 985-7383. P.O'Box90 LOB INO that Met: ol olice I eacekeeping Unit inspector. pork farmers went broke. Exiles like the Perrys J PETER HVIDSTEN Neribe: Why do you do It, Alethia" Don't you see. it makes stole their barnboard in order to keep warm. | Publisher" Canadian Community Newspaper Association you a traitor' The Torgog Council, now merely yes men for : and Ontario Co sity Newspaper Associaton Advertising Manager Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co Ltd. Port Perry Ontario JB. McCLELLAND Alethia slammed her purse down angrily on the hut floor. "I have to doit!" she cried "If I didn't. the Mayor Art Eggs-in-one-basket, had absolutely no power. Port Pronto administrator Jerry Torlor tried vainly to hold peace between his exiled Editor Perry family wouldn't even have this lousy hut to Cityship and the new powers. but to no avail. | Authorized ¥s sacong NT ne Pos hive me He was scheduled to speak at the CN Gazebo : CATHY OLLIFFE Othe Dey ov J aes gre cas | She sank 2 or knees. buried her head inher 4¢ harbourfront on; this day but the Perrys knew | News & Features hands and sobbed noisily he would be only mouthing the words of Mayor In a way. she was right. The Metro Eggs-in-one-bas'ot : second Class Mail Registration Namber 0265 Peacekeeping Unit wanted to totally get rid of the Subscription Rate In Canada $15 00 per year Elsewhere $45 00 per year Single Copy 35 Perry family, wipe them off the face of Torgog Cityship. To the Unit, the Perrys represented the last trace of the old days. when Port Pronto was Port Perry. and.the people of the old Scugog Township had freedom and independence from the City of Toronto. Needing the money to "There, there." Bill Perry said soothingly to his sister. who was still wailing away. "Our exil- ed brother. Devon Perry, is due to be released from Ball Point Penitentiary today. Maybe he can help us "You mean." Alethia said hgpefully, 'Devon YR HT A you! ang TN OSIEK t advertisements produced by the adver Th: "OO NS » pe » ww sg : a CORR W the Port Perry Star Compa Tv 4 nied are protected under (OPyrh! That fr a dom disappe ared in 1987 ' howe ver. 1S ( oming home from the Ball Point Penn ? 3 yova Lh 1 eproduced without the write - n of the publisher the moment Scugog borrowed a milhon dollars and may NOt De reprodule J € De 5S put (Turn to page 6) --- Ey Ln 8 ¥ A--

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