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

"A Family Tradition for 132 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 23, 1998 - 7 L.ETTERS Don't make right of way boat launch To the Editor: [am writing in response to a recent story about the access to the water from Chandler Drive on Scugog Island. This is not a boat launch, but rather a right of way. We purchased our property which borders the access to the water in 1985. We are the only house situated directly beside this access. When we moved to this location there was a barrier at the end of the road to restrict access. I know there was mention of the fire department using this area to obtain water. The one time that they did back their truck into the water and fill up they had to pump the water back out because they could not get out of the mud. The five immediate neighbors to our house have all had property stolen in the last few years. I myself lost a $15,000 motorcycle last year to a cowardly thief. We are on a dead end road and in the past with all the boaters that parked here and used this as a boat launch, we never knew if the car parked at 2 in the morning was a thief or a boater. Just last month I scared a thief who was in the process of stealing from a neighbor. They did get several items, but they dropped his boat motor because of me turning on the lights. If this was being used as a boat launch, I would never have given the car another thought. In a recent phone conversation, Councillor Ken Gadsden told me that 10 years ago the council passed a resolution that this was a boat launch. I have lived here for 13 years, and we were not ever approached by the council about our views being the people most directly affected. The council did not have garbage receptacles in place, so guess where all the garbage went? A lot of people would get stuck trying to get their boats out, and guess where they would go What gives here? and steal wood and whatever else they wanted? My house. On a regular basis men use the ditch for their washroom in full view of neighborhood kids. They come to launch at all hours of the night, waking people up on a regular basis. My point is that if the council in fact did pass this resolution, then why did they not maintain the boat launch? We do not want this as a boat launch. This was never intended or maintained to be a boat launch. A perfect solution is already in place: The road at the end of Scugog Island has been re-done, and it is in great shape, far far better than it has been. There are no immediate neighbors down there to bother. There is a cement pad, so getting in and out without getting stuck is easy. There are garbage receptacles so people have a place to put garbage. This is a properly maintained boat launch. There are also two marinas where for a nominal charge you can launch your boat if you are worried about your vehicle. We have a great boat launch in town as well. All of us who live right here also have minor inconvenience of going to the end of the Island to use the boat launch as well. I am calling for Mayor Moffatt to put an end to this and all the other areas that are having similar problems. Why don't you just put a barricade at the end of the road so it can be used as an access in the event of an emergency, and let's use the intended boat launches for their purpose. The boat launches are already in place. All you need to do is put up the barriers. Steve and Ruth McCullough, Scugog Island Intolerance evident in FAC action To the Editor: If I had not heard it myself I would not have believed it. A man, caught with a fortune worth of drugs for trafficking, is allowed to apply for resi- dency in Canada. The fact that he is a drug dealer does not disqualify him, according to the ministry of immigration and citizenship. Where, oh where have those people been when the Good Lord handed out brains? Obviously they missed it. Shame on them. Jeannette Vander Meulen, Brooklin To the Editor: This is written in response to the article "Group will protest gay park visit" appear- ing in the paper Tuesday, June 16. I think we must live in a great country. It allows Durham's Family Action Council to wage a protest using their voices of freedom against people using their freedom or right to be themselves... gay. I only question why the FAC's voices are not raised in loud protest against world poverty, the destruction of our environment and child abuse. I also thought Jesus came to this earth to teach us to love one another, in other words tol- erance and acceptance. Is that not what a democratic society should be, acceptance- and tolerance of others no mat- ter what the differences are? E. Haagaard, Port Perry What's on your mind? You can fax Editor's Notepad by Jeff Mitchell FIRED UP FOR NO GOOD REASON WE'RE NUMBER -- UH -- ELEVEN! ...Do you, like me, find a good deal of the hype surrounding the World Cup of soccer tournament just a little -- um -- overblown? Don't get me wrong; I'm not putting down soccer, or the tournament. | know it's a sporting event enjoyed and watched by millions of people around the globe. And | know that during big events, national pride runs high... especially after rising from bed at 3 a.m. during the Olympics to watch hockey games live from Japan this past winter. What bugs me is people in Toronto. You know, the ones who may have some ethnic distinction -- say, for the sake of argument, Italian. They've never been to Italy, mind you. Maybe their parents were born there, or their grandparents were. So they watch their first soccer game in at least four years, these people, cheering crazily over developments they don't understand, and then, when their chosen side is victori- ous, they flood out the doors and proceed to hold an impromptu parade on a busy city street, causing a traffic jam. "Waaaahoooo!" they bellow from their Japanese cars. "Wheeeee! We whomped Camerooooooon!" ...There are 11 people in Cameroon, all of whom are mem- bers of the national soccer team. It's a first-round win which means little. Does holding a parade at this point not seem a bit ridiculous? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to wait until your team wins the tournament to hold a street celebration? Just asking. HISTORY ON THE MOVE: With the Teddy Bear Picnic Sunday, the folks at the Scugog Shores Historical Museum have embarked on another busy summer season of special events. | was talking a while ago with a colleague of mine in another town near here who lamented the few events being staged at his local museum, especially when | told him what goes on throughout the year over on the Island. Holding a variety of events -- from Teddy Bears to herb fes- tivals to classic car shows -- encourages a lot of people to visit and rediscover the local museum, making it a vital and viable municipal resource. And it proves museums aren't just warehouses in which old butter churns sit, gathering dust. More power to 'em. HOW WE DOIN'? ...There's been a negative response in the dailies to the self-congratulatory report and questionnaire sent out recently by the Conservative government. Critics of the propaganda exercise are particularly riled by the request for comments, noting that the Tories have paid no heed to public sentiment thus far, and aren't likely to in the future. Good point, and a reason to be cynical about the exercise. So why don't you let us tell 'em? That's what we've got a letters to the editor section for. Lambaste whom you want -- the Tories, the Liberals, the NDP if you're especially perverse, the system, the media, whomever -- and, as long as it's within our stringent legal guidelines, we'll pass the message along. Please include your name, address and phone number (we won't print the address and number) so we can verify. And letters to the editor at 985-3708 write on! Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten SPECIAL WEEKEND FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS With almost two months of summer-like weather behind us, summer officially got under way over the weekend. And what a weekend it was! The town was buzzing with activities, and to mark the longest day of the year, Settlement House held their very popular "Longest Day Of The Year" sale. 'And as usual the streets were lined with cars ; - while bargain hunters flooded the store and back parking lot, looking for treasures and discounted Cor gratulations to Tom and Daphne on this tft brings a lot of people into the com- munity each year. As much as they benefit, there's no doubt a lot of other local businesses benefit as well from the extra traffic in town. In addition to shopping for mom and dad, there were a few activities taking place for the kids. At the soccer fields hundreds of kids took part in a sponsors day tournament; at Reid's Independent there was a bike rodeo; the Epsom Indy soapbox races and Scugog Shores Museum held their annual "Teddy Bear Picnic" Sunday afternoon. What a great weekend for the start of summer! BITS AND PIECES FATHERS DAY - Happy Father's Day to all the special dads around Scugog. It was just like a mini-Christmas Sunday morning at our house as the kids and mom presented me with a number of home-made cards and a few gifts. The gifts were great... but hand made cards from children always seem to have a special meaning and nudge the soft spot in my heart. And of course the smell of an omelette cooking and the aroma of fresh hot coffee helped open my droopy eyelids and get the day off to a good start. Thanks gang... | love ya alll LANCE'S LOCKS - Anyone who watches CTV news or listens to radio station CHFI must know that Lance Brown of CTV had his head shaved in Uxbridge last Saturday afternoon. Erin Davis of CHFI had her head shaved in Toronto on Friday by Mayor Mel Lastman, and in doing so raised more than $140,000 for the Children's Wish Foundation. Saturday it was Lance's turn, and he graciously let Erin tease and play with him before having his locks lopped off in front of about 200 people who gathered at Williamson's for the occasion. Congratulations to both of the daring "celebs" who bared all for the kids. REMEMBER WHEN - You'll notice a change in the format of our Remember When column (opposite page) this week. For the summer months we're going to show comparisons of buildings and places around Port Perry.... then and now. The dates in some cases are approximate, as many of the old pictures are not dated. Hope you enjoy this change of pace for the summer.