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TT gr ------_--_. Volume 135 Number 36 COPY 75¢ (70c + 5¢ asmy R 24 Pages lake. ater levels going up By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Water levels in Lake Scugog bounced back up again thanks to recent rainfall over the past week- end. While the levels are still Soivstde" ered to be cw and do pose a poten- tial danger to boaters in the lake, - officials . with the Trent-Severn waterway system are encouraged: by: the increase. "Because of the rainfall the lake. levels have risen a couple of cen- timetres, and that's basically 'because. .of the, . weekend," said Mike Jamieson; *aésistant 'director of candl opera- tions. Forecasts for further rain showers yesterday afternoon also could boost the lake levels, added Mr. Jamieson. "It's now about three centimetres below the minimum navigational . range, and that's good news," he said. As a result, the channel down the . middle of Lake Scugog still remains low, however the increase in water levels have Mr. Jamieson optimistic that they will return to normal -- and safe -- levels. "Hopefully the levels will contin- ue to come up and the rain will help turn around that decline. The rain- fall has halted the decline; and now we're hoping it will start creeping up," he said. There was some concern last week over the dropping water lev- els, which had sunk dangerously low * for those boating through the local While the water now seems to be rising slightly, officials are still urg- ing mariners to take the proper pre- cautions when navigating Lake Scugog and other area la akes, + infall over the ed. RIK DAVIE/PORT PERRY STAR CATCHING A RIDE: Good crowds were on hand at the farm of Ron and Sandy Thomson - located just north of Port Perry on Scugog Line 12 - last weekend when the couple hosted their Massey Harris Field Days event, which saw numerous types of farm equipment, tractors and engines, among other items, on display both Saturday and Sunday. Here, Melanie Thomson, sitting, and friend Taylor Thomas check out some of the equipment. Dry weather forces farmers to fear for their crops By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Recent rainfalls late last week and over the weekend provided welcome relief for local farmers, although it may have been too little, too late. Drought-like conditions for most of the summer have local farmers scratching their heads and wondering how the end result will play out when harvest time rolls around. The piddling amount of rainfall received so far this summer has seen stunted crops with little or below-normal yields and that means it looks like another bad year for the agricultural sector here in Scugog. o BE HORS. local farmer, Blackstock's Dave - n't mincing words when it comes to % & describing his year so far. "I'think everybody will feel the effects, big time. There have been some scattered showers here and there, but most crops will most likely be considerably reduced in yield.It's been a challenging year for both cash-crop and livestock farmers... it'll be a wee bit of a challenge for all of us," he said last week. "I'm not ready to say quite yet it's a dis- aster, but it's not far off from that." Dry conditions have plagued most of Ontario, said Mr. Frew. A few sprinkles of rainfall have fallen in various areas of the province, but nothing substantial has land- ed in the Blackstock area, he said. If not for the lack of rain, area farmers could have been looking at a banner year for crops, which would have helped con- sidering the cool and wet conditions farm- ers had to struggle through in 2000, said Mr. Frew, who himself grows corn, soy- beans and wheat. "In the middle of June it looked like we were on our way to one of the best years ever in Ontario, but it has deteriorated so much since then that it's at the point where we could be on our way to one of the worst- ever years," he said. Farmers have been hit with inconsistent Please turn to Page 9 Digital Cable TV. So clear, so real, Y . Compton sol CABLE TV » DATA * INTERNET 905-985-8171 WORRY FREE T.V. and we're not stopping there! coming soon eo Lv th Theatre Sound Package | SeVICES More channels of entertainment » » it's unreal. + Digital Cable TV. Digital Picture With crystal dear picture, CD quality sound, and an expanding lineup of entertainment, Dolby Digital™ Home | Sports, musicand movies, it'sno wonder TV lovers are swarming to digital television Digital cableis easy. Plug a digital terminal into your current cable connection and you're Uninterrupted digital music channels 1, No satelite dishes. No rewiring. No weather interference. No trouble. Nothing but On-screen programming guide | unlimited entertainment for everyone in the family. Interactive Pay Per View | (all 905-985-8171 tofind out more about the best of what cable hasto offer.