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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tues. February 12, 1985 editorial comments Dismal ~ Record A couple of weeks ago at the Scugog Chamber of Commerce annual meeting in Port Perry, Gary Herrema, chairman of Durham Region told those present that the so-called "northern municipalities" of Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge Townships will likely not see much in- dustrial development in the future. A region-wide building permit report issued last week by Durham indicates that Mr. Herrema was right on when it comes to new industry for these three Townships. ~ New and expanded industrial development for Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge over the past couple of years can be summed up in one word: dismal. In 1984, for example, Scugog issued industrial building permits worth $308,000. Almost all of that was the expansion at the A.G. Simpson plant just south of Port Perry. Brock Township issued permits for $250,000 worth of industrial expansion. The picture was a little brighter in Uxbridge Township where permits for $2,075,000 were issued in the industrial sector but even that figure is a little misleading because the Tokai disposable lighter plant cost about $2 million. Take away that one plant, and Uxbridge is in the same boat as Scugog and Brock. The picture in the three Townships the previous year was equally as gloomy as far as industrial expansion is concerned. The combined total amounted to just over $500,000. Scugog had a paltry $40,000 worth of in- dustrial permits issued in 1983. : Are the three Townships in the north of Durham missing the boat when it comes to attracting new industry? | © The argument is often given that companies look- ing to expand or relocate factories are first interested in being close *'to the action." They want to be as near to Toronto as possible, or right next door to major transpor- tation corridors like rail lines and Highway 401. Some also require access to large capacity water and sewer services which just are not available in Scugog, Brock or Uxbridge. Fair enough. But surely there are smaller, light in- dustries that don't need these heavy duty services, in- dustries that would be very interested in the cheaper raw land prices away from the Lake Ontario shorelines. Small, light industries employing anywhere from ten to 50 people are exactly the kind which are best suited to locating in areas like Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge Townships. Scugog especially, has been experiencing fairly healthy residential growth over the past few years, and while this adds to the tax base, it also adds to cost of running a municipality because of the increased demand for services: everything from fire protection, snow plow- ing, wear and tear on the roads, and recreational facilities like arenas. There is no way we are suggesting that Scugog should actively discourage new residential development, but the tax base must be broadened through new in- dustrial assessment, it has not been happening here. Aside from the tax base, new industry brings jobs. which in turn inject payrolls into the local'economy every week. As it is today, a young person coming out of high school or university who wants to continue to live in Scugog or Uxbridge, is very limited in job opportunities close to home. . We recognize that taking on an active campaign to promote new industrial development is almost impossi- ble for small municipalities like Scugog. They have neither the funds for it or the personnel. Local municipal employees have enough to do just running their own departments. However, since nobody else seems to be working to attract new industry to smaller municipalities, maybe it is time they took-on this responsibility in one form or another. It is not enough to rely simply on agriculture, tourism and services to provide the jobs in the local communities. They need some light industry as well. We just can't believe there are not companies somewhere. considering expansion or relocation who would not be delighted to make Scugog, Brock or Ux- bridge their new home. Maybe somebody just has to let them know where we are and how to get here. Cot PErty STAR. TS WANTS SOME PEACE re eT TO OO SOME ICE FISHING AND ALL THIS HAPPENS 6000 AND chatterbox by Cathy Robb MORE MUSH Sigh, it's almost Valentine's Day, my most favourite day of the year. At least, it used to be my most favourite day of the - year. My boyfriend Paul-baby is about as romantic as a can of fried tuna and I don't think he would know a rose if it thorned him in the face. Things weren't always this way for me, however. In high school, I went out with this mushball for three years who remembered every single holiday with some special momento. At Easter I'd find tiny chocolate eggs tucked in weird corners of my locker; on St. Patrick's Day he'd send me a card with some leering leprechaun dancing on the front; and even on no occasions, he'd sometimes surprise me with some small token (maybe a poem, or a wildflower) of his immense esteem. But Valentine's Day was the Big Day for us, the day when we both went all out trying to out-do the other with mushy stuff. I still remember the day when we took a long-cut home from school, through a forest covered with a thick blanket of snow, and snuggled together in a snowbank bordering a rushing stream ---- still unfrozen, despite February's best efforts. It was there, with our jeans soaked through to the skin, that he presented me with a fragile crystal heart, bordered in silver, on a long, delicate chain. In the cen- tre of that heart was an even smaller heart, fashioned by hand from glittering Tiger's Eye. It was such a romantic moment that I still catch my breath whenever I think of it. And I still have the necklace, wrapped in velvet and tucked away in one of my dresser drawers. What a guy. Too bad he turned out to be such a jerk. My most memorable Valentine's Day since then was in 1982 ---- the first day that I ever set eyes on Port Perry. You see, I had sent Paul-baby a Valentine IN AD- VANCE so there was no way he could forget the im- mense importance of February 14th. So, backed into a corner, he forced himself to do something nice on Valen- tine's Day, which turned out to be taking me up to a semi-romantic spot in Fenelon Falls for lunch. Turned out, however, the semi-romantic spot was shut down for the winter, so he thought he'd take me to the famous Manchester chicken place instead. Trou- ble was, he had no idea where this place was, and neither did I. So we spent the vast majority of Valen- tine's Day travelling the by-ways and backroads bet- ween here and nowhere, trying vaguely to find Manchester. ) We never did find Manchester that day, but we did come across Port Perry, strictly by accident. Famish- ed by then, Paul-baby suggested hitting the Dixie Lee for lunch (about as romantic a suggestion as he's ever made), but I put my foot down (actually, both feet) and demanded we go to an interesting little spot on the main drag called Emiel's Place. Two months later, I answered a mysterious ad in the Globe and Mail for a community newspaper job not too far from Toronto. I sent in my application (a really dopey one, mind you ---- I still don't know exactly how I landed this job), and wound up getting a call from the publisher ---- some guy with an unpronouncable last name ---- who actually wanted an interview with me! And where did this mysterious newspaper happen to be, you ask? Well, Port Perry, of course. Landsakes! And I'd even been there two months earlier on Valentine's Day. What a coincidence! All I had to do was figure out how to get there again. - I did, of course, with some difficulty, and even had time for a coffee at Hank's before the interview. But what really killed me was when publisher Peter Hvidsten asked me during the interview, 'How much do you know about Port Perry?" - And I said, lying through my teeth, I knew this place like the back of my hand. Why, just two months ago I iad lunch at Emiel's. On Valentine's Day, as a matter of fact ... Well, old Pete was so impressed he hired me. Which Just goes to show the importance of February 14th. AND MORE MUSH Speaking of Peter Hvidsten, his most memorable Valentine's Day is the mushiest I've come across. I mean, look up mush in the dictionary and you'll see the names of Peter and Nancy Hvidsten. Co Four years ago Pete and Nancy tied the knot in a nostalgic ceremony conducted inside the Scugog Shores Museum Church. "I was shooting for the summer but she wouldn't wait that long," says Peter. 'So we decided that if we had to get married in the winter, it might as well be on a day when I could remember the anniversary. And by the way, Nancy and Pete are expecting a mini-Hvidsten to arrive any day now. Wouldn't it be doubly romantic to celebrate their baby's birthday as well as their anniversary on Valentine's Day? "Uh, uh," says Pete. "Then we'd have to take the kid along on our annive. sary dinner, too." NICE MUSH Whether or not Valentine's Day means babies to the Hvidstens, it will always be a special day for Star book- keeper, Barb Ross, who gave birth to her son Andy on Valentine's Day, 1976. "That was the nicest present I've ever had on Valen- tine's Day," she says. "It was worth the trouble." (Turn to page 6) *