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¢ -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 4, 1989 The Lov Perey Shar 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star Is authorized as second dass mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Canada $20.00 per year Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Cathy Olliffe Billing Department - An News Reporter - Rob Streich PRODUCTION Annabell Harrison Trudy Empringham Darlene Hlozan BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Accounting - Judy Ashb ADVERTISING Gayle Stapley Gouldburn Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Advertising Sales Representatives Pat Webster, Lisa Hutchings (+cCha =] Member of the | Canadian Community Newspaper Association "Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Lid. Port Perry, Ontario Editorial Comment TAKE A STAND The Ministry of Natural Resources (Lindsay District) is now in the process of finalizing a management plan for the 423 acres of Crown land at the northern tip of Scugog Island. This land, with its 8700 feet of frontage on Lake Scu- gog, was first acquired by the MNR more than 20 years ago, and initially was to be the site of a provincial camp- ground. 'The plans to create a campground were given up several years ago, and since then, much of the land has been allowed to remain in a fairly natural state. Last fall, the Lindsay Office of MNR began circulating notices of its intentions to draw up a new ten-year man- agement plan for these lands. Though much of the land remains in a natural state, it is not un-used. In fact, there is a substantial amount of hu- man use of the lands currently. A portion is being farmed by two local farmers; there are plans this year to use some of the land for a white pine seed nursery; each fall, the MNR organizes through a private operator a con- trolled pheasant hunt; Ducks Unlimited has a water con- trol station to improve breeding habitat; and a lot of citi- zens, most from Scugog Township use the lands winter and summer for passive recreation: hiking, cross country skiing, bird watching, shore fishing, day picnics, or just plain relaxing in an area that is not crawling with other people. It should be noted that areas of the shoreline are spawning and habitat grounds for bass, muskie and pickerel. MNR is suggesting that all of the above uses contin- ue, which is fine. In fact it suggests the pheasant hunt, for example each fall, be expanded from four to six days per week. Which is fine, too. What is very troubling is the suggestion that the lands be "opened up" for more intensive day use with improve- ments to the boat launching ramp, piers for fishing, picnic areas, improved road access (the current road is a narrow path closed in the winter months) parking areas. Scugog Township council this winter passed a reso- lution asking for improvements that would enhance the lo- cal tourist industry. Durham Region council passed a simi- lar resolution, suggesting that an "interpretive centre" would be a good idea. We are not so sure. In fact, we would suggest that the best possible use for this 430 acres of land is not to change one thing. Just leave it be. On a couple of occa- sions this winter, this paper has raised the issue, and re- ceived numerous public indications of support for the idea of leaving the land as it is. What frightens us no end, is that even very minor changes to "increase the human traffic" will lead to bigger changes in the future, which in turn could lead to more in- tensive "human" use of these lands. There are not very many shoreline areas of Lake Scu- gog still in a relatively un-spoiled state. This is one of them. We shudder to think that it might be opened up for inten- sive use, with rows of washrooms, roads, a paved parking lot, boat launching in the summer, ice hut launching in win- ter, and so on. The birds and the animals would soon disappear and who knows what damage might be done to the spawning grounds along the shoreline. (Turn to page 8) MARS ov RS ey Chatterbox by CATHY OLLIFFE By Who would have thought that a snarky little column about snobs would lead to me being a published magazine writer. Certainly not me. But last Fall | hunkered down in front of ye olde Chatterbox screen and hammered out a scathing review of the new Country Estate magazine. At one time, Country Estate was a down-to- earth, honest-to-goodness country periodical that offered folks who enjoy the simple pleas- ures some grass roots tips on rural living. All good things must come to an end, how- ever, and the publishers changed Country Es- tate's format to a slick real estate advertiser for millionaires, peppered with stories about the rich and the famous and their wretched but highly coiffed children. The new format was so insane, | promptly hurled out a volley of publishable expletives from the sanctuary of my soapbox, this col- umn. | call it a sanctuary, because | feel | can sit here, all alone, ranting and raving, safe from the world outside. | tend to forget, some- times, that thousands of people wind up read- ing it throughout Scugog Township. And it never crosses my mind that some- gna from outside this area might read Chatter- X Which is why | was so completely shocked when the former editor of Country Estate phoned me to tell me he read my column. Eegads, | thought, my heart in my mouth. Am | going to be sued or what? Michael Pembry must have sensed my un- ease. He chuckled and told me a Port Perry Star reader had sent my column to his Terra Cotta address. When Country Estate moguls decided to switch formats, Mr. Pembry realized the new look wasn't his cup of tea, and opted out. Bravely, he made the decision to start his own magazine, The Country Side, with all of the Es LS a THE COUNTRY SIDE former Country Estate's practicality. So he did a test mailing to see what kind of response he'd get to a paid circulation country magazine, asking for subscriptions and prom- ising to return all cheques if there wasn't enough interest to start The Country Side. Well, there was plenty of interest. At one point he was receiving close to 200 respons- es a day. The Country Side was a "go." In January, Mr. Pembry phoned me once again (I thought, oh, oh, what have | done now?). This time he wanted to know if | would write a story about Port Perry for his premier issue. He even wanted to pay me. Would 1? Does Santa Claus have a beard? Do taxes get higher? Does your car rust? Geez, | banged off that story in about an hour. Easiest story | ever wrote. Mailed it off, and promptly forgot about it. Until a couple of days ago, when | held the first issue of The Country Side in my hot little hands and saw my story, with my name on it, in an real live magazine. My head still hasn't unswelled. I'm published! What's more, it's kind of a feather in the cap for this town, to be profiled in a premier issue of a magazine. Any number of communities could have been the subject of The Country Side's "Village Visit," but Port Perry was cho- sen first. Naturally. Anyways, The Country Side looks like it's going to be a big success, and | sincerel pe it will be. The Port Perry Star will be setl- ing a few in our office, and subscription infor- mation is inside the magazine. At only $12 a Jour, the information and interesting reading Dune in this quarterly, is a bargain, plain and simple. Starting a new magazine is a major risk--so many don't make it. But | have a feeling Mi- chael Pembry will .do just fine. His kind of magazine is exactly what plain folks with a yen for the country are looking for. LAN iT