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6 - PORT PERRY STAR - Wednesday, May 20, 1992 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" The Port Perry Star 188 MARY STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - L9L 1B7 PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 - The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: 1Year-$32.10 6Months-$18.72 Forelgn-$90.95 indudes $2.10GST includes $1.22GST includes $5.95 GST EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten News Editor - Scott Anderson Features Editor - Julia Dempsey Sports Co-ordinator - Kelly Lown ADVERTISING Advertising Manager - Anna Jackman Advertising Sales - Jackie Metz Production - Pamela Hickey, Barbara Bell BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Billing Department - Louise Hope PRODUCTION Editorial Comment Dropping Out A study released last week paints a gloomy picture for high school dropouts. The study released by the Conference Board of Can- ada estimates that Canada stands to lose approximately $4 billion over the life of nearly 137,000 students who dropped out of high school in 1989. That year is the last year that statistics were available. The results of the $250,000-study financed by the federal government was released by the Conference Board of Canada at a national business and education meeting in Calgary. The study estimates that of the $4 billion, $2.7 billion is lost income and other related benefits to the dropouts. A further breakdown determines that male dropouts earn $129,000 less in wages over their working lives, while fe- male dropouts would earn $107,000 less money. The av- erage income loss for all dropouts over their lifetimes is $118,000. It is also estimated that $1.3 billion of the $4 billion represents the added social costs such as health care, crime and unemployment insurance benefits. Financial implications aside, the personal effects must be weighed as well. In today's job market more and more employers are seeking employees with at least col- lege or university degrees. Sometimes one degree is not enough. The bare minimum, unlike 15 to 20 years ago, is a high school diploma. But while the onus to stay in school is on the part of the student, it should be the educational system's respon- sibility to provide the type and quality education which the student desires. Students should be given the opportunity to learn and develop the skills which they desire for the career path that they choose. The school's curriculum should endeavor to teach real life skills, necessary in today's ever changing world. The students should be made to feel that what they are learning is necessary in life. Dropping out is copping out. It is also the quickest way to take yourself out of the job market. This latest re- port outlines 118,000 reasons why one should stay in school. Don't Rock The Boat The Victoria Day long weekend is traditionally known as the time when summer activities begin in cottage coun- try, on the lakes and at the campsites. Unfortunately it is also usually the start of another summer of tragedy on the waters in the area. According to OPP officer Gerry Smith, there are three main causes of death while boating. These are not wear- ing or being equipped with flotation devices, combining al- cohol consumption with boating and the simple ignorance of basic boating safety practices. Operating a watercraft is the same as operating a mo- tor vehicle and the same common sense principles should apply. The boats should be maintained properly with the proper equipment, the required safety devices should be on board and the rules of the water should be obeyed. But even more important is the consideration of drinking and boating. Statistics show that 1,200 Canadians drown each year and more than one-third of the fatalities involve alcohol. Reaction times decrease and judgement is hindered. Summer is the time to enjoy the great outdoors, enjoy all that nature has to offer. Take the time to enjoy it to the fullest and safely. Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Lynda Ruhl Annabell Harrison, Trudy Empringham Robert Taylor, Marlene Moore #CNA z] Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd. Port Perry, Ontario * GST induded in price 1 know, I did Campaign against i but maybe T was Wrong -- -- again. Back Talk by Kelly Lown The proposed flea market at the old Johnson Controls plant could spell disaster for Scugog Township. | feel for the store owners of Port Perry who will lose a lot of business if the bargain shop goes through. Everyone that is from out of town and knows Port Perry, describes it as the place with the great little shops along the main street, or they describe the lakefront. With a flea market on the edge of town those quaint little shops don't stand a chance when the same craft etc. can be bought for half the price down the road. And, it is not just the collectible stores that will be undersold. Anything from tools to plants and vegetables can be purchased at flea markets. Tourists can stop in to pick up anything they want and leave without actually seeing the town. They don't even have to come into town to pick up a coffee or snack that can be purchased there as well. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with shopping at flea markets. | love the places but | like them a lot more when | have to drive to someone else's town to get to them. | just can't agree with statements like the flea market will bring people to town. People are al- ready coming to Port Perry; they come for the lake and they come for the shops that are al- ready here. A flea market just far enough away from the core of the town is not going to attract a large crowd to the downtown area. Just because peo- ple come to a flea market doesn't mean they will tour through our main streets. Personally | have been to Stouffville many times in the past and | could not tell you the name of any store in the community. If anything, the people that have been here be- fore may come to try the flea market out when they could have been checking out the stores. The money spent at the flea market does not stay in Scugog Township, with all the vendors from Toronto that turn up at these. They take the money from Scugog residents and take it back to Toronto to spend. One thing that really confuses me is | thought that the plant was being looked at as a way of bringing another industry to the area. When Johnson Controls shut down, hundreds were out of a job, many were residents of our township. | thought we were still trying to attract industry to town. By filling up the only industrial-size avail- able building with a flea market there is nowhere for an industry to set up shop if they wanted to. Scugog Township will not even be on their long lists of possibilities if there is not a building here to accommodate them. I'm not saying that | will always shop down- town Port Perry. | am not going to sit here and write this column and push Port Perry merchants on anyone. | admit | shop in Oshawa, and other areas at times, | do wander to flea markets be- cause | like a bargain as much as the next per- son, but | also spend my bucks in the Scugog stores. No one shops one stop Port Perry because | agree it is impossible to get everything you need. But our merchants have their hands full with resi- dents travelling out of town to shop, let's not put their neck in a noose by bringing the competition to their doorsteps. A bargain is a bargain, but a bargain only three blocks away instead of 20 miles aways is usually bought. When | think about all the changes people want made to our township it absolutely makes no sense. I've never seen a town spend so much money and worry about the look of their down- town, then turn around and allow things to hap- pen that can only ruin what they have. Such will be the case if the flea market is allowed, such will be the case if fishing on Lake Scugog is giv- en new rules and regulations. I'l never understand, why spend the money to beautify the place when tourists are being driven away from the lakefront and the downtown core. Someone complains about a fisherman on the lake or someone has a whim and everyone jumps on the bandwagon. If that keeps up, the money spent on our "beautiful" downtown is worthless. Who will be walking by to admire the new flower basket or lamp post if the reason for people coming is changed? What will be the rea- son for tourists to make Port Perry part of their vacation agenda? The same reason we visit Stouffville, for a flea market? Scugog Township has a uniqueness about it that brings the tourist. Have those in power for- got the saying "if it isn't broken, don't fix it?"