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"A Family Tradition for 130 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, May 28, 1996 -7 I ETTERS Merchant addresses concerns To the Editor: Re: Parking and Light Con- trol It has come to my attention on numerous occasions that shoppers have had certain legit- imate concerns regarding park- ing and light control at Port Perry Plaza. I would like to share with you how these prob- lems have been addressed. 0 Traffic Lights: I contacted the authorities on the traffic lights and they sent out a repre- sentative who sat in the plaza for hours and tested and timed the lights. After learning how the traffic lights were set up, we have found that there is a rec- tangular device in the pave- ment which detects metal. If your vehicle is positioned over this device it takes 45 seconds from your detection till the time the lights turn amber and with- in a minute your light turns green and you are out of the pla- za. Does this always happen? Yes, it does, if you position your vehicle squarely over the detec- tion device that is in the ground. The outline of the device can be seen. 0 Parking: All the tenants, owners and staff of all the stores in the plaza have been instruct- ed to park their vehicles in the area behind Canadian Tire des- ignated for tenant parking only and for the most part, most of the staff do so. This is done to al- leviate congestion and make it as convenient as possible for our customers. Be aware that the area in front of all the stores is a desig- nated fire route and the town- ship has and will be enforcing this bylaw. Please be aware that this is done for the general public safety and the law states that you will not park in a fire route except for and while actu- ally loading or unloading mer- chandise or taking on or dis- charging passengers. This does not mean park your car, go shopping, come back out, load. If you do you will most cer- tainly get a $40 ticket, and be- lieve me, he is very efficient. What you should do is park your car in the designated area, go shopping, go out to your car, drive it up to the store and by then the store clerk will carry out your purchase. At least that is what is supposed to happen in our store. We are sorry for any incon- venience this may cause, but hope that this will clarify the sit- uation and make your shopping more pleasant. Pete Kneale, Paulmacs Pet Foods It's time to show pride in our town To the Editor: I don't know if pigeons are sloppy housekeepers or not. I know I clean up below their liv- ing quarters on Queen Street nearly every day of the year, just as a matter of course - and pride in my neighborhood. Sometimes I even sweep the sidewalk for my friends on ei- ther side (I'm an early riser!) The same with winter snow (if it's not too deep). The point is I like my side- walk neat, especially since I'm downtown and I share the view with a lot of people, mostly strangers. I hope they appre- ciate my efforts on their behalfs well as my own. However...Oh, Oh, you know what's coming: There are some areas where I walk regularly of which I am not proud. Some Water Street residents are ei- ther blind or thoughtless by comparison. The Queeners are pretty good most of the time. How much time or effort can it take to sweep up a little dirt and make us all feel better? But also there is a sore spot in our "bio-park" where really thoughtless people throw un- natural lunch junk into the wa- ter, exactly where we are sup- posed to appreciate things natural and clean and green and alive! Can't see the turtles for French fry trays or pop cans and bottles, etc. Where's the pride here? Where's the garbage can? "Anyway, I thought perhaps the logo, "Home Proud" could extend a little farther than the IGA. Perhaps we could all putit into practice...if we are, that is! Owen Neill, Port Perry Budget will reduce spending power To the Editor: Our local M.P.P.,, John O'Toole, seems to endorse what the Tories did in their recent budget. Not that any Tory would dare pronounce other- wise. The gift of money inspires fol- lowers to likewise endorse this travesty. The net result to most Ontarians will be a loss of dis- posable income, once all user fees have filtered through. That does not translate into jobs. Had the Tories truly believed that tax reductions would stim- ulate the economy they surely would have put more money into the hands of those who will spend, i.e. those on lower in- comes. More generous tax cred- its, fewer slashes to services that will result in user fees, and a fairer tax system requiring the wealthy to pay their fair share would achieve the objec- tive of lowering the deficit much more quickly than the Harris approach. Yours truly, Brian Bird, Port Perry by Jeff Mitchell BUMPY ROAD TO SUMMER ROUGH ROAD AHEAD: They go hand-in-hand, it seems: Summer time, and street construction. Destruction might be a more appropriate term, given that for the majority of the process, the road way is hacked all to bits, and huge pieces of machinery lumber back and forth, tearing it up further. Coming up, it's Queen St. here in Port. Remember the summer before last when a trip from downtown to the beer store became an exercise in strategy and navigational prowess? Well, get ready to do it all over again. Same thing with those trips to the city. Plan ahead and have your Perly's handy, 'cause you just know that the works department will be tearing up every convenient and straightforward route to wherever you need to go. But, alas: It's a part of life. We travel on roads, beat the bejeezus out of them, and then complain when they need repairs. The beat goes on. TREE-MENDOUS: Heard the other day from Joan Graham in Purple Hill. As you might recall, she's the woman who, for the past several years, has offered people in the area trees at reduced rates, with the only stipulation being that they be planted on township property, such as along road allowances and on boulevards. After a couple of stories in the paper before the spring season arrived, Joan distributed some 340 trees. That's a great community response to the effort, and will go a long way toward the beautification of Scugog now, and in the future. A job well done. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN: Had an interesting discussion this past week with a lady who dropped by to talk about the monarchy. Specifically, she took issue with a recent editorial in The Star which questioned Canada's continuing allegiance to royalty, and wondered if, maybe, it wasn't time to put the question: Do we really need to continue our association? This lady feels the monarchy is one of the remaining truly Canadian qualities about the country. Americans are rubbing their hands with glee, she says, watching as we shed the final vestments of our identity. : ...Could be. But there's still the argument that Canada has matured to the point where it can stand by itself on the world stage, confident in its own identity and self- determination. Britain provided a model on which to form government and nationhood, and even served as a benefactor during Canada's infancy. But we're all grown up now. They report the Nonquon is in great shape due to the late spring and abundance of rain this spring. The i. a nN d oO m J offi Nn S apple trees with occasional stops as tour hosts O explained different processes in developing special | apples and wines. water is high and the river very navigatable according BY" BRE DbyJ Peter Hvidsten At the conclusion of the orchard ride, guests were to my source, so this years race should prove to be one Bf : invited on a tour of the winery, where the different varie- of the bestin recent years. | APPLE BLOSSOM TIME AT ties of wine are brewed, stored and bottled. The race gets underway this Saturday morning and The Smith's are to be congratulated on the excellent participants canregister atthe Latcham Centre either OCALA ORCHARD facility and product they have developed in sucha Friday from 7-9 p.m. or Saturday morning from 7-9 a.m. The blossoms may nothavebeen shorttime. Canoe the Nonquon is a fundraising event for in full bloom but everything else co- Ocala Orchardsis notonly acredittothevisionand ~~ Scugog Shores Museum Village so participants are "| operated for Irwin and Alissa Smith hard work of Irwin and Alissa Smith, butthe wineryis ~~ urgedto get as many sponsors as possible. . this past weekend, as they present- also a wonderful addition to the many attractions If you need more information contact Joan Scott at st Blossom Festival at Ocala Orchards Farm Scugog Township has to offer. 985-7014. | suspect this is just the first of many Blossom Festival Weekends which will be held at Ocala Orchards Winery and next year, with a little luck, the blossoms willbe in full bloom. CANOE THE NONQUON ed their fir Winery. It was a great weekend for these local entrepreneurs as they hosted more than a 1000 visitors who enjoyed orchard and winery tours as well as an opportunity to sample some ofthe young winery's award winning wines. Our tamily joined hundreds of people of allages ona tour of the apple and grape orchards by a tractor pulled wagon. The tour snaked its way along the rows of EVERY LITTER BITHURTS | You'll see a letter in todays paper about litter in the lake along the environmental walkway. | had occasion to be inthe area over the weekend and the amount of trash in the water is unbelievable and disgraceful. There is only days left until the 28th running of Canoe Since there are some who don't have enough sense the Nonquon gets underway. to hold onto their garbage until they reach a container, | ventured to the 10th concession Sunday morning and perhaps the township should make garbage contain- found a few veteran paddlers just getting ready to take ers more readily available along the walk-way. off ona practice run of the 11 mile course. The present condition can notbe allowed to continue.