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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - 7 [Question of the Week... Do you think efforts y dl ai, should be made to Brian Beatson Wendy Lang Susan Scott Joe Konick Matt Mersereau protect environ- Yes, it's important Yes, it's fast disap- Yes, it's where a lot Most definitely. I'd Sure, it's important mentally-sensitive for the future of our peaiing. We have of our water comes like to see this area to preserve cur nat- land like the Oak area and we have to do something. from; we have to stay as a small ural environment. X } to protect our water do something or town community Ridges Moraine? supply. we may not have and not tumed into safe water. a big city. 1 a Ate Ati 8 LETTERS How about naming our streets after Port Perry's war veterans? To the Editor: | read your arti- cle with interest regarding develop- ers naming of streets in new sub- divisions. I would like to put forward a sug- gestion you may pass on, they could name the streets or roads after some of our World War l or Il veterans of whom some I'm sure are descendants of the first settlers in Scugog Township. What a wonder- ful tribute this would be and a con- stant reminder for generations to come of the men and women who served in the armed forces, and will not be forgotten. Cathie Ball Port Perry North Durham Hospice, serving Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock, is offer- ing a Bereavement Support Group for those suffering a Hospice to offer a bereavement group loss after a death. This group will begin on Oct. 2. For further infor- mation or to regis- ter please call 905- 852-4461. Our biggest party So neighbour, did you go to the Port Perry Fair? It looks like everybody else did. All those hard-working folks who organize this town's annual Labour Day weekend party are tickled. By closing time last Monday, 7,787 people had come through the gate, which is up a great deal from last year. Dr. Paul Puckrin, head of the Port Perry Agricultural Society, says he knew the crowds were big when the toilet paper ran out. "That's never happened before," the doctor said with a smile. Then Doug Moffatt told him he couldn't find a parking spot for the mayoral limo any closer than the community centre. And by Monday the midway manager was grinning like a pickpocket at a casino, but worrying he was running out of teddy bears and prizes. ~~ The success of this year's fair was all about staying compact -- going to two days instead of three, and confining the fair itself to a smaller area. Organizers wanted people to bump into one another, so to speak. Sure, the locomotive pull -- mean tractor pull -- is a hoot, and the Clydesdales are magnificent, and the hooked rugs are exquisite, and the Holstein show is one of the biggest in Ontario, but as with any party the biggest attraction is a good crowd. "The crowd becomes part of the entertainment," observed Dr. Puckrin. The bigger the crowd the better the chance that folks will run into people they know. Dr. Puckrin recalls an odd thing his grandparents used to do" when they took him to the Lindsay fair years ago. They never missed a fair and they rarely left the parking lot. "They'd sit on the tailgate of their old half-ton, eating sand- by Kay Langmuir wiches and talking to everyone." In hindsight, Dr. Puckrin understands that the fair was just a venue which allowed them to hang with their friends. We forget how deeply satisfying is the sight of a familiar face, or chewing the fat with pals. Such simple things. But in an age when too many people are stuck in a warp of frenzied days and isolated nights with only the Internet and Who Wants To Be a Millionaire for company, a community party like the Port Perry Fair is a rare and wonderful thing, not to mention a mass exercise in mental health. Of course the people who get the biggest kick out of the fair are those who participate -- show a cow, throw a frying pan, chase a pig, make or bake something. Competing is fun. It's clear, for example, that the guys working down at Flieler's garage, all of whom entered the mens' chocolate-chip cookie | contest, had a ball. Their plan was to split the money if one of them won. There were 34 entries in this class, sponsored by a champion of the mens' cooking division, Dr. Tony Brown. Henry Wielinga of Scugog Island got the $250. But other people got ideas. Already, two other individuals have approached Dr. Puckrin to ask if they could sponsor other con- tests next year. If you're new to town, competing at the fair is also a great way to get to know your neighbours and your community. Are you listening, empty-nesters of Canterbury Common? Put down those nail scissors and stop trimming the lawn. Maybe your residents' association could put up $250 for an Ernest Hemmingway lookalike contest at next year's fair? Wouldn't that be fun? After 145 years the Port Perry fair is prcbably taken a little for granted. But it deserves our heartfelt support for throwing the biggest and best parties in town. The Council Table By Chris Hall Let the fun begin again The second week of September is now upon us, and one can already see the increase in activity here locally. Topping that list of course is the return of students to the classroom. The time for lounging around and enjoying warm, sunny days or sweating away at part-time summer jobs are now over, and students of all ages across the township have now made their way back to school. with the reintroduction of extra-curricular activities, particularly at the high school level, there will no doubt soon be plenty of practises of all sorts begin- ning, which will ultimately lead to tournaments and concerts and other various events for the public to enjoy. The other notable action around the township is the return to work by Scugog councillors. With their two-month hiatus complete, the Township's five ward councillors, regional councillor and mayor have already attended two fall council sessions, including yesterday's meeting. Scugog's municipal representatives have no doubt shaken the rust off and are now attempting to catch up on what's gone on and are trying to take care of a few loose ends. Since their return to the council table after closing up shop at the end of June -- with the exception of a short get-together in early August -- local councillors have had to deal with a number of pressing issues including a handful of disgruntled Prince Albert resi- dents who weren't in favour of a housing development proposal; okaying the relocation of Port Perry's food bank, Operation Scugog, from its Kinsmen Hall digs on Simcoe St. to the Victory Christian church; and dealing once again with the contentious matter of a Scugog Island windmiil. Just yesterday, councillors discussed arts and cul- ture in Scugog, were updated on the progress of a proposed huge retail development just south of town, and even listened intently to residents last night during a public meeting on the Oak Ridges Moraine. There, the municipality voiced its concerns over the recently-released provincial report on the Moraine, and invited the general public to chip in their two-cents. Continuing to look across the township, one may have also noticed that the ice is back in again at the Scugog Arena and it is once more time to strap on the skates. Port Perry Minor Hockey is preparing to kick off another season, and last Saturday night area fans were treated to Major Junior A hockey when Scugog's own George Burnett brought his Oshawa Generals to town where they faced off against their Ontario Hockey League rivals, the Peterborough Petes. Still with hockey, the Port Perry MoJacks have opened training camp for the 2001-2002 Central Ontario Junior C season, and played their first exhibi- tion game on Sunday night. The green-and-white will be sporting a new look this year to mark their 30th Junior C season in Port Perry, and they'll be joined by a familiar face: The Port Perry Star's own John B. McClelland, who's entering his 25th year of covering the MoJacks. Summer has all but come to an end, and the cooler temperatures of fall will be welcomed almost as much as the return of activities here in Scugog Township.