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=" 8 -- Scugog Citizen -- Wednesd, p 7, 1994 published by Seusos Clitizen Publishing X.tci. co-publishers : John B. McClelland, Valerie Ellis editor : john B. McClelland ad ad manager : Valerie Ellis sales : Chris Hudson accounting : Sibylle Warren : Janet Rankin 36 WATER ST. PORT PERKY, ONT. LIL1J2 Phone : 505) 85-637 Fax: 905) 995-1410 : Tanya Map feature writer : Heather "Prowed Canadiors, tt bm OCNA Member CCNA Member THE SCUGQG CITIZEN CCNA Verified Circulation Comtrolled ly owned and op d FEoToriacid Fororounds as election issue A very large political football was lobbed over the grounds at the annual Port Perry Fair Labour Day Weekend and it blew wide open the simmering dispute bver a new lease between the Port Perry Fair Board and the Township council. The Fair Board took the opportunity of the Fair to place a large and highly visible sign in a prominent location which claims "this fairgrounds is in danger." The reason? The sign went on to say "many councillors do not want to renew our lease. They want to sell this parkland for an undisclosed development." Needless to say most members of council were livid when they saw the sign, calling its message misleading and simply untrue With the present lease with tke Fair Board set to expire in July, 1997, the Board and & committee of council have been negotiating a new lease. But they're at an impasse, specifically over a termination clause in the new lease which would give either side the right to | end the new 10-year lease on one year's written notice ™ The Fair Board claims this amounts to simply a one year lease. The Board can't make long range plans for the grounds or sink money into improvements with this kind of a lease Council says any lease must have a termination clause, especially since the Township not the Fair Board owns the 24-acre site ) As anyone who remembers the last battle between the Fair Board and council several years ago will attest, this 18 a complicated and thorny issue that evokes strong emotions. It did then and judging from reaction over the weekend, it has again | The Fair Board concedes that putting up the | provocative sign during the Fair was to get the lease issue into the political arena, just eight weeks in front | of a municipal election Already one Fair Board members has announced her intention to seek a seat on local council. To be fair to Karen Puckrin, she is running for other reasons as well But she favours a ten-year lease with no escape clause There likely will be other candidates with similar views on the lease enter their names in the race for seats on council ) Whether the Fair Board's wording on that infamous sign was misleading or even untrue doesn't matter a whole lot now. The Fair Board is adamant it will not sign a lease with a one year escape clause. The Board is determined to get a change of mind from ! some councillors on this issue, or work to vote them out of office The fairgrounds is an important chunk of real estate in Port Perry with its long tradition of a great rural fair and now with new recreation facilities such as three hardball diamonds. It gets other uses as well during the year. But keep in mind as well, it is fully serviced on all three sides and is enormously valuable for some kind of future development. It is best that the people of Scugog make this decision. And on November 14 they will have their chance. We would strongly suggest, however, that voters take the time to hear both sides and get as much information as possible, before they mark their X. ° LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Film critic Foote replies To the Editor In response to Mr. Hick's letter in last week's Citizen; he took exception to my comments on Schindler's List, Spielberg, and both deserving a Nobel Peace Prize Mr. Hick claims | overstate the importance of art, which he claims "interprets humanity and occasionally enlightens some segments of the population" While [ concede art means different things to the individual, | would like to ask Mr. Hick to consider what life would be without art There would be no great works of architecture, such as the Sistine Chapel or the Pyramids, nor masterful paintings from Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Picasso, VanGogh, Tom Thomson, or Matisse. Great works of literature thatlink us to the past would be gone; can you imagine life without the works of Charles Dickens, The Bronte Sisters, Thomas Hardy, Mark Twain, Margaret Laurence, or Mary Shelley? Poetry would not exist; music would not exist,...My god, can you even begin to imagine a world without music??? We would never have laughed at Chaplin or Buster Keaton, never have been swept to Oz, Steven and never have grown. Without . art, our society becomes Orwellian, although how would we know this, as Mr. Orwell would never have written 1984 in a world without art. Man began creating arts of various kindg (to tell stories, to tell history, to teach, and to provide entertainment), while still living in caves, look how far we have come!! Please criticize me for anything, but never for overstating art's importance As for your displeasure at my suggestion Mr. Spielberg deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, | stand by that. Are you aware Mr. Spielberg was seriously considered for the prize, endorsed by President Bill Clinton? As for what he has done for world peace, perhaps you are unaware that all of Mr Spielberg's profits from Schindler's List went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C? Equally impressive is the fact Mr. Spielberg's 'production company, Amblin Entertain- ment, has frequently made donations, as in millions, to feed starving children in Africa, Russia, and America. Mr Spielberg is simply quiet about it It was never my intention to de-valuate the Nobel Peace Prize, but rather to give some idea of the sheer magnitude of Spielberg's accomplishment. If one life is saved, that is world peace. If one of today's Neo- Nazis' realizes his error, that is peace; more importantly if we understand history, particularly the horrible aspects of history, perhaps, only perhaps, we will not be doomed to repeat it. Oh, in placing Mr. Spielberg in the company of Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr., The International Red Cross, and our own Lester B. Pearson, would also have placed him alongside Bob Geldoff, who won the Nobel in 1985 for his efforts in feeding Africa. Mr. GeldofT is a rock star, an artist; like Mr. Spielberg may have been, Geldoff was humbled by the award. Who would have thought an artist could win such a prize? P.S..- Telling me to stay out of world politics is odd, I simply stated I felt an artist deserved a uhique honor. Yours, John H. Foote Film Critic Scugog Citizen & Rogers Ontario Network Channel 10. Good examples To the Editor: I would like to commend the organizers of the Port Perry Girls Baseball League. As a first time sp ofa' 1 would especially like to thank Karen Henry, the coach of our girls team. Rarely have | seen a coach insist that the game was baseball team, | was very impressed with the way these games were handled. Having grown up on the baseball field, | have many experiences with poor organization, poor sportsmanship, and poor coaching. I would like to take this opportunity to let these people know just how impressed I was with the entire season. for fi t just to win. Our girls certainly enjoyed this season, win, lose or draw. Last of all, I want to thank the girls on the team for one of the best agasons | have seen in many ~ years. They may have finished in second place, but to me they are all winners, and | am proud to have been their sponsor. Melody Chapman, Kountry Bulk and Deli