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2 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 31, 1987 An Easter Parade i is the theme of an upcoming Fashion Show being held this Saturday at the Blackstock United Church, celebrating the village's 100th birthday. Actually, two shows are planned, one at 1:30 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. Featured will be clothes from various stores in the Scugog area including Strawberry Threads (modelled at left by Heather McLaughlin), Dor- Jeans (modelled by Barbara Byers), The Children's Den (modell- ed by Brandi Forder-McLaughlin), and ihary s Fashion and Fabrics {modelled by Mary Irvine). Maximum security prison proposed for fairground EXCLUSIVE to the PORT PERRY STAR The federal government will take over the Port Perry Fairgrounds for a $35 million maximum security prison for 250 of the most hardened criminals in the country - Construction on the new prison, as yet un-named, is scheduled to start _ right after the 1987 Port Perry Fair, and the inmates will arrive at their new home the following spring, said a top level official with Canada's prison system in an exclusive inter- view with the Star last week. "We have every reason to be ex- tremely excited about this idea," said Ronald P. Warden, as he tramped the site last week. **Not on- ly will this prison put Scugog on the map, it will pump $35 million into the local economy, generate 200 per- manent jobs, and best of all, it will solve the dispute between the Fair Board and the School Board." Mr. Warden said the government has been considering the 22-acre Fairgrounds site for the prison since the relocation controversy surfaced in Scugog more than a year ago. 'We are going to move in and take over. There will be no expropriation hearings. The shortage of max- imum security cells in Canada has become a national emergency. Parliament will pass special legisla- "tion giving us the land, and if necessary, we are prepared to move troops in to quell any opposition and stand guard during the construction phase," he stated emphatically. SMITH & SMITH BIG Vo Highway 7A & Water St. Port P Ph. 985-8886 - Look for vos PO Box, 385 APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY ---- mee ~ DURHAM COLLEGE's -- Courses 'abloid Insert in today's paper! 2000 Sim C oe < Street No ih )e shawa On tan 0 C anada L1H 7 'Naturally, we hope that doesn't happen, but we are not in the mood to tolerate any opposition or pro- blems," he said with a tope to his voice that left no doubt he means business. The new prison will feature the most wl pi state of the art technology in function and design It calls for 250 cells, a reading room, gymnasium, swimming pool, TV and video games room, squash 'courts, bowling lanes and a baseball diamond. Mr. Warden said the 250 prisoners will come from the toughest, meanest jails in Canada. "They will all be hard-tiyners, guys doing at least 25 years w ith no hope of parole. But as they near the end of the sentences, we will help ease them back into the main- stream of life with a series of half- way homes constructed in all parts of Scugog Township," he said. Residents of the area need not have any fears, however, as the design of the new prison makes it virtually escape-proof. The interior walls are four to six feet thick. There will be a series of perimeter walls 20 feet high and the entire 22 acres will be ringed with a massive barbed-wire fence. All doors in the facility will be computér timed and operated and the guards issued with Uzi machine pistols. ""Theré is only one way out of the place, and that's through the front door," exclaimed Mr. Warden. One of the more exciting and uni- que design features is that the ex- isting race-track at the Fair will be left as itis. "We believe it will be good therapy for the prisoners to be able to see the horses trotting around the track. We even hopetoset up a day program for them to help in the - horse barn, cleaning stalls, brushing down horses and so on."' said the official. 'But the most exciting aspect of the design, and this is unique in all the world, is that a corner of the prison will be the new public school for Port Perry. "Attending class in a maximum security prison setting will be a marvellous educational opportunity for the students, and of course they will have access to all the recrea- tional areas, including the Olymic- size pool," he stated. Reaction in the community to the plans for the super prison was cautiously favourable. Fair Board president Rod McKay said if someone comes up with the right amount of money to move the Fair, he doesn't care what they build at the present Fairgrounds. Scugog Mayor Jerry Taylor said he's in favour of any idea that sorts out the current squabble over the Fairgrounds, especially since the Township will get $1 million cash for the property, plus a new swimming pool. y "I guess the Fairgrounds is a bet- ter place for a prison than Scugog Island, which was number two on their list of locations," said the Mayor. Scugog Board of Education trustee Joyce Kelly said the idea of integrating a schoot and a prison has "interesting possibilities" and she expressed relief that the messy ex- propriation can be averted. "And I'm also happy they don't want to build this thing in downtown Blackstock." said Mrs. Kelly. Ward 2 councillor Howard Hall was low-keyed in his reaction. 'I'd like to have a planner take a look at the whole thing. I wonder if we need a feasibility study," he told the Star. Scugog's Recreational councillor . Lawrence Malcolm declined com- ment at this time, 'other than to say "it might be a good thing, but it might be a bad thing." The most vociferous reaction _ came from Port Perry physician Dr. Wm. Cohoon, who has been adamently opposed to felocating the Fair. "They can't put a maximum security prison at the Fairgrounds. That property has a hallowed tradi- tion in this community. To cover it with concrete and barbed-wire would be a travesty of natural justice. Talk about rape of the Fairgrounds," he said in an inter- view at this farm north of town. "I don't care how much money they give the Fair or the Township. It's not right and we'll just have to stop it," he fumed. A member of the now defunct Scugog Ratepayers Association told the Star the concept is a good one since it will generate thousands of ° dollars in tax revenues for the Township coffers. And Roads Superintendent Ronn MacDonald said he's going to try to negotiate a deal to use the prisoners to shovel snow from the sidewalks in Port Perry after a blizzard. . But the final word came from Doc G "ohoon. "Ismell a veryTishy rat in all this. The federal government must think we area bunch of fools in Scugog: They come waltzing in and hand on a silver platter. But anything that sounds too good to be true, usually is. especially around the first of April." and motorcycle clothing. This year we have added [ Pro Glow Pants. Jerseys etc SO come to ASSELSTINE's tor your motorcycle needs Durham Rd., S. of Blackstock 986-4437 MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES ASSELSTINE'S YAMAHA has a large selection of helmets ANSWER MOTORCROSS APPAREL including A-tech Helmets and ch i I