« S 3»?' Otlatknaofyamr. tpbama ana MacKinnons vf from the beach iftamoon this weak. &£** '■ T<-tr, '<**»* '°f#t *»**, "**« rWay nd 'experience' i Eastern Kings Tourism Association, and, since her and died, operating a "bed and breakfast" tourist with a clientele from across the continent. well-versed in area lore and never misses an op- inity to promote the place and its people, even to 'playing the world-class insect population featuring luitoes which could carry off your patio furniture, st somehow don't noticeably detract from the "experience." Off the beach and especially evenings one is advised not to leave much skin un¬ fed. yet pite its diminuitive size, Mrs. Partridge says there M and growing community spirit among full-time ummer residents. The community is becoming acu- 'nvironment-conscious. kids were out cleaning up all along the beach the night," noted Mrs. Steele , who advises visitors pol¬ ls not welcome, and Mrs. Partridge proudly dis- her recycling receptacles. She separates her trash components and takes each into Montague for re- Community residents met and decided to close -ommunity dumpsite, opting instead to invest in " their garbage hauled to the dump in nearby Cam- 3e -: s the road from Partidge's is the community originally the school house. The community, or at neighboring Gaspereaux which is usually thought of same breath, is also home to a Catholic church, is one full-time commercial farm operation — ere dairy, eggs and potatoes. The Davies (refugees from the L.A . smog) are subsistence farmers, and Andrew Camp ¬ bell is a commercial fisherman. Most other Panmure Is¬ landers work outside the community. BEACH FORMS IDENTITY But undeniably in today's world where a high premium is placed on leisure, the community identity, as far as outsiders are concerned, is the beach. Facilities have been put in place to capitalize inobtrusively on the qual¬ ity of the area. There's a serviced provincial park, camp¬ ground and beach with newly-added boardwalk across the dunes, shelter for day-campers and plans to add a rain shelter. These things in no way detract from the long fringe of sandy beach merely daubed intermittently with people and often allowing for 100 metres or more between you and the next beach-goer. There are also the sheltered wa¬ ters of St. Mary's Bay on the other, rockier side of the causeway which is ideal for boating and windsurfing. Mrs. Partridge scoffs at the interviewer's suggestion if Panmure Island had a mayor it would likely be ner. " Joe French was originally our mayor," she says with a reverence for a beloved and now deceased community member, a balladeer who "knew the history way, way back" and was affectionately referred to in the commu¬ nity as the mayor as he went barefoot from house to house visiting and chatting with everyone. "The mayor." Such is the pace in Panmure Island . Gertrude Partridge operates a popular 'badandbr»f