NAPANEE, Ont. -- The reaction here in Napanee to Avril Lavigne's latest criticism of her hometown? Well, let's just say it's complicated.

Needless to say, the headline on the front page of yesterday's Kingston Whig-Standard reading "Avril Slags home -- again" raised a few eyebrows in this town between Belleville and Kingston.

"I was kind of disappointed," Mayor Gord Schermerhorn told the Toronto Sun.

He was reacting to quotes attributed to the 19-year-old world superstar in the American Blender magazine where she described Napanee as dead as disco with "F---all" to do.

"It's just a little town where everybody knows everybody and everybody's business and there's nothing to do except get drunk," Lavigne, whose hits include Complicated, Sk8er Boi and I'm With You was quoted as saying.

The mayor was hurt for a variety of reasons. "I have grown up here my whole life and there is more to do in Napanee than to get drunk," he said.

In fact, part of what upset him was the timing of the story --on the very day yesterday the town proudly held its opening ceremony for its new $9.8-million twin pad arena and community centre called the Strathcona Paper Centre.

"This project is for everybody," he said, adding it's up to each individual to decide how they want to spend their time.

As for Avril, he said, "We are very proud of her and her accomplishments" but they just disagree on this issue.

But around town, very few are angry with the multi-platinum rocker. Mark Bradshaw, a former Lavigne classmate, said he's glad Avril said it. "She's telling the truth. It is pretty dead," he teases. "I back her up."

Karyn Roantree, 16, a talented singer herself who once attended a vocal camp with Lavigne, said she understands how the star feels. "It's a pretty boring place."

No matter what Lavigne feels, 10-year-old twins Fiona and Vincent McNeill-Knowles forgive their hero. "We'll let it go," said Vincent.

Many business people loved the media mention.

"We still love her," says Ali Imtizaj, owner of the Twin Peaks Motel, which honours her on their neon sign. "All the tourists came here and ask about her."

His 14-year-old daughter Maria loves Avril but says, "It's a small town but it has lots of potential."

At La Pizzeria on the main street, where they have both an Avril Lavigne Pizza on the menu and an Avril Lavigne shrine on the wall, nothing will stop the love for the local success story. "She is a very nice girl," said Bill Kosmopoulos, who with wife Marina, has lots of great pictures of Avril's visits for a pizza.

Aaron Beebe, 26, said it has to be remembered that Avril has done an awful lot for Napanee's image -- including wearing her #2 Napanee Home Hardware T-shirt on her Saturday Night Live appearance. She didn't have to do that, and he points out a lot of tourists come to the store to purchase those shirts.

At the house where she grew up, Avril's mom Judy just laughed. "She's a kid and she's living in the big city now," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "And this (kind of rock magazine interview) is just part of what goes with (success)."

Behind the glare of the spotlight, she said, Avril loves her hometown. Standing there with Avril's mom I could see the resemblance and noticed that, somehow, having such a famous daughter is not an easy thing to deal with. "It can be overwhelming," she said. "I would never have thought all of this would happen."

Her daughter is away most of the time and she doesn't get to talk to her every day. "I do miss her," she said. "They do work her pretty hard."

She showed me a bunch of pictures, including one where Avril thanked her mom and dad for their support and another one where she surprised her on her 18th birthday in New York City. That picture might show the Avril Lavigne few in the media capture.

What's the real Avril like? As her mom says, it's complicated.