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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-07-27, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR, July 27, 2005-3 News Council impressed with Bridges' progress Giving golf carts a route to downtown Seaforth a 'missing link' for development By Susan Hundertmark Expositor Editor Huron East councillors were impressed by the progress at the Bridges development at the Seaforth golf club but are trying to figure out how to accommodate golf carts in downtown Seaforth. "I'm still trying to figure that out," said Mayor Joe Seili during a tour of the development last Tuesday by council. "If you can get a golf cart to the post office, you'll keep a lot of money in town," said golf course co-owner Cam Doig, who was conducting the tour. Doig told councillors about communities in California where golf carts are so common that signs had to be erected to stop people from driving their golf carts into the grocery store. "If you can figure out how to get the golf carts downtown, 25 years from now you'd be looked at as the community that was way before its time," he said. Huron East Clerk -Administrator Jack McLachlan said that while the carts can now be driven to the edge of the Bridges property behind Seaforth's industrial park on Birch Street, a golf cart parking lot could be accommodated there but no one has figured out how to get the carts right downtown. Because driving golf carts on municipal roads is illegal, the development is a closed community where carts can be used. McLachlan said the Bridges owners are donating five per cent of its property to the municipality as parkland and he hopes to see walking trails and . cross-country skiing trails at the north end of the development. He said those same trails could be used to get the golf carts to the edge of the development. "That's a concept we're looking at," he said. "We hope to get them downtown shopping." Developer Bill MacLean said Monday he'd really like to see golf carts be able to travel to downtown Seaforth. "Every one of the stores should like that too because once you're in your car, it's just as easy to drive to Stratford. It would be wonderful for everyone?' he said during a phone interview. Seaforth Golf Club co-owner Cam Doig leads Huron East council on a tour of the Bridges development last Tuesday. MacLean added the golf cart issue is "the missing link" in the development so far. Besides that issue, he said "everything is going really well" on the Bridges community. Three model homes are now under construction at the development and should be "finished, decorated and ready to be opened for sales purposes" in six to eight weeks. Roads should be paved during the next few weeks so that potential owners "can drive in and pick their lot." The building of the 16th hole is still underway and was waiting on the construction of several large ponds. MacLean said that once the 16th hole is Appointment of priest rescinded for Seaforth, Clinton churches By Cheryl Heath and Susan Hundertmark Clinton News Record and Expositor Editors The Catholic church is changing its plan. The London Diocese has rescinded its appointment of Rev. Richard A. Hurdle who was to take over as the priest for Seaforth's St. James and Clinton's St. Joseph parishes following the recent departure of Father Lance Magdziak who took a post with the military. Rev. Peter Keller, episcopal vicar for the Huron -Perth deanery, says the decision came on the heels of a decision meted out by the St. James church's advisory board. "There were some concerns brought up by the St. James advisory board," says Keller, noting Bishop Ronald Fabbro, with the help of the personnel committee, then decided it would be in Hurdle's best interests not to serve the parishes. "This is a hard thing for Father Rick (Hurdle) and it's a hard thing for" the community," says Keller. "It's kind of upsetting for people all the way around." Lou Maloney, a member of the St. James Church advisory board agrees that the Seaforth parishioners asked the bishop not to place Hurdle at St. James. "He's a good guy probably but he's too sick. I'm not running the guy down but his health was bad," says Maloney. Diocese spokesman Mark Ouellette confirms the bishop felt it was in the priest's best interests not to put him in the "almost poisoned environment that was created there." Ouellette says the general feeling was Hurdle would have a difficult time with the parish council. He confirms the bishop preached to both the Seaforth and Clinton parishes on July 10, but he could not confirm the contents of the bishop's sermon as he was not present for it. When asked about a plan for parish reorganization, Ouellette says recent events will not be considered during the recommendation stage as proposed changes are based on stringent criteria, including financial status, proximity to alternate parishes and size of parish. He also notes that many rural parishes are home to churches that are more than a century old and costly to maintain. Ouellette says restructuring criteria is objective and "not based on whether a parish is bad or good, if you will." He says the Diocese will make its recommendations about possible changes in the spring of 2006. "There are a lot of changes in the air," says Ouellette. David Williams, another spokesman for the Diocese, says a new priest has yet to be named for the area. He. acknowledges that recent events would likely be factored into the process of choosing a replacement for Magdziak. "Certainly the bishop would be aware of the sensitivities of the area," he says, noting that though he is not sure why Hurdle didn't meet with the St. James parish's wishes, "there are some issues under the surface." Money stolen from house Close to $750 was stolen from an unlocked George Street home in an apparent break-in on June 26. , An officer who attended the scene was told that the home was left unlocked between 5 and 10 p.m. After talking with neighbours, Huron OPP are looking for a male in his mid 20's who is tall and skinny and was driving a white older model pickup truck with an orange light on top. The person in question was seen around the home that evening shortly before 10 p.m. Anyone with any related information is asked to call the Huron OPP or Crimestoppers. completed - which is expected to be done in two weeks - golfers will be able to play the entire clew course and construction will be able to begin on the old eighth and 17th fairways, where homes and the recreation centre will be built. Construction on the planned recreation centre should begin in late fall or early winter and MacLean said the facility should be ready for use by the end of 2006. Twenty of the 248 planned homes have been sold so far, a number MacLean said is right on schedule. "We're exactly where we wanted to be. And, 40 or 50 couples have asked to see the models when they're completed so there's a lot of interest," he said. Dot pa pat ere a whnsyea. iad doss fabssW lids shop by midget? That} what lb tarsi, bat is al akar Bat Iratktths mane foal yea. Ai lwtr putts, al oat ohs kind from DM oat. cad gown a a /0 Chale Gans 1 coati peaadoabat mow its;oar hos Ytom ad resit ad I pomace yea, the trip will k worth ,oar whik. 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