Huron Expositor, 2004-08-11, Page 3Susan Hundertmark photo
Seaforth firefighters check for fire in the vehicles involved in a three -vehicle collision at Seaforth's main intersection on
Wednesday.
Three -vehicle collision results
in charges of disobeying red light
A 23 -year-old RR 5 `Clinton woman was charged with
disobeying a red light after a three -vehicle collision at
Seaforth's main intersection last Wednesday afternoon at 4
p.m.
A red 2000 Pontiac van, driven by the RR 5 Clinton
woman, was travelling north on Main Street and drove
through a red light, colliding with a green 2000 Chev
Cavalier, driven by a 20 -year-old Clinton woman, that was
travelling westbound on Goderich Street on a green light.
A 2003 GMC truck, driven by a 64 -year-old RR 2
Petersburg woman, that was stopped at the red light going
south on MainStreet was hit by the car, which was driven into
the truck by the van, reports the Huron OPP.
While two ambulances were called to the scene, no one was
taken to hospital.
The Seaforth fire department was also on the scene and
cleaned up the debris caused by the collision.
Running a red light involves a $155 fine.
Winthrop -area man in balloon
that collides with live hydro wire
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Neil Dolmage is safe on
the ground after a birthday
balloon ride that got bumpy
after a collision with a live
4,800 -volt hydro wire.
But, the Winthrop -area
farmer says he'd still take
another ride.
"It's surprising how many
times during the last few days
I've thought about that hydro
line coming at us. But, I had
a lot of confidence in the
pilot - I would go up again
with the same guy," he said
Monday of his adventure on
Friday.
Dolmage was one of 13
people riding the hot-air
balloon that broke a hydro
line near St. Thomas Friday
before landing in a harvested
hay field near Sparta.
Finally cashing in on a
birthday gift from his
children a year and a half
ago, Dolmage said he had
been apprehensive about the
balloon ride because he
suffers from motion sickness.
And, while he found
himself
enjoying a
smooth and
scenic ride
drifting high
above London
and St.
Thomas, the
encounter with
the hydro line
during the
landing gave
him a few
moments of
wouldn't break the line and
would get snagged. If we'd
been lower
and made
contact with
both hydro
wires, I don't
want to think
about what
could have
happened.
The danger
was very real.
It could have
been a
tragedy," he
Quoted
The danger
was very real. It
could have
been a
tragedy,' --
Nd Dolmas
panic.
"There was no sense of
danger initially but up ahead
I could see some hydro lines
at eye level and I thought.
'This thing better get up
higher in a hurry,— ' he
recalled.
As the hydro line, made up
of two wires six feet apart,
drew closer, he and his fellow
travellers ducked down into
the basket as it made contact
with the top line, which
broke.
"My biggest fear was we
said.
Hitting the hydro line made
the basket rock quite a bit
and one woman in the basket,
who'd kept her hands on the
railing, received a bad cut
from the wire on one finger.
"I looked out of the basket
and couldn't see the balloon.
I was looking out into space."
said Dolmage.
The pilot kept his
composure and managed to
steer clear of some trees on
the rest of the landing.
"The landing wasn't the
most pleasant. It was pretty
bumpy - we bumped three
times and dragged for about
75 yards," he said, addling
that the other two peoptir in
his compartment in the
basket ended up in a heap.
"We lost some dignity but
we didn't really care at that
point. The ladies were a little
shook up and there were
some tears and handshakes
all around," he recalled.
The group was met by
several police cruisers and
spent some time afterwards
being interviewed both by the
police and the local television
media.
"We all felt pretty lucky,
pretty fortunate. There was
some talk of buying lottery
tickets but I don't buy those,"
said Dolmage.
And, what does he think
he'd like for his next birthday
present?
"I think i might want to try
a glider flight. I've always
wanted to go up on one of
those," laughed Dolmage.
Papple's Garden Centre needs to rezone
with town's bylaw
to be in compliance
A notice fiord Huron East's chief buiidingnffielal Paul iosling
to "immediately" stop using Main Street property for a garden
supply and fruit and vegetable stand brought Tyler Papple to
council Aug. 3.
But, rather than close down his business, council decided to
look into the possibility of adding farm produce sales and
landscaping and garden supply to the downtown's C4 zoning
while suggesting that Papple spend $1,000 to have the location of
his business rezoned to accommodate its use.
"I think we should talk to the planners to determine if it's in the
municipality's best interests to change the zoning for all of Main
Street or just for Tyler's property," said Deputy -Mayor Bernie
MacLellan.
Josling told council that he had received a complaint about
Papple's business, which he discovered after looking at the
zoning bylaws, was not in compliance.
Papple's Garden Centre and Produce Stand, located on the
property of John 'Iiirnbull, Papple's grandfather, has been located
at the same place for at least 14 years, although Papple told
council he remembers his parents selling corn there when he was
in Kindergarten.
In a letter to council, which he read at the Aug. 2 meeting,
Papple said he was "very disappointed" to receive the letter from
Huron East stating his business is prohibited in the commercial
core area.
"Up until this point, I thought I was considered a retail store
and since Canadian Tire and Foodland have often had garden
centres, I assumed everything was fine," said Papple.
He said Josling told him he doesn't classify as a store because
he has no building and that farm produce and landscaping and
garden supply can only be located on highway commercial
ProPert
. appple
Ptold council that shutting him down would go against
the municipality's Official Plan goals "to retain, strengthen and
enhance the core area as the dominant centre of commercial
activity for Seaforth."
"There are already five empty storefronts on Main Street,
without counting the Commercial Hotel or what is left of the old
EMA grocery store. No one wants to see an established and well -
liked business forced off Main Street with a good reason," he
said.
Seaforth Coon. Lou Maloney said he didn't want to see Papple
go out of business.
"It's an asset to the community and I don't want to see 'Tyler
stopped," he said.
Josling agreed that he didn't want to see Papple's shut down
and suggested the propertyawld be rezoned.
While ratepayers have to pay to have their own property
rezoned, a change in the zoning bylaws by council is not charged
to individual ratepayers and council debated how big a change
was necessary' to solve the problem.
"That would open it up pretty free if anyone on Main Street
could do what you're doing. I'm suggesting we change the use of
one piece of property," Huron East Clerk -Administrator Jack
McLachlan said about changing the zoning bylaw.
MacLellan responded by questioning how many other
businesses on Main Street would want to sell farm produce off
the street.
"We could be the mecca of farm produce next summer," joked
MacLellan.
Josling suggested that rezoing one location would be preferable
so that council "would still have control over the rest of Main
Street at this table."
MacLellan told Papple that if he would begin the process of
rezoning his property, council would pay him back the $1,000 if
Huron County's planners recommended a change to the zoning
bylaw was more appropriate.
Septic
Systems
Design Ft Installation
By Susan Handertn ark
-._ _ _,. A, ...A
v • t/ U
THE HURON PXPOSITOR, Aug. 11, 2004.3
H4.e48ted 111rr rife w4e "d 4 e4aKtIt "
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Denture Specialist
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Relines - Additions
482-1195
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Please call 527-0682 or 482-8505
to REGISTER!
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