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6 Stouffville Sun-Tribune | Thursday, August 11, 2016 | O Fax: 905-640-8778 Classified: 1-800-263-6480 OPINION COLUMNS ot a lovely piece of yellow paper flapping in the summer breeze under your windshield wiper, Whitchurch-Stouffville? Hearty congratulations. You've broken a parking regulation. Allegedly. Officially, you've violated Bylaw 2008-114-PR ­ just in case you don't have the town bible of all rules and restrictions at the ready and your lawyer is on the other line. Even town spokesperson and Stouffville native Glenn Jackson is not exempt from being papered with a canary yellow "reminder notice". He posted receipt of his gift on Facebook ­ with a smiley face ­ last Thursday. "Well, well, well. I guess I'm not immune. Gee, thanks bylaw :)," he wrote Jackson posted his reminder notice with the complete list of infractions. We've boiled it down to our own Top 5: 1/ "Parking longer than three hours" in one spot. (A $35 fine, if you didn't get off with a warning.) Sadly, some downtown merchants and GO train passengers don't follow this rule. Vehicles were papered last week on Main Street in the downtown core following complaints from shop owners. And many residents don't realize this also applies in residential areas, too. 24/7, 12 months a year. 2/ "Obstructing a sidewalk" ($35) You obviously can't park on the street and your garage is full of, well, important stuff. So one of your family's two or three vehicles dangles across the sidewalk or blocks it completely. Pedestrians, cyclists (who should be on the road) and baby strollers detour to the boulevard or the street. 3/ "In a disabled parking space without a permit." ($300) No excuses here. You should Publisher Dana Robbins General manager Shaun Sauve Regional Editor-In-Chief, Metroland Central Joanne Burghardt 6290 Main St. Stouffville, ON. L4A 1G7 www.yorkregion.com 905-640-2612 DISTRIBUTION 1-855-853-5613 Director, Advertising Maureen Christie Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron Director, Distribution Mike Banville Regional Director, Finance & administration Phil Sheehan Editor in Chief, York Region Lee Ann Waterman Managing Editor Jim Mason jmason@yrmg.com G Mean streets: Top 5 parking rules you can break, drivers A wedding for the ages eddings of significance are not uncommon. You can think of some. We all can. Like: John F . Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier, (1953); Mel Ferrer and Audrey Hepburn, (1954); Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, (1956); Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, (1964); Prince Charles and Lady Diana, (1981); Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, (2000); Prince William and Kate Middleton, (2006). Occasions that will long be remembered. However, no ceremony locally will be memorised with greater gladness and exultant happiness than the celebration Aug. 6 at Stouffville's 19 on the Park ­ the union of Mayor Justin Karl Altmann and Jenny Elizabeth Hillier. If ever a marriage was made in heaven and validated here on earth, this was it. More than 2,000 people attended, filling the town square to capacity and spilling the overflow onto nearby bleachers. Never in recalled community history has an event of this nature been so enthusiastically received or so perfectly organized. Cheers and applause echoed onto Main Street. The bride, beautiful in a fitted off-white sequined gown, was accompanied by attractive attendants in fitted street-length pink/ lilac dresses. The groom was handsome in a navyblue suit with matching grey bow-tie and vest. He was supported by brothers Aaron and Sean. Prior to the ceremony, invited guests were transported from the town office to the wedding site in stretch limousines. The bride, accompanied by her father arrived by horse and carriage much to the delight of awe-struck downtown spec- W Off The Top with Jim Mason be ticketed, towed, possibly jailed and definitely inducted into some bad girl/boy hall of shame. 4/ "So as to interfere with the removal of snow" ($50) This one "is not applicable today BTW," Jackson wrote in post. Thanks, Glenn. And you can't park on your street from Dec. 1 to March 31, between 2 and 6 a.m. Wait for it. You'll see the yellow tickets on the snowy windshields when you wake up. 5/ "Within three metres of a fire hydrant." ($50) For those of you who only carry an old-school, imperial system tape measure in your glove box that's 9.84252 feet. And if you've ever rubbernecked at any kind of blaze, you know how much space fire trucks need to get the job done. Give them room. Fires do happen, as several Stouffville neighbourhoods can attest to in recent years. My favourite rule breakers? Easily those wacky garage sale motorists. They'll leave their minivan running, doors open, three feet from the curb in front of a hydrant or driveway should they spot a must-have deal of the decade on Blue Mountain Pottery or Victoria's Secret lingerie in a yard on the block. Rules be damned. Happy parking. Jim Mason is editor of The Sun-Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @stouffeditor Roaming Around with Jim Thomas tators. Cameras were everywhere including coverage by two Toronto TV stations. Perfect weather added to the enjoyment of well-wishers. There were flowers throughout the square including the entrance; along the carpeted centre aisle and across the gallery. All ladies in the audience received florets and heartshaped fans. Town crier Marcel Bossi and flag-bearers representing Branch 459 of the Royal Canadian Legion opened the ceremony. Town councillor Rob Hargrave served as master of ceremonies. Hargrave praised the mayor for his much-appreciated desire to assist fellow residents within the community including neighbours. Then he chided: "Today, have your fun, then it's time to get back to work." Later, Debi Patterson, executive assistant to the mayor and ceremony supervisor, requested a recall of the official kissing custom saying: "Wait a minute, I think you can do better than that," much to the delight of onlookers. They complied. But the most audible response occurred with the introduction of Sun-Tribune Citizens of the Year, Joanne George with her born-blind yellow Lab `Smiley' wearing the mayor's chain of office. Together, they presided over Advertising Manager Mara Sepe msepe@yrmg.com sbrown@metroland.com Circulation Manager Sabrina Brown York Region Media Group community newspapers The Sun-Tribune, published every, Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a whollyowned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. To speak to a customer service rep: 1-855-853-5613 Delivery inquiries: customersupport@ metroland.com Delivery issues? LETTERS POLICY All submissions must be less than 400 words and include a daytime telephone number, name and address. The Sun-Tribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space. E-mail jmason@yrmg.com the cutting of a ceremonial red ribbon. Rev. Peter Pallant delivered an inspiring address citing "true love" as central to a successful marriage. "It's love that brings us all together," he said. Responses by sisters of the bride and brothers of the groom prompted both tears and laughter. "Mom was the glue that held our family together," said Aaron. "Our world was turned upside down," said Sean, referring to July 28, nine days prior to the wedding when their mother, Tanis Altmann passed away. Jenny spoke of her husband in glowing terms describing him as a, kindhearted and gracious man with strong moral integrity. "I know we'll be even stronger together," she said. "We're embarking on a journey that will last not a minute short of the rest of our lives," she concluded. As a strong gust of wind blew away the bride's headdress, the groom remarked: "I know Mom's here in spirit and is now wearing Jenny's veil." Seven white doves of peace were released into a bright blue sky. But the positive influence of the marriage will live on, in Whitchurch-Stouffville and across York Region. A mobile washroom trailer, recommended by Markham Fair past-president Diane Ward and supported by town volunteer Wilf Morley and special education teacher David Bunn, has been embraced by Justin and Jenny as a much-anticipated project. The announcement was convincingly applauded by the crowd and already financially championed by the community. Jim Thomas is a Stouffville resident who has written for area newspapers for more than 65 years.