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Neighbors sound off on paintball operation
Buffalo News ^ | 5/15/2002 | NANCY GISH

Posted on 05/17/2002 4:30:05 PM PDT by tarawa

Neighbors sound off on paintball operation

By NANCY GISH Southtowns Correspondent 5/15/2002

Dozens of residents opposed to a paintball game operation jammed Wales Town Hall on Tuesday to oppose issuing another permit to Matt Kowalski of Vermont Hill Road. The Town Board on Nov. 13 issued a special permit to Kowalski to operate a paintball operation three days a week seasonally, on property owned by his parents, Paul and Barbara Kowalski.

Neighbors objected and took the Town Board and the Kowalskis to court, claiming, among other things, that the board didn't follow proper state environmental review procedures or the town's zoning law.

Town Attorney Ron Bennett said the permit was revoked on a technicality.

In the end, the board tabled the issue, noting Kowalski has yet to formally reapply for a special-use permit.

"If Kowalski reapplies, we will go through the entire process again," Supervisor Mary Weinman said.

But for more than an hour, residents offered testimony on whether a new permit should be issued.

Among concerns are the potential for injuries by a projectile that is fired at an estimated 250 mph.

"Anything traveling at 250 miles an hour . . . can cause injury," said Joseph Endres of Warner Hill Road.

Other nearby residents said they didn't want to have to witness the weekend spectacle of 25 strangers dressed in military gear, running, shouting and firing paintball guns at each other.

However, some neighbors sided with Kowalski, saying paintball is no more dangerous than any other sport.

One resident urged neighbors to play a game of paintball to understand what it's like.

Christine Hill of Vermont Hill Road said the game is safe.

"Matt had done a lot to assure us the paintball business would be safe," she said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: blissninnies; localgovernment; zoningboard

1 posted on 05/17/2002 4:30:05 PM PDT by tarawa
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To: tarawa
"Anything traveling at 250 miles an hour . . . can cause injury," said Joseph Endres of Warner Hill Road.

"Better we should all knit lace doilies, or learn macrame," the poofter limp-wristed girlie-man added.

2 posted on 05/17/2002 4:35:02 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: IronJack
"Anything traveling at 250 miles an hour . . . can cause injury," said Joseph Endres of Warner Hill Road.

This is said by a man who ... lives on a road! Oh the horror.

3 posted on 05/17/2002 4:38:22 PM PDT by spqrzilla9
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To: IronJack
"Better we should all knit lace doilies, or learn macrame," the poofter limp-wristed girlie-man added.

Heaven forbid. A man with a macrame sling can be very dangerous.

4 posted on 05/17/2002 4:40:13 PM PDT by Cachelot
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To: Captainpaintball
BTTTT
5 posted on 05/17/2002 4:45:23 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: tarawa
What ....a bunch....of woosies!!! They think paintballs hurt.....try bb's. I still remember Jeff Irwin catching me with my back side exposed! Ouch! And did I sue? Did I run home and cry to momma? Naw, I shook it off ....and plotted a counter-attack as soon as possible!
6 posted on 05/17/2002 4:45:42 PM PDT by larry h
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To: larry h
"Paintballs"??? You woosie. I got hit by a howitzer once. Blew a 5 inch diameter hole right through my abdomen. Talk about stink and hurt. Don't even tell me BB's.
7 posted on 05/17/2002 4:48:06 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: johniegrad



8 posted on 05/17/2002 4:54:21 PM PDT by dighton
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To: tarawa
"Anything traveling at 250 miles an hour . . . can cause injury," said Joseph Endres of Warner Hill Road.

At what speed does the airbag in his car travel upon deployment? Maybe he should take up speed walking to get to work.

9 posted on 05/17/2002 4:57:04 PM PDT by riley1992
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To: dighton

PING ME BABY!!

10 posted on 05/17/2002 4:59:00 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: riley1992
Heh, don't know about AirBag Velocity, but they seem to have their numbers a little mixed up. Paintball markers usually shoot around 250FP/Second, which I think comes out to around 170mph, but only for about 20 yards.
Having been in a few games, and survived, it's not nearly as bad as it 'sounds'.
11 posted on 05/17/2002 5:23:35 PM PDT by Still Using Air
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To: tarawa
"Other nearby residents said they didn't want to have to witness the weekend spectacle of 25 strangers dressed in military gear, running, shouting and firing paintball guns at each other. "

Guns is the key word in the above. Would they complain if it was 25 strangers dressed in pink tutu's to practice outside for performance of swan lake? What a bunch of nitwits.

However, not knowing the size of the land in question, they could have a valid point. I mean if this was 1/3 acre parcel in the burbs, that is one thing. If it is a 10 acre farm, then that is an entirely different matter.

12 posted on 05/17/2002 5:59:21 PM PDT by Michael.SF.
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To: IronJack
I like playing paint ball, but I ALWAYS wear the maximum amount of protection I can. The following website convinced me - warning: grapic picture that will make any man sick. Paintball, while fun, CAN be dangerous in a freak accident. http://www.users.qwest.net/~jmsdeleon/OUCH!.html
13 posted on 05/17/2002 6:04:40 PM PDT by egarvue
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To: egarvue
RE: link. Ouch. Man, that hurts just looking at it. Gives a whole new meaning to the term "blueball".
14 posted on 05/17/2002 6:25:24 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: egarvue
One of the guys on my programming staff is an avid paintballer. He's brought some serious welts into the office.

Have you heard of a pro team known as Avalanche?

15 posted on 05/17/2002 7:27:20 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: johniegrad
1. Thank you for the heads up, johniegrad!

2. The anti-gun nuts are trying to kill paintball in other ways, too. My home field had to deal with the EPA performing tests on the lake in the middle of the property. Luckily, they were convinced of the non-toxicity of the paintballs, and could do nothing.

3. The sue-happy mommies and daddies with stupid kids will try to bring down the sport at the first sign of injury;whether it is due to negligence (eye injuries from taking the mask off) or something as benign as twisting an ankle.

4. But there is one positive thing about this: it may unintentionally get kids (future gun owners?) to become involved in politics and (hopefully)realize that there are people who have nothing better to do than to take our rights (and fun) away from us---and that they must be defeated. 5.Freepers, please keep me posted about these kinds of stories; paintball is a very vulnerable sport.

16 posted on 05/17/2002 8:59:40 PM PDT by Captainpaintball
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