A Few More Thoughts

Here are some quick thoughts for you

ARE THE VULTURES CIRCLING OVER THE JUNCTION

Somebody may be able to pick up this site for a song, a real bargain, if some resolution is not arrived at very soon.

My understanding is that the Junction is mortgaged and whoever is the financier may be getting a bit nervous these days for repayment.

The partners in the Junction cannot be too pleased either after pouring several hundred thousand dollars into refurbishment and now not being able to use the facility.

Get real, who would want to lease it with a fight to be expected with the neighbours if it is something that someone in the neighbourhood does not want. As for a sale....someone would have to be prepared to be a scrapper.

PLUS, the owners have to fight in court for the supposed by-law infractions for the Teen Function.

All this is not good news for George Sofos. And probably not good for the City if he sues and wins big time.

If a fly in a Culligan bottle is worth at trial almost $350K (although overturned on appeal and awaiting a Supreme Court hearing) and a cyclist received more than $800,000 in damages over a raised sewer grate, what would this business claim be worth if successful?

DETROIT-WINDSOR BUS SERVICE

You'd think from reading Eddie's remarks that the Detroit-Windsor transfer bus service is a huge success:

• "We can get Detroit, but we can't get the county."
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis rolled his eyes in frustration Friday at the thought that Windsor transit users can now travel on board Detroit-area buses, but can't make connections into the county."

Just so you know:

• "During an average week, between 30 and 40 passengers take advantage of the transfer exchange."

WHY WE DON'T NEED NEW BUSES

In doing some research on Transit Windsor, I discovered that

• "The bus fleet, which consists of 99 coaches, is on average 12 years old.
  
  "The useful life of a bus is 18 years," Williams said.
  
  A quarter of the fleet is 18 years old and two buses were bought 28 years ago. Administrators had hoped to buy six new buses this year at a cost of $2.7 million."

Our Mayor said on March 16, 2007

• "Before we buy new buses, I'd like to streamline practices," Francis said. "I move we not buy new buses and reconsider the issue in 2008. Before we add to services, we need to get a handle on the service we provide."

Then during final budget deliberations in early May:

• "In finalizing its budget, council did end up helping the landlords by re-directing a $1-million savings by agreeing not to buy any Transit Windsor buses this year and instead apply the money to reduce this year's multi-residential rate increase from 3.25 per cent down to 2.95."

VISITORS FLOCK TO OPENING OF NEW SANDWICH ART GALLERY


The new Sandwich Art gallery that opened over the weekend on Indian Road drew throngs of visitors from both sides of he border.

Residents from the Windsor and Detroit areas flocked to see one of the largest displays of interactive "urban art" in the world.

A spokesperson for the gallery stated that "We were thrilled that so many people came to see the murals that local Windsor artists created for the enjoyment of the community!"

WE HAVE AN URBAN VILLAGE NOW!!!

We must have one although I admit that I must have missed the ribbon cutting for it. At the opening of the new bus terminal, the Mayor said:

• "There is definitely an increase in activity in the Urban Village with the addition of the bus terminal. "

Or does he mean that his lack of action on economic development for years has turned Windsor into a village?

PAYING FOR OUR NEW EXPRESSWAY PARKS

If Sam gets his way and we have parkettes all along the new route to the border, I have a question.....who will pay for the ongoing maintenance of these parkettes? It won't be the Senior Levels I am sure. Their position will be that they paid for them and so Windsorites are responsible for the day-to-day costs as in Sam's NYC. However, there's a problem. Where is the money coming from to do so:

• City plan guts parks spending for sewers; Infrastructure the focus of 2007's capital budget;
  Dave Battagello, Windsor Star 04-10-2007
  
  "More of Windsor's bone-rattling roads and outdated sewers are to be fixed under the city's 2007 capital budget, which will be unveiled at tonight's council meeting.
  
  But the work would come at the expense of the city's parks and recreational facilities. Spending for new parks, playground equipment, trail upgrades and swimming pool renovations would be chopped from close to $10 million last year to roughly $2.5 million...
  
  "It's going to be tough," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac. "Nobody in Windsor would say our parks are unimportant. They are a focus of pride, but that comes at a big cost.
  
  "In moving forward, we are going to have to dialogue with residents on what they expect. We can't be all things to all people."
  
  Overall, funds for parks will fall from 14 per cent of last year's capital budget to five per cent.
  
  "The past several years, parks and rec certainly commanded a high budget," said Francis, pointing to work along the riverfront. "Our parks will be maintained. You will not see any new parks being built."
  
  Among the planned items cut in the proposed capital budget are $250,000 in playground equipment replacement, postponed until next year with funds only for repairs.
  
  Spray pad/water play additions to several parks across the city have also been cancelled indefinitely. Another $225,000 in tennis court and basketball court resurfacing was also cancelled this year and will likely be delayed for several years.
  
  More than $200,000 in work at Coventry Gardens to improve walkways, the fountain plaza and landscape restoration has been put off until next year. A planned $240,000 addition for a new Ojibway Park education centre has also put on hold until beyond 2012.
  
  No upgrades or renovations will be done at any of the city's swimming pools -- only repairs. One line of the budget indicates "should any major breakdown occur it could lead to a pool closure for the balance of the season."
  
  Colucci said Monday that is unlikely, noting the city has the ability to pull from its reserve funds in such an emergency.
  
  Aside from completion of the Peace Beacon at the foot of Ouellette Avenue, work on Windsor's riverfront parkland will be cut back under the proposed budget."

I wonder if Sam's artistic renditions will discuss this subject. Remember the outcry earlier this year about grass not being cut becuase students were not hired. Imagine what the City would look like with miles and miles of uncut parkettes.

And how can we have new parks when the Mayor said we cannot have any new ones?

Do you think the amnesia disease struck again or is my anti-Bridge Co. conspiracy theory looking better every day?