THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

I really need to get out more, but life in my tree house is so wonderful that it is difficult to tear myself away from my perfect little life. It was a long and difficult road to get to this place in my life and I'm savouring it. How great is it that I get to write and provoke people to become interested in what's happening in this great town while living in the perfect place myself. When I rail against incompetence or possible corruption from the present administration is that I believe that a town this great deserves the very best, the brightest and most honest people as its conservators. That's what elected officials and their administrators should remember: they have the onus to take excellent care of their charge and do what's best for the community while preserving it for future generations.
Yesterday, I went out and visited the beach. It wasn't planned as such, but the throngs of people walking along Erie Road (Hi Tom and friends from London!) drew me towards the beach itself and the parking situation. The lot along Erie Road that was once part of the amusement park was absolutely full and so were the town owned lots. Cars were circling around looking for spots both in the lots and on the side streets. Many residents of those streets have put out traffic cones to discourage parking in front of their cottages. Schooley Road was still congested as cars were parked on both sides leaving room for one car only to pass through. I took a couple of pictures of the parking situation, especially the cars that were parked on the berm. I pulled into the lot on the beach side, hoping to find a place to stop long enough to take a couple of pictures but then I saw a car that was running and looked like the driver was ready to pull out. I gestured and he nodded, so I moved my car out of the way as he pulled out and then I backed in. The passenger in the car that recently vacated the spot, got out and came over and handed me the park-and-display slip saying, "It's for all day, you can have it." I thanked her profusely and said that I was only going to be there for a short time but would pass it on to someone else when I left. Wow. I must say I was stunned by this random act of kindness. I took my pictures and walked around until the heat and my heavy, cover-the-fat clothes became unbearable. As I was heading towards my car, I noticed a car in the row. I approached the Ontario-plated family car and told the driver that I was pulling out and he could have my parking spot. I also told him that I had an all-day pass he could have. I also told him that the ground we're standing on may be sold by the town to a developer. They were shocked. It was too hot to explain further or find out where they were from, so I gave them the pass; got in my car and drove away.
Later in the day, my BFF and I went Dumpster Diving down in the Beach. We stopped to check out the Waterfront Park concert just as it was winding down and ended up having an fascinating conversation with a couple who recently moved into Ridgeway. The gentleman said he had visited over forty countries and lived in dozens and decided that our little town of Fort Erie was the best place to live. (OK. He did admit that he and his wife went to Florida in January for a couple of months.) In fact, they moved to Fort Erie after living in Florida for 18 years. He was very aware of the local political climate and the problems and challenges facing the people of the town. It is always eye-opening to hear a relative newcomer to the area extol the virtues of the place many of us take for granted. It also makes me more determined to continue The Strand so that people can express their concerns and complaints about how this town is run. It's a given that there are great things about this town and things that work right, but I operate on the "squeaky wheel philosophy." The Strand will not be a tool of the establishment. There are no paid ads. Once a news source has to solicit ads, its editorial policy can become compromised when lucrative advertisers threaten to pull ads when stories are not complimentary. Then there's the case of one local tabloid that is already gearing up to once-again discredit candidates for public office that the "establishment" (PBA) does not want in office.
Meanwhile, the little-blog-that-could plugs away, growing every day (thank you, readers,) and is totally self-funded by me. MY payment will come in the future when the Town of Fort Erie gets the honest, efficient and transparent government it deserves.