Sunday, June 15, 2014

WELL, WELL, WELL

Hot Dog Alley alive with people once again. How great is that?

Thanks to the efforts of Phil Smith and others, the Crystal Beach Bicycle Festival was a major success. People are catching on to the fact that Crystal Beach is a great place to visit. While new traditions are being formed, the beach is still the centre of the universe for Crystal Beach. Hence its name.

Story about the Bicycle Festival and welcoming new owners to The Beach Store on Erie. Niagara Falls Review 

Weather cooperating, this summer could be one for the books. The Bicycle Festival got things rolling. This weekend, Marz Homes opened their model home on Ridgeway Road. Just right for the community and the people support the type of housing offered in the Marz Plan. Just not a twelve story condo like the Molinaros planned on public waterfront property.  Coming up next month will be the Crystal Beach Memories Days, back to its original site. Should be a great chance for people to finally put the amusement park in the past, a magical place, not to be forgotten but revered as one would an old departed friend.


And the Waterfront Concerts begin anew with the appearance of the popular Toronto All Star Big Band.  Once again the Waterfront Park will be alive with the free concerts sponsored by the Friends of Crystal Beach and the Crystal Beach Business Improvement Area.




                                                                                        


Crystal Beach Volleyball Tournaments!

Saturdays


June 28, July 12, Aug 2

Coed Recreational 6's,
Coed Intermediate 5's,
Coed Competitive 2's

Register your team online at:
                                                         www.niagarasportandsocial.com                                                                                               


Who says that Crystal Beach is failing?

People with no hope and those who thought that a twelve story building was the key to Crystal Beach's future.

They were so wrong.

16 comments:

  1. interested residentJune 15, 2014 at 2:12 PM

    Why wouldn't Boyd post a picture of the bicycle fest? Oh yes, it contradicts his skewed portrayal of his early morning pictures of Crystal Beach. Is there still work to be done in the beach? The answer is yes but we all are working as a community to make it happen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve is a dreamer, but some of his dreams are not realistic. He is being swayed by others whose only agenda is to try to destroy the Crystal Beach community that has come together many, many times to make it a better place to live, work and visit. Going back over twenty years ago when the amusement park closed, a dedicated group formed to save the village from devastation. It was a difficult task, highlighted by the prestigious C.A.U.S.E.Study in 1996 that concluded that Crystal Beach was "a hidden gem." Since then, the FOCB and the original CBIA worked hard to beautify and improve the Beach. All that hard work is starting to really pay off. I see that formerly derelict properties are being cleaned up; lots of rehabbing going on; new builds and a renewed spirit now that the threat of a high rise has been removed (albeit temporarily.) We almost lost our public beachfront land to a high rise developer. Hopefully, it will never happen again. In the meantime, the people of Crystal beach want only to continue to enjoy its proximity to a beautiful sand beach and spectacular waterfront. We were given a great place to live; let's not screw it up.

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  2. I have a lot of faith in the real inhabitants of the Crystal Beach area, and the nay sayers from do nothing Jarvis Street are busy gnashing their teeth, hoping for failure, the Crystal Beach people are evolving a winning product, I suspect we could end up with a Venice Beach scene. They the people, are fighters and I admire that gung ho spirit.Jarvis Street people are envious of that community spirit,the beach people have, as they are a bunch of downer's." Crystal Beach Strong" !!!

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  3. Crystal beach was again Rocking today, Steveo must have blinders on that Jimmy gave him.

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  4. Well done Crystal Beach community!! Again you show the area what can be done with a little imagination and verve!! The CB Bike Festival might just have to be on for more than just once a year, people hear about it but dont want to wait another whole year to be part of it. How about on every full moon all summer?? Just saying. Again congrats, even the weather co-operated, after being unsettled all week!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it was originally to be held on Friday the 13th like the motorcycle gathering in Port Dover. That event started very small and grew every year. The problem with the Friday the 13th date is that it doesn't always fall in nice weather. Next year, Friday the 13th takes place in February, March and November. Hardly bicycle weather around here.

      The full moon idea could work. There's one every month. Problem getting the street closed off so often. Contact Phil Smith. He's the go-to guy on this.

      I'm really glad to see that Crystal Beach is putting the past behind and moving forward. It will take a while, but Crystal Beach is going to be better than ever.

      Delete
  5. To a certain extent we can thank dirty doug and his band of thugs, opportunists and mindless wannabes. Nothing brings a community together more than adversity.

    Thank you dirty dougie, your complete lack of ethics and morals helped bring a community together. Betcha you were not counting on that when the possibility of the easy cash came your way on the road trip up the QEW.

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  6. While I don't share the political views of this blog, I feel compelled to congratulate those that put together the Crystal Beach Bike Festival.

    I have to disagree with you though Sharon, the "twelve story condo" might have very well been the key to Crystal Beach's future. It has perhaps inspired the community, by giving them a scare, to reach for promoting Crystal Beach through events like that put on this past weekend.

    I have always felt that Crystal Beach's biggest asset is not the beach, but it's memories ..... of the Amusement Park. That is why I have felt, and posted before that A Crystal Beach Amusement Park Museum would do well. At the time of my previous posting about this on your blog included a link to an auction that included many artifacts from the Crystal Beach Amusement Park that included Wild Mouse cars, vending machines, skee-ball, etc. It fell on deaf ears.

    All one has to do is search out some Crystal Beach memorabilia on line and acquire it for a museum.

    Here is a head start:

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xcrystal+beach+amusement+park&_nkw=crystal+beach+amusement+park&_sacat=0&_from=R40

    So, the Toronto All Star Big Band is playing on July 13th. Why? Because it may be reminiscent of the bands that played in the Crystal Beach Amusement Park's infamous Dance Hall ...... Right?

    Could it get any better ...... maybe, if "IT" is still there. Think about dancing to the All Star Band on the floorboards of the Original Crystal Beach Dance Hall floor.

    So here it is ...... back about 12 - 15 years ago I had conversations with the landlord of the Old, Old Sherkston Post Office / Train Stop at approx. 5071 Sherkston Road, between Empire Road and Pleasant Beach Road. She was an American woman who told me that housed in the three car garage was an accumulation of floor boards from the dance floor from the Crystal Beach Dance Hall. Are they still there ..... I don't know. The property is currently owned by the Damudes, who own Sherkston Go-Carts.

    Think about it ...... to acquire sufficient boards to set up a 20 x 20 dance floor infront of the All Star Band. To dance on the same floorboards that were danced on back in the hay-days. Charge whatever it cost back in the day for admission to the dance hall for each dance on the floor, or sell sponsorship for each board as a fundraiser to acquire the entire dance floor.

    Just need a sponsor for the initial purchase ........ if they are still there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul Kassay or Rick Doan would probably be interested in the old floor of the dance hall. The late Janet Truckenbrodt had wood from the old dance hall put in her former home in Crystal Beach. I think the old Lobster House would make a fine Crystal Beach Museum. If some grant money and public support for the venture would take place, I think it can be done.

      As to "memories" being the most important asset of Crystal Beach, I beg to differ. Maybe for those of us who remember the amusement park, but we have a whole generation that knows nothing about it except what they hear from their grandparents. We also have a number of people moving to Crystal Beach from the GTA who may never have visited the amusement park and have no ties to it. We must look to the future while preserving our rich history.

      I still say: It's all about the beach.

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  7. Why would Paul Kassay or Rick Doan be interested in the wood?

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    Replies
    1. Because they are working hard to preserve the history of the amusement park. They would be interested.

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  8. Steve that is so lame, old floorboards. As painfull as it may be look over at the land where the park used to be. See whats there now? As much as people with a nostalgic bent might remember what used to be look at what was sold off while the rest of the local people looked on in confusion or indifference. You seem to be subscribing to that mindset. Get on side and support the effort to preserve what is left of the open beachfront in the community. Floor boards as a memory of what once was. Developers would have a greedy chuckle at your idea. They need more niave "collectors" of what used to be while they try to take what is left of the property that used to be a great place to come in the summertime. Collect your stuff, put it on line or whatever, but remember this community is not some nostalgic memory its where people live and work. Get on side Steve before its too late. Save the community, and maybe a few floorboards if you want.

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  9. Give Steve his due. Thinking outside the box is always welcome. Will this idea work, who knows but it at least generates conversation and possibly more ideas.

    That said, a museum maybe a good idea but as what is already said, the beach is the key to our local economy and future. Start by taking down or moving the Lobster House( as a museum moved elsewhere), drastically lower those sand dunes designed to hide this jewel methinks by some smart operator and open up wide access to it. And the security guards can be employed at the new museum site but not ANYWHERE near our PUBLIC beach. Blatant intimidation can leave with dirty doug and the thugs. Is this even legal as has already been asked.....likely only with town approval and as a member of this town, I along with many do not approve.

    You seem like a good sort there Steve but as you have a vested interest, your motives will be suspect and unless you have been living under a rock, few will vote for you and your pro condo mindset and the very dirty battle that has surrounded its defense.

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  10. So what if there is some nostalgia with the Toronto All-Star Big Band, it's members are talented young performers. I love that era of music and it has nothing to do with the Amusement Park. The Friends of Crystal Beach FREE Waterfront Concert Series also includes The Saltshakers beach music with a Margarita flair, an Irish band McPherson's Rant and The Peace River Band offering lively bluegrass music.
    Everyone is welcome, bring a blanket or chair and enjoy Crystal Beach!

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  11. I listened for a while to tonight's council meeting and an issue under consideration has a very familiar ring to it. The town is proposing donating some public land on Rebstock Road to the DSBN (District School Board of Niagara) so it can amalgamate the primary grades K-8 in one new school on the site. Neighbours and others have put together a petition and some spoke at council against the donation. And they gave very valid, well-thought-out reasons for their opposition. The land had been donated by a Mrs. Hebert to the local Kinsman Club. As Ed Feirtag reminded everyone, the council of Bertie Township (then Ridgeway and parts of Crystal Beach) passed a resolution that the subject lands would only be used for recreational purposes in perpetuity. Even with amalgamation in 1976, the policy stayed in effect. There was a challenge back several years ago when St. George's suggested a swap for some lands in the parkland. Citing the original concept, the idea was shut down. Now, it has been revived again and many in the community are angry that the lands in use by the existing schools not be considered for the amalgamated school.

    I have to wonder about this as well. It does cause one to remember how eager the town was to give away our public beachfront land to a developer in exchange for some "amenities." Perhaps, this is just another example of the town giving away a prized piece of property. For what?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Town Hall culture has to change.

      We can no longer afford the nepotism and gravy train ideals that has been part of it for decades. Shake it up hard from top to bottom, get rid of the dead wood and attitudes and make all accountable. The little fiefdoms have to disappear. a good start would be to scrap the multi million $$ waste of the EDTC and bring 1 or 2 of its best staff directly under the Town Halls roof and direct scrutiny.

      This can start this fall with NO town staffers anywhere near any ballot boxes and the little accidents with ballot boxes falling open so opportunely.....OK Carolyn. (Let NF or PC staff handle them.)

      Delete

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