Sunday, January 18, 2015

WHAT IS GOING ON IN CRYSTAL BEACH?

Great video about Niagara's South Coast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65RRfweKXnQ


The Friends of Crystal Beach Board met Sunday in a special meeting and voted to rescind its application for the Niagara Investment in Culture grant. 

"The decision was based on the Board’s very real concerns that the current application is likely to place FOCB and its members at significant financial risk."
- FOCB President Neil Campbell


CORRECTION: Gary Fraser had been appointed to the board of the CB-BIA. He has since resigned perhaps due to negative publicity

He owns nothing and has a long history of investor fraud for which he served time. One of the corporations he's associated with, Starboard View Homes was previously under investigation by the Ontario Securities Commission. As a result, no sales or transfers of property purchased by the corporation can take place. That could include over five properties that were bought under the name of Starboard View Homes. The couple named in the allegation have since left Canada for the Philippines.


Also on the CB-BIA board is Arlene White who, I believe, is angling to get a plum appointment from the "proposal."  She also is a recent appointee to the board despite having no visible business presence in Crystal Beach.


In the meantime, Fraser, as front man for another investment corporation, has attempted to inflate local property prices by offering high-priced homes under construction on Schooley Road.  No, you won't see Fraser's name on any of the many different corporations that have come to Crystal Beach.  He is merely the Music Man, gathering easily convinced people to get in on the "ground floor." (His definition of "ground floor" is surely appropriate as one of the houses on Queen's Circle has been reduced to a dirt lot.)


Those of us who love Crystal Beach, its history and its promise, do not appreciate people coming in who have an agenda driven by greed. Sure, we're all here to make a living and bring Crystal Beach forward in style. I'm afraid these people will gut the beach; take its money; and leave it behind - in worse shape than when they arrived.


ON ANOTHER NOTE:

I can't help but wonder what the previous four years on council would have been like if Wayne Redekop, or at the very least, someone who knew how to control themselves and a meeting, would have been mayor. An observer would notice the difference between the meetings now and those of the previous four years. It's not just the new councillors; their contribution so far has been minimal; it's the mayor who provides the stark difference in meetings.  Donnie Lubberts still asks his questions. However, this time, he is given the time to ask and receive answers. No interruptions; no threats to cut off his mic; no temper tantrums and childish behaviour.  I even heard Mayor Redekop remark something to the effect of, "I believe Councillor Lubberts, you still have the floor."  OMG. Never heard that once in the previous four years.

A welcome change.

26 comments:

  1. When Dirty Doug proclaimed FE closed for business, he meant honest business. Dirt bags, Con men, Shysters(some treated like heroes at town hall) etc etc , were given open invitations to fleece the town as long as the "right "people got their little back door stipend, over priced contract, cushy job, free holiday etc etc etc.

    What do you expect with the class of people running this town both in front and even more importantly, behind the curtain.

    Welcome to Fort Stupid where the average , duped, dumbed down, unaware citizen pays for most of it, one way or another and with few exceptions, the watch dogs of democracy , the Press, is no where to be found. (Kudos to John Robbins for trying on occasion).

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  2. Maybe you need to check out Starboardview homes & the OSC decision & fines & judgement. Granted the principles are not Mr Fraser but the syndicated mortgages sure fit his program. Who in their right mind would push & sell a story about the queens circle properties unless you had an interest. You know the old saying if you sleep with dogs you will get fleas!! added to that maybe Arlene White needs to invest in some flea powder!!

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    1. I just finished providing the link when your response came in. Great minds. I am very glad that Fraser resigned from the CB-BIA board. Just hope that people are very careful when dealing with him.

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  3. I am very concerned with a certain member of CB. Who in their right mind would think that trying to intimidate an 89 yr old resident is a good idea?? Frankly any one who feels the need to show up at a dead end street in a very large truck & flash lights at her house needs a major adjustment or a conversation with the cops.
    Do you really feel the need?? If so, you are dealing with a very minor issue & it certainly does NOT need this type of harassment. BTW I have contacted the pertinent police forces regarding what I think is an issue

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  4. This town should hold a heroes parade for THE FOUR and what they endured trying to save us from our own collective stupidity and the vicious well funded attacks of the OL Boys network.

    Only in Fort Stupid could you sell the idea that recently elected members could be responsible for DECADES of Ol Boy/Insider/Town Staff negligence and extreme greed. Mr Lubberts may be a bit long winded at times but he gets to the crux of the matter by holding staff accountable to the taxpayer and looking out for the greater good of all the citizens, not the connected insider 1%.. Something that has rarely happened around these parts in a looooong time. No wonder they hate him and anyone like him.

    This current council has already shown what the next 4 years will bring. Tax increases, water rate increases and tightening the insider/ol boy grip on local control (ward 2 by-election shows this) and thus all the tax money. Taxes will only continue to go up to fuel this lunacy.

    God help Mr. Lubberts and the 99% of our citizens who lost so badly in the last election. We deserve what we voted for and now will pay for it.

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  7. These increases are not what anyone voted for. If anything, "Lets Work Together" as a cry from the wilderness by Mr. Red invoked a standard by which common sense would prevail and some kind of co operative spirit would prevail in the governance of the community.Already we see Mr. Sandy a "real team player" promoting a huge overpayment to add ons at the new high school. Guess we forgot to ask what team was he refirring to. Makes the latest councils decision to blow $42,000 on an unneeded byelection look pretty small by comparison. Lets work together to burn that tax money like it was bales of $100 dollar bills...er..hay as quick as possible. Now JT Cherry should poke his snout out of where ever hes been (sure dont hear much) and ask for his half million before the well runs totally dry. More on this later. Cant make this stuff up. No one would believe it. Except its true. The gong show resumes this Monday. See you there.

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  8. Sorr, but after a few seconds, I decided to delete the remarks made by "Peter." I really do not care what the ninjas are up to right now. Trying to detoxify myself from their negative attitude. Since they have no real ideas or intelligent discourse, they have taken to infighting as predicted. Let them have at it. We don't care.

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  9. If its the Peter you suggest it might be, he makes a pretty good sandwich, have to give him that for sure. Should get that piano tuned though. Heard about all the infighting and as usual quite hard to figure out what exactly went on, a few brused egos for sure. But going back to food sure would hate to lose a guy like that with that talent for a gold metal sandwich over some Jarvis street cat fight. All that being said, this all hinges on the idea that it was the Bank peter, not some...well...troublemaker? with a taste for stirring up trouble? Wouldnt be the first time.

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  10. http://www.pbase.com/kjosker/crystal_beach&page=all

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  11. For a change we want to give Council due credit...The $200,000 signage project of potential weedbed was quietly deferred and not tacked onto the growing tax levy for this year. Noticably absent was any request for JT to milk another half million from our tax rolls. Hope its a dead subject because Mayor and most Councillors campaigned on no more from FE will be made available.Best of all was Mayor Redekop acknowledging the presence of the three former Councillors who lost their seats by foul play of the Barbie Dolls. In your face Broads/ We hope you squirmed big time. Consciences can be a terrible burden.

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  12. Jimmie Dirt Bag is already into us for a measly 1.2 MILLION or so for the year which we are hardly into btw.

    That's about 30 Ward 2 by-elections for anyone doing the math. (or 6 gateway projects)

    30 x $40,000=1.2 MILLION and for what????

    SCRAP THE EDTC, it does nothing

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  13. We already as taxpayers, pay for an EDTC office, it is run by the Niagara Region, they are fully staffed and have offered their services to our Town, they have managed and did oversight of huge multi million dollar projects in the Falls and St Catharines, they are also cognisant of Regional laws that trump Municipal laws. We need somebody that is not interfering in town business and plotting to overthrow members of council, We over the years have poured over ten million dollars down the black hole called the Fort Erie EDTC , the CEO also has the disposition of a Tazmanian Devil. which is the ugly face of our Town. enough is enough dump this loser ASAP>

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  14. Sharon, the video you posted is wonderful. I noticed several shots of our exceptional national lighthouse that got so much flack from the likes of Pessaro and martin.

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  15. Porgey is right...the Region covers Economic Development, South Coast covers Tourism and the track was supposed to be a short term placement for Tibert. I hope Council does not rubberstamp the EDTC budget without asking for a MOA review, a full accounting of where the hell our money goes and also what other Towns spend on EDTC on a per capita basis. What an eyeopener THAT would be. Goodby Jimmie. The piggy trough is closed.

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  16. Speaking of small town approaches to large population based services, had the pleasure yet of seeing that kook Culics report on covering the prime ministers visit to St. Kitts? Makes a jughead like JT and his gang look like Pulitzer candidates when it comes to outlining the facts about whats going on. Culic complains that the PM refirred to the city as a community, called residents there "folks", but most importantly was shocked to see the guy relaxed and (gasp) not wearing a tie!! Then has the nutty observation that the PM thinks the people he was adressing are small town rubes not worthy of a necktie like more important listeners in Oakville!! A necktie!! It would seem as he often does to be making the point for the very person hes trying to criticize. Now who looks like some small town community cabbage... er college reporter. We are no supporters of Harper and his Republican approach to running the country, but if St. K ever wants to step up a little in the eyes of the Ottawa oligarks The Fort Erie Post better send a better reporter to cover such an event. Mr. Culic just isnt up for the job and brings a level of unprofessionalism to the job no one would have thought possible.







    we are no supporters of Harper W

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  17. What I like about Culic's picture along with his sneer , it's as if he had put his foot in some dog poop. My sister in law and her daughter both worked for real newspapers the old, Cleveland Press and the Liverpool Echo UK, Culic, would never be hired there , not even as a coffee boy..

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  18. After he slandered the Four, always slanting or outright getting it wrong, I hope he is around long enough to have to report that the Conflict of Interest case against the Four was erroneous and absurd.

    Also that the Four will still be angry enough to sue those responsible for the set-up.

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  19. "Dick" Culic wouldnt have been usefull even on our highschool news letter, if his present submissions to the Post and Times are any indication.He might have missed a great but short career as Timmy "Hoo-dats? Hudaks press spokesman. Two confused fools doing their best to make Fort Erie look like the birthplace of backwater politics and the reporting to go with it. Conservatives too the both off them. Does it show??

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  20. Based on newspaper accounts and Mayor and Councillor quotes the decision for WE the Taxpayer has been made. We will foot the 10 to 15% tax bill no matter what is said the night of the 9th. We didn't ask for a new High Scool, We didn't ask for a bill to add a theater and we certainly don't want or need a fourth library. What a bill of sale to us they are selling that it will be funded by 2017...that statement will come back to haunt them next election because no-one believes it based on the economic realities of our Town. We need so much more for that money. Council..please reconsider.

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  21. We as taxpayers are on the hook already for $3 million towards the new hospital, and now another $3 million for the High School, $1 million,250 thousand for James the "T' bird. our infrastructure is collapsing , our taxes will rise by 15 % insanity reigns at Town Council. no new business will ever come here, we have not paid a nickel on our Town debt in 45 years. We are up to our necks in debt. the interest alone is killing us.!!!

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    1. While others were busy trashing the four councillors, they were busy bringing in a sane budget that had the lowest tax increase in years. While others were busy creating and supporting expensive and frivolous lawsuits, the four were busy trying to save the taxpayers money.

      Within a year, those who voted for the Chamber Maids will find out just who they are taking their cues from. McDermott and Knutt have a chance to redeem themselves, but they seem unwilling to go against the grain and defy Jim Thibert and the CofC.

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  22. Say what?? Overspending in a community that has seen double digit unemployment numbers for years? One of the next numbers to consider will be the budget for the library system here once overfunded at $760,000 per year 15 years ago, now in the range and closing in fast on $2,000,000 per year. The budget for this strange mix of boring clerks supporting boring movies, dull new "arrivals" and a black hole in terms of building and infrastructure costs. Yes, soon to be $2 mill, and would be more if and when the time comes. A budget request to be exposed soon. Not to put too sharp of an edge on this quiet but wastefull "tradition", but isnt a ward 2 candidate, as "nice" a guy as he is, on the library board? All the respect money can quietly buy? Would he be willing to speak out against this remarkable growth in wastefull spending? Probly not. In too deep like the rest of them, and after all, friends are friends and theres nothing to be gained by pulling back on the supply of money to said friends, especially in (by)election mode.

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  23. Note to Larry Greaber Candidate Ward Two....be careful as a member or chair of the Library Board. With your election coming up you best have some great justification for adding a fourth library to your empire. The folks out here are struggling and without a guarantee of funding on Feb 9th you are pissing in the wind. Someone had better be prepared to state the exact figure "Fundraised " so far but that will never happen nor will 2017 be any different. This is a project we didn't want or ask for and yet will end up paying for .Disgusted

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  24. In a reference to Roberts observations, Stephen Harper called St.Catharines a community, Harper is correct, we once had a slogan for Niagara. "A Community of Communities" which also sums up the shot gun marriage of Greater Fort Erie in a nut shell. I sometimes wonder where does the Sun News Empire find their reporters these days. Sun News is owned by a Quebec leader of a separatist Party who's aims are to leave Canada. Sun Corp is owned by Karl Peladeau .not exactly a true flag waving Canadian.They espouse the views of that other political Party , The Chamber of Commerce Party of Canada, who gave us NAFTA and Stephen Harper, Mike Harris and Tim Hudak. At the present time on our Town Council , we have 4 members that trumpet the views of the Chamber of Commerce of Fort Erie. When a Party controls the election process and the local Fort Erie Pravda, is it any wonder the people no longer have anybody advocating on their behalf. We need an educated voter for a real change.!!!

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