Sunday, August 30, 2015

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME MORE?

Community Workshop #2 September 2, 2015 Bay Beach MASTER PLAN at Crystal Ridge Community Centre 

Please join us to review and discuss the Draft Master Plan for the Bay Beach property - site plan, design guidelines, environmental and ecological sustainability plan, operating/management strategy. 

The team will present the Draft Master Plan, followed by round table discussions with workshop participants. 

The presentations will occur at: 3:00 pm 5:00 pm 7:00 pm

You are invited to for the Bay Beach Master Plan For more information contact Signe Hansen Manager of Parks and Open Space Development Town of Fort Erie 905-871-1600 x 2506 shansen@town.forterie.on.ca 99 Ridge Rd S, Crystal Beach Please email baybeach@planpart.ca to register for one of the workshop sessions. 

Please join us to review and discuss the Draft Master Plan for the Bay Beach property - site plan, design guidelines, environmental and ecological sustainability plan, operating/management strategy. The team will present the Draft Master Plan, followed by round table discussions with workshop 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Back to the drawing board. Once again, we will hear about all the wish lists for the Bay Beach Properties. Then later ....


... we will hear that the town can't afford to do anything to improve the Bay Beach Properties and that it will be necessary to sell off the north parking lots in order to "make a return on the initial investment." Rinse; repeat.


 I've said just about everything that can be said about the Bay Beach Properties since 2002 when the north side of the property was to be sold off to fund a portion of the Friendship Trail. That's when the fight began to save the Bay Beach Properties and keep the entire parcel in the public's hands. Thirteen years later, we have come full circle. Back to selling off the north section of the Bay Beach Properties.

I guess they did get the message about the south (beach) side of the property after the failed (we can only hope) high rise condo tower disaster, but they just don't "get it" about the need for the parking lots as well as the beachside property if Crystal Beach is going to be able to attract tourist dollars. Better management of these assets needs to be undertaken; new revenue streams need to be found and the parking situation needs to be addressed in a positive, helpful way. 

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER?

Boy, did that happen fast. Seems it just started. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. So, here is a partial list of what to look forward to as we close out another great Crystal Beach Summer:

1.) Saturday, September 5 - End of Summer Parade - 1:00 p.m.
Floats, fire engines, and a police escort winds its way through the Beach, offering a farewell to Summer 2015.

2.) Back to School. The problem is that the school is being torn down, so children will have to attend school in portable classrooms near Bertie Senior Elementary. Great work, DSBN School Board. Always thinking of what is best for the children LOL.

On another front, there should soon be a decision by Judge Sweeney about the costs awarded to The Four for the malicious lawsuit brought against them by a bunch of sore losers who did not like that they could control town council. Of course, the lawsuit achieved its purpose and now the Chamber of Commerce controls Fort Erie's Town Council. 

The Kinsmen Pool got off to a late start thanks to great work by the volunteers who now must sit back and let Stephen Passero take all the credit which he will use until he gets himself elected mayor like he got himself elected to Ward 2 with the help of his Chamber Maids who bucked precedent to call a by-election costing the taxpayers over $30,000. We will look back at this some time in the future as one of the final nails in the coffin for Fort Erie. Frankenstephen will continue to use and discard people as he rises to higher office. Rumour has it that he is even trading up on his current wife.

So sad that the Singing Siren is closing on August 30. Hard to run a business when the building and chattel are up for sale and you can't afford the high price to buy. Hope Heather finds another place but that is doubtful. The former pines would be a great spot on Erie Road, but it has been gutted by the owner, a company that convicted felon Gary Fraser is involved in; the same one that ruined two houses on Queen's Circle and eventually tore them down. 

So, as fall approaches, we will still have fond memories of Crystal Beach and the Summer of 2015.

NOTE TO THE PERSON(S) SENDING ME INFORMATION VIA MAIL:

I got it and I also have the same questions as posed in a couple of the sheets sent. How can the CEO of a large corporation not know when the CFO has embezzled a quarter of a million dollars? Missing money seems to be common when this person is involved. Should have vetted that CFO better. Another with an interesting resumé. Such blatant actions are common in this town and nobody says a word because they're too scared of being blackballed or sued. It's time for good people to open up and get rid of the bad apples.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

SO, WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IN CRYSTAL BEACH?

The past few weeks have been extremely busy in Crystal Beach. Parking problems and a crowded beach are a sign that more and more people are discovering our little gem of a village by the lake.

On another note, home sales are surging and new builds are happening all over Crystal Beach. All positive news. Restaurants are busy and so are the shops and stores along Erie Road. At least those that are open.

And this is where we get to the negatives, namely Gary Fraser and his band of "investors."  If you see a building all boarded up, falling apart or unfinished, it probably belongs to one of the companies that Fraser, a convicted fraudster, is involved with. A lot of them are on Erie Road. One really bad eyesore is on Queen's Circle. Schooley Road house construction has been going on forever due to financial challenges by the builder, again associated with Gary Fraser. While the South Coast Marz Homes rush to completion, over a dozen already sold, the seven homes on Schooley, overpriced in the opinion of many, sit uncompleted and unsold  in the height of the selling season. No one is against this type of development; it basically fits in to the character of the area, but empty, boarded up buildings in the main business core do not inspire confidence in the business climate of Crystal Beach. And this is because the investors have probably spread themselves too thin and are too busy acquiring other properties. Could be part of a huge Ponzi Scheme which is what Fraser tried to pull off before he was convicted and served time before.

Meanwhile, The Beach thrives. Volleyball on the beach and an all-day band festival yesterday brought more people to the area. This evening, the free Toronto All-Star Band Concert at Waterfront Park; and the End of Summer Parade on September 5, all sponsored by The Friends of Crystal Beach are sure to bring enjoyment.

Waterfront Park was brought to you by a group of dedicated citizens who worked hard to bring the idea to fruition despite push-back on many levels. Perseverance does pay off when the cause is right.

That's why people flock to Crystal Beach: perseverance on the part of some local heroes who fought to keep the Bay Beach Properties in public hands for all to enjoy without having to sneak by a twelve story condo tower to reach the public beach.  And we still need those parking lots, not another building on Erie Road.

And we certainly don't need the likes of Gary Fraser in our midst. Either build it; renovate it; or sell it. Better yet: move out of town. Had enough of people plundering our little gem by the lake.


Sunday, August 2, 2015

DAY OF RECKONING IS NEAR?

Friday, August 7 is the day that the lawyers for The Four present to court their accounting of costs in order to secure financial justice for their clients. It is rumoured that explosive information in the documents could cause the main conspirators in the now dismissed case to have to reach deep into their pockets to pay back the costs racked up by Bob Steckley, John Hill, Don Lubberts and Paul Collard to defend themselves in an ill-conceived and badly managed lawsuit for conflict of interest. The lawsuit was brought forward by "strawman" Tim Whitfield (as admitted by his own lawyer in the proceedings) and his backers, a list that reads like the Who's Who of the Chamber of Commerce, as orchestrated by EDTC GM Jim Thibert (who will probably sue me again with taxpayer money for writing this.)

Oh well. Lawsuits can be brought against anyone. The problem is defending oneself from a lawsuit. Perhaps Karma will enter the picture if any one of The Four file a suit for malicious prosecution. I'd like to see that happen as a warning to others in other communities who think that they can override the will of the people as was done in Fort Erie. It worked,but it may by a Pyrrhic Victory for those who plotted the removal of four duly-elected representatives of the people. It may also prove rather embarrassing for Marina Butler whose actions were apparently undertaken solely to unseat John Hill so she could take his place on council - which she did. A great example she sets for those interested in running for public office. Same with Kim Zanko who also shows no embarrassment over the flier she took responsibility for which planted the seed of untrustworthiness in the minds of voters regarding The Four and those who fought to preserve the last good piece of public beachfront property in Crystal Beach from a high rise developer.

Which, of course, begs the question: why was it so very important to thwart The Four who were merely supporting the people who voted for them? I always say: follow the money. There has to be money involved in some way for all the pushback against The Four. Those who stood in opposition to The Four spent a lot of time and money to destroy the reputations of The Four. The opposition worked hard, calling in many favours, to complete Project 4-2-0. They succeeded except for one, Don Lubberts.

And then their malicious lawsuit was dismissed. And now they're going to pay. Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of people.

PAST ISSUES