Covering Our Tracks

John Parent of the 700 Block spotted this letter to the editor in today's Windsor Star. This particular event obviously raises ire on both sides of the political tracks. It will certainly impact Olde
Walkerville but how? What do you think? Read on:

Keep Train Station Where it is and Rebuild City
Letter to the Editor - Windsor Star - January 10, 2006
Published: Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Your coverage of the possible Via Rail location seems to have brought out every political pundit to sing the praises of another route for "sprawlers" to find their way back to Windsor. Even Eddie Mayor Francis would have us believe that using the Windsor City Centre as a landing pad for east Windsor commuters will make Windsor a better place to live. To this I say, Mayor Francis, urban sprawl is not smart growth.
The pro-commuter coverage and fear mongering by the editorial board of The Windsor Star is appalling. If we believed everything we read in the paper, we might actually believe that turning a rail corridor into a commuter road would save lives. While any death is tragic, the comparable carnage we will experience on an automotive commuter route will far surpass any rail route. We need to invest in quality of life, not just quantity.
While Tecumseh's mayor sang the praises of new development with "reclaimed" rail land, he failed to address the devastating effects a new road will have on Windsor and the communities which this road dissects. Aside from strip malls and big-box stores, how much development occurs on the main commuter arteries in Windsor? Tecumseh and Wyandotte are near wastelands of urban development (Wyandotte in particular), and what is left is quickly falling into disrepair. Does Windsor really need another strip mall or parking lot?
Instead of pulling yet another landmark and attraction out of Windsor, we, and our elected officials, should be demanding that we reinvest into Windsor.
Rebuilding Windsor leads to a strong tax base, a more robust local economy, and a greater quality of life for all Windsorites.

JOSHUA BIGGLEY
Walkerville

Some thoughts: Let's keep in mind that nothing has happened yet. Also...Moving the station and eliminating the line has been on the table for a long time. Nothing new here. It's also railroad property.

Any concern that the proponents of a "roadway" or "transportation corridor" are of the mind that packing more residents into a bottle as a desired objective is without logic. There's simply no place to put them. The bandwagon which the local pundits are riding is about relief from traffic congestion. East to West and vice versa. This is one half of the commuter problem in the City of Windsor. The other is North and South routes. Let's face it. E.C.Rowe is already overcapacity and so are all North South routes like Walker Road, Howard Avenue, Lauzon Parkway etc. Look at the fun we're having with the "Truck Route".
The underlying and root cause is that Windsor, from it's beginning as a "frontier town" with muddy ruts and single story commerce has never adopted another mindset. At best, we've grown old like a house which has undergone one bad renovation after another. In the end it all has to be torn down and started over otherwise it just won't cut it as an efficient and healthy place to live. The tired and decrepit Wyandotte Street and Tecumseh Road are indeed good examples of this. So too is Windsor's downtown. As infrastructure they've gone about as far as they can go. They need to be re-built for sure but with sound planning. Windsor business owners also need a new mindset. The day you see a Windsor shopkeeper scraping gum off of the sidewalk in front of his store or removing graffiti from a garbage can is surely going to be a glorious turning point for the city of Windsor. These corridors are what they are but that doesn't mean that they can't be grand. More big box ops and retail strips won't come with this change either. The corridor is only so wide and it's already flanked with miles of residential areas and existing commercial and industrial sites. There is not much else you can do with it.
As far as the quality of life is concerned it will probably make it better. Easier entry and exit into the downtown core will definately bring more patronage and spending which begets more tax dollars which begets more improvements which....At the end of the day our less than frustrated commuters will go home to their Tecumseh sprawl with better thoughts about their Windsor experience. As far as Olde Walkerville is concerned such a corridor will have neutral impact as it will literally connect to Riverside Drive. The few extra commuters and shoppers who stray into this area will only up the ante for our nouveau shopkeeps.

Please post your very welcomed thoughts about this topic.

Looks Like we Might be Doing
Something Right Around Here

Pete,
Sarah and I found this while out Christmas shopping. I think you should post it on the blog.

It reads ...

HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY

Turn Off Your TV
Leave Your House
Know Your Neighbors
Look Up When You Are Walking
Greet People
Sit On Your Stoop
Plant Flowers
Use Your Library
Play Together
Buy From Local Merchants
Share What You Have
Help A Dog
Take Children to the Park
Garden Together
Support Neighborhood Schools
Fix It Even If You Didn't Break It
Have Pot Lucks
Honor Elders
Pick Up Litter
Read Stories Aloud
Dance In the Street
Talk to the Mail Carrier
Listen to the Birds
Put Up a Swing
Help Carry Something Heavy
Barter For Your Goods
Start a Tradition
Ask a Question
Hire Young People for Odd Jobs
Organize a Block Party
Bake Extra and Share
Ask For Help When You Need It
Open Your Shades
Sing Together
Share Your Skills
Take Back the Night
Turn Up the Music
Turn Down the Music
Listen Before You React To Anger
Mediate a Conflict
Seek To Understand
Learn From New and Uncomfortable Angles
Know that No One Is Silent Though Many Are Not Heard. Work to Change This

Interesting. All in all we're not too shabby in any of these things. Maybe we could do a pinch better with the red items. Corny but nice catch.

2006 New Year's Day Was Good!

Well...The party had a slow start...but she got off the ground and flew. Once again lots of great food thanks to the usual suspects. It looks very much like the spinach dip was excellent too.

Seven Simple Resolutions

By Katherine Torok

As we come into the new year we like to make changes. Many of us do this by making resolutions for ourselves. Not anything huge like saving the world but small things that affect the quality of our lives. Right now, 14 hours into 2006, I would like to share my resolutions with you which I hope are simple enough for me to keep.

1. I will not feed my dogs from the table. This only helps them to become fat! The other morning I went to pet my dog Cheyenne and she looked like a bloated rhino!!!
2. I don't need to spend so much time on the phone talking about absolutely nothing.
3. I will pick up litter if I see it lying on the ground because it is bad for the environment and it makes our community look cheesy.
4. I need to stop watching so much television. All that is on it are shows spreading "celebrity gossip" or people eating worms for money. If you need to eat worms for cash you're really desperate.
5. I should get to sleep earlier, so I can wake up earlier and actually arrive at school "on time". For once!
6. I can try out for sports teams and clubs at school so that I have a better chance at winning awards for graduation.
7. And finally, I will write monthly stories for the Monmouth Road blog.

I don't think these resolutions are unrealistic. Do you? I'll keep you updated throughout the year.

About me:

My name is Katherine Torok I am 13 years old. I go to King Edward Public School. When I am not reading a good book or drawing a picture I am most likely hanging out with my friends Victoria, Mariah, Aubree and Alex. I love animals and of course the mall. Thats me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!