UNUSUAL SITING IN WILDS OF MONMOUTH ROAD

A very quick camera caught this image of what appears to be some sort of bi-ped creature. It started to run into the long grass behind 803 as soon as it was spotted. Our amateur photographer barely had enough time to trip the shutter. She had this to say: "I'm not quite sure but I think it was calling out the word Daddy". It is advised that everyone practice extra caution when walking through the area. Try to travel in pairs whenever possible. If you do witness anything please report it to this blog.

Double Whamy Award for Civic Minded St. Rose Student

Noah Billing was all hard work this past weekend as he rolled up his sleeves to help Monmouth Road residents with their annual Street Sweep. He helped shovel 1.2 tons of street debris from gutters and alleys. Residents of Monmouth Road in Old Walkerville hold this event every year just before Art in the Park. Noah's contribution did not go unrecognized. For Noah's hard work he gets the "Mayor of Monmouth Award" for his untiring community contribution. "He slugged it out with the rest of us" a duely impressed neighbour said. "He helped with everything. Sweeping, shoveling and loading the truck". Noah can now add four "Community Service Hours" to the three and a half which he has already racked up. This qualifies him for a V.I.P. T-shirt (Visual Influences in Peers) from St. Rose School in Riverside. Thanks for your help Noah Billing! From all of us on Monmouth Road.

Street Sweeps Seven, Eight and Nine Hundred Blocks.
This year's clean-up event went like clock work. An excellent turnout from all three blocks yielded four loads (1.2 tons) of road crud for the City Dump. Thanks especially to all of our new neighbours who were brave enough to come out and lend some sweat equity. Once again Monmouth Road will shine like a gem for all of our Art in the Park Visitors. Aint no other hood like this one in all of Windsor! Thanks again for caring. As always...See you out there.

More About the Worth of Your Home

$144,900.00
$174,900.00
$149,900.00 These homes are currently listed for sale in Windsor. There are hundreds more just like them. Monmouth Road with it's unique Eduardian architechtural flavour, mature street trees plus it's historical uniqueness is a sought after neighbourhood without doubt or exception. Do you think it belongs in the same category as the above? Do you think that location, location, location applies to the above? Don't let buyers command your real estate values.

Spruce up the Hood. Earn Dollars

This is a particularly crucial year for this neighbourhood. Since 1986 property values have seen a 900% increase! Every year values have hit new highs. That is...until last year. We were hit by a perfect storm. In general it was a wishy washy year for real estate at large. On top of that, a few sellers made very critical errors. They priced their homes unrealistically high; probably betting on the slipstream from The Club Lofts. (bad timing) As a result, their homes did not move for almost a full year. The second mistake they made was leaving the houses on the market for that full period. (They should have pulled them off for at least a couple of months). This put control sqarely into prospect buyers hands. The consequence: All homes involved were negotiated down and sold below value. The last two homes which sold on the block were private sales. One sold for a mere $150,000 (way below value) and the most recent sold where it should at $175,000. Hopefully the latter and better negotiated sale is the end of last years bad business cycle.
To restore the old trend we all have to do our bit to market the hood. In the beginning (back in 1985) those of us who initiated the popularity of the street made an informal pact. It was decided that in order to protect and grow our investments in what was a very iffy neighbourhood we would have to market our efforts. Before restoring the interiors of newly purchased homes we concentrated on the exteriors. New gardens, shutters, lights, lawns, porches, street lamps street cleaning and the like. Curb appeal. This collabrative effort payed out in spades. Interest in the block was high and people were lining up to buy into the action. Soon enough the interiors caught up and everything spiralled from there.
We have to be cognizant of this again. We have to put the hood back on the tracks. A good time to start is now. Clean, plant, paint for the ultimate show. This is why we always do our street sweep one week before Art in the Park. There is no better vehicle to show off a neighbourhood.
Just something to keep in mind folks. If you have a planter on a street lamp in front of your house please try to plant it before Art in the Park. Once again, that is why we put them there. Thats also why we put the new street lamps there for that matter. When you are ready to move on from Monmouth remember to negotiate the due worth of your home. Never make a decision from an emotional stance. Lets rise to the occasion. See you out in the street.

Shopping You Blind

This guy was up and down both alleys and in several back yards last weekend

Have you ever noticed the stray shopping carts on the streets and in the alleys? There is a purpose to them. They are used to haul looted booty from one place to another. Usually from where the goods are stolen to places where they are easily fenced. Over the last several weeks a group of Monmouth Roadies have been collecting them by the truck load. Literally. Every week or so several are taken back to the single source from whence they came. Some intersting patterns were noticed. These shopping carts are mostly from the Basics Food Store downtown. All of them have had the quarters gauged out of their locking mechanism and all of them usually end up in the exact same locations throughout this neighbourhood. One location is a known "fence". (you may have spotted their weekly yard sale on Walker Road) Some are found in pretty much the same locations up and down the alleys and some are found at the same location on Walker Road. If you spot one of these things in the hood you should notify the store it came from to have it picked up. The reasons are very basic. One is that we don't need them litering the hood and the other is that it may be used in the next shopping spree at your house. If you see anyone walking one of these things around the hood you should call it into the police. Get these yokels used to taking some other route. One perp was followed right from the Basics store as he travelled up and down every alley, bobbed over fences and stole beer bottles from backyards in broad daylight. He weaved through the alleys all the way to the beer store on Walker Road; cashed in for a twelve pack and left. Please keep this in mind everybody. We do not need to be known as the home of the "blue light special.

Shopping carts show up at this 700 block address several times a week. Carriers have been spotted delivering everything from lawn and garden tools to computers and fax machines.

Saturday, May 27 is Street Sweep Day!

Time to grab your brooms, rakes and shovels. Art in the Park is coming fast (June 3). This is a critical year to make our street shine. Let's raise interest in our street to an all time high. We'll meet in the street at 9:00 A.M. as usual, sweep and clean the gutters and haul everything to the dump.

To get a jump on this thing please try and sweep the alley behind your house in advance of the above date. Bag it in paper yard bags so we'll only have to load it in the truck and haul it away.

We'll jump start with coffee and donuts as usual. Print this out and stick it on the fridge. Don't forget.

WINDSOR POLICE OFFICER 6744 RISES TO HIGHER POST

Thank you for everything.

WINDSOR'S FINEST DOWN.
Remember this man. His name is John Atkinson. Police Officer John Atkinson of the Windsor Police Department. He made the ultimate sacrifice for all residents of Windsor so that we and our children can live and play freely and safely in our own streets.
Last Friday he was gunned down needlessly by two idiots who value crack cocaine more than life itself. Two uneducated, cultureless punks who were only four years old when Officer Atkinson joined the force. They will never be remembered because they amount to zero value. They have contributed nothing to society. A complete waste of any upbringing they might have had.
Officer Atkinson will be remembered and he will be honoured. Forever. He gave to our community and he protected us. For this we are eternally indebted.
Remember this man. Windsor Police Officer John Atkinson. Think of him and his selfless contributions.
There will be a community vigil for Officer Atkinson this Tuesday Evening (May 9) at Windsor’s Civic Terrace. Lets pay our humble respects to this man. He was Windsor’s Finest.
See Link: http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060506/windsor_officer_shot_060507

Don't Forget!
Meeting at Big Tony's This Saturday, May 6 at 1:00 PM
Be sure to stick this reminder on your refrigerator. The meeting has to do with a request to create parking on the sidewalk on the north side of 917 Walker Road for the apartment residents above the bar.
Several concerns have been voiced about this to date. The most prevalent of those having to do with concerns about fire access and the potential for accidents due to the nature of the blind intersection at Walker and Niagra. The owner is looking for relief from code. If you have not already voiced your concerns or questions, Saturday is the day to do so. P.S...Our Councillors will be there as well. See you at Tony's.

News from City Hall

This from Mr. Boscariol at City Hall:

Hello ...thought I'd update you and "the gang" concerning the above
noted.
Tony Fracas....849 Walker... Inspector has visited the site on several
occasions but Mr Fracas was never present. The activity however appears to be continuing (although on a relatively small scale) and as such a final
warning has been issued to him. There are no outdoor activities at this
location and the site remains clear. We will review once more prior to
laying a charge in the courts which will likely occur within the next two
weeks.
965 Walker.... we'd received word that there was another illegal automotive repair garage at this location. A check of our records indicates that the activity preceded the present bylaw well before it's enactment. Unless there is a visible expansion of this use, it will be allowed to continue in it's present form until such time that it ceases. A change in ownership would not constitute a change of use.
933 Walker.... 3 separate orders have been issued on this property/building. The automotive repair is not permitted and is the subject of one of the orders. The other two deal with cleaning and securing the property which has met with reasonable success to date. The operator is still waiting for the availability of the site across the street to open up. As the site has been cleaned up we have agreed to allow him some additional time, however the inspector will be issuing a final warning as well on this property . We will keep you apprised of our progress however please let us know if you receive additional complaints regarding the repair activity. A check of our records does not indicate any new complaints.
Call or email me with any questions or comments.
jb