THE PLOT THICKENS AND SECRECY ABOUNDS

By Harold G. LeBoeuf

The purpose of this article is to expand on the previous one entitled MSSRS. MICELI AND MARSHALL ARE AT IT AGAIN, due to additional information I have along with photographic evidence which serves to support what the “Daring Duo” are really up to.

You will recall that Miceli stated that The Windsor Heritage Committee requested that a report be authored “dealing with the details of the gate and the entrances to the park from Devonshire, Richmond, Chilver and the main gate on Niagara.” Miceli doesn’t say to whom the request for this report was sent, nor has he produced a copy of said request. Neither does he state whether the request was in writing, or simply a verbal request. Was the request sent to Miceli at the Dept. of Parks, or to Marshall and the Board of Willistead Manor, or to both? If it was a verbal request by the Committee, who from the Committee communicated the request and to whom did the individual speak to? The Heritage Committee has been involved with the E. Chandler Walker property for approximately forty years. Surely it has sufficient information on file in its own records to know the answer to the request. Frankly, any reasonable person walking around the perimeter of the park could provide the details being requested. Any member of the Committee could do the same. Therefore, if the request was actually made by the Committee, specifically for what purpose and why did it want the information? On the other hand, perhaps The Heritage Committee didn’t make such a request in the first place. Perhaps this is yet another instance whereby Mssrs. Miceli and Marshall have concocted a further plan to control their intended commercialization of the Willistead Park and Manor. But they will produce a copy of the request. Won’t they?

Miceli has stated that the report has been completed and we have now learned that he has said that it will be presented to The Heritage Committee for its approval at the November meeting of the Committee. Miceli also refuses to produce a copy of the report until it is presented to the Committee as it is his practice not to release such things to the public in advance. In fairness, the following is an excerpt from an open communication between Miceli and Howard Weeks who is a hopeful candidate to become the Councillor for Ward 4. In other words, another politician:

Howard Weeks 4:14pm Sep 10 A response from Mr. Miceli : Thank You Howard. The report is scheduled to go to the November Heritage Committee meeting. It is not our practice to release the report to the public before the members of the committee receive it so at the present time I cannot accommodate your request. Perhaps you can make an appointment to come see me and we can discuss the report and I can answer your questions. My Response: Hi John, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the report. Just let me know when and where. Howard

“Come see me and we can discuss the report.” 

Miceli states that he can’t release the report to the public but he is willing to discuss it with Weeks. Is not Weeks just a member of the public? Since Miceli is apparently prepared to give special status to a candidate running for Ward 4, is he also prepared to extend such confidence to the other candidates running in the Ward who, like Weeks, are simply members of the public vying for the same position? Do not the other candidates have the same interest in matters affecting Willistead, and are they not entitled to the same deference as Miceli is prepared to extend to Weeks? If Miceli doesn’t want the public to know what is in the report but is willing to discuss it with Weeks, will this budding politician release in detail everything that he learns from the report to the public or will he, too, decide that the secrecy should prevail until the Committee meeting? My bet is that he won’t release a factual thing from the report other than “politician speak” as Miceli has already done: “Our plan is to add a pedestrian gate on Niagara which was part of the original gates to the Manor.” I still want to see the proof he has for that statement because, believe me, I can find no evidence of such a gate, and even if I could, what is the sudden misplaced desire on the part of the Committee or the Daring Duo to restore Willistead to its original appearance and condition? Miceli and Marshall want to add a gate alright, but it isn’t solely because there might have originally been one, and it certainly isn’t because The Heritage Committee wants to restore the original condition of the Manor and its grounds. We have already seen proof of that in what the Committee allowed the Daring Duo to do with the asphalt roadways.

Here is what I believe the Duo wants authorization for, and what they have already set into motion to accomplish it. To refresh your memory, here is a photograph of the existing conditions where they want to install the gate.

Proposed location for new pedestrian gate.

Please note the following about this proposed site:

1. A gravel bed has already been laid to accommodate an asphalt or concrete pad which would lead pedestrians from the southern Niagara sidewalk into the park and directly back to the existing driveway, a distance of perhaps twenty feet (Why not let them continue to use the driveway as they have for decades?). I have used a probe in numerous places in this gravel bed to determine whether or not there is evidence of any pre-existing bed. There is not;
2. No evidence is seen of an existing column to the right of this photo which would have been necessary to support what Miceli states existed in the past. All other existing gates in the park have “concrete” columns or a rectangular open frame iron column which matches the fencing.
3. New electrical conduit has been installed tapping into the existing electrical power used to operate the lamps situated on top of the main column. Also installed is a remote sensor at the top of the conduit which apparently is intended to activate/de-activate the electricity to a GFCI protected receptacle, said receptacle being of the type approved by the Hydro Dept. to accommodate 220-240 volts of electricity. A special plug is required to access this receptacle which has one prong shaped in the form of the letter “T” lying on its side. That does not mean the circuit is actually wired for that much voltage, and it probably is not since I can’t believe that the main lamps on top of the columns operate on 220-240 volts of electricity. It was probably done to prevent the public from attempting to get free electricity. However, I am certain that Miceli or Weeks will advise us as to the nature of the circuit and what it is intended for (or will they?).
4. The two existing columns on the left are approximately sixteen inches apart or sixty-seven centimeters. Between them is a small section of fencing which is obviously original. All of the bolts have been removed from that section of fencing and the panel is simply held in place by its friction fit to the two columns. You can easily remove that panel and put it back. I know because I did it and I have the photographic evidence.

  

Small section of fence just hanging there.   Top left bolts removed.

I have four such photos re the bolts.

Here is what I surmise that the Daring Duo wants The Heritage Committee to approve:

1. They want approval to finish the gateway bed with an appropriate material be it concrete or asphalt;
2. They want approval to move the smaller of the two columns to the right or easterly side of the intended entrance, and/or they seek the approval to move the existing column to the westerly limit of the proposed gateway, and to construct a new, similar column on the easterly side of the proposed new gateway;
3. They seek approval to have constructed a new gate using the materials from the existing fence that has been removed;
4. They seek approval for the installation of appropriate security mechanisms to permit the gate to be securely closed and to prevent access by the public except for when Art-in-the-Park or the Beer Tent Festival or other venues exist which require an admission fee to be paid (all part of their commercialization plans).
5. Whether or not they ultimately seek approval in the future for barbed wire to be installed atop the existing fencing around the entire park and security cameras and warning devices in case of an intruder remains to be seen.

And exactly how will Miceli and Marshall justify this additional gate? They may perceive the public so gullible (as they have in the all too nearby past) to say that the main purpose is to control vandalism in the park. How dare they! They didn’t see that as a viable reason for not installing the asphalt roadways all over the park; the attitude was come who may and the more the merrier. Do not be fooled. The sole purpose is to control access to this public park by the public when their pet money making ventures are being held and when they want to make even more money by charging an admission fee. The gateway will make a far more narrow entrance for people to be admitted to those events and, try as they may, no free-loading Windsorite will be able to sneak into those events without having paid the required admission charge.

Oh, but wait just a darn minute! The Committee meeting to which the report has been tabled will be held in November. Miceli will have abandoned his post on October 17^th, and will no longer be in the employ of the City of Windsor. Will he leave his new cushy job as CAO with the Town of Amherstburg to attend the meeting and make the presentation? I wouldn’t count on his return to face the music about the report and the questions it raises. And if he did, why on earth would he be given standing? He’s not even a Windsor resident. Yes, I know, he is one of the Daring Duo and instrumental in all of the secrecy surrounding the projects implemented in Willistead Park in the last couple of years. Personally, I would love the opportunity to cross-examine him if he makes the presentation; not just about the report but to whom he has been awarding the projects to on a “pay-as-you-go” basis (much more on that in a few weeks).

Now all of the asphalt in the park is complete (or is it?), and all of the large machinery and dump trucks are gone (or are they?). What else might Miceli’s report contain that his secret approach hasn’t alluded to?

There continues to exist two large portions of fencing which have not been replaced, nor has the gravel bases which were used by the heavy dump trucks to enter the park to discharge or pickup their loads. One is located on the mid-east side of the park on Kildare Road; the second is located on the west side of the park on Chilver Road. Here are the photographs of the two sections missing:

Easterly view of missing fence and gravel drive on Chilver.

Westerly view of missing fence and gravel drive on Devonshire.

Sections of fencing were removed from each of these sites to permit the ingress/egress of trucks and large equipment installing the drainage materials and ugly asphalt roadways, or as I prefer to call them, “The serpentine locks of Methuselah.” But one is to assume that all of the work in that regard has been completed because that is all Council approved. That being true, why is it that all of the gravel hasn’t been removed, the grass sod replaced in the park and boulevards, and why hasn’t the fencing been replaced? Could it possibly be that the Daring Duo, cloaked in all of their secrecy, also seeks approval to construct new driveways on both roads to permit more ingress/egress by automobiles into the park?

For those residents who have resided in the area for many years and prior to when public approval for expansion of the Manor’s parking lot was sought, you may have also attended the public meeting that was held in the Coachhouse. The City didn’t just seek public approval for expansion of the parking lot; it also sought public approval to install another driveway to permit vehicles to exit onto Chilver Road. The public outcry was deafening, so much so that the request to do so was abandoned and the City promised never to construct or seek permission to construct such a driveway again. That was then, and this is now. The principled persons of the time are no longer involved leaving Councillor Hillary Payne (he was one of the presenters) and Councillor Fulvio Valentinis (he is currently on The Heritage Committee). Therefore, given those facts, it is most highly unlikely that any promises made then will be kept or even admitted to (what happened to the detailed minutes that were made for that public meeting?). Although a lame duck, we probably still have to deal with Mayor Eddie and the other group of ten toadies who didn’t hesitate to approve the project for the “serpentine locks of Methuselah.” Perhaps they will say that the approval given then included everything that Miceli and Marshall have included in their secret report to be produced in November. Prove it!

This article could include so much more, but I have a deadline to meet for a report dealing with whom Miceli, Marshal, and the City of Windsor has been conducting business with, particularly, but not limited to, projects assigned by Miceli involving Jackson Park and Willistead Park.

It’s your Willistead Park, and it’s your Willistead Manor. Please don’t sit idly by and allow Miceli and Marshall to continue on with the commercialization of same. As the colourful lawyer, Jeffery Feiger says, “If you don’t stand for something, you end up standing for nothing.” Please stand up for something and let your view be amply expressed in the upcoming civic election.

Harold.

MSSRS. MICELI AND MARSHALL ARE AT IT AGAIN!

By:  Harold G. LeBoeuf

Proposed pedestrian gateway next to the main entrance to Willistead.

Now the “Daring Duo” intend to install a “pedestrian gate” adjacent to the existing main entrance to Willistead, and they plan on obtaining approval for this change from The Heritage Committee at its next meeting. Miceli states, “Our plan is to add a pedestrian gate on Niagara which was part of the original gates to the Manor.” That Miceli possesses information about the original gates, perhaps he would be so kind as to supply us with a picture of the original pedestrian gate. As you may conclude in the following, approval of this additional project must be considered a fait accomplis in view of the work that has already been done in this regard, as was the proposal for the labyrinth of serpentine asphalt roadways that now exist throughout the park.

Miceli seems to imply that the sole purpose of the proposed gateway is to restore what he says existed in the beginning. Really! He also states, “We have a report as was requested by the heritage committee dealing with the details of the gate and the entrances to the park from Devonshire, Richmond, Chilver and the main gate on Niagara. The report is complete and we are hoping to have it on the agenda on the next heritage committee meeting.” Do Miceli and Marshall really believe that the public is so gullible as to imply that they, and The Heritage Committee, are keenly interested in restoring the Willistead property to what it originally was after the vile desecration they have accomplished to the grounds? Please produce the report that you say is in your possession, Miceli. Both of them have long since lost any credibility that they may have enjoyed, yet once again they are prepared to ramrod another pet project down the public throats with all of the gall and temerity they can muster.

Then what may be the true purpose of installing such a gateway; to provide easy access to those unfortunate persons who have a physical disability; to enable city vehicles to conduct maintenance in the park? Just who on earth do they think they are kidding? The real purpose must be to control access by the public to this public Willistead Park! There can not be any other legitimate purpose for this maneuver. They, not The Heritage Committee, want the ability to control access to the park when such functions as Art-in-the-Park and their pet beer tent festivals are being held. Apparently they believe that the citizens of Windsor are bound and intent on sneaking onto the grounds of the park on those occasions without paying the precious entrance fees. At those times, they will be able to close and lock the gates to the driveway to ensure that no person enters without paying. What’s next, Miceli and Marshall? Do you plan on installing barbed wire on top of the fencing all around the park? Perhaps installing security alarms and cameras to ensure that you caught everyone could follow at some future point.

I urge the readers to take a closer look at what has already been installed by the Daring Duo’s henchmen and, in spite of anything the two may say the purpose is, come to your own conclusions. 

New electrical installation from light standard.

New electrical control.

New electrical outlet next to proposed gate.

Miceli made reference in the foregoing statements about a requested report by The Heritage Committee, and he also suggested that such a gate was present in the original configuration of the fencing surrounding Willistead. Tell us Mssrs. Miceli and Marshall, was all of this new electrical installation also a part of the original configuration that The Heritage Committee is so interested in restoring? And why is the electrical outlet configured for 220-240 volts of electricity? Have you simply used that type of outlet to prevent the general public from stealing electricity using a normal two-prong or three-prong plug, or do you have yet another project in mind?

It really would be nice if, just for once, Miceli and Marshall were totally honest with the public as to what their real intentions are with these changes. They certainly weren’t very candid when it came to the proposed changes for the asphalt roadways. But one must conclude that they are not willing to admit that their sole purpose is commercialization of the Manor and the Park.

And by the way, who authorized the cost for the electrical installation, the base for whatever pad is going to be installed (probably more asphalt or even concrete), the construction of the new gate, etc.? It most definitely wasn’t included in the authorization extended by Council for the roadway labyrinth. Has Miceli got a slush fund he can draw from? Thankfully, Miceli will no longer be with us after mid-October when he takes up his new digs with the Town of Amherstburg as its new CAO. Better them than us! And hopefully, Marshall will take the hint and voluntarily leave his post on the Board of Willistead Manor.

To the current members of Windsor’s Heritage Committee, Councillor Fulvio Valentinis, Lynn Baker, Simon Chamely, Robin Easterbrook, Andrew Foot, Jeffrey Mellow, and Noreen Slack, do not be hoodwinked yet again by the nefarious plans of the Daring Duo. Commercialization of the Willistead grounds and manor as envisioned by these two is not consistent with the preservation of this historical, city gem any more than your authorization for the construction of the hideous asphalt roadways for the benefit of Art-in-the-Park and perhaps other venues was. There is absolutely no need for the construction of this pedestrian gateway other than for the nefarious purposes set out in the foregoing. Please, do what you were appointed to do in good conscious. Don’t feel that it is necessary for you to follow the edicts of Miceli and Marshall. They do not have the best interests of this heritage property in mind.

And finally, I would like to show you what other municipalities and countries are doing rather than using precious natural resources to create ugly asphalt roadways.

Paving machine laying down pavers in perfect herringbone pattern.

If new pathways were really a necessity, and they weren't, it certainly 

is much more presentable than ugly wide asphalt roadways isn't it?  

And the machine can accommodate many widths automatically.

HIT AND RUN!

By Harold G. LeBoeuf

I never thought that I would see

So much damage to our trees.

With my most sincere apologies to Mr. Joyce Kilmer

  

It wasn’t bad enough that John Micelli, Director of Windsor Parks and Recreation, came up with a fanciful plan supported by completely false facts and rational to complete ten foot plus wide asphalt roadways in Willistead Park thereby destroying a city gem, now he has deployed personnel to manicure the grass on the city’s boulevards surrounding Willistead (a normal weekly procedure in the grass growing seasons). But this time, the person operating the large machine not suited for the purpose, apparently threw caution and common sense to the wind and decided to play “bumper cars” with all of the trees circling the park. The ensuing result was that many of the trees sustained damage, some severe damage, and all were left with the tell-tale paint scraped off of the equipment in the process. Additionally, grass near several trees was scraped away leaving nothing but bare ground with exposed and damaged lateral absorbing tree roots. Yes, those roots were damaged as well like those in the park itself.

You might think that this was the end of the stupidity, but guess again. Someone else followed with a gasoline operated “weed-whacker” and used it in such a manner as to create additional damage to the base of the trees and their exposed roots.

John Micelli will probably say that this was completely accidental. Nonsense! At the very best, this was the improper use of equipment not designed for that specific purpose due to its size and configuration and/or the employment of persons lacking the proper training, abilities and good common sense for the task at hand. At the very worst one gets the impression when surveying the damage, that the operators of both pieces of equipment were stoned by the use of drugs and/or alcohol. It’s difficult to imagine another cause that doesn’t involve sheer negligence and culpable behaviour.

And where were the supervisors of these individuals? Does anyone inspect the work performed to determine whether or not something is amiss? One need only go to the first tree to determine that something was indeed wrong.

Traditionally during grass growing periods of the year, the grass on the boulevards has been trimmed using gasoline powered push mowers. That is the equipment of choice for that type of operation. Was this another fanciful brain-storm to substitute inappropriate machinery to do the job?

As will be set out in later articles, something is truly awry at the Department of Parks and Recreation, and it is well beyond time for changes to be made.

When one considers what has transpired with Willistead Park, this is the one time and the one time only (and it should be recorded) that John Micelli and Steven Marshall with all of their hype and misinformation about the plans for Willistead Park wagged the tail of Mayor Eddie, and for the very first time it wasn’t the other way around.

I am including several photographs depicting the damage to the trees occasioned on Friday, July 18^th, 2014. Regretfully space does not allow the inclusion of pictures for all of the trees. Perhaps a walk around the exterior of the park could be added to the Annual Tour of Walkerville.

In the meantime, who is going to tend to those trees that suffered significant damage to their cambium cell layer and their sapwood, so necessary for water moving up to their leaves. How about it, John. Are you going to get someone out there with horticultural tar to mend the damage, or are you just going to let nature take its course and hope for the best outcome? I’m guessing the latter.

Harold G. LeBoeuf

AND MANY, MANY MORE (SAD TO SAY)!