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Showing posts from 2015

City proposes replacing Atkinson Pool with splash pad

Friends, See the news links below from Windsorite.ca and CBC Windsor regarding a City of Windsor proposal to replace Atkinson Pool with a splash pad. Budget could see closure of Atkinson Pool Atkinson pool splash pad Windsor

Community Christmas Dinner

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LAF All the Way to the Bank & Bloomfield House Christmas Gathering - @LAFWindsor

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Accommodation Review - West Windsor Area

Friends, The Administration at the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board is recommending an accommodation review for our Catholic schools in the west-end. Here is the board report that describes the accommodation review, for your convenience: http://www.wecdsb.on.ca/pdf/meetings/20152016/P151124.pdf I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please email me at fabiocostante@gmail.com or call me at 519-567-8719. Thanks. Fabio

Holiday Party in North Merritt Park and Coats for Kids! @murraytamaral @LAFWindsor

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Friends, See these two great initiatives below and help spread the word. Would love to see you at the Holiday Party! Fabio

Safety & Crime Prevention info Walk @murraytamaral @LAFWindsor

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Friends, There have been some unfortunate incidents in the Bridgeview neighbourhood as of late so the initiative below is timely and important. See an email being circulated by Tammy Murray with a corresponding flyer below. Thanks. Fabio _________________________________________________________________________________ Hello everyone, Please circulate with your contacts. We would like to invite West Windsor resident, students from all neighbourhoods to participate in a   Safety & Crime Prevention neighbourhood walk: Thursday Nov 19 th , 4:30pm, Meet at College and California Aves Join Windsor Police Service Crime Prevention experts, Community Services Branch and Our West End,   to learn Personal Safety and Crime Prevention skills during our neighbourhood walk. Call Tammy Murray for more information: 519-254-1108 Ext. 134

Some Events

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Friends, See some events below. Students of Excellence needs Volunteers!!! To Help Paint and Decorate the Students of Excellence Sandwich Towne Christmas Parade Float!! A West Windsor Initiative recognizing the hard work and academic accomplishments of West Windsor invites you to join the fun in recognizing our West Windsor Students!! When:  Saturday November 7 th noon -5pm And  Saturday November 28 th , 9am -5pm Corner of Watkins and Sandwich St. Help support the good character and achievements of kids from West Windsor schools: General Brock, Westgate, Marlborough and Westview Freedom Academy.  The float will travel through the Santa Clause parade on November 28 th  and when it reaches the Media Stand, AM 800 will announce the names of those students who are recognized by their School Principals’ for outstanding performance! Contact Jessica Faught   226-246-8354 .

Residents Share Their Views on Ambassador Bridge

Friends, See two posts below by residents voicing their opinion on the ambassador bridge twin span and the flurry of activity surrounding this issue as of late. Here is an article from west-end resident Caroline Taylor: Don't be Fooled by Moroun's Plans for West-End Here is an article from west-end resident Jerry Gervais: More to Bridge Issue than Meets the Eye As I've always stated, it is very important that the opinion of residents who are directly affected by this issue be heard loud and clear. Thanks to Caroline and Jerry for sharing their views. Fabio

Christmas Gathering at Stathis Gril

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Friends, It's hard to believe given this beautiful weather, but Christmas season is just around the corner. See this great event hosted by the West End Crawlers.

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Drop In Centre

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Friends, see this great initiative by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul below.

Food Drive to Support Local Food Banks

Friends, see a notice below from fellow west-ender Rita Higgins: FOOD DRIVE 2016! IF YOU ARE ABLE, PLEASE DONATE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, TO STATHIS GRILL:  1657 COLLEGE AVE. TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD BANKS!  FOOD BANK DONATIONS : Sliced white or brown bread Canned goods:  pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruits & veggies Juices, coffee, whitener, teas, hot chocolate, sugar/sweetener Condiments:   (mayo, mustard, ketchup, soya sauce, jam, peanut butter, salad dressing, etc.) Kitchen necessities:  (plastic wrap, tin foil, coffee filters, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.) OTHER NEEDED DONATIONS FOR SHELTERS : Socks (Children & Adult) Underwear (Children & Adult) Bras PJ’s (Children & Adult) Gift cards:  (grocery stores, clothing stores, Tim Horton’s, Shoppers, etc.) Toiletries:  (shampoo, deodorant, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes, combs, hair ties, etc.) Monetary donations also  very much appreciated !   (This is the best wa

Reminder: 20 Year Strategic Vision and Ward 2 Meeting at Mackenzie Hall

Friends,  Just a reminder about the Ward 2 Meeting and 20 Year Strategic Visioning event tomorrow evening at Mackenzie Hall. Please feel free to forward to your contacts. Thursday, October 15 ​ Ward 2 Councillor Elliott ​20-Year Strategic Vision  6pm Annual Ward Meeting  7pm Mackenzie Hall 3277 Sandwich Street I’ll see you there!

Supreme Court to decide fate of boarded up Ambassador Bridge homes

Friends, See this article by the Windsor Star. The City of Windsor was granted leave to appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada. I will be following this closely and will provide updates as this progress. In the meantime, see the link below. Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Boarded-Up Ambassador Bridge Homes

Upcoming Thanksgiving Events!

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Friends, See an email from Tammy Murray: The Redeemed Christian Church of God   Adullam House of Refuge  Invites West Windsor residents to its 2 upcoming community events: Sunday October 11 th 11am Church Service and   Turkey Give Away   while supplies last For residents who wish to attend their Service 1636 Tecumseh Rd West (near Campbell Ave) On  Monday October 12 th , The church welcomes the community to join in its first   Turkey Dinner at  6pm Please call to reserve a seat as space is limited Thanks, Tammy 519-567-4331

Halloween Party and Christmas Dinner

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Friends, see an email I received from Rita Higgins in Bridgeview...  Hi Fabio! Our 1st Annual Pig Roast was a great success!  The community sure came through, for The Bridgeview Community Outreach Program inc.!  We'd like to invite the community to two of our upcoming events:  our Halloween Party on  October 25th  and our Christmas Dinner on  December 6th .  Both events need to have kids registered early, in order to have a chance to win prizes, get candy, and presents .  It's much appreciated if you could post these up! THANK YOU!   For details on the Christmas Dinner, get in touch with Rita at  westendcrawlers@gmail.com

Community Clean Sweep

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Friends, Please spread the word and help clean up our streets! This is a great community initiative!

West Mesh a Success!

Friends, Below is a note from Tammy Murray, Outreach Coordinator for Our West End Neighbourhood Renewal:   Amazing team work for neighbourhood renewal in West Windsor, Thank you all for a great West Mesh community celebration on Sat Sept 19 th  ! Special Thanks to University Avenue Medical Centre for the sponsor of our Community Tent, in particular developers V an Niforos, the Penalty Box Restaurant, Dr. Jay Rampure and George Sofos. Thank you to our friends from Ford City, Karlene Nielsen and TJ Auer for all of their amazing help!! Coastline Band you were amazing, a community celebration wouldn't be the same without good music!! Thanks to Our West End volunteers and Roundtable members, The Bridgeview Community Outreach Group, Bloomfield House and Bloomfield House Choir for our community entertainment, Cardinal Place for assistance/equipment and  all of our participating community partners, organizations and businesses.    Thanks to our organizer Julian Franch

West Mesh!

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Friends, The team at Our West End is excited to announce the 2nd Annual West Mesh celebration! See the flyer below for more details. See you there! Fabio

Askin Blvd Block Party

Friends, Please see an email I received from the residents of Askin Blvd. Hi Friends and Neighbours! Don't forget to save this date-- Monday September 7, 2015 --for the Annual Askin Boulevard Block Party. Join us to celebrate our neighbourhood and our friendship. Starting at  5 p.m.  in the 400 block of Askin on the boulevard. Bring something to eat and drink and your favourite chair.  Don't forget a dish to share. Bring your friends too! See you soon!

Upcoming Events

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Friends, See some upcoming events below:

New Grocery Store in the West End

Friends, Great news. A new grocery store opened on Crawford just south of Wyandotte, where the old Price Choppers was located. Here is a link from CBC featuring the new store: Multifood Supermarket Opens in Windsor's West End Fabio

Former Grace Site to Become Urgent Care Centre

Friends, Some more excellent news for the west-end. It was recently announced that the former Grace site on University Avenue will become the future Urgent Care Centre under the Mega Hospital Plan. Between this announcement, the new medical centre announcement (see previous post), penalty box opening and some University of Windsor campuses moving downtown, it looks like University Avenue will shortly be a booming and bustling street! This is all great news for the west-end and could be the catalyst of many more positive developments. We should all be very happy and hopeful with this great news. Here are some links featuring the plans. Fabio http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/former-grace-site-to-become-urgent-care-centre-under-mega-hospital-plan http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/grace-metropolitan-land-swap-deal-brings-multiple-benefits http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/neighbours-react-to-urgent-care-centre-proposal-for-grace-site

Some Community Events

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Friends, Please see below for some upcoming community events. Fabio

University Avenue Medical Centre - @murraytamaral

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Friends, There is some amazing news that you may already know. On Tuesday, there was an announcement that a new Medical Centre will be locating on University Avenue just west of Crawford. Below are some news links along with the press conference. It is expected to come to fruition in spring of 2016. Plans Unveiled for new University Ave Medical Centre CBC Story West-end Work In Porgress

United Way Summer Lunch Program - @UnitedWayWE

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Friends,  Please see info below regarding the summer lunch program I mentioned in an earlier blog post. Thanks.  Fabio

Volunteers Needed for Summer Nutrition Program in the West End - @UnitedWayWE

Friends, Please see an email from United Way looking for volunteers. Please spread the word as this is a great cause for our community. If you can volunteer or know of someone who can, please email Tammy Murray at  TMurray@lifeafterfifty.ca  T his initiative will provide an excellent opportunity for our wonderful workplaces to participate in volunteering and engage with some wonderful children.  This Summer Lunch Program will ensure children receive a healthy meal during the summer. It will be offered  Monday  through  Friday  starting July 6 th  until August 28 th  (excluding the Civic Holiday on Monday, August 3 rd ). There are two opportunities available: 1) Meal Serve: ·           As a valuable volunteer, you will set-up the serving station, serve a cold lunch to the children and youth and clean the lunch area. Lunch serving team members, who are interested, may have the opportunity to sign up to lead the Reading Time Circle and other literacy activities available to

STAG Yard Sale and T2B Fundraiser @murraytamaral @sandwichteen @bcopinc

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Friends, Please see an email from City Councilor John Elliott of the sandwich Teen Action Group (STAG) below. Also, kudos to Rita Higgins from West End Crawlers who shaved her head for donations to Transition to Betterness. The flyer is also below. Dear:  All Due to the rain the  STAG will be hosting a yard sale  on  Sunday June 28, 2015   in the hallways inside the facility.  A hotdog lunch will also be available to purchase.  Please come out and support it.  Thanks

Our West End Light the Night Project

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Friends, Please see an email (and attached poster) I received from Tammy Murray and please contact her (info below) if you have any questions or would like to learn more about this initiative. Hello Our West End, Join in our  Light the Night project  across West Windsor. It’s simple, we are launching a concerted effort of 1)      Turning our Porch Lights on 2)      Neighbours talking to Neighbours, -encourage each other to    turn porch lights on, every night. -Through our Crime Prevention Town Hall with Windsor Police Services last March 31 st , 2015 we learned that the   regular use of porch lights deters crime and improves safety in our neighbourhoods. When: Start date Monday June 22 nd , before you leave for the fireworks…. Turn your porch lights on , and ask a neighbour to do the same. 3)      Keep it going; Make a habit of turning porch lights on! -keep Our West End neighbourhoods shining with light!   -Offer to help seniors in

Some Upcoming Events

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Friends, Below are some upcoming events that may interest you. Please share and spread the word. Fabio

Bail or Jail Fundraiser for Bridgeview Group

Friends, The Bridgeview Outreach for Youth Group is hosting a 'Bail or Jail' fundraiser at Unifor 444 local hall at 1855 Turner Rd. Come see local politicians and leaders get put in jail and help bail them out, all for a great cause! The fundraiser will be held on Saturday, June 13, from 12pm to 3pm. For more details, contact Rita Higgins at westendcrawlers@gmail.com Fabio

Sandwich Town Farmers Market

Friends, The Sandwich Town Farmers Market has reopened several weeks ago. Go check it out any given weekend at the corner of Mill and Sandwich, tucked in behind Sandwich Street on the east side of Mill. Fabio

Our West End Strategy Near Completion

Friends, Back in 2012, I wrote a blog post featured in the Windsor Star, about developing a neighbourhood strategy for the west-end. Here it is for reference:  A Strategy for the West End: Our Time is Now From that point forward, so much has been accomplished, thanks to the fantastic partnership and support of neighbourhood residents, the United Way, Life After Fifty and the tireless volunteers and staff people that have dedicated their precious time to making the west-end a better place. I am delighted to say that our neighbourhood strategy is nearly complete. It took longer than the anticipated 12 to 18 months that I originally called for, but that is because there were some unforeseen obstacles and, I might add, opportunities, along the way, as there generally are with endeavours of this magnitude. There will be more to come in the months ahead, but because some of you have been asking me about it, and because over 250 residents were engaged throughout the process via phone

OUR WEST END Hiring Part-Time Community Coordinator - @LAFWindsor @murraytamaral

Friends, We are proud and grateful to officially announce that Our West End through Life After Fifty has received an additional 5 years of support from the United Way Windsor-Essex. As a consequence, Our West End is hiring another part-time Outreach Coordinator to help implement our goals and findings from our neighbourhood strategy. Here is the posting for the hiring:  OWE Outreach Coordinator Regards, Fabio

Tag Out Graffiti Mural Project - @wpdthinblueline @unitedwaywe @LAFWindsor @CstRenaud

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Friends, If you've driven by Aaron's Furniture on Tecumseh Rd. W. this weekend, you may have spotted a beautiful mural alongside its wall. Thanks to the effort and tireless work of Windsor Police, Westview Freedom Academy, Our West End and United Way / Life After Fifty, what was once a blank canvass is now a head turner and another positive beautification project in our west-end community. A further thanks goes out to Seguin's Hardward, Gray's Home Hardware, Canadian Tire and Merlo's Paint for providing paint and other supplies. A true community effort! The project will be complete in a few weeks, but here are some pictures from the event along with local media coverage. http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/ canada/windsor/new-student- mural-on-windsor-s-west-end- tags-out-graffiti-1.3092973