Our West End

Friends, Great news. I was recently contacted and informed that the Sandwich IDA Pharmacy just opened up a new blood lab in the same building on 3211 Sandwich Street. According to Julie Knapp, the blood lab's manager, the new service will provide EKGs, phlebotomy services, specimen collections (i.e. urine samples, etc.), and much more. Furthermore, Julie noted that if you get a blood requisition from a doctor, you can bring that to this new blood lab and they can provide the services requested. The owner of IDA chose to open up this new service because of location and felt it was needed in the west-end. So now, in addition to the walk-in clinic and pharmacy at IDA, there is also a blood lab service. The hours of operation are:     - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 5pm     - Wednesday from 9am to 4pm     - Friday from 9am to 3pm For more information, you can contact the office manager, Julie Knapp, at   juliek20@hotmail.com This ...

Friends, See the positive email I received from a fellow west-ender: "Good Day Fabio:  To bring you up to snuff re:  my earlier message that lo & behold, another Business had closed in the West End, namely, The Best 'Lil Hair House".  Apparently, the gals (Kim & Michelle) have returned!  There is a sign in the window & also a sign in Rimer's Auto Repair.  Welcome back Ladies."

Friends, Some great news as of late. Our West End Residents Roundtable One of our promises to you was to develop and facilitate a residents roundtable for the west-end. Thanks to the hard work of our community coordinator and fellow west-ender, Tammy Murray, we held our first roundtable meeting Wednesday where neighbours, friends and residents from every corner of the west-end were in attendance, engaged and eager to be part of positive change in our area. We had residents from Sandwich Towne, University area, Bridgeview and the neighbourhoods surrounding St. James gradeschool and Mic Mac Park. I always believed, and yesterday it was confirmed, that our community will be stronger when it is more united. When neighbourhoods west of the bridge are actively engaged with neighbourhoods east of the bridge, and vice versa, our potential is limitless. Wednesday was the first step in what I believe is a necessary direction for our west-end if we ever hope to meet the challenges and o...

Friends,  Please see the attached flyer (on the blog site) that features a new store opening up in the west-end on Felix and Girardot. This is great for the community!  Fabio

Friends, Please see an email I received below regarding a new Sandwich Town Farmers Market and Flea Market. This sounds promising and very positive for the area.   "Grand Opening next Fri. ,Sat, Sun  9am  till  3pm . Sandwich & Mill SW corner behind the new Barrel House Bar,Wally's Baits & Billies Place. Bill Voakes has been trying for twenty years to get all permits and approvals. If anyone has Flea Market wares to sell or knows a farmer or great gardner with extra produce call Bill at  519-990-1055  for a booth.   Thanks Fabio Bill could use all the help getting this going he can get. He will be there for at least ten years." Source: West-end Resident Fabio

Friends, Great news. Bridgeview Library has just added a newcomer outreach service. Please see the email I received below. "Hi, Fabio,   Summer's greetings!  Hope everything goes very well. I would like to share the news with you and your patrons, New Canadians' Centre of Excellence Inc has expanded LSP(library settlement program) service to Bridgeview Library, I will be at Bridgeview Library every  Tuesday from 10am-6pm , any newcomers in this area please come to visit Bridgeview Library or contact me on  519-990-7661 . Have a wonderful summer and keep posted! Thank you."

Friends, Recently a friend of mine sent me a link of a local company (Fahrhall) giving back to the community. They helped a fellow west-ender in need. If you have facebook, check out the link below. This is a great example of good corporate citizenship. Fahrhall Giving Back to the Local Community Regards, Fabio

Friends, Yesterday, we had over 100 Chrysler employees and volunteers, including over 15 youth from the area, paint over graffiti all throughout parks and neighbourhoods in the west-end. It was extremely successful. None of this would be possible without the United Way, the City of Windsor, Chrysler Canada, Centres for Seniors Windsor and the Our West End team and volunteers. Many residents in the area were extremely grateful and proud of the good work done by the volunteers. Yesterday, we not only painted over graffiti -- and there was a lot let me tell you -- but we began redefining what it means to live in the west-end. I could not be more proud of everyone involved in this great initiative. Let the good work continue! Fabio You can see the Windsor Star article and CBC Story below, along with some pictures from the event: Windsor Star: Cleaning Up West-End CBC Windsor: Cleaning Up West-End

Friends, I am very proud to announce that 'Our West End' has been approved for funding from the United Way to develop a parks committee in the Bridgeview neighbourhood, establish a west-end roundtable of community stakeholders to provide guidance and resources, tackle issues such as graffiti and general clean-up, and develop a strategy for the west-end focusing on neighbourhood engagement and empowerment. The funding is for two years. You can see the Windsor Star article regarding our funding announcement here:  Our West End Funding Announcement We have partnered with the Centres for Seniors Windsor right on McEwan and Wyandotte and they have been gracious enough to provide us with office space and resources. We couldn't have asked for a better community partner and wouldn't have been able to receive the funding we got without their help. The funding has allowed us to hire on a few part-time staff to roll out the initiatives mentioned above. In the next few week...

FIRST Robotics Competition A few months ago, a group of students from Assumption high school competed in the annual FIRST Robotics Competition held in Toronto. According to its website, www.firstroboticscanada.org , FIRST Robotics is a competition where “high school students team up with the world’s best technology companies to build the most impressive robots you’ve ever seen.”  It goes on to say: Built from scratch in only 6 weeks, these 5-foot tall, 140-pound robots compete in high intensity robo-sports. With bragging rights at stake for schools and the companies that support them, robotics takes on a pro-sports experience. Watch the best of the best in robotics come out to play. The varsity sport for the mind, FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and bui...

Friends, Below is the West End Crawlers monthly update. They are doing great things for the west-end. We are lucky to have them. WEST END CRAWLERS APRIL 2013 NEWSLETTER AS I START TO WRITE THIS, IT IS APRIL 20 TH .  IT’S STILL COLD!!  WILL IT EVER WARM UP??!  2013 WILL BE REMEMBERED AS “THE YEAR WE WAITED FOR SPRING”!  LOL APRIL 2013 WAS NOT AS FRUITFUL, FINACIALLY, AS JAN-MAR, UNFORTUNAETLY.  OUR "¢HANGE FOR Change$” CAMPAIGN RAISED JUST OVER  $40.  WE ATTENDED THE CROSSTOWN PLAYERS' PLAY “SARAH GIRTY’S WAR”, ON APRIL 12 TH , AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT!  APPROX. 200 CANNED GOODS WERE COLLECTED IN THE PROCESS FOR AREA FOOD BANKS. ON APRIL 21 ST , WE WERE INVITED BY PASTOR SCOTT DAKIN, TO INTRODUCE WEST END CRAWLERS TO HIS CONGREGATION AT AMBASSADOR BAPTIST CHURCH.  THEY WERE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR WHAT WE’RE DOING AND GRAETFULL FOR THE CANNED GOODS WE’VE PROVIDED.  JUST WANT TO PU...

Friends, There will be a pasta dinner fundraiser on Sunday, April 28th, between 3pm - 8pm at the Moose Loyal Order of No 1499 located at 777 Tecumseh Rd. W. right next to the Bowlero.  All proceeds go to the Bridgeview Outreach for Youth Group, a grassroots organization committed to engaging youth in the west-end and including them in the community.  Tickets are $10.  To purchase tickets or learn more, please contact Wilfred Birch at 519-977-5510.  Thanks! Fabio Costante WebRep currentVote noRating noWeight

Friends, I am posting a position for a Community Coordinator for the West-End.  Once a successful applicant is chosen, a very positive announcement will follow.  Spread the word with friends and family.  Thanks! Fabio Costante Request for Proposal – Community Coordinator POSITION:    Community Coordinator                         23 month contract position part-time – May 1, 2013                                   to April 1, 2015 DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSBILITIES: Reporting to the Our West End Chair and Centre for Seniors Windsor, the Community Coordinator will be primarily responsible for initiating, managing and leading community activities already agreed upon in the west-end. QUALIFICATIONS: Preferred post-secondary degree or seni...

Friends, A few updates: The West End Crawlers officially have a logo.  Here it is: I met with Yin Zhang from the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence Saturday.  She is located in Brock Library in Sandwich Town and primarily serves the new Canadian population in the west-end.  We look forward to a great partnership in serving families, newcomers and residents in our west-end community. Hope you're having an enjoyable weekend.  Let's hope we get some spring weather sooner than later! Regards, Fabio

I want to thank all of the volunteers who helped deliver over 1000 flyers on Saturday in the neighbourhoods surrounding Mic Mac Park, Windsor Regional Hospital and St. James grade school.  We are building a better community, block-by-block, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood, making our west-end a better place to live, work and play.   Have a wonderful weekend.  Fabio Costante 

Friends, Below is an update from the West End Crawlers: FEBRUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER WELL, FEBRUARY WAS NO LESS BUSY THAN JANUARY!  WE GOT ANOTHER CLOTHING DONATION FROM KELLY MARION.  "THANK YOU!!"  OUT OF THAT, ALREADY SOLD ARE THE THREE PAIRS OF SHOES FOR $5 EACH, WHICH GOES INTO THE POT FOR OUR CHARITY YARD SALE ON MAY 25TH! WE COLLECTED JUST UNDER $70 IN OUR "¢HANGE FOR CHANGE$" CAMPAIGN, OF WHICH WE SPENT $64.08 FOR CASES OF CANNED VEGETABLES FOR AMBASSADOR BAPTIST CHURCH FOOD BANK!  ($5.39 GOES BACK IN THE JUG TO BE ADDED NEXT TIME) THANKS TO FABIO COSTANTE, WE MET JAMES MAYES , AND ARE PARTNERING WITH CROSSTOWN PLAYERS TO COLLECT AND DISTRIBUTE CANNED AND NON-PERISHABLE GOODS, TO WEST END FOOD BANKS.  THIS PARTENERSHIP SHOULD GREATLY INCREASE AREA FOOD BANK SUPPLIES!  MORE INFORMATION ON THEM CAN BE FOUND AT:  http://www.CROSSTOWNPLAYERS.CA AS STATED EARLIER, THERE WILL BE A CHARITY YARD SALE ON MAY 25TH.  NOTHING OVER ...

Friends, I have a few news updates to share. Parks and Pools As you may know, Atkinson Pool will no longer be an item for discussion at City Council.  This is great news. Several residents have contacted me regarding South Tilston Park.  It has been decided by many that a public meeting at this time will not be beneficial.  I have been working diligently on this issue and have had several discussions with our Councillor and others about this as well.  Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions or concerns.  It is our hope that South Tilston receives the same good news as Atkinson Pool did recently. Positive News I have just found out some very positive news today regarding an initiative that I have been working on for several years in the west-end.  There will be a public press conference regarding this great news in the near future.  Until then, I cannot say much, other then the fact that this positive development...

Friends, For those who may have missed it, below is my article on Windsor West Little League and the positive impact it has had for kids in the west-end. A big thank you to Yvette Temple and Jennifer Jones, both tireless volunteers who have dedicated many hours, along with the other board members and volunteers, in making WWLL a great organization.  Both Yvette and Jennifer had coffee with me as we discussed the history of the league as well as its current state and its future.  Here it is: Windsor West Little League Regards, Fabio Costante

Friends, The West End Crawlers have issued out their first newsletter of which I will share with you all below: It's been a busy month for us Crawlers!  Since launching on January 1st, we've: **Received our first clothing donation, from Ruby Brown, and are in the process of finding good homes for them!  "THANK YOU!" **We met with Sara & Drew Chapados from Westside Church of Christ. They gave us much needed insight and a wealth of information as to where to direct cash, clothing and other articles throughout the West End.  "THANK YOU!" **Our ¢hange for Change$" campaign was implemented on January 19th at our "Happy New Year Get Together at Hurricanes.  This is to help raise funds for things like school breakfast programs, and other areas of need in the West End.  "THANK YOU!" to all the establishments who welcomed our growler jugs! They were generously donated by The Krooked Kilt!  "THANK YOU!" Coming up...

Friends,  Below is a message from the Treasurer at Windsor West Little League:  "Hi Fabio I am the Treasurer of the Windsor West Little League,  if you could please include in your emails a reminder  for all those parents who have not yet registered their kids for the 2013 baseball season.   Our registration dates are: February 23rd & 24th 1pm-4pm...March 23rd & 24th 1pm-4pm. Cost is : T Ball $110 and any other $140. Registration takes place at Mic Mac Park Clubhouse, located off Matchette Rd, in the Kim Lucier Memorial Park. Thank You it is Much Appreciated"