Inmates .... good god .. the stuff will go missing ....

Good information for those of us who live next to junk yards. One property on my street has a huge number of junk cars and car parts in the yard with a pit-bull on a chain in the mud drive way. Lovely site to drive by every day and aren't their neighbours proud!

So, what's the holdup? Board of Directors? I say get some B___'s and do the right thing. Three years to clean up a property? Get on with it. Make a decision and enforce it. Geepers Creepers, who's permission are you waiting for? Chester

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Junk cars and car parts, with pitbull and muddy drive way could be Utopia for some.

On the other hand a house with a postage stamp for a lawn. A mincing little dog,wearing a sweater, and prancing around the yard looking for a warm place to pee, might appear hillareous to some.

I agree that these people should clean up their yards, and it appears that the only way they will do it, is if they are forced.

Now if we could apply the same pressure to Downtown business's and to insurance companies we might be able to get some of the burnt out buildings tore down, and maybe get some of the iron gratting and plywood out of some store windows, along with the graffatti. In addition maybe we could get the back alleys cleaned up, seems at present they are being used for
(1) shooting
(2) fornication
(3) drinking and sleeping
(4) urinating and stooling.
(5) looting

I suspect that the downtown is just as bad or worse than the above mentioned sites. Why is the City allowed to let this situation carry on, while others are forced to do something about their problems.

If anyone thinks that our back alleys in the downtown area are not a health hazard they are just kidding themselves. Walk through them on a hot day and you will be very lucky if you do not upchuck.

This is a real problem that everyone in this burg likes to pretend doesnt exist. As I said before, we can build Sportplexes on the hill, Multiplexs, Swimming Pools, Art Centres, Civic Centres, Soccer Fields, Lawn Bowling Facilities, and Horseshoe pits, but we cant build and keep clean a toilet facility downtown for those that could use it.

“Now if we could apply the same pressure to Downtown business's and to insurance companies we might be able to get some of the burnt out buildings tore down, and maybe get some of the iron gratting and plywood out of some store windows, along with the graffatti.”

I could not agree more with you.

George Street looks like a disgrace once more. It was doing reasonably well for about a decade until some stores on the west side moved out, restaurant closed, etc. The there was the fire on George and third to really do it in.

There is some work going on, from the looks of it, behind bare plywood boarding up the work. There is absolutely nothing happening on B&B music and coffeehouse side. That should not be allowed to fester fro that long. Derelict buildings need to be taken down within a reasonable time period in such locations and properly graded for public use or nicely boarded up.

The DBIA with IPG had a session with Jim Diers from the Fremont neighbourhood in Seattle to talk about how to enhance downtown and get those who live and work in a neighbourhood to take responsibility.

The downtown is everyone’s neighbourhood. It belongs to the building owners, the renters, and the people of this city. It is what people who come to this city as visitors see. What they see is what they take home to tell others about.

To have that part of our city look like no one cares is unacceptable. It not only does not promote our city, it tells people that they need not come here again.

To clean it up, while work may be going on or insurance companies are arguing with owners, does not tale much. Jim Diers spoke about neighbourhoods where empty stores had painted covers put on them with images which looked like stores, and within a year stores where back in. Empty storefront can be used for displays by other businesses. They can be “rented” to artists to use as studio space. It takes the desire to do something. It takes getting rid of bureaucratic thinking.

Where is the DBIA? How is the new manager doing? Have not heard a thing. Its not that big a job to grow into. Time to make a difference. Summer is here. This is the time the downtown needs to look its finest, nto its worst.

And how long are the star lights going to be up? Are they intended to be up all year? Why don’t we create some pumpkin lights for fall and keep them up all year? Does anyone really give a care? From the latest survey to hit City Hall on Monday, the people in this city have completely given up on this place. About 30% still think fixing downtown is on the radar screen.

http://flickr.com/photos/sarahrollens/43842302

http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=450136261&size=l