Letters to the Editor for Feb. 9, 2016

Beachers should be thankful for Kew Gardens project

The city is spending more than $1 million on Kew Gardens, and people are still complaining!? The Beach has a reputation, I’m sure you know what I mean.

This stuff is actually hard to do. It’s a big city with lots of needs. To get dollars allocated to this project is an accomplishment.

To create a design, any design, and invite people to comment can be an exercise in futility. No one will ever agree on this path, that bench, or where the garbage can should go. At some point you have to stand back, take a breath and build something. We all see what happens with transit and endlessly changing the plan.

The existing entrance to the park is nice, but tired. In the new design I would like to see movable tables and chairs (the classic kind you see in other cities including Detroit, no less) so people can eat, work or play games. Is there WiFi? That would be nice.

But I’m so appreciative things are moving forward. Let’s try and enjoy the Beach as if there’s a lake, sand and a boardwalk here.

Michael Fox

 

A thank you to a kind stranger

Coming out of the Main Street Library on Jan. 22, I tripped and fell face-first on the sidewalk.

A driver going north on Main stopped, came over to me, helped me get up from my knees, and took me into his car. In the back seat was a large black dog who was very well mannered.

I got several cuts and bruises on my face and a lump the size of a large egg appeared on my forehead. Kyle said he would drive me home, just two blocks south, and he would not let me go into the building alone.

He came right to my door and saw me into the apartment. Several times he asked if I was okay, making sure I was not dizzy and didn’t have a headache. I was just a little shaken up, but no other problems.

He gave me his name and telephone number, and later in the afternoon he called to see if I was all right. I really appreciated the attention and assistance he gave me.

Pat on Main Street

 

Not all are fans of Winter Stations

Last winter I was dismayed to see five odd-looking structures being set up along the short stretch of beach just west of the Balmy Beach Club.

Mary-Margaret McMahon explained that she never went to the beach in winter and she hoped the so-called warming huts would draw people down to the lake.

As someone who enjoys the unspoiled beauty of the beach in all seasons, I did not see any beauty or value in these structures, particularly as they sat empty whenever I passed by.

This year the plan is to erect up to 13 huts at a cost of $18,000 per hut. It strikes me as a frivolous and wasteful use of valuable design talent and materials in a city where Habitat For Humanity struggles to provide for our homeless.

Given councillor McMahon’s plan to “fix” Kew Gardens, she seems to enjoy using our dollars to “fix what ain’t broken” in the Beach.

Jan Conway

Swanwick Avenue