Expand Oriole Park

Residents push the TTC to give up land for park
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Dec. 20)

Residents push for a section of TTC yards to be annexed to expand park. Image courtesy of Friends of Oriole Park.

Ulli Rath wants the TTC to give up a portion of their Davisville yard to expand Oriole Park.
The local resident and his group, Friends of Oriole Park are putting out the feelers to see if an expansion is possible. He says it’s a natural choice, given that the Davisville TTC yards at Yonge and Chaplin Crescent neighbour Oriole Park.
Rath wrote to TTC for its Dec. 15 board meeting, and says the next step is to get the matter added to a future commission meeting so residents can plead their case.
Rath is quick to point out the request has merit: A 2009 TTC report indicating Davisville likely won’t be adding to its storage yard.
“There will be even less (TTC vehicles) parked there,” Rath said. “The yard wasn’t designed for the new generation subways.”

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New Flemingdon affordable seniors housing

All levels of government help fund much needed apartments
Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Aug 6.)

Groundbreaking at 5 Deauville Place. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Flemingdon Park will be home to 62 new affordable homes for low-income seniors and people with disabilities by next summer.
It’s no accident the developer chose this area for affordable rental apartments for seniors, said Tim Neeb, president of Mahogany Management and Deauville Place, the project development company.
“There’s a higher percentage of seniors in the community than any other in Toronto,” Neeb told the Town Crier July 29 during the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, which is set to open July 1, 2011.
He’s referring to Statistics Canada Census 2006 for the Don Mills census area that incorporates Flemingdon. Seniors over the age of 65 make up about a quarter of the population in Don Mills, compared to the city average, which is just under 14 percent.
Seniors over 75 account for almost 14 percent of the area population compared to just 6.5 percent in the whole of North York, according to 2001 Stats Can census data and 2005 population estimates.

Lawrence Heights skateboard park

New facility opens after four years of pressure by local kids
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier May 18.)

Shaquille Williams, second from left, has been pushing for a Lawrence Heights skateboard park since 2006. It opened May 1. Photo by Kris Scheuer/Town Crier.

Teen Shaquille Williams has been waiting four years to hear the sound of boards and bikes rolling through Lawrence Heights.
Williams and his friend Joshua Orticello pushed for a local skateboard park for nearly four years and it opened May 1 at Lawrence Ave. West and Varna Drive.
The pair, both 14, solicited a campaign promise from councillor Howard Moscoe in 2006 and went door to door getting over 200 signatures in favour of the skateboard park.
The persistent youth followed up with Moscoe and city officials in order to ensure their dream came true.