Glebe Report

Out of the deep freeze
WITH A RETURN TO MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES, MANY GLEBE RESIDENTS, LIKE TRIS JOG-
ER ALONG THE CANAL, TOOK TO THE GREAT DOWNTOWN OUTDOORS ONCE AGAIN. Photo: J. Slyfield
Burglaries reported in Glebe
Reports from several Glebe
residents confirm the continuing
incidence in the area of
petty crime house -breaking,
purse-snatching and the like.
Staff Inspector George Zhukow,
Head of Detectives of the Ottawa
Police, says people should be
alert and report suspicious behaviour
immediately.
What is suspicious behaviour?
By Belinda Silberman
Record cold temperatures and
icy roads are making Glebe snow
removal a big job this winter.
Dave Curry, director of City
Operations, says "It has been
one of the most difficult winters
to control."
He says it snowed almost every
day in December and despite the
fact the City salted the roads regularly,
they were still slippery
and ice-covered.
Under most conditions, Curry
says, salt won't work when the
temperature drops below -10 degrees
Celcius. He also says
there's no product available that
the City can use to melt ice when
it rains before a snowstorm.
The worst areas in the Glebe,
says Curry, are some of the side
streets like First to Fourth Avenues,
and many of the roads east
of Bank Street.
None are cleared to the bare
pavement, he says,.
According to Curry, the City
used up about half of the $5.7
million budgeted for snow removal
last year during November
and December.
This figure covered the clearing,
salting, sanding and plowing
of roads, which was done by City
Loitering around a house, or sitting
in a parked car for a long
time, or walking up and down
lanes and driveways. Residents
have told of strangers ringing
their doorbells, presumably to
find out if anyone is home. Or
when residents answer the phone
the caller hangs up.
Inspector Zhukow says that
citizens should call the police
immediately if they find a stran-
ger acting suspiciously. The police
welcome all calls and do not
resent false alarms. They try
to come to the scene immediately.
The police increase the number
of patrols of plainclothes officer s
in any area in proportion to the
growth of petty crime.
Above all, the Staff-Inspector
stresses that to prevent crime
neighbours should be neighbourlyand
alert.
Fifth Ave. Court
sold to Minto
By Belinda Silberman
Fifth Avenue Court has been
sold, leaving mall merchants uncertain
about their leasing agreement
s.
The 35-store complex was
secretly bought by Minto Management
from Fifth Avenue Realty
on Dec. 1.
However, the change of ownership
was not announced to Court
merchants until almost a week
later when mall-developer Phil
Waserman called a meeting and
introduced new owner Lawrence
Greenberg of Minto.
It came as "kind of a surprise"
says Mike Blanchard, owner and
manager of Grandma Lee's in
the mall.
But he says Minto, which is
essentially a residential builder
with some commercial holdings,
is a "large company with money."
He thinks this will allow the
new owners to "keep up the place
properly. "
Blanchard also believes Minto
"plans on honoring our leases."
Peter Thompson, part-owner
of Earfull Records (vvhich opened
in the mall late in 1979), says
"we-don't have many details yet"
about the change in ownership.
Neither Thompson nor Blanchard
knew why the znall was sold so
soon after opening, and Greenberg
wouldn't reveal the purchase
price.
"I'm not prepared to discuss
that, " Greenberg told the GLEBE
REP ORT.
Snow removal tricky problem for city this year
SNOW REMOVAL THIS YEAR HAS POSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR THE CITY.
crews. The picking up of snow
was done under contract by
Wheel-A-Way, a local company,
says Curry.
This year City officials are
asking for $8.9 million for the
clearing of roads. But City
Council will probably cut that a-
mount back, he says.
Meanwhile, Curry doesn't
foresee any great changes for
Glebe snow removal in the remaining
winter months.
Photo: Jinny Slyfield
"We hope to have average
conditions," he says. But he
adds that if temperatures continue
to plummet after storms,
there "will be no room for error"
for City snow clearing
trews.
But the young developer--who
is related to the former mayor--
says the purchase of Fifth Avenue
Court "was all done very
quickly".
"We were impressed with its
construction and its aesthetic s. "
He also says "We don't plan
revolutionary changes" ,in the
mall.
In the meantime, Minto's first
concerns are the "million things
that have to be resolved" at
Fifth Avenue Court, such as the
renting of vacant shop spaces.
Greenberg says Minto plans
to keep the- "inner-city, village
atmosphere" originally planned
for the mall. He says he intends
to rent the vacant spaces to
"individual merchants" as opposed
to "large chain stores."
Peter Thompson is confident
Minto will be able to "smooth
out the rough edges" left.
Thompson says Minto has already
sent crews around to clear
snow in back of the service entrance,
and to clean the mall's
floor s.
"Fifth Avenue Court's concept
won't be changed," Thompson
says.
Phil Waserman was not available
for comment.
Merchants doing
well, page 2
Curry admits "every resource
available has been used" and
so far it hasn't been enough "to
provide any better service."
Michael Hicks, a concerned
Glebe resident, has some solutions
for City snow removal.
He says Bank St. merchants
"should clear their own snow"
on the sidewalks in front of their
businesses. He says that in
Toronto, shop-owners are forced
by law to do their own snow
clearing.
Home-owners probably could
not be as easily persuaded, says
Hicks.
In the meantime, however, he
says the city should be doing
a better job clearing snow
at intersections.
l'here are "great mounds of
muck" at corners like Bank and
Queen, which make it hard for
pedestrians to cross, says Hicks.
Hicks says he's also concerned
about how the City dumps snow
in front of driveways. He says
that in Winnipeg, the City digs
the driveways out after plowing
the street, and then takes the
snow away.