The East York-Riverdale Mirror

What the spring thaw is revealing are many things that need to get fixed in East York in order to be able to enjoy spring when it finally arrives.

First and foremost, the streets of the former borough are in real need of repaving, not just repair, with some areas having moved well beyond potholes and into real crevasses.

If you want to see an example of how bad a road can be, just take Crescent Town road off of Dawes Road over to Victoria Park Avenue and be certain to be careful not to lose a wheel while doing so.

The next thing to be fixed is the graffiti, which really is out of control and should not be tolerated on either public or private property.

I get down to places such as Buffalo, New York, on a regular basis and even in the downtown core you simply do not see tagging or graffiti at the levels we are experiencing.

There is a real problem with both graffiti and vandalism over at Stan Wadlow Park, and in the valley containing Taylor Creek Park behind it, that needs to be seriously addressed.

The problem is not with the people who are using the successful skateboard park located there, but with a group that hangs out in the valley.

This group lurks under the bridge at Woodbine Avenue and O'Conner Drive and causes far too much damage to the valley, the public buildings found there and the community that surrounds it.

Frankly it's time for the police, local politicians and community groups to say "enough is enough" and reclaim our community.

Another point that should be of real concern for the community is the fact we've been without a central library for two years now and we've not even being offered a book mobile as a backup.

I'm talking about the S. Walter Stewart branch, which while definitely growing a little bit each time I go by, still seems to be mostly empty of work crews a great deal of the time.

I'd really like the Toronto library board to put up a notice board outside of the construction site telling us when they estimate it will be done.

While they are doing the construction, I would really like to see the words East York Community Library added to the entrance, which, if I remember, was noticeably absent from the original plans.

I throw it out to you as readers of this column and newspaper: what do you think needs to be fixed in our community?

It's 10 years after amalgamation and frankly I'm seeing our tax money flowing into other communities, many of which are fairly well off to begin with, while East York is getting shoved off to the side.