Six Month Dundurn Street Closure

The Dundurn Street bridge is being replaced. Dundurn Street will be closed from Main Street to Hill Street starting January 8. The closure is expected to last for six months.

The Hamilton Public Works Department has issued a letter (PDF) and maps (PDF) outlining the closure.

For those of you who don’t have Acrobat Reader or don’t want to read the letters, it looks like the plan is to divert traffic along Frid Street and Chatham Street on the west side, and along Locke Street and Charlton Avenue on the east side.

There’s no doubt this will have a major impact on residents in the Kirkendall neighbourhood. This closure will be especially difficult for people who walk or cycle as their main means of transportation.

The Association would like to hear what you have to say about the closure here on the website and at our next neighbourhood meeting. We’ll take your concerns to City Hall.

Reminder: No Meeting This Week

This is just a reminder that there is no Neighbourhood Association meeting this week due to the holidays.

We will resume our normal meeting schedule in the New Year, starting January 17, 2007, at the Aberdeen Gardens at 7:00 PM.

Various Updates

Citizen appointments – from Brian McHattie’s office:

The City Clerk’s Department is now recruiting citizen volunteers for appointments to City Agencies, Boards & Committees (ABCs).

Information about each committee along with the application form is posted on the City’s website.

The deadline for applications is Friday, December 15 until 4:30 p.m.

The contact person in the Clerk’s Office is:

Irene Sturgeon, A.M.C.T.
Legislative Assistant
City Clerk’s Department
Hamilton City Hall
71 Main Street West, 2nd Floor
Hamilton, Ontario L8P 4Y5

Phone No. (905) 546-2424 ext. 5987
Fax No. (905) 546-2095

Leash free and vandalism – from Brian McHattie’s office:

Councillor Brian McHattie invites you to a meeting to discuss

+ The feasibility of creating a leash free facility at The Res (Highland Gardens Park) on Hillcrest Avenue
+ The Kirkendall Neighbourhood Policing Plan including strategies to reduce vandalism associated with the Res

City Staff and Hamilton Police Services will be present

Tuesday, December 12, 2006
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Aberdeen Gardens
330 Dundurn St. S.

Enter by the back door

Holiday tips from Hamilton Police – from Sgt. Jeffrey Copp:

Tips from Hamilton Police for a Happy and Safe Holiday

December 5, 2006 – Hamilton, ON

During the year-end holidays, people are often busy and can sometimes be a little careless. Hamilton Police ask citizens to consider the following holiday crime prevention tips and reduce the risk of making your holiday season not so merry.

Shopping
Lock your packages and gifts in your vehicle’s trunk. Keep you vehicle doors locked and windows closed.

Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a cheque, credit card, or debit card when possible.

To discourage purse-snatchers, don’t overburden yourself with packages.

Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse under your arm. Keep a wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not a back trouser pocket.

Teach children to go to a store clerk or security guard and ask for help if you become separated. They should never go into a parking lot alone.

At Home

Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave your house or apartment, even for a few minutes.

Don’t display holiday gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway. Store gifts before you go away on a holiday trip.

If you go out for the evening, turn on lights and a radio or television so the house or apartment appears to be occupied.

If you take a holiday trip away from your home, have some interior lights activated by an automatic timer. Have a neighbour or family member watch your house, shovel new snow, pick up the mail and newspaper and park his or her motor vehicle in your driveway from time to time.

Be wary of strangers soliciting for charitable donations. They may attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity during the holidays. Ask for identification, how donated funds are used, if contributions are tax deductible, etc. If you aren’t satisfied with the answers, don’t give.

Use only fire resistant ornaments on a holiday tree and make sure electric lights are in good working order. Don’t leave the ornamental lights on overnight or when you are away from home.

Pickpockets

Pickpockets like to take advantage of crowds in stores, on the street and on public transportation. Many work in teams with one distracting the victim while the other does the actual pickpocketing. Beware of anyone who jostles you. It may be accidental but, then again, it may not. For women who carry a purse, one that has a flap which folds over the opening and fastens at the bottom is preferable to one that can be opened simply by turning a clasp at the top. Men who carry wallets or a money clip should keep them in inner or side pockets rather than rear trouser pockets.

Holiday Break

The Association normally meets on the third Wednesday of each month, which would make our next normally scheduled meeting on December 20th. Due to the holiday season we have decided to skip this meeting since we think it’s unlikely we’ll have many attendees.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, January 17.

Have a safe and happy December!