MARIE - Ishpeming Westwood beat the Glen Lake Lakers 62-40 on Thursday night ending a fantastic season for the Lakers Ishpeming Westwood will take on McBain in the quarterfinal PASCACK VALLEY—Five council races are contested in the Pascack Valley this Nov with Republicans and Democrats competing for seats Here’s a rundown of the candidates and their views in Westwood and Woodcliff Lake, and a quick look at the incumbents running unopposed in Montvale and River Vale Washington Township gets a breather from council campaigning this year For our report on candidates vying for seats in neighboring towns, see “Pascack Press Election Guide 2024: Emerson, Hillsdale, and Park Ridge” by Michael Olohan We’re also running an Emerson profile piece in this issue to add information subsequently added to the web version of the story Vying are  Republican incumbents Cheryl L We asked the candidates about the $1 million FEMA grant to elevate four flood-prone homes a drone study of Pascack Brook to help mitigate flooding and a $200,000 state-funded study by Stevens Institute of Technology to maximize reservoir capacity and minimize flooding “Grants like these are helpful and needed… However more long-term solutions for the Pascack Valley are still necessary to address climate change and give residents greater relief.” “We support data-driven efforts… We also need access to county resources to dredge waterways across neighboring municipalities.” they said their focus would be on: helping older residents age in place expanding partnerships with businesses and nonprofits and improving communication and transparency “FEMA grants provide a welcome option for residents to remain in their homes… However and acting as general contractors can be daunting.” they said it identified “problem areas” in four towns and will help in collaborating on remediation and seeking grants to restore capacity and flow to reservoirs They called the FIRO study “a first step” that will support legislation requiring reservoir operators to adopt flood mitigation protocols they will focus on parking and pedestrian safety and preserving open space to mitigate flooding incumbent Democratic Councilwoman Jennifer Friedberg Margolis and newcomer Brian J Longtime Councilwoman Jacqueline Gadaleta is not running for reelection Their Republican challengers are newcomers Morgan Mazor and Christopher Bonanno We asked the candidates about Valley Chabad’s move into a commercially zoned building ways to increase tax revenues given the depressed office market and Hilton closure “It’s important to support everyone in our community… I’m glad Valley Chabad found that space for them.” he said the focus should be on attracting new businesses to Broadway and Chestnut Ridge Road and developing a plan to refresh those areas He said his top priorities include: business corridor development and bringing the community together through town events organizations have more options… Valley Chabad found the perfect space.” She suggested creating a chamber of commerce and working with the economic development committee to attract companies to Woodcliff Lake “As a proud supporter of our community’s rich cultural tapestry I’m thrilled Valley Chabad found a new home… I applaud their efforts.” “We have a unique opportunity… Let’s partner with the new owners of the Hilton and BMW property to bring in projects that boost our tax base.” He pledged to focus on revitalizing neglected spaces Mazor echoed support for Valley Chabad and proposed repurposing underutilized office space to attract new businesses Montvale incumbents Dieter Koelling and Ann-Marie Russo-Vogelsang are running unopposed We invite their views on such issues as Montvale’s lawsuit challenging affordable housing obligations and River Vale’s under-construction public safety complex.  Fans flock to new trail at Woodcliff Lake Reservoir Hillsdale’s 125th Anniversary Journal $15 at library All content on this website is the property of The Press Group and is protected by copyright. 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To report any misuse, please contact us at PascackPress@ThePressGroup.net Westwood vs Lake Travis - 5pm - 3/21/2025 - Boys Soccer - Bi-district Playoffs - Live from Cavalier Stadium Sign In Subscribe Now Re: City finalizing plans for Westwood Lake improvements Phase 1 of the Westwood Lake upgrade is now complete Vehicles must park on the neighbourhood streets and carry all their stuff down the busy road The general public consensus is it’s pretty but a waste of space and could have accommodated the number of vehicles visiting the park The latest addition omits the access road through the first beach and forces all traffic through the winding congested new parking lot Furthermore vehicles using the boat launch now have to exit the park and use the public road to try and find a parking spot after dropping off their toys and stuff E-mails to the City of Nanaimo came back avoiding my questions about future growth and safety Nanaimo is one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada Your tax dollars were used to create this fiasco READ ALSO: City of Nanaimo finalizing plans for Westwood Lake beach expansion I have lived in Nanaimo for a long time and have experienced tremendous growth during my years here While progress is positive as a revitalization strategy I am a regular to Westwood Lake and I applaud the efforts to increase parking I am left to wonder if any consideration was made to the Nanaimo we have now and certainly there seems to be little if any consideration for the future Nanaimo It does not take a city planner to forecast the growth of Nanaimo given we are one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada I understand the move to get people out of cars and on bikes It is an unrealistic goal for the lake as people come with lawn chairs The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press Media or the Nanaimo News Bulletin Letters policy: Letters should be no longer than 250 words and will be edited Preference is given to letters expressing an opinion on issues of local relevance or responding to items published in the News Bulletin Include your address (it won’t be published) and a first name or two initials About the Author: Nanaimo Bulletin News Staff Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines Rouse and Westwood all took key Game 1 wins Thursday as the UIL high school baseball playoffs began for most Austin-area teams in their best-of-three bi-district series Friday sees most of the above teams go for the series sweep while in Class 6A Weiss starts its series vs Mansfield Lake Ridge and the Class 5A series of Liberty Hill vs Here’s a look at the 6A and 5A action from Thursday: Lake Travis 1: In the surprise of the night the Warriors — who on Monday rallied late in a play-in game vs Vandegrift just to qualify for the playoffs as the No 4 seed out of District 25 — received a strong start from Owen Norrell two shutout innings of relief from Jacob Wright and timely hitting to take the series opener at Lake Travis Norrell struck out seven and allowed only one hit in five innings and Lane Wood’s two-run single in the third staked Westwood to an early lead Jackson Gula’s RBI single and Ridge Morgan’s two-run hit in the fifth put the Warriors ahead 5-0 John Ramsey and Grant Boren also had hits for Westwood More: High school baseball playoff preview: Austin-area teams, pitchers and field players to watch Vista Ridge 0 (8): Jaden Corzine’s walk-off hit-by-pitch gave the Bulldogs the extra-inning win in an impressive series-opening pitchers’ duel at Lehman Ryder Melsa struck out nine and allowed just one hit in 7⅔ innings for Bowie with Andre Wood also fanning nine in seven shutout innings to lead the Rangers Luke Knittel started the bottom of the eighth with a single for the Bulldogs then a walk and an intentional walk loaded the bases Corzine was plunked on the second pitch he saw to lift Bowie Blake Cox and Jaxon Conover combined for a one-hit shutout and the Tigers pushed across three runs in the third to take the series opener at home Gavin Hoel’s RBI double was the highlight of the third with courtesy runner Nick Tyndall scoring on a passed ball and an error leading to the third run with Conover retiring the side in the seventh Theo Howard and Conover all had hits for Dripping Springs Johnson 2: The Dragons opened the postseason in impressive fashion as Sam DeLong struck out seven in five innings Isaac Rodriguez tossed two perfect innings in relief and Dylan Goddard had four hits to lead the way in the series opener at Johnson Chris Alsobrooks smacked an RBI single in the first and Jacob Gayman hit a sacrifice fly to score Goddard in the second to give Round Rock an early lead The Jaguars tied the game on Ethan McLain’s two-run homer in the bottom of the second but that would be their only hit of the game a wild pitch and Jake Staretz’s sacrifice fly plated two Dragons in the fourth with Connor Digesualdo’s two-run single the highlight of a three-run sixth Hudson Ellis’ RBI hit gave Round Rock its final run in the seventh More: 25 Austin-area baseball players having breakout seasons Smithson Valley 2: Rayner Heinrich and Andrew Sanchez homered Oscar Salazar and Xander Forsell each hit two doubles and Gavin Silva struck out eight in 5⅔ innings to lead the Raiders in the series opener at Smithson Valley Sanchez’s two-run blast in the sixth gave Rouse a 4-1 lead Heinrich cleared the fence in left field in the seventh with a two-run shot of his own Nathan Miller pitched a perfect seventh to close it out for the Raiders McCallum 1: Asher Kirchoff struck out 10 in six shutout innings and Patrick Reyes belted a run-scoring double to lead the Patriots in the series opener at Manor New Tech Golmon’s RBI triple in the second gave East View a lead it would never relinquish with Reyes’ RBI double giving Kirchoff an insurance run in the fifth a walk and three errors led to the Patriots’ three runs in the seventh Crockett 3: Gavin Fierro and Cole McCracken both went 2-for-5 with a double Connor Padilla finished 2-for-3 with a double and Traden Hendrix had three hits to lead the Hawks to an easy win in the series opener at Lehman Navarro 1: The Eagles cruised in the series opener at Liberty Hill Luke Holley hit two doubles and drove in five runs and Talan Ball and Jackson Rainey both had three RBIs to lead Georgetown which is warning everyone on to stay off of frozen surfaces on all of the city’s lakes Signs are posted at city parks advising that people should never assume ice is safe should never use ice for a shortcut across a body of water and should never go out onto the ice to retrieve a toy or an animal Anyone who sees someone fall through ice should call 911 immediately.  "Ice on our lakes is a rare occurrence and as tempting as it could be to venture out on what looks to be a frozen body of water we ask that you choose to stay safe and avoid a potential accident," said Mayor Leonard Krog in a press release Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Westwood Lake Park is being used as the pilot site for the City of Nanaimo in an effort to develop accessible park signage guidelines that can be implemented across the city "If you're in a park and not able to read the sign or access the information it shows we're not thinking of you and all of our park users and we have a real opportunity with Westwood Lake because we have the opportunity to set a new standard," said Charlotte Davis Nanaimo's acting director of facility and parks operations Davis presented an accessible wayfinding project to Nanaimo's advisory committee on accessibility and inclusiveness at a meeting Wednesday The project is currently in the feedback stage without any firm sign prototypes.  Davis explained that Westwood Lake was chosen in particular due to the smorgasbord of signage that she referred to as "an opportunity." "We clearly know we can do so much better than some of these examples," she explained. "Some of the work we're doing at Westwood Lake it's a high-value project and we want to continue that through to the signage as well." The height of signs are a core component of the planned guidelines so that the main information being presented will be in eye-line of most people including those who use wheelchairs which is outside of safety and wayfinding but includes regulatory information Current proposals include the possibility of adding QR codes to scan for up-to-date information including receiving a verbal instruction on the trail's inclines through guided audio Braille signage options were also discussed When it came to QR codes, one issue brought up by committee members was the limited internet connectivity in some of the region's parks, and Davis added that the city has foreseen this problem at Neck Point Park and other areas near Hammond Bay Road until a planned cellular tower is in service. There was no timeline stated on when the sign prototype will be available.  One of Nanaimo's favourite spots for walking jogging and swimming could look a little bit different next year The City of Nanaimo is finalizing plans for Phase 2 improvements at Westwood Lake Park and is hoping to start on the work as soon as this fall Plans were presented to the city's advisory committee on accessibility and inclusiveness at a meeting Wednesday principal landscape architect with the Tula Project introduced some of the proposed Phase 2 improvements to the committee "One of the big asks was to increase the beach area so you'll see a beach area quite significantly increased in area bordered by a seating feature with tiered seating down from a very wide and accessibly created pathway that connects all the trail system around Westwood Lake to the existing washrooms as well as second beach," she said "That was a primary connection that we wanted to ensure that we focused on making to complete the loop that everyone is running and cycling and walking and wheeling through every day." The committee felt one accessible washroom wasn't enough and recommended that city council ask for a report on options to add another.  was asked if the recommendation would delay the project and replied in an e-mail to the News Bulletin that that will depend on council's direction If council wishes to follow the committee's recommendation staff will "quickly return" with options a week later to try to mitigate potential schedule changes "These options will each have different budget and schedule impacts and depending on which option council directs staff to proceed with we may end up starting construction a bit later than we had planned," he said A revised management plan will take into account additional land that has been added to Mount Benson Regional Park Regional District of Nanaimo staff are in the process of updating the guiding document for Mount Benson park which encompasses land in both the RDN and the City of Nanaimo. The regional district announced acquisition of two parcels of close to 80 hectares from Mosaic Forest Management in August 2022 intended to bridge Westwood Lake with Mount Benson Amendments to the previous 2010-20 plan are intended to "address emerging issues and provide direction for the two new land parcels … and provide direction for managing recreation and conservation opportunities in the park for the next 10 years," stated a March 18 committee of the whole staff report RDN general manager of recreation and parks an archeological overview assessment and preliminary park analysis which includes trail condition and environmental field assessments on the two plots Work thus far has included a workshop with stakeholders Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club and Island Mountain Ramblers who have an agreement to maintain the park's trails told the committee that public engagement is anticipated to take place later this spring.  Information gathered will help formulate the park management plan "Once we get the plan refined, have the community engagement we'll have a really good sense of what the improvements could be special-use improvements for mountain biking or hiking or walking," he said utilizing our growing community funds that we have." He added that the community fund has $400,000 earmarked which is a good sum of money to put toward improvements.     The RDN enlisted the services of Lanarc Consultants to spearhead the project with assistance from regional district staff The committee accepted the staff report as an information item Access for vehicles to Westwood Lake Park has changed as the city gets ready to start the second phase of park improvements planned for this fall and winter According to a city press release Wednesday the third gate access into the park at the end of Westwood Road will now be accessible for boat launch traffic only All other vehicles entering the park must now do so through the new parking lot on Westwood Road The gravel parking lot close to the second beach is accessible through the new parking lot Park users are asked to follow on-site signage and traffic control people will be on site this week and through the Canada Day long weekend to help park visitors get used to the change The traffic access change coincides with minor beach maintenance that includes removal of the old metal railing at the rear of the beach and topping up of beach sand The release noted the traffic access changes this week are temporary and intended to help park users get used to changes coming as part of Phase 2 of the project "Access to Nanaimo's waterfront is one of the most commonly requested community park requests Improvements to the beach and amenities at Westwood Lake Park will make water access easier and safer for fun fitness and relaxation," said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog in the press release Two designs for a boathouse at Long Lake are before council with Nanaimo's finance committee meeting recommending the cheaper $6.5-million option over a $10.8-million design.  The build would replace Loudon Park's existing boathouse and washrooms which user groups say are ill-equipped to meet the needs of rowers our indoor training and meeting space for inclement weather and event hosting and improvements to the park for greater accessibility and inclusive programming," said Ashley Rowe speaking to the committee at a meeting Wednesday She explained that out of all Nanaimo's bodies of water Long Lake is the ideal location for canoe and kayak racing.  which we need as our safety boat on the water – Westwood Lake doesn't allow powerboats," Rowe said but we're really stuck because we need that 1,000-metre distance for a race course bicycle paths – it's the ideal location for this type of activity." The $6.5-million option is currently at a schematic stage and features two separate buildings The first building is described in a staff report as primarily a pre-engineered steel warehouse-style facility for boat storage with a timber-frame component for club space The second building is a timber-frame structure with accessible public washrooms built in the location of the existing public washrooms The alternative design is approximately 40 per cent smaller than the primary design The $10.8-million version would have had a gross floor area of 10,500 square feet and included architectural features such as mass timber Approximately 29 trees would have to be removed to accommodate the larger design Hilary Eastmure moved the motion to recommend the cheaper $6.5-million option to council "I'm confident if we were to move [the alternative design] as it stands today we would be able to work and finesse that so it works for everyone's needs preserves a large chunk of the park for public use and then really addresses the critical needs which is the washroom and the safe boat storage," Eastmure said "[The alternative design] gets us to doing something quickly on this we've delayed this for so many years."  Janice Perrino seconded the recommendation although she recognized "it's not perfect." "Let's just get the shovel in the ground to get these people what they need the price is less but maybe the groups can do some more fundraising It will be nice to see some improvements." who previously advocated to further explore alternative designs, said a positive about the alternative option is it allows the immediate needs to be met it addresses issues currently with the park and it addresses space needs with the paddling group and it does not close the door on expanding the park and further builds to put more community space," he said with the Nanaimo Rowing Club, spoke on behalf of the Long Lake Flatwater Training Centre Society a group working toward the creation of a new training facility at Long Lake She told councillors that while there were ways of making both options work the cheaper choice would result in a lack of community space at the site what was a large rent hall space for the community where they could have weddings Mayor Leonard Krog was the sole vote in opposition arguing that the city should be building something for longevity "We're not ever going to create another Long Lake This is the only place in the future that we will ever see this kind of use – kayakers – all the user groups that are currently active and have presented to us this morning," the mayor said will in time probably prove inadequate in terms of size unless the city acquires more land around Loudon Park Before the finance committee's recommendation can go ahead council will need to direct staff to increase the project budget by about $1.9 million funded from the special initiatives reserve. There is currently $4.7 million in the budget for the project The Nanaimo RCMP hope the public can help identify a man believed responsible for stealing several hundred dollars from the till at the Westwood Campground Surveillance cameras show the suspect arriving Monday at 5:54 a.m which was later reported stolen from Fourth Street who wore a full face shield covered with Rockstar and Fox stickers forced it open and took the money and then drove away on the dirt bike The entire incident took less than five minutes appeared to be in his late 20s and wore blue jeans and a green or grey hoodie please contact Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 keyword Nanaimo or go online at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com and receive top headlines in your inbox Monday to Saturday No one is the state believed Westwood would advance in the Class 6A playoffs 4 seed out of District 25-6A after beating Vandegrift in a play-in game earlier in the week just to make the playoffs finished off an eye-opening sweep of Lake Travis in the bi-district round with a 3-2 win Saturday at East View High School “We expect to win when we step on the field,” Westwood coach Casey Carter said “I don’t think many people gave us much of a shot but our pitching staff is our strength and giving up three hits in two games against a team like that is a testament to our guys.” Lake Travis entered the playoffs with arguably the most impressive regular season in the Austin area. The Cavs won 25 games and went 15-1 in winning a loaded District 26-6A, but after Westwood received a brilliant pitching performance from Owen Norrell during Thursday's 5-1 first-game win they were suddenly on the verge of a playoff exit Ridge Morgan continued Westwood’s pitching dominance Saturday striking out eight and allowing only one hit in 6⅓ innings to pace the Warriors Wright came in with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with a 3-1 lead and induced a fly ball and groundout around a walk to push the Warriors into the area round for the second time in three years trusted our defense and pitched to contact which is what we preached all year,” Carter said “We have three really good starters and have a lot of guys that didn’t even pitch this series that we have a lot of faith in.” three walks and an error to score twice in the first then took a 3-0 lead in the second on Morgan’s RBI double to left Morgan retired the side four times in six innings before loading the bases in the seventh But Wright finished off the game and Westwood sent shockwaves across the state while proving its doubters wrong 'We’re not done yet,' and we’ve kind of embraced that and run with it It’s been a rallying cry for us the last couple of weeks.” Rouse is the team no one wants to see in the Class 5A playoffs A year after making a run to the regional final as a No the Raiders finished off a relatively easy bi-district sweep of Smithson Vallley on Saturday with a 7-1 win at home Rouse outscored a 23-win Rangers team 13-3 over two games and Oscar Salazar and Carson Henderson combined for a no-hitter in Game 2 so we pitched well,” Rouse coach Chad Krempin said “This week in practice we went to work to fix some things offensively More: UIL baseball playoffs: Bowie, East View, Georgetown, Hendrickson sweep into area round Salazar struck out 10 in 5⅔ innings and helped himself at the plate going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs Landon Miller also had two hits for the Raiders Salazar’s RBI single highlighted a three-run third with Andrew Sanchez belting a run-scoring triple in the fourth Salazar came through again in the sixth by hitting a two-run double to finish off Rouse’s night offensively Henderson struck out three of the four batters he saw in relief and Jacob Soliz went 1-for-1 with a double two walks and two runs scored in other notable numbers for the Raiders who earlier this season earned his 500th career win said there wasn’t any one reason why the Raiders perennially perform well in May but he did note he puts an emphasis on the playoffs and a few aspects of the game throughout the year “There are teams out there with better talent than us and I push these kids hard all season so that we’re hopefully playing well at the right time,” he said “We want to put the ball in play more than the opponent but that and playing well on defense has kind of been the formula for me all these years.” Cedar Ridge 1: Jaxon Conover tossed a complete game scattering five hits and allowing no earned runs and both Dom Hurley and Traigh Perry had RBI singles to lead the Tigers to the win in the series-deciding Game 3 at Dripping Springs Trailing 1-0 after the Raiders scored an unearned run to start the game Hurley singled home Taylor Tracey in the bottom of the first and Perry brought home Nick Tyndall in the third Johnson 0: Jacob Gayman went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer Chris Alsobrooks was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Isaac Rodriguez Josh Horvath and Brandon Smith combined for a two-hit shutout as the Dragons won Game 3 and the series at Del Valle LASA 1: The Wildcats completed their bi-district sweep in five innings at home Jalen Owens struck out nine and only allowed two hits in a complete game on the mound while Austin Miller went 3-for-3 with three RBIs Cason Nalle went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI and Elgin took advantage of 10 walks Cedar Park rolls on: The Timberwolves routed San Antonio Pieper 11-0 and 7-1 in two games played Friday and Saturday at Bastrop Brady Richardson threw a complete-game shutout with five strikeouts and went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored to help himself at the plate Carter Woehl and Mack Galindo all had two hits and combined for five RBIs and three runs scored Luke O’Malley tossed 5⅓ innings and Kyle McClure finished the final five outs on the mound Jake Cowlishaw went 2-for-2 with a double and run scored and Drew Robertson Logan Hedges and Richardson all had two hits What happened?A saga involving a Little Free Library at Westwood Lakes Park reveals Florida’s deep political unrest   A closer look at the Little Free Library erected by Jenny Wear in her neighborhood park [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]Published Nov 2023TAMPA — Jenny Wear rode her bike past her Little Free Library She’d spent much of 2023 getting the book box running in Westwood Lakes Park 26: a blue rectangle painted with a rainbow bursting from a book a motif adapted from the PBS classic “Reading Rainbow.” Wear had added words she tells her children: “You are loved Wear had gone on a spree at local bookstores but certain titles she had never seen before; that was thrilling The box was becoming a self-sustaining organism moving literature in and out We are going to unpack what happened to the book box because what happened to the book box is a microcosm of what has happened to Florida This is a state where the government from the top down has signed off on hostility and suspicion Where skittish neighbors surveil and report poised to anonymously brawl behind keyboards in off-white developments Where a single person fed up with rainbows and pronouns can work local governments into a lather Where people with good intentions are left disillusioned And nestled along the northwestern edge of Hillsborough County in a community with tree-lined streets and committees to approve landscaping lies one bit of fallout: a sideways book box reclaimed from the county and 46 titles adding banned books to boxes around Tampa Bay as a gesture of public will in public spaces Since then, Floridians have witnessed mandates aimed at wiping the mere discussion of LGBTQ+ identities from school. They’ve navigated crackdowns on books led by Moms for Liberty and attempted to parse flimsy laws that enable precisely this kind of chaos. Per Pen America, Florida has assumed the embarrassing crown of leading the nation in book bans. Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. Now imagine that one little rainbow book box disappears Jenny Wear holds the Little Free Library that she erected in her neighborhood park It was removed by the county due to a permitting issue [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]• • •The story of the vanishing library comes together through emails started researching how to install a book box for Westwood Lakes Park in March between her career in marketing and life as a mom to three She wanted to connect with neighbors over something positive She wanted a repository for her book-buying habit And she was well aware that books were under attack in Florida She’d seen an article about Little Free Libraries sprouting in Old Seminole Heights thanks to a mini grant The city referred her to a Hillsborough County park planner He referred her to project manager Samantha Phillips The two labored to land on a location at the Hillsborough County pocket park with no staff victim to fireworks pranks that also damaged a slide Wear sent Phillips photos of the blue box in shards Wear scouted a quieter slice of the park and sent photos Wear spent eight hours painting the new box including swaths of colors used in Pride flags celebrating people of color and transgender people “I feel so strongly that everyone needs to feel represented.” Wear crouched and read to a circle of children Jenny Wear stands close to the first location where she placed the Little Free Library near a park slide at Westwood Lakes Park in Tampa [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]• • •Subject: Offensive material Message: I am a resident of the Westwood Lakes community We have a county park at our entrance and a free library was recently put up Although I agree with the concept it is the content that is offensive The box is painted in the colors of the LGBTQ community and the books inside are about gender This is free and front row in a public county park I have no issue with one’s rights to express themselves but I’m (sic) an appropriate area This is a quiet residential family neighborhood that we want to remain neutral and leave these teachings to individual parents The complaint came to Hillsborough County on Oct along with a photo Wear herself had posted on social media It features her hand holding two books: “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” an essay collection by David Sedaris and “The Pronoun Book” by Chris Ayala-Kronos a children’s book that explains inclusive pronouns planning and athletics manager Gregory Brown wrote to another manager: Please have this removed and the hole filled in Hold the box at the North unit for 3 months to see if someone contacts us Or see if it is registered online and contact to pick up We do not support the little free library at unmanned parks at this point Wear and friends started calling and emailing the county hearing dominoes of rumors and explanations: It was the content but whether Wear had permission to install the box urging neighbors to email parks and recreation director Rick Valdez he filed a request and gave her the complaint “There are a lot more dangerous things in the park than a box of books,” Baldini told me who offered an interview with recreation services manager Adrienne Rouse Phillips was trying to be helpful but overstepped The county hasn’t typically allowed Little Free Libraries in unstaffed parks since the pandemic an employee can keep tabs — but wouldn’t vet books there’s at least one other unstaffed book box still standing not too far away at Country Run Park Hadn’t Jenny Wear tried to follow procedure It turns out the procedure isn’t written down anywhere but Rouse said it involves contacting the department’s general request line and the message filtering up to the right people Rouse said the department will be meeting to reexamine this Did this ordeal have anything to do with the rainbow or the books inside “I’m glad that you asked that,” Rouse said “It didn’t have any effect at all on the removal It was more the fact that that citizen complaint drew attention to the fact that the box was there.” She went on: “We’re not taking a position on anyone’s sexual choices or gender choices or religious choices or financial choices Parks is all about inclusivity and neutral space and people feeling welcome.” it appears the county cowered to one complaint amid a hot-button political year That the county is blaming the mess on Wear and Phillips I can see how there’s a lot of passion behind the installation of this … I can see how this took a wrong turn quickly.” The county has invited Wear to put her box — rainbow books and all — at the Westchase Park and Recreation Center about a 10-minute drive from Wear’s neighborhood park She can work with her homeowner’s association to install a box in her community Wear plans to do both after taking a moment to regroup But more than one person privately thanked her for painting the box Wear provided every bit of paper trail she had “Not because I don’t think you can find it anyway,” she said Anger and hate for him had started ramping up in the comments of her posts Maybe that kind of hasty reaction got us humans into these bitter situations in the first place She started to compose a diplomatic quote; I asked her to just be real After nearly a year of following Florida’s intellectual erosion circling the feedback loop of knee-jerk decisions and equivocation enduring bizarre bullhorns of regressive frenzy legitimized via opaque policies Eager to extract any meaning from this mess to signal that civility even if they ruined something that was a dream of mine,” she said For weekly bonus content and a look inside columns by Stephanie Hayes, sign up for the free Stephinitely newsletter. Stephanie Hayes is a columnist offering her thoughts on current events, life and culture. She can be reached at shayes@tampabay.com. They may look cute but you should think twice before getting close – wild bears are active again across Vancouver Island On May 29, the City of Nanaimo warned through a social media post that people should exercise caution in parks and trails after a bear was spotted near the off-leash dog area at Colliery Dam Park. A week later, on June 3, another had been spotted near the SPCA on Westwood Lake Road The only bears native to Vancouver Island are black bears which are much more timid than the larger grizzlies spokesperson with WildSafeBC said it isn’t uncommon for bears to be out-and-about this time of the year usually they’re accessing some kind of attractant in the area and it’s really important that people are aware what attractants are – usually the biggest one is garbage,” De Romeri said De Romeri advises people be safe and treat the bear with respect and give it space people should ensure they aren't encouraging bears to linger about the city To reduce attractants, the City of Nanaimo advises that residents keep garbage carts secured ahead of collection day and reduce odours in the trash including with wrapping smelly food in newspaper Another tip is using vinegar and baking soda to clean the cart De Romeri said most bear attacks are defensive in nature and over half of all of black bear attacks in North American involve a dog as they can be seen as either prey or threats by the bear “Dogs have approached bears and cubs and basically what ends up happening is they end up chasing the bear for a little bit until the bear gets tired of that then they turn around and chase the dog back Usually that ends up with an injury on the bear and a lot of the time it brings the bear right back to the person.” they should give the bear space by backing up letting the bear know that a human is present so usually once we show them that we’re not a threat to them they take off in the opposite direction,” De Romeri said The WildSafeBC  spokesperson advises people not to run as it may trigger an instinctual predatory chase response from the wild animal you’re just not going to outrun a bear,” said De Romeri is a program by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation dedicated to education and information to reduce conflicts between people and wild animals around B.C A Nanaimo-based seasonal community co-ordinator for WildSafeBC is anticipated to start mid-June marking the second summer in a row a community co-ordinator will be stationed in the community the public can contact them through e-mail at nanaimo@wildsafebc.com MIAMI-DADE COUNTY Residents of the Westwood Lakes community are urging Miami-Dade County officials to intervene after one of their neighbors installed three large structures in their backyard The homeowner has a county permit for three storage sheds but neighbors said the structures -- which have multiple doors and windows -- are so large and unsightly that they are more like mobile homes it looks like shanty town," neighbor Bobbie Johns said The structures sit along the 4700 block of Southwest 109th Court in an area zoned for single family homes Neighbors are worried that the trailers could become rental units "My biggest concern is that many sheds are going to be rented out to several people and that we can’t even find out who they are," neighbor Marivi Betancourt said said the sheds meet the zoning requirements because the structures do not cover more than 30 percent of the property Florin also said that there is no evidence that anyone is living in the sheds She said code inspectors toured the property last week after complaints from neighbors The structures were empty and were not outfitted with electricity or plumbing  Florin said "If at any point someone believes the sheds are being used as residences they should contact code enforcement so that they may conduct an inspection of the property," Florin said The owner of the sheds declined to be interviewed for this story "A lot of people are getting pretty angry about the situation," Johns said Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. It wasn’t quite like a scene from the Piranha movie series but two fishermen were surprised when they caught something much different from the rainbow trout they were angling for said he’d recommended Thomas Lee and Lee’s friend try their luck catching trout at Westwood Lake on Tuesday The university students were fishing from the bluff rocks in Westwood Lake one of Nanaimo’s most popular summertime swimming areas when something hit Lee’s bait and he reeled in what appeared to be a piranha took pictures with a cell phone and sent them to Cho “They sent the pictures to me to confirm what this is He recommended Lee file a report with the B.C Conservation Officer Service and put the fish in their refrigerator at home so conservation officers could study the remains Lands and Natural Resources did not have anyone available for comment but did confirm in an e-mail Friday that the fish was positively identified as a red-bellied piranha Cho said he has spoken with other anglers who told him they caught a fish that looked like a piranha in Westwood Lake earlier in the year when the fish was submitted to ministry staff and also identified as a red-bellied piranha “[Fishermen] worry about them spreading through the lake because if somebody caught one before so that’s a big concern and then if a piranha really found a mate over there maybe it’s dangerous to the kids,” Cho said READ ALSO: What’s so great about Westwood Lake? manager of Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C.’s Vancouver Island Trout Hatchery in Duncan expressed surprise at the news of the catch The hatchery stocks central Vancouver Island lakes with catchable size rainbow trout twice each year but we do hear these random sporadic stories of it and just speaks to how the public needs to be better educated on moving invasive species … I assume that’s an aquarium fish that somebody’s released thinking that’s somewhere their pet would do well,” Robbins said Robbins said piranhas are warm water fish and likely would not fare well in temperatures under 24 C but as soon as winter comes I don’t think that thing would be very likely to survive … but in the summer months they could wreak a lot of havoc just by eating all the fish in there,” he said Conservation Officer Service e-mail also confirmed piranhas can’t survive Nanaimo’s winter temperatures and that there has been no opportunity to study the potential impact of piranhas as an invasive species in Canada or the U.S since the fish haven’t successfully established themselves in the 13 U.S which all have warmer water temperatures than in Canada “The red-bellied piranha does have the reputation of being an aggressive predator to humans While care should be taken when handling them live the risk to humans is low,” the e-mail noted The BCCOS also said the piranhas were likely aquarium fish dumped in the lake and cautioned the public to never buy aquarium fish from overseas and also to ensure fish and other aquarium plants and rocks are not invasive before buying unwanted aquarium pets should be donated to a local pet store or offices and never dumped or flushed into local waterways Diseased fish cannot be donated and should be humanely euthanized and disposed of in a landfill “Persons convicted for a first offence of the illegal movement of aquatic invasive species could be fined up to $100,000 and/or a prison term of up to 12 months and for a second offence a fine of not more than $200,000 and not less than $2,000 and/or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years,” the e-mail noted People who suspect they’ve caught an introduced species are asked to report it to the nearest Forest Land and Natural Resources office or call the RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line at 1-877-952-7277 has not replied to a request for an interview READ ALSO: Nanaimo beekeepers take down nest of giant hornets photos@nanaimobulletin.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter The first phase of Westwood Lake Park improvements is well underway with concrete being delivered by the truckload to create curbs and parking slots the work will enhance natural green spaces and lessen the environmental impact from vehicles by reconstructing the parking area using permeable and impermeable surfaces The project design also improves parking lot “circulation flow,” and adds safety features and four more accessible parking stalls Mobility improvements along Westwood Road for pedestrians and cyclists have also been included as part of the project Trees cut down to make way for the project have also been put to use Twelve logs were donated to the Mid-Island Woodworkers Guild for a program in partnership with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools Other logs will be made into benches and landscaping features Native trees and shrubs will be planted and stormwater management areas and rain gardens to capture and filter rainwater Permeable parking lot pavers will help with runoff water treatment along with two rain gardens and “through- style” catch basins will let people see stormwater entering the rain gardens Work is expected to wrap up in time for May long weekend To learn more about this project, visit getinvolvednanaimo.ca READ ALSO: Nanaimo councillors recommend reconstruction of parking lot at Westwood Lake chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter The bizarre catch of a piranha last week at Westwood Lake in British Columbia is a concern but experts say the public has little to worry about “The red-bellied piranha is a tropical fish and cannot survive in our winter climate,” the B.C. Conservation Officer Service stated in a Facebook announcement Piranha are native to the Amazon and other South America river basins notorious for their sharp teeth and voracious feeding behavior The catch last Tuesday by college student Thomas Lee was at least the second catch of a piranha in Westwood Lake since late July in Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island is a popular summertime swimming hole surrounded by hiking and biking trails Sam Cho, an avid angler, told the Nanaimo Bulletin that fishermen “worry about them spreading through the lake because if somebody caught one before And then if a piranha really found a mate … maybe it’s dangerous to the kids.” explained that both piranha probably were unwanted aquarium pets released into the lake “The COS would like to remind the public that introducing an aquatic invasive species can have harmful impacts ecosystem and other species,” the agency stated The COS said that releasing invasive fish into waterways is against the law punishable by jail sentences of up to one year and fines of up to $100,000 hatchery manager for the company that stocks trout in the area told the Nanaimo Bulletin that piranha "would not fare well” in water under 75 degrees so the onset of winter should kill any piranha that might remain in Westwood Lake but as soon as winter comes I don’t think that thing would be very likely to survive,” Robbins said “But in the summer months they could wreak a lot of havoc just by eating all the fish in there.” The COS is investigating both catches and asks people who might have helpful information to telephone its Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline –Images of a red-bellied piranha are courtesy of the B.C Conservation Officers Service and Wikipedia A new parking area at a popular lake and recreation area in Nanaimo is now open the City of Nanaimo noted in a press release “safer for park users and the environment,” according to the city Other elements include a storm water system that captures and filters rainwater Park users are asked to adhere to direction signs in the coming weeks the city reminds residents that the park remains an active construction site The second phase of work will see the beach expanded and accessible and inclusive washrooms contained in a new amenity building Second-phase work is scheduled to begin in late 2024 Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said he hopes the improved accessibility makes Westwood Lake more enjoyable “Making park access easier and safer helps us all enjoy one of Nanaimo’s favourite places for fun fitness and relaxation,” he said in the press release “The beautiful natural surroundings of Westwood Lake attract locals and visitors year-round and continues to grow in popularity year after year.” For more information on the next phases, go to www.getinvolvednanaimo.ca RELATED: Concrete poured at Westwood Lake Park’s parking lot karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Westwood: After helping Westwood win a state team tennis title in the fall with a 20-0 record Singh teamed with Kiana Graham in mixed doubles play in the spring The duo didn’t drop a set at the spring state tournament before falling to the team from Plano West in the title match Lake Travis: Dania made the most of her first trip to the spring state tournament beating Westwood’s Jessica Lu to claim the Class 6A girls singles title to form a formidable doubles team during the team tennis season Westwood: Singh did his part for state champion Westwood in the fall Singh topped Taylor Stafford of Houston Memorial 6-2 Thrall: Dubec shook off some nerves in his first set at the spring Class 2A state tournament Connally: Nguyen became the school’s first boys player to qualify for the spring state tournament when he reached the finals of the Class 5A Region III tournament Nguyen fell to Lubbock Cooper’s Brice Bradshaw 6-2 Austin High: Back in Class 6A after two years in 5A the Maroons enjoyed a stellar season with a run to regionals in team tennis and multiple spots in the spring state meet Plunkett played a big role in both semesters including earning a boys doubles spot in the spring with partner Oliver Johnson Westlake: One of just three area boys to earn a spot at the spring meet in singles play French gave eventual state champion Carter Crookston of Clear Creek his closest match of the tournament in a 6-4 Lake Travis: Dania got stronger as the 6A girls singles title match went along 6-2 to become the third Lake Travis girls singles champion this decade and the third Austin area girl to win the Class 6A crown in five years Westwood: The 2017 Class 6A girls singles champion Graham played on the top line for Westwood’s state championship team in the fall and reached the finals of the spring’s 6A mixed doubles state bracket with partner Singh Vandegrift: A state champion in girls doubles as a freshman Cusano saw her prep career come full circle when she and partner Anisha Apte avenged a regional finals loss with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Melissa Vizcardo and Avery Hillbig of The Woodlands in the 6A girls doubles title match Thorndale: One of the most dominant small-school singles players in the state Laywell defended her Class 2A title with a flawless performance in a 6-0 Westwood: Another weapon in Westwood’s embarrassment of tennis riches the 6-foot-1 sophomore helped the Warriors win a team tennis state title and reached the finals of the 6A spring girls singles tournament A VIU student died after going into medical distress while swimming at Westwood Lake said a young adult male was swimming with friends at the lake and was making his way back to a swim dock when he went into medical distress for unknown reasons at about 8 p.m “There were several people on scene who started CPR which was commenced for an extended period of time,” O’Brien said Ambulance Service and RCMP responded to the incident Resuscitation attempts were initially successful and the patient was transported to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital but the victim died at approximately 5 a.m Police have not released other details about the victim’s identity and O’Brien said the incident is now in the hands of the B.C Vancouver Island University president and vice-chancellor confirmed it was one of the institution’s students who died I want to offer my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the student’s family their friends here at Vancouver Island University and abroad and to everyone that knew and loved them,” Saucier said in the release The statement went on to say VIU will not be providing information about the victim’s identity or details about the cause of death out of respect for the student’s privacy The university is providing support and assistance for the student’s friends The victim’s family overseas has been informed Saucier encouraged VIU students and employees to check in on one another and access counselling supports on campus Online counselling supports have also been made available “I ask everyone in our VIU community and in Nanaimo to fill our hearts with compassion for the student’s family and friends and keep them close in your thoughts at this terrible time,” Saucier said READ MORE: Nanaimo first responders deploy boat at Westwood Lake to assist injured woman Westwood Village sits in the middle of a rare constellation of commercial districts Spago and the extravagance of Beverly Hills Century City offers a resplendent new multiplex and every imaginable upscale chain store Santa Monica's Promenade ranks as the paragon of L.A the ersatz streets of The Grove and CityWalk attract "destination" shoppers from all over the region By the unusual standards of West Los Angeles Westwood Village could be cited for blight Yet even as other pockets of the Westside become ever more upscale the city's new focus on "elegant density" and strategic infill might leave Westwood behind Westwood Village � an extraordinary jumble of short streets and Spanish revival architecture next to UCLA � has for the past 20 years wheezed between two lives a genteel tug-of-war continues between density and seclusion "The demographics of Westwood Village are outstanding," said Laura Lake "It's strange that it's become the Bermuda Triangle of retail The latest and biggest attempt to realize Westwood's potential opened last month in the form of the Palazzo tried to shoehorn nearly all of Florence into a city block and reinterpretations of zoning laws later the Palazzo is now welcoming residents who will stimulate the businesses outside their front doors "It is overly dense but may bring more life to the Village by having a residential population," said Lake Rounding out what passes for a building boom in an area unaccustomed to new construction The Palazzo is the largest new project in Westwood Village in many years Both developments hearken to a vision of smart growth and density that L.A sustainable projects that encourage pedestrians and support transit." City Hall has not put forward a cohesive strategy for the Village to promote growth � smart or otherwise � despite the Village's ready-made streetscape 19-year-old specific plan for Westwood that encourages cars and discourages restaurants and bars The Palazzo's more discerning neighbors may yet decide whether a trend is afoot "I don't think there is such thing as �elegant density,'" said Sandy Brown president of the Westwood-Holmby Homeowners Association "The infrastructure in Westwood Village will not accommodate that kind of excessive development." Billed as a "catalyst for the Village," it combats blight with bling With two-bedrooms starting at $3,700 and amenities that include concierge service and Pilates few Palazzo residents are likely to be students as UCLA Student Body President Gabe Rose said that condominium conversions have been eating up cheaper apartments and pushing the Village away from its buoyant past "I have this feeling that Westwood is becoming less of a college town," said Rose Conceived during the 1920s as a commercial center for the university the Village occupies a trapezoidal plot between Wilshire Boulevard and UCLA Movie palaces and some of the city's best shopping attracted such large pedestrian throngs that by the 1960s cars were often banned "The bones are great," said UCLA Planning Professor Don Shoup "A lot of what the new urbanists are recommending is what Westwood Village had from the beginning: a variety of densities "It's not new urbanism�it's old urbanism," said architect Stefanos Polyzoides who co-founded the Congress for New Urbanism and designed Plaza Lorena By the mid-1980s the Village's weekend crowds had grown increasingly large Bloods and Crips shared uneasy streets with Bruins until an undiscerning bullet struck 27-year-old graphic artist Karen Toshima on a January evening in 1988 crowds receded and Westwood became a forlorn enclave serving a local clientele Toshima's story is cited so often it is easy to imagine that her ghost has been stifling Westwood Lake said that to this day "residents don't want it so vibrant that gangs come in and problems happen." But more prosaic forces may have been undermining Westwood Village "I don't think that any of the problems that occurred in the past are what's keeping it from being successful today," said Paul Geigner which manages 200,000 square feet of retail in the Village Though its streetscape may be the stuff of Jane Jacobs's dreams other aspects of the Village belong to planners' nightmares: chaotic parking and many stakeholders unconcerned about economic development With Bel Air to the north and corporate offices to the south there are few places in the world where the interests of freshman and tycoon are so entangled "One of Westwood Village's great strengths is the diversity of individuals "This strength also presents challenges because each group � has a different vision." The closest thing the Village has to a consensus is embodied in the Village specific plan on the one-year anniversary of Toshima's murder the plan's stated goals include historic preservation and mitigation of impacts on local residential areas the plan imagines a contrived reality in which particular stores serve just the right patrons the plan promotes retail at the expense of eateries It allows no more than one fast food restaurant per 400 feet of street front and conventional restaurants are limited to one per 200 feet � notwithstanding the fact that Westwood's appetite rivals those of many cities' downtowns and it puts upscale fast food in the same category as McDonald's The plan does nothing to ease the Village's chaotic parking scheme which requires redevelopment to provide a net gain of parking spaces amid a patchwork of private lots and 50-cents-per-hour street parking particularly because of its incentives for historic preservation," it has presided over a commercial district that "has been kind of standing still while everything around us has been upgraded and improved," according to Geigner "The absence of a great planning document bespeaks the fact that there isn't a discussion going on," said Polyzoides who added that "second-rate towns" are adopting the sort of plans that Westwood needs Planning Department were not available for comment.) attempts to unite the Village under a marketing plan and leasing strategy have met with disaster an attempted business improvement district "was badly managed," according to UCLA's Shoup and became "one of the few BIDs in the country that's ever been disbanded." And despite its heft UCLA traditionally stays out of land-use issues beyond its campus "I think it takes a concerted effort with the city and the commercial property owners," said Gienger "It's been very hard to get everyone on the same page." A purposeful discussion may not arrive until 2012 when the specific plan is scheduled to be updated the Village continues to surrender to nondescript eateries There is little discussion about the potential economic gain of student traffic The Village has two student-oriented bars for the 36,000 undergrads and graduate students who study within walking distance "The bars certainly are in excess." Yet among many students to put it extremely diplomatically," said Sierus Erdelyi president of the UCLA Law Student Association "This does not make economic sense for what could be a bustling college town." are welcoming bars and clubs with bright new plans and outspoken boosters bars must primarily serve food and are therefore subject not only to liquor laws but also to the specific plan's limits on restaurant density and the community often objects to such amusements as billiards and happy hours But in the effort to interpret the specific plan's elusive "balanced mix," Rose admitted that "apathy usually reigns off campus" and that students rarely assert their concerns in public processes there aren't bright spots in the Village for residents and students alike Ralph's established a welcomed grocery store in the shell of a former department store and Trader Joe's is moving into the ground floor of the Palazzo Hollywood premiers take place at the Village Theater and hookah bars have thrived absent competition from alcohol just as the Palazzo's floors were being polished a remarkable brown single-screen blob from the 1970s With the implementation of SB 375 still to come cities across California will be challenged to revamp their general plans to meet goals of reducing vehicle miles traveled and promoting more compact development taken an early lead with the approval in July of a new land use and circulation element (LUCE) we're expecting a little traffic here in west Los Angeles this weekend Even if it takes a village to raise a child apparently it does not take a planning department to raise a village The City of San Diego's Planning Department won national acclaim for its 2008 "City of Villages" general plan update which was guided by outgoing Planning Director Bill Anderson and his predecessor But budget constraints have compelled Mayor Jerry Sanders to order that the department be shut down and merged with the Development Services Department.  then-Attorney General Jerry Brown established a new paradigm for planning in California With his settlement in a lawsuit against San Bernardino County and county subregions would have to account for greenhouse gas emissions in their general plans under the California Environmental Quality Act and AB 32 Brown went so far as to vow to sue any city that failed to account for its greenhouse gas emissions Quick: what economic sector most reminds you of Los Angeles Yoga? According to sports and entertainment giant AEG and a certain pastoral insurance company Last week AEG announced that Los Angeles' nonexistant downtown football stadium to be developed door to Staples Center and LA Live will be funded in part by a sponsorship by Farmers Insurance the world will know Los Angeles as the home of -- I'm not kidding -- Farmers Field.  One of the country's leading experts on land use law, attorney and UCLA professor Robert Freilich has tried cases and designed plans in hundreds of cities and witnessed the legal and conceptual evolution of planning. In 1999 he co-authored From Sprawl to Smart Growth: Successful Legal, Planning and Environmental Systems, which heralded the mainstreaming of the smart growth movement. >>read more Beverly Hills High School enjoys its share of amenities: a gym that converts to an indoor pool; a planetarium; a professional-quality theater it does not have a class in urban planning or transportation Now that the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority has proposed extending the Purple Line subway under school grounds The future of land use in the City of Ontario is up in the air If you are at all involved with urban planning in Los Angeles you were probably either in the audience or on the panel at last night's "The Future of the Los Angeles City Planning Department (and the City of Los Angeles)" event and Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design I suppose a third option is that you were stuck in traffic and couldn't make it At a press conference at City Hall this morning Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa introduced Michael LoGrande his nominee to success Gail Goldberg as the city's planning director At some moments the rhetoric of the mayor and fellow speakers -- including LoGrande and affordable housing activist Jackie DuPont Walker -- sounded as if they were building the world's next great city their emphasis on customer service made the city sound more like a Nordstrom store than the writhing metropolis that it is.  (Place your advertisement on CP&DR.com) (Place your job ad on CP&DR.com) (Place your RFP ad on CP&DR.com) Bill Fulton's AICP CM courses   Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Subscribe to our Free Weekly Enewsletter Pull into the main parking lot at Westwood Lake Park and you’ll find it nearly full most days bike or maybe take a four-footed best buddy out for some exercise plus a boat ramp to launch a day of fishing make Westwood Lake Park one of Nanaimo’s best loved outdoor recreation areas The park’s central location puts those beaches and trails within a few minutes’ drive from most of Nanaimo Westwood Lake is a legacy of Nanaimo’s industrial past Westwood settled and farmed the area in the 1860s when the lake was little more than a shallow marsh that fed Darough Creek As Nanaimo progressed into the 20th century and demand for electricity grew to power local industry the head of Darough Creek was dammed in 1908 creating Westwood Lake as a reservoir for a hydroelectric plant The hydroelectric plant was ultimately abandoned but the dam and the lake remained and in 1957 Westwood Lake was dedicated as a city park Today ghostly snags of trees that stood green before the valley was flooded reach up from below the lake’s surface and steal the hooks and lures from anglers fishing for trout the lake is stocked with annually.  Some say remnants of Westwood’s farm can still be seen on the bottom of the lake “The only thing I’ve ever seen on the water was what looked like the arch of a roof,” said Ed Singer “I haven’t ever seen anything else in there.” Singer said some divers have reported spotting what appears to have once been a fence line but stories of others seeing old tractors in barns in the lake’s depths are just tall tales Two big sandy beaches are crowded with families on hot summer days when children build sandcastles or wade and swim in the park’s shallow Lifeguards are on duty through July and August The beach area features change rooms and washrooms a wheelchair accessible floating fishing dock a drinking water fountain and there is usually a vendor parked in the shade of big fir trees nearby who sells hot dogs popsicles and other goodies throughout the summer Picnic tables are scattered among the fir trees between the west beach and the park’s gravel overflow parking lot Paths and trails criss-cross the park’s 120 hectares branching off of Westwood Lake’s six-kilometre main trail that meanders around the shore It’s well maintained – with wooden bridges and boardwalks and groomed with wood chips – and a favourite route of walkers and runners who don’t mind their pace being broken up with a climb and descent over a rocky knoll on the lake’s north east shore which has become a main venue for local charity runs and other special events “It’s the only park that we put a running base on,” said Kirsty MacDonald The trail’s busiest months are April and October Westwood Lake Trail links up to more pathways through Morrell Nature Sanctuary The 111-hectare nature preserve borders the east side of Westwood Lake Park and offers 11 kilometres of nature walks through second growth forest Dog lovers can let their pets run free on the south side of Westwook Lake in the park’s off-leash area on the powerline service easement lands and roads The park is also the gateway to Westwood Ridge where hikers and mountain bikers test their mettle on a network of trails that traverse streams and small ravines that form part of the Westwood watershed Mount Benson’s north face awaits hikers searching for more challenging ascents and grander vistas at the end of the journey Te’tuxw’tun trail offers a challenging 11-kilometre round-trip hike to the top of Mount Benson The trail starts from the west end of Westwood and climbs through steep terrain logging roads and even some old growth forest the top of Mount Benson is the highest point in Nanaimo and from where hikers take in sweeping views of Westwood Lake Park the city and the Strait of Georgia and coastal mountains beyond The City of Nanaimo is warning people to be aware of bears in the Westwood Lake area the city said a black bear and its cubs were seen on the “back side of Westwood Lake” the morning of Thursday People should be cautious when using the park and trails those who come across a bear should never run away and should watch the bears’ movements before deciding a course of action Those who encounter a bear that seems agitated or aggressive should back away while trying to avoid eye contact and have their bear spray at the ready in case the bear charges Anyone knocked down by a bear should roll onto their stomach and try to remain still while protecting their head Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 RELATED: Secure garbage to avoid bears, fines in Nanaimo Lake Travis dominated every aspect of the game and routed Westwood 52-7 on Friday night at Vandegrift High School’s Monroe Stadium The Cavaliers (9-1) recorded 12 sacks and held Westwood to 14 yards of offense while Dominic De Lira and the Lake Travis offense went on a tear for 547 yards Lake Travis will play the winner of Humble Atascocita-Lufkin in the area round of Class 5A “The defense came out and played really well in the first half and I knew if we stopped them in the first quarter we’d be in good shape in the second with the wind at our back,” said Lake Travis coach Hank Carter “We’re hoping we don’t have to hear about last year anymore because the whole feeling is much different.” Carter was referring to Lake Travis’ first-round exit in 2012 after winning 30 straight playoff games The Cavaliers appear to have returned to the playoff form they had while winning five straight state championships from 2007-2011 Lake Travis held Westwood quarterback Bear Fenimore to just 28 yards passing Westwood’s offense couldn’t get anything going against Lake Travis’ stingy defense The Warriors (4-7) were held to minus-1 yard in the first quarter while Lake Travis took a 14-0 lead found Tyler Payne for the first of two TDs from the duo for Lake Travis’ first score Shaun Nixon got his only touchdown of the game to close the first quarter on a 53-yard run but finished the night with 104 yards on six carries As valuable as Nixon is to the Cavaliers’ offense rushing for a game-high 133 yards on 16 carries and two scores Lake Travis posted its sixth sack of the game on Westwood’s first possession of the second half.De Lira led Lake Travis to the Westwood 17 but his third-down pass was incomplete to set up a 34-yard field goal Lake Travis scored again on its next possession after back-to-back sacks by the Cavaliers set up another Warriors punt De Lira ran it in from 25 yards and Mullett ran in his second TD to send Lake Travis into the final quarter with a 45-0 lead Will Von Doertsen had Lake Travis’ final score after a blocked punt from Luke Hutton was returned to the Westwood 1-yard-line Brackenridge 20: Sophomore running back Cody Gandy ran for 136 yards and touchdowns of 8 and 10 yards and quarterback Jeffrey Jordan added 156 yards passing and two rushing scores as the Rebels built a 26-point lead at halftime and rolled in a Class 4A The Rebels racked up 433 yards of total offense (277 rushing and 156 passing) despite playing their starters until midway through the third Hector Solis added a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown for Hays and Adam Castro rumbled 42 yards for another score on his only carry of the game Brackenridge’s Ramon Richards passed for 271 yards (146 to Romonique Anthony on nine catches) but was sacked seven times The Eagles (7-4) ran just six designed rushing plays all game —– Richards scrambled away from pressure 10 times for positive yards —– and had minus-3 yards rushing on 23 carries roared out of the gate as Tyler Moody ran 27 times for 149 yards to subdue Montgomery (8-3) Ben Bottlinger compled 23-of-40 passes for 269 yards and two TDs and ran 26 yards for a third score for the Eagles They will play Nederland or Humble Kingwood Georgetown outscored Montgomery 30-7 in the second half which featured Jordan Haas returning an interception 30 yards for a TD Camden Leply hauled in 10 balls for 94 yards Waller 10: Unbeaten Elgin rolled to a victory in its playoff opener as Anthony Nash caught two touchdown passes and returned a kickoff 83 yards for another score ranked sixth in the Associated Press Class 4A state poll will advance to the area round of the Class 4A Manor 20: The Mustangs (9-2) fell behind 24-7 in the first half and were eliminated from the Class 4A Division I playoffs by Magnolia West (8-3) Quarterback Jamall Collins rushed 16 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns for Manor and Tyrone Owens raced for 113 yards on just 12 carries was 9- of- 20 passingthrowing for 84 yards Manor’s top receivers were injured and out Alvarado 14: Derek Kaiser threw for 354 yards and five touchdowns as the Bulldogs (8-3) routed the Indians (6-5) in the opening round of the Class 3A Division 1 playoffs at Tiger Stadium in Belton Kaiser threw for nearly 300 yards in the first half including a dominant second quarter in which he threw TD passes on four consecutive drives Wideouts Cody Jones and Brock Foster each caught two scoring passes Trenton Hafley chipped in with a team-high six catches and Darius Johnson led all receivers with 93 yards The Indians had an early lead after driving 62 yards on eight plays on their opening possession Kaiser and company took advantage of two Indians’ fumbles in the second quarter turning each into a TD as part of a 34-point run that put the game away by halftime Wimberley 7: The La Vernia defensive front harassed Wimberley quarterback Colton Cerday all night and the Bears (10-1) cruised to a victory over the Texans (4-7) and advanced in the Class 3A a 26-yard pass from Cerday to West Lambert with 2:12 left Wimberley had success with Cerday rolling out of the pocket to throw passes he hit wideout Brock McDorman for passes of 36 completing 17 often in the face of pressure The Texans twice drove to the Bears’ 1-yard line but couldn’t score either time Cerday’s fumble at the 1 with 4:38 left in the game finished a long drive Hillsboro 33: In a battle of two similar offenses Liberty Hill (10-1) outrushed Hillsboro 452 yards to 91 yards and easily advanced to the second round of the Class 3A Chris Robinson sacked Hillsboro quarterback Blake Divin in the end zone on the second play of the game setting the tone for a dominant Panthers performance but Liberty Hill was able to get a much better push up front Their triple-option attack was led in the first half by Will Fromme who finished with 13 carries for 98 yards and a 4-yard score in the second quarter with TD runs of 2 and 1 yards in the first half Hillsboro’s Doyle Hughes broke free for a 50-yard run in the second quarter which led to Ricky Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run the Eagles (3-8) had just 5 yards of offense in the first half The Panthers could not be stopped in the second half River Marks took the kickoff back for a 98-yard touchdown Marks also showed up on the defensive side On the Eagles’ first pass attempt of the game then kicked it to himself for the interception Ferrell gave way to Nick Barrios in the second half Ferrell led all rushers with 156 yards on 15 carries Houston Lutheran South 24: Jackson Effiom’s two-point conversation run lifted Hyde Park to a dramatic overtime win over Houston Lutheran South in the TAPPS Division II bidistrict round Hyde Park (10-1) had multiple close calls before pulling out the win A field goal on the last play of regulation was waved off for roughing the kicker giving Trace Brinkman the chance to make a 30-yarder and send it to overtime After the Pioneers scored on their first overtime possession but a pass interference penalty kept the drive alive Hyde Park then scored its overtime touchdown on a 13-yard pass to Paul Jones on fourth down Lutheran South had control of the game for most of the first half A balanced attack led to a 42-yard field goal a 23-yard touchdown pass from Trent Franson to Jordan Barton and a 10-0 lead Hyde Park salvaged a huge play late in the half to keep the Panthers in the game Grayson Williams returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-7 at halftime Houston Second Baptist 37: McCade Rice caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Grant Brown in the fourth quarter and the Knights (9-2) beat the Eagles (7-4) in Houston in the first round of the TAPPS playoffs The Eagles were driving for a potential game-winning score with 2:00 left when Knights defensive tackle Joey Phillips stripped the quarterback of the ball and Jackson Nagel recovered to seal the outcome Brown had four TD passes and ran for two more scores McCade Rice had seven catches for 141 yards scored 21 in the second quarter for a halftime tie Kai Rice snagged a 28-yard TD catch to put Regents ahead 28-24 after three quarters Lago Vista 35: Hallettsville scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to slip past Lago Vista in a Class 2A Nate Kowalik passed for 378 yards and four touchdowns for Hallettsville (11-0) Seth Lozano gained 112 yards for the Vikings on nine carries Jarrell 7: The Brahmas (10-0) scored 21 in the second quarter and held the Cougars (7-4) to 88 yards total offense to win the Class 2A A Nanaimo RCMP dive team recovered the body of a man who drowned in Westwood Lake the body was discovered at about 12:30 p.m Coroners Service was called to attend the scene So far little information has been released about the victim and police said any further  information about the victim and his identity will be released at the discretion of the Coroners Service when a man was spotted in the water with an overturned canoe about 80 metres offshore near the lake’s second beach area by passersby said the man was in the water for several minutes and was in communication with people on shore initially saying he was alright and not to call for help before he began to struggle and started going under the water Nutter said people had called 911 as soon as they saw the victim in the water got about three feet and said it was too cold Nutter estimated the man was in the water about 20 minutes before he succumbed RCMP divers began searching the lake Tuesday after a search by emergency responders failed to find the man Monday Police have not released the victim’s identity The City of Nanaimo is wondering about ways to better provide residents with access to Westwood Lake Park City council voted to consider up to $1 million in amenity improvements in May and in a press release Friday the city said it seeks input on draft improvement ideas for the park the focus is on an area of the park that had been occupied by a caretaker house as well as the main park entrance at Westwood Road Improvements could include additional amenities at the beach improved universal access features such as new or renovated washrooms improved pedestrian circulation and safety improvements additional picnic and special events areas facilities for lifeguards and consideration for emergency access are other ideas mentioned by the city Westwood Lake Park was specifically brought up through engagement with several community organizations through Phase 1 of the ReImagine Nanaimo initiative and there was keen interest in the park and surrounding areas “Elements in the site plans are interchangeable and are intended to explore what amenities the public would like to see at this popular park,” the press release said To view project information and to complete a survey, people can go to www.getinvolvednanaimo.ca/westwood Council said it is looking forward to hearing what residents think “Westwood Lake Park is one of the most popular parks in Nanaimo and is used extensively every day throughout the year,” Mayor Leonard Krog said in the release “Through this community engagement process we hope to find out what the public would like to see to further enhance the amenities found at Westwood Lake.” RELATED: City looks at improving Westwood Lake Park amenities More from the News Bulletin on Facebook and Twitter The City of Nanaimo and the Regional District of Nanaimo will expand two parks after purchasing 100 hectares of land from Mosaic Forest Management the two local governments announced the land acquisition that will grow and connect RDN’s Mount Benson Regional Park and the city’s Westwood Lake Park offering the public permanent access to the recreational corridor that goes “from lake shore to mountain top.” The land consists of three blocks of second-growth forest with the RDN purchasing two blocks totalling 79 hectares for close to $3 million while the city bought a 20ha block for $1.25 million The price was based on timber and land market values and was established Mount Benson park is now composed of 292ha of forested land along the upper northeast slopes of Mount Benson Mount Benson park offers panoramic views from Nanaimo to the Strait of Georgia while Westwood Lake Park has multi-use trails a freshwater lake and picnic and playground areas and government and forest company representatives were pleased to announce the transaction Nanaimo councillor and RDN board chairperson “Expansion of Mount Benson Regional Park will provide the region’s residents with lasting recreational and social benefits while helping to preserve natural areas for future generations,” he said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog added that the deal will add to the area’s beautiful scenery “Nanaimo is known for its spectacular natural assets,” he said in the press release we saw an increase in use of our parks and trails This work … will expand our recreational experiences for users which is to protect and enhance Nanaimo’s natural environment.” said it was pleased to work with both levels of government “This is a great example of industry and government working together to achieve positive outcomes for local communities,” Jeff Zweig “It is part of Mosaic’s broader initiative to facilitate recreational opportunities in and around our working forest.” Both the city and regional district will collaborate to update signage RELATED: City looks to improve Westwood Lake Park amenities 2019 at 9:17 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Google Maps)WOODCLIFF LAKE NJ – Blue Moon Mexican Café is shuttering its Woodcliff Lake restaurant after nearly two decades in business the owner and founder of Blue Moon Mexican Café 2019 after 17 years I have decided to sell this location Over the years we have had so many loyal guests and amazing employees it is sad to think about but as someone once said ‘All good things must come to an end!’” He added: “I want to thank everyone who has ever dined or drank with us!” Felixbrod told Pascack Press newspaper that “business pressures” such as an increase in minimum wage and competition from app-based food delivery services made it difficult to keep the location open He noted that many of his employees from Woodcliff Lake were able to take jobs at his other Blue Moon Mexican Café locations in Englewood, Wyckoff and Bronxville, NY.In 2017 Blue Moon Mexican Café closed its Norwood location after about a year and a half in business Felixbrod also told Pascack Press he sold the Kinderkamack Road location to another restaurateur who plans to open another Mexican eatery there this fall has donated more than $542,500 to local non-profit groups that have participated in the Woodcliff Lake restaurant’s “community nights” program organizations can dine at the restaurant and 20% of the sales generated will go back to the charity Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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A condominium development for adults 55-plus could be coming to Westwood Lake White Lion Developments is proposing to build two three-storey condo buildings – resulting in 57 two-bedroom units – at 2367 Arbot Rd and has submitted a rezoning application to the City of Nanaimo The 11,533 square-metre property is home to the Piccadilly Bistro and the Westwood Tennis Club which has one of the only dome-covered tennis courts on Vancouver Island explained that the condominiums will be for people aged 55-plus only He said the project includes the construction of a publicly accessible pathway to the trail that goes around Westwood Lake as well as improving the city-owned portion of the trail that runs behind the property “There has been a lot of thought that has gone into this project and we respect those who use the public walkway We will be upgrading the walkway path and it will be a significant contribution to the city as there are sections of the trail that could use some improvements,” he said who has co-owned the club and land for more than 20 years said she’s been trying to sell the property periodically over the last decade but has been unsuccessful “I tried to sell it as tennis club to preserve it as a tennis club Parking at the condo development would be mostly underground with the exception of 10 stalls assigned for disability parking and guests who said the buildings will be set back farther from the trail around the lake than the existing building on the property White said that with the type of zoning being requested there could have been far more units than 57 He also said the height of the buildings is no taller than the existing domed tennis court on the property and that none of the windows will face the neighbouring Bethlehem Centre “We made sure there were no windows looking down on their property and we’re keeping the roofline low so people there aren’t looking at a big building,” White said Miller said the Piccadilly Bistro and the tennis club would leave the property should the project receive the necessary permits and approvals She said bistro employees and club members and employees are well aware of the situation “We’ve told everybody everything; there is no hiding anything,” she said The tennis club could relocate elsewhere if there is enough interest from other individuals She said she’s ready to retire after more than two decades of ownership I met a lot of wonderful people and I love the members,” she said Miller and White also said they’re aware of the public interest in the property and have already received lots of comments following an open house they held earlier this year Miller said the project has been in the works and has gone through all the necessary steps the city requires up to this point She said the neighbourhood would likely change as a result of the project but that their proposal fits within the city’s own community plan “It is not that we’ve just put this out there without doing our homework,” she said “We’ve covered everything the city has asked us to do and it does fit in with the community plan.” the city’s director of community development confirmed that a rezoning request for the Westwood Lake property has been received but didn’t know when the application would go before council Both White and Miller stressed that their proposal has absolutely nothing to do with the Department of National Defence’s crackdown on recreational use of trails on range property on the Westwood Ridges. Miller said the some members of the public seem to be blending her development with the DND issues “We don’t interfere with any biking,” she said “We don’t allow mountain biking on our property because this private property anyway and we don’t infringe on the lake because that is public property.” “I don’t know why people are trying to connect what the DND is doing with this,” White added Sign up below for unlimited access to our award-winning storytelling for 30 days you'll receive our daily news alerts & breaking news Multiple FBS quarterback prospects highlighted the field at the Round Rock SQT on Saturday TX -- "This is their Super Bowl," the Lake Travis 7-on-7 coach told his assembled players after the Cavaliers dropped a 26-15 contest against rival Westwood in the finals of the Round Rock State Qualifying Tournament on Saturday at the Palace Both schools qualified for the State 7-on-7 championships held in College Station in July it was about more than punching that ticket -- it was about revenge the type of of revenge the Warriors struggle to achieve against the five-time defending state champion Cavaliers on fall Fridays Lake Travis roared off to a quick start that included two touchdown passes from 2013 prospect Baker Mayfield to classmate Zach Austin on a well-thrown fade route in the corner of the endzone and a subsequent strike down the seam on a double move that created separate for the senior wideout a methodical Westwood attack led by 2014 quarterback Bear Fenimore a lifelong Alabama fan named after the legendary Crimson Tide head coach consistently marched the Warriors down the field as the defense held the high-powered Cavalier attack scoreless through the final 35 minutes of action surely buoyed by hatred for their opponent struggling with cramping on the warm field turf at the Palace baking in the more than 90-degree Texas heat The last opportunities for Lake Travis ended in interceptions thrown by Mayfield two of the only poor decisions the LT signal-caller made during the final rounds Westwood had previously defeated Connally in the semifinals while Lake Travis barely edged a Pflugerville Hendrickson squad that was without graduated Texas commit Daje Johnson and 2013 star running back prospect Samaje Perine out with an injury sustained in Hendrickson's final playoff game in 2011 The Hawks still managed to find receivers running behind the Lake Travis secondary a notable weakness for a team with aspirations of once again competing for the state title in College Station and have a strong chance next weekend at Lake Travis Several prospects stood out during the semifinals and the finals: Baker Mayfield, senior Lake Travis quarterback: The latest in what is becoming a long line of successful Lake Travis quarterbacks -- including Todd Reesing, Garrett Gilbert and Michael Brewer -- Mayfield excels during the fall in the Lake Travis spread and helped lead the Cavaliers to a deep run in 2011 at the state 7-on-7 tournament. 200-pound Mayfield holds offers from Washington State and believes that North Carolina may be close to offering Mayfield plans on camping at Oklahoma State though he will be somewhat limited by his commitment to the Lake Travis baseball squad When asked about the Washington State offer Mayfield said that Mike Leach and his staff have done a tremendous job of recruiting his son the slot receiver known as the Elf during his time in Lubbock under Leach the younger Mayfield lit up when asked about the Cougar offer the issue for the Mayfields is the distance from home though a tentatively planned visit to the Palouse could help the Washington State cause Where Mike Leach still at Texas Tech and recruiting Mayfield it seems safe to say that his recruitment would have already been over Mayfield indicated that he's not in a hurry and will likely take advantage of his official visits in the fall as his ability to travel during the summer is limited by those aforementioned baseball commitments Mayfield doesn't have ideal size for the position but neither did former Kansas starter Reesing or Brewer What Mayfield does have is a strong arm for his size relatively refined mechanics that include solid footwork and an over-the-top delivery that maximizes the height of his release In the short and intermediate passing game Mayfield is accurate nearly every time and capable of hitting his receivers in stride and with velocity Mayfield can throw moving either left or right with no loss of velocity as he keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and takes advantage of his lower body mostly a result of attempting to force passes as Lake Travis attempted their comeback the only apparent concern with Mayfield is that he can push the ball when attempting to throw well downfield resulting in inconsistent accuracy and a loss of RPMs perhaps the area that represents his greatest potential for improvement It's not a lack of arm strength either -- more about developing touch in that specific area If Mayfield does end up committing to Washington State he'll fit well into the Airraid scheme run by Mike Leach that fit may well overcome the distance factor senior Lake Travis wide receiver -- The best receiver among the four pool winners likely a result of a combination of factors -- his height and the fact that he suffered a separated shoulder Austin is receiving interest from Washington State and could possibly attend a regional camp for the Cougars A breakout star during a junior season that saw Austin explode onto the scene with more than 70 catches and 18 touchdowns similar or better production during his junior season could significantly increase interest in the 6-0 While Austin has been clocked in the 4.6 range in the 40 as evidence on the field in his short-area quickness and the wiggle that he can show in the open field A strong route runner as a result of that quickness Austin plays bigger than his size because he can time his leaps well to elevate over defenders for catches and shows the ability to catch the ball outside his body with his strong hands 2014 Lake Travis running back -- Perhaps the top overall prospect at the event Nixon is considered one of the best backs in the state for the 2014 class his size leads to the classification of him as an all-purpose back but he's well built and physically strong enough to handle a relatively high volume of carries in college and already holds offers from Clemson The 7-on-7 setting is not the best for showcasing running backs but Nixon was a standout last summer on a team that included 2012 TCU signee Griffin Gilbert and 2013 Ole Miss pledge Dannon Cavil Nixon wasn't targeted often in the final two games and notably dropped one pass at full extension during the attempted comeback against Westwood and will continue to be a highly-coveted prospect 2013 Pflugerville Connally quarterback -- Out of the three potential FBS quarterback prospects in the finals Williams has the best frame at 6-3 and 190 pounds he's also even more raw than Fenimore and isn't benefiting from the exceptionally deep 2013 quarterback class in the state of Texas Williams indicated that North Texas has told him he'll receive an offer at their summer camp and plans on camping at the latter two schools during the summer A true dual threat who excels as a runner when he has pads on the 7-on-7 environment is an invaluable learning experience for Williams but it doesn't show off his true talents to full effect Williams admitted that he needs to work on his footwork and it shows at times He also tends to hold the ball low and loose so Williams will have to work on almost his entire motion when he gets to college At times he can use his length to put some serious torque on the football -- Williams is not particularly limited physically in terms of where he can put the football 2014 Westwood quarterback -- While Fenimore would surely love to receive an offer from his childhood favorite it's not yet clear if he has the talent level to earn an offer from a school like Alabama or other high-profile BCS schools especially since he is yet to start a game at Westwood after backing up Texas baseball signee Ben Johnson last season sturdy build that helps him as a runner and his ability to gain yards on the ground will in large part determine his collegiate upside it's clear that Fenimore has been receiving some high-level quarterback instruction and that he can translate that to the field What stood out the most is that Fenimore spun the football with more consistency than any of the other quarterbacks and showed his accuracy as he mostly worked short routes making the correct decisions and not forcing passes Fenimore opted to take sacks rather than force the football -- a strategy that plays better in 7-on-7 than it would during the season when the Westwood prospect would likely seek to vacate the pocket or otherwise extend the play It would have been nice to see more variety in terms of throws from Fenimore his ultimate arm strength wasn't on display and that is what will always define a quarterback at the end of the day Nanaimo councillors recommend new parking lot at Westwood Lake Westwood Lake will become more accessible as the City of Nanaimo is getting ready to embark on the first phase of improvements at the park councillors voted unanimously to recommend that council approve the final concepts for Phase 1 Westwood Lake Park improvements in 2022 and add Phase 2 improvements to the 2023-27 draft financial plan The first phase deals only with the park’s first parking lot and access The first parking lot will be expanded to add 36 stalls to bring the first parking lot’s capacity to 95 stalls and the phase will also include pedestrian safety improvements the first parking lot will have two access points along Westwood Road instead of just one said initial parking lot designs would have involved cutting down half a dozen “significant” trees but the final concept would necessitate the removal of just one significant tree Phase 2 will involve improvements to the first beach area including an expansion of the beach by about 800 square metres Improved washroom facilities are being planned but not envisioned in the first two phases of the project Ian Thorpe said considering the planned improvements as a whole “there’s something here for everybody,” and Mayor Leonard Krog called the plans “exciting Ian Thorpe asked why improvements to the washroom facility aren’t part of the initial phases the city’s general manager of parks and recreation said there is more work involved in designing a building close to a lake “A washroom building always does cost a lot more than the public and council and everybody else thinks it’s going to be,” Harding said “And we want to make sure with this building that we do build that it’s really going to serve the park for years to come and of course we also want it to be inclusive in many ways.” City council previously added $971,000 to the 2022-26 financial plan for Phase 1 of Westwood Lake Park improvements Work is slated to begin in late summer or fall RELATED: City of Nanaimo presents ideas for parking, amenities at Westwood Lake RELATED: City looks at improving Westwood Lake Park amenities editor@nanaimobulletin.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Enter your email to connect to more stories by journalists living & working in Nanaimo – you'll also start receiving important newsletters right to your inbox. Thank you for supporting local journalism Re: Fishermen reel in piranhas in Westwood Lake I was shocked to read last Tuesday’s paper stating a piranha had been reported to the B.C I wondered if anyone had posted a warning sign for swimmers I didn’t see any signs posted throughout the summer though I had seen signs posted regarding swimmer’s itch I wondered who knew about this reported fish and who didn’t do their job (if no signs were posted) It concerns me that someone else is deciding for me what risks I should be exposed to it is the responsibility of Nanaimo parks and recreation to put up a sign to warn the public but after the first reporting in late July no sign had gone up because the province did not inform the city that a report had been made I understand that these fish won’t survive the winter but I am concerned about the public being kept in the dark throughout the summer swimming season plenty of families and young children were swimming under the supervision of a lifeguard someone knew there had been a reported piranha in that lake RELATED: Fishermen land piranhas in Nanaimo’s Westwood Lake RELATED: Nanaimo anglers wonder if any more piranhas are biting The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press or the Nanaimo News Bulletin we encourage you to write to us or contribute to the discussion below No One Else Covers Nanaimo Like The Bulletin Don’t miss out on reading the latest local provincial and national news. Join our community and receive daily news alerts & breaking news Westwood Lake is a destination for beach-goers and the city has some ideas about ways to make the park better at a finance and audit committee meeting last week voted to consider $750,000-$1 million in amenity improvements at Westwood Lake Park when they begin budgeting for 2022-26 in the fall told the finance committee that $50,000 was budgeted last year for conceptual designs and “we’re at a stage now that we’d like to go out and test that with the public to get some more feedback.” Sign up for a free account to gain immediate & unlimited access to our content for the next 30 days – plus you'll start receiving our newsletters Edgewood Treatment Centre will hold its long-awaited 10th annual Run for Recovery at Westwood Lake Park in Nanaimo “We are super ecstatic to be back up and running,” said Bonnie Bartlett Nanaimo residents are starting to come together in an effort to stop a potential condominium development near Westwood Lake have started a petition opposing the Westwood Tennis Club’s proposal to build condos on its property The group also plans to be be active around the lake and in the community Nanaimo’s lifeguards are back on duty for the summer at Westwood Lake lifeguards have been on duty at Westwood Lake daily from noon to 6 p.m and will keep swimmers under their watchful gaze the city is also offering a number of swimming lessons and day camps in Westwood Lake Park