Daily Archives: January 27, 2010

 By Doug Draper

Can we finally settle on a plan for constructing a companion span to the Peace Bridge between Buffalo and Fort Erie?

One of five proposed design plans for companion span to the Peace Bridge, looking southwest from the Buffalo side of the Niagara River. See images of other designs below.

It is a wide open question that has found no answer for more than a decade now as proposal after proposal has fallen by the wayside and as the three lanes of the 83-year-old Peace Bridge – one of the busiest border crossings in North America – get ever more bottlenecked with traffic.

Now, U.S. federal and state agencies have approved five possible designs for a companion span they hope will not draw the wave of environmental and other concerns that have blown away plans for a new crossing over the head waters of the Niagara River in the past and members of the public on both sides of the river still have an opportunity to view and comment on them at open houses on the Fort Erie side of the river this coming Feb. 4 through Feb. 6.

Details on the dates, times and locations can be found on this site, along with more images of the bridge designs under consideration, by clicking on the link that follows this sentence for reading more. Continue reading →

(The following article by Malcolm Howe, a professor in Niagara College’s School of Business, is a response to a commentary Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper posted on this site and in Niagara This Week on Jan. 21. That commentary, entitled ‘College Teachers Who Strike This Time Should Be Fired’ in NTW and ‘Any College Teacher Who Strikes This Time Should Be Sacked’ has been republished below Howe’s article. We encourage you to share your views in the comment boxes below these articles.)

By Malcolm Howe

I felt a sensational title, much like “College Teachers Who Strike This Time Should Be Fired”, was appropriate as this is the response you invited.

I understand, Mr. Draper, that you have a job to do and expressing your opinion is certainly within the rules. I wish, however, that you would take the time to make sure you understand the facts before you start writing. 

I am a College teacher. Please understand that my opinions may not be shared by all of my colleagues. Also understand that I do not make the “Sunshine List” of those who earn $100,000+ per year. I will not make the list next year, regardless of the settlement we receive when the dust settles.  Continue reading →