68° and Partly Cloudy
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There’s been a bunch of social media criticism of the Niagara National Heritage Area’s redesign of Main and Portage.
I witnessed the hostility toward the project first hand on Monday at about 2:45 p.m. when an arrogant ass driving a Chevy SUV stopped northbound on Main, moved the barriers, ignored Heritage Area staff working on the project, drove across the wet paint and stopped at the other end of the street closure to remove the other barriers and drive on as staff gave chase and yelled at him.
A staff member called the policeo. Tyshaun Tyson stopped painting and stepped aside. A chill vibe was harshed.
Knowing the plate number on the vehicle, the offender’s name was identified almost immediately. I won’t shame him here, but his name is known and he probably got a visit from Niagara Falls police.
I gave chase on my bike and followed the asshole down Lockport Street all the way to the train bridge. He ran stop signs and redlights the whole way.
By the time I returned to the mural site, workers had contacted the police and identified the perpetrator.
Whether police track him down and give him tickets or he gets outed on social media remains to be seen.
Tyson has been using 3-D glasses to map the art image with an outline in the street. Staff and volunteers, including students from Bloneva Bond School, will color in the art features later. Today is a rain day.
The areas will feature flexible bollards which will narrow traffic. The project, approved by the city council over the objections of the Restaino administration, is funded by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
https://www.discoverniagara.org/asphalt-art-project-set-to-begin?
