Greenpeace loses $5 million to rogue employee

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So it’s not just about saving the world and the whales at Greenpeace. Apparently they have to worry about saving their money too, much like the rest of us. Greenpeace has reported that a “rogue” employee cost the environmental body about $5 million by betting in the markets that the euro would not strengthen against other currencies. Guess what, it did. The man acted  “beyond the limits of his authority” and was fired says Greenpeace.

Off-duty cop rescues man from blazing station

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Hair-raising video from CCTV in White Plains, N.Y., shows a car slamming into gas pumps at road speed and the following explosion. An off-duty New York officer who is filling his tank flees for his life but then quickly returns to drag the unconscious driver out of his car, unquestionably saving the man’s life. The officer, John Vesco, was  injured after the pump fell on top of him. Despite his injuries, the cop was able to rescue the 69-year-old driver, who crashed as a result of diabetic shock. The video is quite gripping as the gasoline explodes shortly after Vesco completes the rescue. 

MMVA the essential big media self promotion

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Kendall and Kylie Jenner
It is no doubt historic, as music awards go, and the Much Music Video Awards tonight will be fun for their young adherents. But no honest assessment of the MMVAs as an event can deny that they are the quintessential big business self-promotion served up as news.  The Much Music awards were a creation of the former CITY-TV 25 years ago. Now it’s owned by Bell Media. So is the awards show. So is CP24 ,which inherited the all-news mantle from CityPulse News and so is the CTV Network. Tonight (Sunday, June 14, 2014) on an admittedly slow news night, the MMVAs are the top of the news agenda. And there’s talent in there somewhere. We’re sure of it. Never mind that the hosts are that made-up-out-of-nothing pair Kylie and Kendall Jenner of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. That’s Kendall and Kylie inset in an unknown make-believe moment which is said to be a promotion for the MMVAs. That is what they are famous for. Talk about a vehicle that defies the gravity of rational value — except of course that people will pay for anything. And enjoy it. So enjoy.

Store is now officially McDowell’s Valu mart

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The sign over Chad McDowell’s Valu mart has now been changed to reflect the new franchisee. It went up Saturday night after closing. Chad took over the franchise at the popular Davisville location after Rob and Jess Tremblett moved to Ingersoll where they are running the local Your Independent Grocer. Valu mart is owned by National Grocers which is a subsidiary of Loblaws. Chad was a long time employee of the Bayview-Davisville store and is running it in the same public spirited way as the Trembletts did. Congratulations to Chad and much luck with the business

Dummies dump asphalt into St. Monica’s garden

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The Toronto Star’s Jack Lakey (The Fixer) calls out a utilities contractor for dumping chunks of asphalt into the garden in front of St. Monica’s Catholic Church on Broadway Ave. just east of Yonge. These generally small jobs are an absolute sore spot for a lot of people. The waste may be dumped on private property, as in this case, and frequently the temporary patch on the road or sidewalk is so shoddy it’s dangerous. In fairness, it is tough to police so many small jobs although somebody could put the fear or the City into contractors. Toronto Star

PC is real winner of Thornhill riding

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Wow, you have to watch those data entry errors. PC incumbent Gila Martow is now the winner, just the way the polls said she would be, after election workers doing the official count found out they had bobbled the numbers at the keyboard. Transpositions and all that.  The unofficial results on the Elections Ontario website had named Liberal candidate Sandra Yeung Racco as the winner of the Thornhill riding by just 85 votes. Elections Ontario said in a statement the difference in results can be attributed to “transpositions and other minor clerical errors.” 

478 Broadway Ave. sells for $1,310,000

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The Toronto Star’s popular What they got feature records a local sale of note. The good-sized home at 478 Broadway Ave between Rumsey and Hanna Rds. was listed for  $1,129,000 and sold for $1,310,000. It sold previously for $325,000 in 1993. Part of the appeal of this home and of this part of Broadway is the nice setback from the street. The home is 2,200 sq. ft. in size with a 125 foot lot. Taxes were $6,493 (2014).What they got.