The South Bayview Bulldog

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The heir to the Chinese Communist revolution met another of the common folk yesterday, Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge.  Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan, both looking thoroughly capitalistic, found the Duchess dressed to beat the band in a lace eggplant dress by Dolce and Gabbana. In fact, fashion reporters agree the Duchess looked stunning in the outfit, which she color-coordinated with her husband, who wore a tie of the same color. The fitted lace dress featured long sleeves, high neck and ran up to Middleton’s knees. The dress by the Italian fashion house is made of the luxurious Guipure lace. The rich shade was just right for an autumnal day. The high neck and long sleeves ensured that Middleton was dressed appropriately for the occasion. More enjoyable pictures from The Mirror  Nothing like a visit to London to lift the spirits.

The union that represents teachers in Ontario’s public elementary schools has ordered its members to stop providing all voluntary extracurricular activities on Oct. 28 if a new collective agreement is not reached by then. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says it is threatening to escalate its job action because the Ontario Public School Boards Association and the provincial government have “ignored all attempts by ETFO to get them to return to the central bargaining table, including an offer to refer one issue to binding arbitration,” according to a news release.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

True to form in a ruthless battle of government versus big union there is no specific information about the issues that allegedly justify such a reckless stand-off. It might be the union’s brain wave but the education department knows what union boss Sam Hammond is saying  Tell the public. How could it possibly damage relations in the present caustic wreckage? Why — really why? Is it about class size, money for “delays” caused by the government, is the coffee cold? It is genuinely shocking how little the public knows about what might be the real issues — or the level of personal animus that exists between the government and the union.

 Marco Estrada has saved the Toronto Blue Jays from elimination for the second time this post-season. The Jays right-hander pitched a gem as Toronto beat Kansas City 7-1 to force Game 6 in the American League Championship Series  The Blue Jays had sweet revenge on Royal’s pitcher Volquez by forcing him to walk in the winning run (above). TSN

Former PM Paul Martin

Former prime minister Paul Martin has spoken again in favour of the deficits that the incoming Trudeau government plans to run. Mr. Martin, a multi-billionaire shipping heir, said it is a good idea to have deficits in order to invest in infrastructure and help kickstart the economy. Martin says it is important to spend money in areas that will give future generations a better life. According to the longtime finance minister, these include infrastructure, education and research and development. Martin says not investing in the future is a guarantee of ongoing deficits. Trudeau said during the recent election campaign that a Liberal government would post three annual deficits of up to $10 billion to spend money on infrastructure.

Read it and weep. The government is said to have paid both high school and elementary unions as much as $2.5 million for delays because of a “new system”  God help us. Spectator 

Further information from Stephen Hewitt of Manor Road United Church about the Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, October 28 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The church will share renovation plans, which require site specific amendments to City of Toronto By-laws. Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22) will be there to provide an update on a new park that is being established on land that the City is acquiring from the Church.

CHILDREN WELCOME

Manor Road United Church is at 240 Manor Road East. Parents are wlecome to bring children. The church will have activities provided by the Children’s Ministries Leaders to keep them busy.

It starts with incredibly intelligent teenage students doing things that are stupid. Three young men attending a Long Island high school broke into the school and installed software in computers which ;permitted them to obtain passwords and log-in credentials. This permitted them to change grades among other things. One young man changed one of his own grades from 94 to 100. Crazy.

The new traffic lights at the corner of Millwood Rd. and Sutherland Drive have a 20 second green for vehicles on Sutherland and a three-and-a-half minute green for traffic on Millwood. This arrangement would be more difficult than it seems for Sutherland traffic except that there is very little through traffic on the street. Most vehicles turn right on the red light and that includes the 88A bus. However, the 88B service must turn left to get to McRae Dr. and over to Wicksteed Ave. Passengers are in for a long wait it seems. Left turns are kept waiting for three-and-a-half minutes. For pedestrians, the new signals are a combination of actuated and semi-actuated. Those wishing to cross Millwood have to push the button to get a Walk signal. Otherwise, anyone waiting there is shown a Do Not Walk signal. Either way they have to hustle across in 20 seconds. Those crossing Sutherland, on the other hand, get the Walk signal regardless of whether the button is pushed. The wonders of traffic engineering