The South Bayview Bulldog

Police direct traffic at Moore and Welland Aves as bucket cranes roam the sky during the conversion to new utility poles. At right, one of 25 1,000 lb. air conditioners is lifted to what will be the roof of Whole Foods at Baview and Broadway Aves. Working, working, working.

Ikea has recalled 83,000 nightlights in Canada due to risk of electrical shock. The plastic covering of the Patrull nightlights can detach and expose electrical components, posing an electrical shock hazard. At this time there have been no reports of consumer incidents or injuries in Canada. However, Ikea has received one report where a young child in Austria tried to remove the light from the electrical outlet when the coloured plastic cover detached. The child received an electrical shock and minor wounds on his hand.

Residents of Moore Park, Bennington Heights and others who like to hike the Mud Creek trail are warned that the removal of dead and dying trees will begin as early as Wednesday, August 19, 2015. The work has been delayed by construction but is necessary because of damage done by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The work will take place along the trail in the Mud Creek section of the Lower Don River from Moore Avenue south to the Don Valley Brickworks.  There are approximately 150 trees of varying sizes to be removed.  In addition to the EAB removals, a small number of other dead and potentially hazardous trees will also be removed at this time. Large signs informing the people  of the removals have been erected at three main access points to the trail. Information on why the work is being done, the expected start and completion dates and my contact information is included on the signage.

Buses on the 11 Bayview route will be equipped with speakers near the doors which will carry a brief announcement describing the destination. They are designed to assist those whose sight is impaired.  In an experiment, riders on Bayview Avenue and Bathurst Street buses will be the first to hear the TTC’s External Route Announcement trial on the #8200, #8300, #8350 and #9050 buses on the 11 Bayview and 7 Bathurst routes. For example, the recording might say “11 Bayview to Davisville via Sunnybrook.”

The Pusateri Fine Food property at Avenue Rd north of Lawrence Ave. W was busy with blue-shirted men and women Sunday (August 16, 2015)  Each one was identified on the back as an “Emergency Worker.” A number of vehicles from Newtron Group Restoration Service of Brampton were present. Newtron specializes in fire cleanups and the trucks were unloading bins and cleaning equipment at the rear of the store. There’s no indication of when the store might re-open but the cleanup work going on Sunday suggests the owners want to fast track that goal. President Frank Luchetta gathered with other principals outside the store Sunday. He told Metro the store will “rebuild” after the fire Saturday. “For sure we’ll rebuild,” said Luchetta, Damage “is pretty extensive, from what we’ve heard from firefighters,” said Luchetta. The building is structurally sound, he said, but there was extensive water damage from sprinklers as well as from smoke. Pusateri principals are Ida Pusateri. Frank  Luchetta, John Mastroianni and Dominic Fortuna. The amount of inventory damaged from water and smoke will be one determinant of how long the re-opening may take. The Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate the fire although it seems quite unlikely that it will be found to be of suspicious nature. The fire marshall’s review will make it easier for insurance claims to be settled. There is significant water damage, as well as damage from smoke and fire, Toronto Fire Services said. Earlier fire sources said the fire seemed to have started near the coffee shop.

A tourist noticed smoke curling up from the manhole in Manhattan and trained her phone on it. Whoa! Left we see the cover rising on a rocket ride. Then it’s fireball time and (right) a spear of flame from whatever it was inside that hole. The cover shattered against a nearby fire hydrant sending chunks of metal five storeys high where one broke an office window. Remarkably, no one was hurt and no cars wrecked in the early evening blast