British girls “groomed” by ISIL as jihadi brides

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Families of the ‘Syria-bound’ teen girls from London are begging them to come home The three got out of the country through Gatwick airport on Tuesday and are now believed to be in Turkey, waiting a chance to sneak into Syria. BBC Video The U-K government is also calling on the girls to call home or contact the Turkish Police. Scotland Yard is under pressure to explain how unescorted minors would be allowed through airport security. The MP for the district where the girls went to school at the Bethel Green Academy says she is deeply worried about them and fears they have been groomed in a type of child-exploitation into becoming so-called jihadi brides. The three teens are 15 and 16. The MP, Rushanara Ali, said it appears the girls were persuaded to leave Britain by someone who was talking to them on the Internet. MailOnline  Teen girls leave Britain to become jihadi brides 

Cody kids in the cold over unexplained alarm

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There seems to have been a bit of slack in deciding what to do with a bunch of shivering kids outside Maurice Cody School Thursday. The alarm went off and that requires evacuation of the building. Some 600 children and about 60 staff members were outside for an estimated 20 minutes before the fire department concluded there was no basis for the alarm. It’s unclear whether it was a malfunction or a mischievous false alarm. Principal Andrew Howard sent home a letter today (Friday, February 20., 2015) in which he praised senior kids for sharing coats with those who had none. And that’s the thing. Senior or junior, 20 minutes is too long to be outside in minus 20 weather without a coat. Ryan Bird of the school board said that staff apparently wanted to move the pupils to a another school but the fire department said it wouldn’t be long. Not the right call. How long is long. It’s not the fire department’s business to decide how a kid’s day is spent. It appears few people are complaining but there is a lesson. Fire commanders (or whomever) have got to be more aware of the weather in such situations. These conditions don’t happen often but it appears the fire department needs it own extreme cold weather warning. Metro

GFL. MLSE donate money to keep rinks open

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Mayor Tory has announced that two private companies have agreed to donate $200,000 to keep 12 outdoor skating rinks open for another month if the weather stays cold. Green For Life (GFL) which collects the garbage west of Yonge St., and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will share the cost. Another 17 rinks will be be sustained by the City.This means that 29 outdoors rinks in total will continue to be valuable as long as it stays cold enough.  This includes the rink at Hodgson Jr. Public School on Davisville Ave and the Dieppe Park rink on Cosburn Ave. All 29 rinks listed here. 

Police social media awareness at LHS assembly

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53 Division crime prevention police officers Alex Li and Timothy Somers were at assembly at Leaside High School today.They spoke about social media awareness. 53 Division FaceBook

Millwood Melt a bit of grilled cheese heaven

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The husband and wife team of  Aniko Szocs and Stephen D’Amico have just seen their comfort-food business turn three. The couple traded in their lives as English teachers to follow a simple but rewarding dream. The breakfast and lunch restaurant known as Millwood Melt at 902 Millwod Rd. is well billed as a bright and welcoming place for grilled cheese sandwiches with sides of soup and pickles. In addition to the classic grilled cheese, some flagship variations are the Tuna Kahuna (self-explanatory) Green Machine (avocado, arugula, pesto and Monterrey Jack), Hamelot (smoke ham, caramelized onions, mustard and Swiss) and the Rise and Shine (scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh tomato slices, awesome sauce and melty Cheddar). “We try to keep it simple,” says Aniko. The couple’s simple formula has made a sweet piece of grilled cheese heaven. In addition to the sandwiches you can catch, if you like, some veggie straw chips, pickles (spicy or just dill) a variety of canned drinks, water, coffee and organic shortbread cookies. Aniko and Stephen broke out of hit and  miss work in the school system when Aniko’s dad retired from his denture making practice in the same centre unit of the little mall at Millwood Rd. at Randolph Ave. Aniko’s family has been at this location for  decades. Not to be outdone, however, Stephen says he has Leaside in his heart.    

Teen girls leave Britain to find Jihadi husbands

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Three London schoolgirls have flown to Turkey amid fears they succumbed to the allure of a life as the wife of a Jihadi fighter with the Islamic State terrorist group. Dr Erin Saltman is a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and has looked into why women from the West join Islamic State. Dr Saltman said part of the attraction was “adventure seeking and being part of a romantic journey”, whereas the reality was “quite grim”.

Tasty morality is on the shelves at Whole Foods

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It may be as humdrum as coloured candy or exotic as foie gras. But if you’re shopping at Whole Foods, forget about buying it. Such things are banned from the shelves. The linked story below says that a U.S. study has shown that 54 percent of the food sold at Walmart would be unacceptable at Whole Foods and a startling 97 percent of the soda drinks would not make the cut. The Whole Foods definition of what’s good for you does raise questions about just where this Texas-based firm will find its edge here in South Bayview. It is scheduled to open a store in the 1860 Bayview complex this year. Will prosciutto and pepperoni eaters play ball? Not likely. What about organic? Whole Foods specializes in this field but it remains a somewhat niche category in most stores and many shoppers insist it is just an excuse for charging an extra dollar. Fox News

Grieving citizens pledge $60,000 to Elijah fund

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A City touched by the cruel death of a Elijah Marsh has pledged as much as $60,000 to pay for his funeral and other expenses as of 10 a.m. Friday, February 20, 2015.  A family friend told CP24 that the family is aware of the fundraising campaign but had not spoken to the organizer. He has been identified as Justin Kuzich. A makeshift memorial to the child has been forming in the snow bank where he was found outside a home on Bayvcrest Ave about two blocks from his home. Previous 

Advertising fluff entertains cat and dog lovers

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This is an entertaining take on the current state of dog versus cat. A timeless interaction. The raconteur is CNN’s redoubtable Jeanne Moos. 

Yonge-Eglinton under pressure for mega-towers

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Post City Toronto has a story by Bree Rody-Mantha on the over-sized expectations of a developer for Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave. Josh Matlow, the tireless City Hall warrior of Ward 22 promises a fight against a proposed 68 storey tower to replace the well known building on the southeast corner, familiar to all as One Eglinton. And we may wish him well but it is Yonge Street after all. No one can be surprised that developers will wish to build a “downtown” in midtown, as one might say, just as they built a downtown in North York. Post City Toronto 

Fine story on the McMorran home on Southlea

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Globe and Mail 

Anger, grief as Everest trade school shut down

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There is shock, anger and considerable grief among poorer students trying to better themselves at the abrupt closure of  Everest College. The college, operated on 14 campuses in Ontario,  was told today it is no longer authorized to operate in Ontario. It appears Everest has been on a slippery slope since the U.S. Department of Education began withholding monies. This occurred because Everest  in the U.S. had allegedly offered irregular information about career opportunities with certain diplomas. In this CBC report students at an Ottawa campus express heart-rending sorrow at the outcome.  On Thursday, the superintendent of private career colleges, the independent regulator that governs schools like Everest and others in the province, said it has suspended the chain’s licence to operate in Ontario as a private college, effective immediately. The office “can propose to revoke a private career college’s registration if [the superintendent] no longer satisfied that it can be expected to be financially responsible in its operation as a private career college, considering its current financial position,” the regulator said in a statement.  Toronto Star