Study finds dancing makes child more helpful

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Can I help? 

The McMaster University study which says that dancing with your baby can make the child more helpful is interesting but the science seems to have a way to go to prove that children are learning a long-term life skill. Researchers found that dancing with a child either in your arms or with the toddler’s feet on the floor tended to make them more helpful. There seems little doubt that this healthy interaction would be entertaining for the child. The researchers noted that after such a session the child would typically scramble to pick up a dropped pen or similar object and return it to the parent. This might be an attempt by the child to extend the pleasant engagement. That would be a healthy reaction but not necessarily one that identifies on-going helpfulness. As in all things, however, small steps lead to great accomplishments and that may be true with the findings of this study

Guardian of Bayview trees, Helen Godfrey rocks

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Helen Godfrey completed her annual planter blitz in early June this year.  This exemplary Davisville Village resident and LEAF volunteer weeded and cleared debris from all of South Bayview’s tree planters (from Soudan to Millwood, on the west side).  She was spotted again this morning (Monday, June 30th) giving some more planters a once over.  Here is what Helen says about her philosophy.  “Street trees are often neglected and I have long felt that communities should take some responsibility for their care. In my neighbourhood, on Bayview Avenue north of Davisville subway station, there is a four-block commercial strip that thrives – but unlike the businesses, the trees aren’t doing so well. The west side is lined with trees in concrete planters but the east is presently without any greenery due to sidewalk reconstruction. The difference between the two is stark and so I decided to attempt a tree care project. Here at the Bulldog, we would just like to say that Helen rocks! Photo of Helen Godfrey at work is from her 2013 blitz. 

Rob Ford is Olivia Chow’s ticket to mayor’s office

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Mayoral candidate John Tory has issued a statement on the return of Mayor Ford to City Hall. It calls on the mayor to resign. In all the circumstances this is an entirely reasonable demand. A recent poll found that nearly 60% of Torontonians want Mr. Ford to get out of their lives for good. But the statement is more than just a righteous response to the mayor’s appalling behaviour. It is a matter of life or death for Mr. Tory in this election. It seems true that neither Mr. Ford nor Mr. Tory can win the election as long as they are both on the ballot. It is for this reason, no doubt, that Tory pointedly notes that Olivia Chow, almost alone among mayoral candidates, has NOT called on Mr. Ford to quit. It seems a curious oddity of niceness on the part of Ms. Chow considering as she is a woman and polls find that women particularly (and logically) dislike the boorish Mr. F. We cannot be corrected on this. Olivia Chow refuses to call for Mr. Ford’s removal because he is her ticket to the mayor’s office.

780,000 HK citizen-democrats defy Beijing

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Freedom-seeking residents of Hong Kong fear the Beijing government is trying to cheat on its promise to introduce all-out democracy in the territory by 2017. In recent months, the Communist government has said that “democracy” will occur with candidates chosen (or approved) by a committee controlled by the politburo. The spectre of this type of non-democracy posing as real freedom prompted more than 780,000 Hong Kongers to vote in unofficial referendums this week and ending Sunday. It was the final day of the outpouring of concerns that has been branded illegal by local and mainland Chinese authorities. Hong Kong is a capitalist showplace for China. It has some seven million largely well-educated people who are tired of waiting for democracy. For a century, Hong Kong was run by the British on a lease which expired in 1997.  While Beijing says Hong Kong can go ahead with a vote in 2017 for the city’s top leader, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, specifies that only a nominating committee can pick leadership candidates. Democracy activists want the nomination process to be open to everyone, in line with international standards. 

Dutch are dancing after 2-1 defeat of Mexico

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New York Times


NED-MEX digital. Rather dim play-by-play

Communists make rare public appearance here

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Our sister blog Yonge and Roxborough News snapped a picture of a booth at Pride Week (on Isabella Street) for the Communist Party of Canada. There are few events indeed where the Communist Party would bother (or dare) show its face and it can’t be a prideful moment for a lot of LGBT folks that it showed up at Pride. Same goes for the whacky “apartheid” gang with their incoherent shriek against Israel. But as to the Communists, it’s a free country and for all we know they may have actually paid Pride organizers to be there. That must have been a tough acknowledgement of the market system for these heirs of Stalin and Lenin. Point is, there seems to be room for Pride to, shall we say, grow up a little. It is a fact that LGBT, just like other secular ways of life, is not a monolith. Mature Pride-goers might find it liberating that their culture attracts discredited political fringes, but in the end it can’t be a source of, well, pride.   

East York parade, fireworks on Canada Day

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On July 1, 2014 (Tuesday) the East York Canada Day Corporation will be organizing Canada Day Parade festivities. The parade formation will begin at 9 a.m., along Cosburn Avenue, from Dieppe Park. The parade route is as follows: Formation Area: Cosburn Avenue (south side) at Dieppe Park – eastbound on Cosburn Avenue – southbound on Coxwell Avenue – eastbound on Sammon Avenue – northbound on Woodbine Avenue Dispersal area is eastbound on Trenton Avenue for marching participants as well as the Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot at Woodbine Avenue and O’Connor Drive. Vehicles in the area may experience traffic delays. This event will proceed regardless of weather conditions.  For information call the Special Events Planning Office 416-808-5049. Then on Canada Day evening, there will be fireworks at Stan Wadlow Park,  373 Cedarvale Avenue. That begins at 10.15 p.m. Police suggest motorists consider the road closure when planning their travels. More here.

68 Aerodrome sells for $453,000 in 9 days

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Readers of the Star feature What They Got may know this information as it was published Thursday, but there is enough interest in home prices that we’re posting it here too. It is the condo at  68 Aerodrome Cres. north of Vanderhoof Ave. east of the Marshalls, Staples big box plaza. The unit in question  was Suite 201 and it sold for $453,000, down a bit from the asking price of $459,900. The upside is that it was on the market but nine days and realized the owner a nice profit of $141,500 from his 2009 purchase price.  The condo is about 912 sq. ft. with two parking spaces (one owned, one rental) and an ensuite locker Maintenance fees are $308.98 per month Taxes: $2,142 (2013). It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. 

Parade will wrap World Pride on Sunday

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Organizers are calling the World Pride Week an unqualified success. The main parade is tomorrow (Sunday, June 29, 2014). CP24

Pep talk is fine but there is more to say about Ford

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Marcus Gee in the Globe and Mail seems to be trying to buck up about spirits at the impending return of Rob Ford from rehabilitation. Toronto is more than Rob Ford, says Mr. Gee. He goes on to write rather poetically about our town. All fine but we citizens of Toronto should admit that to a large extent that when it comes to Mr. Ford we have seen the enemy and it is us.  We elected him. True, most of us had no idea he would turn out to be such hopeless mess. Nor could we have known. But in the following months and years of our worst nightmare, we have nonetheless remained transfixed with the Ford notoriety. Why weren’t Ford and his brother Sent to Coventry as the British labour union expression has it. Ostracized, ignored, exiled if possible. But no. It was necessary to our democracy it seems that the media send people to Los Angeles to feed Mr. Ford s twisted ego as he was humiliated by Jimmy Kimmel. Why? And what about the election. We don’t think that Mr. Ford can win another term as mayor, but if he somehow threatens to do so, will there be candidates sufficiently public spirited to throw their support behind the candidate who can beat Ford?  This would fulfill the essential purpose of democracy. The people’s choice. That’s The Bulldog’s pep talk.  

Traffic light for Yonge and Roehampton soon

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There will be a new traffic light system installed at the intersection of Yonge St. and Roehampton Ave. pending a vote by City Council. The light has been approved by the public works department on  a recommendation of Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and although the information does state it, there will no doubt be a need for some form of control for the off-set corner of Orchard View Blvd.  It is a busy area and the temptation to risk running across the street in traffic is real. There have been a number of jaywalking accidents there. Other parts of Yonge have similar issues. The stretch of Yonge between Merton St and Davisville Ave is known here as Jay Walk Alley because subway-exiting and destined commuters tend to short cut across Yonge south of the lights at Davisville. The crossing signals at Merton are helpful but it is still chancy for both motorists and jay-walking pedestrians during rush hour. This situation is aggravated because unlike other stations there is no subway entrance on the east side of Yonge for Davisville.   

Manor Road United to downsize, create parkland

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The leaders of Manor Road United Church have decided to downsize their large space at 240 Manor Road and are negotiating with the City about turning the property on the western half of their present space into parkland. It is an idea with on-going negotiations reported this week in a newsletter from Josh Matlow (Ward 22). The church has evidently been considering what it can do to sustain its mission in the neighborhood as the congregation shrinks. As reported by Mr. Matlow, Reverend Debra Schneider, congregation members and local residents are ready to discuss the sale and severance of half the church property (two city lots) into what would become parkland at the corner of Manor and Forman Ave. As Mr. Matlow notes, Manor Road United chose to approach the City with this proposal rather than a developer, a decision that is typically public-spirited.