Michael Fellin to be Crescent’s 10th headmaster

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Michael Fellin
Michael Fellin is poised to take the helm at Toronto’s Crescent School this coming fall when the present headmaster Geoff Roberts retires after 36 years at the eminent boys school.  The 39-year-old Mr. Fellin is in only his third year at the 30-acre Bayview Ave. campus. But he was marked for advancement when he joined and the board members made it official when they appointed him the tenth headmaster of Crescent in December. Mr Fellin began his education career in 2000 at Neil McNeil High School on Victoria Park Ave. where he was a teacher and then vice principal. In a release announcing his appointment, the board lauded Fellin’s contributions to the leadership of the school over the past two years, noting particularly his academic credentials, his understanding of independent schools and of boys education and his commitment to the uniqueness of educating boys. He had, said the board, an excellent rapport with students. Crescent has an enrollment of 700 and a faculty and staff of 140, all of whom have the privilege of working in the pleasant school nestled just off Bayview opposite the Granite Club.    

Council votes for a 2.23% tax increase in 2014

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City Council has voted for a 2.23% property tax increase in 2014. The vote was 32-13. The budget meeting continues at city hall and is not expected to be completed tonight.  The members voted as follows:

Yes: 32 Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Vincent Crisanti, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Mike Del Grande, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Mary Fragedakis, Mark Grimes, Norman Kelly, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Peter Leon, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Frances Nunziata (Chair), Cesar Palacio, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam  

No: 13 Paul Ainslie, Maria Augimeri, Frank Di Giorgio, Paula Fletcher, Doug Ford, Rob Ford, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Josh Matlow, Ron Moeser, John Parker, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner

Water off at Union Station for TTC, train riders

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There is no water tonight (Wednesday, January 29, 2014) and that includes the washrooms for anyone travelling by TTC or train. The effected area includes the GO and VIA concourses. Toronto Water was doing work in the area when a water valve broke, requiring water to be shut off until proper repairs can be completed. They’re working on it.

Parker on bid to derail subway extension

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As Josh Matlow (Ward 22) campaigns for a delay on a decision to build the Scarborough subway, there is a move to get next-door city councillor John Parker (Ward 26) to support the move. Residents of Leaside are being asked to write  to Mr. Parker urging him to do this.  The local effort is being aided, it would appear, by Geoff  Kettel, well-known in the community, who has sent a general e-mail marked “URGENT TO ACT: Ask Councillor Parker to support Councillor Josh Matlow who wants to put Scarboroug​h subway on hold — along with the tax hike.”
JOHN PARKER’S REPLY TO GEOFF KETTEL 

I have favoured the LRT option from the start, and have voted accordingly at every turn in the debate.
The difficult thing is that Council has now spoken. Our side lost. The other two levels of government have also endorsed the subway option, and have committed funding to it. Undoing the existing plan will be a complicated task. The issue goes well beyond the vote on the 2014 City of Toronto budget. Notwithstanding that, yesterday at Council I tried to have the vote on the subway tax split from the vote on the other contributors to the overall tax rate. My side came up short on that as well. Council then voted on one all-in tax rate, including the subway tax. I voted in the negative, again as a reflection of my disapproval of the subway expense. I voted in the negative even though, the subway tax aside, I had no quarrel with the actual tax rate being proposed. Again, my vote was in the minority. We will get into the detailed voting on particular budget items today. My vote on each item will depend on the form in which each particular proposition is framed when it finally reaches the voting stage. As you know, various proposals have a way of being bundled together, and things can therefore become complicated. Be assured I will none the less seek every practical opportunity to confirm my disapproval of the subway expansion proposal. Which I have done consistently as a member of Council and as a member of the TTC every time the matter has come before me. All of that having been said, you will understand that bringing about a change in policy will take more than one more vote from me at Council confirming my disapproval of the subway extension. It will take a new attitude by Council and – to be candid – some backbone at Queen’s Park. Which is where you might want to try to bring some immediate influence to bear if the goal is to bring about a change of policy concerning the SRT replacement proposal.

“Quiet new jets” issue is a clever red herring

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Five well-known Torontonians have written a column in the Globe and Mail opposing plans to expand Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Islands. They are Paul Bedford, a former chief planner of Toronto, David Crombie, a former mayor, Jack Diamond, Toronto-based international architect; Anne Golden former head the United Way and now chair of the Transit Investment Advisory Panel and Ken Greenberg, former head of urban design in the Toronto planning department.  In summarizing their position, the writers say: “There is no such thing as a “little big airline” or a “little big airport.” Those are clever words masking private gain and public loss. We cannot allow it to replace a highly valued public vision for our waterfront. We only have one waterfront and it belongs to everyone.” This statement is reminiscent of Mr. Crombie’s warning a few weeks ago. Be prepared to see a large airport on the island if there is any expansion permitted, he said. This is a profound perception that cuts through irrelevant things like how much sound new jet planes may make. Expansion at the airport sets Toronto on the path for an enormously busy international terminal with all the congestion, noise and dirt that come with it. Globe and Mail 

Has Loblaws axed Nutshell with a rhyming tweet?

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A rhyming tweet from Nutshell on King would seem to be the way Loblaws has chosen to announce that it has “aborted” its ballyhooed pilot plan to battle Whole Foods. Last July,  the company created quite a flurry when it announced the imminent opening of Nutshell Live Life Well.  Julija Hunter, Loblaw’s vice-president of public relations told the Toronto Star: “It’s a convenience-based, fresh food led drugstore model — a new version of a health store.” The much-discussed location for Nutshell was a restored old building downtown that green people could feel good about — 500 King Street West. Well, there is enough bogus information flying around Twitter that it’s good to take everything you read with a grain of salt substitute. But  a tweet from Nutshell on King seems to say it all, even though it is a rather unorthodox way of telling the public the plan is off.
Pistachios are green
Almonds are brown
Try not to frown
Nutshell has shut down.
While we have to abort
We thank you all for your support!
Since last July, Nutshell’s Twitter account has been full of “can’t wait for you to open” impatience and faux health advice like “Sitting is the new smoking.” But then, out of nowhere, the above tweet about pistachios and the need to abort. Oh dear.

Bell Let’s Talk Day at Northern Secondary

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Clara Hughes, Canada’s six-time Olympic medalist graced the stage at the senior assembly at Northern Secondary School on Mt  Pleasant Rd. today (Tuesday, January 28, 2014). It was the fourth annual national Bell Let’s Talk Day in aid of a wider understanding of the issues of mental health. Clara is seen here third from the left at the NSS assembly shortly before she tweeted her congratulations to staff and students for a “‘fantastic show.” Clara was busy throughout the day. Later she tweeted “Out of my element at BNN (Business News Network) but worth it for Bell Let’s Talk.” One source suggests that the campaign raised some $4 million over the day to aid research and assist those afflicted. Photo Twitter. 

Memories of dear friends, good times at Chai on Bayview

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Lambert Moo, Rainbow Tan and chai on Bayview

The closing of Lambert Moo’s restaurant at 1575 Bayview Ave. is a cruel event set in this cruelest of Januaries. Chai on Bayview closed over the weekend, a victim of an economy and a street that is labouring under difficult challenges. All of South Bayview is feeling the neglect of customers who are bludgeoned by parking tickets. The emergence of retail shopping on Laird Drive is extracting a punishing penalty on some businesses. As to Chai on Bayview, there seems to have been a gradual falling away of the good friends and pleasant times in which the business was re-started by Mr. Moo. His right-hand helper, Rainbow Tan, was much loved by the clientele. When she left a couple of years ago, she took something with her. And there were many others, Chinese kids who had made their way to Canada and were glad to be here. But the rent was substantial and even with loyal patrons, it became hard for Moo to make ends meet. We are told that he has left on his own terms  Some now say they have never seen as many places vacant on South Bayview. On a sunny Tuesday, there is a wisp of hope in the disappearance of the For Rent signs on the spaces last occupied by Yeh Yogurt and What Lola Wants. Let’s hope for good news. Photos by The South Bayview Bulldog show Lambert Moo and Rainbow Tan in happier times, Chai on Bayview in summer.

Unable to retire, or just bored doing nothing?

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In its first go round the headline on the CTV story linked here bought into the “unable to retire” view of older Canadians. It was changed later. The StatsCan numbers show many people work after they leave their life’s employment, but the story had no apparent interest in whether they do it out of an absolute need to work or the simple nature of the animal. There must be more than a few filthy rich people in those statistics who kept on working for — pardon the expression — the fun of it.  CTV

Loblaws slated for Kensington condominium

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Loblaws has agreed to open a large supermarket on the second floor of the condominium now being planned by Tribute Communities  at College Street and Spadina Avenue. This spot is cheek by jowl with Kensington Market. The store is said to be planned at 20,000 square feet. This would be a second upstairs store in a condo for Loblaws. South Bayview watchers will know of the large store planned at the Madison on Eglinton Ave. E. between between Dunfield Ave. and Lillian Street. The announcement of the Loblaws in Kensington will bring a furore over the character of the neighborhood. In recent months the residents, led by Adam Vaughan (Ward 20) were successful is killing a Walmart store planned for the area.  Mr. Vaughan told the Globe and Mail tonight that he is wary of the development adding “Keningston needs help.” This may be true, but Kensington also needs better hygiene. Higher property values and a measure of gentrification would ensure that but many prefer the sub-granola quality of the area as it is.  Globe and Mail