240 Rose Park in Moore Park sold in six days

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The original Moore Park home at 240 Rose Park Drive at Welland Ave. has sold in six days for slightly under the listing price of $1,149,000. It changed hands for $1,135,000. The pretty brick home is said to be washed in natural light and has two magnificent trademark Oaks on the front lawn. It was an estate sale, which may account for the fairly affordable price, at least by today’s standards. 

Rob Ford walks away from election audit

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Call it a Trifecta, a three leaf clover or whatever you will. Any way you put it, Mayor Rob Ford has now walked away from three attempts to either kick him out of office and otherwise penalize him.  The latest win came today when a three-person committee  voted 2-1 not to commence legal proceedings against the mayor for a three percent overrun on his election expenses in 2010. The audit had found Ford’s campaign went over its $1.3-million spending cap by $40,168. The audit also found the campaign contravened the Municipal Elections Act in several ways – from spending before the campaign formally started, to accepting corporate and cash contributions, to obtaining “generous credit terms” from the family business.  680 News 

Let’s fix the TTC dead zone on Bayview (Part 2)

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We wrote about the TTC “dead zone” on Bayview Ave early in January and now Carol Burtin-Fripp of the Leaside homeowners association has written elsewhere outlining a proposed solution for the absence of bus service between Bayview/Moore and South Bayview’s downtown shopping district to the north. Ms Burton-Fripp says her plan is to move the Yonge Street base for the 11 Bayview bus from the Davisville station to St. Clair station. The 11 (and sister route 11C) would then travel a similar route to the 88 South Leaside bus but continue on up Bayview past Sutherland. This is an inventive idea and no doubt one that many in the south end of South Bayview would applaud. It might be not so welcome to many riders who make their homes along and off of Davisville Ave. (including the apartments south of June Rowlands Park). Ms Burton Fripp recalls that in the 1990s there was discussion of possibly altering the route of the 88 bus to pass through the South Bayview business district. This was an idea published in January by The South Bayview Bulldog. The South Leaside bus could then turn east at Millwood Ave. or Parkhurst Ave. and find its way back to the present route ultimately servicing Wicksteed Ave. Ms Burtin Fripp says she has asked John Parker (Ward 26) to consult the TTC about it. This is a public service and brings credit on her. Previous post. 

Meeting to discuss mural on Coxwell station

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There will be a meeting to discuss a new “community mural” to be painted on the side of the recently renovated Coxwell subway station. Residents are invited to have some input at the meeting. which will be held Tuesday, February 26 from at 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  It will be held in the Council Chamber, East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell Ave.  

Maybe teachers should wear lapel badges

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The president of the Ontario secondary school teachers union says maybe teachers will participate in extra-curricular activities — and maybe they won’t. Hard feelings are expected to linger, it seems. Each teacher will decide whether he/she is going to help out as before. Really too bad. Maybe teachers should think of wearing lapel buttons or lanyard badges so everyone can identify  just what they will do. “I’m okay for the Halloween Parade” but not those silly music recitals. Help us out. 

Top British cardinal forced to resign

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Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the UK’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has resigned as the head of the Scottish Catholic church after being accused of “inappropriate acts” towards fellow priests. News that Pope Benedict had accepted the cardinal’s resignation as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh came after the Observer disclosed a series of allegations by three priests and one former priest. O’Brien has denied the allegations and had been expected to continue in his post as archbishop until mid-March, when he was due to retire at age 75.

“Defector Boxer Girl” packs lightning wallop

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Click through for video 

North Korean defector Choi Hyun-mi looks like a typical 19-year-old Korean teen with a penchant for pink, but Choi has a special ability. She packs a staggering right punch that can knock out most opponents. A Japanese challenger, Tsubasa Tenku, experienced that recently when Choi defended her WBA featherweight crown. South Koreans call her the “Defector Boxer Girl” and see her as a new ray of hope in the country known a generation ago for producing scrappy and fearless fighters. See her box

Rare Canadian stamp purchased for $225,000

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Pair of Twelve Penny Blacks
A very rare Canadian stamp issued in 1851 has been traded between two unidentified Canadian stamp collectors for a total of about $225,000. The sale occurred Saturday in Halifax under the roof of maritime-based Eastern Auctions.  The stamp is known as the Twelve Penny Black, a description of its colour and value. The particular example of the 162-year-old stamp is said to have  long been recognized as perhaps the finest known example of the Twelve Penny Black. The stamp sold Saturday once belonged to the Marquess of Lorne — Canada’s governor general from 1878 to 1883 — and was later part of the Dale-Lichtenstein holdings amassed in the early 20th century by U.S. industrialist Alfred Lichtenstein and later bolstered by his daughter, Louise Boyd Dale.  The stamp depicts a young Queen Victoria. 

“Dead government walking,” says Rex Murphy

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Wynne cannot win. The Ontario Premier’s coming electoral loss-to-be was written long before she became Liberal leader earlier this month. The now infamous story of the cancellation of two Ontario gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga — the latter during the last election — continues oh-so-justly to hound the Ontario Liberals. It has utterly blasted Liberal credibility in Ontario. National Post 

Coke plans to leave Overlea Blvd this Spring

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Coca Cola Limited has said that it will not comment on who will be moving into its property on Overlea Blvd adding that it has not as yet sold the property. (This does not mean a sale is not imminent — Ed) . The company plans to vacate its premises at 42 to 46 Overlea sometime during the second quarter of 2013, according to Erika Mozes, a media representative at the company. Ms Mozes said: “As part of the process, we remain committed to the Overlea and East York community and look forward to attracting future investment and jobs to benefit the local community.” Readers may recall a previous post in The South Bayview Bulldog in which we speculated that the Coke space was very suitable as a big box location which could form part of the retail mass made up of the new Target store and other merchants at East York Town Centre and elsewhere along Overlea. Previous post 

Meeting regarding 70 Wicksteed Feb. 26, 2013

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Community Council will next to consider the SmartCetnre Extension at 70 Wicksteed Ave on February 26, 2013 at 9.30 am. Members of Leaside Unite, the community group opposed to the size, content and traffic element of the development are asking residents to attend the meeting.  Leaside Unite is trying to have the matter deferred to council’s April 9 meeting, to allow more time to study the staff report and consult with the community about the development. As well as asking for a deferral, the group will submit a petition at the meeting at North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St., with approximately 1,200 signatures against the current plan for the development. Residents who wish to comment on the application, but are unable to attend the meeting, can submit written comments to the city clerk by emailing nycc@toronto.ca or faxing 416-395-7337. Many people have been disappointed with the design and architecture of the original SmartCentre and speculation that the extension north of Wicksteed might contain a big box anchor like Walmart has generated opposition  The irregular shape of the proposed development has led some to nickname it “the Salamander”

Davisville residents fight highrise plan for school

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Davisville Junior Public School
The Toronto and District School Board is pushing hard to get an exemption to the city height bylaw so it can build a new “school” at the site of Davisville Junior Public School on Merton Street. Trouble is, the new DJPS would be housed in a 24-storey high-rise where such structures are simply not permitted. The limit on Merton is four storeys. It’s been more than 40 years since Toronto, led by Mayor David Crombie, went to war to demand that midtown and north Toronto residential streets be shielded from such highrises. The stand-off is well underway between the school board and members of council. Frankly it seems like a lousy deal. It’s true that DJPS is old and needs replacement. It’s also true the TDSB is in hock. Readers will recall that the TDSB recently floated plans to sell off surplus school land like that surrounding Bennington Heights PS. If the flat lands around Bennington were turned over to residential homes it would not necessarily be a bad thing. But the rationale that bylaws to protect neighborhoods can be broken because the school board is in debt is an invitation to disaster. Let the school board work within the rules.