These and other pressing matters from the entertainment self-adoration fest as recorded in the National Post By definition, the Golden Globes is an accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on the films and television industry, both domestic and foreign. Good coverage. Lot’s of videos.
Cute puppy Maymo hunts oranges, cabbage
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| Maymo is a lemon beagle made famous by his extremely cute activities. | His videos have appeared on major television shows and websites. |
Internet prodigy commits suicide at age 26
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Aaron Swartz, an Internet savant who at a young age shaped the online era by co-developing RSS and Reddit and later became a digital activist, has committed suicide. Swartz’s body was found Friday evening in Brooklyn, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman with the New York medical examiner’s office. The 26-year-old had hanged himself in his apartment. CNN
Heat wave on South Bayview as mercury hits 12C
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The temperature hit 12 Centigrade on South Bayview this afternoon, reflecting record-breaking warm conditions all across the region. This is unofficially the warmest January 12 ever. While other parts of the country are digging out from heavy snow, Toronto is enjoying a mid-winter springtime. By late morning the temperature had climbed above 9 C and it just kept on going. Environment Canada predicts more seasonal temperatures next week.
Vitapath store opens in Leaside Village
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The U.S. vitamin retailer Vitamin Shoppe has opened in Leaside Village on Laird Drive but because of trademark obstacles it is operating under the name Vitapath here in Canada. The new store is said to be well stocked with multi-vitamins and Omega-3s. It is profiled here in the Toronto Star by writer Francine Kopun.
Urban Nature a haven for birders, nature lovers
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| Paul Oliver |
The Urban Nature Store is nestled just east of Tim Horton’s in the Dawsco mall on Brentcliffe Road near Vanderhoof Ave. Canada Post calls it 939 Eglinton Ave. E. but it’s really around the corner. Inside Urban Nature, Leaside shoppers are greeted with a near riotous array of spring and summer merchandise. Here you will find a dozen varieties of bird seed, both conventional and squirrel proof, fat bags of peanuts and seed blocks suitable for feeding just about any fauna known to the Don Valley, heated birds baths, an ornithological subdivision of bird houses and what seems like a zillion entertaining oddments for kids, including the original 6-sided bug puzzle. The genial boss here is Paul Oliver. Mr. Oliver and his partner Jeff Tekavcic are some 12 year into a nature and tree care business which extends to five GTA locations and an international mail order house facilitated by the Internet. By any measure, they are an admirable success story. Mr. Oliver tells his company’s story in deceptively simple style. Although he shrugs off the label of scientist it is clear that the two entrepreneurs have a grasp of their products that goes beyond that of most retailers. Urban Nature contracts with various firms to manufacture the seed and nutritional supplement that are sold in Canada and the U.S. They own the formulas and the names. It is an impressive accomplishment and the store is worth a visit even if you aren’t a birder or like to feed the deer in the wild.
High school teachers cancel next week’s walkout
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All area schools open after walkout found illegal
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A confusing time confronts parents across the area this morning after a 4 a.m. decision by the Ontario Labour Relations Board that the planned teacher’s “protest” today was actually an illegal strike. The elementary teachers union which had earlier been talking tough about obeying any order to go back to class has said that it will abide by the order. The OLRB decision came after a hearing that lasted almost 13 hours. The challenging part for parents, apart from cancelling their plans and getting kids to school, was unknowns about exactly what the teacher complement would be and the availability of school guards (who had been cancelled in advance of the protest). Toronto schools open Here is the statement on the Toronto school board site:
Schools are OPEN today and all students are welcome but like a severe weather day, transportation will NOT be running. Staff is expected to report to work. Background All schools will re-open and classes will resume on Monday, January 7, 2013. Regulations have been filed under Bill 115 that impose new terms for collective agreements for all School Board employee groups for the next two years. For more information, please see the news release issued by the Minister of Education on Thursday, January 3. With the new contracts in place, unions will no longer be in a legal strike position. As always, the top priority for the TDSB is to ensure safety of students and maintain the integrity of the learning day. The TDSB is committed to sharing information with school communities as soon as it becomes available. Information will be shared directly with schools, news media and via the Board’s Twitter account: @tdsb
Early evening break in on Hillsdale Avenue.
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Toronto Police Service report: A resident of Hillsdale Avenue reports that between 1700 hours and 1900 hours on January 9, 2013 entry was gained into the premises by unknown means. Removed was a quantity of jewellery, computer equipment and cash.
Mayor buoyant as 2013 budget hammered out
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Toronto executive committee has hammered out a 2013 recommended operating budget of $9.4 billion which includes a property tax rate increase of 2% for residential and 0.67% for business properties. The budget process this year is being heralded by some as a stunning change from last year. There were increases for firefighting, paramedics, leaf pickup and for the library system and the arts. At the same time, the Ford administration insisted on retaining surplus funds for future capital projects. The mayor is said to have been in a buoyant mood following the meeting and like a man campaigning for office. The budget must now be approved by city council. Paul Moloney
Documentary films mark Leaside Centennial
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Earlier Story
This year marks the centennial of the Town of Leaside. The still largely unbuilt community was established by an act of the Provincial Legislature on April 23, 1913. The railways were instrumental in the creation of the town. Well known streets like Laird, Hanna, Wicksteed and many others carry the names of executives of the Canadian Northern Railway, prime movers in the plan. See Wikipedia for more of this type of information. To help spearhead the commemoration the Leaside One Hundred Committee has been convened by Councillor John Parker and is co-chaired by Virginia Evoy and John Piper. Other members are Lorna Krawchuk, Geoff Kettel, John Parker, Charlene Kalia, and Muhammed Wani. An interesting undertaking will be the production of a documentary 100 Years Inside Leaside devoted to telling the “then and now” vignettes of a proud community. The producers are asking anyone with archival material or a story to tell to contact them at Lea100Productions@gmail.com.
Union says teacher “protest” is charter issue
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Public schools will be closed across Toronto and South Bayview tomorrow as teachers continue their rolling strike action against the Ontario Government. The “alert” image above is on the Maurice Cody Junior Public school site and is on all school sites. Parents are scrambling to arrange for children to be cared for and occupied during this shutdown. Premier Dalton McGuinty called the protest an “illegal strike” and said his government will ask the Ontario Labour Relations Board to prevent the elementary school teachers from walking off the job. Officials said late yesterday that McGuinty will similarly “bring OSSTF’s illegal strike notice to the OLRB in the coming days.” The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has suggested that its action is protected under the Charter of Rights as a political protest. Fairly unanimous legal opinion seems to be however that it is actually an illegal strike and as such the union may be subject to fines if it continues to encourage teachers to leave school.