Charlene Kalia has brought to our attention a couple of worthwhile events this winter. The first is January 31, 2013 in support of Leaside Unite. Friends will gather at the Fox and Fiddle, 190 Laird Drive for an evening of socializing and music. Leaside Unite continues to battle the extension as planned of the SmartCentre on Wicksteed Ave. The tickets are $25 which includes two drinks. The band Blue Nash will be playing. Then on February 22, 2013, Charlene’s Laugh Out Loud in Leaside Act 4. That’s at 7.30 p.m. at Fantasy Farm Banquet Hall on Pottery road. It features Yuk Yuk’s Comedy and music. There will be an oyster bar, silent auction and much more. The money will benefit the arena expansion. Charlene notes the fund is 400,000 short of its September 2013 goal. To purchase tickets please contact Charlene at charlene@charlenekalia.com
Nortel executives found not guilty on all charges
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Nortel Networks Corp. executives accused of defrauding the company and the public have had their charges dismissed in a Toronto courtroom today, making them free men. Nearly a year to the day after their trial began in Toronto the three men are cleared entirely of wrong-doing and free to go. They are (l to r) ex-CEO Frank Dunn, ex-CFO Douglas Beatty and ex-controller Michael Gollogly. Thy were all accused of manipulating financial statements at Nortel Networks Corp. between 2002 to 2003. If convicted, each would have faced up to 10 years in prison. Vase stolen from Yonge Street antique store
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Police are investigating the Friday night break-in at the exclusive antique store on at 1262 Yonge Street. The crime occurred at Braem & Minnetti Antique French Furniture on Yonge between Summerhill Ave. and Woodlawn Ave and it appears to have netted the thief a single porcelain vase with lid. It may be that police have video of the break and enter because there is a detailed description of the the suspected thief: Male, white, mid 30’s, 5’11” to 6’1”, 161 to 169 pounds, brown/blond hair, thin build.
Art, personal accessories stolen on Forest Hill
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Toronto Police Services report: A resident of Forest Hill Road reports that between September 24, 2012 and September 27, 2012, unknown suspects removed a quantity of art work and personal accessories from their premises.
Did Jodie Foster out herself at Golden Globes?
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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