HS teachers to boycott extracurricular activities

Teachers will be leaving right on time says the OSSTF.  Toronto Sun

Kate’s morning sickness is “a serious matter”

$450,000 still needed to complete arena funding

Brooke Biscoe, Chair of the Arena Board has written to say  that, as of December 1, generous donors have raised $3.05 million and so have only about $450,000 left to raise to meet the community fundraising goal of $3.5 million to complete the arena expansion.. Contributions of any amount will be gratefully received and can be made through the East York Foundation or by contacting the arena. If you made your donation in the 2011 tax year, Mr Biscoe asks if you would consider making an additional contribution before the end of 2012. Some naming opportunities are also still available for larger gifts. Inset is a picture of work as seen from the tracks

Buckingham Palace confirms Kate is pregnant

Kate Middleton is pregnant, Buckingham Palace has confirmed! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby, according to an official statement just released by palace officials, who confirm that Kate Middleton and Prince William, both 30, are adding a royal boy or girl to their mix. The official statement of Kate Middleton’s pregnancy comes after an exhaustive set of baby rumors that have dogged the couple ever since their royal wedding in April 2011:  National Post   Rare morning sickness illness

Coin theft from residence on Sheldrake Blvd

Toronto Police Service report:   A resident of Sheldrake Boulevard reports that between 1227 hours, September 1, 2012 and 1227 hours, November 21, 2012 a quantity of cash and foreign coins was removed from the residence

Bicycle traffic lights appearing across the U.S.

Bicycle signals which assist both motorists and cyclists to get around more safely are appearing in many U.S. cities. Places like Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington are among 126 manicipalities that have installed the lights. It appears the earliest detected advantages of such lights are two. The first is to allow more time for a  bicycle rider to pass through an intersection before the light turns  red. The finer points of this process are not entirely clear from the written material available but the basic purpose seems clear. The second function appears to be to give cyclists a bit of a head start at a light to help them get out ahead of drivers who are turning right.  Again, you would like to see it in operation before trying it. Traffic specialists in jurisdictions using the signals say they are in a research period and expect that over time, the function of the bicycle lights will be written more fully into traffic codes.

Seniors home evacuated over CO fears

A seniors home at Barberry Place near Bayview and Sheppard Avenue East was evacuated Sunday morning after high carbon monoxide readings. The Hazmat team ushered residents to an area of the building that had a zero reading while they searched for the source. They later discovered the cause — a burnt out motor on the roof that pumps air into the stairwells. Some seniors were treated by EMS with oxygen. Residents in affected units were relocated to parts of the building with a zero reading while officials vented the area.

Long-time Chick n Deli is now Seven44 on Mt Pleasant Rd

The standby chicken and jazz place on Mt Pleasant known for decades as the Chick n Deli has changed names again. For a while there it was Peoples Chicken. Now new signage announces that the restaurant is called  SEVEN44  It’s an easy guess that this number is the address of the place and is well known to the timeless Chicken (Rooster?) who has been hanging out on the roof since the beginning of chicken time, which is measured in eggs, not hours  (Who writes this silly stuff?)

Half a house is smarter than none on Sutherland

So here we are on lovely Sutherland Drive north of Parklea Drive where 399 has gone from a whole house (left) to half a house. No doubt we are well on the way to a larger residence with the northerly wall still where it was when the home was built so many years ago. It will be interesting to see where the parking is when the new wider place is finished.  

Deb Matthews endorses Kathleen Wynne

Don Valley West MPP Kathleen Wynne has gained the endorsement of Health Minister Deb Matthews in her campaign to become leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario.  In a news release, Matthews heaped praise on Wynne.. “Kathleen listens and takes a collaborative approach to tackling tough challenges. She is ready to be Premier on day one.” Wynne’s campaign team posted a YouTube video with a personal endorsement from the Health Minister.

Ford recalls 2013 Escape, Fusion models

Ford Motor has issued an urgent voluntary recall of some 90,000 2013 Escape SUVs and Fusion sedans.  It says the engines can overheat and cause fires. The recall affects vehicles from the 2013 model year with 1.6-liter turbocharged engines that were sold in the U.S. and Canada.  Associated Press

New after-school tutoring centre at St. Cuthbert’s

The HEART Learning Centre has taken space at St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church at 1399 Bayview and spokesperson there Angela Del Bianco says they hope to stay a good long while. HEART Learning Centre is an enriched after-school program that is designed for students ages of 4-11. They provide homework support and are open from Tuesday to Thursday from 3  to 6 pm. Their number is  (647) 882-5344