Chavez rolls to victory with 54.42% of vote

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Venezuela’s socialist President Hugo Chavez won re-election on Sunday, quashing the opposition’s best chance at unseating him in 14 years and cementing himself as a dominant figure in modern Latin American history. The 58-year-old Chavez took 54.42 percent of the vote, with 90 percent of the ballots counted, to 44.97 percent for the young opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, official results showed. Chavez’s victory would extend his rule of the OPEC member state to two decades, though he is recovering from cancer and the possibility of a recurrence hangs over his political future.

LV 2013 launches checks on four escalators

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Vikdeo here
Paris Fashion Week haas ended and among the many flamboyant shows was the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2013. Designer Marc Jacobs explored symmetry and mirrors as he unveiled the collection at the Louvre in Paris. The set consisted of four large escalators with yellow striped steps and models stepped out onto the catwalk in pairs, wearing similar patterns with identical styling. Jeanne Bekker liked it

Toronto church excursion hit by bus rollover

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Report from KABC-TV on rollover of Toronto-New York excursion bus: More than 23 people were hurt Saturday when a charter bus carrying 57 passengers from Canada overturned on a highway exit ramp in northern New Jersey. The coach bus from Toronto-based AVM Max 200 Charter Services Inc. overturned around 7:30 a.m. when exiting interstate 80 in Wayne. According to authorities, the Brooklyn bound bus, chartered by the Grenada Toronto Community Network, landed on its side at the bottom of an embankment injuring 23 people on board. Eight of the victims are in critical condition with non-life-threatening injuries. At least 12 passengers on the bus were members of the Toronto Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, Passengers say people were piled on top of each other on the floor of the bus. “I was laying on the floor,” said passenger Leona Broones. “Someone was on top of me. Someone had to pull me up off the floor.” It’s not clear what caused the bus to flip over. However, the driver allegedly told state police he had been cut off by another vehicle. The accident backed up traffic in the area for hours while law enforcement officials Also, Toronto Star

Modular addition at Field Ave. and McRae Dr.

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One of the more interesting local home additions and renovations is this corner structure at Field Ave and McRae Drive, across the street from Trace Manes Park. What was a modest but good-looking centre hall home is getting an addition on the west side. This project is from a company called Modular Home Additions, which as the name suggests, specializes in additions, bump ups or new homes that are fabricated off site. They say you can have an addition in just three days although we must say  that seems to suggest there are a few things not mentioned. All in all, however, it seems that when the matching brickwork is done and new windows cleaned up, this will be a very nice home.     

Ghoulish Giveaway on Bayview October 13, 2012

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As usual, Tremblett’s Valu Mart will be a focus of fun in the lead up to Halloween. This year the Annual Leaside Ghoulish Giveaway will move into the grocery store’s parking lot with a range of activities like pumpkin carving, face painting, candy floss and a barbecue provided by Tremblett’s. A popular feature of the Ghoulish Giveaway is a family portrait taken on the scene. That’s next Saturday, October 13, 2012 between 11 am. and 2 pm. at 1500 Bayview Avenue.The sponsors are Tremblett’s, Real Estate Broker Charlene Kalia and the Royal Bank. 

Mountain Bean in Sunnybrook Plaza now closed

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The Mountain Bean coffee shop in the Sunnybrook Plaza has closed, apparently with rent unpaid. Notices were posted on the shop’s window by the landlord RioCan Property indicating the lease had been terminated for this reason It is just less than three years since the Mountain Bean opened. It was operated, other merchants said, by the same business person who had the Second Cup franchise in this location, which is at the east end of the plaza near the Uptown Restaurant. The Mountain Bean franchise advertised a cozy “ski chalet” atmosphere. Now they are gone.

Northlea kids assemble hampers at Valu Mart

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Kids from Northlea Elementary and Middle School at 305 Rumsey Rd. took over Tremblett’s Valu Mart yesterday to assemble an impressive 250 hampers of donated food for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Here we see these great young volunteers doing a big victory cheer. Well done kids. These hampers were donated thanks to the generosity of Rob and Jessie Tremblett, Locallea merchants, Patrick Rocca and shoppers at Tremblett’s Valu Mart. They will feed 250 needy families this Thanksgiving. More pictures on the website of Sarah’s Food Drive. 

Sunnybrook fun runs for area school kids

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Elementary school students will have a chance to do some fun cross country running despite the job action taken by many teachers. Locally, the school board has arranged for purely recreational runs to take place   Monday, Oct. 15 at Sunnybrook Park near Eglinton Ave. E. and Leslie St. The start time  is 9:45 a.m. and the approximate end time is 2:30 p.m. As reported by Louise Brown in the Star, these runs will only be open to students in Grades 1 to 8 who did not officially participate in the previously scheduled meets organized by the Toronto District Elementary School Sports Association.. Brown indicates in her story that the board said that students will run as individuals and not as school teams. These event will. be  supervised by “board central staff”.  Louise Brown.

Krawchuk residents plead for stop to condo plan

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Heartfelt concerns about their homes and living conditions were expressed  at a meeting September 24, 2012 by residents of Krawchuk Lane.  As reported in the Town Crier residents declared the seven storey condominium proposal an abomination and a “cruise ship in Leaside.”  “Please be mindful this building would be dreadful in front of our homes,” Brenda Berge, a resident of Krawchuk Lane told the meeting as reported by the Town Crier.  “The current plans would have my house facing a 15-foot wall  and the garbage.” Story.