Price of peanut butter to rise substantially

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There are a couple of peanut butter stories worth noting. One is about real peanut butter and the other is about the soy-based imitation. First, word on the real stuff. Peanut farmers in Georgia and elsewhere in the U.S. South say the very dry summer has stunted their crops. A severe shortage of the raw material (peanuts) is expected to drive up prices to the manufacturers. They in turn will raises prices, with one peanut butter maker saying the sticker may go up 30 percent. We shall see. Meanwhile,. the Southwestern Ontario Thames River School Board has banned the presence of imitation soy-based peanut butter in its schools. It seems a shame for those who like peanut butter, and even those who are allergic, that the artificial kind can’t be identified in some physical way. Artificial peasant butter, if it tastes like the real thing, might certainly be an option if the prices go too high.

What are you wearing for Halloween?

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So we are officially two weeks out from All Hallows Eve and you know what that means. “What am I wearing?”is what it means. Here are a couple thoughts from the DYI department. The Magician and (centre) The Cat Girl are ideas contained in Martha Stewart’s site. There are a lot of other ideas there too. At right, we could not resist this one for mom and baby. Close as a spider and her web. Also, this year Postmedia has produced a list of very good costume ideas. Maybe the best is Start Now! Actually that’s number two but number three is good too — Work With What You Have. To read the whole list go here.

Out and About back on South Bayview

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The familiar balloon hat clown Out and About was back on South Bayview today. He’s here every year as part of a promotion by the Source Men’s Wear. This year he was working hard to keep spirits up on a windy and chilly day. Last year he had brighter weather and did a brisk business in face painting and hats. This evening Source will again have its annual promotion with patio heaters and weather tent on the street to keep everybody cosy.

Gap to close 189 stores in U.S. and Canada.

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The Gap clothing chain is closing stores in the U.S. and Canada while expanding in China. The company says it will shut down 189 North American locations by the end of 2013. with an eye on the blossoming Chinese luxury consumer, Gap says it will at the same time bump up its stores in that country to 45. .In its latest quarter, revenue at Gap’s North American stores fell by 3%.

Damage estimated at more than a $1,000,000

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An early morning fire on South Bayview has left Leaside Cleaners and The Flower Nook badly damaged. Smoke damage is noticeable to adjoining businesses although McSorley’s Tavern has already re-opened. The NIMA currency exchange will be closed for a period.. There may have been smoke damage to other businesses as well. An adjuster on the scene said the cause was probably electrical and appears to have started in the cleaning store.. He agreed that damage could well exceed a million dollars. Several people were forced out of their upstairs homes. No one was hurt.

School uniforms advice from principal

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Students wearing school uniforms in our area may be targeted because they are thought to come from affluent families and to carry cash, credit cards and expensive cellphones, according to Allan Hardy, principal of Greenwood College at Davisville Ave and Mount Pleasant Rd. Advice to the effect that girls may not wish to wear uniform skirts on the TTC was given by the police and passed on to the students. But Hardy said the advice was not intended to be sexist and was directed at all students. Two girls wearing uniforms on the TTC had complained to police about how a man was behaving towards them.

Occupy Toronto on Saturday

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You may wish to occupy your home instead but if you’re planning to go downtown be aware that Occupy Toronto will be planted there with whatever that may bring. All the best to you and to the City.

Sobeys splits up its grocery businesses

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Some analysts may wonder what Sobeys is doing as it announces that it will split the grocery chain into two business units, IGA Operations and Multi-Format Operations. Part of the speculation will flow from the brevity of the statement. The IGA Operations business unit includes the banners IGA and IGA Extra, Les Marches Tradition, Marche Bonichoix, and Rachelle-Bery in Quebec. They will continue to be led by Marc Poulin. The Multi-Format Operations business unit includes the banners Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, Sobeys Urban Fresh, Foodland, IGA stores in Western Canada, FreshCo, Needs, Fast Fuel and Sobeys’ liquor operations.

Nov 30 new date for Pottery Rd opening

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A brief news statement tonight says the City now expects that Pottery Rd. will be re-opened on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Pottery Road has been closed since May 24 and was expected to open Sept. 5. But, as reported here, the opening was delayed because of what appears to have been a miscalculation in the construction of the expanded roadway. A retaining wall designed to hold up the earthen side of the ravine near Broadview Ave. wasn’t quite up to the job. A check of the calendar will show that repairing or re-building the wall will take six weeks. Previous story.

Segar is now Modern French Kitchen

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Segar, the restaurant one door south of Satay on the Road, has raised a new sign. This one replaces the name Segar with “Modern French Kitchen.” It is apparently felt that the new sign might give potential customers a little more on which to focus.

Yogurty’s comes to Sunnybrook Plaza

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The spot in the Sunnybrook Plaza previously occupied by Paws and Claws has been taken by a large chain of franchised frozen yogurt outlets named Yogurty’s. Yorgurty’s apparently started in Toronto in 1987 and in recent years has seen considerable expansion. There is a list of shops on its website both operating and planned almost entirely in Ontario. They number some 25. There are also shops, again both open and planned, in Mexico and Costa Rica. Clearly Yogurty’s is on a roll. The product is said to be rich and creamy frozen yogurt that tastes like ice cream. Meantime, Paws and Claws has moved to South Bayview in the block north of Fleming Cres. .

Meters back as sidewalk mystery rolls on

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Overnight has brought the return of the parking meters to the east side of Bayview Ave. They were taken away you may recall in August when the frenzy of sidewalk construction was at its peak. But then, nothing. The meters were gone and so were the hot-to-trot sidewalk fix-it boys. Read more.