The South Bayview Bulldog

Scott Maw promises lunch

Theresa Tam top doctor

Star Touch shut down

New CFO Scott Maw (upper left) has a never-say-die determination as Starbucks once again vows to turn the green lady coffee shops into lunch spots. So far, the plan seems mostly talk but there’s lots of money on hand when they decide to spend. Starbucks is said to have something like a billion and a half dollars advanced to it by customers for coffee-as yet unordered, much less drunk. Monday was the 25th anniversary of Starbucks’ listing on the Nasdaq. As a publicly traded company, the chain has grown from 150 stores to over 26,000 brick-and-mortar locations, with more than 330,000 employees today, Maw told CNBC.

STAR TOUCH IS HISTORY

The Toronto Star is laying off 30 employees as it shuts down Star Touch, the tablet app that was supposed to make the once fat and sassy Star rich again. Apparently it failed to meet management expectations for readership uptake. The tablet-only app will be replaced by one for smartphones as well as tablets, and will be available to readers before the end of July. The Star Touch final edition will run on July 31.

THERESA TAM CANADA’S TOP DOCTOR

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott has appointed Dr. Theresa Tam (upper right) as Canada’s top doctor, the third person to head the Public Health Agency of Canada since its inception in 2004. Tam had been acting chief public health officer since the retirement of former PHAC chief Dr. Gregory Taylor in December. The pediatric infectious disease specialist has held a number of senior leadership positions at the agency, including assistant deputy minister of infectious disease prevention and control.

As the clock crept up towards three o’clock Monday afternoon the heavens opened for a couple of good helpings of rain and ice pellets. The torrent filled gutters and overflowed sewers.

Special Weather Statement: More unsettled conditions this afternoon with scattered thunderstorms producing small hail and gusty winds. Yet another disturbance will sweep across Southern Ontario today into tonight. Scattered thunderstorms spread across regions from southern Georgian Bay to the Golden Horseshoe. They are now pushing to the east of the area and affecting portions of Eastern Ontario.

PEA-SIZED HAIL

All activity should weaken this evening. Many of the thunderstorms have produced pea-sized hail. And a few have given 1 centimetre hail or perhaps a little larger. Given the cool temperatures and favourable atmospheric conditions, the hail may be abundant and nearly cover the ground at times. The main concern is damage to tender crops and plants.  Isolated brief funnel clouds and wind gusts to 70 km/h may also be associated with a few of these storms. The funnel clouds are not expected to touch down.

Pottery bridge 1928

Arena media challenge

July 2 service at LUC

A Leaside and East York gallery from Monday’s media ether reveals a wonderful picture of the Pottery Road bridge in 1928. As any motorist knows, the bridge is fully extant and is now part of a two-lane crossing of the Don. Thanks and regards to the  East York Historical Society. Upper right. Ann Brown is calling for candidates as Leaside Memorial Community Gardens tackles social media.  Good idea. And below that, Leaside United Church was able to hit the side of the barn with this flag as a reminder of its July 2 service with hymns.

The former chief of staff to Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins say he thinks the dozens of illegal pot shops operating in Toronto are “dreaming in technicolour” if they think they have any future in the legal sale of marijuana in Ontario. Omar Khan was talking on CBC radio with Matt Galloway. “There is no way the province of Ontario or any other province is going to give a retail distribution licence to any entity that’s involved in criminal activity,” he said. In this regard, Mr. Khan was cautious about just where current supply to these shops originates. But his words suggested it is illegal. Police have said that marijuana is grown cheaply in countless locations both natural and artificial and is sold for enormous profit at illegal locations.

(@OPP_GTATraffic)

Heavy rolls of paper

A tractor trailer has tipped while navigating a curved approach at Highway 401 near Highway 400 leaving it teetering over the eastbound lanes of the 401 Monday morning. OPP posted images on Twitter showing a transport truck leaning against the guard rail over Highway 401. The vehicle was carrying heavy paper rolls which it seems likely were not fully secured inside the truck. It happened some time around 8:30 a.m. on the eastbound Highway 401 ramp at Highway 400. OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said collector lanes have reopened, but express lanes will remain closed until crews put the truck upright over the next hour. He said one person suffered minor injuries in the rollover.

There has been a  tentative agreement reached between the LCBO and employee members of OPSEU, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Discussion with members is required and ratification may occur early in the week. OPSEU was set to strike Monday but this is now cancelled. The issue, as related by the union, was the schedules of part-time employees. Some reports say LCBO cashiers earn $28 an hour.

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Work continues with a serious intent it seems at the former Vero Trattoria on South Bayview. This will be a new eating place soon. Stay tuned.

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Lark Huska, 15, and her mother Alexandra MacQueen. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)

The remarkable story of Lark Huska, and how she went from being discovered in a pet store to Paris fashion runways is told by the CBC’s Hailey Salvian. CBC

An overturned oil tanker burst into flames in Pakistan Sunday killing as many as 153 people who had rushed to the scene of the highway accident to gather leaking fuel. The heartbreaking circumstances of the catastrophe are reported by hospital staff at Bahawalpur’s Victoria Hospital in south Punjab. There are expectations that there will be more dead reported. A loudspeaker atop a local mosque alerted villagers to the leaking fuel and scores raced to the site with jerry cans, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur. Highway police moved quickly to redirect traffic but couldn’t stop the scores of villagers who raced to collect the fuel, spokesman Imran Shah told a local TV channel.