Tearful farewells as Beckham plays his last game

Never a stranger to the big stage, David Beckham was finally overwhelmed and reduced to tears as he went out in a burst of fireworks and cheers Saturday in his final home game for Paris Saint-Germain before retirement. Fans chanted his name before the game, and they chanted some more when he was finished. There was an outpouring of hugs, cheers, song and congratulations — from teammates, opponents and even former president Nicolas Sarkozy. There also was some soccer to be played. And Beckham, appointed captain for the game, was involved in two of his team's goals in a 3-1 victory over Brest. Fox Sports

Counterfeit $100 polymer bills appear in B.C.

The Government is warning people to be on the lookout for counterfeit $100 polymer bills. A man passed two of them in a British Columbia store earlier in May and since then others have appeared. The RCMP is starting to worry that Canadians have grown over-confident in the new bank notes. But, even though there is an outbreak of counterfeiting, the number of phony polymer bills per million is only about 25. At the peak of counterfeiting in Canada post 2000, there were more than 450 bogus bills in circulation for every million bank notes. 

$7,000 raised by Shelter Foundation Sale 2013

The final count of receipts at the LePage Shelter Foundatiom Sale last week indicates that more than $7,000 was collected for this very worthy cause. The organizers are sending thanks to many of our business neighbors:  Cobbs, Canadian Tire, Starbucks, PODS, We Move You, Frog Boxes, Valumart and others. Thanks to all those donors and volunteers as well. Previous post. 

Leaf Shack will rise next year win or lose

Doug Radford

The Radford family of Hanna Rd. has declared the Leaf Shack to have been a total success. Doug Redford, a Toronto paramedic, told The South Bayview Bulldog that the Game 7 turnout to the family's backyard television theatre attracted at least 70 people, most of whom Mr. Radford says he had never met before. "Next year I'm going to have to extend the back of the tent a little further. It was pretty much standing room only for a lot of people," said the creator of the Leaf Shack. As reported here the Leaf Shack concept goes back more than a decade and was recreated for this year's winning season. But, says Radford, there will be another Leaf Shack next year win or lose. 

Belsize listing from winter shows strong market

The Globe and Mail is reporting the sale of the semi-detached home at 260 Belsize Drive near Forman Ave. As many will know, this places the home on the attractive Glebe Manor Square boulevard park that stretches along certain sections of Belsize. The sale appears to be a winter listing which for reasons of a long close is only being reported now. The asking price was  $679,000 and it sold for $760,000. The home had sold previously in 1988 for  $262,000.  Sydnia Yu, Special to the Globe and Mail

Conviction in St. Dennis Drive elevator stabbing

Marko Pandurevic, 25, has been convicted of second degree murder after a dispute in an apartment parking lot on St. Dennis Drive led to an ongoing dispute that finally ended in the stabbing death of his neighbor. Court heard that Mr. Pandurevic stabbed Dimitry Savenkov, 25, several times with a kitchen knife in the apartment elevator. He did so he said out of fear for his life. The jury heard that the dispute began when Savankov's car nearly struck Pandurevic in the apartment parking lot where each lived. St. Dennis Dr. is near Don Mills Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E.   Toronto Star 

CTV, Sun News air grim speculation about Millard

(l-r) Laura Babcock, Sean Lerner, Dellen Millard

There is grim speculation swirling around the man accused of first degree murder in the death of Tim Bosma.  News outlets are saying that police feel they have reason to look into the death of Dellen Millard's father as well as the disappearance of a young woman, Laura Babcock, last July. The senior Millard was reported to have committed suicide by a gunshot wound through an eye last November. Ms Babcock, 23, vanished after a four-day period between June 30 and July 3, 2012, in which she telephoned Dellen Millard 13 times. Her last call was made to the accused man at 6.16 p.m. on the day after the Canada Day Monday. CTV reporter Tamara Cherry outlined the details of the Laura Babcock speculation with facts obtained from a boyfriend, Sean Lerner. It was Lerner who obtained the girl's phone records. Lerner says that he pressed  Millard on Laura's whereabouts shortly after the disappearance but that Millard said he knew nothing. Lerner also told CTV that Millard denied the phone calls until the records were shown to him. Lerner says Millard told him that Laura had become a cocaine addict that that he (Millard) had been supplying her. Lerner says he went to the police with this information but they were reluctant to take action. Reporter Joe Warmington of the Toronto Sun meanwhile has produced extensive detail about the purchase of an animal incinerator by Mr. Millard in July of last year. The unit cost  $7,000 and is located on the farmland in North Dumphries Township, near Kitchener, where police say they found the burned body of Mr. Bosma. Warmington says, incidentally, there are no cattle on the property.  Sun News video of Warmington speculation

Kettel gives north end break-in alert in Leaside

Geoff Kettel has written email to residents alerting them to a series of break-ins last night targeting bicycles and other valuables. It appears thieves worked their way east on from Bayview Ave. on Glenvale  Blvd.  One resident had his expensive bike stolen from a shed that was locked.

Rob Ford vs Mike Duffy in clash of scandal titans

National Post 

Ford's lawyer denies crack tale, cops "monitoring"

A lawyer for Mayor Ford says the accusation that Mr. Ford is seen on video smoking crack cocaine is "false and defamtory"  Dennis S. Morris, whose practice is on John Street, made the declaration in response to the Toronto Star story today (Friday, May 17, 2013) in which two well known reporters. Robyn Doolittle and  Kevin Donovan, write that they have screened a cellphone video shown to them by men who are apparently traffickers in crack. A photograph showing someone who looks like the mayor is published with the Star story. The Star says that it was asked to pay a million dollars and other sums of money for the video. It says it paid nothing. On the tape the mayor is said to utter a number of vulgarities and to be clearly impaired. The mayor himself has called the video "ridiculous" and yet another attempt by the Toronto Star to discredit him. He did not comment on the  appearance of the story first in the gossip online publication Gawker. The Gawkter  story, written by John Cook, is very vitriolic and the writer is conducting a campaign to solicit a sum of $200,000 to buy the video. Mr. Cook observes that the owner of the video may wish to leave town for fear of retribution.  As he hustled through City Hall today Mr Ford was hectored by reporters: "Is the video a fake, Mr Ford?" "Why would someone make a fake video?" and similar questions. One of the Mayor's allies on council,  Doug Holyday, said that he did not know what to say except that drug traffickers cannot be trusted. CP24 quotes police spokesman Tony Vella as saying that the department is "monitoring" the situation but PC Vella had no more to say about what that meant.  Many commentators are suggesting the video represents a fatal turn in the mayor's career from which he may not be able to recover.  .  

Storefront in Millwood Rd. mall is finally for rent

899 used to be Anna's Day Spa

Residents of South Leaside will be interested in the "For Rent" sign at 899 Millwood Road in the little mall at the corner of Sutherland Drive. For what seems at least a year it has had its window papered over with the sign of the last occupant, Anna's Day Spa, still up above. Now that sign is down and the space is for rent. It is the first change we can recall at the mall since ServiceOntario moved out in the Fall of 2010 to make room for the Sleuth of Baker Street. An apparent difference from a common structure in these small malls is that it appears the owner of the unit at 899 has separated out the living space upstairs so he is collecting two rents. Savvy small business people frequently buy both the store and the living space, as was done by Sleuth. It makes the retail process a lot more economical. Now we will wait to see who rents the store. The sign advertises Glendale Properties Inc, a management firm at 112 Sheppard Ave. West. 

HERO burger to locate at 1627 Bayview Ave.

Signs have now gone up at 1627 Bayview Ave. that the location will soon be a HERO burger place. This is the premises previously housing Jus de Vie which unfortunately closed at the beginning of the month after about a year in business. 

Minor earthquake felt -- or not -- in Toronto

An earthquake centred northwest of Ottawa has been felt  across a wide area of Ontario and Quebec according to media reports. There are reports from around the GTA of a tremble. It appears equally true that the earthquake was not felt by many others. Earthquakes Canada has revised its original report, saying it registered a 5.1-magnitude temblor with an epicentre located about 21 kilometres northeast of Shawville, Que., about an hour’s drive outside the national capital. There has been no damage reported. 

Star says video shows mayor smoking crack

Toronto Star's story

The Toronto Star has published a story which says that two of its reporters have seen a cellphone video of Mayor Ford apparently smoking crack cocaine. The story describes in detail not only the circumstances of how the reporters came to know about the tape and view it, but also the quite disturbing things that are seen and heard on the video. The person identified as the mayor makes a number of vulgar remarks, all apparently while under the influence of the narcotic. The mayor's staff is said to be refusing to comment. The story seems to say that the Star's reporters have necessarily seen or talked to people who are drug traffickers. Whatever this video may portend for the mayor, it might seem that an early call to the police would be in order.  

Useful planning guide for home fireworks

Moore and Bayview

The fireworks fun on the May long-weekend is also a time to make sure kids (and others) don't get hurt. Merchants are pushing fireworks this year in a way not previously seen. The city has a useful guide available  online on what to look for and avoid.  It is short and simple. The City regulates fireworks sales and specifices that fireworkls may be sold at retail "only during one or more of the following time periods: (a) Victoria Day and the seven days immediately before Victoria Day; (b) Canada Day and the seven days immediately before Canada Day;"  Guide

No strike at LCBO union, management announce

There will no strike at the LCBO. Union spokesperson Warren "Smokey" Thomas made the announcement shortly after 10 p.m. and it was quickly confirmed by the liquor board spokeswoman.  The deal comes ahead of a midnight deadline. LCBO stores will be open tomorrow (Friday, May 17, 2013).