Last November, we elected a new board. It’s the biggest board DECA has ever had, bursting with 15 people. Many are new to the board, which we think is awesome. New people = new energy = new ideas. All new things demand inspection, of course. I’ve asked them each to fill out a questionnaire. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share their answers with you. Starting with… drum roll….  My name and age is… Mark Rullo, 36 One thing people don’t know about me is… I love to dance, and over the years I’ve tried a few breakdancing classes.  That’s one plug for something we’re missing in the ‘hood.  I moved to Danforth East because…  Honestly, it was the most affordable, family centred place in the city.  We knew at the time that Danforth East needed some work and we’re happy to see that DECA has been a force for that change.  Back then it was just my wife and my two dogs.  Now we’ve added 2 boys, one of whom is in junior kindergarten already!  We love being close to so many great parks.  In the summer one of our favs is formally called Gledhill Park, but we know it as the Dragon Park because that’s what the splash pad feature is.  The neighbourhood has donated their used kids’ toys to the park and it’s always a fun time on a hot day.  What keeps us here is our ever-expanding circle of close neighbours, and other parents at the school who we’re getting to know and love. I was dying to join the DECA board because…  The board is full of people who want to create positive changes for the neighbourhood.  I want to work with the rest of the board and volunteers to further that positive change. The thing I love most about the neighborhood is…  The young families and friendly neighbours that I’m surrounded by. My biggest local pet peeve is…  The bars that sell cheap beer, and over-serve that beer to customers that keep coming back, day after day.   My neighborhood secret is…   It’s not really a secret: when my wife and I are able to get out for a night, we like to go to Relish and enjoy their fantastic food and great bands.  Joanne the owner has done me and my wife a solid favour.  We were in there having lunch one day, and I talked to her about a brewer she has on tap who wasn’t responding to my social media inquiries over some bad batches.  Joanne asked us to leave our contact info, and within a few days the sales rep for the brand dropped off a 4 cases of beer for the inconvenience.  The local neighbours benefitted with a party, and a little campfire.   The place I go to on the Danforth that you’ve likely never frequented is… On the eastern stretch of our hood there are two family run places we like to support with our dollars.  The first is Golden Pizza (2360 Danforth Av.) where we don’t go for the pizza, but rather their super souvlaki, potatoes, and salad.  They also have a killer burger and a tasty veal parm dinner. They’ve recently overhauled their establishment, and it looks great. Give them a shot. The second is our local NaNa Florist (2454 Danforth Av).  They are always friendly, and put together a great bouquet.  My wife always comments on how long the bouquets from NaNa last and how beautiful they are. (Editor’s note: they specialize in a Japenese-style of floral arrangement called “ikebana.”)

School Trustee Consultation Meeting – Tuesday, Feb 3 from 7-9pm at Earl Haig PS.