Skating this weekend

If you have not already heard, tomorrow (Sunday) is Councillor Janet Davis’ 10th Annual Skating Party

Sunday, February 10th
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
East York Memorial Arena
888 Cosburn Avenue

Cookies, face painting, crafts and of course skating.

Kids under 6 need to wear a helmet.

Speaking of skating, if you are around East Lynn Park this weekend and can help to shovel off the rink, our sources tell us that a bit of elbow grease is needed to get the rink back to skatability.

This just in: “skatability” is now a word.

This Blog Is What EVERYONE Will Be Talking About This Week

What’s Up At Danforth and Woodbine?

What’s not. It looks like the old CIBC building on the southeast corner will become a BMO – Bank of Montreal.  Across the street on the northwest corner, we’ve confirmed a Dollarama will be opening up shop. This is a link to a recent story on Open File about the condo development. Cozy Cafe is now offering breakfast everyday and yoga on Thursday evenings.  And on Monday, don’t forget about the Stay and Play In Your ‘Hood activities and promotions at Silly Goose Kids, Celena’s Bakery, Circus and Cozy Cafe.

The Day After Yesterday

Robin Green is  is a local writer who recently published an e-book novel set around Danforth and Woodbine in the present and back in the 1850s when the area was farmland.

Three sixth grade friends discover strange marbles in the weedy yard of a house near Gladstone school. Why do the marbles keep appearing? And why, whenever the children touch one, are they instantly transported from a cool Toronto spring to visions of a hot country summer? The marbles are more than the kids bargained for, showing the children images of a lost century. They see a hamlet where cars, telephones, electric lights are unheard of, and a farmhouse where a young couple mourns the death of their teenage daughter.  When one of the friends goes missing, the others decide the marbles are for more than visions. They have a friend to rescue, and not one but many lives depend on them. 

The book is available for download to a Kindle, iPad, Kobo, or other online device, or for reading on a laptop, from https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119681. You can read the first 7 chapters (out of 22) for free, or buy the entire book for just $2. Isn’t that the neatest thing you learned about today?

Hirut Hoot

Staying close to Danforth and Woodbine, check out Hirut Hoot – a ‘comedy  night spectacular!’ This lovely Ethiopian restaurant will feature comics Rhiannon Archer, Kevin MacDonald, Scott McCrickard, Matt Shurt, Ron Sparks and Winston Spear. Carolyn Bennett is the host. It begins at 9 p.m. and the cover is $5. If you order a meal, that $5 will be discounted off your bill. If this inaugural event is successful, organizers hope to make it a monthly gig.

Councillor Davis’ Skating Party
Sunday, February 26, 2012, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, at the East York Memorial Arena, 888 Cosburn Ave. 
 Join Councillor Janet Davis for some skating fun, a figure skating demo by one of the East York Skating Club’s syncro teams, face painting, crafts, prizes and cookies.  Children under 7 must wear a CSA approved helmet. Ice skate rentals are available. For more information please call 416-392-4035.

Eggs

Alyssa Golden lives in the neighbourhood and is bringing in farm fresh, free range eggs. She needs to buy 30 dozen/week to make the minimum order from the farmer. If you would like more information, contact her at alysagolden(at)gmail.com.

 

Where Did October Go?!

Hold on tight dear friends, we’ve got a few things to get through here.

Health, Food, Creativity Wellness Celebration

Yuri Murakami-Bihan is a licensed naturopathic doctor who operates her clinic out of the LucSculpture School and Studio on Greenwood at Danforth. If you’ve never wandered into LucSculpture, this may be the weekend to visit. Yuri is hosting her third annual wellness celebration, Health, Food, Creativity. There will be food demos and a wide variety of workshops throughout the the weekend. Click here for the full listing of events. Saturday October 29 & Sunday October 30 – 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Councillor’s Corner

Mary-Margaret McMahon has two things to ask you.

1) Do you know where the barricades are? Those big heavy barricades that we used to block off East and West Lynn Aves with?  They’ve, ahem, gone missing. If you or someone you know accidentally tucked them into your shed and forgot about them, let her know, would ya?

2) Do you know where your teenagers are? If you do and if they want to contribute to a healthy democracy, or get their volunteer hours, or get out of the house or get you off their back, Mary-Margaret has volunteer opportunities that are fun and involve fresh air and exercise. For either of the above, contact her at Councillor_mcmahon@toronto.ca, 416-392-1376.

Janet Davis invites you to Peek at the Creek. Janet is hosting a community meeting to talk about initiatives in Taylor Massey Creek and Taylor Creek Park including a new wetland area, the East Don trail, forestry restoration, park improvements and proposed storm water infrastructure. Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 7 p.m. at Stand Wadlow Clubhouse – 373 Cedarvale Ave. For more info call 416-392-4035 or Councillor_Davis@toronto.ca.

Monarch Park Community Swims

Starting Friday, October 28th there will be community swims at the recently renovated pool in Monarch Park C.I.  Drop in Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. $1/person or $5/family. As soon as a lifeguard is hired, there will be an all girls swim on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. $1/ person.

There will also be a Red Cross Assistant Water Safety Instructor course for students 15+ on Fridays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., November 11th to December 16th. Registration deadline is November 4th with a maximum of 16 participants. For more info contact beachswimschool@yahoo.ca

DECA’s Bike Tune-Up Day and More

DECA Learns is alive and well and bringing you a terrific event this Saturday at Main and Danforth.

Free (or nearly free) Bike Clinic

Have your bike fixed and learn how to fix your bike at the DECA Bike Tune Up Day!  Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Main Square near the corner of Main and Danforth.  There will be half a dozen tents, each with a bicycle repair station and someone to help.

This event is pay what you can.  And free is just fine.  If you happen to have any old bikes or parts that you don’t need, bring those along too.  Our fabulous team including Ray and Jamie would love to have them.

DECA Gem – Legacy Cycling

Speaking of cycling.  If you’re into the kind of bicycles that don’t move, you may want to stop in and talk to Andy at Legacy Cycling (1506 Danforth at Coxwell).  I (Natasha) have been taking Andy’s boot camps and spinning (stationary bikes) classes for about six months.  Andy is the owner and he’s terrific, but there are a number of other great instructors teaching spinning, boot camps, yoga and personal training.

Andy worked as a trainer and instructor for years at Goodlife and decided in 2009 to open up his own studio here in Danforth East.  He said he looked at a few different locations, but really liked this neighbourhood and loves being beside Cyclepath.

How is Legacy different from other fitness studios?  “We know all of our members by name,” says Andy.  “We keep in touch weekly and we customize all of our packages and workouts to our members.  We also want to see results so we discount our members for the weight that they have lost.”  I would have to agree that it does feel a bit like getting a personal trainer for the price of a group class.

After two years in the neighbourhood, Andy says he’s come to love the family community in the Danforth East area.  “Many of the residents come here because they love to support local businesses,” he says, “but also because they are prepared to work hard.”

Legacy offers personal training in studio or in your home, boot camp classes with weights, Birkram hot yoga including prenatal options, morning, evening and weekend spinning.

There is a deal right now; you can buy 6 months of unlimited spin for $400 + HST or a summer pass which includes any 12 classes for $150.  Psst… If you decide to do a weekend morning boot camp and stay for the spin class, he’ll only charge you for one class.  You can also just drop in any time and pay per class. These offers are available until the end of June.  What I like about buying the passes is that you’re not paying when you’re not using the class.

If you’ve been looking for something local that will kick your butt and get you looking and feeling better, check out Legacy.  And if you’re worried that you’re not fit enough, not hip enough, not dressed in the coolest clothes enough, I can tell you there are all kinds of people there with all kinds of fitness levels.  And clearly if I go there, you don’t have to be hip, cool or trendy.

Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association (BIA)

A few people have been asking why DECA hasn’t planted the flowers in the flower boxes along the Danforth this year.  While I would love it if DECA had the kind of money that is required for that, alas we run on volunteers and good thoughts.  It is, however, the BIA that is responsible for such things.  Earlier this year, they had opted not to do the flowers this year and have apparently changed their collective mind because the flowers started going in this weekend.  Yay!

For the record, DECA had formally asked the BIA to reconsider its earlier decision.  We said that the flowers are very important to the residents and that we believe they are an important tool to draw people to the Danforth.  We had even suggested that we do some ‘guerilla gardening’ in the some of the planters, but we were delighted that it didn’t come to that and that the flowers have returned.

The BIA is also hosting a family fun fest this weekend including entertainment  and activities on Saturday, June 11th at East Lynn Park.  There will be free activities for all ages, carriage rides on Saturday and Sunday, a sidewalk sale all weekend and prizes.

Town Hall on City Services

The City of Toronto is reviewing its services over the next few months to determine which services will continue, which will be privatized or contracted out and how the city will pay for the services it offers.  It is also developing a new plan for recreation services.

Councillor Janet Davis is hosting a town hall meeting this Wednesday, June 8th at 7 p.m. at East York Civic Centre (850 Coxwell) to give you the chance to have your say. If you can’t make the meeting you can also contribute your thoughts online at www.torontservicereview.ca or here to do the survey on recreation and parks services.