My Life As A Bus

New Arrest Made In Jane Creba Murder

2006-11-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday November 8, 2006
His name is Jeremiah Valentine and for nearly a year, he's been walking the streets of Toronto.
That's not the case anymore, after Toronto Police arrested the 24-year-old for one of the most notorious killings in recent G.T.A. history.

Valentine is facing second degree murder charges in the Boxing Day shooting of 15-year-old Jane Creba. The well liked Grade 10 Riverdale Collegiate student was gunned down when an apparent gang war broke out as she was shopping with her family along the Yonge St. strip in 2005.

Six other people were wounded in the crossfire, bringing a bitter end to Toronto's terrible year of the gun.

The Creba manhunt was one of the largest in recent Toronto history, with Chief Bill Blair vowing to bring everyone responsible to justice.

In all, a dozen people -- including 3 youths -- are facing charges of murder or manslaughter in the case.

A total of 25 people are accused of a wide variety of other offences, mostly relating to drugs and trafficking in firearms.

Cops will only say they received 'information' that led them to their latest murder suspect, but they haven't explained what took so long to bring him in.

The newest accused isn't unknown to police.
Valentine has a lengthy criminal record that involves guns, drugs and violence. Previous charges against him include possession of restricted firearms, trafficking in cocaine, and multiple robberies.

And as the case slowly approaches its grim one year anniversary, authorities insist they haven't stopped searching for all the gang members involved in the outrageous crime.

"We are filtering through new information that is coming in, and as the investigation goes on, we will continue to do more arrests," vows P.C. Victor Kwong.

Valentine will make his first court appearance on the charges Thursday.

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Here's the full list of those arrested and charged in connection to the Boxing Day shootout.

Jeremiah Valentine

Age: 24

Charges:

Second Degree Murder

Five counts of Attempt Murder

Tyshaun Barnett

Age: 19

Charges:

Second Degree Murder,

Six counts of Attempt Murder,

Traffic in Firearms,

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms.

Louis Woodcock

Age: 19

Charges:

Second Degree Murder,

Six counts of Attempt Murder.

Young Offender

Age: 17

Charges:

Second Degree Murder,

Six counts of Attempt Murder.

Young Offender

Age: 17

Charges:

Manslaughter.

Young Offender

Age: 17

Charges:

Manslaughter.

Andrew Smith

Age: 20

Charges:

Manslaughter,

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms.

Andre Thompson

Age: 20

Charges:

Manslaughter

Vincent Davis

Age: 25

Manslaughter.

Shaun Thompson

Age: 21

Manslaughter.

Richard Steele

Ages: 19

Charges:

Traffic in Firearms,

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms,

Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine.

Eric Boateng

Age: 20

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms,

Traffic in Firearms,

Possession of Cocaine For the Purpose of Trafficking,

Possession of Proceeds of Crime.

Milan Mijatovic

Age: 21

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms,

Traffic in Firearms,

Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine.

Carol Tran

Age: 20

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic in Cocaine.

Young Offender

Age: 17

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine.

Adrian Peters

Age: 20

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine.

Robiel Negash

Age: 19

Charges:

Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms,

Fail to Comply (Bail).

Anthony Campbell

Age: 22

Charges:

Fail to Comply (Bail).

Shurlon Trotman

Age: 28

Charges:

Two counts of Possession Cocaine For the Purpose,

Possession Proceeds of Crime,

Two counts of Traffic in Cocaine,

Possession of Marijuana.

Gary Provot

Age: 34

Charges:

Careless Storage Firearm,

Careless Storage Ammunition,

Possession Firearm without licence.

Ronnie MacKinnon

Age: 26

Charges:

Possession Prohibited Firearm,

Careless Storage Firearm,

Produce Marijuana,

Possession Marijuana for the Purpose,

Assault with Weapon,

Assault Bodily Harm,

Threaten Death.

Wayne Bennet

Age: 25

Charges:

Possession Prohibited Firearm,

Careless Storage Firearm,

Produce Marijuana,

Possession Marijuana For the Purpose,

Assault With Weapon,

Assault Bodily Harm,

Threaten Death.

Anthony Moodie

Age: 27

Charges:

Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose,

Abel Tsegay

Age: 19

Charges:

Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose.

Lynroy Brown

Age: 24

Charges:

Possession of Cocaine.

Lionel Williams

Age: 23

Fail to Comply (Recognizance).

Antonia DeSousa: Victim, Montreal Shootings

2006-09-14T22:21:00.000-04:00

I am not going to glorify the shooter here, I will not be posting pics of him, we aready know what he looks like. I am going to post for the "already" forgotten victim, and maybe more depending on the outcome. My thoughts, prayers and condolences to the families, victims, and the many that are now tramautized from this ordeal.

Antonia DeSousa, who died in Wednesday's shootings at Dawson College in Montreal, is shown here in a photo from the 2004 Grade 10 Royal Vale School year book.

2006-09-11T06:50:00.000-04:00

List of the Canadian victims of 9/11

2006-09-11T06:38:00.000-04:00

Twenty-four Canadians were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Three other people with close Canadian connections were also killed. Some of them had Canadian relatives or were born in Canada, but later took American citizenship.

Michael Arczynski — The 45-year-old sports enthusiast from Vancouver was a senior vice-president of Aon Corp.’s Manhattan office. He and his wife, Lori, who was raised in Montreal, had three children after their marriage in 1990 and Lori was pregnant at the time of the attack. Arczynski, who loved to ski near Vancouver and spent a lot of time with family in Vermont, also left behind three daughters from his first marriage.

———

Garnet (Ace) Bailey — The 53-year-old director of pro scouting for the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings was a native of Lloydminster, Sask. He was aboard United Airlines Flight 175 when it crashed into the World Trade Center’s south tower. He was a veteran of 11 NHL seasons as a player with the Boston Bruins, the Detroit Red Wings, the St. Louis Blues and the Washington Capitals. He moved to the World Hockey Association for the 1978-79 season and joined the Edmonton Oilers where he was a linemate of teenage phenomenon Wayne Gretzky. Bailey ended his playing career in 1980 after he accumulated seven Stanley Cup rings and turned to coaching. He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and son, Todd. Katherine, who lives in Lynnfield, Mass., has started the Ace Bailey Children’s Fund, which supports play centres and programs at the Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston.———

David Barkway — The 34-year-old executive with BMO Nesbitt Burns in Toronto was in the office of Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the north tower. He sent an electronic message to his Toronto colleagues, saying, “We need help … This is not a joke.” Barkway was in New York with his wife, Cindy, for a three-day business trip just days after celebrating his birthday. After his death, the avid golfer nicknamed Barky was remembered by friends in Toronto as a bright and thoughtful leader who loved fine cigars, high-tech stereos and trips to the cottage. The couple has two young sons, one who was born in January 2002 and named David after his father. The $1,500 David Barkway Memorial Scholarship in Economics was set up by the Department of Economics at Carleton University to honour his memory and life and is awarded to a high-achieving third or fourth year economics student in need of financial assistance.

———

Ken Basnicki — The 48-year-old father of two was in the north tower attending a conference for BEA Systems, the software firm he worked for in Toronto. He was last heard from at 8:55 a.m. in a cellphone call to his mother from an office on the 106th floor. His wife, Maureen, a former flight attendant grounded in Germany at the time, said he had a boundless passion for golf, skiing, snowboarding and his Harley Davidson motorcycle. In the five years since her husband’s death, Maureen has started the Canadian Coalition Against Terror and is lobbying for legislation that would allow Canadians to sue countries or groups that support terrorism. Maureen and her daughter planned to attend the memorial service in New York, where she will read some of the victims’ names with another Canadian who lost her husband.

———

Joseph Collison — Collison was born in Toronto in 1951 and moved to New York City more than 15 years ago. He was on he 102nd floor of the north tower, where he worked in the mail room of Kidder, Peabody & Co., according to his sister-in-law, Janet Collison. He was buried in Mississauga next to his parents. At the time of his death, Collison, who was not married, was hoping to adopt a young boy in New York whom he cared for.

———

Cynthia Connolly — Connolly, 40, transferred from insurance firm Aon Corp.’s Montreal offices to New York in 1999. She and her husband, Donald Poissant, married in 1998 and lived in Metuchen, N.J., with their Airedale-German shepherd, Shadow, and pet cat, Obi. People in her neighbourhood fondly remembered Connolly, four-foot-three, struggling to control her dog as they walked through the area. Her mother recalled her as “loving and caring,” always showing a soft spot for stray animals who she would bring home when she was a child.

———

Arron Dack — The 39-year-old father of two was known to his family and friends for his ability to succeed in anything he tried. Dack was born in England, but moved to Canada with his parents in 1970. The senior executive with Encompys was attending a conference in the north tower of the World Trade Center when the first plane hit. He called his wife Abigail Carter and calmly asked her to call 911 since he thought a small bomb had gone off. Carter, who lived in New Jersey at the time but has since moved to Seattle, started two support groups for widows. The couple has two young children, Olivia and Carter.

———

Christine Egan — The 55-year-old Health Canada nurse epidemiologist from Winnipeg was visiting her younger brother’s office on the 105th floor in the second tower of the World Trade Center. Friends and family said the woman with a beaming smile was one of the most energetic, fun-loving people they knew. Egan was raised in England and moved to London, Ont. She taught at the University of Manitoba and received a PhD in community health services. Egan also had a love of Canada’s North, where she had practised as a nurse.

———

Michael Egan — The 51-year-old lived in New Jersey and worked on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center at the insurance firm Aon Corp. The father of two boys moved to the New York area from Montreal in 1991 after immigrating to Canada 33 years ago to follow his sister Christine. She happened to be visiting him on Sept. 11 and was also killed in the attack. Michael spent much of his time introducing his son Matthew, who has Down syndrome, to various sports. His passion, his wife Anna has said, “was to make Matthew as happy as he could be.”

———

Albert Elmarry — The 30-year-old moved from Toronto to the United States in 1999 to work in computer support for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor of one of the towers. He had worked for IBM Canada when in Toronto. Elmarry, a devoutly religious man who started each day with a prayer, met his wife, Irenie, on a visit to his native Egypt.

———

Meredith Ewart and Peter Feidelberg — The Montreal couple moved to the United States in 1997 and married in March 2000. Ewart, 29, and Feidelberg, 34, lived in Hoboken, N.J., and both had offices on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center’s south tower, where they worked at Aon Corp. At the time of the attacks, Meredith’s father, Robert Ewart, frantically called hospitals and the police in New York and at one point thought Feidelberg had survived based on a false Internet report. Friends remembered Feidelberg for his adventurous and competitive spirit, and his athletic interests, which included basketball, mountain biking, scuba diving and running the 1998 New York City Marathon. A memorial fund in their names had been set up with the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews.

———

Alexander Filipov — Filipov, 70, was born in Regina and lived in Concord, Mass. He was on American Airlines Flight 11 when it hit the World Trade Center, but had been booked on another Delta flight to Los Angeles. He switched his flight at the last minute, thinking it would allow him to get home sooner for his 44th wedding anniversary on Sept. 15. An electrical engineer with three sons, Filipov became a U.S. citizen in 1962. His widow, Loretta, said he never slowed down, trying bungee jumping at age 60 and carrying on with his favourite pastimes — golf, skiing and music.

———

Ralph Gerhardt — The 34-year-old vice-president with Cantor Fitzgerald called his parents in Toronto, just after the first plane hit the north tower. “Something just happened at the WTC. We either got hit by a bomb or plane. I am OK. We are OK. I love you, but I have to go now. We are evacuating. Call you later,” Gerhardt said in a message to his father, Hans. But no more calls came after his son said he was going to look for his girlfriend, who was also killed. Family members visited Ground Zero shortly after the disaster.

———

Stuart Lee — Lee had returned a day before the attacks from his Korean homeland where he had taken his wife, Lynn Udbjorg, to show off his roots. Lee, 30, was vice-president of integrated services for DataSynapse, a technology company that serves the financial industry. He spent the last hour of his life e-mailing his company, trying to figure out how to get out of the building where he was attending a conference on the 106th floor. Lee, who grew up in Vancouver, loved travelling the globe with his wife, who described him as a romantic and someone known for his generosity to his friends and family.

———

Mark Ludvigsen — The 32-year-old native of Rothesay, N.B., moved to the United States with his family at age seven. The avid rugby player graduated from Virginia’s College of William & Mary and worked as a bond broker at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods. He and his wife of three years, Maureen, lived in Manhattan. His parents, Karl and Christina, live in Pottersville, N.J. Ludvigsen was working on the 89th floor of the south tower, but managed to leave a message for his mother at 9 a.m. “Mother, now don’t you worry. I’m in the other tower. I’m fine and I’ll call you later,” he said.

———

Bernard Mascarenhas — The 54-year-old native of Newmarket, Ont., worked for Marsh Canada, whose parent company, Marsh and McLennan Cos. Inc., had offices at the World Trade Center. The chief information officer for the company was on the 97th floor of the north tower as part of a five-day business trip to New York. Marsh had about 1,900 employees in the two towers; 295 were killed. Mascarenhas left behind his wife, Raynette, a son, Sven, and a daughter, Jaclyn.

———

Colin McArthur — The 52-year-old Glasgow native moved to Toronto in 1977 to work as an insurance broker. He moved to Montreal in 1986 after marrying his wife, Brenda. McArthur became a Canadian citizen and worked as a deputy managing director at Aon Corp. A memorial service was held for McArthur, a keen golfer, at a New Jersey golf course. McArthur loved the game, despite his dubious achievements on the golf course, according to Brenda. She set up the Colin McArthur Postgraduate Scholarship at his alma mater, the University of Glasgow, for students who lost a parent or guardian in the Sept. 11 attacks. Brenda, 49, remarried a year ago and planned to mark the fifth anniversary privately at home.

———

Michael Pelletier — The 36-year-old commodities broker for TradeSpark, a division of trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald, on the 105th floor of 1 World Trade Center. He called his wife, Sophie, and told her he was trapped in the building and that he loved her. Pelletier’s father refused to believe at first that his son, a strikingly handsome natural athlete who excelled at hockey, wouldn’t get out. “We were saying there’s gotta be a way, we know Mike, he’s a survivor, he’ll find some way out.” At the time of his death, he had a three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son.

———

Donald Robson — A Toronto native, Robson, 52, had lived in the United States for 20 years. He was a partner and bond broker for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 103rd floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. He and his wife, Kathy, had two sons, Geoff and Scott. He had been planning 24th wedding anniversary celebrations with his wife. “Then bang, it’s all over just like that,” she said from her Long Island home a year after the attacks. The friends Robson left behind described him as a “fun-loving guy who lit up every room that he entered.”

———

Ruffino (Roy) Santos — Santos, 37, a native of Manila, moved to British Columbia with his family in the 1980s. He moved to New York in the late 1990s, where he worked for Guy Carpenter as a computer consultant. He was supposed to leave the 94th floor of the World Trade Center the week after he died to work for Accenture. His mother, Aurora, and her two sons went to New York for the first anniversary. “I want to see Ground Zero to pray and bring some flowers and candles.”

———

Vladimir Tomasevic — A native of Yugoslavia, Tomasevic, 36, moved to Canada in 1994. He lived in Toronto with his wife, Tanja, and was vice-president of software development for Optus E-Business Solutions. He was on his first visit to New York and was attending a financial conference on 106th floor of World Trade Center’s north tower. “He was always there for anyone — that’s what we miss about him the most,” Tanja has said. Her friend Maureen Basnicki, who also lost her husband in the attacks, said Tanja planned to attend the service in New York. Tanja, who received a small amount of remains and a piece of shredded material from his pants, has urged the Canadian government to provide more support for the families of 9-11 victims and erect a monument to them.

———

Chantal (Chanti) Vincelli — The 38-year-old former Montrealer worked as a marketing assistant at DataSynapse Inc. Vincelli moved to New York in the late 1990s and lived in Harlem with her cats. She was setting up a kiosk for a trade show on the 106th floor of the north tower. She dreamed of becoming a talk-show host. Her brother Anthony said the woman who dreamed of becoming a talk-show host “had charisma, she had wit.” The local grocer named her the Harlem Princess and the name stuck.

———

Debbie Williams — Williams, 35, worked for Aon Corp., for 15 years. She and her husband, Darren, moved to Hoboken, N.J., after being transferred to New York City by their employer. Williams, a Montreal native, gave birth to their only child six months after settling in Hoboken.

———

There were three other victims with deep Canadian roots:

Frank Joseph Doyle — The 39-year-old Detroit native was married to Kimmy Chedel of St. Adele, Que. Doyle, an executive vice-president of Keefe, Bruyette and Woods, left two children, Zoe and Garrett, now 7 and 6. Chedel says the family will be at their summer home in St. Adele on the anniversary. Doyle, a gifted athlete who did a triathlon the summer before he died, was on the 89th floor of the second tower. He called to say he couldn’t get out. “He said,‘Hi sweetie, it’s me. I know you know this, but I love you,’“ says Chedel, who met her husband at New York University and moved with him to New Jersey in 2000. Chedel says she has no desire to visit Ground Zero until a memorial is built. Doyle’s friends from Bowdoin College established a memorial scholarship in his name for outstanding athletes. Chedel also created a team in her husband’s honour, which participates in road races and a triathlon. Chedel says her children are adjusting well to life without their dad, possibly because they were so young when it happened. “Not a day has gone by that I have not thought of Frank,” she said. “I cherish the memories of the 12 years we had together.”

———

Jane Beatty — A native of Britain, Beatty, 53, lived in Ontario for 20 years before moving to the United States to work as a technical supervisor at Marsh and McLennan Cos. Inc. in the World Trade Center’s north tower. She worked on the 96th floor of the north tower and phoned her husband Bob just before the plane hit the tower. Three weeks before she died, she celebrated her fifth anniversary of surviving breast cancer. She had two grown sons.

———

LeRoy Homer — Homer, 36, was the co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania after being taken over by hijackers. Homer was an American citizen, but his wife Melodie Thorpe was Canadian, having grown up in Hamilton. Family say Homer always wanted to be a pilot. He was just 15 when he started flight instruction in a Cessna 152. The couple, who lived in Marlton, N.J., have a young daughter. Homer joined the forces, serving in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and later supporting operations in Somalia. He received many commendations during his military career. He joined United Airlines in May 1995 and received awards posthumously for his actions on board Flight 93. The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation was established to provide financial support and encouragement to young people who want to pursue professional flight instruction leading to certification as a private pilot.

One was my dad

2006-09-11T06:29:00.000-04:00

Canada lost 24 citizens that day
By ERICA BASNICKI

I'm not sure I can tell you the significance of this year's 9/11 anniversary. Five years is a long time. It's a milestone number. You'd think I could easily drum up some poignant tale about what it's been like living as the daughter of a 9/11 victim for five years, but I can't.

What I can tell you for certain is that this year has been the most difficult year for me in New York.

The first year, I was numb. I only vaguely remember my first walk into the pit of Ground Zero; the wind blew and picked up the dust. I welcomed the sting of it in my eyes because it helped me to cry, which I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do. I found rocks in the pit that had no business being there -- small pieces of marble, actually rubble. One a soft beige, the other a deep forest green. I held them in my hand and stared at them during the whole ceremony. The enormous footprints left by the World Trade Center towers, the huge gap left in the New York skyline, were all too much to handle. The crowd of devastated family members was huge. Everything was overpowering and huge. I had to focus on something smaller -- those two little pieces of marble.

For the second and third anniversaries, more than anything, I felt alone.

Last year I didn't even go to the memorial service at Ground Zero. I felt like 9/11 and all the baggage that came with it -- war, politics, controversies, conspiracies -- was taking over my life. I needed to walk away from it all so that I could take control again.

I think part of me thought I was never going to revisit Ground Zero, both physically and emotionally, again. Which is probably why this year has been so tough.

Ground Zero itself is in a transition phase. The wreck and the horror have disappeared, but there's no beautiful, sacred memorial in its place yet. It is really nothing more than a construction zone containing unknown structural elements and a set of subway tracks. There are only handfuls of flowers surrounding the site, and with the exception of the famous steel cross, there is very little physical evidence of the tragedy that happened here.

There is, however, a new addition to lower Manhattan -- the Tribute WTC Visitor Center. It doesn't open to the public until Sept. 18, but family members have been invited to preview the centre on the weekend -- with the warning that the displays weren't built with sensitivity to family members in mind.

Displays include a twisted and charred window from one of the hijacked planes, frantic audio recordings of EMS workers and video of the chaos and dread inside the World Trade Center during the attacks.

It was there that I realized that I can't explain the significance of the fifth anniversary of 9/11, because the anniversary itself isn't significant. It doesn't matter whether it's the fifth, 12th or 402nd anniversary -- five is just a number.

If you want significant numbers, here are just a few: 2,996 people were killed on 9/11, and only 174 bodies were found intact. Most of the people who died were young, between 35 and 39 years old. There are 193 countries in the world and 115 of them lost citizens that day, and the fires at Ground Zero burned for 99 days after the attacks.

Most significant of all, Canada lost 24 citizens that day.

One of them was my dad.

EBaying from the land of stolen property

2006-09-10T15:54:00.000-04:00

The criminal mind has no secrets for Mike Hyde.

Inside Mr. Hyde's west-end warehouse, amid the rows of bicycles, a tiny pink scooter-bike awaits a new owner. A water pump sits idle on the floor beside a selection of snow blowers. On a wooden shelf, a trained eye can spot six large thongs, and not the kind you slip your feet into.

"There's no rhyme or reason," said the 50-year-old owner of Rite Auctions Inc., a company that sells stolen and seized goods at auction on behalf of the Toronto Police.

"I think people do it for the fun or for the challenge of it. . . . People steal stupid things.

When they are caught, their ill-gotten gains end up here on Islington Avenue, between Lake Shore Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway, in an old tin factory that Mr. Hyde has turned into the city's purgatory for stolen goods.

With a click of the mouse on eBay, a bidder can breathe new life into just about anything, from power tools to makeup.

And for a good price. Jewellery often goes for half its original price. So does electronic equipment. In the market for a Corvette rear bumper? Mr. Hyde sold one for $45 last week.

"We have everything for everybody," the auctioneer said as he walked past a pallet filled with boxes of cans of hairspray.

Mr. Hyde sells only the real deal: When an object arrives at Rite Auctions, before he gives bidders their one week to battle one another to become its new owner, he verifies its authenticity. Counterfeit goods are sent back to police and destroyed.

Police try to unite stolen objects with their owners, said Brenda Radix, a supervisor with the Toronto force's property and evidence-management unit. Owners of stolen or lost bicycles seized by police have 37 days to claim their bike. For all other objects, the grace period is 97 days, Ms. Radix said.

Mr. Hyde processes between 50 and 100 items a day, with bicycles by far the most abundant among them.

More than 5,000 bikes passed through Mr. Hyde's warehouse last year, according to police numbers. During the five-month period that ended June 15, police auctioned 2,283 bikes, Ms. Radix said.

Some other stolen objects hinge on the bizarre and their variety is matched by his customers.

The thongs, for instance, were seized during a criminal investigation in 2004 in the city's west end, Ms. Radix said. She refused to elaborate on what kind of crime could involve six sequined, beaded thongs in shades of violet, pink and blue and sporting butterfly designs.

Last year, Mr. Hyde sold a jackhammer to a customer in Alaska for $200. He sold a pair of Calvin Klein bike shorts to a man in Denmark and winter clothing to an Innu community.

And in this case, crime does pay -- just not to the crooks. The Police Services Board makes $125,000 to $250,000 a year from auctioning stolen, seized or found goods through Mr. Hyde's company.

This year, part of that money will fund youth-oriented crime-prevention activities, Sandy Adelson, an adviser for the board, said.

The Jamaican Canadian Association will get $35,000, Ms. Adelson said. Two other community groups will receive $30,000 and $35,000.

The rest of the money will likely pay for awards or gifts, such as the watches police officers marking 25 years in service customarily receive, Ms. Adelson said.

Mr. Hyde refused to disclose how well he has profited.

"For us, it's like a little bit of karma -- trying to do something good out of something bad," he said.

Mr. Hyde traces his fascination with auctions to 1996, when he stumbled upon a newspaper advertisement about a police auction. At the time, he was looking to buy a Harley Davidson motorcycle, the model that police officers were using.

He didn't find one. But he left the auction with a Harman Kardon stereo. And the auction bug, which he eventually passed on to his wife, Maryann.

Within months, the couple became a familiar sight at the city's police auctions. They now are business partners.

"You go to an auction, you get a good deal on something and then you get hooked," Ms. Hyde said. "We got a retro leather orange couch for $60."

In 2004, Mr. Hyde heard that Toronto Police were looking for a company to auction its goods, so he decided to turn his hobby into a career.

He won the call for tenders and has never looked back. Last year, Mr. Hyde saw his business grow as he signed a contract with the Toronto Transit Commission to auction found objects that remained unclaimed.

And while the variety of goods that pass through his warehouse has long since ceased to surprise him, Mr. Hyde's blood still boils at the sight of some of the objects he receives from police. The tiny pink scooter-bike is one of them.

"That's the sad part," he said, "when you steal from a kid. I mean, come on man, get a grip!"

Police Looking For Driver After TTC Operator Hurt In Hit-And-Run

2006-08-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

A TTC driver suffered serious head injuries after a hit-and-run incident Thursday night in Scarborough.

Brad Xamin, 47, was working at the time of the incident.

At about 9:30 p.m. the Xamin was crossing the street at McCowan and Steeles Avenue East when the incident occurred. He was thrown into the vehicle's windshield and then up in the air. He landed head first on the pavement.

Emergency crews transported the victim to Sunnybrook Hospital. Police released his name Friday afternoon.

Investigators are looking for the car and its driver.

"This motor vehicle was southbound and continued southbound without stopping, leaving the transit operator in the roadway," Det. Wally Watts said.

The suspect is being urged by police to come forward.
"Come forward, turn yourself in," Watts said. "You can give us a call at traffic services, go in to the local police station, contact your lawyer (and) have the lawyer contact us, but come forward and give yourself up."

Police believe several people witnessed the incident. Witnesses are urged to contact police traffic services.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (416) 808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (410) 222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided online at www.222tips.com.

With reports from CTV's Jim Junkin and Galit Solomon
Media Reports

Frost Bite

2006-08-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

Saturday August 27 at 4pm ET, Sunday August 28 at 3pm and 8pm ET on CBC Newsworld

The story of the hockey agent whose star client hired a hit man to have him killed continues to fill newspaper pages and television broadcasts with David Frost's recent arrest. the fifth estate has been investigating the story of NHL player Mike Danton and his relationship with David Frost for two years and found that there was much more to the story than first known.

Frost Bite
Video
Audio Tapes From Jail

Joe Rosenthal, Iwo Jima flag-raising photographer, dies

2006-08-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

SAN FRANCISCO -- The photographer who captured the immortal image of World War Two servicemen raising the American flag over Iwo Jima has died.

Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press won a Pulitzer Prize for that 1945 snapshot, which ranked 68th among 100 examples in a survey of the best journalism of the 20th century.

His daughter says Rosenthal died of natural cases in suburban San Francisco yesterday. He was 94.

The AP photo quickly became the subject of posters, war-bond drives and a US postage stamp, but it almost didn't happen. Rosenthal later wrote that he almost didn't go up to the summit of Japan's Mount Suribachi when he learned that a flag had already been raised there. But he decided to go anyway, and found servicemen preparing to put up the second, larger flag, and the rest is history.

Rosenthal's photograph became the model for the Iwo Jima Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Mystery 9/11 Rescuer Reveals Himself

2006-08-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2006
By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press Writer

(AP) For years, authorities wondered about the identity of a U.S. Marine who appeared at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, helped find a pair of police officers buried in the rubble, then vanished.

Even the producers of the new film chronicling the rescue, "World Trade Center," couldn't locate the mystery serviceman, who had given his name only as Sgt. Thomas.

The puzzle was finally solved when one Jason Thomas, of Columbus, Ohio, saw a TV commercial for the new movie a few weeks ago as he relaxed on his couch.

His eyes widened as he saw two Marines with flashlights, hunting for survivors atop the smoldering ruins.

"That's us. That's me!" thought Thomas, who lived in Long Island during the attacks and now works as an officer in Ohio's Supreme Court.

Thomas, 32, hesitantly re-emerged last week to recount the role he played in the rescue of Port Authority police officers Will Jimeno and Sgt. John McLoughlin, who were entombed beneath 20 feet of debris when the twin towers collapsed.

Back in New York to speak of his experience and visit family, Thomas provided the AP with photographs of himself at ground zero. As further proof of his identity, the movie's producer, Michael Shamberg, said Thomas and Jimeno have spoken by phone and shared details only the two of them would know.

Thomas, who had been out of the Marine Corps about a year, was dropping his daughter off at his mother's Long Island home when she told him planes had struck the towers.

He retrieved his Marine uniform from his truck, sped to Manhattan and had just parked his car when one of the towers collapsed. Thomas ran toward the center of the ash cloud.

"Someone needed help. It didn't matter who," he said. "I didn't even have a plan. But I have all this training as a Marine, and all I could think was, 'My city is in need.'"

Thomas bumped into another ex-Marine, Staff Sgt. David Karnes, and the pair decided to search for survivors.

Carrying little more than flashlights and an infantryman's shovel, they climbed the mountain of debris, skirting dangerous crevasses and shards of red-hot metal, calling out "Is anyone down there? United States Marines!"

It was dark before they heard a response. The two crawled into a deep pit to find McLoughlin and Jimeno, injured but alive.

Jimeno would spend 13 hours in the pit before he was pulled free. Thomas stayed long enough to see him come up, but left due to exhaustion before McLoughlin, who remained pinned for another nine hours, was retrieved.

Thomas said he returned to ground zero every day for another 2 1/2 weeks to pitch in, then walked away and tried to forget.

"I didn't want to relive what took place that day," he said.

Shamberg said he apologized to Thomas for an inaccuracy in the film: Thomas is black, but the actor cast to portray him, William Mapother, is white. Filmmakers realized the mistake only after production had begun, Shamberg said.

Thomas laughed and gently chided the filmmakers, then politely declined to discuss it further. "I don't want to shed any negativity on what they were trying to show," he said.

As for his story, Thomas said he is gradually becoming more comfortable telling it.

"It's been like therapy," he said.

'WTC' Casting Error Draws Flak From African-Americans

2006-08-21T08:42:00.000-04:00

A hero of another color in Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" has some people again balking at the whitewashing of a black character in a Hollywood film.

This time it's the character of Marine Sgt. Thomas, one of two former Marines who help rescue New York Port Authority Officers Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin from beneath 20 feet of twisted metal, broken concrete and sparking debris in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

In the film, white actor William Mapother -- who's Tom Cruise's cousin and who played Ethan Rom in the first season of "Lost" and Quecreek miner John "Flathead" Phillippi in ABC's "The Pennsylvania Miners' Story" -- plays Sgt. Thomas.

Last week, the real Sgt. Thomas -- a black, former Marine named Jason Thomas of Columbus, Ohio -- came forward and told his story.

"Someone needed help. It didn't matter who," Thomas told the Associated Press. "I didn't even have a plan. But I have all this training as a Marine, and all I could think was, 'My city is in need.' "

So, instead of heading to class at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York that fateful morning, he headed toward the devastation. At ground zero, he ran into another ex-Marine and Connecticut accountant, Staff Sgt. David Karnes, and the two decided to search for survivors. Eventually they found Jimeno and McLoughlin.

Karnes, who couldn't reach Manhattan's 911 from his cell phone at ground zero, called his sister in Munhall, Joy Karnes. She helped relay information to New York emergency services that helped them pinpoint the trapped men's location.

Film producer Michael Shamberg apologized to Thomas for the racial inaccuracy in the film, saying they realized the mistake only after production had already begun, the Associated Press reported.

That apology comes a bit late for Paradise Gray, 42, of Wilkinsburg who sent out e-mails to hundreds of thousands via African-American list serves and Internet groups, such as the Luv4Self Network yesterday calling for a boycott of the film.

"You want to apologize to me?" Mr. Gray says. "Stop it."

Black men so rarely are portrayed or presented as heroes in popular culture and the media that when the opportunity to do so arises, they should be, he says.

"It's so natural for Hollywood to assume that every hero is a white man," Mr. Gray wrote in his e-mail. "Hollywood has always changed facts and edited history. From Charlton Heston as Moses and Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. They are only continuing their tradition of whitewashing our history."

He also criticized the black community for not speaking out more. The Jewish community's mantra is "never forget" while the black community's mantra is "forgive and forget," he said. The black community should speak up every time this happens.

Six years ago, there was a similar controversy surrounding color-blind casting in the film "Pay It Forward." Kevin Spacey's white burn victim in the movie actually was a black Vietnam veteran in the book.

Though disappointed his character in the "World Trade Center" movie wasn't black, Thomas, who lived on Long Island during the attacks and now works as an officer in Ohio's Supreme Court, told the Associated Press he's not upset.

"I don't want to shed any negativity on what they were trying to show," he said.

The movie is much bigger than him, Thomas told the New Pittsburgh Courier, and it's the people who lost their lives who need to remembered.

Mom......

2006-07-22T02:38:00.000-04:00

An 11-year-old daughter’s letter written as her mother lay dying speaks of the young girl’s grief, but also of her assurance to the mortally wounded RCMP officer that the two will be together again.

The letter by Const. Robin Cameron’s daughter, Shayne, was read at the Mountie’s funeral Friday by her sister Diana Laliberte.

“I love you so much. You are my world,” thousands of mourners heard as Laliberte struggled at times to read her niece’s words.

“I’m telling you this with my tears and prayers. I will see you again someday . . .You’re not going away forever. Me and the family are thinking you’re on a real long job for a while, but we don’t have to worry about you anymore.”

“I promise I will talk to you every single day. I’m tough and you’re tough. We both have big deer eyes. Same humour. Don’t worry.”

“And when you’re up there, make my house next to yours, and it will be made with chocolate."

“I love you, Mom.”

Wounded Mounties Die Hours Apart

2006-07-21T09:09:00.000-04:00

SPIRITWOOD, Sask. (CP) — Grief descended on this small farming community north of Saskatoon as word spread that two RCMP officers shot while chasing an assault suspect last week had succumbed to their injuries. At a news conference in Saskatoon on Sunday morning, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Darrell McFadyen confirmed that constables Robin Cameron, 29, and Marc Bourdages, 26, had died of severe gunshot wounds to the head.

The officers were shot on the night of July 7 while chasing Curtis Dagenais following a domestic dispute in Spiritwood.

Suspect in Mountie murders surrenders
REGINA — The intensive manhunt for the suspect in the slaying of two Saskatchewan Mounties ended Tuesday when Curtis Dagenais turned himself in to authorities. Dagenais is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of constables Robin Cameron, 29, and Marc Bourdages, 26.
Dagenais is also charged with attempted murder. A third officer was shot at during the July 7 incident but was not injured.

Fallen Soldier's Remains Now Back On Cdn. Soil

2006-07-13T00:11:00.000-04:00

The remains of Cpl. Anthony Boneca returned to Canada at eastern Ontario's CFB Trenton, in a solemn repatriation ceremony attended by the governor general and defence minister.

A Canadian Forces plane carrying Boneca's casket touched down on a rain-soaked tarmac at about 7 p.m. ET.

Eight pallbearers carried Boneca's remains from the plane, before slowly marching towards a waiting hearse as a lone bagpiper played the lament.

Terror Timed For Rush Hour

2006-07-12T23:38:00.000-04:00

We've had 9/11, 7/7. and now 7/11, what is next? Is it 9/9..is there some kind of message here we are not seeing or seeing?

190 killed as 8 co-ordinated bombs hit packed commuter trains

One by one down the railway line, the bombs went off, ripping apart the trains, tearing through flesh and paralyzing India's most vibrant city.

The eight blasts struck during Mumbai's evening rush hour yesterday, killing at least 190 people and wounding 625 more in a co-ordinated attack on the heart of a financial centre that embodies India's global ambitions.

Suspicion fell on Kashmiri militants who have carried out similar attacks, including bombings last year at three markets in New Delhi.

Pakistan, India's rival over the disputed territory of Kashmir, quickly condemned the bombings. Even so, analysts said a Kashmiri link could slow the peace process between the nuclear rivals.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blamed "terrorists" for the attacks, which he called "shocking and cowardly attempts to spread a feeling of fear and terror among our citizens."

In Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said: "This is another awful reminder of the determination of terrorists who use murder as an instrument to advance their political ends.

The eight blasts aboard seven trains appeared timed to inflict maximum carnage in this bustling Arabian Sea port of 16 million, more than six million of whom ride the crowded rail network daily.

Emergency crews struggled to treat survivors and recover the dead in the wreckage during monsoon downpours, and efforts stretched into the night.

Survivors clutched bandages to their bloodied heads and faces. Luggage and debris were spattered with blood.

The mobile phone network collapsed, adding to the sense of panic across the city.

There was no immediate indication if suicide bombers were involved. Police said most of the victims suffered head and chest injuries, suggesting the bombs had been placed in overhead racks.

The Press Trust of India said all the blasts hit first-class cars -- a sign the bombers were targeting the city's rising professional class.

Mumbai is the centre of India's booming financial and Bollywood film industries.

As police and rescue services struggled to reach the blast scenes through jammed, chaotic everyday traffic, bystanders pulled the wounded from the debris, offering them water and bundling them into any available vehicle -- from trucks to three-wheeled rickshaws.

The first bomb hit a train at Bandra station at 6:20 p.m. The blasts followed down the line of the Western Railway at or near stations at Khar, Jogeshwari, Mahim, Mira Rd., Matunga and finally Borivili, which was struck by two blasts at 6:35 p.m.

Some passengers reportedly jumped from speeding trains in panic.

I Welcome The Red Berets

2006-07-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

Angels get wings
City refuses site for graduation
Residents want guardians, city says no

The Guardian Angels' first Canadian recruits got their wings last night despite an effort from City Hall to ground the ceremony.

Toronto social housing officials refused to allow the graduation ceremony to be held in a downtown seniors building.

A group of tenants at William Dennison Apartments wanted to have the Guardian Angels hold their graduation at their 166-unit seniors residence, located in a heavy-crime area -- Dundas and Sherbourne Sts.

But Keiko Nakamura, chief operating officer of Toronto Community Housing Corp. (TCHC), said yesterday a decision was taken to deny permission for the ceremony.

"We immediately met with the organizers to let them know: No. 1 -- they hadn't actually received permission to use the property," she said. "And then, secondary, that TCHC does not sanction the use of the Guardian Angels on the property."

She said that the TCHC relies on police and security guards to protect its tenants and properties. "We don't have the need to use Guardian Angels when we already have all these other available means to us," said Nakamura.

The ceremony was moved to nearby Allan Gardens.

"You're not out there for the mayor or the police chief, you're out there for your grandparents and your family members who really need your help," founder Curtis Sliwa told the recruits.

Lou Hoffer, national director of Guardian Angels Canada, said Mayor David Miller and Police Chief Bill Blair should be ashamed.

"These people are under siege," Hoffer said of the residents.

"We answered their call, and now they're being told by City Hall, by people who don't live anywhere near here, that they don't matter."

Hoffer said the Angels decided to hold the graduation for about 20 members at the seniors' residence after tenants called them for help.

Bus Bombing 'Traumatised' Driver

2006-07-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

George Psaradakis
Video: Driver interviewed
The driver of the bus blown apart by one of the London bombers last year says he has been left permanently traumatised by the explosion.
George Psaradakis, 50, was in the driver's seat when suicide bomber Hasib Hussain, 18, from Leeds, killed himself and 13 passengers in Tavistock Square.

"Another bomb exploded inside me - it was carnage, too gruesome to go into detail," said the father-of-three. "It was death - I could feel it, I could smell it."
Mr Psaradakis, who returned to his job despite his experiences, will be among those attending a memorial event for the 7 July victims in London's Regent's Park.

He believes it is a miracle he survived the bus bombing and hopes his life will finally get back to some form of normality after Friday's one-year anniversary.
"It has traumatised me so deeply - the events of a year ago are indelibly on my mind," he said.

The Greek-born bus driver, who moved to London in 1972 initially to stay with relatives, described himself as a family man, who was leading a normal life until a year ago. He recalled being in a happy mood on 7July, partly because London had just won the race to stage the 2012 Olympics. He was also due to have a long weekend break with his wife Andriani and children when his shift finished.

He was starting another journey on the number 30 bus from Marble Arch to Stratford when, as he approached Baker Street, he received a message from his central control that there was a problem on the underground and extra passengers would be using buses.

"There were only a few passengers on my bus, but as I approached Baker Street I could see hundreds of people waiting for buses," he said.
"I stopped and my bus quickly filled up. I was driving very slowly because traffic was building up and the pavements were full of people.

The bus bomb killed 13 passengers as it exploded in Tavistock Square
"Passengers kept asking me if I could let them off the bus so they could walk because we were going so slowly. It was very chaotic."

Police had set up diversions around Euston because of the bombs on the underground, forcing Mr Psaradakis to turn into Tavistock Square.
"I announced that it might be quicker to walk and a large number of passengers got off," he said.

Mr Psaradakis asked a traffic warden the name of the road, and it was as he moved off again that the bomb exploded. "It was a bang. For a split second I thought I had hit something. It never crossed my mind that it was a bomb," he said.
"I saw debris flying around, the windscreen blew out, but absolutely nothing touched me. I felt dust in my hair. I was just stunned and puzzled."
More...

Nation Remembers 7 July Victims

2006-07-07T10:50:00.000-04:00

The UK is paying tribute to the victims of the 7 July London bombings, one year after suicide bombers killed 52 people.

BBC NEWS

Blogs Reveal Pain Of London Bombing Survivors

2006-07-04T20:03:00.000-04:00

LONDON -- Bloodied and bewildered strangers led each other from the wreckage of the London bombings last July 7.
A year later, many of them have forged close bonds -- sharing their experiences in a network of blogs.
Rachel North's journal
Holly Finch's journal
Urban 75 London forum
Online public inquiry petition

Don't Drink And Drive

2006-07-03T05:46:00.000-04:00

Glad he went down before injuring or killing someone else

A 56-year-old Toronto man was arrested for drunk driving last night after his SUV wound up in the construction zone on Hwy. 401, then plunged through a hole in the roadway.

The man allegedly drove his Jimmy SUV about 500 metres through the closed-off section of Hwy. 401 just east of Yonge St. just after 10 p.m. before discovering the reason why that section of the highway had been closed -- there's no pavement to drive on.

His SUV tumbled 7 metres below the roadway where crews have been replacing the pavement in the collectors lanes. Luckily, he wasn't injured, police said.

"He drove about 500 metres on (closed) highway before driving on to no highway," OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said last night.
It's mind-boggling how many drivers are "on the sour end of the gene pool," Woolley had earlier in the day, referring to the OPP's long weekend traffic blitz.

Top Hall of Fame picks

2006-06-30T17:44:00.000-04:00

TORONTO -- "Miracle on Ice" coach Herb Brooks and Patrick Roy, the NHL's winningest goaltender, highlight the newest class of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Former NHL player Dick Duff and executive Harley Hotchkiss also received enough votes from the selection committee, the hall announced Wednesday. All four will be inducted in November.

Brooks led the 1980 U.S, Olympic team to the greatest upset in hockey history, the "Miracle on Ice" victory over the mighty Soviet machine in the semifinals. The Americans went on to win the gold medal. Brooks died in a car accident in 2003.

Roy, who won four Stanley Cup championships and three Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie in 19 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, retired in 2003 with 551 regular-season victories.

Duff, who played with Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Buffalo and the New York Rangers in an 18-year career that ended in 1972, finished with 283 goals and 572 points in 1,030 games.

Hotchkiss was part of the group that moved the Flames to Calgary from Atlanta. He is chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors.

Habs hold on to Huet

2006-06-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

MONTREAL - Canadiens GM Bob Gainey announced Monday the signing of goaltender Cristobal Huet to a two-year contract (2006-07, 2007-08). As per club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Cristobal Huet is a very valuable player to the Canadiens’ organization. Last season, he led our team to a playoff berth, and more importantly, his playoff performances showed that he is amongst the top goaltenders in the NHL. We know that Cristobal likes the city of Montreal, we were convinced he wanted to stay with the Canadiens, and we are pleased to have him under contract for the next two seasons," said Gainey.

Huet, 30, completed the 2005-06 season, his third in the NHL, with a record of 18 wins, 11 losses and 4 overtime losses. He established career highs in wins (18) and shutouts (7).

A native of St-Martin d’Heres, in France, Huet won the 2005-06 Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award for the NHL’s best save percentage (.929). He ranked fourth in the league with a 2.20 goals against average, and second in shutouts (7). Huet was named the Canadiens’ candidate for the Bill-Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Huet was acquired by the Canadiens on June 26, 2004 from the Los Angeles Kings with Radek Bonk, in return for Mathieu Garon and a 3rd round selection in 2004.

Cristobal Huet wanted the Canadiens and Montreal wanted him, so the French goalkeeper signed a two-year, $5.75-million US deal to remain with the NHL club.

Huet is scheduled to earn $3 million this season and $2.75 million in 2007-'08. Huet, who earned $456,000 last season, gave up a chance at unrestricted free agency to return to the site of his breakthrough 2005-'06 campaign.

"I never hid the fact that coming back to Montreal was a priority," Huet said during a conference call Monday from his home in Grenoble, France. "And the fact that they were interested in having me was a big factor.

NHL Draft

2006-06-30T17:14:00.000-04:00

Maple Leafs release Domi, Belfour. (About time they got rid of Domi.) Oilers acquire speedy Samsonov. Detroit Red Wings lock up defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom for two more years. Canucks sign Sedin twins. Red Wings sign Norris winner Lidstrom to a two-year deal. Wade Redden skips free agency by signing two-year deal with Senators. Hurricanes reach deals with Adams, Hutchinson. Avalanche re-sign Clark, Skrastins. Carolina Hurricanes ink Justin Williams to new five-year contract. Jackets trade goalie Denis for Modin, Norrena. Boston Bruins buy out forwards Shawn McEachern and Travis Green.
NHL Official Site

10 years in mother's murder

2006-06-30T17:09:00.000-04:00

Jun. 30, 2006. 04:43 PM
BOB MITCHELL
STAFF REPORTER

Two sisters convicted in the drowning death of their mother have been sentenced to a maximum 10 years after a judge ruled today they should be treated as youth offenders.
At least six of those years will be served in custody and the remaining four in community service.

Had the judge decided to sentence them as adults, the pair faced life sentences.
As youth offenders, their identity remains protected by law.

The sisters were convicted Dec. 15 of first-degree murder in the Jan. 18, 2003, drowning of their 44-year-old alcoholic mother.

The girls were just 16 and 15 when they got their mother drunk and nearly unconscious with Tylenol-3 pills, helped her into the bathtub of their Mississauga townhome and then drowned her.

They got away with the crime for more than a year until a friend went to police with information suggesting their mother’s death wasn’t an accidental drowning due to alcohol consumption but a planned murder discussed with a close group of friends, both in person and through Internet conversations.

Dramatic court testimony was produced during a sensational eight-week trial. The online chats not only showed the girls had talked about the murder but had planned it for weeks, partly because they were fed up with their alcoholic mother and partly because they stood to inherit $200,000 in life insurance.

In March, Justice Bruce Duncan said the burden would be placed squarely on the shoulders of Crown prosecutors Mike Cantlon and Brian McGuire to prove why the convicted teenage killers should receive an adult sentence.

Dr. Phil Klassen, who wrote a psychiatric assessment of the older sister, released Thursday by Justice Bruce Duncan, said the murder of her mother “met many of her needs” and that the planning and carrying out of the crime was “intoxicating” for her.

Her mother’s murder also met her need for “status, attention and power” and gave her “a sense of control over her environment,” Klassen wrote in his report.

Klassen said that one of the most “striking” aspects of the case was the fact that all of the sisters’ academically gifted close friends not only did nothing to stop them but also encouraged them to go through with their grisly plan.

Man In Court Over Bus Bomb Hoax

2006-06-29T18:28:00.000-04:00

A bus was driven under an Orange arch
A Newtownabbey man has been charged with hijacking and placing a hoax device on a bus in Glengormley.
Martin Gerard Rafferty, 38, from Fairyknowe Park, was remanded in custody after appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court.

Two men boarded a bus on the Ballyclare Road on Tuesday, left a package and told the driver to drive it to Glengormley Orange arch.

The road was closed before the object was declared a hoax by the Army.

End Of Era As Leopard Becomes Extinct

2006-06-29T18:14:00.000-04:00

The old shaped Ulsterbus is driving into history
The bus that once symbolised public transport in Northern Ireland is being retired after four decades.
Transport firm Translink said that from Friday Ulsterbus Leopards will be withdrawn from the province's roads.

The disappearance of the Leopards will bring to an end a bus body type which has represented Ulsterbus and Citybus throughout most of their existence.
It coincides with Translink's recent introduction of 215 new, modern buses with more to follow in coming months.

In total 681 Leopard buses were built for Ulsterbus and its predecessor, the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) by Leyland.

Some people may even remember the original grey and white liveries under the UTA which preceded the more familiar blue and white of Ulsterbus.
Translink's Frank Clegg said the buses had given good service.

"In general the lifespan of the earlier Leopards, purchased new, was between 14 and 16 years while some of the later purchases have clocked up an incredible 28 years' service," he said.

"I think these buses, in particular, have served us well and deserve to rest."

John Montgomery said the leopard first arrived in the province in 1965 and that they had been popular with drivers.
"The drivers have mostly liked them," he said.

"They all now have power assisted steering but that hasn't always been the case - the first ones took quite a bit of muscle work to turn the steering wheel so there was a hard day's work at times in them too."

Passengers of the earlier models may well have memories of the hard plastic seats and freezing journeys in the depths of winter.

The new breed of buses which is replacing the Leopard have low floor access for wheelchairs and pushchairs, better heating, double glazing and CCTV.
The buses also played their part in the iconography of the Troubles, with pictures of burnt out buses being front page picture material.

In total 228 Leopard buses out of a total 1,300 vehicles were destroyed maliciously during the Troubles.

The remains of the fleet are being sold off, some will be converted into other vehicles and others will be preserved in bus museums.

Eddie (aka Moose)

2006-06-29T17:58:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES -- The scrappy dog known as Eddie on TV's Frasier has died.
The 16-year-old Jack Russell terrier, whose real name was Moose, passed away of old age last Thursday at the Los Angeles home of trainer Mathilde Halberg, Halberg told People magazine.

The canine character Eddie drove Kelsey Grammer's lead character crazy for 10 years on the show.
It wasn't all acting on Moose's part, though. He was naturally "extremely mischievous," Halberg said.

His contribution to the show's and Grammer's success was publicly noted by the actor when he accepted a 1994 Emmy for best actor in a comedy. "Most important, Moose, this is for you," Grammer added good-naturedly.

Moose, who also played the older dog Skip in the 2000 film My Dog Skip, was retired in recent years.

Youth Avoids Jail In Edmonton Rock-Dropping Death

2006-06-29T17:52:00.000-04:00

Youth avoids jail in Edmonton rock-dropping death
Updated Thu. Jun. 29 2006 4:53 PM ET

Canadian Press

EDMONTON -- A young man who pleaded guilty to hurling a basketball-sized boulder through the windshield of a school bus, killing the 75-year-old driver, has been sentenced to six months of house arrest and 18 months of probation.

Judge Danielle Dalton said jail was not necessary to hold the youth to account, and could actually hurt his chances of rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Robert Stanley was driving a school bus on an Edmonton freeway June 1, 2002, when a heavy ornamental rock was pushed off an overpass and onto the windshield of the bus, striking Stanley in the chest.

He managed to pull the bus onto the shoulder of the road before losing consciousness and dying from massive chest injuries.

The youth, who is now 19, pleaded guilty in March to manslaughter, and during a community conference with Stanley's family expressed his extreme grief and regret for the deadly prank.

The teen was with friends celebrating their Grade 9 graduation when they decided to throw the rock, and they kept their actions a secret for three years - but it all unravelled when police arrested the wrong person for the crime.

Tim Hortons Gives Afghan Troops Taste Of Home

2006-06-29T17:40:00.000-04:00

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Canadian troops in Afghanistan are happily enjoying a little taste of home.
Tim Hortons finally opened the doors of its kiosk on the desolate coalition base here Thursday, and when word spread, soldiers were soon marching double-time for double-doubles.

"I am so happy," said Pte. Janice Magrath of Edmonton, her face tanned by the desert sun as she waited for her Boston-cream doughnut. "I have been waiting five months for this place to get here. Now it is finally here. I'm ecstatic!"
Inside the air conditioned trailer a team of employees who were flown in from Canada to staff the outlet were busily preparing doughnuts, brewing coffee and serving up iced cappuccinos - a popular drink in the 45 C heat.

The only difference in the ambience from a Canadian store is the camouflage caps the employees wear with "Kandahar" emblazoned on the back along with a Canadian flag.
The staff seemed as pleased as the soldiers.

"The people are so happy, it is awesome," said a clerk who declined to be named.
"We opened at 1 o'clock (in the afternoon) and we soon had a crowd. Once everybody saw the cup, they started coming."

There aren't a lot of diversions for the 2,300 Canadian troops who live on the dusty, sweltering coalition base dominated by the U.S armed forces.

Soldiers seeking a break from military field rations or the chow hall often line up for fast food at the base Burger King, Subway or Pizza Hut.
But the popularity of the Tim Hortons outlet has as much to do with memories of Canada and nostalgia as the taste of the coffee and doughnuts. Prices are about the same as at home, although payment is in U.S. dollars.

A group of soldiers who just returned to the base after 36 days outside the wire patrolling for Taliban guerrillas were all smiles as they walked away from the trailer with their orders.

"This is good for morale. It's a bit of home," said Warrant Officer Mark Pickford of the 1 Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. "Just having a bit of Canada here. It is incredible."

An official with the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency, which operates the franchise, declined to be interviewed.

Officials and the military called Thursday's opening a "soft-opening" in preparation for a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Saturday, Canada Day.
Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, the Canadian commander of the multinational brigade in southern Afghanistan, is to attend. But the coffee is already out of the urn.

"It is a really nice change of routine," beamed Master Cpl. Mike Schmidt, double-double in hand.
"It is something to look forward to when you come back in from the forward operating bases. They might need a drive-through though, eh?"

Besides, the troops will have other beverages on their minds Saturday.
There are rumours the soldiers will be allowed to buy two bottles of ice cold beer each on Canada Day, the first brews many of them will have enjoyed in a long time.

The employees who are staffing the Tim Hortons outlet had to try out for the jobs at CFB Kingston, Ont.
The candidates were taught about the danger of landmines and what to do in a hostage situation. They even had to undergo gas mask training.

Those who made the grade will serve six-months in Afghanistan - the same tour of duty as the soldiers.

RTA Launches Prototype Of World’s First Air-Conditioned Bus Shelter In Dubai

2006-06-29T14:31:00.000-04:00

Over 500 bus shelters equipped with ATMs and snack and soft drink vending machines to be built across the emirate in the next 18 months

H.E Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) today launched the prototype of the world’s first air-conditioned bus shelter in Dubai. The futuristically-designed, crescent shaped shelters will have a contemporary metallic finish and sliding doors. Over a period of 18 months, more than 500 such bus shelters will be built all across Dubai.

The ultramodern bus shelters will have a range of facilities such as ATMs and vending machines for newspapers, snacks and soft drinks. Further, garbage will be collected in three recycling units outside the shelters for paper, glass and metal.

Speaking at the occasion, H.E Mattar Al Tayer said, “The launch of this prototype is a sign of things to come, as RTA continues its commitment to transform Dubai’s public transport infrastructure. We want to make sure that an increasing number of Dubai’s residents are using the public transport system, which will in turn ease the flow of traffic on our roads. The provision of high quality air-conditioned bus shelters will not only go a long way in achieving this objective, it will also complement Dubai’s rapid pace of development and progress.”

The AED 17.5 million per annum contract for constructing the bus shelters has been awarded to Right Angle Media on the Build-Operate-and Transfer (BOT) basis for ten years. Right Angle Media will be investing in the project for the construction and maintenance of the shelters, for which RTA will make an annual payment of AED 17.5 million. The total construction cost will amount to 35.75 million, while the maintenance costs will be AED 3.5 million per annum.

Abdul Aziz Malik, Director of Public Transport said, "The air-conditioned bus shelters have been designed keeping the comfort and requirements of commuters in mind. Waiting for buses in the scorching heat can be hard and tiring for the people, and these modern bus shelters with an array of amenities will prove extremely beneficial to the large number of commuters. We will be making an investment of over AED 210 million over the coming decade in this project, and we hope to see more and more people to travel by bus.

Call For More Bus Security

2006-06-29T14:25:00.000-04:00

Thu June 29, 2006

A second violent incident this week between a city bus driver and a rider underscores the calls of a 16-year-veteran with Edmonton Transit for more security guards on buses.

At about 8 p.m. last night, police were called to the Northgate Transit Centre after a tussle broke out between a driver and a passenger.
Paramedics treated the assailant - arrested by police - for a gash to the head after he took a tumble down some bus stairs, said EMS Supt. Rod Homeniuk.

Details were sketchy last night and an ETS spokesman couldn't be reached.

James MacLeod, 40, said he's watched violence on city buses escalate over the past year - and he wants ETS security beefed up.
"The foot patrol on Whyte Avenue - it's the same idea.
"You've got to have (transit security officers) riding the bus," MacLeod said.
"If they're on the bus, at least they can deter any criminal activity."

Dean Sydlowski, ETS security operations co-ordinator, says 30 protective services officers - also known as special constables - conduct routine patrols aboard buses and the LRT, as well as in terminals and stations.

"The reality is we've got 610 buses out there during the peak," added Wes Brodhead, director of ETS ferrier operations.
"To put a security officer on every bus, it's not economically feasible."

On Monday, a passenger got on the No. 10 bus at 64 Street and 129 Avenue and demanded to be taken to a stop that's not on the route.

The driver said no, and the agitated passenger responded by slashing the driver's arm three times.

An attack on a bus on March 2 turned deadly, when 35-year-old passenger Stefan William Conley was beaten to death, allegedly by four teens.
MacLeod said Monday's attack "makes me real nervous."

A Little Behind

2006-06-29T14:18:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't been blogging lately, a little behind, bear with me....will be posting some new stuff. Different shift, vacation and the usual day to day stuff.

8 Arrested In 'Great Tragedy'

2006-06-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

Three teens are charged with murder and six others with manslaughter in the Jane Creba slaying.
Two arrests an hour after the Boxing Day shootout that killed Jane Creba and surveillance video that tracked suspects along Yonge St. set the stage for dramatic raids on two street gangs yesterday.

The 15-year-old student was among seven people hit by bullets in a wild Yonge St. shootout near Elm St. which shocked a city already reeling from a violent summer.

Nearly six months later, after 14 city-wide pre-dawn raids, a 20-officer team charged three teens with second-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, and five others with manslaughter.

A warrant was also issued for a ninth person, a teen who police say is hiding in England. Police say more arrests could follow.

"The location of this gunfight is deeply symbolic to the people of Toronto," Police Chief Bill Blair said.

Creba was the city's 78th murder victim of 2005, and the 52nd shot dead.
Motivated by the brazen daylight shooting in front of hundreds of horrified shoppers, police launched Project Green Apple, named after the popular Riverdale Collegiate student's favourite fruit.

"All of the accused in this case are members or associates of street gangs active in the city," Blair said.

"This has been an extended and very complicated investigation," he said. "It has been a herculean effort made by the investigators."

The lead investigator, Det.-Sgt. Savas Kyriacou, said he spoke to the Creba family about the arrests, but refused to discuss their conversation. The family has never spoken publicly.

Mayor David Miller said he was relieved at the arrests.

"Any Torontonian could have been Jane Creba. Boxing Day, Yonge St. is our place where everyone has been to shop and buy things at sales," he said.

"I think every Torontonian felt Jane Creba was their daughter, their sister," Miller said. "It was a great tragedy for everyone in this city."

Within an hour of the shooting, police got their first break with the arrest of two males and the seizure of a pistol at Castle Frank TTC station.

The two were held on weapons offences until yesterday, when their charges were upgraded.

Andre Thompson, 20, and a 17-year-old are now charged with manslaughter.

To help find the key witnesses, police posted a $50,000 reward in May and released video of a man in an orange track suit whom they suspected was involved.

He was one of those arrested, Blair confirmed yesterday.

Police also granted protection for some witnesses.

Blair was vague yesterday about whether the reward or witness protection played a role in the project.

Video surveillance from Yonge St. stores showed a group of males walking down the street on Boxing Day and ending up in the Eaton Centre.

One member of the 5 Point Generals street gang , or 5pgs, became involved in a fight with a member of an unnamed rival crew, police sources said.

The spat grew and they were kicked out of the mall but they tangled again outside a short time later and gunfire erupted.

Police gang experts identified some suspects as having links to the 5pgs, based in the Weston Rd.-Lawrence Ave. area.

The other crew was more difficult for police to identify and yesterday investigators were closely guarding the name of the gang, based in the Oakwood Ave. and Vaughan Rd. area.

Leading up to yesterday's arrest, police also busted 17 others on various charges, including drug and gun running.

The investigation led police to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Napanee, where two suspects were arrested.

Richard Steele, 19, who sources say was hit in the arm in a boozecan shooting on Atlas Ave. in February, is charged with trafficking firearms, and conspiracy to traffic guns and cocaine. He was already in custody before yesterday's raids.

Louis Woodcock, 19, who was arrested in January on an unrelated drug charge, and a 17-year-old male were also in jail when they were charged with second-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

Tyshaun Barnett, 19, who was busted with Woodcock in January, is charged with second-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, and gun trafficking and conspiracy.

A 17-year-old, who can't be named, is also charged with second-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder.

Also charged with manslaughter are Andrew Smith, 20, Vincent Davis, 25, Shaun Thompson, 21, and two youths, one of whom is still at large.

How Wildcat Strike By TTC Workers Unfolded Across The City

2006-06-03T17:54:00.000-04:00

May 30, 2006. 01:00 AM
12:25 a.m.: First whiff of a wildcat strike as workers fail to show up at TTC maintenance yards around Toronto.

4 a.m.: TTC lawyer Michael Kennedy drives through the darkened streets of Toronto trying to find union leaders, who he says are "hiding." His mission is to deliver a legal order instructing them not to walk off the job.

4:30 a.m.: TTC is in full shutdown mode. Many of the 700,000 commuters who use the TTC are still asleep and unaware.

7:30 a.m.: Ontario Labour Relations Board issues a "cease and desist" order requiring workers to report back to work immediately. The order is ignored throughout the day by the union's 8,500 members.

9 a.m.: Mayor David Miller kicks off Bike To Work Week at Nathan Phillips Square, saying Toronto is committed to making every street bike friendly.

12:15 p.m.: Ontario Labour Relations Board reconvenes after it becomes clear TTC workers are not going back to work. Arguments by both sides are heard for about an hour by adjudicator Brian McLean.

2 p.m.: McLean issues a definitive back-to-work order to striking workers.

2:30 p.m.: Union leader Bob Kinnear holds an impromptu press conference at the labour board saying he will respect the ruling but he's still mad at TTC management and Miller.

3 p.m.: Miller holds a news conference, saying he recognizes problems faced by TTC workers but says that's no reason not to show up for work.

3:24 p.m.: Union issues news release saying it will ask members to return to work but indicates they remain deeply unhappy. Says Kinnear: "This decision does not solve the problems that led to this situation ... The frustration and anger will not go away."

5 p.m.: First TTC buses roll back onto streets packed with commuters. Many are walking, hitchhiking, driving, biking and blading home.

6:10 p.m.: Toronto police dispatch officers to Wilson subway station after some picketers refuse to end strike.

6.30 p.m.: Subway trains resume service along the Bloor-Danforth line. The Yonge-University line is still out of service because of continued union picketing going on at the Wilson yards.

8:30 p.m.: First train leaves Wilson yards on Yonge-University line.

Ontario Expands Amber Alert To Cellphones And E-Mail

2006-05-28T16:40:00.000-04:00

Canadian Press

Toronto — The electronic system that lets police instantly notify Ontario residents about missing children can now send Amber Alerts via e-mail to registered cellphones and BlackBerrys, the Ontario government announced Friday.

Those with e-mail or text-messaging devices can easily sign up for the new service, thereby broadening the reach of the system, Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter told a news conference.
"Think about how many more people will be on the lookout for abducted children across the entire province with this expansion," Mr. Kwinter said.

The government is confident that people will welcome the chance to take an active role in helping police, said Ashley Dent, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kwinter.

"This is a unique opportunity for citizens to actually help the police in locating missing children," Ms. Dent said.

"Hopefully there will be a great response from the community."

Introduced in Ontario in January 2003, Amber Alerts initially appeared in the electronic media and on highway signs. Lottery terminal kiosks were added as alert destinations earlier this year.

"Because of the increased use of cellphone and text messaging, it's a really good way to reach people," Ms. Dent said.

The expansion is a joint effort between the Ontario government, provincial police and Bell Canada. Ontario residents can register for the program on Bell's website at
www.bell.ca/amberalert

Paolo Pasquini, spokesman for Bell, said the cellphone service is free of charge for all Bell Mobility customers and available for a fee to customers of other cellphone providers. regular e-mail users can sign up for free.

Ms. Dent said she hopes other cellphone providers will soon jump on board. Pasquini expects the service to expand into other provinces with time.

"It's had a very good first-day response and we're hoping that we have a lot of people that have been motivated to go register and to take part in this matter," said Mr. Pasquini.

"I just hope we never have to use it."

The program caused a minor controversy in April when two boys were reported missing and an Amber Alert was issued. Police soon found the boys with their father near Temagami in northern Ontario, but couldn't cancel the alert because they didn't have the children in custody.

Conflicting reports went out to the media as a consequence, but OPP deputy commissioner John Carson said it proved to be a learning experience that had no serious repercussions.

"It's just one of those things . . .just some confusion amongst the broadcasters and distribution of the information," he said.

"At the end of the day the successful outcome, that's what's really important here."

Ms. Dent said there have been three Amber Alerts in Ontario in the past two months.

Mr. Kwinter said the Amber Alert system could also be used for mass communication in the event of a pandemic, like an avian flu outbreak.

Drunk Bus Thug Fears Prison Time

2006-05-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

Sat, May 20, 2006
Transit officials like sentence
By DEAN PRITCHARD, COURT REPORTER

A Winnipeg man who pleaded guilty to punching a bus driver in the face says the court is making an example of him with a sentence he doesn't deserve.

Rick Ganton, 46, was sentenced Wednesday to 26 months in prison for assault, mischief and three breaches of court orders.
"I got guys in here saying 'Twenty-six months! What did you do, kill him?'" said Rick Ganton during an interview from the Winnipeg Remand Centre yesterday.
"I'm getting tired of explaining myself. You hear about people killing somebody and getting less time than that."

Ganton said he was dumbfounded when he learned Wednesday the Crown would be recommending a penitentiary sentence.
"I went in there thinking, at worst, I would get six months custody," he said. "I'm friggin' terrified. I've never been in the pen in my life."

Ganton was drunk and the lone passenger on the No. 11 Kildonan bus when he realized he had missed his stop and started swearing and yelling at bus driver Murray Tarvis as the bus idled at a bus loop near Henderson Highway and the Perimeter Highway.

Tarvis had just pulled up at City Hall when Ganton, enraged, charged at Tarvis, pulled him out of his seat and punched him in the face, breaking his glasses. Tarvis struggled free and ran out of the bus.

'TICKING TIME BOMB'

Ganton chased Tarvis three or four times around the bus before Tarvis managed to run back inside the bus and pull away.

Judge Glenn Joyal said bus drivers are in a position of vulnerability and deserving of protection. He said Ganton is a "ticking time bomb" until he deals with his alcohol problem.

"Bus drivers are at the mercy of whoever gets on the bus ... The only safeguard is the belief the court will respond purposefully and severely," Joyal said.

Transit officials praised the stiff sentence, saying it should help deter rising incidents of violence against bus drivers.

Ganton said the Crown placed unfair emphasis on his dated criminal record -- 21 convictions, including four for assault. Ganton's last assault conviction was 14 years ago, an incident he described as a "push and shove" for which he was sentenced to one year probation. His most recent conviction was a couple of years ago for shoplifting.

"What I did then has nothing to do with punching a bus driver," he said. "They make me sound like some kind of monster lurking in the bushes at any time ... That's not the case ... I'm going down big time for what I did in the past"

Brampton Youth Hockey Association -SPITFIRES

2006-05-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

We would first like to thank you for taking the time out to read this and for your consideration in sponsoring our team.

We are a Minor Atom Intra-city hockey team with the Brampton Youth Hockey Association. Minor Atom consists of children that were born in the year of 1997. As an Intra-city team, we will be incurring many extra costs resulting from additional practice ice, practice equipment, tournament fees and specialty training sessions (i.e. power skating). These costs are all above and beyond the registration fee and all personal equipment requirements. In order to reduce the costs of the extras each family may incur, we are seeking sponsors as the budget could reach as high as $20,000 for this season.

As a sponsor you will help each player improve in their hockey skills and day-to-day life skills such as teamwork, social interaction and the ability to follow rules. By sponsoring the team you reduce the costs and allow us to focus on the needs of all the players.

All sponsors will receive a tax receipt for their donation and a thank-you letter signed by all the players. With a minimum donation of $250 you will also receive a plaque at the end of the season with a team photo.

Another sponsorship option is our banner program. A minimum contribution of $500 will allow us to put your company name or logo (along with any other companies that may participate in the option) on a banner. The banner will read “BYHA Minor Atom Intra-city Spitfires Proudly Sponsored By (list of all the sponsors)”. The banner will be hung in view of all the spectators at all of our games.

Lastly, as a team we are required to submit a sponsor to the league to have their company name on the back of our jerseys. The league requires us to give them $750 for the jerseys with the sponsors’ name. In order to be fair, we have decided the largest contributor will have their company name placed on the back of our jerseys. In addition, any company contributing $1000 or more will also receive an invitation to our year-end banquet.

Yours truly,
The Coaching Staff & all the players
Michael Cook – Head Coach, Greg Scobel – Asst. Coach, Mark Critch – Asst. Coach, Sam Viscount - Trainer, Justin, Kyle, Marcus, Calvin, Nickolon, Ryan, Jacob, Adam, Jai, Brandon, Imran, Ethan, Sheridan, Jonathon, Brandon

For further information or to make a donation please contact: Michael Cook 416-420-3280, 905-796-2347
or you can email me at cookie71@sympatico.ca

Ps. Please make all cheques payable to 2006-07 Minor Atom Intra-city Spitfires.

Did You Know....?

2006-05-16T19:14:00.000-04:00

That the construction for the new stadium has started?

TTC Hybrid

2006-05-16T19:03:00.000-04:00

The $750,000 Box On Wheels

T.O. Police Issue $50,000 Reward In Creba Case

2006-05-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

CTV.ca News Staff

Toronto police have issued a $50,000 reward for information that could lead to the conviction of suspects in the Boxing Day shooting of Jane Creba.

No one has been charged with Creba's killing since the popular 15-year-old was caught in the crossfire of a Dec. 26 gun battle that erupted on Yonge Street during the busy shopping holiday.

At a press conference Tuesday, Staff Insp. Brian Raybould said the reward strategy may prove helpful in the investigation.
"There are a number of people who have come forward, but we know there are a number of people who have not," he said.

"This has been a very complex investigation. It's certainly been an investigation that has taxed all of the resources of this organization."

Raybould said there are already people in the witness protection program, and anyone who comes forward with new information would be offered the same assurance.

In March, police appealed for the public's help to identify a young man in a tan or mustard-coloured suit who may have information about the shootout.
Raybould said the man has not come forward. The person of interest is in his 20s and was seen on video surveillance tapes, but police said he is a witness, not a suspect.

Several investigators have been working full-time on the case, said Raybould, who noted the investigation is "going well" but could be going "better."
Two or possibly more groups of young men staged the shootout near the downtown Eaton Centre.

Two people were arrested and charged with gun offences in the incident, but they are not charged directly with Creba's death.
Raybould said he could not comment on any other person who may have been charged since.

As many as 15 suspects were involved in the wild gun battle outside a Foot Locker store that killed Creba and wounded six others, police said.

Creba was the 78th homicide of 2005.Her death prompted calls for tighter gun bans.

Fed Up With "Other" Vehicles On The Road

2006-05-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

Working 8+ hours in a bus, commuting on the highway there and back, I'm getting a little fed up with these things:

1. I'm really surprised you paid THAT much for your car and it didn't come with signals.

2. Yield to the bus, means just that!

3. High beams in the city?

4. Sharing the road?

5. If you can't multi-task when driving then don't.

6. Do you really think not letting someone in gets you there any quicker?

7. Actually I should have put this as number one, Emergency vehicles, pull to the right and stop. Don't stop wherever you are.

8. Rubberneckers, if you want to see blood guts and gore, rent a horror movie!

Maybe we should start charging different fees for license renewal based on accident, tickets or just plain stupidity maybe then people would take more care.

Dreams Take Flight as special kids spend magical day in Disneyland

2006-05-07T16:42:00.000-04:00

If you ever want to give to charity and know that you made a difference then this is it! This is an amazing organization that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside for the rest of your life.
Dreams Take Flight

Published: Sunday, May 07, 2006
It's 6 a.m. Wednesday and our Boeing 767 is taxiing out of Edmonton International Airport when a familiar voice crackles over the speaker system.

"This is your captain, Mickey Mouse, speaking. Your first officer today is Goofy."
The 125 kids around me, aged seven to 11, shriek with delight.

Some are being treated for cancer. Some are disfigured by burns. And others are kids who live on inner-city streets. But today is a very special day.

We are bound for Disneyland on a one-day trip organized by the non-profit Dreams Take Flight organization.

Twenty-one agencies in communities from Red Deer to the Arctic Circle have suggested these children would benefit from a day full of wizardry.

"Standby for a magical takeoff," says Capt. Mickey. "But we'll need your help."
He opens the engines to full throttle as the kids count down from 10. When they reach zero, he releases the brakes and we tear down the runway and lift off.

The airliner skims across the top of the clouds at 1,000 metres. They flash by as we increase speed to 900 km/hr.

The captain who understands kids is Jean-Marc Belanger, a 26-year airline veteran with 14,000 hours logged.

His first officer is Frederick Belanger, no relation. Both are from Montreal and have donated their time to fly the kids to Los Angeles and back.
"Some of these kids have never ridden in an elevator," says officer Belanger.

The cabin staff wear giant Mouse ears and are mainly Calgary-based crew. Like the pilots, they too are volunteers.

It's 9:30 a.m. when we pose under leaden Los Angeles skies and board buses bound for "The Happiest Place on Earth."

I'm with Edmonton's Cleaning by Page owner John Rudolph, a trip sponsor, and his daughter Holly Jones. They are guiding six kids from Wetaskiwin.

Doubling for Indiana Jones, Rudolph leads us immediately into the sacred and deadly chambers of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. We board jungle transport and are lucky to survive poisonous darts, screaming mummies and the Cavern of Bubbling Death.

"The coolest bit was nearly being hit by a rock," eight-year-old Brittany Napayok, from Yellowknife, was to tell me later. "We just managed to get under it."

Tarzan's Tree House and a jungle tour (I was nearly bitten by a cobra and speared by natives) follows before we reach Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Two of the boys decline the ride. But the girls holler as our party thunders through mine shafts, bat caves and caverns and past coyotes and rattlers.

"The best so far," says Jonas Creighton.

I feel nervous climbing into a hollowed-out log on Splash Mountain to follow Brer Rabbit's mischievous escapades as he tries to flee the clutches of Brer Fox and Brer Bear. My fears are well founded. We make a five-storey drop down a waterfall. I'm soaked.

It's barbecue chicken and beef with chips for lunch. And fortunately I dodge more breathless rides by chatting to Tom Hutchison, a retired baggage handler who is both president of the local and national Dreams Take Flight programs.

"Our organization was born in Toronto in 1989 when a group of Air Canada staff planned to take some special-needs children to Niagara by bus," he said.

Woman Dies In Stolen Bus Rampage

2006-05-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Dozens of vehicles were smashed during the pursuit
A woman was killed and several people were injured when a stolen bus went on a five-mile rampage through Dublin.
Armed police fired shots at the driver as he smashed into several vehicles during a chase on a busy motorway.

Dozens of police, including a Garda helicopter and aircraft, pursued the coach for over an hour before it crashed in Rathcoole, west Dublin.

Gardai arrested the driver, believed to be from the Tallaght area of the city, and took him to a Dublin hospital.

The driver, thought to be in late 20s or early 30s, received medical attention at St James Hospital in the south of the city.

A helicopter and an aircraft were involved in the chase

The 53-seat luxury Dualway private coach is believed to have been taken from a depot in Rathcoole earlier on Sunday.

An elderly woman who was in one of the cars struck by the coach was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Dozens of cars were damaged and 13 people, including four police officers, were also injured.

Huge traffic delays were caused and restrictions were put in place as police attempted to contain the damage.

Teen convicted of murdering bus driver must serve 51 years

2006-05-07T16:16:00.000-04:00

A 16-year-old boy was convicted of murder Friday and sentenced to life in prison for shooting his school bus driver after she reported him for using smokeless tobacco on the bus.

Jason Clinard was 14 when he killed Joyce Gregory in front of his home in March 2005, but prosecutors tried him as an adult.

He will have to serve at least 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

“I feel justice was served today,” said Joyce Gail Wyatt, the mother of the slain bus driver. “I asked God to handle it, and I think he did.”

During the trial, Clinard’s defense attorney acknowledged that he shot the 47-year-old bus driver, but he asked the jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter. He said Clinard had been depressed and suicidal and was hearing voices.

Prosecutors argued that Clinard planned the killing. His football coach, Myles Holliday, testified that he heard the teenager say he hated Gregory. When the driver opened the bus door to pick him up that day, he shot her six times, prosecutors said.

The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon and returned a verdict before noon Friday.

Defense attorney Worth Lovett said he would file a motion for a new trial. He said Clinard was “heartbroken” after the verdict and asked him how long it would be before he was eligible for parole.

“I’m disappointed,” Lovett said. “What good does it do the state for him to spend years in prison? It wastes another life in addition to the life already wasted.”

Clinard’s parents, who testified on his behalf, stayed in the courtroom after the verdict, crying and hugging family and friends. They did not speak to reporters as they left the courthouse escorted by officers.

District Attorney Dan Alsobrooks said the verdict sent a message that school violence would not be tolerated.

“The verdict was in keeping with the facts of the case and the severity of what happened. This was Stewart County's Columbine,” Alsobrooks said, referring to the fatal attacks at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., in 1999.

What's that old saying? Oh yeah....."He was a quiet boy"

Bus Driver Knocked Out

2006-05-07T16:03:00.000-04:00

Sun, May 7, 2006
VANCOUVER -- Two teens angry that one was being tossed off a bus for being 50 cents short of a fare beat a bus driver unconscious yesterday, causing him to ram the bus into a parked car.

Police say one of the three youths, all 19, was 50 cents short on the fare, so the driver stopped the bus, opened the door and told him he'd have to get off.

"He was waiting for them to get off the bus. For some reason, (two of the three) decided violence was the way to solve it," said Const. Dave Smith of Coquitlam RCMP.

With his attackers raining down punches and kicks and smashing the vehicle's windows, the driver was unable to stop the bus from lurching forward and rolling into a parked Jeep Cherokee.

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said the 57-year-old driver was rendered unconscious, suffered cuts, bruises and a badly swollen face. He was even bitten during the melee.
The two teens responsible fled.

Driver Punched In Latest Edmonton Transit Incident

2006-05-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

Edmonton Journal
Published: Thursday, May 04, 2006

A driver of an Edmonton transit bus was punched by a passenger late last night in what is just the latest in a number of violent acts on the city’s transit system.

Police say the 52-year-old driver is recovering from injuries after he was assaulted by a teen-aged passenger at the ETS bus terminal at Kingsway Garden Mall.

The incident began about 11:47 p.m. when a passenger tried to board the bus without paying his fare. When the driver refused to let him board, he began arguing with the driver. Police said the argument escalated into physical violence and the passenger allegedly began punching the driver.

The driver was taken to hospital by ambulance and treated for a minor concussion and other injuries before being released.

Dustin Tyrone Morningchild , 18, has been charged with assault.

The driver was the second driver allegedly assaulted by a teen-aged passenger in less than a month. A 53-year-old driver complained on April 14 of being assaulted by a group of teens at the Mill Woods transit station after he challenged one of them about a transfer ticket he suspected had been stolen. There have been no arrests in the incident.

Four teens were charged with the March 2 death of 35-year-old Stefan Conley, who died of head injuries in a beating while on a bus in Mill Woods.

In February, a man waiting for the LRT narrowly escaped death when he was thrown from the platform in the path of a coming train. He pressed himself against the wall to avoid being hit. His assailant is undergoing psychiatric evaluation.

On New Year’s Eve of 2003, five teens were swarmed and beaten in an LRT train by a gang of about 30 other youths.

Violence on public transit has been increasing in recent years. There were 301 reports of assaults or threats on city buses, transit trains and stations in 2005, up from 200 in 1999.

Haunted By Death On The Tracks

2006-05-04T18:41:00.000-04:00

Ex-engineer calls for stricter rules for rail crossings
Unstoppable, horrific impacts replay in his mind
May 1, 2006. 08:05 AM
KEVIN MCGRAN
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER

The trains Dan Christie operated caused the deaths of at least seven people. He says there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

The Port Hope man — a CN and VIA Rail engineer for 30 years — keeps a scrapbook of the news stories that followed the accidents in the early 1990s as one way to deal with the guilt he feels from time to time.

Two were suicides. Another misadventure. The rest were accidents at crossings.
The moments — especially the faces — haunt him still.
"The feeling of helplessness is just overwhelming," says Christie, 55, whose feelings were stirred again after a Toronto Star series of stories on railway safety. "You get to see the whole movie as it occurs and there's nothing you can do. You take all the precautions. I've gone through the whole nightmare routine and sleepless nights and wondering if you could have done something differently."

A Star investigation revealed the number of rail accidents and derailments are on the rise, the result of poor maintenance practices and a cozy relationship between the railways and their regulator Transport Canada. A second story showed many railway deaths were preventable, but Transport Canada seemed more interested in studying problems at railway crossings than forcing the industry to make safety upgrades.

CN Rail did conduct "safety blitzes" at 80 highway-railway crossings last week as part of Rail Safety Week, where CN Police were warning motorists not to ignore bells or whistles at crossings and pedestrians who wanted to walk on rail property.

"When I look at the commitment of CN to work towards safety, it's really remarkable," said CN Police Chief Serge Meloche. "I have officers dedicated to making a difference."

Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon declined a request for an interview. Federal NDP transport critic Peter Julian said the new Conservative government seems to be as bad as the old Liberal government in failing to hold the rail industry's feet to the fire on safety issues, with about 100 people killed annually by trains in crossing and trespassing incidents.

"Clearly the approach of the federal government is not working," said Julian. "The Conservatives are doing no more than the Liberals. The Liberals foot-dragged, and we're seeing similar kinds of things from the current transport minister. I'm concerned about the trend, and the inaction."

Christie, who says his reputation as a whistleblower led him to resign from VIA in 2004, has harsh words for the safety and maintenance practices of his ex-employer and doesn't trust Transport Canada to deal with crossing/trespassing incidents. .

"For all of the money they spend on public awareness, I don't think it's been terribly effective," says Christie, adding drivers have some responsibility.

"Automobiles are hermetically sealed. We live in our own world when we get into a car. Trains aren't really on people's radar. With population growth outside of urban areas, it's almost inevitable that there's going to be more level-crossing hits. So many things play a factor in it."

Christie remembers all the dead from the incidents, which happened in the early 1990s:

A 14-year-old girl who lay on the tracks after getting a bad report card.

A 21-year-old man in Belle River who lost a game of dare.

A woman near St. Catharines who was crawling on the tracks.

An elderly couple near London who got out of their stalled car but couldn't jump away from the train in time.

A man near Kingston — apparently blinded by the sun — who drove into a locomotive.

The one that sticks with Christie is a 45-year-old man who owned a scrap yard on one side of the tracks, and a house on another. The man was waving to his son when his pickup truck stalled on the tracks. He got out of the truck, and froze.

"It was just a momentary lapse. It was terribly unfortunate because he could have saved himself. He got out the driver's door and just sort of stood there. That's the last thing I saw."

That incident put Christie into therapy for six weeks, because of nightmares and flashbacks. The scrapbook he keeps is in the backyard shed, so that he's not constantly reminded of the deaths

"There's a small element of guilt. You divest yourself of it very quickly; otherwise I think you'd be a bit of a basket case."

Christie backs the recommendations of a coroner's inquest jury that looked into the death of a schoolgirl last year at a Brockville crossing — that trains should go slower within city limits and that crossing guards should be hired at the most dangerous crossings in Canada.

"Transport Canada seldom acts. It reacts," Christie says. "It waits for some predictable tragedy then springs into action with remedial recommendations whose implementation is contingent upon how effective a case for financial hardship is made by the affected parties — usually a railway and a municipality.

"Only in the gravest cases is something as expensive as gates with bells and lights recommended. The chances of the whole-hog idea of a grade separation is akin to winning a lottery — about 14 million to one."

A grade separation would involve building a bridge over the rail line, or tunnelling under it so road and rail don't intersect.

Christie says there's very little an engineer can do once confronted with someone on the tracks. He can blow the horn. He can put on the brakes.

He says horns can cause people to freeze, rather than hurry, and trains can't stop on a dime. An average freight train going 100 km/h takes about 1.1 kilometres to stop.

"It was never my experience that the people who I watched die were mortally stupid," Christie says. "They were simply caught in a circumstances totally by surprise and utterly beyond their control, much as I was operating the train.

"When things are rolling along and it's calm and beautiful and you've got the best job in the world, suddenly the nightmare is right there in front of you and right there in front of them, too. The lucky ones were the ones who did not know what hit them. They didn't have a clue. They were blinded by the sun. They were doing something else. They just didn't know.

"The unlucky ones are the ones who had a sensation of two or three seconds that this was going to happen, that it was inevitable."

CNE Station, Your Name Is Mud

2006-05-04T18:26:00.000-04:00

Apr. 26, 2006. 01:00 AM
JACK LAKEY
STAFF REPORTER

After a rainy day, GO Transit riders catching the train at the Canadian National Exhibition stop could use a sturdy pair of rubber boots to keep their feet dry.

One way to get to the CNE GO station from King St. W. is on Atlantic Ave., where a sidewalk leads to a door at the west end of the covered platform on the north side of the tracks.

It can be a muddy trek, especially after a downpour.
On Monday, the north wall of the westbound covered platform was flooded, with a wheelchair ramp between two doors under water. Water had also flooded under the door at the west end of the covered platform and spilled across much of the floor.

The sidewalk from Atlantic Ave. crosses a muddy railway access road beside the platform, which is also the lowest spot in the immediate area. Water accumulates and floods the sidewalk. Commuters must tiptoe through it or negotiate the mud.

Cathy Barrett's email urged us to "have a look at the huge puddle of water and mud that spills over onto the sidewalk and makes getting through the door just about impossible, unless you're wearing your wellies!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Status: Bob Boyle, of GO Transit, said it has hired a consulting engineer to find a solution. A short-term fix may be to re-grade the area, but a permanent fix will likely be a drainage system that could take a few months to install, he said.

In Montreal, It's Hooray For Huet

2006-04-28T21:04:00.000-04:00

There haven't been too many players -- let alone goaltenders -- that have dominated the NHL over the last three months like Cristobal Huet.

Quebec has produced more than its fair share of star goaltenders over the years. From Jacques Plante to Patrick Roy, to Martin Brodeur, to Roberto Luongo, Quebec has spawned some of the best goaltending talent in NHL history. That's why it's easy to mistake current Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet as simply another in the long line of masked men from Quebec.

Huet, however, grew up in the shadows of the French Alps and followed his local team in Grenoble, the town that once hosted the Winter Olympics. There, Huet followed the career of probably the best Quebec-born goaltender ever, Patrick Roy and recently pointed to Roy as his inspiration to become a goalie.

"I used to watch Grenoble," Huet recalled. "Hockey wasn't big, but my city was one of the best in the league so I became interested," he said. "I also followed Patrick Roy after I came here for a goalie camp and to play as a kid. He was the guy to be a fan of, and I try to use his butterfly style. He had great success too and when you're young you want to be like that."

Today, Huet a goalie from the French Alps whose style resembles Roy, has captivated the city of Montreal just as Roy did in the Stanley Cup seasons of 1986 and 1993. Huet's style and poise reminds many in the game of Roy and the other Quebec greats.

"He resembles those guys for sure," Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas said recently. "He has that trademark Quebec butterfly style and he can dominate a game just like any of those guys can or did. But he can also adjust to whatever style is necessary for the moment."

Domination definitely describes what Huet has done to opposing teams over the past three months. With the Canadiens well out of the playoff race prior to the Olympic break and then-No. 1 goaltender Jose Theodore struggling, Canadiens GM/coach Bob Gainey turned to Huet, to give his team some kind of spark.

"We really didn't know what to expect at that point," Gainey said. "There was a point when our team was looking for something to grab on to and he arrived. He took care of the unforced errors we were making then, and as time went on, the errors disappeared and it flows both ways now."

Huet has done more than give his team a spark though; he has brought them back into the playoff race and turned a city that was once more than mildly unhappy with the Canadiens, alive with euphoria over their storied hockey club.

Heading into action Tuesday, Huet was 18-9-4 with a 2.09 goals-against average, second best in the NHL, as well as a league best .931 save percentage. He has also posted seven shutouts, second only to Calgary's Mikka Kiprusoff who has eight. Huet actually shutout Thomas and Boston three-straight games, until giving up three goals in a 5-3 win April 4. His stellar play against the Bruins recently earned him NHL Defensive Player of the Week. His amazing stats, however, are not what impress Gainey or his teammates.

Huet has shown the consistency that the departed Jose Theodore struggled to find this season.
"Right now he is so stable and consistent, he will make eight to 10 difficult saves, but they're hard to pick out because he makes them look easy," Gainey said.

Defenseman Sheldon Souray echoed Gainey's thoughts on Huet.

"He came in here relatively unknown and no one, I think even management, really knew what they were getting," Souray said. "Then all of a sudden, here's a guy, for different reasons and situations, who was thrust into the spotlight and has pretty much carried this team on his shoulders since then. He's been so calm, cool and consistent out there that he makes us confident. We know that if we make a mistake, he'll be there for us.

"Not to take anything away from 'Jo' (Theodore), there was a point in this season where he and the team couldn't find its way. We needed a shot in the arm and Cris provided that."

Souray, who played in New Jersey before coming to Montreal, said Huet reminds him of his former teammate, Brodeur.
"He reminds me a lot of Marty in that while he's calm and in the zone so to speak, you still see him cracking a smile behind his mask," Souray said. "He can still do his job well but he's having fun and the team feeds off that. He's so easy to talk to on the ice and in the dressing room. He's also great with the media and fans and the city has really latched on to that."

With talk of who deserves the Hart and Vezina trophies already circulating in the media, Souray believes Huet should be considered for both.
"I think his statistics speak for themselves as far as the Vezina goes, but as far as what a guy has meant to his team, Cris is right up there with (Jaromir) Jagr, (Joe) Thornton and (Alexander) Ovechkin," Souray said.
"I'm not sure he's played enough games but we're not where we are without him."

Beating victim calls on Guardian Angels to help

2006-04-28T09:22:00.000-04:00

By AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN

For Lance Lamond, news reports of random attacks on city buses in recent months brought back painful memories of the time he was viciously beaten a decade ago.

Convinced that the only way to make the streets safe again is for average people to take them back, Lamond contacted the Guardian Angels and invited them to set up an Edmonton chapter.

"I can't see it doing anything but good in reducing crime," said Lamond, a 51-year-old security consultant who worked as a doorman at various bars before working security at different city festivals.

"I want them here as a proactive approach to what I thought was not being met by the Neighbourhood Patrol and Edmonton city police."

Now Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is headed to Edmonton May 7 to see first-hand if this is fertile ground for a chapter.

Lamond - who says he was the victim of a vicious beating about 10 years ago - said there simply cannot be enough special constables and cops to be everywhere all the time.

And neighbourhood patrols, with which he's been involved for 10 years, can only observe and report crime. They can't intervene.

Enter the New York-based Guardian Angels, unarmed volunteers who try to catch criminals in the act.

Sliwa began the Angels in 1979 after he saw crime skyrocketing in the Big Apple.

"Let's send a message to the criminals that they'll be the ones that will be hunted," Sliwa said from New York.

He plans to ride the buses and light rail transit in Edmonton and Lamond will give him a tour of north Edmonton, downtown and parts of Mill Woods.

Arrest in $10M TTC token scam

2006-04-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

Counterfeit ring cost TTC millions
8 agencies, including FBI, involved
Apr. 28, 2006. 05:45 AM
PHINJO GOMBU
STAFF REPORTER

Toronto police and TTC special constables have arrested a man they allege is a key player in a counterfeit token scam that may have cost the transit authority about $10 million.

The arrest on Wednesday is part of an ongoing investigation involving Toronto police, the FBI and TTC investigators that has already resulted in the arrests of more than 20 people, said TTC spokesperson Marilyn Bolton. More than 100 charges have been laid since the ring was dismantled in 2004.

The man in the latest arrest is alleged to have been responsible for half of the deliveries of counterfeit tokens from a counterfeit operation in Massachusetts to Toronto, Bolton said.

"When (we) talk about deliveries, it's everything from the ordering to the paying to the distributing," she said.

The investigation began with the 2004 arrest of a Toronto man whose pockets were stuffed with fake TTC tokens.

It led to a complex multi-jurisdiction police investigation involving eight police agencies on both sides of the border.

It is believed that a Massachusetts-based company that makes casino chips may have been unaware that what it was in fact manufacturing were about five million high-quality but counterfeit TTC tokens.

The fake tokens arrived in Canada via Niagara Falls and were then sold at a discounted price through a well-organized distribution network that spanned places such as bingo halls and bars across Toronto. Sales were also made through the Internet.

Bolton said the latest arrest had been anticipated and worked on since February.

Three Toronto brothers, Reginald, Alexander and Alfredo Beason, accused of masterminding the scheme, were charged in February with fraud and possession of property obtained by crime.

The bust has prompted the TTC to come up with a new design for a token, something that should be ready by year's end, Bolton said.

On average, the transit system loses about $7 million a year through fraud, a loss that represents about 1 per cent of the system's total revenue.

Charged Wednesday in the case is Ainsworth Slowly, of Toronto. He appeared in court yesterday in Toronto.

Hero Comes To Cop's Rescue

2006-04-20T15:56:00.000-04:00

Thu, April 20, 2006

'Could have been tragic'
By JONATHAN JENKINS, TORONTO SUN

The well-timed heroism of a Toronto commuter quite possibly saved the life of a cop struggling with a suspect on the platform at Ossington subway station, police said yesterday.

"It could have been very tragic," said a Toronto Police spokesman Const. Wendy Drummond. "It was a very short time after this citizen came to her assistance that the train came into the station."

The constable involved in the incident suffered cuts, bruises and scrapes in the tussle Tuesday evening and was nearly shoved onto the track, Drummond said.

She took the rest of her shift off as well as yesterday and it's not known how long she'll be off the job.

The drama began around 7 p.m. when a cyclist allegedly cut off a marked police van from the 14 Division community response unit near Bloor St. and Ossington Ave.

Police say the cyclist broke other Highway Traffic Act rules and when officers tried to arrest him, he ran off into the nearby subway.

The cop confronted him at track level and was punched in the face.

He also allegedly tried to push her in front of the train, which was less than a minute out of the station at the time.

It was only because the concerned 35-year-old citizen stepped in that a horrifying scenario was averted, Drummond said.

Jason Dunn, 22, is charged with assault, assault to resist arrest, failing to comply with a recognizance and escape from lawful custody.

TTC Crash Kills 1

2006-04-20T15:45:00.000-04:00

Wed, April 19, 2006
TTC crash kills 1
Bus driver 'very shaken up' after Honda allegedly went through red light: Cops
By NATALIE PONA AND JONATHAN JENKINS, TORONTO SUN

A woman died and two others, including a child, were injured after a Honda Accord and a TTC bus collided at a Scarborough intersection last night. (Dave Thomas, Sun)
One person was killed and two others -- including a child -- were seriously injured yesterday after a car allegedly went through a red light and slammed into a TTC bus, police said.

"It appears the Honda went through a red light," Toronto Police duty Insp. Brian O'Connor said.
"The TTC bus driver is very shaken up."
A woman was taken to Sunnybrook hospital and pronounced dead there. A man was also taken to Sunnybrook in critical condition, while a girl between 4 and 6 years old was at the Hospital for Sick Children with non life-threatening injuries, O'Connor said.
No one was on the bus.

The crash happened about 7:30 p.m. at Comstock Rd. and Warden Ave., just south of Eglinton Ave.
"I heard an impact, a loud noise. It was an explosion," said Eddie Beggs, who was working on a roof nearby.
"I looked up and saw a bus pushing a car through the intersection," Beggs said.
He said he saw the bus driver race out to see what happened, then run back to his seat to call for help.
"I heard three bangs one after another, like three cars hitting each other," another witness, Lloyd Mohamed, recalled.
Police said the bus was westbound on Comstock Rd. while the Honda Accord was going north on Warden Ave.
Afterward, the crumpled, dark green Honda could be seen with a tarp covering the driver's side.
The TTC bus was nearby with what looked like damage to its bumper.
The collision had also sent one car into a lamp post, which then toppled over, slamming into the hood of a Pontiac minivan.
At least a dozen emergency vehicles were on scene and the intersection was shut down.
The scene borders on a Rona store and a large crowd of onlookers gathered in the parking lot.

Driver Still In Hospital

2006-04-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

Daughter OK after bus collision that killed wife
By KIM BRADLEY, TORONTO SUN

A man was still fighting for his life yesterday after police said his car ran a red light and was broadsided by a bus, killing his wife and injuring his young daughter.

Police are still investigating Tuesday's crash between the empty TTC bus and a green Honda Accord at the intersection of Comstock Rd. and Warden Ave.

Firefighters worked for an hour attempting to free the couple from their wrecked car, but it was too late for the woman passenger. She was pronounced dead at Sunnybrook hospital.
The man, who was driving, remained in Sunnybrook hospital yesterday with life-threatening injuries. He underwent emergency surgery yesterday afternoon, police said.

It was unknown if he had been made aware of his wife's death.
The couple's 6-year-old daughter was in Sick Kids hospital in stable condition.
Relatives of the couple were tracked down and told of the tragedy yesterday. They did not want the victims' names released, police said.
Meanwhile, the TTC driver was taking time off to receive counselling through the city's employee assistance program, transit spokesman Marilyn Bolton said.
"It's a terrible human tragedy," she said, refusing comment on anything about the driver to protect his privacy.

"For the driver and every employee here, it is very upsetting for everyone."
The bus was out of service and was being driven back to the bus barn, a block from the accident scene, when the collision occurred.
There was no camera on the bus or at the intersection.

Rocket Reborn

2006-04-18T17:29:00.000-04:00

Rocket Reborn
Louis B. Hobson Calgary Sun
April 17, 2006
During his 22-year career, Joseph-Henri Maurice Richard changed the face of hockey.

ICE ICON ... Quebec actor Roy Dupuis portrays hockey legend Maurice Richard in The Rocket.
He was a major influence on the game, not just in his home province of Quebec, but in all of North America. The Rocket, as he became known, is an NHL icon and one of Quebec’s most beloved heroes. The task of playing Richard in the bio-pic The Rocket, which opens April 21, fell on the shoulders of Roy Dupuis, the actor best known in English Canada as Michael Samuelle, the hero of TV’s La Femme Nikita, a role he played for four seasons. Dupuis, 42, has been one of Quebec’s most famous actors since 1990, when the TV series Emilie turned him into an overnight sensation.

“It happened for me in one day. I had been acting professionally on stage, TV and films since 1986 but no one really knew who I was. “I could walk down any street in Montreal without being recognized,” says Dupuis. Then came Emilie, which grabbed 4.6-millions from a province of six million people. The next day, Dupuis couldn’t walk anywhere without heads turning, fingers pointing or people asking for his autograph. “It was scary. I was then and still am a shy person. I didn’t want the responsibility that came with that kind of exposure and that kind of acceptance, but I had no choice.”

Dupuis’ own experience with celebrity helped him understand what Richard went through until his death in 2000. The two icons met in 1999 when the actor first portrayed Richard for a TV series. “It was a great meeting that turned into a great but short friendship. There was an immediate connection,” recalls Dupuis. “He opened up to me so completely. He said he agreed that I should be the person to portray him, which is why I agreed to do this film version as well.”

Dupuis says Richard was a simple man who had an intense battle going on inside him. “Inwardly, he was a proud man, but felt he could not be proud outwardly . He felt his family and friends were not something to be proud of. T hat caused a deep conflict in him.”

The actor says Richard also “was a humble man to the very end. He always tried to deny he was or even deserved to be a symbol of hockey in Canada.” Dupuis fights the same battle.

“You have to be so careful what you do and what you say because eyes and ears are always on you.” “It is hardest for people like Maurice and me because we are not extroverts. Some people love the glare of celebrity. They thrive on it. “Not us. That’s one thing I tried to emphasize about Maurice in my performance.”

Ferrari crasher in legal hot water

2006-04-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

Update to my previous post

LOS ANGELES -- A Swedish businessman involved in the high-speed crash of a rare Ferrari on a coastal highway was charged yesterday with embezzlement and other counts involving the alleged theft of a collection of exotic cars.

Bo Stefan Eriksson, 44, was also charged with two misdemeanour counts of drunken driving.

Eriksson, a former executive with the European video game company Gizmondo, imported two Enzo Ferraris and a rare Mercedes worth an estimated $3.8 million US, prosecutors said.

The cars are owned by British financial institutions and leased to Eriksson, deputy district attorney Steven Sowders said in a statement. The lease agreement did not allow Eriksson to take the cars out of Britain, Sowders said.

Eriksson's lawyer, Ashley Posner, declined to comment on the charges.

Authorities contend Eriksson, arrested in early April, was behind the wheel of an Enzo Ferrari - one of only 400 made - when it was wrecked Feb. 21 on Pacific Coast Highway in west Malibu. The car crashed into a pole at 260 km, totalling the $1 million vehicle.

Eriksson told police he was only a passenger in the car and that the driver was a German acquaintance he knew only as Dietrich. He said Dietrich ran into the hills, but a search by deputies turned up no one.

During a search of Eriksson's house in Bel-Air, authorities said they discovered a handgun. Prosecutors said the weapons charge stemmed from a counterfeiting conviction against Eriksson in Sweden in the early 1990s.

Maverick Bus Driver Not Sorry

2006-04-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

Stands by decision to tackle bad guys, despite ETS rules
By BROOKES MERRITT, EDMONTON SUN

James Bird broke the Edmonton Transit System's rules when he got beat up trying to keep violent teens off his bus on Friday.

ETS policy states drivers must stay in their seats, regardless of what's going on inside the bus, or outside at the terminal stations. They're only supposed to call for help.
"The rationale for drivers to stay seated is that we want to minimize escalation. Drivers are trained to stay in their seats and call the transit control (office)," said Lorna Stewart, ETS's acting weekend manager.

But Bird argues that weak security systems force drivers to intervene.
Bird was jumped by three teens Friday at the Mill Woods Town Centre transit terminal when he refused to allow one on his bus because he suspected the kid's transfer ticket was stolen.

He says as far as he's concerned, the "stay seated'' policy goes out the window when he sees someone being accosted.
"I can't stand by and watch someone get beat up if I can do something about it," Bird said. "I honestly find ETS more worried about public image than passenger or driver safety."

During an exclusive interview with the Sun, he called for ETS to set up 24-hour security at all major transit centres.
"In six years of driving I've had to get in-between two people to stop a fight more than once," he said.

"What else are you going to do? Are you going to let a guy tell a mother and son to 'shut the f--k up' just because they're laughing and enjoying life?

"No, you're going to stop, get up, and make sure that guy gets off your bus. I know, because I've done it. You have to ... most passengers are too scared to help out. They just sit there with this blank zombie stare."

ETS security has been under heavy scrutiny since Stefan Conley died after being assaulted at the back of a bus March 2.
Special constables armed with pepper spray and batons will patrol the transit system.
Stewart said city council added $200,000 to the transit budget Tuesday, which ETS plans to put towards "training our special constables and security staff."

Staffing hot-spot transit centres with 24-hour security "is not an option at this point," she said. "If we determine a particular terminal is becoming a problem, we schedule more security there during those times."

Currently, ETS terminals have security cameras that are monitored on a rotating basis. Emergency help phones are also available.

Stewart admitted both ETS customers and drivers would "absolutely" like to see more uniformed security. "But they're only responding to a certain ridership, people who tend to be intoxicated, disorderly and disrespectful."

She conceded Bird's viewpoint that a "stay seated"driver policy isn't a black-and-white issue. "When someone's life or safety is at risk, people will make decisions that go beyond training. But our best practice is for drivers not to get out of their seats."

Bus Bench Becomes Permanent Tribute to CO Officer

2006-04-15T17:11:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW
KRDO TV

In The Days After The Shooting Of Springs Police Officer Jared Jensen A Bus Bench At The Scene Became An Impromptu Memorial. Now It Will Be A Lasting Tribute.

It was a major crime scene, but the bus stop where Detective Jared Jensen was killed is now the site of a new memorial. Police unveiled the permanent tribute on Friday at the corner of Costilla and Hancock in Colorado Springs.

People from all over Southern Colorado have came to this spot to remember detective Jared Jensen who was shot and killed, allegedly while trying to arrest wanted fugitive Jereme Lamberth.

Since the February 22nd shooting a bus bench at Hancock and Costilla in Colorado Springs the spot has been memorialized with flowers, notes and other remembrances.

On Friday Colorado Springs City Council members helped unveil a bus bench that bears the blacked out badge of a Springs Police Officer, a sign of mourning and respect for a fallen officer.

Jensen’s widow was overcome with emotion at Friday’s dedication ceremony, reserved for family, friends, and Detective Jensen's co-workers.

Police Chief Luis Velez commented, "I really want to thank our community for the outpouring of support shown for the Jensen family. I think it shows how much our community appreciates what the men and women in uniform do for all of us in Colorado Springs."

The tribute is an 11-hundred dollar donation from Lamar advertising. The wife of another police officer who works for Lamar Advertising helped make it happen.

Chief Velez noted, “This is just the first memorial for Detective Jensen.”

Police are planning to create a memorial for all officers killed in the line of duty.

'911? A Squirrel's Stuck in a Tree ...'

2006-04-15T16:44:00.000-04:00

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Vernetta Geric won't soon forget the 911 call she received about the squirrel in the tree.

An operator at the Allegheny County 911 Command Center, trained to handle critical emergencies, she sometimes answers calls that border on the absurd.
It's a growing problem across the state and the nation, as more people call 911 for non-emergencies, viewing the dispatching centers as a one-stop source of information.

The caller said she needed a police officer right away.

"What's the problem?" said Geric, 46, of East Pittsburgh.

"I have a large tree in my backyard ... there's a squirrel stuck in the tree."

"Ma'am, this is a squirrel? In a tree? What's the problem?"

"It's been there for about an hour. It's crying; it needs help. There's a problem," the caller insisted.

"Ma'am, sorry, but this isn't necessarily a police issue. It's a wild animal, sitting in a tree. It's supposed to be doing that. The squirrel will be OK. It'll climb down when it's ready," Geric said.

"Are you telling me you're not sending me an officer?"

"Sorry ma'am, this isn't a police issue. An officer wouldn't be able to do anything. The squirrel will be just fine, really."

"But police officers help people in need right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Squirrels are not people."

"Well, never mind, anyway. You've spent so much time explaining why an officer won't help me, the squirrel left. Thanks."

The county's 911 center in Point Breeze handled 1.4 million calls last year from 130 communities in Allegheny County and 88 Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Most callers are people "in their worst states of mind during critical situations," said Robert Full, county emergency services chief. But a number of calls to 911 have little to do with police, firefighters or ambulances.

They run the gamut -- from the psychiatric patient who routinely called to report that he had the cure for AIDS, to the man who used to drink a little too much on Saturday nights and call 911.

"He wanted me to call his wife and let her know he was on his way home and she shouldn't yell at him," said 911 shift commander Jim Hazlett, 50, of Beechview.

Some agencies report that up to 60 percent of their 911 calls fall into the "bad call" category -- accidentally dialed calls, prank calls and inappropriate calls for things people believe 911 staffers should know, such as weather conditions, Allen said.

Pennsylvania's Public Safety Emergency Telephone Act of 1990 makes it a third-degree misdemeanor to intentionally call the 911 emergency number for anything other than an emergency.

Depending on what is said, callers could be prosecuted for any number of offenses -- from harassment by communication, a third-degree misdemeanor, to risking a catastrophe, a third-degree felony. Reporting a false alarm is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Operator Sandra Perry has taken calls from people who want to talk with police because they were sold fake crack cocaine, and from parents who want police officers to come to their home because their kids refuse to get up and go to school. Some people call 911 for the daily lottery number. Others want directions. Some call seeking legal or medical advice. Even 911 gets its share of crank calls about Prince Albert in a can.

One out-of-state caller convinced her local 911 center to connect her to Allegheny County 911, because she was trying to find the phone number for the old firefighters' home. She said she was a widow looking for a good man.

Arrest in Case of $1 Million Wrecked Ferrari

2006-04-15T16:36:00.000-04:00

CBS News

A Swedish video game executive involved in the crash a $1 million Ferrari in Malibu has been arrested on suspicion of grand theft.

Stefan Eriksson, 44, was arrested at his Bel-Air home after detectives searched it for six hours on Friday, said Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Detectives concluded the wrecked Enzo Ferrari, along with a Mercedes and another Enzo Ferrari in Eriksson's $3.5 million collection, were owned by British financial institutions, said Whitmore.

Eriksson apparently brought the cars to Los Angeles when he moved here from Britain last year. But financial institutions that held titles to the vehicles said payments had lapsed, Whitmore said.

"This is the beginning of the investigation," said Whitmore. "All three cars have now been confiscated."

Eriksson was being held without bail, and immigration authorities had placed a hold on him.

Eriksson was in the Ferrari that police say was traveling about 162 mph when it hit a pole along Pacific Coast Highway and all but disintegrated. He escaped the February crash with only a cut lip.

The crash spun into a complicated web of mystery when Eriksson told authorities he was a passenger in the car and that the driver, a German acquaintance he knew only as Dietrich, ran into the nearby hills after crashing the Ferrari during a race with a Mercedes.

Sheriff's deputies launched a search but failed to find Dietrich.

Eriksson was an executive with Gizmondo, a European video game company that crashed with some $200 million in debts.

Kitty Trapped in NYC Deli Finally Freed

2006-04-15T16:13:00.000-04:00

BY JESS WISLOSKI, JONATHAN LEMIRE and LEO STANDORA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS WRITERS
With Elva Ramirez and Veronika Belenkaya

In a purr-fect ending, a miner with a heart of gold searched until he rescued Molly the cat last night. After spending 14 days stuck in the guts of a 19th-century West Village building, New York's famous fur ball was safe and sound and eating sardines.
The black cat's white knight was Kevin Clifford, 33, of Queens, a miner who loves animals and volunteered his after-work time to help save Molly.

Clifford, who is helping dig the city's new water tunnel downtown, gently eased the fugitive feline out of a 5-by-3-foot hole in a wall behind the counter in Myers of Keswick at 10:13 p.m. "It feels like I just won the lottery," exulted Molly's owner, Peter Myers.

Rescuers, workers and customers in the British deli at 634 Hudson St. erupted in cheers and applause as Molly emerged in Clifford's strong hands - dusty, frightened, but okay.

Clifford, a gentle giant, said he feared "that I would hurt her. Her back legs were stuck in some sort of gutter system in the wall."

The rescue came after nearly four hours of digging at the wall with a power drill and other tools Clifford said he uses on his day job. "I went at it brick by brick, piece by piece," Clifford said. His only regret: "I measured way off. I should have measured twice and cut once."

Eleven-month-old Molly's troubles began April 1 when she wandered into a narrow space between walls in the deli, where she was the official mouser, and got lost in a maze of beams and pipes.

Rescuers, who could hear her meows, had tried unsuccessfully to lure Molly out for the past two weeks.

Maybe sensing she'd milked her predicament to the hilt, Molly began meowing in earnest about 6:30 p.m., encouraging the rescuers.

After she was freed, Mike Pastore, field director for Animal Care & Control, said Molly "looks just fine but she may be a little dehydrated. She's going to be okay. She's actually looking very good and not very dirty for a cat that's been in a wall for two weeks."

Myers said Molly showed a healthy appetite after her rescue, feasting on sardines and roast pork and "drinking lots of water to bring her back to normality."
"She's eating very well and hopefully she'll be healthy enough to be back on the job Monday" - pending a checkup by a vet tomorrow.

Although Molly could "probably use a couple of days in the Bahamas," Myers said she'll be spending the night in his daughter's Manhattan apartment.

Although his deli is a bit of a mess, Myers and daughter Jennifer celebrated Molly's return with champagne and English ale.

Animal Care & Control said it was setting up "Molly's Fund" to raise money to repair the building.

The kitty cornered in the wall had drawn such widespread attention that she had become the city's newest attraction, touching the hearts of locals and tourists alike.

One of those moved by Molly's plight was 6-year-old Abby Fisher, who changed her North Carolina family's sightseeing plans earlier yesterday to offer her help to the wayward puss.

"Can I go in there and save the cat?" Abby asked a rescue worker as she sized up whether she could squeeze through a hole in the brick wall. "I just want to look in there and see if I can fit in."

A month after retiring, 100-year-old transit worker dies

2006-04-15T03:17:00.000-04:00

'Mr. Reliable' missed just one day of work in over 70 years

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Less than a month after retiring on his 100th birthday, longtime Los Angeles County transit employee Arthur Winston died in his sleep, his family said Friday.

The man co-workers celebrated as Mr. Reliable had recently been admitted to a hospital for exhaustion and dehydration, but returned to his home April 6. He died Thursday evening.

To his former colleagues at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Winston was more than a model employee known for his energy, punctuality and longevity. He was a legend.
"He leaves behind a great legacy," said his grandniece, Yvette Chappell-Ingram.

Winston worked at the MTA and its predecessor agencies for 76 years. For decades, Winston reported to work at a bus yard at the crack of dawn to supervise a crew of workers as they cleaned and refueled the region's bus fleet.

"Arthur Winston's life of service will stand as an unparalleled example of dedication to principles, commitment to excellence and pride in the American work ethic," said John Catoe, the MTA's deputy chief executive officer.

In an interview last month, Winston credited his father for teaching him a strong work ethic. "My dad got us out of bed whether it was raining or snowing. We got up at 6 o'clock, no matter what," he said.

At age 99, Winston was responsible for a crew of 11 employees who cleaned, maintained and refueled Metro buses. When he retired last month, Winston was offered a new job as an honorary spokesman for the 99 Cents Only stores.

QUOTES FROM "ART":
"They tell me I'm a workaholic," says Winston.

"I just love to come to work here," he says.

"I don't smoke, and I don't drink and I don't fool with these credit cards."

But what puts the biggest smile of his face? All of the 15 bus yards in L.A. are identified by number, except one: the Arthur Winston Bus Division.

"This is my yard," he says.

"It's nice to walk out in the morning and say, 'Thank God. Let me see another day that I've never seen before. Just one,'" says Winston.

You've earned it Mr. Winston.

Thoughts and condolences to his family and friends, may you rest in peace

A Glimpse Into The Underworld

2006-04-13T19:07:00.000-04:00

A bitter feud between a Sicilian mobster and a gang of Toronto hoodlums over a $130,000 gambling debt turned into a botched hit that left Louise Russo shot in the back and paralyzed.

The anatomy of the underworld feud and the bungled murder attempt of Michelle Modica, a 50-year-old native of Sicily, was revealed yesterday in court documents when five Toronto men pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.
The 21-page document outlined how the police were able to piece together the plot with the help of one of the gangsters, who secretly became a police agent, apparently furious that he almost got shot while setting up Modica at the North York restaurant where Russo was wounded on the night of April 21, 2004.

The agreed statement of facts put together by prosecutors Donna Armstrong and Joseph Callaghan and the defence lawyers for the five men offered a rare glimpse into organized crime in Toronto and the treachery among crooks.

Modica had been marked for death by Mark Peretz and Paris Christoforou, after they learned that Modica had used the money he owed them to finance the smuggling of illegal narcotics into Canada. The pair, along with confederateAntonio Borrelli, set out to kill Modica after being tipped off that he would be at a North York restaurant, the same eatery that Russo stopped by that evening to get a bite with her daughter But the trio of amateurish hitmen botched the killing, turning it into a bungled driveby when they opened fire on four men leaving California Sandwiches, on Chesswood Dr., none of them Modica, the document said.

Russo, waiting for her order, was hit in the back by an errant bullet, her spine shattered, leaving her confined to wheelchair for the rest of her life. Modica, and two bodyguards, drew their guns as soon as the bullets started flying. They escaped out a back door, unhurt. But Modica vowed revenge, his beef with the Toronto gangsters turning into a long-range feud after he was deported to Sicily.

The underworld intrigue that shattered Russo's life that April evening in 2004 started three years earlier when Modica, a mobster who was involved in drug trafficking in Italy, emigrated to Canada from his native Sicily, living here as an illegal immigrant. He got involved in illegal gambling with Peter Scarcella but just six months after coming to Toronto he was arrested for possession of stolen property, and agreed to return to Sicily after the charges were dropped.

But two years later, in April 2003, Modica was back in Toronto, returning on a forged passport, the document said. Modica quickly got involved with an unnamed partner in online gambling, and other "criminal activities." Within a year, Modica's partner was $240,000 in debt to Peretz and Christoforou. Modica offered to collect the money from his partner and pay it back to the two men after taking his commission. But there was no honour among these criminals. Modica used the money he collected to finance a shipment of illicit narcotics into Canada.

When Peretz and Christoforou didn't get their money, a meeting was arranged with Modica and his unnamed partner, the document said. But Modica thought he was being set up for a hit and kept driving by a Toronto restaurant when he spotted two suspicious-looking men waiting nearby in a car. A second meeting was arranged at a west-end hotel. This time, Modica brought some backup — two Mafia heavies from New York and a third man from Ottawa — to vouch for him.

About 30 gangland members gathered at the Marriott Courtyard hotel about two weeks before Russo was shot. It was clear to everyone there, including Scarcella, the senior mobster at the sit-down meeting, that Modica was trying to pull a fast one.
After an evening of heated debate, Modica's partner agreed to pay Peretz and Christoforou $110,000 of the $240,000 debt. Modica was told he owed the rest of the money — $130,000.

After the meeting, an angry Peretz and Christoforou confronted Modica, demanding their money. When he said he didn't have it, they shoved a gun in his mouth. They gave him two days to pay up, vowing to murder him if he didn't. The deadline passed. Modica refused to pay. Both sides vowed to kill the other over the debt.

Raffaele Delle Donne, who had been helping Modica get a false passport so he could leave Canada, became the betrayer. He tipped Peretz and Christoforou that Modica would be at California Sandwiches on April 21. Delle Donne would later become a police informant.

Modica was at the restaurant that evening with two Sicilian confederates. All three were armed with 9 mm handguns. Delle Donne drove to the restaurant, followed by the heavily armed trio of Peretz, Christoforou and Borrelli in a van.
Delle Donne parked beside Russo's car, and went inside to talk to Modica. Just then, four patrons of the restaurant who, like Russo, were innocent bystanders, walked out.

The trio of would-be hitmen in the van, thinking the four were Modica and his confederates, drove by and opened fire. Russo was the only one hit. The gunmen fled, but their bungling didn't end there. The trio burned the van on a secluded road north of Toronto, foolishly leaving inside their weapons, which were found by police. After bungling the first hit on Modica, Scarcella headed up plans for a second. The plot to murder Modica continued, even after he was deported to Sicily.

After putting together their case, with the help of wiretaps and Della Donne, police swooped in on April 14, 2005. Scarcella, 54, was sentenced to 11 years, Borelli, 30, got 12 years Christoforou, 30, and Peretz, 38, each got 11 years and Cutulle, 30, got three years.

The TTC As A Moveable Feast

2006-04-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

Although this is an old article, I must post, it is one of my favorites!

The TTC As A Moveable Feast
by James Charles
Thursday, March 24, 2005

Riders have turned the TTC into rolling coffee shops, snack bars and sandwich wagons. Excuse me, but your coffee is dripping on my shoe and your tuna Croissanwich just landed on my lap.

Like you, I’ve read the articles about how we live in an on-demand, just-in-time world. Some stories grouse about the pitfalls of the trend, others talk in glowing terms about how technology allows us to do more, and more quickly. So, I suppose I shouldn’t have been all that surprised when I saw a news report citing a study showing that something like 20% of Canadian adults eat at least one meal a day while riding somewhere, and fully one-third of us eat some of our meals standing up, probably while leaning over the kitchen sink.

Apparently, we’re all in a hurry to do more, more quickly, including eating.

Yet we didn’t need some exhaustive research report to learn this: Just hop on the TTC. You’ll see that passengers have turned public transit into a moveable feast: A clattering, jolting, squealing series of rancid coffee shops, greasy snack bars and foul-smelling sandwich wagons. The Red Rocket has become Meals On Wheels.

This is most frequently seen during morning rush hour. For some reason, an extraordinary number of people find it impossible to get up 10 minutes earlier to make coffee or breakfast, or to wait another 10 or 15 minutes until they arrive at work to down a cinnamon square and their first cup.

But they seem to think there’s plenty of time to stop at the "KwikKoffeeKorner" before jumping aboard the TTC. Then, waving madly at the driver, hold up an entire busload or streetcar full of commuters as they dash frantically through on-coming traffic and cross the street to board at the last minute because the coffee store line-up was longer than usual.

They squeeze through the closing door and elbow their way along the crowded aisle, apparently convinced that there is an empty seat back there. They usually give up about halfway and, wedged cheek by jowl against hapless, half-sleeping commuters, decide it is the ideal time to drink their coffee and eat an egg sandwich. Never mind that all around them are people dressed for work, possibly in clothes fresh from the dry cleaner, and who are trying desperately to hang on with one hand while trying to inadvertently performing a lewd act on the person next to them because there was no place else for their free hand to go. As the bus rumbles along to the next stop, each time it hits a pothole anyone near the slurper — who, typically, is oblivious to anything beyond their coffee — risks being doused with hot liquid or ending up with food all over them.

I’ve had coffee dripped on my shoes on the TTC. Crumbs from someone’s Danish have fluttered onto my newspaper, a glop of jelly from their doughnut has ended up on my brief case, and half of the egg in a Croissanwich has wiggled free of its flaky bonds to liberate itself on my pants. Once, as a streetcar lurched around the corner, a small child flipped a nearly-full milk carton my way but, like an actor in a slapstick comedy, I dodged and the person behind me took it smack in the kisser.

The absolute low point, though, came when someone standing directly above me one morning ate an entire fish — head, skin, tail and all — that he had wrapped in paper, leaving only the carcass. I didn’t know which was worse: The sight and smell of that cold carp, or the realisation that someone thought chomping on a whole fish was the perfect breakfast. I tried looking out the window but kept glancing back. Watching him eat held the same kind of morbid fascination as slowing down to look at the remains of a horrid car crash: The sight was understandably revolting yet alluringly hypnotic at the same time.

Along with "Don’t talk with your mouth full" and "Chew with your mouth closed," I was taught from an early age that it’s impolite to eat in front of others unless they’re also eating. By itself, eating on buses, streetcars and trains isn’t rude. But eating where one’s food or beverage is likely to end up adorning someone who has no interest in finding your coffee on their clothes is rude.

So, too, is wearing a backpack large enough to conceal a good-sized child, and there are plenty of people who do that in public without giving it a second thought. They forget that their backpack makes them two people deep — three, in the case of the many overweight folk’s trodding Toronto streets. When they bump into people, many take the attitude that it’s the other person’s fault. You cannot imagine the number of dirty looks and rude comments I’ve received when I say "Excuse me" to someone who’s just body slammed me with their backpack. Like large trucks on the expressway, urban backpackers should be required to wear sign warning "Caution: Wide Turns."

There’s a fellow who shops at St. Lawrence Market every Saturday with the mother of all backpacks: A blue, plastic barrel, about the size of a 55-gallon drum, strapped to his body. When he buys something, it gets tossed into the contraption. The problem is that the man is totally oblivious to his big blue appendage. He’ll swing around suddenly to look at something, knocking shoppers out of the way like bowling pins. If he did that in a car, he’d be charged; because he’s on foot, he feels free to move with impunity.

Whether it is eating and drinking in inappropriate places, creating a moving hazard with backpacks, talking loudly on cell phones in restaurants, or chatting during movies at the theatre, a disturbing number of people seem to be totally oblivious to anything around them other than themselves. In a way, it is another sign of how civilisation is losing its civility. Yes, we all live demanding lives, and the less time we have to do things increases the demands. But, please, if you’re going to eat a whole fish for breakfast, do it in the privacy of your home.

James Charles is a Toronto writer. His next book is "Life In The Dominion: An Ex-Pat American’s Affectionate Look At Living In Canada."

US Bus Cleaner Retires Aged 100

2006-04-11T12:27:00.000-04:00

Mr Winston said he was considering working with senior citizens
A Los Angeles man who worked cleaning buses for the Metropolitan Transport Authority for 76 years has finally called it quits on his 100th birthday.
Arthur Winston was only absent for one day during his working life - when his wife died in 1988.

In 1996, Mr Winston was honoured by former US President Bill Clinton as "Employee of the Century".
In the same year, LA's transport authority renamed its South Bay bus depot the "Arthur Winston division".

Born in Oklahoma, he began picking cotton when he was 10.
But several harvests were lost to droughts and storms, forcing the family to head west. In 1924 he found work with the Pacific Electric Railway Co.

Mr Winston told the BBC he had seen many changes over the years and that life had definitely improved.
"We got away from the horse and buggy days," he said.

In recent years, Mr Winston led a team of 11 service attendants. Every day they fuelled and washed dozens of buses.

He said he had seen generations of co-workers come and go but he never felt he was missing out on a "gentle retirement".
"I just kept on going. I'd rather be moving, working or doing something than laying around the house," he said.

Mr Winston's great-niece said he had never been late for work and had an impeccable record in terms of safety.
"His fellow employees have always looked up to him. He has shown us he is a man of integrity and honour, and provided us with a good model of work ethics," Yvette Chappell-Ingram said.

Mr Winston has no definite plans for retirement but said he wants to keep busy - possibly working with senior citizens. He is also planning to travel to Tennessee to visit his 98-year-old brother.
"We've never encouraged him not to work because that's not him - it's not in his DNA," Ms Chappell-Ingram said.

We Have To Take Our Children Seriously

2006-04-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

Whether it's a case of child abuse, sexual assualt, 911..we MUST take them seriously. Yes there has been many cases where it has turned out false but what if?

(Update: Detroit, April 7, 2006, 12:24 p.m.) An investigation is underway in Detroit after a six-year-old boy called 911 to get help for his mom, and the operator acted as if it were a joke.

Detroit NBC Affiliate WDIV reports that six-year-old Robert Turner called 911 on February 20. He thought his mother, 46-year-old Sherrill Turner, had passed out. She was later found dead.

911 tapes detail the call, where the boy tells a female operator that his mom had passed out. The operator demands to speak to an adult before sending police.

The boy eventually hung up and called back a short time later. This time, the same operator warns the boy that he could get in trouble for making a prank call to 911. The boy said police didn't arrive until three hours later and found his mother dead.
The boy is living with family members, who are now pursuing a lawsuit.

Officials said the 911 operator will be disciplined, but because of her years of service she will not be fired.

Mom Dies After Boy's 911 Call Considered Prank
Detroit Police Investigate

UPDATED: 3:18 pm EDT April 7, 2006

DETROIT -- A 6-year-old boy's 911 call for help was thought to be a prank, but the call was real and the boy's mother died, according to WDIV-TV in Detroit.

Robert Turner called 911 to get help for his mother, Sherel Turner, 46, whom he found lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of their Detroit apartment in February, the station reported.

"Then I had felt her tummy. She wasn't breathing. Then I had called 911," said Robert. "I told them to send an emergency truck right now."

911 Operator: "911. What's the problem?"

Robert: "My mom has passed out."

The 911 operator, however, did not take him seriously and told him to stop playing on the phone, the station reported.

911 Operator: "Where's the grownups at?"

Robert: (Inaudible)

911 Operator: "Let me speak to her before I send the police over there."

"I tried to tell them she wouldn't talk," said Robert.

Robert: (Inaudible)

911 Operator: "I don't care. You shouldn't be playing on the phone. Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you gonna be in trouble."

Robert: "Ugh!" (Hangs up.)

Kimberly Harris, the union president of AFSCME Local 1023, said more than a quarter of phone calls received by 911 operators are prank calls. She also said that everybody does not express their pain or emergencies the same way.

"That operator could have had five prank calls. Kids calling in prior to that call. And please, don't think that I am trying to make an excuse. That was a tragedy," said Harris.

Officials said the 911 operator will be disciplined, but because of her years of service she will not be fired.

"I know that operator. I know that she is a very good operator," said Harris. "She is very thorough."

Robert said every time someone talks about his mother, he starts crying.

`Be vigilant,' T.O. warned

2006-04-05T16:41:00.000-04:00

Doughnut shop incident a false alarm
But `we are on (Osama) Bin Laden's list'

Take a few deep breaths, everyone, and enjoy the spring weather. It's perfectly fine, says Canada's top emergency preparedness expert, for Torontonians to feel relieved — joyful even — that Sunday's explosion at Tim Hortons in the heart of the city wasn't a terrorist attack.

But Dr. James Young's advice doesn't end there.
"Don't get complacent. Pay attention to your surroundings. Be vigilant," he said. "Very vigilant."

Young isn't trying to scare the citizens of Canada's biggest city. We've had enough of that already. He merely wants to remind people about Canada's place on the infamous blacklist by the world's most wanted criminal, Osama bin Laden. It's something he takes extremely seriously as special adviser in the office of federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

"After the London bombings, many pointed out that we are on Bin Laden's list," he told the Toronto Star yesterday, referring to the July 7, 2005, terrorist attacks on the London Underground.

Bin Laden allegedly released two lists, both naming Canada. The mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on the United States named countries he says are terror targets for supporting the U.S. in the war against Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The war, which has evolved into a NATO operation, began with a U.S.-led bombing campaign against the Taliban for offering safe haven to Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda forces.

Subsequent terrorist attacks, claimed by Al Qaeda, targeted countries on the blacklist or their citizens. Apart from the U.S., they include the London bombing, the 2004 terrorist bombing of a train in Spain and the 2002 attacks on a Bali tourist resort popular with vacationing Australians.

Colorado Becomes First State To Offer Senior Amber Alerts

2006-04-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

DENVER -- Gov. Bill Owens on Wednesday signed a bill extending the statewide Amber Alert system for missing senior citizens, making Colorado the first state to do so.

"The Amber Alert program has helped recover hundreds of abducted children nationwide since its inception 10 years ago," Owens said. "I believe the same strategy of rapidly disseminating information via the media will help locate missing senior citizens in need of help."

Senate Bill 57, sponsored by Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, and Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, creates a citizen alert program for missing at-risk seniors, defined as someone 60 years old or older with a verified impaired mental condition, and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to their safety and health.

When a missing senior comes under the criteria, the new law specifies that participating radio stations, television stations and other media outlets may issue the alert just as they"We have learned from the Amber Alerts that time is of the essence. Such alerts can instantly create a giant neighborhood watch. The partnership between law enforcement, broadcasters and the community is a proven way to save lives," Owens said. currently do when a child is abducted.

Supporters said the program is about getting the word out at the most critical time, since studies show around 60 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease will wander away from home and that the first few hours are critical to finding a person safe.

Last month two Denver seniors who suffered from Alzheimer's disease walked away from their home and were found dead the next day. They were just several blocks from their home.

Why do those with Alzheimer's disease wander? Linda Mitchell, president of the Alzheimer's Association, said people with the disease can get confused and sometimes, it's about day and night.

"So a person might get up in the middle of the night thinking in their mind that they have to go to work, that it's time to go to work. And they leave the house headed for a job that they had 20 years ago," Mitchell said.

Brampton Bus Plan Picks Up Pace

2006-04-04T07:44:00.000-04:00

Provincial, city money enough for first phase
Ottawa being lobbied for one-third of price tag
Apr. 4, 2006. 01:00 AM
MIKE FUNSTON
STAFF REPORTER

Brampton will forge ahead with its $280 million AcceleRide rapid-transit project without federal funding for now, Mayor Susan Fennell says.
The $95 million earmarked in the recent provincial budget for the bus-priority system, combined with about $15 million in city funding, is enough to build the first phase of the project over the next three to four years, Fennell said in an interview.
"We're ready to go," she said.

The provincial money represents about one-third of the project's cost. Brampton will fund one-third of the total project over 10 years and is seeking a one-third share from Ottawa to complete the second and final phase.

Under the plan, buses will occupy jump lanes, which will allow them to get ahead of other vehicles at traffic lights, and they'll service stops every five minutes. Special technology will be used to better manage traffic signals and extra buses will be purchased.

Real-time information displays will show passengers at any given stop when the next bus is coming.

The first phase will be on the east-west Queen St. corridor connecting with York Rapid Transit, and the north-south Main St.-Hurontario St. corridor linking with Mississauga Transit. It will also provide improved links to GO Transit and TTC connections.

As the city's growth increases, more capacity is needed on roads to allow for the movement of people and goods, Fennell said. Brampton is Canada's 10th largest city and its transit system carries about 8 million passengers a year.

Fennell said she will visit cabinet ministers in Ottawa later this month to lobby for the federal government's share of the funding.

Airlines KO Freebies

2006-04-04T07:41:00.000-04:00

Want a pillow and blanket on Air Canada? That'll be $2.
Looking to guarantee an exit row or forward aisle seat on Northwest Airlines? An extra $15 please.
Forget to pack your Walkman or iPod earphones? That supposedly "free" movie on Continental is going to set you back $5 for a cruddy disposable pair.

It seems airlines are nickel-and-diming customers for all the little luxuries that used to come free with a coach fare.
It's a pay-per-perk strategy that carriers are promoting as a way to keep ticket prices down. But airline tickets actually increased about 10% last year compared with 2004, one expert said.

"They're charging you more for the basic ticket and then taking what used to be bundled in the package and switching it to a la carte," said Dean Headley, an airline watchdog at Wichita State University. "It's nuts."

Just yesterday United Airlines raised some fares by $50, citing higher fuel prices, though the increase might be scrapped if competitors don't follow suit. And Delta Air said Friday it would begin adding a $9 "airport passenger facility" fee to some round-trip tickets.

"It's endless. You get nothing free anymore," said travel consultant Joe Brancatelli. "If you call instead of use a Web site, you pay $10 to $50 extra. If you want a paper ticket, you pay up to $75 for the privilege."

Other frills racking up bills include curbside check-in. United Airlines and American Airlines charge $1 to $2 for sidewalk baggage check, and Northwest is following suit in Seattle and Indianapolis.

JetBlue offers free satellite TV but charges $5 for movies. Frontier Airlines charges $5 for DirecTV and $8 for movies.

In an interesting twist, American Eagle Airlines may have discovered a customer breaking point. The carrier recently tried charging $1 for a 12-ounce can of soda on Los Angeles flights but jettisoned the practice amid a backlash.

Some believe it's only a matter of time before airlines begin charging for regular checked luggage. RyanAir, a European low-cost carrier, already charges about $8 per checked bag.

"We don't have any plans [to charge for checked baggage] at this point," said American Eagle spokesman Dave Jackson.

Bucking the trend yesterday was JetBlue, which announced a new red-eye kit from Bliss spa that includes eye masks, earplugs, moisturizer and lip balm. The free kit is available for a limited time on transcontinental flights.

At The 100th Meridian

2006-03-30T16:17:00.000-05:00

Putting A Curfew On Our "Kids" Is Not The Answer

2006-03-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

So we have an isolated incident with a 12yr old being stabbed and now they want to put the curfew out there similar to New Brunswick.

A youth curfew, similar to the one being proposed by Toronto councillor Frances Nunziata after a 12-year-old was stabbed while out late partying this past weekend, has been in effect in New Brunswick for five years.
More than a dozen communities in that province introduced juvenile curfew bylaws in 2001 as a tool to help police get kids who might otherwise be vandalizing or getting in fights off the streets.
Terry LeBlanc, a solicitor who deals with bylaws in one of the curfew-affected cities – Moncton – says since the rules came in five years ago they’ve never seen a problem where kids refused to abide by the restriction.
Moncton’s curfew bars youths under the age of 16 from being out alone past 10pm, or in the summer months of July and August 11pm. LeBlanc admits that though there have been isolated incidents involving unruly kids in the past, it hasn’t been a significant problem either in his town or across the province.
But should one occur, there are potentially serious ramifications for the parents.
"Basically what happens is if a child refuses to leave, he or she can be treated as a child in need of protection under the Act," LeBlanc says. "The police could notify the minister responsible for child welfare and technically the minister could take the child under protection and place him or her in a foster home."

Well I have been keeping up with our City's shooting and it seems to me that the ages are usually over the age of 16 and around 22-25.

6 Legged Lambs, 3 Headed Frogs, and a Furry Lobster

2006-03-28T11:24:00.000-05:00

Okay environmentally friendly people out there, I see your points now.
The Lobster:
(AP) A team of American-led divers has discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blond fur, French researchers said Tuesday.
The divers found the animal in waters 7,540 feet deep at a site 900 miles south of Easter Island last year, according to Michel Segonzac of the French Institute for Sea Exploration.
The animal is white and just shy of 6 inches long _ about the size of a salad plate.
It is also blind. The researchers found it had only "the vestige of a membrane" in place of eyes, Segonzac said.
The family was named Kiwaida, from Kiwa, the goddess of crustaceans in Polynesian mythology.

The Frog:
Wildlife experts in Britain are stunned by the apparent discovery of a frog with three croaking heads and six legs, Local 6 News reported Friday night.
The staff at the Green Umbrella nursery first thought it was three frogs huddled together but after closer inspection they realized the frogs were joined together.

The Lamb:
"The vet immediately put his hand on it, and asked me if I'd seen it," Peeters told reporters who visited his home. "I said I'd seen it and I said I'd seen it has way too many legs."
Peeters said he'll wait for the lamb to get stronger before he'll try to amputate two of the legs next week.

Go Habs

2006-03-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

Okay guys, sorry your Leafs lost..no I'm not. Well sort of..I am glad my Habs won but feel sorry for your loss. I KNOW we are not in the clear, but damn it felt good to knock you on your butts!..Again... There is room on the wagon for you, and then there is also room on the SENS wagon later and the Avalanche etc..etc.etc..
I would love to see the playoffs with the Leafs and Habs like the old days, but they gotta change their line-up and get some new blood in there..that goes for both of them!

Hockey Mode

2006-03-22T18:45:00.000-05:00

Thanx to JAY for sending me this pic!

Sorry guys (my regular posters), I am so excited!! I love my Habs! Looking forward to Simpson VS. Domi!!!!! GO HABS!!!!

SIMPSON PREVIEW

“Boom Boom” Geoffrion: One of a kind

2006-03-17T18:26:00.000-05:00

The Canadiens honored Bernard Geoffrion prior to their game against the Rangers by raising his No. 5 to the Bell Centre rafters.
MONTREAL - He may not have been in the building on the night his No. 5 was raised to the rafters of the Bell Centre, but Bernard “Boom Boom” Geoffrion’s legend was never bigger than on March 11, 2006.

“We want to thank the Montreal Canadiens for this unforgettable evening and incredible honor,” said Danny Geoffrion, who along with his brother Bobby spoke on behalf of his father during the moving ceremony. “The support your family has shown our family shows why our dad was so proud to wear the Bleu, Blanc Rouge,”

Bernard Geoffrion passed away peacefully early Saturday morning in Atlanta at the age of 75, following his courageous battle with stomach cancer.

“On our dad’s first date with mom – at a boxing match at the Montreal Forum of all places - he told her that his number would one day join her father’s hanging above the ice at the Forum,” said Danny Geoffrion in reference to his mom Marlene, the daughter of Canadiens legend Howie Morenz. “As usual, my dad kept his promise.”

Geoffrion, who spent his two final NHL seasons with New York in 1966 and 1968, was also honored by the Rangers on this special night when Jaromir Jagr presented his family with a silver platter. Canadiens president Pierre Boivin then unveiled a Michel Lapensée painting that captured the many memorable moments of the Boomer’s brilliant career with Montreal.

Geoffrion’s No. 5 becomes the ninth retired jersey in Canadiens history, joining Jacques Plante (No.1), Doug Harvey (No. 2), Jean Beliveau (No.4), his father-in-law Howie Morenz (No. 7), Maurice Richard (No.9), Guy Lafleur (No. 10), Henri Richard (No. 16), as well as Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer (No. 12).

“I would have loved for him to see this,” said long time teammate and close personal friend Moore, who had his number retired by Montreal on Nov.12. “This meant so much to him and he wanted so badly for this to happen.”

In addition to his two sons who spoke on his behalf, Geoffrion was represented by his wife Marlene, daughter Linda, both of his daughters-in-law, his son-in-law and his eight grandchildren. Seven of the Boomer’s former teammates were also on hand including, Marcel Bonin, Émile Bouchard, Phil Goyette, André Pronovost, Henri Richard, Dollard St-Laurent, Jean-Guy Talbot and of course Moore.

“It was wonderful to see all of his family here and they will never forget this night,” added Moore about the special evening hosted by long time Canadiens play-by-play men Dick Irvin and Richard Garneau. “I just finished thanking Pierre Boivin for the incredible job the Canadiens did tonight.”

Moore then couldn’t resist addressing his pal personally.

“You did it, Boom. You’re here, where you always knew you would be."

Why Did The Toad Cross The Road?

2006-03-17T17:28:00.000-05:00

From the BBC "Wales" page..I know this has nothing to do with buses, then again a lot of my posts don't! Enjoy!

Last year up to 500 amorous toads were helped in one night
A lakeside road has been temporarily closed to traffic overnight to allow breeding toads to search for love.
The 15-day annual order means they can cross the road in Llandrindod Wells, Powys in the mating season, without the fear of being squashed by motorists.

Last year, about 2,500 toads, 400 newts and a few frogs made it across the stretch under the cover of darkness.

The toad watch scheme in Powys is one of 70 across Wales designed to halt the decline of the amphibian's population.

Powys Council's temporary road closure on the 620m section comes into force on Friday between 2000 and 0600 GMT. It is the second year the local authority has shut the road to vehicles.

In previous years, traffic on the road has meant many dating toads have not reached the other side in one piece.

Radnorshire Wildlife Trust has estimated that the area used to have a population of toads around 10,000 strong, but it said their number had dwindled to about 3,000.

Volunteers from the trust are expected to help carry the hundreds of toads across the road in buckets.

The toad breeding season runs from mid March to early April.

My story: Life as a toad warden

Transit Cop Describes Fight's Violence

2006-03-16T05:04:00.000-05:00

A transit officer being sued for an alleged assault says he was trying to shield himself from a "wild and uncontrollable" woman wielding a shopping bag full of shoes.

Sgt. Walter Rossa told a B.C. Supreme Court jury yesterday Christy Logeman was "out of control" when he tried to stop her from swinging at her ex-boyfriend with a bag of shoes in a November 2002 incident.

"She just went wild," Rossa said. "She goes over and she yells, 'You f----ing bastard, where are my keys,' and she takes a swing and hits him in the head."

Rossa claims the former ESL tutor then turned on him: "She had her feet up and was kicking me in the right side of the jaw. I could really feel that."

Rossa's testimony stands in stark contrast to that of Logeman, who earlier testified she had been tackled by Rossa, pinned to the ground, and hit in the face with a flashlight. Logeman would suffer a broken orbital bone in the incident, requiring plastic surgery, but Rossa yesterday said he didn't know how it happened.

Rossa's lawyer, Tim Delaney, told the jury it didn't matter. "Clearly she was injured, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to know how she got injured," Rossa said. "... [The transit officers] never intended to harm her and Ms. Logeman brought this on herself."

Logeman is suing Rossa and another transit officer, TransLink and the Attorney General's Ministry in the case.

CBC Online Report

'Tunnel Vision - Thru The Eyes Of A Transit Cop'

2006-03-16T04:41:00.000-05:00

Just stumbled on this book, anyone read it? Looks like it would be interesting. You can read an excerpt here
Press release for the book

Oldest Transit Bus In North America, Is Being Retired.

2006-03-16T04:20:00.000-05:00

A bus believed to be the oldest in regular service in North American is among the members of the million-mile club being retired for Greater Victoria bus routes.
A shipment of more fuel-efficient Nova-brand buses to Kamloops and Kelowna is freeing up the Okanagan's 10-year-old New Flyer models for use on routes in the Capital Region, said BC Transit spokesman Ron Drolet.
"What we've got in Victoria is some of our old GM buses that date from the late '70s and early '80s," he said, noting the buses have about a million and a half miles on them. "These are some of the oldest buses on the road in British Columbia."
Indeed, a maintenance supervisor called back to say the fleet's No. 762 bus is the oldest in regular service on this continent.
Two of the newer buses went into service here this week, while the rest will arrive gradually over the next few weeks, Drolet said. At 38 seats and with a standing room capacity of 75-78 riders, the New Flyers will increase overall capacity of the fleet.
A key advantage to bringing in the New Flyers is they are all low-floor models easily accessible for disabled people and those in wheelchairs. The buses being replaced are all high-floor but will be kept on hand in case of emergency, Drolet said.
The addition of the newer buses will boost Greater Victoria's fleet to about 85 per cent accessible, he said.
The goal, he added, is to have all buses in the Capital Region fully accessible by 2010.
New Flyers have a suggested lifespan of 20 years and BC Transit anticipates they should last another 10 to 12 years, Drolet said. "Because of the milder weather here, Greater Victoria tends to get 21 or 22 years out of them."

Witness to Creba killing sought

2006-03-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

Witness to Creba killing sought
Mar. 15, 2006. 01:37 PM
CURTIS RUSH
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM

Who is the man in the tan suit?
Police are not calling him a suspect, only "a witness" in the Boxing Day shooting death of 15-year-old Jane Creba.

After analyzing hundreds of hours of video footage and still images captured from the Eaton Centre, the TTC, St. Michael's Hospital and cab companies, police have turned their focus to a young, black man in a tan suit.

The man, believed to be about 5-foot-10 to 6 feet and about 20 years old, is the focus of six still images released Wednesday at a morning news conference.
Police also released video footage of the mystery man.

In two of the still frames, the man is shown by hospital security cameras.
In one, he is taking a wounded man into the emergency entrance of St. Michael's Hospital. In another he is in the triage unit of the hospital, wearing a white headband.

The man he took to hospital has been identified as Dorion Wallace. Police are unable to say if Wallace is the man shown in the images with the man in the tan suit minutes before in the Eaton Centre.

Wallace, however, has been "unable" to help police identify the man in the tan suit, Staff Insp. Brian Raybould of the homicide squad told reporters.
"He is co-operating with the police but is unable to assist us with the identity of the young man (in the tan suit)," Raybould said. He wouldn't elaborate.
Wallace is out of hospital, Raybould added.

The man in the tan suit is "certainly a witness, we believe, to what happened based on our investigation so far," the inspector said. "We'd like to talk to him as soon as possible."
Asked if he is a suspect, Raybould said: "I can't comment. At this point, he is a witness."

Police have targeted the man in the tan suit because he was seen in the security video at the Eaton Centre as well as at the hospital.
"It is clear he had some knowledge at the beginning of the sequence of events and he had some knowledge after the fact when he takes this person into the hospital," the homicide inspector said. "Therefore, he is a person who must have a very good degree of knowledge about what happened through the whole course of events."

Police say the two men got to the hospital by cab, but there was no camera in the cab to catch images.

The four images at the Eaton Centre show the man in the tan suit in the lower level of the shopping centre, in the centre toward the south end, surrounded by several people. They appear near an escalator.

The images were taken about 10 minutes before the shootings, which occurred at 5:19 p.m. on Dec. 26.
Moments later, Raybould said, an altercation took place between two groups and it spilled out onto Yonge St.
"We know by viewing all this video that there were groups of young men and we've identified two separate groups who were in a combative stance in various locations," Raybould said. He said he couldn't give any more details.

Police don't know who the people are in the video.
Raybould appealed to the man in the distinctive tan suit to call police, or have witnesses step forward and identify him.

The head of the homicide squad said the release of the video looking for a key witness does not suggest the investigation has stalled.

"This is exactly the opposite from a roadblock," Raybould said adamantly. "This is a natural next step in a lengthy and complex investigation. We're very positive this will assist us to the appropriate conclusion."
Asked how close police are to solving the crime, Raybould said: "I wish I could answer that question."

Amber Alert

2006-03-14T12:50:00.000-05:00

As you can all see I've added this to my site and you can too, USA or Canada just click the ticker will give you all the info if you are interested.

Vacation Mode

2006-03-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

Right now I'm on vacation, I'm just doing day trips here and there. The worst thing is my body and mind still thinks it has to go to work, I'm still waking up at 2:45a.m.! Can't sleep in! Here are a few pics of today, Rice Lake. Click to enlarge photos

Police Close To Arrests In Boxing Day Shooting

2006-03-11T13:35:00.000-05:00

Could it be? Let's hope the shooter is amongst the supsects and let's hope he's not a Young Offender.

Police say they are close to nabbing several suspects in deadly Boxing Day shootout
By TOM GODFREY, TORONTO SUN

Several suspects have been identified in the slaying of Jane Creba, and police say they are moving quickly to arrest them.

A team of officers has been working long hours for the past 10 weeks to track down suspects involved in the Boxing Day gun battle that left Creba, a 15-year-old high school student, dead.
"There are a number of suspects we are looking at," said Det. Savas Kyriacou, who is heading the investigation. "There were a number of people involved and we are looking to see what their roles are."

Kyriacou said arrests could come as early as this week. He said the suspects are currently in hiding.
"We are looking at a number of people throughout the city," he said. "We are looking at a number of avenues and options."

Police said some suspects are linked to earlier shootings in Regent Park and other housing complexes.

As many as 15 people were involved in the wild shootout on Yonge St., seven of whom were hit by gunfire.

Chief Bill Blair has said the violence stemmed from one group disrespecting another.

The Creba murder shocked Toronto and garnered international headlines.
Police have charged two people in connection with the shooting -- Andre Thompson, 20, and a 17-year-old who cannot be identified.
The identities of some of the suspects were gleaned from security cameras and cellphones.

Police were able to obtain a list of more than 100 cellphone calls made immediately before and after the 5:30 p.m. shooting.

Foes of St. Clair right-of-way drop court battle

2006-03-09T03:44:00.000-05:00

Mar. 9, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN SPEARS AND GABE GONDA
CITY HALL BUREAU

Save Our St. Clair, the community group opposing the transit right-of-way on St. Clair Ave. W., will give up its court battle but continue the fight in this fall's municipal elections.

The group, known as SOS, has only a slender chance of winning in court, group founder Margaret Smith said yesterday.

Instead, it will turn to politics, using its network of contacts across the city to oppose councillors whom SOS considers don't represent their constituents on transit issues.

SOS will support candidates running against both local councillor Joe Mihevc and Mayor David Miller, Smith said.

"We will absolutely be targeting the mayor," Smith said. "The mayor came to this community in person twice and promised us that he would not force this project on us if we didn't want it. And he broke his promise."

SOS has battled the city's plans to create a new exclusive street car right-of-way along St. Clair from Yonge St. to Keele St. The city says it will benefit transit; the opponents say it will ruin the street and provide only marginally faster transit service.

"We'll be working with local communities to find local people who will stand up for democratic rights," she said.

SOS hasn't worked out a full list of councillors it will support or oppose.

A spokesman for Miller welcomed the news that SOS is dropping its legal challenge, which clears the way for the project to proceed. He wouldn't comment on the prospect of a political battle.

Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul's) also said he's pleased SOS is abandoning the legal challenge.

He shrugged off the planned political campaign. "That's what elections are for — to approve or disapprove of people's leadership in public policy. I stand by my leadership on this issue."

Looks like St.Clair will once again be a contruction zone

No one wants to meet Bigfoot

2006-03-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

Mar. 8, 2006. 06:17 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Apparently, nobody wants to meet Bigfoot.

The Malaysian Forestry Department says there are no takers for permits on offer to explore a protected forest for the mythical creature, despite initial excitement over reported sightings of the beast, The Star newspaper reported Wednesday.

Authorities printed 500 application forms anticipating a rush, but none has been filled, Che Hashim Hassan, the department's director in the southern state of Johor, was quoted as saying.

The Malaysian media has been gripped by Bigfoot fever since November 2005, when fish farm workers reported seeing three giant human-like creatures in the Endau Rompin park in Johor. They also claimed to have seen a gigantic footprint.

Park officials combed the site but found no physical evidence of a Bigfoot. However, they recorded more reports of sightings from aboriginal villagers who live on the park's fringes.

"We thought that with all the interest in Bigfoot, we would have a lot of inquiries from the public," Che Hashim said. "However, this is not the case."

He said forest rangers patrolled the jungle boundaries at night, but have not heard or seen any evidence of the purported gigantic beast, and did not plan to capitalize on the craze by organizing forest tours for adventure seekers.

Officials weren't immediately available for further details.

Johor state officials said in January that they planned to send a team of scientists and researchers alongside a routine scientific expedition into the forest park to track the creature down. Officials did not reveal a date for the expedition.

"Bigfoot" is a popular name given in the United States to giant hairy creatures walking on two legs. Sightings of such beasts have been reported in many parts of the world but their existence has never been proven.

Tourism officials said they planned to use the interest in Bigfoot to draw tourists to Malaysia. Wildlife rangers said they may set up camera traps in the jungle to capture images of the creature.

Cameras On Buses

2006-03-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

Recently the Edmonton Transit had a swarming of teens on one guy, which resulted in death. Thanks to Transit Rider for bring to our attention. 800 of the Edmonton Transit buses only 9 are equipped with cameras. Which brings me to my next point, wouldn't it be easier and financially better for the Bus manufacturers to automatically include the cameras on the buses and for them to lock in a contract with these people than us individually? I would think so.

Bunny's not funny

2006-03-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Oh Yes It Is!!!

Sat, March 4, 2006
Bunny's not funny
By ROB GRANATSTEIN, CITY HALL BUREAU

The bunny suit was the last straw.

Councillor Bill Saundercook said yesterday he's resigning from the TTC's Pizz-azz committee after being asked to dress up in a bunny costume and hand out mini cream eggs to riders at a downtown subway station.
"This makes a laughingstock out of the TTC," Saundercook said.

And it isn't just the bunny suit, he said. In a year with a fare increase it's time to stop payment on the $50,000 earmarked for the Pizzazz campaign -- the brainchild of TTC chairman Howard Moscoe, Saundercook said.

He'd rather see a special constable, streetcar track repairs or an extra cleaner funded with that $50,000.

'HOWARD THING'
The other two Pizzazz committee members, Councillors Mark Grimes and Adam Giambrone, also declined to put on the bunny suit.
"I think it's a Howard thing," he said.
"There's some good things," he admitted. "Musicians on the buses and subways are a great idea."

April is Pizzazz Month, with $18,000 to be spent on entertainers on subways and buses and in stations, including Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball impersonators, a violinist on stilts, a unicyclist and caricaturist.

"It will bring some sunshine into a really dreary winter," said Moscoe, who has agreed to wear the bunny suit. He's also dressed up as Bo Peep and a pumpkin.

He said the money comes from the existing promotions budget. TTC's Danny Nicholson said the Pizzazz funds were an add-on to the budget.

That's all folks!!

Be Nice!

2006-03-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

Okay I've just about had enough of you people that are supposed to yield to our buses, what the heck is wrong with you??? And why did they bring out this law if they are not enforcing it? Trust me if I want to get in front of you it's because one of your moronic counterparts are parked where they are not supposed to be, I won't be in your lane for long, why do you all of a sudden accelerate when you've been riding on my side for the last ten minutes? GET A GRIP!!!! Be nice, if it wasn't for me there would be at least 40 cars in front of you. And to further this, if you have the whole street to park on, why do you block a bus stop, or make it difficult for us to pull in while you get your coffee???? Park around the corner or make space! Grrrr!!!!!

A Rocket By Any Other Name

2006-02-27T16:24:00.000-05:00

A Rocket By Any Other Name
Anagram fun at TTC's expense lands man in some heat wort
Feb. 26, 2006. 01:00 AM
JANE VAN DER VOORT
TORONTO STAR

Next stop: Nice Gnarl.

Maybe your station is Butt Rash. Or Eely Swell.

The names, all anagrams of the Toronto Transit Commission's Glencairn, Bathurst, and Wellesley subway stations, are among the comical monikers created by John Martz for stops on the city's familiar "Subway/RT Route Map."

Martz drew his own version of the transit diagram, titled it "A Warmer Soupy Butt," and then posted it on his website, http://www.robotjohnny.com.

But humour is in the funnybone of the beholder, and the TTC wasn't laughing at Martz's efforts last Wednesday when the 27-year-old animator with CHUM Television took a copy of the transit commission's map, and TTC logos, and replaced all of its names and phrases with his own anagrams.

His inspiration came from website boingboing.net, which featured an anagram version of the iconic London, England, tube map.

And just as Transport for London lawyers insisted the Boing Boing map be removed, so did the TTC's legal department demand Martz's map come down.

A letter from TTC lawyer Michael Atlas was sent by email to Martz on Friday, warning him he'd face legal action if he did not "cease and desist from using TTC intellectual property."

"We've asked the website to remove the map. From our perspective, some of the content is offensive," added TTC spokesman Danny Nicholson.

Martz, a car-less and dedicated TTC passenger, came up with the new names in an afternoon last Wednesday after seeing the relabelled London underground map.

"I love wordplay — I'm a big Scrabble fan — so it just seemed like a really fun thing to do since I'm a big TTC taker," said Martz.

The renamed London Underground's 275 stops included Eldest Rot in place of Old Street, Crux For Disc instead of Oxford Circus, and Edge Grottoes replacing Goodge Street.

But had Martz visited Boing Boing a few hours later, he would have missed the oddball anagram map. Healey's Solicitors, lawyers for Transport for London, served notice they wanted it off Boing Boing.

"We asked the creators to withdraw it from their website because they did not have permission to use our map," said TFL spokesman Stephen Taylor, on the phone from London. "They were happy to comply."

Taylor said "very, very occasionally" permission is granted for the renowned map, condensed into a recognizable grid by Harry Beck in 1933, to be altered. The most famous remake is Simon Patterson's 1996 Great Bear, a take on the star constellation Ursus Major, that featured the names of celebrity actors, philosophers and politicians, among others, for Tube stops. Great Bear today hangs in the Tate Britain art gallery, in London.

Other recent and approved versions include Musical Tube, with British music stars' names, and Sponsored Tube with company and product names, also known as McTube.

But anagram Tube didn't fly, partly because its creators didn't get permission and mostly because the TfL was not amused by the naughty names.

"We have a duty to protect our brand — it's a worldwide icon," said Taylor.

"The Tube is used by three million passengers a day and I'm sure our customers welcome the fact that we're protecting something that's known and loved around the world."

Martz initially thought "Toronto has a better sense of humour" when he posted his TTC map with anagram station names.

"It's a fun sort of thing. I don't anticipate any bad reaction."

Yet, even while obeying the transit commission's remove-it-or-else response — he took the map off of his site on Friday for a revamp — Martz was sticking with his potty 'n' naughty humoured anagrams.

"I'm just going to make it look a little different, with no intellectual or copyrighted property in my map.

"I'm sure they (the TTC) actually have a sense of humour," he said. "I dare them to tell me they didn't pass it around the office, and laugh about it."

So You Think The Lottery Won't Change Your Life?

2006-02-23T23:41:00.000-05:00

THINK AGAIN

The Winner
(Before)

The Loser
(After)

Jack Whittaker won the Christmas night 2002 Powerball lottery and $111.7 million in cash ($314.9 million lottery prize). Since then his life has been like a slow-motion train wreck.

• The West Virginia Gazette reported yesterday (Dec. 2, 2004):Powerball multimillionaire Jack Whittaker faces arrest today after a Kanawha County magistrate revoked his bond.
Whittaker, 57, of Scott Depot has been free on a $150 bond since his January drunken driving arrest on Interstate 64 in Nitro. Kanawha County Magistrate Tim Halloran voided the bond today because State Police in Beckley charged Whittaker with DUI on Tuesday (Nov. 30, 2004).

• CNN reported on Wednesday (Dec. 1, 2004):Jack Whittaker, 57, was arrested Tuesday night after his Hummer struck a concrete median on the West Virginia Turnpike near Beckley [Raleigh County, WV].
Three men burglarized the home of Jack Whittaker, winner of the biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, as an acquaintance of Whittaker lay dead inside, police said Tuesday.
Jesse Joe Tribble, 18, died from drug-related causes and not from anything associated with the burglary. Tribble was an acquaintance of Whittaker’s granddaughter and was known to Whittaker, as well as all three of burglars.

• In May 2004, two men sued Whittaker, claiming they were injured when they were tossed out of a nightclub at his request.

• On March 9, 2004 Whittaker was sued by an employee of the Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center who alleged he assaulted her in March 2003. Charity D. Fortner, a floor attendant at the Nitro track, filed a lawsuit against Whittaker, alleging he forced her head toward his pants while he gambled at the track in March 2003.

• Fox News report from Jan. 7, 2004:(Whittaker) was arraigned Tuesday by a Putnam County magistrate on charges of trying to hit and threatening to kill Todd Parsons, the manager of Billy Sundays Bar and Grill in St. Albans.

• January 2004: in separate incidents, Whittaker was charged with drunken driving on Jan. 25, 2004 in Kanawha County, WV, and his vehicle was broken into and $100,000 was taken. Vernon Jackson Jr. of Scott Depot, West Virginia, was indicted on several charges including breaking and entering an automobile and grand larceny.

• CBS reported in Aug 2003:A Powerball winner who has donated more than $3 million of his record winnings to churches was drinking at a strip club when $545,000 was stolen from his sport utility vehicle...
Whittaker called deputies at 5:20 a.m. and also called his private investigator, who found the stolen money behind the trash bin less than an hour later, police said.
The strip club manager and his girlfriend were charged with drugging Whittaker and stealing the money. The money was recovered, and the case is pending in court.

Powerball winner Whittaker's granddaughter goes missing [USA Today, Dec. 10, 2004]
Update Dec. 20, 2004 : The Charleston West Virginia Gazette is reporting this afternoon that Jack Whittaker's granddaughter, Brandi Lasha Bragg, was found dead in Putnam County, West Virginia. The body was found behind a junked van, wrapped in a sheet and plastic tarp.(Drug Overdose, body dumped)
More Detailed Story

Theodore From Head To Toe

2006-02-23T23:22:00.000-05:00

His on-ice slump began Dec. 12 when he took a random pre-Olympic doping test after being named to Canada's 81-man Olympic eligibility roster for the Torino Olympics. It was later revealed that he tested positive for a banned substance.

That substance was the drug Propecia, which can be used as a masking agent for the steroid nandrolone, which produces muscle bulk.

Team doctor David Mulder said the drug was being used to promote Theodore's hair growth. The drug, incidentally, isn't illegal in the NHL but is forbidden under International Olympic Committee rules.

Things get worse and worse for Jose Theodore. Theodore slipped on the icy steps outside his home and fractured his right heel bone.
Theodore is expected to miss 8 weeks before being able to return. Consider that a rough estimate.

Well we can blame the non-selection of Jose Theodore as a reason for his injury. Had he been the third goalie for Team Canada he would have been in Turin rather than Montreal slipping and breaking his heel.

“It happened at my home last Thursday night,” began Theodore. “I was actually heading outside to pour more salt out on the steps leading up to my front door. Then I slipped and I tried recover, but my foot jammed on the last step with all of my weight behind it.

Bizarre Brooklyn Bus Ride

2006-02-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

Okay so the driver is not intoxicated, on drugs, no mechanical defects found, and actually it was total of 8 cars, he also ran 2 red lights (inside info. Maybe a blackout, or medical problem?

30 hurt as B'klyn bus hits cars
BY KERRY BURKE, PETE DONOHUE and BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

At least 30 people suffered bumps and bruises yesterday when a Brooklyn bus careened out of control and slammed into six cars in its path, police and witnesses said.
The B12's bumper-car bangup came about 6:45 p.m. on Albany Ave. near Clarkson Ave. in Crown Heights.

"People were panicking. Kids were screaming. But he wouldn't stop," said Linda McDuffy, 49, one of the roughed up passengers.

There were conflicting reports on how many people were aboard the bus. Witnesses said there were as many as 40. But the NYPD said there were only six passengers, and that people from the neighborhood ran to the scene and fights broke out - leading to further injuries.

"He started speeding and passing stops," McDuffy said of the driver. "People wanted to get off, but he didn't respond. He hit a van from behind and just kept going. He ran into other cars, one after another.

"When he [the driver] finally stopped, he just sat there saying nothing. It was crazy."

The bus operator, a probationary employee hired in August, told officials the steering went haywire, a source said. Some passengers said it seemed like the accelerator got stuck, the source said.

Drug and alcohol tests showed the driver was not intoxicated, police said. Cops said the bus operator, whose name was not immediately released, told them he had experienced prior mechanical problems with the vehicle.

"We're trying to figure out how and why the operator lost control of the bus," Transit Authority spokesman Paul Fleuranges.

Fire officials said 30 people were transported to area hospitals, with most going to nearby Kings County Hospital. They described the injuries as mainly bumps and bruises.

TTC In Media Lately

2006-02-19T18:42:00.000-05:00

There are a few sories I would like everyone to be aware of that have been in the media lately, I will just post the links as they are large articles.
Drivers powerless against abuse, fare fraud

Don't read this sitting down

Shot bus driver speaks out

New TTC Scrap Yard?

2006-02-19T18:07:00.000-05:00

You won't believe where these buses are parked, right behind a Toronto High School adjacent to the football field. Every window is broken, just wondering whose idea this was and don't we have somewhere we could have put them? Would it not have made more sense to sell them "as is"?
You can click on photo for larger image.

Olympic Medals

2006-02-17T15:46:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or do the new medals look like discarded CD's? I think these new medals are just horrible, I'm sure they could have come up with a better design.

Shot bus driver speaks out

2006-02-17T06:04:00.000-05:00

`My only hope is my eye gets better'
Father of two faces life of uncertainty

TTC bus driver Jaime Pereira has to turn away to look you straight in the eye.The 41-year-old husband and father of two is dealing head-on with the stress of losing his left eye and all but the peripheral vision in his right eye — and an abiding fear that the shooter is still out there — after taking a bullet in the face while driving his bus.He doesn't want to be photographed; he doesn't want his assailants to know what he looks like.

"You have to understand, they still haven't caught these people," Pereira told the Toronto Star in his first interview since the October shooting. "I can't drive. Sooner or later, I have to get on that bus. It may have to be my way of transportation. I don't know whether I'd seen the guy before, whether he was on my bus before. I don't know any of these things. So he's still out there, you know what I mean? And there was more of them out there."
More...

In A Blink Of An Eye

2006-02-16T21:16:00.000-05:00

This is the first time our operator has talked about this:

Media Report
Media Report 2

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

To all you people who are in love, have a great day!
To those that aren't just think of the money you'll save.
If anyone takes the big step and proposes I wanna hear about it!

New Inserts For Fareboxes

2006-02-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Do you really think the thug/thugs are gonna read this before they slug/spit/threaten you? I don't think so!!!!!! Thanx to Transit Rider for bringing to our attention the "New Campaign".