Board Tackles Break
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ANYONE CAN BE A DJ JEWEL IN THE LOTUS Scratch Lab holds free DJ session at Theatre students premiere Malvern Public Library performance art piece at UTSC - See page 8 - See page 5 THE EAST TORONTO OBSERVER • Friday• March 25 • 2011 • • PUBLISHED BY UTSC/CENTENNIAL COLLEGE JOURNALISM STUDENTS AND SERVING SCARBOROUGH • •TORONTOOBSERVER.CA• Board tackles break KAYLA KREUTZBERG The Observer The Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board want this year’s Christ- mas break to start later. The boards are seeking the provincial government’s ap- proval to make Dec. 23 the last day of school for 2011. Students would return Jan. 9 after a two-week period. Currently, the school boards have Dec. 16 and Jan. 2 as the last and first days. Proponents say the change would give families more time together. But some students don’t like the deal. “I’d rather not change it KYLE LARKIN/The Observer because it gives us time to prepare for Christmas and al- lows us to get out of school Over-80s in a curling league of their own earlier,” Marvin Estrada, a Bill Greer, 81, (left) and Roy Johnson, 82, sweep for Team Scarboro skip Ken Smith, 82. Scarboro won its final match of the season in Grade 11 student at Senator the Octogenarian Curling League at Donalda Club March 4. See story on page 4. O’Connor High School, said. Parents divided on change Joanette Fernandes, moth- er of a student at St. Bede Catholic Elementary School, does not agree with the pro- Get ready, get set, sleep! posed change. “My child should have a little bit of a break before Christmas, which is why I be- Centenary Hospital’s campaign buys 10 new beds lieve the current ... schedule is more adaptive to my child and my family’s schedule,” CHANTELLE HENRIQUES beds, as a bulk buy, for rison, manager of the emer- Fernandes said. The Observer over 20 years probably,” gency department. But other parents are ready Craine said. “So a lot of “They lie on stretchers in to embrace the change. The race is on to provide the beds are getting to the the emergency department, “Christmas time around patients with new beds at point where they’re past so when they get up to a work is always hectic and Centenary Hospital in Scar- their usefulness and some bed, I want that bed to be busy, so for the kids to end borough. of them are breaking.” a good-quality, safe bed for just in time for Christmas The Rouge Valley Health Each new bed costs them,” she said. “Our beds allows me to be relaxed and System is set to hold a bed $5,000 and up, depending are in decline over the years have the opportunity to take race behind the Scarbor- on which ward the bed is and there are newer mod- some time off to see them,” ough Civic Centre on April for. els out there that are more Maria Estrades said. 29 to raise funds for new So far, donations from comfortable and safer.” “I know they [children] hospital beds. staff and the community Janet Roth, a clini- will have to wait longer,” she The Buy a Bed cam- equal enough money to buy cal practice leader for the C OURTESY OF DAVE STELL Rouge Valley Health System said, “[but] it sounds like a paign is celebrating a year 10 new beds. emergency department, / good idea and I believe they of fundraising with this Some staff members says her donations were in- Hospital staff and community members race beds last should try it and see how it event, which will have staff have money taken directly spired by her desire to look April to raise money for the Buy a Bed Campaign. goes.” at the hospital competing off their paycheques for the out for the safety of not The Ministry of Educa- with corporate teams from campaign. only the patients, but the that’s going to be easy for Ainslie is chair of the cam- tion says 71 of Ontario’s 72 around Scarborough. They say the main reason staff as well. the nursing staff to care for paign and was the first school boards have requested Campaign director Kath- for their donations is con- “I would want [the pa- the patients in. person to buy a bed for the the change. erine Craine says new beds cern for patient safety. tients] on a bed that they’re “If that was my fam- hospital. A verdict on whether or are overdue. “Patients who are com- comfortable on,” Roth said. ily member, where would I For more information not the proposal goes through “At Centenary here, we fortable recover more “And also from a nursing want them?” about donating and the bed will be decided in the spring. haven’t had replacement quickly,” said Dianna Har- perspective, you want a bed Ward 43 councillor Paul race, visit buyabed.ca. PAGE 2 - The East Toronto Observer, March 25, 2011 NEWS Scarborough couple in court with Time to tackle separate lawyers in negligence case those taxes Y EAMROT TADDESE The Observer ALEX KOZOVSKI The Observer The Scarborough couple accused of keeping an el- It’s the most wonderful derly woman in their frigid time of the year. garage could end up blam- The snow is melting. ing each other, the wife’s The sun is shining. The lawyer said last Tuesday midpoint of March is outside a College Park behind us, and all these courtroom. signs lead to one thing: Kwong Yan, 43, and Tax season is upon us. his wife Qi Tan, 28, both Filing income returns wearing orange prison uni- is a taxing, tedious task, forms, appeared in court with organizing informa- via video. tion in itself a substantial The couple was arrested time-eater. late last month after police The process can be responded to a 911 call complicated. Do it wrong from a home near McCow- and you might be audited an Road and Finch Avenue and have to justify every East to find Yan’s 68-year- line. old mother unconscious, YEAMROT TADDESE/The Observer The government isn’t malnourished and frostbit- Qi Tan and her husband Kwong Yan are facing negligence charges after Yan’s 68-year-old mother was found exactly warm and cuddly ten. unconcious in their garage last month. Tan’s defence counsel Haiyun Wang, pictured above, said the couple have when it comes to income The accused have differ- different lawyers because of a possible conflict of interest. tax returns. Dazed from ent lawyers in case a con- “intaxication,” mistakes flict arises between them, failing to provide necessities ting released,” she said. ously denied bail at a hear- up to their arrest. can become costly to the said Haiyun Wang, Tan’s of life and criminal negli- “Both have no [previous] ing on March 1. Yan, a restaurant cook, innocent tax filer. defence counsel. gence causing bodily harm, records. They’re both law- Yan’s mother, who suf- and Tan, a furniture facto- Thankfully there are “Potentially, they may were ordered to appear in abiding citizens.” fered a stroke, remains in ry worker, lived with their places around Scarborough point fingers at each other,” court April 14. If released, they will hospital. She had alleg- six-year-old daughter. that can help you file your Wang said. “Just to be safe Wang said a bail review appear in court in person edly lived in the garage Tan’s mother, who also taxes, so it doesn’t feel like … that is why they have is underway and the couple instead of by video, Wang since November. lived with the couple, is a do-it-yourself mugging different counsels. But at could be released on bail by said. If Yan and Tan are Wang declined to say “very concerned for good when you see how much the moment, we don’t have that date. convicted, she added, they whether the couple knew reasons,” Wang said. the government gets. that concern.” “They have more than a will face jail time. about the woman’s condi- “She’s all alone looking The couple, charged with 50 per cent chance of get- The couple was previ- tion in the months leading after the granddaughter.” Where to get them done n Softron Tax: Scarbor- ough Town Centre, 300 Local residents fight to keep their street in the dark Borough Dr. With more than 30 years JANICE YEUNG against the installation proj- he said. Fire Services, he insists that “People love the feeling in the business, Softron The Observer ect. Bridger planned to lead there is no danger posed for they get when they walk on Tax is a close income tax “It started last year in a group of residents to meet drivers at night because of our road at night,” he said. service. It offers various Queensgrove Road in July,” Bridger recounted. with Toronto Hydro and city the many porch lights outside “You feel like you are in the tax-related services, in- Scarborough is the only road “Trucks were moving into councillors on March 22. He houses. countryside and you can ac- cluding fast cash refunds, left in Toronto where you can the neighborhood and wires also tried reaching Mayor Christo- tually see the tax adjustments and pre/ look up at the night sky and were planted at the back of Rob Ford, but never got to pher Miles, stars in the post assessments. clearly count the stars. houses. Toronto Hydro plans talk to him.