THE EAST TORONTO Adventure INSIDEINSIDE in Peru Election fever PAGE 8 OBSERVER PAGES 4, 5 Friday • April 8 • 2011 PUBLISHEDPUBLISHED FOR THE BY COMMUNITY CENTENNIAL OF COLLEGE EAST YORK JOURNALISM BY THE JOURNALISM STUDENTS STUDENTSAND SERVING OF CENTENNIALEAST YORK COLLEGE Volume 41 • No. 5 Liberal budget draws fire from East York MPPs about cities… not addressing Prue, Tabuns areas such as transportation, housing and the environment wanted more — while continuing with corpo- rate tax cuts.” spending for Duncan countered that “the key decision for Ontarians E.Y. residents is how… do you get back to a balance,” adding: “We’ve laid By GEOFFREY MOSHER out 20 different initiatives… East York’s New Democratic that speak to MPPs have come out swinging transforming against the new provincial bud- government, get. reforming how Finance Minister Dwight we do govern- Observer, Dennis Wu Duncan tabled the budget last ment.” MARCHING FOR GREECE: (From left to right) Carmelo, Anna, Athena and Blake march in the week. It’s the provincial Lib- Peter eral government’s last budget Tabuns, the Greek Independence Day parade on March 27. The parade route ran along Danforth Avenue, between Donlands and Broadview avenues. before the Oct. 6 Ontario elec- TABUNS Toronto-Dan- tion — and is being described forth New by its backers as Ontario turn- Democratic MPP, also criti- ing the corner after the global cized the budget. recession. “Another big concern for East Potholes empty your pocket Duncan told the legislature York residents is the fact that that the Liberals are trying to despite the hype surround- By MELANIE SCHAWILL how fast they hit it,” he said. There is no sure way of avoid- find a balance between deficit- ing all-day kindergarten, East Spring is in the air and as new “There are a whole pile of fac- ing damage from potholes other elimination and ensuring that York will not see any spots un- life begins to emerge, so do pot- tors that go into it and every than staying away from them, Ontario keeps recent gains in til 2012,” he said. “Isn’t it in- holes all over the streets of To- car would be different, like how which is almost impossible. health care structive that we got cut out?” ronto. it would effect a pickup truck Brown spoke of how city driv- and education. Duncan defends his choices So far this year, over 70,000 versus a Mercedes-Benz Smart ing makes it a lot harder to steer Duncan an- in the budget. potholes have been repaired at a Car.” clear of potholes. nounced that “We are not only moving for- total cost of about $1.6 million, Potholes start appearing on “I try to avoid them, but some- the deficit is ward on deficit reduction; we said Toronto director of trans- roads once ice and snow begin times if the traffic is really close also projected are making certain strategic portation Myles Currie. melting. To fix a pothole, it’s im- together you can’t see them com- to be $3 bil- investments in health care and Each pothole costs approxi- portant to notify the city as soon ing,” he said. lion lower than education,” he said. mately $25 to repair, and while as you see it. Car owners may be reim- PRUE the Liberals’ “We are looking at what will potholes are cheap to fix, Dan- “People can call 311 to report bursed by the city for damage forecast in last benefit our families and what forth Midas owner Geoff Brown a pothole, so we can repair it,” to vehicles from potholes by con- year’s budget. will protect the progress we said the damage done to your Currie said. “That way a service tacting the city clerk and filling Michael Prue, the New Dem- have made.” car costs a lot more. request is recorded and tracked.” out a claim request. Currie ex- ocratic MPP for Beaches-East Duncan concluded that there “It can range anywhere from Depending on the road, pot- plained the process. York, said he’s extremely dis- are difficult choices to be made as simple as 50 bucks, to like a holes are usually repaired in one “They would write to city hall appointed with the budget. to maintain the balance be- 1,000 bucks plus,” he said. to five days. at 100 Queen St., to the atten- “New spending is in little tween good-quality affordable Brown added that the amount “Expressways, like the Don tion of the city clerk to put in the tiny amounts of money. It con- health care and education, of damage potholes cause de- Valley or the Gardiner we would details of the road, time of day, tains nothing except patting while ensuring that Ontario pends on many factors. try to do it within 24 hours,” and the damage,” Currie said. on the back,” Prue said. “Not gets back to balanced budgets “It depends on the impact, Currie said. “Side streets would “Then when that’s received, an a single word about poverty, in a responsible way. like how big the pothole is and generally take five days.” investigation gets underway.” Paper cranes carrying hope By KRISTIN ANNABLE have a brighter future and feel idea of students sending mes- There is an ancient Japanese better,” she said. “The other sages of hope to students in Ja- legend that says for every thou- thousand cranes are for the first pan. sand paper cranes you fold, one wish to come true.” “It is such a strong message wish will be granted. For stu- The students made over 2,000 being sent, kids-to-kids. At one dents of St. Josaphat Catholic cranes to present to the JCCC. school in Japan, 70 per cent of School, this meant folding thou- Last Friday, they held a cer- the kids are missing,” she said. sands of paper cranes for peace emony during which they of- “School begins in April, and they and prosperity in Japan. ficially presented the cranes to have no school to go to and there According to Reuters, as of representatives from the centre. are only 30 per cent of their stu- press time 11,063 people have The JCCC will send the cranes dents left.” died and 17,258 people are still to Japan. The ceremony involved grade missing after last month’s dev- Lisa Uyeda, the Project Co- seven student Alina Lepak sing- astating earthquake and tsuna- ordinator at the JCCC, says ing the song “Cranes over Hiro- mi off Japan’s northeast coast. that sympathy and empathy is shima.” In partnership with East important for the victims of the The ceremony especially York’s Japanese Canadian Cul- earthquake. touched Grade 5 student Ryu- tural Centre (JCCC) and the “This is a necessary project be- gen Perklita, whose mother is Toronto Catholic School Board, cause establishing financial and Japanese and has family living schools all around the city are physical support is important, there. folding origami for Japan. Sar- but people often forget the emo- “This makes me feel so ah Hnatkivskyy, a Grade 3 stu- tional support that is needed,” happy. I was shocked about the dent at St. Josaphat is proud she said. “It is a great way to earthquake and I didn’t know that her school is helping out connect the two countries emo- how I could help, so I am happy Observer, Kristin Annable Japan. tionally.” I can help now,” he said. “It CRANES FOR JAPAN: St. Josaphat Catholic School student “We are folding cranes so we St. Josaphat Principal Lucy makes all my classmates great Ryugen Perklita, 10, helps fold paper cranes for Japan. can make a wish for Japan to Dyczkowsky said she loved the friends and shows they care.” Page 2 — East York’s Observer, April 8, 2011 Police briefs Victim crawls for help A 21-year-old man is expected to recover after being stabbed while walking through a schoolyard near the Chester TTC station on Wednesday night. Police say he was attacked from behind at around 9 p.m. by two men brandishing a knife and a blunt object. The vic- tim dragged himself from Jackman Avenue Junior Public School to a nearby friend’s house, where EMS was called. Police are looking for two men, both described as 6’3” and wearing dark clothing. Man charged after brawl A man in his 50s has been hospitalized with serious injuries follow- ing an altercation with another man. Police say a verbal dispute escalated at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning on Coxwell Avenue between Milverton and Springdale boulevards. Facing assault and weapons charges is John Tahir, 57. Police look for suspect Police in East York’s 54 Division have issued an alert for a man wanted in connection with occurrences late last month. Michael Bollers, 21, Observer, Dennis Wu of Toronto, is charged with two counts of failing STARS COME OUT: Phil Chow, right, adjusts the telescope he’s looking through to see a distant to comply with probation and one count each of forcible confinement, threatening death and assault star, while fellow astronomical society member Blake Nancarrow looks on. The Ontario Science causing bodily harm. He is described as black, 5’7” Centre celebrated Earth Hour on March 26 with events such as stargazing. BOLLERS with a heavy build, black hair and brown eyes. Firefighters battle blaze Science Centre turns off A two-alarm fire broke out at 45 Lesmount Ave. between Cosburn Avenue and Plains Road on March 29. The fire started on an awning over a rear porch and then spread.