‘Ashworth does a great disservice’
Why do you persist in providing a platform for Will Ashworth in Leaside Life? Leaside businesses likely need Ashworth’s advocacy as much as Leaside stockholders need his futile Leaside Stock Index.
Your most recent publication would have benefited far more from an article drawing attention to the plight of the homelessness in the city – with an emphasis on what could be done locally to help alleviate matters – than on Ashworth’s heartless take-away that local retailers should adopt similar guerrilla tactics (conveniently leaving behind the issue of homelessness altogether).
In my view, you do a great disservice to your publication by continuing to provide a platform for Ashworth.
Julian Jones,
Sutherland Dr.
Identity fraud
I thought I would bring this to your attention as it may be happening to others in the neighbourhood. Or you might want to make people aware of the possibility.
On Oct. 29 I received a delivery notice from Canada Post that they had tried to deliver a parcel to C. Vanderburg at 131 Rumsey Rd. and as no one was home it could be picked up at the Canada Post office located in the Shoppers Drug Mart on Bayview. I was not expecting anything.
On Oct. 30 I went to pick it up. To my surprise it had already been retrieved by a gentleman named Chris Vanderburg who had citizenship papers with my address on them.
There is no one named Chris Vanderburg living with me nor do I know anyone with that name.
When I called Canada Post they said there was nothing they could do because the person showed proper ID and was not representing himself as me. I contacted Toronto Police Services and they too said there was nothing they could do.
Someone was using my address as a mail drop and it happens all the time, the police said, since our personal information is accessible online. The police officer suggested I get an unlisted phone number.
On Nov. 5 I happened to be home when the mail was delivered so I spoke to the letter carrier to see if he could remember anything. He did not. However he was very concerned so he took the delivery notice to his supervisor.
I received a call back and was told that there had been several packages sent to addresses in the neighbourhood, online electronics purchases from BestBuy.ca, which were deemed to be fraudulent and they were intercepted before being delivered.
He asked if I had a charge on my credit card between Oct. 15 – 20. When I checked my online statement I had both a large purchase from BestBuy.ca and a small a credit, neither of which I had made. He suggested I contact my credit card company to report the fraud and have the card cancelled. Both Canada Post and MasterCard continue to investigate. I took my computer into Best Buy in September to be serviced so I’m wondering if information was stolen as part of that process as I’ve never shopped online from Best Buy nor have I lost my credit card.
I don’t know if I will ever find out what happened but moving forward I will be much more vigilant about password security and monitoring transactions on my accounts.
Cheryl Vanderburg,
Rumsey Rd.
Men’s bridge group
I play bridge with a group of old men at the Leaside United Church on Wednesdays. Our membership is decreasing as members die or become incapacitated.
It’s an eccentric group and the camaraderie is more important than the level or ability of play. And it’s men only, which is a challenge these days to justify.
Is there any way that we could use your community newspaper to tell people about our group?
We don’t have money to pay for advertising, but I tend to be pretty prolific when it comes to putting things to paper (on the computer). I could write an article, or design an ad. In the past six months two churches in the area allowed us to put a few lines in their bulletins and we have two new members as a result.
So there are men out there who, if they knew about us, would find themselves enjoying a wonderful afternoon with some old geezers like us.
Jim Krafchik,
Glenvale Blvd.
Bennington Heights music program
This year, Bennington Heights school has a qualified music teacher giving all students a quality music education. All students in the primary grades (1-3) have choir rehearsal during class time each week.
All students in grades 4-6 are participating in a band program learning an instrument.
I’m a parent and I think it’s great to see such a high quality music program back in the school, especially considering the shift over the past decade when the music curriculum was considered a “frill” and math and reading were the only priorities.
Kudos to the principal, Anne Johnston, for making the hire.
Cara Halpin,
Noel Ave.
