Students halfway to fundraising goal THE ME To We club at Glen Ames Senior Public School is almost halfway to its goal of funding construction of a school in Haiti. When Beach Metro News checked in last December the club had just passed the $1,000 mark, mostly earned from hot chocolate, candygram, pancake and Mother’s Day jewelry sales. Students were just starting their ‘Change for Change’ campaign, placing collection boxes in Queen Street East businesses. Also on the docket were the ‘We Are Silent’ campaign (which saw students collect pledges to not speak), and a bake sale. Volume 45 No. 8
Teacher and club supervisor Jan Divok checked in with an update, and the club is now just shy of halfway to its goal of $10,000 to build a school in Haiti, with $4,927 and change as of the latest count. Alongside that long-term goal, students also raised $200 for a grocery gift card for a local Syrian refugee family and more than $250 from freezie sales and donations for Fort McMurray via the Red Cross. Fundraising towards the school will continue next year, thanks to seemingly boundless enthusiasm from young Beachers searching for ways to make the world a better place.
June 14, 2016
PHOTO: ANNA KILLEN
Gladiators meet in friendly battle at Family Fun Night East End gladiators Brigitte Carlyle and Maeve Jones face off at Kimberley Public School’s family fair on June 9. Aside from the gladiating event, there was a bouncy castle, face panting, obstacle courses, plenty of food and prizes, and even a rock painting station.
Kingston Road neighbours meet to address local crime By Anna Killen
THE SEEDS have been planted for an Upper Beach/Kingston Road neighbourhood watch group, with about 30 residents turning out to Community Centre 55 last month for an initial meeting. Organized by resident Aaron McIntosh with the support of 55 Division community liaison officer Jon Morrice, the May 26 meeting was a first attempt at plotting out what type of neighbourhood safety group residents would like to see, as well as an opportunity to learn basic tips to safeguard homes against intruders while looking out for one’s neighbours. Information distribution tactics included flyers, social media, and more neighbourhood meet-ups. Concerns ranged from home and car break-ins and attempted break-ins to mail theft to troublemakers touring the streets
late at night. Some who turned out for the meeting questioned whether crime in the neighbourhood was on the rise, or if it was just more visible because of more frequent reporting on social media. Both Morrice and Ward 32 Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, also in attendance, stressed that crime in the neighbourhood was not going up, it was actually going down. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things people can do to make their homes more secure and their streets brighter and more lively and, in turn, safe. Those things can include cameras, strong doors, secure sheds, more lights in darker areas, particularly in alleyways, and having your neighbours’ phone numbers on hand so you can alert them if something seems amiss at their house when they are not home. “You look at the stats from the federal gov-
ernment, crime is going down,” said Morrice. “But it’s still not comforting to the person who has their house broken into. We’re not in a crazy crime increase by any means, I do think the information is just so much more out there because of social media.” McMahon added that “we have to remember that we live in one of the safest areas of the city and we’re very lucky. Part of that is because people are hyper-vigilant about reporting to 55 Division … I would also caution you about social media. Yes there are a lot of people saying things are happening, but there are a lot of fake accounts on social media, there’s sensationalism.” She said she liked the idea of distributing flyers. “I really think it’s the old fashioned house calls, door knocking, walk, pound the pavement yourself,” she said. “I live up by the Danny and I have always re-claimed my alleyways. I used to walk my kids to school through the alleys all the time,
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“Crime is going down … But it’s still not comforting to the person who has their house broken into” – 55 Division community liaison officer Jon Morrice
I say hello to everyone, always have … I want them to know, ‘watchful eye on the community.’ Maybe it’s a lonely senior where a ‘hello’ makes them smile, but it’s also someone not from the neighbourhood, to show them that this is a family-friendly place.”