Beyond the Blackboard' Logo designed by webmaster, Reg Walker.
'Beyond the Blackboard' Name created by Marion Axford

Volume 29 Number 2     ~     Summer, 2010     ~     Editor: Hal McCullough

The deadline for submissions for Summer's Beyond the Blackboard is
Friday, October 29, 2010

Download  PDF Version here ~ 2.3mb ()

NOTE: See our Photos Page (also linked to our Main Page) for additional photos

Some photos on this page are linked to larger versions.

Inside This Issue (Quick Links on this Page):
"Are you being served?"  Calendar  D24 Trips and Activities
District Budget  District Activities  Executive 2010-2011
FYI  Golf Tournament  Goodwill (Cards)
Goodwill (Phone)  Health Reports  Health Seminar
Historic Decisions  HST: What's taxable?  Identity Theft
In Memoriam  New Members  PE Experiences
President's Message  Program Waiver  RTO 24 E-News
Spotlight: Bill Sparks  STO  Sudoku/Puzzle & Humour
 Tortugas  Wine Tasting Tour


President's Message

What a great spring we've enjoyed. Summer is upon us and it's about time.

I am writing this note at the end of my term as President for 2009-10 and looking forward to a second term in the service of the membership which is the raison d'etre for all RTO/ERO District Executives. For myself, serving Scarborough and East York has been most enjoyable and a labour of love. Our Executive is composed of the hardest working group of individuals that I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with. (Did I just end a sentence with a preposition?). Thirty-one individuals have brought their different gifts to the table. Together, we discussed, debated and accomplished much on behalf of you, our members. I saw myself as a want-to-be conductor directing a fine professional group of musicians. Continuing the metaphor – Thanks everyone… we made great music together!!

I would like to personally thank the members who have decided to retire from their positions on the Executive and are moving on to other challenges: Jerry Chadwick, Jim Devine, David and Eileen Higgins, Gord Reid, and Sharon Thurston. Thanks, gang, for all of your valuable contributions; you are loved and will be missed at our meetings. Stay in touch and bon voyage.

At the Provincial level, we are now embarking on establishing a Chair of Gerontology at the University of Toronto and becoming a charitable foundation. More details will be given to you as it becomes available. (See page 12.) Also, at the advice of legal counsel we now will be using waiver forms at our events so that we can show due diligence in case of a mishap and someone decides to take legal action for negligence. This is a little inconvenience for everyone, but a necessary one in an ever-changing society. There were a number of conferences held this year for Presidents, Goodwill committees, Treasurers, Health Reps, and Webmasters for the purpose of training and sharing of ideas of how to perform in their roles with effectiveness. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we were able to get Gary Fick elected as Executive Officer.

At the Toronto level, the four Districts continue to work well together in the area of Retirement Planning Workshops for active teachers who are considering retiring in the near future. This is very important to us in seeking new members as it is the number of people served that determines our rates for insurance purposes. Help us by encouraging those friends of yours that are getting ready to retire to consider joining RTO.

At all levels, we have changed our focus from being adversarial with the government, and getting nowhere, to "advocating" for causes and looking for win-win solutions to problems. This is working well — doors are opening to us that have been shut before. We have met with and been listened to by all three political parties. Our "Political Action Committees" have been renamed "Political Advocacy Committees" to better reflect our focus.

At the District level, I am asking members to fill in a short survey (See page 9.), and return it to me so that our Executive can best serve the needs of our members.

To all of our members, have a great safe summer and look in this newsletter for events in which you can participate.

Frank Saliani, President

President's Survey

Download Survey Here


DISTRICT 24 EXECUTIVE ~ 2010/2011
(Get Executive Contact Page Here
~ 47kb)

Table Officers:    
Past President Bill Sparks wgasparks@sympatico.ca 416.293.7477
President: Frank Saliani salianif@gmail.com 416.281.3542
First Vice-president: Donna Hubel dhub@sympatico.ca 416.490.1861
Second Vice-president: Courtney Doldron csdoldron@rogers.com 416.421.6632
Secretary: Bill Hindle wmshindle@yahoo.ca 416.283.1402
Treasurer: Ron Smith randgsmi@ca.inter.net 416.431.0466
Committee Chairs:    
Archivist: Les Coombs lesonriviera@msn.com 416.261.0568
Communications
(Newsletter Editor/Webmaster):
Hal McCullough hal@powergate.ca 905.985.8760
Golf Convener: We are looking for a member to fill this position.    
Goodwill Cards: Marilyn Hodge mjhodge@sympatico.ca 416.284.9984
Goodwill Phones: Brenda Fick bfick1@rogers.com 905.683.9676
Health: Marilyn Tregwin m.tregwin@rogers.com 416.493.3757
Membership and Recruitment: Les Coombs lesonriviera@msn.com 416.261.0568
Pensions and Retirement Concerns: George Denny havendayle@rogers.com 905.420.1435
Political Advocacy: Bonnie Clarke bonnie_clarke@rogers.com 416.609.3635
Program and Social Convener: Judy-Anne Tumber jatumber@rogers.com 416.264.6016
RWTO Rep: Linda Jarvis linjar@rogers.com 416.293.8689
Service to Others: Carol Nelson carol.nelson@sympatico.ca 416.724.7107
Ex-officio: Gary Fick gfick1@rogers.com 905.683.9676
Members-at-Large:    
Elaine Aprile elaineaprile@sympatico.ca 416.267.2670
Bob Cook bob.elainecook@sympatico.ca 416.267.0246
Gloria Courtney gcourt@rogers.com 416.291.1721
Ken Drope kendrope@rogers.com 416.485.9538
Fernando Gonçalves fgoncal@aol.com 416.497.2812
Margaret Nicolson marg.nicolson@rogers.com 416.759.5560
Harolyn Panetta h_panetta@hotmail.com 416.445.0885
Terry Smith chooch120@hotmail.com 416.438.0430
Reg Walker rwalker4@rogers.com 905.686.4030

Executive Meetings:

All District 24 members are welcome to attend our Executive Meetings. We meet on Thursdays, usually 5 times a year. For the balance of 2010 the dates are:

September 9, 2010 - October 14, 2010 - November 4, 2010

We have refreshments from 9AM to 9:30AM. Our meetings begin at 9:30 and end around noon.

Currently, we are meeting at the Kingsway Arms Retirement Residence which is located on the southwest corner of Eglinton and McCowan. Parking is available at the back of the building.

NOTE: Visitors must sign IN and OUT —this is a requirement of Kingsway Arms.

Fun at our AGM - More pictures on our Photos Link above

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Financial Statement

PDF File available here

Please direct any questions or concerns to our treasurer. Contact information for Ron can be found on the Executive Link.

~ Ron Smith, Treasurer


HST (Harmonized Sales Tax): Changes To Our Taxes

Download PDF listing here

Have Questions?

To learn more about the HST visit www.ontario.ca/taxchange. You can also call 1.800.337.7222, teletypewriter (TTY) 1.800.263.7776. For more information, you can also contact the Canada Revenue Agency. Visit the CRA website at www.cra.gc.ca/harmonization or call 1.800.959.5525.

~ by Bonnie Clarke, Political Advocacy Chair

 


Historic Decisions at Senate

On Tuesday, May 17, 2010 the Senate of RTO/ERO at its spring session made two significant decisions. The first was to approve the setting up the RTO/ERO Charitable Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is twofold: to bring under one umbrella all the charitable and socially responsible programs currently funded by RTO/ERO, such as Project STO, the 25 Scholarships awarded annually to those pursuing careers in education, the $10,000 Charitable Donation as well as donations made in the wake of natural disasters, Goodwill, and the Emergency Assistance Program. The other purpose of the Foundation is to establish, maintain and support The RTO/ERO Endowed Chair in Geriatrics at the University of Toronto.

The accompanying Object relating to the Chair of Geriatrics indicates "an emphasis on the promotion of interdisciplinary training among health care professionals, with the expectation that there will be collaboration with other medical schools in Ontario." This major project will be funded only with voluntary donations and the voluntary participation of members and of Districts. There will be no funds taken from fees currently paid by members nor will any deductions be taken from the annual grants made to Districts. The primary financial goal will be to raise $3 million over three years, and a possible stretch goal of $5 million to allow for the support of other institutions.

The Senate's decision underscores the rationale and criteria provided by the Provincial Executive in recommending the establishment of the Chair:

(a) A project so intrinsically worthy and easily understood that it would appeal intellectually and emotionally to a significant majority of our members.
(b) To build our brand and raise our profile with governments, organizations, active teachers, and the wider community.
(c) To be a magnet that attracts funding, participation and engagement from multiple sources, but with RTO/ERO as the lead organization. The research and clinical work that this Chair will undertake will be geared to improving the health and quality of life of seniors, and thus align with the interests of our members.

Over the next few months RTO/ERO through its legal counsel will be seeking legal standing for the Foundation. Once established, the Charitable Foundation will allow RTO/ERO to issue tax receipts for donations made. Over the next few months and leading up to the Fall Senate, RTO/ERO will endeavour to make as many members as possible aware of these initiatives, and we will propose a variety of strategies for fundraising, taking into account factors such as numbers of members, geography, infrastructure and other features that characterize our many Districts. The RTO/ERO Provincial Office in collaboration with the U of T will in due course provide information via Renaissance and other sources, and respond to queries from members/Districts in order to facilitate a greater understanding of and engagement with this major project. The commitment is to fund the Chair in Geriatrics through the voluntary participation and donations of members and of Districts initially, and later to invite partners and community members/associations to come on board.

Marg Couture, Harold Brathwaite
President, RTO/ERO Executive Director, RTO/ERO


Experiences of a Member of the Provincial Executive

I was recently asked, "What is it like being a member of the Provincial Executive?" My immediate reaction was? busy.

I began my Provincial Executive activities the day after the election when I was asked to bring greetings from the PE to my own District's Fall Luncheon. This was followed by a series of meetings to orient myself and other new PE members to the tasks ahead. One of these tasks was the signing of a confidentiality agreement.

My first Executive Meeting followed. One of the major decisions during the first PE meeting is the establishment of the year's Objectives. This process lasts until January when a final version is completed after input from the Districts. Liaison assignments are made assigning the Districts with whom the PE member will communicate monthly by phone and/or e mail. This is a two way street as Districts will contact you to request information of RTO/ERO issues and concerns.

Each Executive member is assigned to liaise with one of our Provincial Standing Committees. This means attending the committees meetings usually 4 times a year and updating the committee on provincial activities and after the meeting reporting on the committee activities to the Provincial Executive.

During a PE meeting we are responsible for monitoring the monthly expenses of the organization with respect to the Provincial Budget and the RTO/ERO numbered company. We receive quarterly reports on the state of the RTO/ERO investments from representatives of our investment firms. In between PE meetings we are regularly updated on issues from the Province by e-mail and are asked to approve decisions and actions. Many days there are numerous messages all of which require constant monitoring of e-mail even when away from home.

Before each Senate Meeting a pre-Senate meeting is convened to work with the District Senate representative to discuss the agenda for the upcoming Senate, and to answer or clarify items or issues.

A member of the PE may be invited to attend a meeting of each of the Liaison Districts the PE member represents once a year. This usually involves bringing greetings from the PE, making presentations on behalf of the province and/or District and meeting members.

The net result of all of this is a fair amount of time spent away from home sometimes for up to 3 or 4 days at a time. Many kilometres are driven when you consider how large the province is.

I have enjoyed my first 6 months as a member of the Provincial Executive and look forward to the completion of my year in October.

~ Gary Fick, Provincial Executive Member and a Past President of District 24


Project Service to Others Report

What is Project: Service to Others?

* a provincial programme that provides grants to Districts for initiatives
* the initiatives support the concept of Service to Others
* a way for RTO/ERO to demonstrate to the public that retired teachers care about their communities and are willing to help others
* individuals or groups apply to the District for funding
* the maximum grant is $4,000, but it is very possible that Districts will not receive the full amount; therefore projects can be supplemented from other sources. In 2009, 35 applications were received and 32 Districts received some funding for their projects.

What kinds of projects might be considered?
* heritage or cultural projects
* support of children and/or parents who need support
* support for elderly people
* District 24 has supported Agincourt Community Service Organization (2002), Library books for Togo (2007), and Touchstone Youth Centre (2009)

If you have a project you think fits the criteria, can involve RTO/ERO members, and might have other ways to have monetary support, then please let me know. We can explore it together and have a proposal ready for January, 2011. My contact information can be found on the Executive Listing.

~ Carol Nelson, Service to Others


13th Annual Breakfast for Kids Golf Tournament

Our Annual Golf Tournament on September 14th is approaching and interested golfers should send their applications to Ken Drope. This wonderful event provides money for the "Breakfast for Kids" Programme in Scarborough and East York.

There are four ways in which you can support this programme (even if you are not a golfer). They are:

Receipts are available for cash donations and/or sponsoring a hole. Contact Ken Drope for your receipt:
Ken Drope,
604 - 1750 Bayview Avenue,
Toronto, ON M4G 4H6

Thus far, we have Sponsorships for these holes from:

  1. 1 - Retired Women Teachers of Ontario - Scarborough Branch
  2.  Retirement Living by Revera (pending)
  3.  RTO in Memory of Bob Duncan
  4.  Kingsway Arms Retirement Residence
  5.  Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT/ETFO)
  6.  Home Meal Service
  7.  TBA
  8.  Retirement Living by Revera (pending)
  9.  Alterna Savings
  10.  Alterna Savings
  11.  Retirement Living by Rivera
  12.  Q-SSIS Banquet Halls
  13.  Merit Travel + a "Hole-in-one" contest
  14.  Mary Morton Tours
  15.  Bryan Rose Contracting
  16.  Johnson Inc. (pending)
  17.  Retirement Living by Revera
  18.  Retired Women Teachers of Ontario - Scarborough Branch

Among the donators for the prize table are:

Please consider patronizing the businesses that support this great cause.

DOWNLOAD GOLF REGISTRATION HERE

Telephone numbers and e-mail addresses will be kept confidential and are for organizational purposes only by the convener.

WANTED!!
A New Convener or Team is needed to organize our 2011 Golf Tournament

At the end of the Breakfast for Kids Golf Tournament last year I announced that the 2010 tournament would be my last as convener.

I am willing to work with the new convener(s) of the 2011 tournament. There are extensive computer records from the past three tournaments that can be "mined" for assistance.

Please contact me by e-mail: kendrope@rogers.com OR by phone: 416.485.9538 if you are interested in helping in this area.


Bridge Club

District 24 has been sponsoring a Bridge group of Retired Teachers for the past 4 years. We play at Ellesmere Community Centre on Canadian Road (Ellesmere and Warden area) on Tuesdays from 12:30 PM to approximately 3 PM. We are currently up to 23 players!

We began playing every other Tuesday, but extended it to every week at the request of the players. We usually have between 3 and 6 tables, on a drop-in basis. Players have a general playing knowledge, but can come without a partner. A number of players have been coming consistently since the beginning of the group, but we also have new-comers on a regular basis.

Over the 4 years we have become "friends" as well as Bridge players, and socializing is as important a part of the afternoon as playing. Coffee, tea, and cookies are available. At Christmas and June, before our summer break, we have a pot luck lunch before we play. Everyone pitches in to help clean up and it's a great afternoon.

Play for this year is over, but we will be starting up again on September 7, 2010. Come out and join us.

~ Terry Smith


A Little Bit of Humour

:) Diplomacy - the art of letting someone have your way.
:) It's not hard to meet expenses… they're everywhere.
:) I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
:) Quoting one is plagiarism. Quoting many is research.
:) Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
:) It IS as BAD as you think and they ARE out to get you.
:) I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
:) Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
:) Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
:) I don't suffer from insanity? I enjoy every minute of it.
:) Help Wanted: Telepath. You know where to apply.
:) Money doesn't bring you happiness, but it enables you to look for it in more places.
:) Misers aren't much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.
:) Money isn't everything? there's credit cards, debit cards, money orders, and travellers' cheques.
:) Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark.
:) If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a fool about it.
:) The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
:) The real reason you can't take it with you is that it goes before you do.
:) Some people are like blisters. They don't show up until the work is done.
:) A person who can smile when things go wrong has found someone to blame it on.
:) The world is full of willing people: some willing to work and some willing to let them.
:) If you don't know where you're going, you're never lost.
:) Your conscience may not keep you from doing wrong, but it sure keeps you from enjoying it.
:) Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
:) I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

What Do You See?

**

Take the Sudoku Challenge

Every Row must Contain the Numbers from 1 Thru' 9.
Every Column must Contain the Numbers from 1 Thru' 9.
Every 3x3 Square must Contain the Numbers from 1 Thru' 9.
Answer Elsewhere in this Issue…

Download PDF Here

For Your Information

 
RTO/ERO District 24 ~ Scarborough and East York
Welcomes New Retirees to our Champagne Brunch

Wednesday, September 22, 2010
10 AM to 1 PM

Cathedral Bluffs Yacht Club
Bluffers Park Access Road

Spaces Are Limited!

Do You Know Someone Who Is Retiring this Year? Have Him/her Contact Elaine Aprile by Phone: 416.267.2670 or by E-mail: Elaineaprile@sympatico.ca So That He/she Will Be Able to Come out and Enjoy Our Brunch.

For E-mail, Please Use the Subject: Rto – Champagne Brunch.

For the Retiree, Our Champagne Brunch Is Complimentary!

Where Is the Cathedral Bluffs Yacht Club?
Come to the Foot of Brimley Road (To the Lake at the Base of the Bluffs) And Follow Our Signs. There Will Be an Executive Member on the Gate to Let The New Retirees In.

RSVP Elaine Aprile by July 31, 2010
With Your Name, Address and Phone Number

RWTO New Retirees Luncheon

This year the RWTO's New Retirees Luncheon will be held Thursday, September 16 beginning at 12:30 PM at the Burrows Hall Community Centre/Chinese Cultural Centre.

If you know of any female teacher who is retiring this year, please contact Lee Young at 905.420.6170 or by e-mail at jimleeyoung@rogers.com .



TDSB .TEL Email Addresses to Cease

Are You Using Tel to Subscribe to Our Monthly E-news Update? If So, Please Let the Communications Chair Know If You Have an Alternat e Address We Can Use for You as the TDSB. Is Phasing out Tel Addresses for Retired Teachers.

Club 48

Club 48 is an association of retired teachers who meet socially nine times a year from October to June, usually the afternoon of the second Wednesday of the month. It was named "Club 48" because it was founded in 1948 and two years ago celebrated its 60th anniversary.

We attend plays, have lunch, take out-of-town trips, and hear most interesting speakers. Our membership fee is a reasonable $20 for the year. For some events a member can attend a lecture and enjoy coffee and cookies at no charge; for others you may wish to join us for lunch as well as the entertainment. You are always welcome to bring a guest to any of our meetings.

For further information or a copy of our fall program, please contact Gwen Smith at 416.426.1553 OR gwensmith@rogers.com.
Sisters Seniors' Lunch Matinee

Enjoy a buffet selection with dessert, tea or coffee, and
entertainment by retired Scarborough teachers Alec and Aaron who will regale you with the great songs of "The Fabulous Fifties" — you're invited to join in the singing too!

Friday, July 9, 2008
Friday, August 6, 2008
NOON to 1:30 PM

Cost: $21.00

Sisters Restaurant
4 Old Kingston Road (Kingston Road and Morningside area)
Reservations recommended: 416.282.8243

Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting

The meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month, except December, at 7:30 PM at Kingsway Arms, 2881 Eglinton Avenue East at McCowan Rd. in Scarborough. There is a bus stop at the corner of Eglinton Ave. and McCowan. Free parking is available on the south side of the building.

Come and share with us your concerns, and gain courage and strength through mutual support of other women who have had breast cancer.

For more information, please call:
Marilyn: 416.284.9984
Peggy: 416.269.7575

The L2L Mission

To train and certify student tutors to provide informed academic help not otherwise available to large numbers of students who are academically at risk, underachieving or new to the English language, and to do so in a cost effective and easily replicable manner.

The Need:
* One third of the 171,000 elementary students in the Toronto public schools fail to achieve the provincial standards in literacy and numeracy
* One quarter of the 86,000 secondary students drop out before high school graduation
* 30% of the students have no help outside the classroom

L2L’S Contribution:
* 2002-2003: 7 tutors; approximately 120 tutoring sessions
* 2008–2009: 700 tutors; approximately 10500 tutoring sessions

Watch It Grow!
Take a handful of tutor trainees… and, with help from principals and teachers, train them to tutor their peers… and see the huge effect on the community in one year.

Please support us so they can help themselves. L2L is unique. No other program trains student tutors in the pedagogy of effective tutoring.

L2L'S Mission:
Licensed to Learn (L2L) is a not-for-profit, charitable organization that trains and certifies volunteer student tutors from Grades 5 through 12. L2L has developed a unique training system to instruct high-achieving student volunteers to help their underachieving peers to build academic skills and achieve success. L2L is in partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and its focus on Student Success.

Role of Rtp Member:
* Accept responsibility for 1 school
* Attend 1 or 2 training sessions with L2L executive members
* Attend introductory meeting with principal and/or teachers of a school
* Serve as a liaison with the tutors and the teachers
* Collect the tutor registration forms and the tutor journals throughout the program
* Collect information concerning the starting achievement level for the peers
* Engage the prospective tutors in the L2L "best tutoring" practice: buddying, mentoring, tutoring.
* Run workshops with the tutors on the L2L Personal Learning Profiles, and how they will use them to assist their peer
* Organize, in consultation with teachers, the tutorial
pairings
* Supervise 15 tutorial sessions with the tutors and their peers
* Present certificates to the successful tutors

* Meet with the tutors after each group of 5 sessions to review the progress made to date, have the tutors complete an interim journal
* Meet for the last time with the tutors after the 15th session to review overall progress for their peers
* Collect information concerning achievement level of the peer to determine progress made
Over a 15 to 20 week period, this role would involve one or two visits to the school per week.
The process used by L2L starts by finding the personal strengths of the student - learning styles, multiple intelligences and personal interests - and then using that knowledge base for building school skills. This process has proven very successful in helping failing students to pass.

Licensed to Learn: 416.730.1741 www.l2l.ca  
YouTube Licensed2L

For further program information and how you could become involved, contact Fred Peach at 416.729.8237

BRAVO

Retired teachers who are not currently engaged in any volunteering are invited to participate in an innovative study in Toronto to see if volunteering can boost brain health.

Up to 200 retired boomers (aged 55+) are needed by Baycrest, an internationally-renowned academic health sciences centre, to be part of a four-year study that will scientifically measure the physical, psychosocial and cognitive benefits of engaging in volunteer work at the centre.

"The long-term scientific objective of Baycrest's study is to see if volunteering is an intervention that has a protective effect against dementia," said Baycrest senior scientist and clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Nicole Anderson, who is leading the study.

The Baycrest BRAVO study (Baycrest Research About Volunteering among Older Adults) is funded by the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Retirees aged 55 or older who are not involved in another formal volunteer position are welcome to join the BRAVO study. For more information, contact Baycrest at 416.785.2500, ext. 2577.

Baycrest is internationally renowned for its care of aging adults and its excellence in aging brain research, clinical treatments and promising cognitive rehab strategies.

RTO/ERO, D24 presents the two items on this page to you for your information only, and it should not be taken as an endorsement of the organizations. Any decision to take part in these programs is at the discretion of the member.

HEALTH AND INSURANCE REPORT
by Marilyn Tregwin, DHR

Hello again fellow retirees!

I'm composing this column in the middle of the record-breaking May heat wave we recently experienced, and my new central air system is not working; good thing my computer's in the cool recreation room! As you read this, I hope the weather you're experiencing is just what you enjoy the most on a summer day.

Perhaps you know someone who has endured Shingles, a painful disease related to chicken pox that affects adults. Be sure to read the feature health article about Shingles at the end of my Health Report.

In February, the vice-president of Healthcare Services for Shoppers Drug Mart, Dan Rego made a presentation to the Provincial Executive. (You may recall his name from reading our Fall 2009 Newsletter reporting the highlights of the DHR Conference that I attended last year, and if you subscribe to our monthly e-mails, executive member Gary Fick has already informed you of this.) Dan's proposal was about potential benefits for all members who acquire their medication at Shoppers. The proposed benefits, as yet unveiled, will be at no cost to RTO members. However, given the current controversy between the Provincial government and the pharmacies regarding the generic drugs, the Provincial Executive has temporarily halted discussions with Shoppers Drug Mart and no further action will be taken until the controversy has been resolved. I will inform you via this newsletter, but probably sooner via our monthly RTO 24 E-News. Contact our webmaster, Hal, in order to get in on this and other 'happening' information. (See page 23.)

EatRight Ontario is a bilingual website designed and maintained by the Government of Ontario to help improve the overall quality of life of Ontario residents through healthy, nutritious eating. This service provides easy-to-use nutrition information to help you make healthier food choices, and covers a large variety of topics: digestive health, disease prevention and health condition, diabetes prevention, food and nutrition FAQs, healthy eating, healthy weights, menu planning, recipes and resources. EatRight Ontario allows you to ask a Registered Dietitian nutrition-related, non-emergency health questions and receive feedback by phone or e-mail. Phone service is available weekdays from 9AM—5PM (Tuesday and Thursday until 9PM). Outside these hours you may leave a voice mail message and your call will be returned the next day. Nutrition tools and links offer many additional resources to support you in developing healthy eating habits for you and your family. The Eatright website is updated monthly, and can be accessed at www.ontario.ca/eatright or by calling 1.877.510.5102. (Source: Ontario Ministry of Health, January 2010)

Many of our newsletters have included personal articles from our members who have kindly written about their experiences regarding a variety of health issues for the benefit of us all. Please read page 6 about one of our members who is working to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thank-you, Kay, for sharing your success story with us.

The RTO Extended Health Plan covers drugs, sera and injectables that legally require a prescription. The plan also extends the Prescription Drug benefit to those who legally require life-sustaining over the counter (OTC) medications, when certain medical criteria are met. (Over the counter medications are those that can be sold without a prescription).

In the Budget presented in 2008, the Canadian Government announced that OTC medications were ineligible for the medical expense tax credit. Insurance plans, however, continued to provide coverage for OTC medications.

A 2009 ruling by the Canada Revenue Agency reinforced the government's position. Also in 2009, Health Canada began reclassifying many OTC medications and issuing a Natural Health Product Number (NHP) rather than a Drug Identification number (DIN). Canada Revenue Agency confirmed that the medical expense tax credit did not apply to NHPs.

Johnson Insurance provides clarification for us: If the RTO Extended Health Care Plan continued to cover life-sustaining OTC medications, or those that were reclassified as NHPs, then the premiums you paid for the Extended Health Care Plan may not have been eligible for the medical expense tax credit. Based on Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, OTC medications and NHPs are no longer eligible for coverage under RTO/ERO's Extended Health Care Plan. This ensures that your premium continues to be eligible for medical expense tax credit purposes.

Would you like to see changes to your Extended Health Plan coverage? The RTO Health plans are owned by you and administered by Johnson Insurance. If you want improved coverage, it's up to you and your colleagues to speak up. Any submissions for health plan changes received between January 2010 and December 2010 will be considered in 2011 for the 2012 benefit calendar year. To request the required Plan Enhancement Form ("2012 HPES") contact Melanie Johnson by e-mail at mjohnson@rto-ero.org, or by calling 416.962.9463 or 1.800.361.9888 x225 and be sure to provide your name, certificate number and/or mailing address.

At our District's AGM in May, Bonnie Clarke (your Political Advocacy Rep) provided us with some specifics concerning changes to the new HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). I thought you'd be interested in learning about items in the area of health. The taxation on vitamins, Massage Therapy services, cigarettes and tobacco, and nicotine replacement products and alcoholic beverages will change to 13%. Feminine hygiene products will continue to be taxed at 5%. There will be no HST on adult incontinence products, prescription glasses/contact lenses, some medical devices (includes walkers, hearing aids), prescription drugs, Pharmacist dispensing fees, or auto insurance. There will be no HST on Physiotherapist services, Chiropractor services, or Audiologist services if offered by a licensed practitioner. Health items not found on this list are taxed at 13% and will remain at 13%. To learn more about the HST visit www.ontario.ca/taxchange. You can also call 1.800. 337.7222. You can also contact the Canada Revenue Agency by visiting the CRA website at www.cra.gc.ca/harmonization or call 1.800.959.5525.
(See also "HST: Changes to our Taxes".)

This October 7, you will have the opportunity to attend yet another interesting health seminar. Following the positive comments I received about the information article on Diabetes in the spring issue of Beyond the Blackboard, I am pleased to invite you to learn more on this topic. Nearly one million Ontarians had diabetes in 2007-2008 and the number is rising. Michael Horbay, our guest speaker from the Canadian Diabetes Association, will educate us on how to stem the tide of this fast growing disease. His presentation will focus on what diabetes is, the different types of diabetes (including signs and symptoms and complications), as well as diabetes prevention through healthy eating, an active lifestyle and regular testing. I hope you mark your calendars now to attend. Please look for the ad in this newsletter on page 23 for further pertinent details. As always, you will be able to enjoy a free continental breakfast prior to the seminar; all you have to do is register with me your intention to attend. I hope to see you there. See the Executive list for my contact information.

~ Marilyn Tregwin DHR


7th Annual Health Seminar

RTO District 24 is excited to announce our next Health Seminar? on Diabetes. This is being presented by Michael Horbay, from the Canadian Diabetes Society.

Diabetes
Thursday, October 7, 2009
Midland C.I. (also known as The Bond Academy)
10:00 AM TO 11:30 AM

Do not get caught up in the diabetes tsunami!! Come and hear about how you can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Mr. Horbay's presentation will focus on what diabetes is, the different types of diabetes (including signs and symptoms and complications), as well as diabetes prevention through healthy eating, an active lifestyle and regular testing. Attend this informative seminar to hear more.

Come early!! A continental breakfast will be provided at 9:30 AM. This will also allow you time to meet and socialize with colleagues old and new.

This seminar is provided for you at no cost and is limited to 100 participants. But to reserve a seat, you must pre-register, preferably by e-mail: m.tregwin@rogers.com OR by leaving a phone message for Marilyn at: 416.493.3757, giving her your name and phone number.

For E-Mails, use subject: RTO - Health Seminar (Messages without this subject will not be opened!)

How to Find Midland Collegiate
Midland C.I. (also known as The Bond Academy) is located on the west side of Midland Ave., south of Eglinton Ave. Look for the prominent property sign ? Bond Academy. We will be meeting in the old library on the lower level.

Further details concerning parking will be sent to you via e-mail in the fall.

~ Marilyn Tregwin, District Health Rep


Shingles

You probably know of someone who has had shingles, since approximately 20% of North Americans develop shingles at some point in their life. Even though children can develop shingles, the risk begins to take off at age 40, and skyrockets after age 60. About two thirds of the people who get shingles do so after age 60; by the time your reach 85 you have a 50% chance of having had it.

Anyone who has had chicken pox can develop shingles since it is caused by the same virus. This painful skin rash is called the Varicella zoster sometimes referred to as the 'devil's whip' and is in the Herpes family of viruses (note that the herpes virus that causes shingles is not the same herpes virus that causes genital herpes). After the chicken pox illness passes, the problem never really goes away — the virus lives in part of the spinal cord in the nervous system and is never fully cleared from the body.

One's immune system keeps the virus dormant; however it can be reactivated even many years after one has had chicken pox. This 'resurfacing' of the virus can occur when your immune system is not working at its best. As a person ages, their immune system tends to weaken thus the prevalence of its development as people get older. Other factors may include illness, use of drugs that suppress the body's immune system (e.g. corticosteroids for severe asthma), HIV infection, certain types of cancers, and radiation treatment.

When the virus 'reawakens' and becomes active again, one may experience numbness, itching, severe pain, headaches, upset stomach, fever and chills. These symptoms (early warning signs) often precede the appearance of the skin rash. The skin rash usually appears three to five days after the symptoms appear. The rash itself is reddish, with many tiny, fluid-filled blisters. The blisters follow the path of the individual nerves that come out of the spinal cord and appear as a band or a belt-like pattern on an area of the skin. For a few days the rash spreads, although its extent varies from one person to another. The rash commonly occurs on one side of the trunk of the body. The blisters will break, dry out and then crust over. Shingles can result in persistent pain lasting for months, even years, after the rash has gone away (post-herpetic neuralgia: PHN). Your doctor can have the fluid from your blisters analyzed to determine if you have the virus.

Shingles is contagious. It can spread from an affected person to children or adults who have not had chicken pox, but instead of developing shingles, these people develop chicken pox.

Once they have had chicken pox people cannot catch shingles (or contact the virus) from someone else. Once infected, however, people have the potential to develop shingles later in life.

There are several effective treatments for shingles. Anti-viral drugs fight the virus and work best if started within three days of developing the shingles rash. This will minimize the extent of and spread of the rash and minimize the pain associated with it. Blisters will also crust over and heal faster. Anti-viral drugs may also help to reduce the risk of developing chronic pain shingles. Anti-viral drugs in use today include acyclovir, valacyclovir and famcilcovir.

Talk to your pharmacist about the use of over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen for the pain associated with PHN. Your doctor can prescribe other types of medication for severe pain that work to decrease the action of the pain fibers and alter the way the pain signals are interpreted by our brain.

To relieve itching and pain of shingles you can try applying calamine lotion, using cool, moist compresses, or soaking in the tub with cornstarch or oatmeal.

To prevent shingles, the first step is to avoid getting the chicken pox. If you have not had it, make sure you do not touch the blisters of people with either chicken pox or shingles. A vaccine is now available against the Varicella zoster virus for both adults and children. Health Canada has recently approved a shingles vaccine (Zostavax). The RTO health plan covers the ingredient cost for the vaccine providing one has not reached the annual maximum limit.

Much has been learned about shingles including new ways to treat the disease. The other sign of hope is that the wide vaccination for chicken pox may essentially diminish both chicken pox and shingles for current and future generations.

Sources: www.medicinenet.com Goodtimes; Manulife


Nuts and an Apple

Most of my adult life, my husband cooked the suppers in our household and I used the left-overs for lunch at school the next day. I paid no attention to portion control or exercise. During the work day, I ran between classes at three schools in my itinerant job, spending some of my lunch hours doing choir practices. At night, I had only enough energy left to deal with my children's activities.

That all changed when I retired. Now I was able to eat whenever I wanted as I had no fixed timetable and food was nearby whenever I wanted it. I ate when I was bored. I ate when I was stressed. I could only spend so much time being distracted from hunger pangs doing crossword puzzles, reading and taking a non-credit course at university. Swimming for an hour every three days at the local community centre was offset by snacks at Tim Horton's and munchies while watching PVR movies at night.

I began to notice that I couldn't fit into a lot of my clothes and that the photos taken of me were not flattering to a 5' 6" frame. I joined a club and hired a trainer. At first, I could hardly hold the weights. I got better and attended for about six months. Then, with family problems and my mother's death, I stopped going. I didn't want to be seen where I would have to talk to anyone. I would get teary-eyed at the simplest expression of sympathy. I began to eat too much again.

About two months later, a flyer came in the mailbox about an eight-week Weight-Loss challenge where one could get nutritional advice and have a coach encourage one's journey to a healthier, more well-balanced lifestyle. There was also the incentive of a cash prize for the most percentage of weight loss. I attended the first eight weeks and was educated in proteins, carbohydrates and calories. I got weighed and measured each meeting. I received advice from a coach; she herself had gone through the process of losing weight and inches.

I used meal replacement protein drinks twice a day, snacks between each meal and a full supper. I still haven't been able to drink eight glasses of water a day but I am much better at adding more to my day instead of juice or ice caps. For exercise, I returned to the exercise club, now that I had more energy and felt better about my shape. I got a newspaper route twice a week, which forced me to go out and walk in the colder weather.

I attended the next set of nutritional lessons and this time I won second prize. I continue to drink soy milkshakes and I keep snacks of almonds or soy nuts in small, re-sealable plastic bags beside the TV, on my desk and in my purse for those times when I get a craving, for example when I smell the cinnamon rolls my son has just made. When I go out, I have an apple, water and my baggie of soy nuts in the car. It is especially handy whenever we go to a movie, restaurant or party. Then I am not eating the popcorn, bread or appetizers.

Eventually, I will drink only one nutritious milkshake as I will be at a maintenance weight. That is not too far in the future. My biggest triumph is not the loss of weight but the inches around my waist so that I had to buy new jeans two sizes smaller than I had been wearing for fifteen years. I will also have to see a seamstress for those pants that I couldn't get into that are now too big for me.

~ K. Targett


Goodwill Report (Cards)

Every year each 90th, 100th and older birthday celebrant is honoured with a special card and a donation to Breakfast for Kids given in his or her name.

When I am notified, Get Well, Thinking of You or Sympathy cards are sent to members or their families.

Please inform me if you know of anyone who should receive a card.

Marilyn Hodge
416.284.9984
E-mail: mjhodge@sympatico.ca (Use the Subject: RTO - Goodwil)

~ Marilyn Hodge, Goodwill (Cards)

The following members have celebrated a special birthday between January and June 2010.

90th Birthday Celebrants    
Margaret Allan  H. Gordon Barnes  Dr. Inge Bundesmann
Margaret Ethel Higham  Edith Komisar  Al Leblanc
Sylvia MacMillan  Charles Neville  Dorothy Prosser

 

100th Birthday Celebrant
Mary Brown

Goodwill (Phone)

District 24 presently has 590 RTO members who have retired in 1993 or before whom we like to contact personally by phone. This is unique for a district of our size (over 2300 members). Any member who has not been reached by phone is sent a greeting card — we usually send about 200 cards.

On your behalf I would like to extend a thank you to this dedicated group of 26 callers without whom this service would not be possible:

Sue Ackerman  Gill Uddenberg  Bill Jones
 Donna Hubel  Marjorie McGinty  Les Coombs
 Noreen Coombs  Elaine Aprile  Louise Henderson
 Carol Nelson  Gloria Courtney  Janette McClure
 Allan Leighton  Joan Taylor  Lynn Pentz
 Ann Smola  Anne Storrison  Olivia Gibbins
 Helen Lavender  Helen Sharpe  Lucille Parrish
 Linda Jarvis  Marilyn Hodge  Frank Saliani
 Bonnie Clarke  Judy-Anne Tumber  George Denny
 Bob Cook  Gloria Smith  Nancy Wistow

We are always looking for volunteers, particularly some of our "junior seniors" to assist us with the phoning. If you are able to take only a few hours, once a year, to brighten someone's day, please contact: Brenda Fick at 905.683.9676 or by e-mail at bfick1@rogers.com .

~ Brenda Fick, Goodwill (Phone)

~ Marilyn Hodge / Goodwill - Cards


In Memoriam

In understanding that each life is a miracle that changes the world, we remember and honour the lives of our departed colleagues and friends.

To: 30/4/10
Ronald T. Allen  Florence Beharry  Charles Bristlon
Robert Campbell  Margaret Cummings  Alice Daoud
Joseph Destine  Fred J. Dier  George Dufton
Lorne Empey  Margaret Gerrard  John Haining
Lilian Hargrave  Audrey L. Hawkshaw  Arthur Hughes
Mary L. Hunt  Rudolf Kula  Joseph P. Lusina
Elizabeth R. MacDougall  Murray D. MacFee  Ivan Notter
 Robert H. Roozenboom  Arthur L Sivell  Elizabeth Von Ploennies
Robert (Bob) Douglas Duncan (PIC p07a)
March 25, 1936 - April 5, 2010

Bob Duncan, a former president of RTO ~ District 24 passed away on April 5th, 2010. Bob had been an active member of our District from his retirement in 1993, serving as Secretary, Treasurer and as President from 1996 to 2000. Known as a gentleman always, Bob welcomed many into RTO and encouraged several to take an active role in our organization.

Bob grew up in East York and Fenelon Falls and began his teaching career in East York in 1958 at Victoria Park Elementary School. He spent the next 35 years with the East York Board with 23 of those years as an elementary school principal. Bob was active in his Federation as well as the Principals' Association. His trademark was his wit and his genuine interest in people. A fine teacher and administrator, Bob was an even finer individual. In the words of several members, he was a "good man".

Beyond RTO, Bob was an involved actor and singer being a member of both the Wishing Well Players and Scarborough Choral Society. He was active in the life of his church, Donway Covenant United and in his community as a volunteer at North York General Hospital.

Bob is survived by his wife Cathy, son Paul (Karen Connors), daughter Anne (Keith Nakahara) and grand-children, Kai Duncan and Emma and Leah Nakahara. Along with his family, he is missed by a host of colleagues and friends. We are grateful to have had Bob's presence in our lives.

~ Bob Cook


Is Your Name In Our E-mail Database

Thank you to those who have been forwarding your e-mail addresses to our Webmaster. With only three newsletters a year, your e-mail address allows us to send you our monthly E-Mail Update with current District 24 events and happenings. It also allows us to provide you with any important information that comes our way in the health field, or when new information has been posted to the Toronto Districts' website, or remind you about upcoming day trips and other activities.

Please note:
 Providing your e-mail address is voluntary. It is not provided to us by RTO.
 Your e-mail information will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with any other organization.
 E-mails are sent to you as Bcc (Blind carbon copies). You don't get to see the e-mail addresses of the other recipients, and they don't get to see yours. Our message should appear in your in-box titled as "undisclosed recipients".
 Our e-mails are always prefaced with RTO.
 E-mail updates are usually sent out on the first day of the month. However, to keep you fully informed, we do, occasionally, send special mailings.
 Our E-Mails are sent only in .pdf format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free download from our Toronto Districts website (its address is in the footer on this page). There are no hard copies that can be mailed to you.
 Updates that are returned to the Webmaster because your in-box is full, or classed as "spam" by your server, are not re-sent.
 If you change your internet provider, please remember to provide us with your new e-mail address!

If you wish to participate, and we encourage you to do so, please send your e-mail address to our Webmaster: hal@powergate.ca. Use subject: RTO - E-Mail Address. (Messages without this subject will not be opened!)

We currently have some 380 members (about 17%) participating in our monthly updates. We look forward to adding your name to our list!

~ Hal McCullough, Communications Chair: Newsletter Editor & Webmaster



Dry Tortugas National Park (PICS 25a,b 27a)

While flying over the Florida Keys, more than thirty years ago, an uninhabited island with a white sandy beach caught my attention. The beach was lined with palm trees that had a distinctive lean to them, from years of being jostled by strong ocean winds.  Its peacefulness and natural beauty were engraved in my memory. Recently, I found myself again looking at such a dream island, but this time I was actually there, standing on the soft white sand of the Fort Jefferson beach, surveying the beauty of the other six islands of the Dry Tortugas National Park.

On a recent family vacation, we booked The Fortunata, a seventy-five foot yacht, and we were off to explore the Florida Keys. It was in Key West we became aware of the Dry Tortugas National Park, and began to discuss the possibility of making a trip there. The park is situated about 70 miles out to sea from Key West. It was far enough away to be an adventure, and close enough to be a day excursion. Dry Tortugas is an area of 100 square miles of ocean park, reefs, and seven very small islands. In 1513 it was named Tortugas, meaning turtles, by the Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon. Eventually it was called Dry to warn navigators of the lack of fresh water there.

Graham, our captain, studied his charts and forecasts, and agreed that we could leave very early the next morning if the weather remained favourable. At seven o'clock the next morning I was awakened by the movement of the rolling seas and the noise of the waves as banged the hull directly under my bed. I knew we were on our way. It was a beautiful day, and although the seas were rough, the sky was clear and blue.  There was no sign of land or other boats and we were all alone on the open sea. I felt a sense of adventure as I searched the horizon for signs of land. After 3 hours of travelling across the open sea, I noticed birds flying above and I knew land must be near. Soon the first of the islands came into view, appearing as a sand bar. Then I saw it! I saw an uninhabited island with a white sandy beach with a row of swaying palm trees. It looked exactly like the natural island that fascinated me so many years ago. The other six islands came into view as we searched for a vacant anchorage off the Fort Jefferson beach on Garden Key.  

We were now in the Dry Tortugas National Park, an ocean park, a new concept in national parks for me. This park was in the middle of the ocean. The sky was clear and blue, and the water was the most beautiful turquoise colour imaginable. It was so calm here in the lea of the islands that I could clearly see the white sandy bottom among the reefs. I reached down to touch the ocean and felt the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I could see a black cloud of birds flying over the Bird Key. Captain Graham informed us that these frigates had a wingspan of about seven feet. As we puttered our way to shore in the dingy, Captain Graham pointed out the fish by names: the grunts, and parrotfish, and nurse sharks swimming below, as also the sponges and multi-coloured corals. The park is surprisingly natural and naturally beautiful. 

Fort Jefferson is located on Garden Key which covers about seven acres, the largest of these islands. The rustic nature of the fort is a reminder of how long ago it built and how isolated it must have been in those times. I looked through the viewing ports and imagined what a soldier would see and the shot he would be planning as a pirate ship or enemy vessel came into view. I noticed a visitor walking along the top of the moat, and I imagined a prison guard walking there, checking the moat for any sign of escapees. I took note of how historical documents and photos were very well preserved, but also accessible to the visitors. These included doctor's records, soldiers' logs, and scientific data on the marine life. The prison record was detailed as to dates and reason for confinement. I quickly scanned the names and ensured that my ancestors were not on the list. It was interesting to note that most infractions were for desertion, although the only escape would be to swim to the mainland. And the curator mentioned that many soldiers had attempted just that feat, and been returned as prisoners. Only one group on record managed a successful escape. Seven African-Americans who worked at the fort as slaves managed that feat by taking all the available boats with them, or setting them loose. They finally arrived at Key Vacas, 120 miles away, only to be captured and returned to Fort Jefferson. 

The significance of the Dry Tortugas does not end with the fort. An area of 100 square miles was dedicated in 1992 as a national park and protected area for birds, sea turtles, and other aquatic animals, and the coral reefs. Bush Key is a nesting place for the sooty terns. These birds spend most of their time at sea, but use the island for nesting. It is a principal fly over area for many migratory birds on route to Cuba and South America. Other birds that are present are the cormorants and the pelicans. All these birds feed on the squid and small fish in the park. It is surprising to see so many species of birds here so far from the mainland.

Because of the location of the Dry Tortugas near the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, there have been at least 300 shipwrecks off these islands, one of which is the wreck of the Avanti, a Norwegian vessel, in 1907. This site is a well charted site for divers or snorkellers, and underwater photographers. The nurse shark and the tarpon, vivid red and purple coral, and schools of small mouth grunts and sergeant majors can be seen.  The last time I was snorkelling I was surprised by an octopus, not knowing which arms to move away from. So I enjoyed watching the marine life from the dingy, and took pleasure in the excitement of my children and grandchildren as they discovered interesting sea life.

The Dry Tortugas has such a rich history that there is something of interest for all the visitors young and old. It has been used as a lighthouse to guide ships through the treacherous reefs, a military fort, a prison, a quarantine station, a coaling station, and research lab, and finally the
Dry Tortugas National Park. There exists documentation and exhibits from each of these eras. For the visitor, arriving by sea, after completing the journey from Key West, feeling the isolation, there is a sense of being immersed in its history. The Dry Tortugas will wet your appetite for the natural, the untouched and unspoiled.

As land comes into view again, dolphins are jumping near the boat on the port side. Cruise ships come into view and then the high rise condos and we are back in Key West once more, realizing that we have experienced something rare and special.

~ article and photo by Jean Clarke


Prince Edward County Wine Tasting and Guided Tour, May 11, 2010

Our trip to Prince Edward County was a rich educational experience and a great opportunity to sample the wines from three selected wineries.

At Cobourg, Peter Brotherhood, a retired history/ geography teacher, hopped on our bus as guide for the day. He shared many stories with us about the early settlement of the County by the United Empire Loyalists as we passed through small villages with their interesting storefronts and colourful tree blossoms along the side of the road.

We visited and sampled wines from the Black Prince Winery, Huff Estates Winery and Casa-Dea Winery. Peter explained that these wineries were chosen because the grapes grown, in each case, were grown on different types of soil. Ordovician limestone, present throughout the County, is a soft limestone which breaks down easily providing minerals for the thin layer of soil on top of the limestone. This favours the production of excellent grapes for producing high quality wines. Peter introduced us to the word "terroir" which includes such physical elements of the vineyard habitat as subsoil and climate. Conditions are perfect in Prince Edward County for fine wines!

For lunch, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Waring House Inn in Picton. The stunning, country setting made for a relaxed, enjoyable dining experience. The rhubarb and berry custard tartlet was magnificent!

Our time in Prince Edward County concluded with a trip to an English lavender farm where we explored the gift shop and learned about growing lavender. The couple who runs the farm was delighted that we were the first bus tour of the season.

It is always special to experience a success story. The wine industry in Prince Edward County has grown from one winery in 2000 to 38 wineries a decade later. Many of us on the tour were already looking forward to our next trip to this delightful area of our province.

~ article and photos by Shari Baker
~ additional photos on Photos Link above


Black Prince Winery
 
Scent of lavender

Lake on the Mountain

Waring House Restaurant

Huff Estates Winery

wine tasting

wine tasting

getting there half the fun!

Casa-Dea Winery

getting there half the fun!

PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR 2010

Download our 2010 Schedule Here ~ PDF 148kb

Descriptions and coupons for these Spring activities below. Information about our "Front of the Line" service will be found below.

Trip tips::

Reminder:
Family and friends are always welcome to join you for any of our RTO trips and activities. If someone is joining you, they must also read and understand the Waiver Agreement AND they must sign the activity coupon.


About our "Front Of The Line" Service…

For 2010, We Are Continuing Our Front of the Line Program.

If You Are Interested in Reserving a Place for Any Event, You Should E-mail or Phone Judy-anne. If the Event Is Marked T.b.a., Judy-anne Will Contact You as Soon as the Dates and Information for the Events Are Released. She Will E-mail or Call You Back with All the Details and She Will Put You on the List.

Then, When You Receive Your Newsletter, You Simply Send Your Programme Coupon and Cheque to the Facilitator — Judy-anne Will Have Passed on Your Name to Him/her.

Updates to Our Programme Line-up Appear in Our Monthly E-mail Update: Rto 24 E-news. See Page 23 for Details on this Service.

416.264.6016 / jatumber@rogers.com (Use Subject: RTO - Front of the Line (Messages without this subject will not be opened.)

~ Judy-Anne Tumber, Program Chair

FACILITATOR INFORMATION:

Les Coombs:
7 Riviera Dr.
Scarborough, ON M1N 1J9
416.261.0568
lesonriviera@msn.com
Ken Drope:
604 – 1750 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, ON M4G 4H6
Telephone: 416.485.9538
kendrope@rogers.com
Marilyn Hodge:
48 Langevin Cres.
Scarborough, on M1C 2B6
Telephone: 416.284.9984
mjhodge@sympatico.ca
Ellen Mccormick:
29 Morningside Ave.
Scarborough, ON M1E 3B9
Telephone: 416.284.7795
ellenmccormick@sympatico.ca

Hal McCullough:
62 Chester Cres.
Port Perry, M1T 2Z3
905.985.8760
hal@powergate.ca

Harolyn Panetta:
38 Castlegrove Blvd.
Toronto ON M3A 1L2
416.445.0885
h_panetta@hotmail,com

Marilyn Tregwin:
41 Ravencliff Cres
Toronto, M1T 1R7
416.493.3757
marilyn.tregwin@tel.tdsb.on.ca
Judy-Anne Tumber:
203 Sylvan Ave
Scarborough, M1E 1A4
416.264.6016
jatumber@rogers.com

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

* About Agawa & NYC

When the Joint Executive of RTO met, the travel coordinators agreed to try something new. Since we occasionally have to cancel a trip because of low numbers from one district, we planned a trip to the Agawa Canyon together with a representative of Merit Travel. We will be travelling with teachers from Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, as well as Scarborough and East York, so hopefully there will be enough members to fill the coach and we will avoid disappointing members with another cancellation. So far, the Agawa Canyon trip is filling up well. This same format has been used for the NYC trip. Contact Tommi Hayhoe at Merit Travel ASAP if you wish to join us on these terrific trips.

~ Judy-Anne Tumber, Program Chair

Blue Jays Baseball vs. Detroit Tigers

Date: Saturday, August 28, 2010
Game Time: 1:05
pm
Cost: $46.00

 This Price (Regular Price $52.00) Is Available to RTO Members, Family and Friends. Our Excellent Seats Are in the 100 Level along the 3rd Base Line. And this Year, You May Also Choose Tickets in the 200 Level, Also along the 3rd Base Line! This Year's Charity, Selected at Spring Senate, Is Pennies for Peace. They Will Receive a $10,000 Cheque from RTO/ERO in a pre-game Ceremony.

Waiver: No

Travel: Note: Transportation Is Not Included.

Seats: Field Level or 200 Level, 3rd Base Side

Facilitator: Les Coombs  Contact Info Is above

* Deadline: Friday, July 30, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

Stratford Festival ~ The Tempest

Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Departure: 9:30
am
Return: 7:30
am
Cost: $157.00 ; Non-members: $167.00

Travel: Depart Kennedy Commons. See Trip Tips, P14
Program: Marooned on a Distant Island with His Daughter Miranda, Prospero Has Spent Twelve Years Perfecting His Magic Arts. Now, with the Help of the Spirit Ariel, He Raises a Storm at Sea, Bringing Within His Grasp the Enemies Who Robbed Him of His Dukedom. But What Vengeance Does He Propose to Take? Starring Christopher Plummer.
Lunch: Waterlot Restaurant. Entree Choice: Baked Atlantic Salmon or Roasted Sirloin.

Waiver: Yes

Facilitator: Judy-Anne Tumber

* Deadline: Friday, August 6, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

Stratford Festival ~ Evita

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Departure: 10:00 Am
Return: 7:00 Pm (Approx)
Cost: $141.00 ; Non-members: $151.00

Travel: Depart Kennedy Commons. See Trip Tips, P14
Program: as Ambitious as She Is Charismatic, Eva Duarte Rises from Poverty in Rural Argentina to Become First the Mistress and Then the Wildly Popular Wife of President Juan Peron. This Landmark of Modern Musical Theatre Paints a Dazzling Portrait of Woman Who Helped Shape History.
Lunch: Arden Park Hotel. Entr E Choice: Maple Glazed Ham or Turkey with Stuffing

Waiver: Yes

Facilitator: Hal McCullough

* Deadline: Friday, August 27, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

Shaw Festival ~ Harvey

Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010
Departure: 9:15 Am
Return: 7:15 Pm
Cost: $114.00 ; Non-members: $124.00

Travel: Depart Kennedy Commons. See Trip Tips, P14
Program: Everyone Wants to Meet Elwood Dowd and His Friend Harvey. When They Enter a Room, Strangers Soon Become Friends, and People Want to Share a Drink with Them. But Harvey's a 6-foot Invisible Rabbit, and Elwood's Sister Wants Him Gone. The Qiestion Is: Does the World Need Another "Normal" Chap, or More Harveys? A New Look at this Pulitzer Prize Winning Play by Mary Chase and Made Famous by Jimmy Stewart's Portrayal of the Lovable Elwood Dowd.
Lunch: Ristorante Giardino

Waiver: Yes

Facilitator: Ellen Mccormick Contact Info above

* Deadline: Friday, September 17, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

Christmas in the Country

Date: Friday, December 10, 2010
Departure: 10:45
am (Agincourt Mall)
Return: 9:15
pm
Cost: $72.00 ; Non-members: $82.00

Travel: * Depart Agincourt Mall. See Trip Tips, P14
Program: Join Us and Experience the Feeling of an Old-Fashioned Christmas.ÿsleigh Ride, Local Christmas Entertainment, Stops at Kokomo Candles and Hoselton's Sculptures, Ending with a Tour of the Christmas Lights at Cobourg.ÿthis Is a Popular Activity ? Sign up Early!
Lunch: Sandy's Sugar Bush (With Real Maple Syrup)
Dinner: Salem United Church (Turkey & the Trimmings)

Waiver: Yes

Facilitator: Harolyn Panetta Contact Info above

* Deadline: Friday, November 26, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

New York City

Date: April 25 to April 29, 2011

Monday: Depart Toronto for New Columbia, PA, Where We Stop for the Night at the Comfort Inn.

Tuesday: after Breakfast, We Drive into Manhattan. After Lunch, We Have a Tour of Manhattan Including the Financial District and Wall Street. In the Evening We Go to the Observation Deck, "Top of the Rock", 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Our Hotel for the next 3 Nights Is the Comfort Inn Midtown Located at 42nd and W45th.

Wednesday: Breakfast Is at the Hotel Followed by an Nbc Studio Tour. The Rest of the Day Is Free for You to Decide What You Would like to Do. Your Tour Director Can Assist You with Such Activities as a Hudson River Tour (Afternoon or Evening) or Tickets for a Broadway Show.

Thursday: after Breakfast, We Travel to Battery Park for the Ferry to Liberty Island for a Close up Look at the Statue of Liberty. You May Disembark to Tour the Island and Then Continue on to Ellis Island Before Returning to Battery Park. The Rest of the Day Is Yours to Enjoy. Perhaps the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or a Guided Tour of the United Nations Complex, Or...
Friday: Travel Back Across New York State, Crossing at Niagara Falls. Comfort Stops and Lunch Break along the Way. Stop at the Duty Free Shop. Arrive Home in the Evening.

Cost: Double: $999.00 / Triple: $839.00 / Single: $1549.00

Included in this Price: Four Nights Accommodation (Including Taxes); Luggage Handling for 1 Large Suitcase per Person; 4 Continental Breakfasts and 1 Lunch; City Tour of Lower Manhattan; Ferry Crossing to Liberty and Ellis Islands; Admission to "Top of the Rock"; Guided Tour of Nbc Studios; Services of a Hanover Holidays Tour Director.

Waiver: Yes

Contact: *Tommi Hayhoe (Merit Travel)
* Deadline:

Agawa Canyon

Dates: Monday, September 27 to Thursday, September 30, 2010

Monday: Depart Bayview Village Parking Lot at 8am
Cross the Border at Port Huron. Lunch at Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth (Included). You Have Time to Browse Frankenmuth or Shop the Birch Run Outlet Mall. Then It's on to St. Ignace for the Night at Best Western Harbour Pointe Lakefront. Dinner Is on Your Own.
Tuesday: after Breakfast (Included), Board the 10:30 Ferry to Mackinac Island for a Carriage Ride to the Grand Hotel for Lunch (Included). Time to Explore the Island (No Motorized Vehicles). Take the 4 Pm Ferry Back St. Ignace and Then on to Sault Ste. Marie (Where You Stay for 2 Nights). Dinner Is on Your Own.
Wednesday: Board the Train for Our Spectacular Trip to the Canyon! Breakfast Is on the Train, and You Will Be Provided with a Box Lunch (Both Included). We Have a Two Hour Stop in the Canyon Before Returing to the Soo. Dinner Is Included. Afterward? Well, the Casino and a Shopping Mall Are Nearby?
Thursday: Following Breakfast (Included) We Return to Toronto. Comfort Stops and Lunch Break along the Way.
Cost: $699.00 Double Occupancy / $200.00 Single Supplement
Included in this Price:ÿ Return Transportation; 3 Nights Accommodation; Bavarian Inn Chicken Dinner; Ferry to Mackinac Island; Horse Drawn Carriage; Buffet Luncheon at Grand Hotel; Full Day Train Excursion Including Breakfast and Box Lunch in Agawa Canyon; Dinner Final Evening; Driver's Tip.

Waiver: Yes

Contact: *Tommi Hayhoe (Merit Travel)

* Deadline: Friday, August 20, 2010

Download Registration Form Here

Trip Waiver Forms

Please read the Waiver information below very carefully. Many of our activities now require that this waiver be signed before you can participate.

Acknowledgement, Waiver and Release
The participant in (the "Event") acknowledges and agrees that RTO/ERO, including District 24, will not be responsible for any loss, injury or damage of any nature, including death, howsoever arising in connection with this trip/excursion/event. Participants in the Event are therefore hereby advised to carry their own insurance in connection therewith.

By signing the activity coupon and in consideration of the participant's attendance at the Event, the participant hereby releases and forever discharges RTO/ERO, District 24, and their respective directors, officers, members, agents, employees and volunteers (collectively, the "Releasees") from any and all actions, causes of action, claims, and demands (collectively, the "Claims") from any loss, injury or damage of any nature, including death which has arisen or may arise from the participant's attendance at the Event, unless such loss, injury or damage has arisen as a result of the sole negligence of one or more of the Releasees.

Any claims arising out of the participant's attendance at the event will be governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, and the participant consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts in Ontario, Canada in any such action.

~ Provincial Executive, January 2010

On the activity coupon, where requested:

* Please… print your name and that of your spouse/guest (if applicable).
* Sign the coupon to indicate that you have read, and understood, the waiver printed above. Each name that appears on the coupon with yours MUST also sign that they have read and understood this waiver.
* Your coupon and registration for the activity is not complete without the necessary signature(s).

THIS ISSUE TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT ON:

Bill Sparks, Past-President

Bill was an "army brat" and attended 17 schools K-12, three of them at DND bases in Germany. He went to College Militaire Royale for two years, a year at Peterborough Teachers College (where he met and later married Pat, his partner for 43 years) and joined the Scarborough Board in 1966. Over the next 34 years he was at Edgewood, Bendale Jr, Woburn, G.B. Little, Regent Heights, Pauline Johnson, Beverly Glen, V.P. at J.G Diefenbaker, Principal at Charlottetown, two years as Federation President and finished his career as Principal at North Agincourt. He taught French, was a librarian for twelve years, taught full grades at the JK, 4,5,6, and 7 levels and vocal music and instrumental music as prep or rotary to all grades. He had the privilege of guest conducting at the 7 day Scarborough Music Camp for three years. Bill picked up two B.A.s, an M.A, an M.Ed., Principals' Courses part 1 and 2 and his S.O. papers during the summer and winter for 20 years by attending U of T, York, and OISE. His favourite grade was JK; favourite prep was music.

Unlike those thirty-three schools, his home life has been much more static with 38 years in his present home in Agincourt. He and Pat produced two wonderful daughters, Sherri and Tricia. Sherri was born with Down Syndrome. She had a hole in her heart which was repaired at Sick Kids when she was 2, on the morning of the birth of her sister. Unhappily, Sherri died at age 25. Interest in the needs of developmentally delayed children and adults led Bill into advocacy work, first in Scarborough with the Association for the Mentally Retarded, then the Toronto District and on to the Ontario level. Bill was the last President of The Ontario Association for the Mentally Retarded and the first President of Community Living Ontario, a move to change from label to goal for their members. In his term in 1985, the Ontario Government announced they would close institutions for people with developmental delays. The last two finally closed last year. He was Speaker for both CLO and the Canadian Association AGMs.

Bill likes organizations. He and your Communications Chair were on the Executive of the Scarborough Librarian's Association. He was an OPSTF member spending 17 years at their AGMs, ran the AGM meeting committee, was Speaker, was on the Provincial Executive and the OTF Board, and was the representative to the Canadian Association of Principals for three years. He was local President on the Council for Exceptional Children, served on the Provincial CEC, and was their Treasurer. He was active in the Scarborough Principals' Association and served as Treasurer and was their last President. When Mike Harris removed principals from the union, Bill served at the Toronto School Administrators Association and at the Ontario Principals Council and helped write the new Constitutions for both. He still serves as Speaker for the TSAA annual meetings.

On all of these groups, Bill particularly enjoyed arranging various local, provincial, federal and international conferences, especially if he could be involved in giving presentations.

Currently Bill is our Past President and is on the RTO Provincial Constitution Committee, where he helps with Senate including taking the chair as Speaker for a session.

Bill reads a book a day, sees a movie a week, walks three kilometres a day, looks after a 6-year-old grandson, Alexander, at least once a week, does the Sudoku and crossword puzzles in the paper, the Jumble puzzle without pen, and is approaching his 25,000 mark in Free Cell games on the computer. He has been a fan of Zelda on all the iterations of Nintendo over the years. On the walls of his den are over 1000 sets of paperback novel collections of favourite authors, mainly in science fiction, mystery, suspense and historical fiction. Sadly, he has let his lip for trumpet and French horn wither in his ten years of retirement. Perhaps he'll pick them up again?


WELCOME TO DISTRICT 24

To: 30/4/10

To all our new members for 2010, we offer you a warm welcome! Whether you are a new retiree or have moved from another district, we hope that you find District 24 ~ Scarborough and East York a comfortable and happy fit.

Our District motto is: “Where Old and New Friends Meet”. We count you among our friends.

Margaret W. Allen  Donald Heenan  Kidane Bahta
Edna Janus  Cindy Breslin-Carera  Lorna Lamb
Ann M. Brisbois  Catherine Logan  Pauline M.T. Bristlon
Ron A. Lowe  Sandra Bott  William J. MacDougall
Susan Burke  Lee W. MacLeod  Faye Campbell
Mary Lee Meyer-Balconi  Ronald Chumbley  John B. McNally
Elaine Cook  Margaret Myllynen  Joseph Destine
Nancy Paris  Elva I. Dier  Elizabeth Pasternack
Dianne H. Dufton  Barbara Pawlack  Heather A Empey
John Ridgers  Douglas Figueroa  Dennis Smith
Linda Frankfort  Nancy Spencer  Deborah Gilchrist
Bonneatta E. Thomas  Stephen Gilchrist  John Tomlinson
Harold Gold  Gail Varey  M. Diane Gray
 Nancy Wistow  

As of May 31, 2010 District 24 had 2357 members!

RTO 24 E-NEWS:
As new members, we would encourage you to participate in our monthly E-Mail Updates: RTO 24 E-NEWS. See below for details on how you can subscribe to this service.

We now have over 475 members receiving our Update. May we add your name?

RTO 24 E-NEWS
Do we have your name in our E-mail Database?

We publish only three newsletters a year. Give us your e-mail address and we will send you our E-Mail Update, RTO 24 E-NEWS, in the months when there is no newsletter. It contains topics such as current District 24 events and happenings, information in the health field, new information that has been posted to the Toronto Districts' website, items of interest from Provincial RTO, major school events like anniversaries, or reminders about upcoming day trips and other activities in our District.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you wish to participate, and we encourage you to do so, please send your e-mail address to our Communications Chair: hal@powergate.ca. Use subject: RTO ? E-Mail Address (Messages without this subject will not be opened!)

We currently have some 475 members (almost 20%) participating in our monthly updates. We look forward to adding your name to our lists!

~ Hal McCullough, Communications Chair


RTO/ERO Fact Sheet: Dealing With Identity Theft

ATMS or Point-of-sale (POS) Keypads
* Thieves use tiny cameras hidden on themselves and elsewhere to spy on individuals as they input PINs at ATMs or point-of-sale keypads on checkout counters. Shield the keypad when using these.
* Try not to hand credit cards to servers who take them for processing. Pay at the cashier or insist they bring the machine to the table. Ensure cards are not swiped more than once. Thieves make duplicate passes with the cards, and then steal the information to access accounts.
* PINs should be changed regularly. Personal information should not be on card slips.

Internet and E-mail
* When receiving a new computer, avoid the temptation to go online immediately. Take the time to activate, register and update the virus protection program. Many computers are compromised in the first fifteen minutes online because the operator began to browse before initiating the anti-virus program.
* Most malware is constructed to target Microsoft products (Internet Explorer and Outlook Express). Other products seem less susceptible to attack, might have superior features, and typically are no-cost items, e.g.: Mozilla's Firefox browser and Thunderbird and Google's G-Mail e-mail program.
* Those with DSL or cable high speed service, especially with wireless access, are especially vulnerable to identity thieves. Turn computers off when you are not using them. Protect wireless networks with passwords to protect unwanted access.
* If storing passwords electronically, consider using a removable drive with no locating information on it, instead of a hard drive. Avoid copy-and-pasting passwords. Thieves use programs which harvest data from temporary memory. Remove temporary Internet files regularly.
* Online money transfer services (PayPal is one example) pose significant risks. Register only low-credit-limit credit cards or a low-balance bank account with such a service. See "Phishing" below.
* Never click on a link, then enter personal or account information. Instead, open a new browser and go directly to the company's site and log in from there.
* Install and regularly update appropriate firewalls (free at wwwzonealarm.com), anti-spyware (free at www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx), and virus protection (free at www.avast.com). Routinely (or automatically) check for Windows or other operating system updates and install them.
* Remember that VoiP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) telephones can be hacked and conversations eavesdropped upon. VoiP providers can help users protect themselves against this type of potential identity theft.
* Avoid aiding and abetting spam (unsolicited junk e-mail), the mechanism by which much of online identity threats are spread. Do not forward those jokes, hoaxes, chain letters etc. forwarded to you. If an e-mail must be forwarded, copy and paste it into a new message and send it to a specific individual.
* Avoid sending e-mail messages to entire lists unless the blind carbon copy (Bcc) feature is used, so that individual e-mail addresses are not revealed to the other recipients. Thieves love getting entire e-mail lists and compiling masses of them for sale to spam.

Phishing and Spoofing
* Thieves will send e-mails with special offers or requests for information. Often, such e-mails look legitimate, using exact logos and identifiers of trusted businesses. However, the legitimate businesses never ask for such information or make such offers on line. Sometimes, a tip-off to illegal activity lies in the awkward sentence structure or misspelled words of the message. Forward such messages to the legitimate website of the organization and ask for verification.
* Never click on a link in an unexpected e-mail. If a fraudulent e-mail from its very appearance in an inbox looks suspicious, don't even open it, because the simple act of opening it may compromise a computer. Three sources of such phishing often involve fake banks, E-Bay or PayPal.
* Some e-mails ask to update account information. Immediately forward such requests to the legitimate websites of these or other relevant companies (see above). Financial institutions do not contact clients by e-mail; neither does Microsoft, Bill Gates, etc.

General Information
* Do not leave information open to view, even at home. Keep personal information in a secure place, ideally not in a dresser. Maintain a back-up list of all card numbers with emergency 800 numbers, and include items such as passports, licences, credit cards and SINs. Keep this list in a secure place (with copies for your spouse/partner), but not on the hard drive of a computer.
* Passwords should be changed on a regular basis. Do not use the same password for all applications and don't use obvious passwords such as a mother's maiden name or partner's birth date. Use a password which is case sensitive, alpha-numeric and at least 6 characters long, preferably more. Keep a secure list of your passwords, logins and what each relates to (but not on a hard drive). Update these lists regularly. If possible, passwords and licence/card numbers should be memorized.
* When ordering new or replacement cards, make a note to watch for the incoming mail. If the replacements don't arrive in a week or so, notify the issuers. Cancel all cards not used for six months. "Open" credit is a prime target.
* The three-digit code on the back of a credit card must be safeguarded. If a thief gets it, it is very difficult to prevent unauthorized on line or phone use of the card.
* Do not carry a Social Insurance card, birth certificate or passport unless necessary.
* Be very cautious about using credit cards for on-line payments, and if so, ensure that it's on a secure site (beginning with "https" ? note the 's' at the end of 'http').
* If donating to a tele-marketed charity or responding to a request from someone who asks for personal information, ask them to send a request in the mail or tell them you'll look up their phone number and so that a call will be placed with them to verify the authenticity of the request. Persevere and resist through their encouragement to "do it now, on the phone".
* Do not permit photocopying of documents when asked to provide your ID.
* Use initials on phone directories, not full names.
* Cell phone users who are on line should be vigilant and alert and should seek advice from service providers with respect to protection against identity theft.
* Banks and other financial institutions never ask for personal information over the phone. If someone tries to "verify" an account or asks for "help to catch an internal thief", this is a scam. Try to get a phone number from them and then call the bank to report the phone numbers as possibly fraudulent.
* The Ontario government ensures that property will not be lost as a result of the registration of a falsified mortgage (obtained with stolen identity), a fraudulent sale of property or a counterfeit power of attorney. As well, consumers in Ontario have the right to have fraud alerts placed on their credit report to help stop identity thieves from using their personal information to commit fraud. (See RTO/ERO's Fact Sheet E-10, Mortgage Fraud.)

Glossary
Alpha-numeric / password or code having both letters and numbers, e.g. - postal code P2B 3M5
Bcc / "blind carbon copy", a feature which distributes the message to all on the list but prevents each recipient from seeing the names and addresses of other recipients
Firewall / a program which detects and blocks the attempts of other computers to link with yours without your approval
ISP / Internet service provider
Malware / a generic term for programs written for malicious purpose
Pharming / (pronounced "farming") is an attack aiming to redirect a website's traffic to another, bogus or spoofed website
Phishing / (pronounced "fishing") is an attempt to lure a person into revealing information; occurs both online and by telephone
Spam / unsolicited e-mail, often disguised as an "attractive" opportunity - e.g. - the Nigerian Letter which asks you to help move funds from overseas for a commission, for which purpose you are required to provide your bank account information
Spoofing / attempt to lure person into revealing information by setting up a facsimile website
Zombie / a computer which has been taken over for unscrupulous use, e.g. - to forward spam via your e-mail account with the purpose of distributing a malicious program

~ compiled by George Denny from information gleaned from an RTO Legal Fact Sheet, September, 2009.
Reprinted with permission.


 DATES TO REMEMBER ~ 2010

Dates to Remember

Every Tuesday, Bridge Club (12:30pm) (Beginning Again September 7, 2010)

August 28  2010  Baseball: Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers
September 7  2010  Executive Meeting – Everyone Welcome
September 8  2010  Stratford: the Tempest
September 14  2010  B4k Golf Tournament – Mill Run
September 22  2010  Champagne Brunch for New Retirees
September 27-30  2010  Agawa Canyon
September 30  2010  Stratford: Evita
October 7  2010  Health Seminar: Diabetes
October 14  2010  Executive Meeting – Everyone Welcome
October 21  2010  Shaw: Harvey
October 26/27  2010  Fall Senate
October 28  2010  Fall Luncheon — Q-ssis Banquet Hall
November 4  2010  Executive Meeting – Everyone Welcome
November 24  2010  Old Mill: Mysteriously Yours
December 1  2010  Fall Newsletter Delivery (Approx.)
December 1  2010  Christmas Luncheon at S.g.&c.c.
December 10  2010  Christmas in the Country
January 6  2011  Executive Meeting – Everyone Welcome
March 1  2011  Spring Newsletter Delivery (Approx.)
April 25-29  2011  New York City

Last Friday of Month Deadline for next RTO 24 E-news
1st Day of the Month RTO 24 E-news E-mailed

Seasons Change On:, Sept 23; Dec 21 | Mar 20; June 21
Daylight Saving Time:, Ends Nov 7, '10; Begins Mar 13, '11


MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO… BEYOND THE BLACKBOARD

Since the next issue of Beyond the Blackboard will be coming your way around the end of June 2008, why not:

Submissions may be sent in AppleWorks (.cwk), Word Perfect (.wpd), MSWord (.doc), or text (.txt). Please do not format. Or send it via Canada Post — handwritten or typed. My address is on our executive link above.

Send your submission to the editor: hal@powergate.ca 
Use the subject: RTO - Newsletter submission. Submissions without this heading will not be opened!


IF YOU ARE YOU MOVING

Do these apply to you?...

Moving?…
Address information incorrect?…

contact Dianne Vezeau at RTO/ERO:
in writing: 18 Spadina Road, Toronto, ON M5R 2S7
by phone: 416.962.9463 or 1.800.361.9888 (ext 223)
by e-mail: dvezeau@rto-ero.org

do not contact the newsletter editor or the membership chair