At least there's one person at city council who doesn't want to go easy on police and fire services when it comes to the budget. Toronto's city manager, Joe Pennachetti, says if Toronto councillors spare police and firefighters their 10 per cent cut, then programs and services that are dear to our hearts will bear the brunt of the cost-savings. But, then, of course the mayor said police cuts are at the bottom of his list - and we all know how he feels about libraries.

It's one of the city's biggest conundrums: condos versus conservation. This time the debate involves a stretch of Kingston Road in the Upper Beaches. A developer wants to transform the forsaken stretch of road into a condominium complex, but doing so would threaten a nearby ravine.

You may have already noticed, but those Google Street View cars are back in Toronto, taking updated photos of public spaces and kind of creeping us out at the same time. They're also shuttling Google's smaller pedi-cabs, which are taking shots of those hard-to-reach places like Toronto Island and Canada's Wonderland.

Another Toronto author has some words for Rob Ford, but this time she's going to let her own children's book do most of the talking. Author Vikki VanSickle is dropping off signed copies of her book "Words that Start with B" to every Toronto councillor today in response to a questionable encounter with the mayor. Apparently when VanSickle was speaking to the executive committee against library cuts at last week's marathon meeting, Ford muttered "I can think of another word for her" into his mic. Any guesses to which word he was referring?

Toronto police put the crackdown on cyclists yesterday, doling out hundreds of tickets to cyclists near Danforth and Broadview Avenues. One of the biggest offences? Missing bicycle bells. The hefty fee? $110. Cyclists say the price is too high; police say enforcement is the only way to get through to people.

IN BRIEF:

• La Palette removes horsemeat from its menu
• Ford catches big fish with Harper (video)
• TIFF unveils doc lineup
• Toronto to host UFC 140 at ACC
• Chinese artist Ai Weiwei tours downtown Toronto
• Flashpoint leads Gemini noms
• Toronto couple donates $2-million to fight Africa famine
• Jays pounded by Rays