Mayoral candidate Joe Pantalone unveiled his proposed "plan for civic values" yesterday, which aims to mend the existing disconnect between citizens and municipal politics. Highlights of the plan include: introducing online voting and allowing non-citizen (permanent residents) to vote in municipal elections, and conducting committee meetings during evenings so that more residents can attend.

CAA is now offering emergency roadside bicycle assistance to its paying auto club members. Unfortunately, the program does not yet offer assistance for what is likely the most common bike-related problem -- a flat tire. But if you happen to find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you lock your keys in your bike with the windows up and the engine running, CAA will be there to help.

Who's NOT bitching about security during the G20? Contemporary Security Canada, the Vancouver-based company given the contract to provide security isn't. And the 1,100 workers who will each be paid $20/hr to $24/hr to operate airport-style security checkpoints at "the biggest security event in Canadian history" aren't complaining either.

How big is the oil spill down in the Gulf of Mexico, in terms we can relate to? A picture is worth a thousand words.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is planning its first ever professional development conference, to take place at the Air Canada Centre in the fall. The theme of the meeting is "belief" and they're brining in Nikki Yanofsky (remember that Canadian Olympic theme song that we didn't hear quite enough of during the winter games in Vancouver?) to sing at the pep rally. Critics are calling the conference a waste of money, which has organizers making moves to effectively reduce the costs to taxpayers.

Grocery shoppers in the Junction and Bloor West and beyond are being advised to look carefully at their sausages before gobbling them down. Someone has been tampering with Piller's brand Polish sausage, and the last thing anyone needs is a needle in the mouth or throat.

And if you can stomach the thought of a woman standing accused of a truly horrific crime, for the second time, read on. An ex-stripper is facing disturbing allegations that her newborn baby died during child birth and that she then stored the corpse in a freezer for two years before tossing it in the Humber river. What makes things worse is that she was previously tried for a similar crime and charges were dropped when the Crown couldn't put together a strong enough case.

Photo: "@ King & Yonge St" by sdeborja, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.