The price of renaming

Just over a year ago, some of our Centennial College student reporters were assembling the latest edition of the East York Observer newspaper. One reporter had been assigned to cover a media conference at the regional hospital in the area. She returned to explain that the hospital, which for probably half a century was known as the Toronto East General Hospital, was now going to be called the Michael Garron Hospital, in honour of the son of long-time hospital donors, Myron and Berna Garron. Michael Burns, the chair of the old TEGH, explained it to our reporter this way.

“If you’re lucky, once in a lifetime a truly extraordinary philanthropic gesture transforms an institution and care for thousands of people,” he said. “We are humbled and beyond grateful that our hospital is in receipt of such a remarkable and historic gesture.” (more…)

Send in the lip synchers

Beyonce sort of singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Photo Spin.com

Monday’s inauguration of the U.S. president seemed quite a success. Barak Obama had come from behind to win the November election. He had survived the fiscal cliff debacle. Now all he had to do was put his hand on a Bible and repeat the oath of office to begin his second term. And unlike the flub of the oath line during the 2008 inauguration, it seemed to go flawlessly. Then, Kristin duBois, a master sergeant from the U.S. Marine Band, spilled the beans.

“We all know Beyonce can sing,” she told ABC News, “We all know the Marine Corps can play (the anthem.) We do not know why she decided to go with the pre-recorded music.”

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