Tony Zerucha

Online fraud is on the rise – protect yourself

While society as a whole is doing a slightly better job of protecting itself online, we can still do a whole lot better, according to the results of a recent study by Security.org. While it surveyed 1,000 Americans, Canadians display similar behaviours.

Sweets to Go will keep you coming back

Every aspect of Sweets to Go is designed to make you feel at home, from the rustic decor down to the delicious treats.

Volker Hanke knows his fish

Volker Hanke’s had a passion for fish for more than a half-century. It followed him from Germany to Winnipeg. Now he wants to share his enjoyment with the community.

Honouring the tattoo tradition

Recently opened at 1416 Erin St., Born Wild Tattoo is a throwback to the older style of shops, where the walls are filled with designs to choose from, owner Shawn Farrell said. Long appreciative of the practice and art of tattooing, Farrell said he looks forward to helping people pick the right kind of design to express themselves through.

On the fast track to success

Take a large group of motivated athletes, mix in hard work and add good coaching. That’s the recipe for success for Dakota Collegiate’s boys’ track and field team.

A heartfelt thank you

I hope you’re not tired of hearing stories about how generous Manitobans are because I have one more for you.

Smart-saving company earns TIME accolade

A man with deep Winnipeg connections has come up with an idea so engaging that it earned him a spot on Time Magazine’s list of 2022’s top inventions. (See wfp.to/SVW.)

Donate unwanted warm clothing this fall

The kids are back at school, and amateur football is in full swing. That means it’s fall, and winter is soon behind.

Build your credit rating while renting

While making on-time mortgage payments can help people build a credit history, paying rent did not — until now. The innovation comes at a good time, as higher prices are forcing some people to delay buying homes of their own.

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’…

Because the need never stops, neither does marathon cyclist Arvid Loewen.

Camp Manitou adds lake, biking trails

HEADINGLEY

Karma Yoga helps support Main Street Project

Susan Burko is a Winnipeg woman who raises funds for Main Street Project by teaching yoga classes amid the beautiful backdrop of Kildonan Park.

You can take the boy out of Winnipeg…

A recent business trip to New York City brought me reminders of Winnipeg, both good and bad.

In late May, I spent five nights in the heart of New York at the Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square. The location is perfect, as the rooftop terrace is across the street from the ball that drops on New Year’s Eve. As soon as you step onto the road, you are on Broadway, with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playing a half-block away.

Walk a few more minutes, and you will see theatres hosting the likes of Hugh Jackman, Billy Crystal, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Matthew Broderick in Plaza Suite. Add the giant video screens and tourists from around the world, and the place is electric 24/7.

I sat in the hotel lounge on my first evening in town, enjoying a pint. To my right were a musician and PR agent discussing a tour and speaking of legendary bands (the musician’s back was to me, and I could not place him). Directly in front of me was a group of folks talking about theatre.

Don’t take refugee stories for granted

As Winnipeg begins to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country, I urge you to not get tired of their stories, because they are in need of everything and will need our help for some time.

My church is helping two families who have made it over and we are working to bring more over on our own dime. The cost is high, but we will keep helping.

The first family saw their oldest daughter get married a few days before the invasion. Days later, they were awakened by a call from Canada telling them Russia had invaded. They didn’t believe it until a few minutes later, when they heard the planes flying overhead on their way to bomb a nearby military base. The husband rushed to find a working ATM, picked up his wife and two young kids, and they fled to Romania. They worked their way to Winnipeg where within a week he found a job, and they rented an apartment.

The second family had an emergency suitcase ready, along with provisions in case they had to hide in the woods or a bomb shelter with three kids aged two, 11 and 14. They made their way to the Polish border, where the lineup to cress stretched 12 kilometres and only moved four kilometres each day. After a day in line, they had to leave because their youngest had a fever.

Be careful with your information online

Fraudsters have picked up some new tricks during the pandemic, so it’s best to prepare yourself.

Because we were suddenly confined to our homes back in 2020, people began interacting with call centres en masse, as we could not go down to our banks or stores to deal with issues in-person. Those calls were more frequent and several studies I’ve read show they also lasted longer on average, too. We don’t like waiting and neither do scammers, so they changed their activities to make best use of their time, according to a few experts I have interviewed for some of my freelance work.

Here is a list of the information that scammers seek out, and where find it:

• Phone numbers, names, social insurance numbers and account numbers of millions of people can be bought on the dark web;

Grandpa’s backyard a family hub

While Arvid Loewen is best known for summer pursuits that benefit African children, he also spends his winters blessing youngsters much closer to home.For many years Loewen has cycled thousands of kilometres each summer, setting several Guinness world records in the process. He and his bicycle have raised more than $8 million for Mully Children’s family, a street rescue mission in Kenya. In one year alone his goal was to raise enough money to provide 600,000 meals to children. Since being introduced to the cause many years ago, Loewen said he was compelled to help. The physical suffering he endured each year was secondary to blessing children whose suffering was far worse.While Loewen has likely engaged in his last super-long cycling event, he is still keeping busy finding ways to help his 11 grandchildren burn off some energy. When winter hits, his grandkids and their friends flock to what he calls the Loewen Winterplex, a recreation centre located in his backyard.“We are fortunate to live in the city, but on a deep lot, 52 feet by  229 feet,” Loewen said. “Since our kids were children, our backyard has been a children’s paradise.”Just like Loewen’s summer bike rides, the Winterplex is no small affair. The rink is 2,600 square feet and there is also an ice luge to enjoy. In the summer he offers zip lining, volleyball courts, soccer and a climbing wall.The fun began when Loewen’s children were small, around a quarter century ago. After a few years’ break as those children started their own families, the backyard is bustling again as those 11 grandkids and their friends flock to the Winterplex. Loewen estimates he gets between 300 and 500 visits every winter.But there’s no free lunch. Each fall there’s a family work day when the rink boards and other materials are brought out. In the spring, the crew comes back to take down the winter gear and set up for warmer weather.There are some incentives, both for setting up and as a break from the fun. Grandma Ruth Loewen is noted for her chocolate chip cookies, and when a crowd is expected a fresh batch goes in the oven.“There is not a single child I know of who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies,” Loewen said.Loewen said he loves having the children over and the more, the merrier. When they want to have a game, some of his children and their spouses send out an email blast with the date and time. Usually a good crowd shows up, with the kids playing and the parents staying warm by a bonfire. Some times they even have a wiener roast.“We’re giving these kids an alternative to the video games inside and that’s a big deal,” Loewen said. “We’re the grandparents with the cool backyard.”Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com

While Arvid Loewen is best known for summer pursuits that benefit African children, he also spends his winters blessing youngsters much closer to home.

For many years Loewen has cycled thousands of kilometres each summer, setting several Guinness world records in the process. He and his bicycle have raised more than $8 million for Mully Children’s family, a street rescue mission in Kenya. In one year alone his goal was to raise enough money to provide 600,000 meals to children. 

Since being introduced to the cause many years ago, Loewen said he was compelled to help. The physical suffering he endured each year was secondary to blessing children whose suffering was far worse.

Hoping that holiday travel plans will hold

If the past two years has taught me anything, it is to be grateful for the little things in life and to not take anything for granted.In pre-pandemic times, there were a lot more givens in my life, from the mundane — such as knowing there would be toilet paper at the store whenever I needed it — to the more important, such as being able to count down the days until my brother and his family from the United States get off the plane at the airport for their annual Christmas visit. They did not come up last year, so we opened gifts over FaceTime. While it was nice to see them, it was sad that we couldn’t be together.While they have their tickets booked to come up this Christmas, their actual arrival is far from guaranteed. First there were worries that because my sister-in-law visited her family in Turkey and returned to the United States less than two weeks before they come here that there could be restrictions on her travel. So far so good, but she hasn’t got on a plane yet and multiple experiences with ticket agents and border guards leave us tense until we learn they have made it past.Then comes making sure they have proof of their vaccinations and confirming that the proof they have will be sufficient at both the airport and customs. It was during this process that my brother learned the person who gave my nephew his first shot never entered the information in the state data base, so he had to go back to the lab and get them to change it.There are also worries about changing government restrictions to contend with. In preparation for their flights back to the United States, my family had to book tests within so many hours of their departure time. As they are leaving Jan. 2, that initially meant needing to get one New Year’s Eve but then the United States said they need proof of a negative test within 24 hours so they had to find a place open on New Year’s Day, which they did.So, as arrival day approaches, we are cautiously hopeful our family will all be together soon. It’s been two years, and since the last time several relatives have died, the health of others has declined and everyone is two years older. Milestones and even births have been missed. We hope it all comes together because the last two years have reinforced that more time together is not guaranteed.Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com

If the past two years has taught me anything, it is to be grateful for the little things in life and to not take anything for granted.

In pre-pandemic times, there were a lot more givens in my life, from the mundane — such as knowing there would be toilet paper at the store whenever I needed it — to the more important, such as being able to count down the days until my brother and his family from the United States get off the plane at the airport for their annual Christmas visit. They did not come up last year, so we opened gifts over FaceTime. While it was nice to see them, it was sad that we couldn’t be together.

While they have their tickets booked to come up this Christmas, their actual arrival is far from guaranteed. First there were worries that because my sister-in-law visited her family in Turkey and returned to the United States less than two weeks before they come here that there could be restrictions on her travel. So far so good, but she hasn’t got on a plane yet and multiple experiences with ticket agents and border guards leave us tense until we learn they have made it past.

Help others help themselves with Kiva

I have been writing about financial technology for the past decade and I have been fortunate to meet dozens of people who have devoted their lives to using technology to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. These brilliant minds fuse their experience with some combination of mobile technology, the internet, satellites, artificial intelligence, and computer algorithms to devise ways of helping people become self-sufficient.In the world’s poorest or most remote areas that can be quite a chore. So many things we take for granted in North America — such as clean water, telecommunications, safe roads, banking, and even our health — are luxuries in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and yes, even close to home. Yet these folks labour on, and in many cases are making a clear difference in many lives.One such organization that has been helping people help themselves for more than 10 years is Kiva (kiva.org), a not-for-profit based in San Francisco. I met one of Kiva’s executives once and have remained in touch.Kiva crowdfunds loans for people’s most basic needs. For as little as $25, you can support dozens of worthy causes that benefit people with whom you can empathize on some level.You can help a family send their children to school, start a business or get access to clean water or heat. Filters allow you to help people in specific parts of the world, or those looking needing specific types of assistance such as single parents or businesspeople. Every cent loaned goes to the causes.Astute readers will notice the use of words such as “loan” and “borrow”. When you support someone on Kiva, they will pay you back. It helps create self-sufficiency and makes your dollars go farther. Kiva has attracted 4.1 million borrowers and 1.9 million lenders who have provided $1.66 billion in loans at a 96.3 per cent repayment rate.“We believe lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic and social good,” Kiva’s website states. Working with partners like schools and micro-finance institutions on the ground in these countries, Kiva sources applicants, underwrites them and posts them for supporters to fund. Many campaigns are backed by people and companies who will match support dollar for dollar or even multiple dollars per dollar lent. The money goes far.In Rwanda, Eliel seeks $1,000 for fabrics and two machines for his tailoring shop, while in Panama Edgar Arquel requires $2,100 for construction materials, chickens and planting supplies. Over in Indonesia, Rumyati’s children need a smart phone to continue their studies because their school was shut down during the pandemic. Hop over to Tajikistan and Zakir needs help with school supplies.There’s a quote that has been attributed to many from the Navajo Nation to Lao-Tzu but it is so true: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”  Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com

I have been writing about financial technology for the past decade and I have been fortunate to meet dozens of people who have devoted their lives to using technology to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. 

These brilliant minds fuse their experience with some combination of mobile technology, the internet, satellites, artificial intelligence, and computer algorithms to devise ways of helping people become self-sufficient.

In the world’s poorest or most remote areas that can be quite a chore. So many things we take for granted in North America — such as clean water, telecommunications, safe roads, banking, and even our health — are luxuries in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and yes, even close to home. Yet these folks labour on, and in many cases are making a clear difference in many lives.

Paunovic stars in first NFT movie

Winnipegger Aleks Paunovic has enjoyed a great film career and once again he finds himself in a special place.Over more than quarter-century in acting, Paunovic has been in movies and shows with Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates and Michelle Pfeiffer and played key roles in Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes, Snowpiercer and Van Helsing. He has appeared in a number of Canadian TV shows, and keeps a busy schedule.Paunovic recently filmed a movie with the legendary Anthony Hopkins called Zero Contact. It tells the story of a recently deceased billionaire played by Hopkins who unites five people from around the world to defeat his greatest invention, which he fears could destroy mankind. That would be special enough on its own but the story gets even better.Zero Contact will be the first movie to premiere as a ‘non-fungible token’.  NFTs provide digital ownership of physical products and are similar to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. A relatively new concept, NFTs have been used to create digital sports cards and art and are being developed to represent fractional ownership of everything from real estate to sports cars.Canadian Cameron Chell owns CurrencyWorks, the company developing the Zero Contact NFT along with Vuele, a distribution platform for direct-to-consumer, full-length feature film NFTs. Owing to its uniqueness and Hopkins’ involvement, Zero Contact is creating plenty of excitement, and for good reason.Chell believes it will radically alter how entertainment companies and celebrities interact with fans. Zero Contact, for example, will be released in a series of NFTs, including a single NFT containing two different editions of the movie, beginning with the only copy of an earlier version shot with a different actor playing Hopkins’ role. There will be other added goodies too, such as outtakes and a role for the buyer of that single NFT in Zero Contact (the part can be shot and digitally inserted into the copy). Another version with several benefits is limited to 10 NFTs, making them scarce.This is just the beginning, Chell told me. He sees Vuele becoming a marketplace where movie buffs gather to share their love of movies and trade collectibles such as NFTs. Many celebrities, such as Tom Brady, Eminem and Snoop Dogg have created their own NFTs. Done properly, they offer fans the chance to collect unique memorabilia of stars they follow, such as photographs and unique videos, all of them in limited quantities. Basketball player Spencer Dinwiddie has his own company, Calaxy, that helps other celebrities create their own NFTs.NFTs are the future of how movies will be premiered, Chell predicts. Before the red carpet gala or opening weekend, there will be an NFT release. If you want to see it first, you have to get the NFT. Imagine owning the first copy of your favourite classic movie and being able to prove with a digital record that it is indeed the first That is what NFTs can do.  Tony Zerucha is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email him at tzerucha@gmail.com

Winnipegger Aleks Paunovic has enjoyed a great film career and once again he finds himself in a special place.

Over more than quarter-century in acting, Paunovic has been in movies and shows with Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates and Michelle Pfeiffer and played key roles in Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes, Snowpiercer and Van Helsing. He has appeared in a number of Canadian TV shows, and keeps a busy schedule.

Paunovic recently filmed a movie with the legendary Anthony Hopkins called Zero Contact. It tells the story of a recently deceased billionaire played by Hopkins who unites five people from around the world to defeat his greatest invention, which he fears could destroy mankind. That would be special enough on its own but the story gets even better.

New linebacker comes into his own for Rifles

He lost a pivotal year of development and switched positions at training camp, but the Winnipeg Rifles’ newest linebacker is adjusting quite well.

Through the Rifles’ first three games, Brandon Kamenz was second in the Prairie Football Conference with 49 defensive points. His 17 tackles were also second-best in the six-team league. In Rifles’ first win of the season on Sept. 12, a 20-18 squeaker against the Edmonton Wildcats, Kamenz played a key role, forcing a fumble and taking an interception 65 yards to the house for a touchdown.

“The tight end motioned across the line and I bumped down to pick him up,” Kamenz said of his pick-six. “I jumped in front and made the interception.”

“It was a game-changing play,” Rifles head coach Geordie Wilson said. “Brandon read that play and took it in from 65 yards. That took the score from 6-0 to 13-0. It made a big difference.”

School sports help kids develop as people

While the Louis Riel School Division’s new sport convenor’s first priority is getting some school activities up and running after the shutdown, she has much bigger plans for down the road.

“I’m excited to be here. Everyone’s been awesome,” Jordana Milne began.

That said, she begins her role as schools are hopefully coming out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means getting existing programs and sports activities up and running again after a year or more of inactivity. She is developing ways to encourage participation.

“We learned some valuable lessons during the pandemic, “Milne said. “Teachers showed their resilience by developing alternative teaching methods that incorporated more outdoor instruction, for example.”

Get ready to rip old documents at Shred Fest

Many of us have used some of the extra time we’ve had over the past couple of years to do some home cleaning but are now left wondering what to do with those stacks of old documents we no longer need.

Don’t worry, because Patrick LeBlanc and the St. Boniface St. Vital Rotary Club have you covered with the Rotary/Teen Stop Jeunesse Shred Fest. Taking place Sat., Sept. 25 in the parking lot at St. Vital Centre between the transit loop and CIBC on Meadowood Drive, the event gives everyone an opportunity to safely and securely dispose of personal and business documents in an environmentally friendly way.

The suggested donation is $10 per banker’s box and they request you remove Shannon Files and bull clips which can damage machinery. The hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LeBlanc, who has served with the Rotary Club for 20 years, is also the executive director of Teen Stop Jeunesse. He said the Rotary Club has always been there for the charity which operates programs and a drop-in centre for people ages eight to 18.

Artist’s new show celebrates celebrations

Connie Wawruck-Hemmett produces works in a variety of media and her output is influenced by an eclectic range of experiences and subjects.

They come together in Carnivalia: Art by Connie Wawruck-Hemmett, her latest exhibit at the Wayne Arthur Gallery, located at 186 Provencher Blvd. The exhibit runs Tuesdays through Saturdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Sept. 29.

“My first memory from when I was kid was my mom saying ‘there’s not a single piece of paper in this house that Connie hasn’t drawn on’,” Wawruck-Hemmett said with a chuckle.

Money was often scarce in her early years, so Wawruck-Hemmett worked with whatever supplies were handy. That was good preparation for an artistic career that has seen her create with pretty much every medium save for oil-based paints, she said. In high school her teacher was renowned artist Ted Korol, whom Wawruck-Hemmett described as an amazing teacher.