Downtown Owen Sound’s Bikeface Cycling recently shared some information with us about the Share the Road Coalition.  The coalition is a provincial cycling advocacy organization created to unite cycling organizations from across Ontario and work with and on behalf of municipalities to enhance their ability to make their communities more bicycle- friendly. The organization’s mandate is province-wide with a specific focus on developing public policy at the provincial level in order to provide the kind of legislative, programmatic and funding instruments such as exist in other Canadian provinces notably Quebec and British Columbia.

With cycling a burgeoning mode of transportation across the globe, and communities looking to enhance the health and well being of their citizens, the Coalition is developing partnerships with like-minded stakeholders across Ontario and has focused on developing partnerships geared to building a Bicycle Friendly Ontario. The organization began in memory of OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart, the husband of our Founder, Eleanor McMahon, killed in a cycling tragedy in June 2006.

Since its inception, the Coalition has focused on outreach work with a view to building partnerships with active transportation stakeholders notably: cycling advocates, local cycling clubs, organizations and municipal advisory groups, municipal leaders and officials, law enforcement, planners, provincial politicians and officials, public health professionals, and funders. By uniting Ontarians who share a common set of objectives we are committed to leveraging the resources of those who have those common interests, with the objective of making Ontario the most bicycle friendly jurisdiction in the world.

For more information about the Share the Road Coalition, you can visit their website at www.sharetheroad.ca, or contact Patty Marr or Doug Miller at Bikeface Cycling in Downtown Owen Sound (269 10th Street East – 519-376-9777).

Also:  Please remember that bicycle riding on sidewalks is not only very dangerous, it is against the law in Owen Sound. (click here for more info)

The Ann Milne School of Dance along with organizers of the second annual Dancing for Life are proud to announce the final totals from this year’s event.

Dance Instructor Ann Milne says they’re going to be able to donate a total of $48,600.00 to be split among the local branches of The Canadian Cancer Society, The Children’s Aid Society, The Alzheimer’s Society and Community Living.

The event was held June 18th and 19th at OSCVI and featured several local celebrity dancers including business owners, dignitaries and officers from the Owen Sound Police Service.

The three shows, performed over Father’s Day weekend, were seen by close to 1,800 residents.

For further information contact:

Ann Milne at the “Ann Milne School of Dance” – 519-371-0341 or annmilnedance@hotmail.com

Streets Alive! Owen Sound’s Busker Extravaganza is a grassroots busking festival showcasing a wide variety of local and non local performers and seasoned veterans, in the age old tradition of crowd involvement and pure unadulterated exciting entertainment!

This cultural showcase features many types of busking acts, and literally the “Streets will be Alive!’” with an energizing array of eclectic performances that entice the audience with each act.

Cheer on your neighbours, family, and friends new and old, as they let loose and perform for you as you wander through the downtown core enchanted by their whimsical artistic delights.

Mark your calendars for August 13th and 14th

• Friday the 13th Kick Off: 8 to 10 pm – City Hall Plaza
  Rain venue: under Farmers’ Market Canopy
• Saturday the 14th main event: 10 am to 4 pm
  Throughout Downtown Owen Sound
  Info booth: City Hall Plaza
• Saturday night: 8 to 10 pm “Big Hat Jam” session outside at market/city hall parking lot – everyone welcome!

More info on Streets Alive! Owen Sound’s Busker Extravaganza

• Click here to see us on Facebook
• For info about the 2010 StreetsAlive! Busker Extravaganza, contact Doug Cleverley at dcleverley@owensound.ca.
• For information about last year’s event, click here
• To see photos from last year’s event, click here

Streets Alive! Owen Sound’s Busker Extravaganza is presented by

Date: August 5, 2010

Where: Owen Sound Farmers’ Market

Time: 5pm to 7pm

Cost: Adults $10 -  Children $6

Tickets: Available form Market vendors or by calling Tom at 519-376-8571

Defrauders use several strategies to read credit and debit card magnetic strips. For example, skimming is the transfer of data from a customer’s card to another source for fraudulent purposes. Cloning occurs when electronic equipment is inserted into the terminal in order to capture the card information, allowing them to create false cards to perform fraudulent transactions.

The skimming/cloning equipment is small and often difficult to identify. Typically it is hidden within the point-of-sale terminal (PST) so that neither the merchant, nor the cardholder knows that the terminal has been compromised. In addition, criminals may on occasion insert a very small digital camera to record the PIN being entered by the cardholder.

Card fraud affects everyone in the payment chain. It is important that the cardholder feels comfortable using credit and/or debit cards. Cardholders quickly learn where a merchant has been compromised and avoid using that location again. Protecting the community from fraud is a priority for the Owen Sound Police Service. Their “Stick it to Crime” prevention plan protects both the customer and merchant.

Program Outline:

Identity theft and fraud by means or skimming and card cloning is becoming a large problem. As part of a prevention plan, point-of-sale terminals (PST) at local businesses feature a security seal which is located on the side of the terminal. If the PST is opened or an attempt is made to remove the seal, the seal is destroyed. The seal prevents the insertion of cloning systems into the terminal as well as identifying when a PST has been replaced with a false terminal used for cloning. The security seals are managed by Owen Sound Police Service with the cooperation of local business owners.

How it Works:

Secure point-of-sale terminals (PST) can be identified with a police issued security seal. The security seal binds pieces of the PST together so that it is impossible to open the PST without damaging the seal. One security seal is assigned to a PST. Each security seal is registered with Owen Sound Police Service and verifies that the PST has not been tampered with. The Owen Sound Police Service have record of the business, the serial number of their PST and its corresponding security seal number. This allows them to know if a PST has been replaced with a clone system. Storekeepers will contact the Owen Sound Police Service when a seal has to be changed for reasons including wear and tear, a replaced terminal, or tampering. A reminder to check the seals will be sent to partners, and it is up to the business managers to monitor the condition of their own seals.

What to Look For:

The security seal is red in colour and has the Owen Sound Police Service logo on it. Printed on each security seal are the words “USE CAUTION IF SEAL IS DAMAGED”. Each seal bears a different 6-digit identification number, which is linked to a business as well as to a point-of-sale terminal serial number.

PHOTO OF SEAL

When the security seal becomes worn, or if someone has removed or tampered with it, the word “VOID” appears. This visual aid indicates that the terminal may have been tampered with or may have been opened to permit the installation of a card cloning device. If a sticker is missing or damaged, there may be a problem. In this case the terminal will be inspected, and if secure, a new security seal will be issued.

PHOTO OF DAMAGED SEAL

Tips:

• Chip and PIN (personal identification number) cards make cloning near impossible. Inquire at your personal banking branch to obtain your own chip and PIN card.
• Cover up the PIN pad as best you can when putting in your PIN numbers.
• Never let your credit or debit card out of your sight or hands.
• Use caution if using a machine without a security seal or with a seal that says VOID, which may indicate tampering .

Mission Statement:

The Owen Sound Police Service “Stick it to Crime” fraud prevention operates in cooperation with local business and cardholders. The identification of secure point-of-sale terminals, along with an indication of whether a terminal has been tampered with, will help reduce theft and fraud related to credit and debit card cloning.

For More Information:

Constable Chris Hartley, Community Service Officer
Owen Sound Police Service
Phone: 519-376-1234 Ext. 142
E-mail: chartley@owensoundpolice.com

• Click here for July 19, 2010 Media Release

They will be taping 15 second community spots of local businesses and business people that will be aired randomly during commercial time periods. This is a great way to advertise your business; for free!

Please contact Amanda at Rogers TV for more information at 519.376.2832.

We are pleased to provide a variety of short and long term parking options to accommodate your visit to our downtown shopping district.

• Please click here to download the Owen Sound Downtown Parking Map (124kb PDF)
• Please click here to go to the City of Owen Sound website for Parking Rates and more information

If you have any questions regarding parking please contact:
Owen Sound City Hall
Parking Division
519-376-4440
ext. 1237, 1266, or 1284
www.owensound.ca

The Owen Sound Police Service is launching their new “Stick It To Crime” crime prevention initiative.

The strategy is designed to prevent the rapidly increasing incidents of fraud, committed through the theft of electronic information from personal banking and credit cards, at point of sale terminals (debit pin pads).

Fraudsters are very skilled and quick at installing “skimming” devices inside the point of sale terminals or changing out the entire terminal with an identical clone terminal. The compromised terminals continue to operate properly and often go undetected by the merchant. The fraudster will return after a period of time and retrieve their installed devices, now full of personal electronic banking information. The information is used to fraudulently withdraw funds from accounts.

The “Stick It To Crime” program places a serial numbered security seal on the terminal in a location which makes it impossible to insert skimming devices without damaging the seal or insert a clone terminal containing the same security seal. The seal cannot be removed and re-applied. The seal noticeably changes appearance and indicates “VOID” once removed.

The Owen Sound Police Service is working cooperatively with the Owen Sound Downtown Improvement Area (DIA) to roll out the first phase of the initiative to the downtown merchants before expanding the initiative across the city.

The security seals will be managed by the Owen Sound Police Service in cooperation with local business owners.

The Owen Sound Police Service is committed to preventing all types of crime, including fraud. The “Stick It To Crime” initiative offers both the merchant and customer enhanced protection against fraud.

The official launch of the program will take place tomorrow (Tuesday July 20, 2010)  at 10:00 a.m. at “The Rocking Horse” store, downtown Owen Sound.

click on image to enlarge