A 3 a.m. rampage through Bennington Heights has left nine cars destroyed by fire and one home on Burhman Rd badly damaged. The reckless person or persons responsible for this outrage set fire to a car in the garage of the Burhham home where a boy, said to be two years old, was sleeping. He escaped, as did everyone else in the vicinity. Cam Wooley said on CP24 that the cars were unlocked, permitting the culprit to set fire to the inside. A woman on Burnham said she and her husband heard a thump about 3 a.m. and then saw bright lights outside their home. The Audi parked out front was in flames. Councillor John Parker (Ward 26) said the crimes appear to have begun near Bayview and Moore Aves where the windows of the Hasty Market were broken. There seems to be a chance that video in the store may have captured images of perpetrator, one or more. Photos: from top, burned cars on Brendan Rd., Burnham Rd., Councillor Parker speaks to reporters. burned home on Burnham.  CP24  Later post

John Child

The victory late in April of the Leaside Lightning Girls U18 volleyball team in the provincial championship has thrown a new focus on the Leaside Volleyball League operated by John Child. A three-time Olympian and Bronze Medalist in Beach Volleyball, Child decided to pursue his love of the game in a lifetime of training girls and boys to play the sport. The girls of the Ontario champions LVL Red Team (above) are at the pinnacle of their young time as high school volleyballers in a program that has brought them along from age eight. It’s purpose is to help get boys and girls interested in volleyball at a young age. Like all house leagues the players come from all over but Child says most come from Leaside or nearby. Practices and instruction take place in the early evening. There are seven girls teams housed at the York School on Yonge St. The boys practice at St. Micheal’s College School and at Blantyre Public School in Scarborough,  Each session consists of 45 minutes of warm up and skill development, followed by 45 minutes of structured game play. John has coached for many years at various levels from aspiring Olympians to young beginners, including being the head coach of the Havergal College Volleyball program and their five teams. This year, he is coach of the U16 Leaside Thunder boys team. The U18 girls are in national championship play in Calgary this week and there is high hope they can extend their Ontario championship to a cross country supremacy. Stay tuned. Their coaches are Melvin Lowe and Gaby Jobst, seen with the team above after their victory in the provincial tournament in Waterloo on April 27, 2014. Previous post  Leaside Volleyball League