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A large crowd of mostly young parents and their toddlers gathered in June Rowlands Park at Davisville Ave. and Mt Pleasant Rd. today to honour and to be entertained by Sharon, Lois and Bram. It was a remarkable turnout for the venerable children’s musical group. The crowd was estimated at perhaps as many 2,000 over the length of the afternoon. The occasion was an initiative spearheaded by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) to name the playground in the park after the Toronto group. Now aged between 73 and 77 years of age, Sharon, Lois and Bram showed they had lost none of their vitality and ability to excite kids and parents alike. The pictures inset show the group rendering “Comin’ Round the Mountain” complete with essential “toot toot” gestures. It seems likely few children’s entertainers have been able to fuse the generations in quite the way Sharon, Lois and Bram did at Rowlands Park. The group was formed in 1978 but received an enormous breakthrough when they were picked up by the CBC in 1984 and created The Elephant Show. The children of that day clapped and sang with their own kids on this fine May Saturday (picture bottom). Wikipedia
The development known as 126 Manor Road has finally begun with the demolition of the home at that address. Local residents will know that this home sits on the northwest corner of Manor and Redpath Ave. It is a three-way intersection where Redpath ends and over the years the old residence and the lot on which it sat went totally to seed. A large amount of growth and at least three unmaintained trees grew on the property. Today, the Davey Tree Service was writing up the final verdict on this strange wood. The scrubby brush has been pretty much removed and as far as Davey is concerned the remaining trees might be nice for squirrels but ít would be hard for anyone else to love them. Right now, they are scheduled to be cut down. Seems like a good call. As recorded here in a previous post, the lot will become the home to semi-detached homes after a previous three-unit plan was turned down. It was nip and tuck to keep the project from going to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). The offices of Josh Matlow (Ward 22) managed to keep negotiations alive with the owner of the property and an alternative plan was agreed on. Photos: Top and centre, unmaintained tree scheduled for the saw at Manor and Redpath, bottom, old home now demolished. 
A poll by Ipsos Reid conducted within the past 72 hours suggests that the Progressive Conservatives have a five point lead over the Liberals in public support. Critically for the PCs, the poll suggests that those who say they will vote for that party are quite engaged and determined to get to the polls. The levels of popular support as indicated by the survey of 821 people found that PC leader Tim Hudak was ahead. The results were 37 percent for the PCs, 31 percent for the Kathleen Wynne Liberals and 28 percent for Andrea Horwath’s NDP. The poll was commissioned by CTV/CP24.
Police say they have video from the Hasty Market at Bayview and Moore Aves which shows a suspect, a person who police will want to find and try to connect to the fires in Bennington Heights overnight. The individual is a said to be in his 40s and wearing yellow shoes. He smashed the windows of the corner store and took unspecified items. This all took place in a similar period to the 3.a.m fires in the nearby neighborhoods. There was an especially harrowing experience for a family whose car sat close to the house in the driveway. The fire scorched the front of the home and threatened to burn it down. Family members awoke as clocks showed 3.03 a.m. and gathered up three small children to escape. It appears the cars were unlocked, a sign of the sense of security among those who live there. Police said they do not believe the arsonist used an accelerant such as gasoline. This is remarkable given the aggressive fires experienced. The fire department had the flames out by about 3.30 a.m. Late today police on bicycles were going door to door to find video tape where it existed. Twitter photos show Audi car on fire and police cyclists preparing to canvas for video. Rampage destroys cars Cops swarm Hasty Market 
Businessman Jon Burnside has filed papers to run for Councillor in Ward 26. It will be the second time Mr. Burnside will make this civic endeavor. In 2010 he ran second in the ward against the incumbent Councillor John Parker, finishing just 425 votes back. In that contest, both men faced a strong third-place challenge from candidate Mohamed Dahnani. This time Mr. Dhanani has moved on an executive position with the Aga Khan Foundation in Canada and will not be running. But a third candidate, David Sparrow is running in Ward 26. Mr. Burnside is the president of his own company, Healthy Heart Meals. 
Police investigating the reckless arson rampage in Bennington Heights think their best chance of getting those responsible lies in the now-closed Hasty Market at Bayview and Moore Ave. Forensic officers were all over the store Friday morning checking cameras and taking pictures of anything that might have a fingerprint or DNA on it. Here we see an officer taking pictures of the edges of broken glass. There is also word that some of the homes in Bennington had alarm systems which incorporated cameras directed at the street. The arsonist struck overnight — many residents say at about 3 a.m. — torching nine cars and one house. Media reports continue to say that the incident took place in Moore Park, but they did not. As locals know, the age-old division between areas and names runs along the Moore Ravine, with Bennington Heights on the east. It was part of the former East York and before that Leaside and continues to be much prized by some territorial Leasiders although Bennington residents frequently like to think of themselves as independent of everyone. Notwithstanding, it remains a part of Ward 26, which also includes Leaside and much of the former East York. Earlier Friday 
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
