Those who were there certainly were loving it but the question the City must answer is whether there is enough interest in the Open Streets concept to justify it another year. There was a larger turn-out at Bloor and Yonge for Open Streets 2 than the first Sunday closing two weeks ago. Events of Sunday August 31, 2014 saw a lot of chalk drawing on the pavement, much as you would find at any neighborhood street party during the children’s playtime. Difference here is that come 5 p.m., nobody has a martini hour ready to go. This event ends at noon and there is no alcohol allowed (a good thing). A modest concern again this week as bicycles mixed freely with pedestrians, including families with kids. It was a welcome sight that most riders were taking it very slowly as the conditions required. But some were not. We only have to look at the bylaws to know that bicycles are not allowed where pedestrians go. The odds seem high on a bicycle colliding with a pedestrian at some point. Call us alarmist if you like but the scene is set. Photos from left: Witty host John Catucci of the Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here was in good form as he solicited votes for David Soknacki. Lady in pink seems well-prepared for her cycling day and two proud residents of South Riverdale. A big South Bayview salute folks.

A nice complement to the FanExpo this weekend was the Royal Canadian Mint’s display of commemorative coins (some still in the making) to mark the 75th anniversary of the creation of Superman. Superman was the cartoon invention of a Torontonian, Joe Shuster, who later went to the U.S and became an American. Along with a collaborator he worked up the character and sold it to Detective Comics. The rest is history. The story is told by The South Bayview Bulldog at the link below in a story from last summer about the Post Office commemorative stamps of the same anniversary. The coins are limited edition and quite elaborate selling for between $30 and $750 even though they have a face value of $20. They sell quickly.  Previous Superman posts Also check the informative post at the U.S. publication  Comic Alliance

We are having a lovely late summer Saturday all across South Bayview where sunny skies have taken over from the morning thunderstorm. In South Bayview’s lower ranges, The Bulldog purchased some excellent pink lemonade from William and Margo. They were doing business at the corner of Rose Park Drive and Welland Ave. Up on the high street, things were moderately busy We found customers in Dolly Jewellers at 1699 and someone looking to buy a bicycle for his daughter in Sports Swap. Many service businesses had closed early for the long weekend however.

Wendy Weston and Thomas Veith have been  talking on Twitter with Jon Burnside, candidate for council in Ward 26 about more crosswalks. Ms Weston mentions the corner of McRae Drive and Sutherland Ave. This is indeed a wide and busy intersection where any pedestrian has to be careful. In recent years a study was done by the City to see if lights were needed here but apparently nothing came of it. Mr. Veith mentions traffic on Southvale Dr., another very busy street and especially the odd intersections at Astor Ave. and Mallory Cres. Curiously, there a stop sign for westbound traffic at Astor but none for eastbound traffic. At Mallory, the reverse is true. Thus pedestrians crossing Southvale at Astor face through traffic from the west while at Mallory, pedestrians have to deal with through traffic from the east. It is a tricky bit of roadway.