Friends of El Hogar

Sold out at Amsterdam Brewery

Wildcats dine on pizza

Greektown wrestling team

Apple Fest this weekend

Leaside neighbours and friends of the El Hogar charity in Honduras celebrated a sold-out evening at Amsterdam Brewery on Esandar Dr. Thursday.  El Hogar (the home) is a residential and educational facility which continues to salvage and often bring great success to the lives of poor kids in that country. The dinner was catered by Andy Elder of Grilltime. Below that, Head Coach Kim McCullough and her Junior Wildcats dine on pizza a-la-dressing-room courtesy of Pizzaville after a 1-1 tie with the Whitby Wolves Wednesday. Eat up ladies, there’s a full season ahead in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Lower left, grunt and groan in Greektown Sunday as impresarios Channing Decker and Trent Gibson stage this stupefying spectacle. Catch a nice review of these two written by the ever-reliable Joanna Lavoie of the Beach Mirror. All that said, you may prefer to attend the Bayview-Leaside BIA Apple Fest this weekend. See more here.

School staff and some parents from Davisville Public School have toured Vaughan Road Academy, 529 Vaughan Rd., to learn how the large now-vacant facility will accommodate the classes of Davisville school during construction of a new three-storey school at the Millwood Rd. site. This video is informative and we see Davisville principal, Shona Farrelly, in charge of the tour. Earlier this year the Toronto District School Board decided to retain VRA rather than sell it, and ultimately create a community hub of some sort there. The school has gained a certain mystique with the emergence of the rapper Drake, who attended there as a boy.  Self-indulgent mid-century “launch pad” or simply stupid?

Police are holding a man or boy (they have not specified which) in the case of the threatening letter written to Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School on Woodfield Rd. The nature of the threat was not revealed. Duke of Connaught School locked down after threat

The storm-aftermath crisis in Puerto Rico is finally hitting the world media. The slowness of news may well have been caused by the collapse of power and communications system. This excellent CNN report describes tons of supplies sitting on the docks in a land paralyzed by disaster. Then, Hugh Hefner and what he did to the way we think and act about sex. Beneath that, City News gets Jennifer Keesmaat on the record. She seems quite clear that she is not running for mayor. Queen’s Park anyone? And finally, someone has complained to City Hall about one man’s little front-lawn library. It seems about the same as dozens of others populating neighborhoods here. Go figure.

Concrete

Southbound jam on Laird

Esandar closed

No left turn at Esandar

Two days of sewer replacement at the intersection of Laird Drive and Esandar Drive has left no way to enter Leaside Centre (Longo’s) from the north except by the little known “back door” detour down Industrial St. Esandar is closed at Laird. Traffic northbound may still enter at the turn into Leaside Village at the CIBC. It’s not clear just how long this work will take but men were filling a trench on Laird with concrete during rush hour Thursday. Maybe a good sign.

Eastbound Gardiner closed at Jarvis because of truck fire @QPCamera pic.twitter.com/R1HGa4vHcv

— CityNews Toronto (@CityNewsTO) September 28, 2017

A judge in the trial of two top advisers to former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty has ruled a key prosecution witness won’t be allowed to deliver opinion evidence in court because he’s not independent. CBC

Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Toronto #WEDay this morning! pic.twitter.com/voy15oZbXg

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 28, 2017

Prince Harry has made a surprise visit to WE DAY events at the Air Canada Centre. Harry urged young people to work together and help one another in order to build a brighter future. “We are stronger when we work together,” he said. Rick Hansen, Canada’s Man in Motion, introduced the prince to a raucous reception, after touting the Invictus Games.

Duke of Connaught Junior and Senior Public School on Woodfield Rd. was locked down Thursday after unspecified threats were made. In the end, police have searched the school and found nothing. No one was hurt. Because of this disruption Terry Fox events have been postponed to another day.

Collision: Overlea Blvd/ Thorncliffe Park Dr.. Cyclist struck. Unknown injuries. #GO1761050^adc

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) September 28, 2017

Friends and family of Paul Estrela

Honouring Vincey Angelone

Laneways near Woodbine and Danforth Aves. have been named to honour retired teacher Vincenzina (Vincey) Angelone and the late Paul Estrela, long-time retailer and founder of Royal Beef at 1968 Danforth. The laneways run between Woodmount and Glebemount Aves. and between Woodmount and Woodbine Aves. The naming ceremonies on Saturday were celebratory family events (as shown above) typical of the immigrant citizens who came, integrated and built the community. Ms. Angelone grew up on Woodmount Ave. and served as a teacher at St. Brigid Catholic School for 46 years. She continues to volunteer there. Mr. Estrela was a native of Portugal who learned both English and Italian as he found his way in Toronto. He opened Royal Beef in 1985 assisted by his wife Carmen. He died in 2004. He was committed to the community as a sponsor of children’s sports and schools.

Hazard: Old Colony Rd/ Bayview Ave.. water main break…water reportedly flowing into homes. Units are responding. #GO1759107 ^adc

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) September 28, 2017