Is it a 20-year breakthrough or the road to nowhere? Whatever it is, the Toronto Raptors whipped the Miami Heat 116-89 Sunday night to advance to the NBA Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 21 years. “Just the things that we’d been through this year, and how hard we’ve worked,” Lowry said. “Just an emotional time, just being able to sit there and relax, and kind of breathe.” Now it’s on to another gruelling series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Raptors can win that series, they get to compete for the NBA championship.
The temperatures are flirting with freezing overnight Sunday to Monday after a day that could easily have passed for March 15 not May 15. But the forecasters at the weather network say we will dodge frost tonight, if by not very much. Two degrees is forecast in Midtown.
There has not been a girl born into the Ziobro family in New Jersey for 150 years. The last one was in 1860 in Poland. But now Eve, the daughter to Chris and Christine Ziobro, is here to start a new tradition. Quite a story.
Friends and admirers of the late Dave Stickney gathered Sunday in the lot of Gyro Motors at the corner of Laird Drive and the newly-named Stickney Avenue. Mr. Stickney (known to all as Sticks) was a friend, mentor and teacher to countless students at Leaside High School where he taught mathematics. The crowd heard from three members of the 11-person committee which was created to honour Stickney following his death last year while coaching a game in Goulding Park. Friends recalled the self-effacing nature the man. He once confided that he did not think he had accomplished much in life. His shocked friend set him right.
BURNSIDE REFLECTIONS
Other speakers were committee members Kevin Mark and Jim Wilson, a lifelong friend. The committee was thanked by Dave Stickney’s son, Eric, who spoke of how touched he and others in his family had been by the honours given to his dad. Also present was Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant and Ward 26 Councillor Jon Burnside. Burnside was taught by Stickney at Leaside High School and later recruited into community activities by his former teacher. (See video below). Also in the crowd was Patrick Rocca. The new Stickney Ave was previously Markham Ave., a short length of road from Airdrie Road to Laird. The Stickney committee has also placed a bench at the top of the steps leading down from Cameron Crescent to the Talbot Park baseball diamond. The balance of some $15,000 raised was directed to The Leaside Scholarship Fund. Members of the Remembering David Stickney committee are James LeNoury, Daryn Everett, Liz Everett, Sandy Creighton, Ann Brown, Neil Anderson, Jim Wilson, Nick Mitchell and Jim Grant.
A man was hit by a vehicle at the tricky corner of O’Connor Drive and Woodbine Avenue overnight. It appears that he may be okay. He was said to be conscious and breathing when taken to hospital. This odd-shaped intersection has lots of places here drivers and pedestrians can get into trouble.
Lorne Gunter writes in the Toronto Sun that it is okay if Sophie Gregoire Trudeau is unable to fill every single undertaking of whim and whimsy sent to her by Canadians. To the extent that such things have a state requirement attached to them, she can send the extras to her husband. She has an assistant and that should be enough. Keep in mind that the prime minister’s wife is not burdened by the host of tasks that face most ladies of the house. She doesn’t have to shop for groceries or check with Justin to see if the gas bill was paid. Really. This is Canada, not the Kingdom of Ruritania. Dare we whisper that Laureen Harper seemed to manage.
On Thursday, members of the Saskatoon Police Service bike unit helped a family of ducks navigate downtown to safely reach the South Saskatchewan River. Ducks are courageous but they don’t get it. Many people will recall the outstanding efforts made by Leaside residents to rescue a similarly imperiled family of roadway ducks in 2011.
DUCK FAMILY ON HANNA RD.
Published July, 2011: Here are a few more pictures taken by Leaside resident Terri Reid of what we are calling Operation Duck Family. The mother and six ducklings were discovered Saturday on Hanna Rd. near Parkhurst Blvd. fearlessly marching along the roadway, much as we see them in the shot at the top. A growing body of residents began a lengthy operation of trying to help the ducks out of what would surely be a dangerous situation for them. Someone struck upon trying to lure them into a dog cage with bits of bread. Lower left, the process begins. But as Ms Reid observed to the South Bayview Bulldog, it isn’t easy trying to capture a duck, especially when she has six little ones. The residents were successful however in getting the duck family into the cage, still complete with Fido’s bone (lower right). The ducks were then transported to Wilket Creek where they were set loose in their natural habitat.
Premier Wynne will begin a week-long trade mission Sunday to the Middle East with a focus on the life sciences and research sectors. She will travel with a large body of civil servants and 130 business, academic and research representatives to Israel and the West Bank. Wynne told a pre-mission reception for the delegates that Ontario and Israel share many of the same priorities, namely developing “strong, competitive business environments that support innovation and growth.” The delegation is set to travel with the premier to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, then on May 19th Wynne and other delegates will go to Ramallah in the West Bank and to Haifa on the Mediterranean shore the following day. The premier’s officer says two-way trade between Ontario and Israel last year was valued at more than 900 million dollars. Delegates include Jewish-focused businesses and organizations looking to strengthen existing ties to Israel, and universities and research institutes. BlackBerry, Roots Canada, IBM Canada, Scotiabank, Thomson Reuters and the Toronto Stock Exchange also are part of the trade mission.
Councillor Burnside (Ward 26) was busy filling pails and buckets for constituents at his annual Compost Day at the Leaside Gardens Arena parking lot Saturday. It was pretty good compost according to the Bulldog which sniffed around and found the garden additive rich and, ah, aromatic. There may be some there Sunday for late comers. It’s down by the tracks. Help yourself.
Like many events Saturday, the concert in Davisville Park by Sharon and Bram caught a nice break in the weather when the rain stopped just about 1 p.m. The well-attended concert and sing-along was organized by Josh Matlow (Ward 22) and Mayor Tory was present as well. Carolyn Benntt, MP for St Paul’s, was present. The occasion marked a remembrance for many of the late Lois Ada (Goldberg) Lilienstein. Sharon and Bram continue their musical career as a duo and were joined at the park by a children’s ensemble for some numbers as seen in the photo. South Bayview Bulldog.
The service for 38-year-old firefighter Sara Rosen will be held Monday morning at 10 a.m. at Benjamin Park Memorial Chapel on 2401 Steeles Avenue West at Alness Street in North York. The fire chief is expected to speak at the service and those who served with Rosen will form an honour guard at the ceremony. Ms. Rosen died Thursday in a fall from the Niagara Escapment while mountain biking near Milton.
