The South Bayview Bulldog

Richard Russell

Isabela Moner

Skip the ashes, thanks

His face would not tip you to the destructive need of Richard Russell, 29, to steal a commercial jetliner and do barrell-rolls in it as he committed suicide. But his intercom meanderings reveal the same self-absorption of so many who seek fame in death. Listen to his lament. Then, hello to the face of a flesh and blood Dora the Explorer. Her name is Isabela Moner and she will star in a Dora movie. Good stuff. Finally, we’ll pass on the charcoal food thanks. According to this report, millions are rooting around in the ash can for everything from ice cream and hot dogs.

Reviews are mixed for the sky-blue Chardonnay recently introduced in France. The vintner says business is booming but some people on Youtube say they’d prefer to drink Windex. Nasty. Then, NASA is headed to (near) the sun. What fun. Below that, a close (and scary) look at the new boss of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Everything. Ugh. And finally, Miss India is making waves in her home country about the wretched taboo on menstrual hygiene. You go gal.

Green Mountain Flowers from home next door

Fire in upstairs rented room hits March 20

Angie Pong seen with late husband and her three children

Residents of the lower Coxwell Ave. neighborhood near Fairford Ave. pass the burned out property of Green Mountain Flowers and express again their regret over the fire that hit the landmark business last March. They hope so much for the successful return of owner Angie Pong and her children to the site and a re-birth of business there. Flames hit the upper floor of the old building at 350 Coxwell March 20 and those in touch with Ms. Pong say she too is waiting hopefully for the insurance settlement. She can be seen most mornings puttering around the modest premises, watering flowers that remain from before the fire. It is said to have started in the room of a tenant. It does not appear to have been suspicious to fire authorities. A GoFundMe page was started and may be seen at this address.
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Leaside Chit Chat is just on fire Sunday morning with responses to a video posted by MK  Britt-Rose about a visit to the Meow Cat Cafe on Mt. Pleasant Rd. by a local man who is wheel-chair bound. This follows a story by Global News about a teen boy who was refused service because he is in a wheelchair. It is a sad story all around but the origin of the conduct of the owners seems to be rooted in the documented peril for cats from wheelchairs  Meow Cat Café co-owner Erica Yun told Global she understands why people would be upset by the no-wheelchair policy but they have a responsibility to keep their cats safe. Among the posts to Chit Chat is a desperate letter (below) from the cafe owners now posted on the door. The owners clearly feel they are misunderstood about a legitimate concern. They say they feel the media can disregard them because “they are weak women and Asians who don’t speak English well.”

• Wheelchairs and Pets: Be Careful Where You Roll
• Teenage boy denied entry to Toronto cat café because of his wheelchair

No winning ticket was sold for the $12.7 million jackpot in Saturday night’s Lotto 649 draw. However, the guaranteed $1 million prize was claimed by a ticket holder in the Prairies. The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Aug. 15 will be approximately $20 million.

Updated August 13: Two men have been injured after as many as 20 shots were fired near Leslie St. and Finch Ave. Saturday dinner hour. It occurred on Tree Sparroway, just west of Leslie Street. According to CTV, young men were firing at each other from many locations including through the roof of car. Some ran about inside a parking area. Witnesses told police that a vehicle was seen fleeing. Details are sketchy but it seems the two took themselves to hospital for treatment. One was then taken to a trauma centre. Police have not commented or issued a release as of Monday, August 13 at noon.

Weekend gunfight at Leslie and Finch townhouse complex started in parking lot beside a playground at Tree Sparroway – aftermath shows 11 bulletholes in a #Honda and #Mercedes van #topoli #TPS @TheTorontoSun #TheTorontoSun – four more bulletholes found in the area pic.twitter.com/nfvEfJ38ll

— Jack Boland (@TorSunphoto21) August 13, 2018

At the intersection of O’Connor Dr. and Woodbine Ave. the road remains open this weekend but it’s in rocky shape because of construction.  That work has been suspended this weekend to accommodate traffic heading to and from Taste of the Danforth. A reader has written to describe an accident there Saturday morning:

Bad accident Woodbine and O’Connor Aug 11 Sat morning 6 am. As I’m turning onto O’Connor going east from Woodbine on my bike, sports car screaming/roaring at 80-100 km/hr trying to turn right onto O’Connor too (?) smashes head-on into white van stopped at red light on O’Connor going west. Sports car then slowly accelerates south smashing into and onto sidewalk, debris everywhere, backs up and continues east on O’Connor very slowly.

https://twitter.com/boostedlbz/status/1026523668283678720

Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo will throw the first pitch at Saturday’s festivities at Rogers Centre recalling the 92-93 World Series days. Then, you won’t recognize Canada as it is portrayed in Saudi Arabia for the sadly misinformed mushroom people (in the dark etc). Below that, former soccer star Imran Khan has views about women that are what you might call old-fashioned. Finally, it is ten years since the night most of Toronto awoke with a start to the sound of the Sunrise Propane facility exploding in North York. The blasts were clearly heard in places like Leaside, Davisville Village and elsewhere in South Bayview.

Huge trucks block Danforth as a safety measure. Above, Mayor Tory and Danforth constituents, candidate Jennifer Keesmaat with prime minister. Credits in text below.

Taste of the Danforth opened Friday night to large crowds. A Twitter search finds many perspectives about food, crowds, politics and the huge City of Toronto trucks stretched across the street to prevent a madman from mowing down people with a vehicle. Welcome to 2018 and good thinking by security people. Mayor Tory posed with “Tanya…the owner of the Skin Deep Tattoo Studio on the Danforth and took people into her shop during the shooting to protect them. A true Toronto hero.” Candidate Jennifer Keesmaat cosied up to Justin Trudeau. Truck picture by Dr. Stephannie Roy@DocSteph. Opa, Opa everybody. 

A man in his 50s is dead after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle in a hit-and-run at Bellamy Rd and Brimorton Dr at around 9 p.m. Friday. Police said the driver of the vehicle fled.

TEEN DROWNS IN LAKE RESCUE TRY

A boy of 16 has drowned as he tried to help a woman and her son who were shouting for help in the water at Woodbine Beach Friday. Police said a number of people jumped into the water as the woman called for help. As many as five patients had to be rescued from the lake in the incident. Three people, including the young boy who died, were taken to hospital from the scene, Toronto paramedics said. There has been no word on the condition of the other victims but paramedics said they are also in their teens.

Scene at Qoodbine Beach during search/Ernest Doroszuk Postmedia

Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia

Jesse Jack Breese/TPS

Beach search/City News

Jason Mitchell

Police are after Jesse Jack Breese, 21, for bank robbery committed with three other men on May 24 near Warden Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East  Three perpetrators entered the bank disguised with masks, sunglasses and hooded sweatshirts  One fired a shot. Customers were forced to the floor.They took money and fled. Breese is 6’3″ with a slim build and short dark hair. He occasionally wears prescription glasses. He is known to frequent both Barrie and Toronto. At Woodbine Beach, a search was underway Friday for a swimmer who is lost. A man and woman were rescued by marine officers. Finally, at right, Jason Michell, 46, is wanted for credit card theft and the illegal use of such cards. He is described as 5’9″, 160 pounds, balding with grey/brown hair and brown eyes.