Morning Brew: drive-thrus in residential areas, would Miller be reelected if he ran again?, residents vs. preacher video goes viral, arrests in GO parking lot thefts, Shakespeare on the subway, Darth Vader yoga and picnic

Years ago, bylaws were introduced to prevent drive-thrus from permeating unchecked into residential areas. But along with an attempt to harmonize regional bylaws across Toronto, a tweak to the rules may also be coming. This might allow for companies to set up coffee shops, gas stations, and fast food outlets in residential areas previously safe from the fumes of queueing cars and the squawk of the ordering box.

A poll, well ahead of the October vote for Toronto's next mayor, indicates that Rob Ford (unbelievably, somehow) maintains a healthy lead. But an interesting twist is that were David Miller to throw his hat back into the ring, he might very well be re-elected with convincing numbers (despite his uncharacteristically whack handling of the G20).

Details are slowly emerging and bringing more context and understanding to a now viral video depicting a residents-versus-preachers showdown that occurred recently in Leslieville. While conducting an "open-air" sermon on the street, residents quickly moved in and confronted the group, accusing them of intentionally choosing to preach their word outside the home of a homosexual couple. The couple aren't convinced that this is the case, and the worshippers are standing by their right to conduct their rites as they have been for 70 years.

Two men have been arrested and are facing a whopping 408 charges stemming from ongoing thefts at Toronto and area GO stations. It's alleged that the pair worked quickly and efficiently, getting under parked vehicles and removing catalytic converters (a small but expensive part of exhaust systems) for resale or scrap metal sale. It not clear at this time if these two are responsible for all of the thefts, or if others are also carrying out the same crime. I suppose police will have to see if reports continue to come in.

A group of young theatre school graduates have been performing scenes from Shakespeare's works on the TTC subway system, much to the delight -- and fear -- of transit users. Some of the mixed reactions are interesting to read about, and include people being genuinely startled, the actors (unfortunately, in some rare cases) being yelled at and kicked, and more often smiles and applause.

Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, is in town and he's brought his stormtroopers! His arrival will be marked by a yoga session, followed by some tennis and picnic in Trinity-Bellwoods Park, starting at 11 a.m. Be sure to bring a camera, and drop your photos in the blogTO Flickr pool!

And... this is truly a bittersweet moment for me. After years of waking up at the crack of dawn almost every weekday, crusty-eyed, coffee mug in hand, and scouring the local news online to bring you the blogTO Morning Brew, it's with great sadness that I announce that this will be my final Morning Brew post. New opportunities will be taking me to new and exciting places, and I have great confidence that I'll be leaving the Brew in eager and able hands. I look forward to being an avid reader, and I'm sure you'll see me in the comments here and there. Thanks to everyone for all of your support, for keeping me in check, and for the the thousands of comments and contributions you've all made. See you around! :)

Photo: "Your Change Ma'am" by Tom Podolec, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.