Mayor Rob Ford has decided to can his appeal against an audit of his campaign expenses, thereby dropping the number of legal proceedings he's currently involved in down to just two. The decision means the mayor will allow a city-appointed accountant to pore through the financial details surrounding his 2010 election campaign without further delay. In 2010, the Globe and Mail reported that a company that controls the Ford family business advanced $77,000 to the mayor's campaign in apparent contradiction to Ontario's election rules.

The City has decided to put off a sports field fee hike for a year to allow leagues more time to raise the extra money. The increased costs were included with council's 2012 budget but went unnoticed until bills started arriving in the mail. The change of heart came after a series of meetings in the mayor's office with councillors Janet Davis and Sarah Doucette.

According to a troubling infographic published by the National Post, "Toronto was the top destination to get murdered [in Canada] in 2010." Perhaps reassuringly, the rate of homicides per 100,000 people was actually below the national average. A map of the city included with the stats marks the location of each death since 2006. FYI, a quick glance seems to show more murders in the west of the city, so be careful out there.

Urban Toronto has pictures of the new lifeguard stands that could be installed on city beaches this summer. According to the design firm, the stands "successfully [reconcile] a diverse set of technical requirements for storage, signage, public safety, durability and cost while achieving an iconic design that appropriately conveys the quality of Toronto's swimming beaches." Basically it's a yellow box for standing in.

If you've ever wanted to open your own Four Seasons the letters from the original hotel sign are on sale in the Junction, according to OpenFile. Even better, you can use the letters to make your own words. "A footless unhorse" anyone?

The Blue Jays won their first game of the regular season against the Cleveland Indians last night and set a MLB record for the longest opening-day game. Is it too early to hope for another magic moment like this?

IN OTHER NEWS:

• Woman pinned under TTC streetcar taken to hospital [Globe and Mail]
• Toronto man in serious condition after shooting at Young Jeezy concert [National Post]
• Ratings down, but still strong, for Mayor Rob Ford's radio show [The Star]
• What will become of the animals at High Park Zoo if it closes? [National Post]
• The trouble at TIFF [Globe and Mail]
• Pop-up markets make the white-collar district a bit greener [Globe and Mail]

"A golden light wanders with the birds" by Julie Lavelle in the BlogTO Flickr pool.