Kobe Bryant and the Lakers coast to victory.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer

Kobe Bryant fans watch the Lakers warm-up as the Toronto Raptors lose to the Los Angles Lakers 120-110 at the Air Canada Centre.

Fans photograph out Kobe Bryant as the Toronto Raptors.

It was a Kobe Bryant, Lakers friendly arena.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) follows the flight of his ball.

 Toronto Raptors power forward Amir Johnson (15) tries to stop Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol (16) as the Toronto Raptors lose to the Los Angles Lakers 120-110.

 Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24).

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) prepares to take a foul shot.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) takes a foul shot in the second half.

Toronto Raptors shooting guard Leandro Barbosa (20) tries to take the ball off of Los Angeles Lakers small forward Luke Walton (4).

Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon (8) nurses his ankle as he rests on the bench.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) wipes away sweat in the second half.

 Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) scoops up a ball in front of DeMar DeRozan (10).

Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (24) gets around Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan.

Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (10) had better night offensively with 23 points.

Toronto Raptors power forward Joey Dorsey (9) gets the basket and the blocking foul called on Los Angeles Lakers small forward Luke Walton (4).

Its not a new basket celebration, Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon (8) calls a defence.

Tongue out Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (10), shoots a foul shot.

 Tongue out, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives in the second half. He finished with 20 points.

 A Kobe Bryant look-a-like tries to capture a picture as the Toronto Raptors lose to the Los Angles Lakers 120-110 at the Air Canada Centre.

New Mayor Takes Office

Richard Lautens/Staff Photographer

Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 7 the new Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford will be officially sworn in.  He has been working as Mayor for nearly a week however.

I went to City Hall last Wednesday to catch him on his first day on the job.  Nothing official was scheduled for the day but by the time I got there at 8am, the lobby in front of the Mayor's office was already packed with media.

What followed was an endless series of rumours of what may happen and packs of media looking through the windows trying to get a shot of the new Mayor at work.

My first shot of the day, seen from the middle of Nathan Phillips Square, through the window as Mayor Ford sits at his desk-not good but good enough to hold the website for a while

Next up, I lucked in with a City Hall worker installing the new directory in the lobby

I don't know why I like this one but Mayor Ford is seen walking back to his office after getting a carton of milk from the cafeteria with his advisors and staff

Throughout the morning, it was a parade of boxes and other office paraphanalia heading into the Mayor's office, including this stack of football stuff.

Finally a press conference was called for early afternoon.  The Toronto Sun's Craig Robertson jumps into a shot I was trying to frame of the new Mayor walking into the room.

The media pack into an overly small room for the press conference

Rob's brother Doug is seen watching from the wings as Mayor Ford speaks

Mayor Ford is a sweater, it will be good for photographers for the next 4 years

The perfect front page photo.  The locks had been changed on all the offices and people had a hard time getting into their offices, including the Mayor.  He had pushed through the media hoard to get to his door to find it closed and locked-I suggested to him that there had been a recount and was rewarded with the prerfect first day in office smile.

Richard Lautens/Toronto Star

November's favourites.

A look at some of the Staff's favourites from November!

Rememberance Day

LUCAS OLENIUK - Dutchman Ronald Stok makes the trip from Amsterdam to Toronto every Remembrance Day to pay tribute to the heroic actions of those that came before us.  He was photographed at a bus stop on King Street west in Toronto.