Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 17, 1995, Winnipeg, Manitoba 48 pages vol 123 no 167 Canada Post sales Aore men no 563595 Winnipeg free press get Post g5t May Joe Bryksa Winnipeg free press it out Saft Winner to Robt or one of enthusiastic fans who descended on the Forks yesterday to support the jets and a new the deadline is noon tomorrow to save the team jets by Tim Campbell and Bruce Owen staff reporters they came in they came in jets they came in they came in painted they came Handin they came from they came from they Are you enjoying this More than the Farewell at the Arena jets Gen eral manager John paddock asked the people in front of him at the the answer was a resounding this is about the future of our City and the future for our lawyer Sheldon Pinx summing up the feelings of those who turned cloudless evening what started out As a Rainy Day turned out to be a cloudless eve Ning full of jokes and Goodwill and the emptying of pocketbooks to buy the team and Block a possible Sale to Minneapolis at High noon to Israel the businessman who is spearheading the Las gasp Effort to save the told City councillors yesterday afternoon he had written commitments for million and verbal agreements for he said hell be willing to go ahead and bid for the jets if he has million in writing by Tomor rows noon if the private sector is willing in four Days to heres 60 Mil and Well get you the other 50 in the next six ill Gamble deliver the he this is about the future of our future for our kids Complete Money poured into the Campaign Effort everything from the con tents of childrens Piggy Banks to a commitment from for Mer Blackwood beverages presi Dent Gerald City Council appeared poised to approve a on third share of a new and the province has already promised its in the per son of human resources minister Lloyd remained non committal in just a couple of hours at the Forks last fans donated More than one fan giving an armoured truck took away some of the loot at about a highlight of the evening came when four jets players took Centre greeted like they were Rock Kris Randy Keith Tkachuk and Teemu Velanne looked even looks like enough people Here to fill a new the last player to score a goal wearing a jets shouted at the individual jets have also donated Money to the cause one player giving Ive never seen the City embrace something like this a said As play i want the people of this prov Ince to know How much we appreciate it really humbles portions of the rally were Broad cast during an intermission of hockey night in Canadas telecast of the Quebec Nordi Quesnel York rangers the who May be leaving Quebec City for Denver and were eliminated from the the bbl world service and Wall Street journal were covering Winni pegs bid to save its major league sports As donations have been pouring in from across the country and Gord musician and Winni Peg childrens festival said the response from the Public should Bode Well for future projects Winnipeg takes right across the i think this augurs Well for every he if people support something like support the rest of even the hamburger chains got in with Mcdonalds and Burger King franchises offering today to donate from the Sale of every major burgers the two restau rants Hope to raise More than through the the evening was a Success be cause of people like the Gossels and 14month old its about Canadian Carol i know its Only a five ounce puck sliding around on the but to me its More Brian its about our City and its about coverage the world is watching a5 a Choice at City message Clear thugs cow opponents in 1 fundraisers hit Money in its just party bombers sales they have the players join labor peace ahead of his time Arena Likely to skate through Council vote by Nick Martin City Hall reporter Gity Council support for a new Arena looked solid last night after a Las minute flurry of financing proposals were raised that could spare homeowners from property tax chief commissioner Rick Frost designed a strategy to cover the cites share of a million largely through a five percent increase in business tax effective in the tax rate would Rise to per cent from Winnipeg chamber of Commerce president John Granelli doubted business would have to pay for the Arena in the Long i can live with that kind of Rheto Ric in the Short term until other Rev Enue sources Are he the added tax could be enough to push Moman pop operations in Lowe income neighbourhoods Over the said Lance executive Vic president of the Manitoba chamber of every person who owns a Corner store is going to be hit very its said Arena opponent Lillian Thomas but downtown business improve ment zone executive director Harry Finnigan theres certainly go ing to be some spinoffs the business Community is really behind this its sounding like its said a jubilant mayor Susan by 5 today All three Levels of government should have approved their she Terry Duguid North Kil Donan predicted City Hall would approve its share this will pass Council Thompson said business rate hikes would not be necessary if the Canadian radio television and Tele communications commission approves payt for jets businessman Israel who briefed Council behind closed doors yesterday on the latest raised the pay preview Asper told reporters As he arrived at the meeting that the equal Feder Arena financing proposed by Premier Gary Filmon int fair to the Ottawa will receive most of the tax benefits the Arena he the largest beneficiary is the Public of that where the Lions share should be coming my heart is out to the City of win he but in human resources minister Lloyd Axworthy was tight lipped about whether the Federal government would even Ante up its Mani Tobas senior dodged questions and refused psychologist downplays dissent thin ice helps put priorities in Botterill says by Treena Khan staff reporter naysayers to the save the jets Campaign Are helping make the hockey team and Arena even More valuable to the says sports psychologist Cal we need that they will make sure the Arena is built with a bigger picture in he opposition group thin ice and some free press readers have complained that issues such As child poverty Are being ignored in the frenzy to keep the jets in were the child poverty capital of said Janet a Hospital i think its very 1 think the Public is being Botterill says the opposite is thin ice has sensitized us to those that it would be almost impossible to proceed without he these dissenting voices will still be there when the Arena is and will be the ones talking about expanding efforts such As goals for the jets he they will be the ones to ensure the Arena is also used for the for other sports and to generate tourist dollars in he sports has always had critics throughout but the Public debate in Winnipeg in recent weeks has shown How sports can help he it was always bread or circuses throughout but it took crisis proportions for people to realize what they would lose Here in terms of morale and Community he Botterill is not by the hysteria at last nights before everybody was being too too afraid to take a but one thing about sports is that it teaches us to be passionate about things that dont its a Good lesson for Independent artist Richard its emotional with Little kids being coerced into opening their Piggy its just getting out of thin ice members and Rick Boychuk have said Treyve received death threats this and even that Doest Surprise what Are sports fans called when youre this close to it becomes an but i at least in most its just an emotional blowing off of he that Doest mean those threatened take he noting violence is also a part of and what will happen to All this hype and Energy if a Deal is not struck by tomorrow a jets said he just Hopes it Doest what do you Tell Little Johnny its pick up the people will feel Down for a they May even feel like but like a team in even when it you have to look Back at the quote of the Day Why Are they passing the Buck ask them How can they sleep at Dave a Haemophilia a from wonders How officials who were in charge of Canadas blood Supply in the mid 80s can sidestep blame for the thousands of cases in which people were infected with his and hepatitis details on Page a2 the weather today sunny Light High Low tonight tomorrow mainly sunny High Sun rises sets Moon rises sets details on Page c11 o inside diversions rubes and Ann in sports to ;