Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 24, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba B2 City / District Winnipeg free press thursday june 24, 2004 Katz wont give up Job at Gold eyes no conflict with role As new mayor he says by Scott Taylor f or the time being at least incoming mayor Sam Katz will stay on As president of the Winnipeg Gold eyes baseball club. Although there had been some Brief discussions about putting the Gold eyes the Independent North Ern league professional baseball team that he owns into a Blind Trust while he serves As Winnipeg a 42nd mayor Katz said last night that he feels no need to do so and has been told there is no reason nor precedent that would Force him to relinquish the reins. There have been people Tell me i should put the team into a Blind Trust but i be been told by the City clerks office that no mayor or City councillor in the past has been told to abandon his business while serv ing the City Katz said last night. The City clerk tells me councillors and mayors in the past have carried on their businesses while serv ing. The Only thing that must be done is that i must abstain from voting on any Issue that might affect that business. So at this time i see no reason for a Blind Trust and no reason to step Down. Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg free press archives Gold eyes Boss Sam Katz dominated the mayoral vote tallies in almost every City Ward. For now Andrew Collier our general manager and Jason Mcrae King our co will continue to handle the Day to Day business activities of the Ball club. They be been doing it for the past three weeks with out me around and i Don to see any reason for them to Stop doing Katz who brought the Ball club to Winnipeg in 1994 and rents the teams Home can West global Park from the City said he saw no conflict with respect to either his ownership position in the club or his status As the prime tenant of the Ball Park. At least not As it pertains to his new role As the City a mayor. We Don town the Ball Park they the City do said Katz whose use of the word they to describe the City suggests he a not yet comfortable wearing his new hat As the ceo of the City a business. There is no reason for us to do anything with the Ball Park because we just rent it. We re into our fifth year of a 25-year Collier did to seem to be the least bit concerned with Katz a new Job and How that might Impact the club. Since the first season Back in 1994, Katz has been a hands on president but when asked about any changes to the management team of the Ball club Collier just shrugged. We had a Brief meeting with Sam yesterday afternoon said Collier who is in his second season As the teams pm. Sam just said keep doing what your doing. So that a it. We re All Here just doing our jobs.?. suspect Katz continued from Page b1 Katz a strongest showing was in Charleswood fort Garry where he received nearly 54 per cent of votes cast. He was weakest in Daniel Mcintyre with just 28 per cent of the votes. Vandal received 38 per cent of the votes cast in St. Boniface which he represented for nine years compared to 36 per cent for Katz. In Daniel Mcintyre he garnered nearly 31 per cent of the vote. The turnout was the highest for a civic election in More than 30 years and the second highest Ever. Some 233,300 eligible voters cast ballots ? a 58.77 per cent turnout. The final election results were within the margin of error of a free press probe research poll conducted Between june 10 and 17. The poll predicted Katz would receive 38 per cent of the popular vote but he got 42 per cent. Vandal received 24 per cent a few Points less than the 27 per cent the poll suggested he a get. The poll was also close for the other candidates pegging Golden at 14 per cent he received 15steek at 10 per cent he got seven and Mihaychuk at nine per cent she took 10. The polls numbers could have changed but there were no defining moments in the Campaign probe president Scott Mckay said. Lets face it the Campaign was Dull and there were no great moments Mckay said. continued from Page b1 Thomas was set free at about 5 30 . Tuesday after remand Centre staff told him that because the Crown had dropped his murder charge he was to collect his possessions and be Dis charged. Thomas had appeared briefly in provincial court at a Rou Tine hearing earlier tuesday where the original murder charge was stayed. But that was Only because it has been raised to court of Queen s Bench under a direct indictment. That Means Thomas will go straight to trial on the murder charge without a preliminary hearing in provincial court. This is unbelievable a police source said. A Guy like that should not be allowed to walk away ? someone should have been asking some sources say Thomas knew a mistake had been made but did it say a word. Once out of the remand Centre door he immediately went underground. Graceffo said remand Centre staff Learned of the mistake at about 7 . And immediately called police. Police in turn soon hit the streets to look for him. The cops were beating Down doors All night a source said. Sources said Thomas was released because remand Centre staff did not properly Check his court record. They said there was a court document available indicating he was the subject of a direct indictment even though the charge had been stayed at the lower court level. This is a fairly unique situation a provincial corrections official said yesterday. People Are not Happy with this. This should not have Thomas had been in custody since april 14 last year when he turned himself in to police at the downtown Public safety build ing. Thomas is suspected of belonging to the Manitoba warriors Street gang and being an associate of the Zig Zag Crew police say. The Zig Zag Crew Are Street enforcers for the Hells Angels. Police have said they Are fearful Thomas a gang connections could shelter him from arrest. Anyone with information is asked to Call police at 986-6222 or crime stoppers at 786-8477. Thomas a release is the second embarrassment for the Winnipeg remand Centre in less than two years. On nov. 6, 2002, a prisoner facing a first degree murder charge used a hidden handcuff key to escape during a trip from the remand Centre to the Misericordia health Centre to treat cuts to his hand. The Escapee was captured nov. 25 after scaling Down the outside of an apartment Block hijacking a car and leading police on a Chase. As a result of that episode Manitoba corrections is now using stronger locks for Handcuffs and leg Irons for transport of High risk prisoners. A new training curriculum was also brought in to toughen up escort procedures. Liba continued from Page b1 she was at a Hutt Erite Colony picking up vegetables when a truck window rolled Down and there were the Libas on a tour. Legislature speaker George Hickes whose first language is inuktitut was always impressed by the Way Liba Learned to Greet people in the aboriginal language of whatever Remote Community he was planning to visit. I Hope the new lieutenant governor will follow Shirley played a key role Over the last five years accompanying her husband to countless functions including Many of the 209 schools where the couple delighted in children a questions. In an interview last night she remembered the Little girl who came up with one the vice regal couple had never heard before. Do you sleep together the child asked. Peter Liba quickly replied that they did. In Winter we even last night he told the crowd that the thing he will miss least is signing stacks of documents ? he counted 2,609 orders in Council he had signed for the provincial government. The thing Liba will not look Forward to when he returns to life As a regular Citi zen finding my own parking one of the Only controversies during do you sleep together the child asked. Peter Liba quickly replied that they did. In Winter we even cuddle ? his tenure involved his limousine allegedly blocking the wheel chair ramp at the Manitoba museum. The former executive at can West global communications said he Hopes to take on a couple of corporate directorships and some Volunteer jobs. His wife would like to finally see Australia where he used to travel often for work. Liba would also like to do a bit of writing ? perhaps a column biography or a Book of vice regal today the Libas Fly to Ottawa for a Farewell dinner with gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson. Libas final official function is monday when he delivers the convocation address at St. Paul a High school. ;