Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 31, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a4 a 4 Winnipeg free press wednesday december 31, 2008 top news Winnipeg repress. Com refers to fabric land sewing club members store hours Mon. & tues. 9 30 am 6 pm wed., thur. & Fri. 9 30 am 9 pm sat. 9 30 am 6 pm Sun. 12 noon 5 pm wholesale pricing available fabric land sewing club members value hotline 1 866 r fabric Winnipeg 1172 st. James st. Pm 772 8709 1530 Regent ave. Pm 661 6426 1895 Pembina Hwy. Pm 253 2518 its just too Nippy for nips. As of monday the Salisbury House on Winnipeg Gas landmark footbridge Esplanade Riel will close for Winter for the first time since opening in 2005. Its really a summer kind of destination said Earl Barish president of the Chain of venerable Winnipeg eateries stressing that the closure of Sals on the Bridge is temporary. We will definitely re open he said. The eatery known for its burgers called nips plans to be Back in business in time for March break he said. This is one of our top three locations in summer months said Barish. During the Winter however especially this extended cold snap there a vent been enough customers braving the cold to cover employees wages on some Days Barish said. When you do $ 150 a Day thatus virtually nobody he said. Ours is a volume kind of business. Staff costs you More than that. The restaurant was never supposed to stay open year round Barish said. When they negotiated their lease with the City it was expected there would be 240 Days a year that would be Good to open for business. Even last year when our Winter was reasonable it really was slow even then. There was no business said Barish. We stayed open last year because ism that kind of a Guy he said. I said lets give it a try and see How it goes a he said. Winter has proven to be bad for business at the eatery perched Over the icy red River Between Winnipeg Gas French Quarter and the Forks. Sales Are very minimal probably 10 per cent or less of what they Are in a regular week during the summer Barish said. It made no sense. No staff will be Laid off As a result of the seasonal closure. All Esplanade Riel location employees will move to other outlets for the rest of the Winter season he said. The Progress of the Sals location has never been As smooth As a slice of red velvet cake. In 2004, the Plaza at the Centre of the $ 22 million Esplanade Riel had become Winnipeg Gas White elephant. Vacant for almost a year it was mired in delays and thought by Many to be an impossible location for a restaurant. The City originally envisioned a French Bistro or a cafe that highlighted Manitoba ass cuisine. In the summer of 2005, Sals launched the restaurant on the Bridge. Some st. Boniface residents complained about the placement of a Burger Chain on the Entrance to st. Boniface preferring the likes of a French Bistro or cre Perie. However the anger in st. Boniface had largely faded by the time the eatery opened. Carol. Sanders free press. My. Ca residents of a West Broadway apartment were being questioned by police after the body of a 35 year old Man was found in a stairwell on tuesday. It would be the Cit yes 29th homicide of the year if an autopsy confirms the Man was slain. Winnipeg police spokesman const. Jason Michalyshin said police were called to an apartment Block at 200 Good st., just North of Broadway at about 6 30 a. M. We Are currently investigating a suspicious death Michalyshin said. He said officers were expected to be at the site for several hours. Numerous police cruisers were at the scene outside the six Storey apartment Block. Michalyshin would not say what injuries the Man had. He also would not specify where exactly the body was found in the building. Tenants were Able to go in and out of the building and to their suites throughout the Day. Two residents said they heard a loud party in one suite late monday night. Sharon Jarn Ouin who said police questioned her and tenants in the apartment said she heard a commotion outside at about 3 30 a. M. I heard Yelling and screaming outside she said. Theress always parties going on Here someones always getting Hurt. But Jarn Ouin said its nothing new for the apartment building. Police Are Here every Day. Last Yea there were 27 homicides in the City which gave it a per capita rate of 3.55 per 100,000 people the highest of All Large Urban centres in Canada. The National rate was 1.8 per 100,000 people. The highest year for homicides in Winnipeg was 2004 when 34 people were slain. Before that the old Mark was 30 in 1987. Already at 28 confirmed homicides this years total is tied with 1996 As the Cit yes third worst year for homicides since 1984. Staff frigid Temps Force Sals to take Winter break by Carol Sanders w Hen he was president of the Winnipeg Gold eyes before he became mayor Sam Katz said he negotiated a Deal with an official of the former Crocus investment fund that forgave katzes baseball team hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest on two Loans. Despite the Lack of a written agreement a court of Queens Bench official has ruled that the Gold eyes do not have to pay the receiver of the failed investment fund interest on More than $ 430,000 in Loans granted to the baseball team in 1999 and 2000. James Umlah the former chief investment officer of Crocus testified that Crocus had not intended to seek interest from the baseball team unless the Gold eyes could afford to make payments. But in a dec. 24 decision the courts judicial officer expressed Surprise that no other former Crocus officer or employee had come Forward with knowledge about the agreement. And that no Legal document existed detailing the agreement Between Katz and Umlah. This alleged agreement if real was obviously a Loose one judicial officer Joy Cooper wrote in her decision. Despite the inconsistencies in the Gold eyes evidence As to the circumstances surrounding the making of an agreement regarding interest the Gold eyes witnesses Are consistent that there was such an agreement she added. In a claim against the Gold eyes Crocus receiver Eloitte & touche inc. Had demanded payment for the interest on the two Loans a sum that stood at about $ 306,000 in 2006. But the court sided with the Gold eyes who had refused to make any payments saying they were not under any obligation to do so. The revelation of a spoken rather than written Deal was further evidence of shabby business practices of Crocus directors said the shareholder who launched a class action lawsuit and led the fight of former Crocus shareholders to reclaim their investments. Its another slap in the face to All investors Bernie Bellan said tuesday of the court decision. Another reminder of How fast and Loose Crocus was playing with the rules. Crocus was placed in receivership in 2005 and investors Are still waiting for the distribution of millions of dollars. In its statement of defence to the Crocus receivers claim the baseball team said the first loan came in the form of a convertible debenture an investment that could be converted into Stock. After Crocus had loaned the Gold eyes Money the team claimed Crocus bought shares in the team. Crocus acquired equity in the Gold eyes in place of the loan and became an investor rather than a creditor of the Gold eyes the court statement confirmed outlining the Gold eyes claim. Joe. Paraskevas free press. My. Ca Gold eyes off Hook for payments to Crocus fund by Joe Paraskevas mans death possible homicide Mike Deal / Winnipeg free press a Man was found dead in a stairwell at this apartment building at 200 Good Street. A 04_ dec 31 08. Ind a4 12/ 30/ 08 10 27 43 pm ;