Despite his continuing insistence he's innocent, Chaze Lamar Thompson is going to jail for a long time. The 22 year old was found guilty yesterday of first degree murder in the shooting death of cab driver Sergei Kostin in 2009. He was given the automatic life sentence with no parole eligibility for 25 years. His cousin's eye witness account of the murder, given after he was granted immunity, clinched the guilty verdict. This was a senseless killing of a hard working immigrant who sent much of his earnings home to his family in the Ukraine. His hope was to be reunited someday. Thompson's cold-blooded murder ended that. He's where he belongs.
A municipal committee is recommending city council reject United Gulf Development's Skye Halifax project, that twin 44 storey monstrosity being proposed for the old Tex Park site downtown. The recommendation follows a pitch to the committee last night by United Gulf but the committee was unanimous in its opposition to the project. It's all about height. 44 storeys are simply too many stories. Had the development been shorter there might have been a better outcome for United Gulf. As it is, the company says it has no plans to alter its design and will go to council with this design.
Residents and businesses in Fairview have until this afternoon now to raise the extra $100,000 that would stop the set up of a methadone clinic in the community. Keith Wells of the Fairview Community Association says the response has been great, but he won't say how much more they need. The money would be turned over to Direction 180, the organization planning the methadone clinic. It would use it to run a mobile clinic. If you'd like to make a donation you can drop it off at the Scotia Bank on Dutch Village Road.
Police are looking for a man after an attempted abduction Tuesday afternoon. A woman was walking in the area of Falkland and Maynard Streets mid-afternoon when a man in a red minivan got out of the vehicle and tried to force the woman inside. She broke free and ran, then called police. The culprit's described as a white male, in his late 40s or 50s, 6 feet tall with a scruffy greying beard, brown eyes and a pot belly. The fact it happened in broad daylight is alarming. Fortunately the woman involved wasn't hurt.
We should have been watching the debut of the NHL season last night, but that lockout thing has pre-emptive the first two weeks of regularly scheduled games. I, like many, watched some baseball and football instead. Sidney Crosby told reporters this week the players are willing to make a deal, but the owners he says want their deal. It could be awhile before we see hockey again. Crosby, by the way, says he has no plans right now to play hockey elsewhere. Scores of NHL'ers have gone to Europe and Russia to play while the lockout continues.
Have a great weekend. Get involved. And if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.
Rick Howe
