lige

Burrard Band
Jatest players
‘in facility hunt

TO PARAPHRASE Robert
Piant “In every tennis player's
life, a little rain must fall.”

By Andrew McCredie
Sports Editor

And for most players on the
North Shore, the beginning of the
“rainy season means the end of the
- tennis season — except those for-
tunate few with memberships at

“one of: three North Shore clubs

with indoor courts. ;

But a group of North Shore ten-
nis players have been actively try-
ing to get a roof over their heads
for the past three years. The North
Shore Indoor Tennis Centre

: Association (NSITCA) is a non-
profit society founded by local
players to pursue the establishment
of a public indoor: facility on the
North Shore. To date, the associa-
tion counts a membership role of

°~ 170, though association member
’ Frank Gartner says the number of
interested players is closer to

1,000. ;

“The society was formed earlier

this year following a failed bid by
. local players to -convince North
» Vancouver City council to build an

: indoor court ‘facility at Sunrise
: Park, an undeveloped, city-owned
tract of land at 4th St. and Kennard
Ave (opposite Lumberland).

“We had all. the planning and

. enginecring logistics figured out.”
Gartner said of the Sunrise Park

«| Proposal. “All we didn’t have covered was the politi-

“cal end of things, and that was our undoing.”

The Sunrise Park site w-s selected following thou-
-sands of hours logged by the Indoor Tennis Steering
Committee, established by the North Vancouver

NEWS photo Mike Wakefietd
THE LATEST site mentioned for a public indoor tennis facility is

an area eay-marked for a multi-ice rink facility on Burrard Band
land south-west of the TAKaya Golf Centre (in background).

Commission community services coordinator
Walker, the Sunrise Park locale is a dead issue,
“The site was rejected by city council, and they're
not going to be revisiting Sunrise Park,’
Despite the setback, the NSITCA is stil signing up

Photo submitted

COQUITLAM'S PEGPLE'S Courts (above) has found suc-
cess through a joint partnership between the municipality
and a private developer.

ijolding court

VIC FLETCHER’S dream of
playing indoor tennis on the

North Shore drove him to
Coquitlam — not to play. but to

build.

Fletcher and business partner
Jeffi Gallagher, both North Shore
approached North
Vancouver City and District two
deal that
would see their company, Urban
Spon Inc., build: and operate @
public indoor tennis bubble Gn
city or district kind. ‘They. were
politely told to take their idea

residents,

years ago pitching a

elsewhere.

Next.stop Coquitlam. where
they found a warmer welcome,
The municipality of ‘Coquitlam is
one of only a few in the Lower
s value in pair-
ing private enterprise with public’
recreation facilities. In addition to
Couns, they have built a
multi-ice rink facility with private

Mainland that:

. Peop!
developers.

Tom

“says Walker. members pay b

$17 an hour to play.

After just eight months of
operation, People’s Courts boasts
a membership of 800, For a mem-
bership fee of less than 3100,
between $840 and

“It was a frustrating ‘experi’

am

Shore it was our first choice,” says
Fletcher as a group of juniors go
through their paces under the bub-
ble in Coquitlam. “But everything
has worked out great here and
we're looking at opening another
bubble somewhere else soon.”

Unlikely the North Shore.

According to North Vancouver
recreation ‘commision’s . Tom
Walker, the current City council
will not even consider a proposal

_ from private developers. In 1993 a
developer wha had approached
council with a driving range pro-
posal for Sunrise Park was told by
council to never approach them |
again with a commercial concept
unless they ask for it. Walker says
that decision set the tone for the
current’ indoor tennis facility
debate,

Urban Sport Inc. also looked
at teaming up. with TAKaya
Developments) on .the North
Shore, the company currently _
mentioned asa possible’ partner
for a district indoor facility. a

But Fletcher doesn't believe
such an arrangement would bene:
fit the tennis community, adding |
that the proposed triumvirate (dis-
trict, rec commission, TAKaya) j is |

new members and planning their next move.

Recreation Commitice to study the feasibility of an
“We have a list of city and district councilors and

: indoor facility. North Vancouver :District: kicked in
$7,000 for the steering committee to look at over 40 we're going to try to get to each one personally.” SUys knew the demand is there, and :
possible sites for.an indoor tennis facility. Sunrise Gartner. since we're both from the North — Andrew MeCredie
Park was, and still is, their choice. ‘ _ j aa

_, But. according to North. Vancouver Recreation.” ; See Tennis page &

ence in North Van because we like betting on “a three-legged
a

horse.”

ffice ‘c!

..A NORTH Vancouver. man who testi-
“fied he felt there. was some chemistry
~ between himself and a receptionist in
‘his office was found guilty Wednesday
of sexually assaulting her.

By Anna Marie'D ‘Angelo
News Reporter

Jozef Kovar. 44, was sentenced: to nine
months. probation in connection with an
“April 27 stairwell incident in the office build-
ing of his employer, Anthony-Seaman Ltd.
on East 15th Street in North Vancouver.

' Said. North Vancouver provincial court
_ Judge Jerome Paradis, “In you mind, you see
this as an innocent gesture, in law, it is a sex-
ual assault... I think you need to reorganize
*:your thinking regarding women.”
» = The woman involved testified on Tuesday
‘that Kovar,had said he wanted to sleep with
her on at least three occasions.

“I responded, ‘No, he was married, we
were just friends’.” said the woman, in her
20s,. whose: identity is protected by court
order.

-_~ She testified that Kovar was upsct when

he found out that she had gone to a concert
with a co-worker. She said that Kovar told
her she had too many friends and he didn’t
like them. .

 -’“} said that was my life,” said the woman.
She testified she told Kovar that sleeping
with him “was not going to happen.”
“~The woman said the sexual assault took
place when she and Kovar were returning to
.the office after an‘office lunch at a Lonsdale-

caught me off guard.”

area restaurant, ‘The woman said she was
accompanied by Kovar after the lunch to the
bank. The two headed up the stairwell to the

‘office.

She testified she was ahead of Kovar
when he put his hands on her hips. She
turned ‘around and said Kovar lifted up her
skirt and rubbed her hips
and buttocks and kissed
her neck.

“T was in: shock. He .
said the woman.

She said she later con-
fronted him’ at his desk
where he replied “shh,
shh.”

Three days before
leaving the job in May
and reporting the incident
to police, the woman told
the company’s bookkeep-
er why she was Jeaving.

“LT couldn't work in the
same environment as Joe. | didn’t think they
would do anything if [ told them and | didn’t
want to jeopardize my job,” said the woman
in a low voice,

Said Crown lawyer C.B. Johnson, “Why
was there a delay (in reporting to police)?

“fT took it to a different level. After three
days they didn’t do anything... Somebody
had to give him a message that it wasn't
right,” she said.

Three other men in the office testified that
Kovar spoke to them in a group about the

‘incident. Kovar testified that he told the men

that he had “grabbed her ass.”

SEALE NTE

&& You know women

sometimes, they talk
a2

— Defendant Jozef Kovar

with their eyes.

emistry’ sours

The co-workers, two of whom worked al

the engineering business for nine years and
, the third for 2% years, testified that they had
* not seen or heard anything of a sexual nature

between Kovar and the woman. The woman
started working at the company six months
prior to the incident.

Kovar said he had
worked ‘at the company
for nine years - and
described his job as that
of a project leader.

Kovar represented
himself during court pro-
ceedings.

“(The woman) lied.”
suid Kovar.

He testified that. the
wonun was “very, very
attractive.” He denied
“pestering” her for sex.

“We were getting
“more and more intimate..

She told me some private
things.” said Kovar.

“We were very comfortable with each
other and I felt some chemistry... You know
women sometimes, they talk with their eyes,
said Kovar, during the trial on Wednesday.

Kovar said he believed their relationship
would have “ended up” in an affair.

“| know it seems stupid why a girl like
that would be interested in me.” said Kovar.

Kovar said that he was suffering from a
hamstring injury at the time of the incident.
He said the woman was ahead of him on the
stairs when he wanted to slow her down so he

teached up to touch her waist.

“touched her buttocks, yes.” he said. .

During cross examination, Kovar testified
the woman was “looking really Boot
time of the incident. ) ~

“She has a mini skirt on,” .

Said Johnson, “Why is it “important that
she has a mini skirt on?”

Kovar explained that touching her was a
“reflex: action” relating to, but not ‘actually
saying “Come on, help me-up the stairs?
Kovar said he touched and did not “grab” the
woman,

He said that he became “ice cold”
her when he believed their relationship was
causing problems with friendships with male
co-workers immediately after the incident.

“She definitely didn’t quit because of me.
The fact is she hated her job./; She was a fit-
tle too smart for the job.” testified Kovar. :

Said Kovar, “I just have to say the last six
months have been really bad at home, | did

something, in my opinion. didn't even justify ;

a slap.”
Said Johnson in his summation, “It cer-
tainly is clear he has some sort of fixation

; with her.” Johnson pointed out inconsisten-

cies in Kovar’s testimony. Rebutted an agitat-

_ ed Kovar, “Your honor, he is ‘really good. He

made it sound really bad.”

Johnson asked for a substantial fine for |

the married man with two children. A fine
would have carried a criminal record. .

Kovar :said he couldn't believe Paradis
had found him guilty and “put him on the
sume platform” its “Homolka and Bernardo.”

Said Paradis, “That is the category of the
offence... | know you ‘are not even'close to
the serious offenders of this charge I have
seen in court,” The judge gave Kovar a dis-
charge. He Will not have a ‘criminal record
after his probation ‘is completed. Paradis
ordered hin to take counselling to “come to
see” the events were wrong.

towards -