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| __LIFESTYLE _ | Viewpoint WLU students lose sleep for a good cause. Sports Obituaries Classified WATERLOQ CHRONICLE YHAi > INSIDE Page 12 29 21 26 10 City launches $31â€"million suit against former treasurer he City of Waterloo is suing l its former treasurer to the tune of $31 million. The amount of the suit against John Ford was announced during a press conference at Waterloo City Hall Monday night, where city officials introduced Toronto lawyer Morris Manning who has agreed to take the case. _ The city will be seeking damâ€" ages against Ford for his role in the RIM Park financing scandal. In a statement of claim filed Monday with the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice, the city cites negligence, breach of fiduciaâ€" ry obligations and breach of conâ€" Lexington public school principal Cathy Dowsling (right) raised $150 in pennies and earned the right to plant one on Lizzie the bearded dragon during the school‘s Kiss the Dragon fundraising campaign wrapâ€"up event last Thursday. The school raised over $300 that will go towards a new playground and fitness centre. By Anprea Batey Chronicle Staff WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2004 + WATERLOO, ONTARIO Serving your community since 1856 "This case will be successful," said a confident Manning, who will collect $400 per hour from the city for his work on the case. if successful, the fee will rise to $550 per hour. Ford, who is also the city‘s forâ€" mer chief financial officer, recomâ€" mended the RIM Park financing agreement to city council for approval in September 2000. During his testimony at the RIM Park judicial inquiry, Ford admitted he never confirmed the formula used to calculate the lease payments to MFP Financial Serâ€" vices Ltd., the company who financed construction of the park, was accurate. tract as grounds for the suit. Ford said he trusted then MFP Pucker up viceâ€"president and salesman Dave Robson, and never felt the need to check the numbers. His choice resulted in the cost of the park doubling from $112.9 million, with an interest rate of 4.73 per cent, to $227 million, with an interest rate of over nine per cent. Ford resigned from his position with the city in early 2002. Manning refused to comment on whether he believes Ford is capable of paying the soughtâ€"after amount. "He (Ford) may well have insurâ€" ance protection of some kind," An outâ€"ofâ€"court settlement reduced the cost to $145 million. $11NCLUDING GST Continued on page 4 ANDREA BAEY PAOTO wrrErLOd i apygliC "My water is dirty brown at least three times a week, there is sand, white particles in it and it is slimy and greasy," she said. Resident questions safety of city‘s water ow safe is Waterloo‘s water? HZhal's the question Amos venue resident Tracey Smith asked city council on Monday night. Since May 2002, when Smith had a major water backup in the baseâ€" ment of her townhouse complex, she has had problems with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, hair loss, vision loss and a continual cough. Citing the municipal water supâ€" ply as the cause of her aliments, Smith believes parasites are to blame. An independent microbiological analysis found Smith‘s water conâ€" tained fecal coliform. The presence of fecal coliform shows the water could have been contaminated with fecal material from sewage. Director of parks and works serâ€" vices Tim Anderson said the tests the city and region have in place have not found anything wrong with the water. Smith is currently waiting on the results of a second analysis. "There has been fairly extensive testing by both the city and the region on a lot of water quality paraâ€" meters, including both organic and inorganic parameters," he said. "They did a full spectrum test on the water, and all the tests we‘ve done to "...what was meant to clean and detoxify us is actually slowly poisoning us." By Jason MiopLeron For The Chronicle â€" Tracey Smith concerened resident LIBRARY Continued on page 4