Carnie's Comments

 

I was saddened this week to learn a former Police Chief of ours passed away recently.

Richard "Dick" Baum left us just a few weeks before his 86th birthday.

I got to know the Chief over the years during my time as a news reporter and as the voice of the Moose Jaw Warriors.  He was a season ticket holder.  We had many visits.

I used to tease him about how "tough" his name made him sound.  Who doesn't want a police chief named "Dick Baum"!  He got a kick out of that.

One of the things Dick didn't like about being Chief of Police was dealing with the media.  I promised him that I would never "burn" him and, in fact, helped him out with a few "media relations" tips.  He appreciated that.

Dick Baum was a big, strong man - a body builder, a wrestler, a former bouncer at Temple Gardens and, I learned from his obituary, a black belt in Jujitsu.  

However, he was mild mannered with a warm, gentle disposition.

Dick Baum was the kind of person, the kind of cop, who would rather sit down and have a talk and give you a pat on the back than handcuff you and take you to jail.

I don't know this for a fact, but I'll bet he resolved a number of situations exactly that way.