Emergency!

Important City Council Meeting

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 28) 7:30 PM

Municipal Court Room 73 S. Van Brunt Street

_______________________________________

After having spent over a half-million dollars last year to “fix up” the rink, and having voted to spend upwards of another million this year, there are now members of our city council who are suggesting that the rink is an eyesore and should be torn down.

We have to make this stop.

OK, I know I sound like the boy who cried wolf, but this meeting is REALLY important. The skating rink at Mackay Park could likely be handed a death sentence this week. Here’s a summary of what has led to this:

Last Spring, we made an impressive showing at the council meeting, and it seemed like they finally “got it” that the people of Englewood are overwhelmingly in favor of a skating rink in our community, and that having a rink presents wonderful opportunities for our kids.

EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of the council made a positive statement about the skating rink.

In subsequent meetings, it was decided to award a 10-year contract to the Boys and Girls Club of Garfield to operate the skating rink, and to spend upwards of a half-million of our tax money fixing the place up to their liking.

We purchased (off the top of my head – I have copies of the purchase orders and invoices:

·         A newly refurbished Zamboni

·         Tens of thousands of dollars in materials and labor to refurbish the boards and glass around the rink

·         New ice-making equipment

·         Major repairs to the refrigeration system

·         A new 700 gallon (!) water heater.

·         New rental skates

·         A new skate sharpener

·         8 new hockey goals

·         Many tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees

The rink was set to open Friday, November 2, 2012. Ice had been made, rental schedules were in place, and everything was ready to go. Then came Hurricane Sandy. Just three days before the rink was to open, Sandy’s winds tore off a large portion of the roof surface. The next day, the city administration declared that it was impossible to get the rink open – they weren’t talking about “this week” or even “this month.” Without even discussing the situation with a roofing contractor, they declared that the rink would be closed for the entire year. (You should know that similar damage occurred in a storm in 2001, and the rink was closed for a total of half day.)

In the following weeks and months, various plans were proposed to get back on track. Every member of the council voted in favor of some spending plan or another (there were at least three), the highest being over a million dollars and the lowest being in the neighborhood of  $700,000 (again, I have the documentation for all of this). The plans included fixing the roof, which is, according to the administration, fully covered by insurance. But the plans also included various combinations of:

·         A new scoreboard ($11,465)

·         A new sound system ($23,568)

·         New refrigeration controls ($80,000)

·         New storage racks for rental skates ($10,079)

·         New kitchen equipment ($41,115)

·         New flooring ($46,154)

·         New bleachers ($48,500)

·         New mesh  for outside walls ($50,630)

Remember, NONE of these items was damaged in the storm. The ONLY storm damage was to the (fully insured) roof. The rink had been ready to open THREE DAYS after the roof was damaged.

Even though each and every member of the council was in favor of fixing the roof, they were unable to reach an agreement on what, if any, additional money should be spent. So, they chose to do nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada. Gornisht.

So, as the months dragged on, the Boys and Girls Club of Garfield, having seen the writing on the wall, elected to exercise their option to terminate their lease, without us having had a single day’s use of the skating rink.

As of now, there is NO PLAN AT ALL to fix the roof and get the rink open. There is no contract in place with anyone to run the rink, no rental contracts in place for next year’s ice time, no plans for the recreation department or school system to have access to this wonderful facility, NOTHING.

And now, to the point:

After having spent over a half-million dollars last year to “fix up” the rink, and having voted to spend upwards of another million this year, there are now members of our city council who are suggesting that the rink is an eyesore and should be torn down.

We have to make this stop.

We need to make the council understand that the time for politics is over. With the stroke of a pen, the roof could be fixed, an operating contractor could be hired and we & our children could be skating this fall. All it would take is for the council members to decide to get on with it. And we have to help them decide.

At Tuesday’s meeting, it is essential that we get a non-ignorable number of people to come out and support the rink. Bring your friends. Bring your relatives. Bring your neighbors. And, by all means, BRING YOUR KIDS. It would be great to have signs like: “GET ON WITH IT: MAKE SOME ICE” or “MAKE ICE, NOT POLITICS” or “FIX THE ROOF” or “LET US SKATE.”

Please get in touch with me and let me know how many of you will be attending. I know this is short notice, but I don’t make the schedule. The future of our rink is on the line and on the council’s agenda. Please invest a couple of hours to make your voice heard. You and our kids will reap the benefits for years to come.

All the best,

Phillip

They're at it again

 HERE WE GO AGAIN

Dear Friend of the Englewood Ice Skating Rink,

ONCE AGAIN, OUR RINK IS IN JEOPARDY

As you are probably aware, the City of Englewood contracted with the Boys and Girls Club of Garfield to operate the rink and to provide quality programming for the children and all residents of Englewood. The city has spent almost a half-million dollars upgrading the ice-making equipment and performing general cleanup and maintenance. The plumbing work took longer than expected and the contract with the Boys and Girls Club took a while to hammer out, so the opening was delayed until November.

But Hurricane Sandy struck. The timing could not have been worse.  The ice was almost ready for skating. Contracts for ice rentals had been signed and schedules had been published. The hurricane pretty much demolished the roof of the arena. The electric power was lost and the ice melted. The decision was made to cancel the entire season and to start up next year.

So here we are, some three months later, and certain people in the city government are proposing to do far more than just replacing the roof. They want to perform capital improvements which would cost another half-million dollars. There are others in the city government who say that we simply don’t have that money to spend.

Mayor Frank Huttle has made this a major issue. He is dead-set against repairing the roof and not doing the other work. He has made this an all-or-nothing proposition. He believes that only by updating everything – from the boards to the sound system to the kitchen equipment – can we keep the Boys and Girls Club involved in our recreation department.
In his invitation to a February 11 Town Hall he says, 

“Should the council vote to replace the roof only this month or if it refused to make the necessary improvements to assure the facility is safe, the Boys and Girls Club year round programs will be lost and the facility will continue to be an eye sore in MacKay^[sic] Park.”
 

On the other hand, there are people like me who think that the city need not go beyond the roof repair, and that any other improvements should be paid for out of the operating budget of the rink.
There will be two very important meetings next week:

Monday, February 11, 6:30pm
Community Baptist Church
224 First Street, Englewood

A Town-Hall meeting hosted by Mayor Frank Huttle to discuss the involvement of the Boys and Girls Club of Garfield in the recreation department of Englewood in general and the ice skating rink in particular.  

Tuesday, February 12, 7:30pm
Municipal Court Room
73 South Van Brunt Street, Englewood

A City Council meeting during which the proposed upgrades to the rink (and their funding) will be discussed. The council is divided on the subject and our input WILL make a difference.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE BE REPRESENTED AT BOTH OF THESE MEETINGS!!!
Bring your friends. Bring your kids.

I will continue to update you as the situation develops. But PLEASE, set these dates aside.  Just a couple of years ago, the rink’s demise was all but inevitable. We’ve come too far to let a hurricane and a political agenda take our ice away. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch.

Thanks again for your support.

Phil

HERE WE GO AGAIN...

I can't believe it, folks, but here we go again. The City Council is seriously considering closing our rink. We're under attack by people who just don't seem to get it. This rink belongs to the people. It serves as our recreational facility, but for some of us, it is an important social and community facility. I, for one, come here every week to talk politics and current events with my friends. This is our meeting place, our community center.

WE NEED YOUR HELP 

We need to make a strong showing at the next 

City Council Meeting

Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30pm

Municipal Courtroom

73 South Van Brunt Street

go east on Englewood Ave (right turn out of this parking lot)

two blocks, on the right. 

I have been given a half-hour to make a presentation. Afterwards, there will be a public session where you can all speak your minds. This is democracy at work. Let them know what you think. I can't stress this strongly enough - If we don't convince the powers that be that the rink is good for the people of Englewood, we're likely to be skating somewhere else next year. 

Bring your friends. Bring your kids.

If your kids play hockey, have them wear their team jersey. 

Please don't forget to register as a "friend of the rink" at the right side of this page, and please drop me an email ( rink@bartal.com) to let me know how many of you will be coming to this most important meeting, or if you have ANY questions.

There is strength in numbers. We must stick together.

Phil

ANYONE CAN SKATE

And if you don't believe me, just come to the rink. You'll see little kids, big kids, parents and grandparents. If you don't think you can skate, leave me a comment or drop a line to rink @ bartal.com (take out the extra spaces), and we'll set up a friendly lesson for you. I'm certainly no expert, but I LOVE to teach beginners.

My letter to the editor

What follows is a letter that I sent to The Suburbanite (our local paper) in November, responding to their editorial which called for replacement of the rink with a "community center." It was published in its entirety, and I received a number of comments from folks who, previously, had no idea that this situation existed.
It's kind of long, but worth reading to get some background along with a feel for the fight we're up against.
This letter is a response to your editorial (“Our View”, November 5, 2009 and some of the comments quoted in the Article, “Master Plan talk becomes heated”, November 5, 2009).
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the ice skating rink in Englewood (the John T. Wright Arena). What follows is a fact sheet that I sent, prior to the meeting, to each member of the Planning Board and to your reporter, edited to make it relevant to the above cited articles.
While the current operator of the skating rink has made little effort to promote the skating facility to Englewood residents, there is considerable interest from community members in continuing and expanding the recreational skating, figure skating and ice hockey programs. The programs could exist as a part of the Recreation department’s programming, as part of the Public School curriculum or as stand-alone entities. Funding and operational support for these programs is available from outside agencies, as outlined below, and it would be a mistake not to examine these possibilities fully.
My comments to the Planning Board are mischaracterized in your article. What I said to the Board, among other things, is that the wording in the Draft Master Plan does not even consider that the Arena could continue to be used as an ice skating rink, and I found that to be highly prejudicial, especially considering that the City has commissioned a study, which has not yet been concluded, concerning possible uses for the facility. Further, I was assured by Mr. Albert that the company conducting this study would be contacting me for my comments. As of today, I have not yet been contacted.
The concept of a community center has been discussed in Englewood for as long as anyone can remember. A few years ago, Michael Shannon headed an independent study group which examined in depth the various ideas that had been presented, comparing them with existing plans in neighboring towns. The inescapable conclusion of this study was that without adequate funding and meticulous attention to programming, the construction of a building called a “community center” is a greatly misguided effort. When Mr. Shannon appeared at a City Council meeting to make his planned, scheduled 30-minute presentation, the Council informed him that his time would be limited to ten minutes. One has to question the motivation of the Council in this move.
At subsequent meetings of the City Council, when the subject of a community center is raised, and the question of programming is raised, the ubiquitous answers are “Basketball” and “Video Games.” In your article, a resident is quoted as suggesting that a community center should offer GED classes and lectures.
There are dozens of basketball courts already in Englewood, both indoor and outdoor. Members of the Board of Education and school administrators have repeatedly stated that the gym facilities in the public school buildings could be made available to a Recreation Department sponsored basketball program. Likewise, there are numerous facilities already available in Englewood for lectures – the Public Library, the auditoriums at the Public Schools, Englewood Hospital and Bergen PAC, to name a few. As for GED classes, this was traditionally a function of the Adult School program of the Public School system. I understand that funding for that program has been seriously curtailed in recent years, but if there is no funding to do it in the existing structures, where would the funding come from to do it in a new building?
Mr. Caviness is quoted as saying,” Those kids who are outside McDonald’s or Wendy’s at 11p.m. do not play ice hockey. The National Hockey League has offered its full support in establishing a fully subsidized program for Englewood youth to learn and participate in the sport.

Hockey is for Everyone provides support and unique programming to non-profit youth hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey. The initiative is supported by NHL member clubs, players, NHL alumni, and fans. To date, Hockey is for Everyone has exposed close to 45,000 boys and girls to unique hockey experiences.

As for the noise problem raised by Mr. Caviness, this could be easily remedied by placing additional sound dampening material around the arena, and limiting the use of the goal horn and music to daytime hours. The same would be true no matter what program or structure was running at the site.
For youth not interested in hockey, Sharon Cohen, the founding director of Figure Skating in Harlem, has pledged her support in starting a similar program in Englewood.

Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) is a pioneering not-for-profit organization that provides girls ages 6-18 with vital educational and skating opportunities that build self-worth and promote physical well being and academic achievement. Our on and off-ice classes teach perseverance, responsibility, teamwork and leadership in a safe and positive environment.

USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating founded STAR (Serving The American Rinks), and industry association that provides, among other things, assistance in establishing skating programs and successful rink operations.

Serving The American Rinks (STAR) is a membership organization for rink owners, operators, and vendors. STAR was formed in 2000 by a joint venture between U.S. Figure Skating and USA Hockey to help service the industry needs of facilities in the United States. The rinks in the U.S. are the backbone of their membership. Recognizing that one does not succeed without the other, both National Governing Bodies continue to support STAR and the rink industry.

There is no reason why the Arena cannot be both a community success and a financial success. Ice rentals in Northern New Jersey are approximately $350 per hour. The current operator’s largest customer was, last year, paying a discounted rate of $320 per hour. The ice surface is fully rented from approximately 3pm to midnight Monday through Friday, and more than that on weekends. The current renters include high-school teams from as near as Tenafly and as far as Parsippany. The Arena is also used by an active private league, many of whose skaters are Englewood residents. Additionally there are several figure skaters who use the Arena regularly and the dozens of families who skate on weekends. Visiting skaters and their families spend money in Englewood stores.
Certainly, during a generous percentage of the after-school time and a larger percentage of the school-hours time, the Arena could be made available to the community for operations of a public school skating program and for a public school hockey program. Interest in these programs has been expressed by Board of Education members and by school administrators, teachers and students.
In addition to the direct income from skating operations, a proper promotion of the Arena could bring other benefits to the City. Alone or in conjunction with other area rinks, Englewood could host tournaments and other events which would bring tourists to our shopping district and hotels, as well as favorable press coverage.
There is widespread support in the community for continued skating programs. The current participants come from every ward and from every ethnicity and from every income level. A City Council meeting last spring brought out overwhelming approval.
In the late spring and summer months, the concrete surface of the rink could well be used for other activities. There is interest from the community in establishing a roller skate and skateboard park. The facility could also be used in the summer for indoor basketball and other community events.
While the Arena would certainly benefit from some long-neglected maintenance, it should be understood that it is currently in operation, is fully rented, and is earning money for the operators.
In conclusion, any action by the City of Englewood to replace the skating rink with a community center is, like your editorial calling for them to do so, is premature, ill advised and does not take into consideration many of the facts of the situation.

Here's Alexa, who skates at Mackay. She lends a wonderful contrast to our old folks group on Fridays.

BIG MEETING MONDAY NIGHT

I sent out email to all the "friends" about this, and it occurred to me (OK, it was pointed out to me) that some of you don't know where these schools are, so how are you supposed to get to the meeting?

So, here's a map showing:

A) McCloud (Cleveland) School (the location of the meeting)

B) Liberty School (the other subject of the meeting)

C) The Rink

View Larger Map

IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT THE SKATING RINK

********************************************************************************

Dear Friend of the Skating Rink -

The future of our skating rink in Mackay park is very much in jeopardy. Last year the City hired a consulting company to help determine the future use of the rink and Liberty School (located at the monument). As part of the consultant's contract, they are holding a public hearing this Monday.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that we get as many supporters of the rink as possible to this meeting. Please come. Bring your kids. Bring your friends. Bring your voices. Bring your signs.

If we ignore the rink, it may very well go away. We MUST make ourselves heard.

If you have any questions at all, please call or email.

Phil Vogel

201-567-1343

phillip@bartal.com

The meeting is 7:00 pm Monday, April 12 at the McCloud School (formerly Cleveland School) 325 Tenafly Road, Englewood, NJ

--- This is the announcement sent out by the City Council ---

----------------------------------------

A Message to all Englewood Residents - we need as much public input as possible (please forward)

On April 12, 2010 at 7 pm the City of Englewood will hold a public hearing on the future uses of Liberty School (Russell Majors Liberty School) and the Englewood Skating Rink in Mackay Park. Public Hearing will be held at McCloud School - 325 Tenafly Road (formerly called Cleveland School)

The purpose of the hearing is to obtain as much public input as possible regarding the future of these two buildings. The agenda for the hearing is attached.

The City of Englewood has engaged the firm of Phillips Preiss Grygiel, LLC of Hoboken, New Jersey to study Liberty School and the Skating Rink, to provide an analysis of the existing conditions of the buildings, generate potential uses for each facility and to assess each use and make recommendations to the governing body. Their work requires a forum to engage the public and gather the broadest input from the public.

The hearing will include a brief overview of the study by Richard Preiss, the principal planner for the project, a question and answer period to address questions from the public and a public comment period for the public to have input into the issues raised and the alternatives for the future building uses.

The study of the Liberty School and the Skating Rink is a critical step in determining the future of the two buildings and will ultimately impact the surrounding areas, the downtown, as well as the whole City.We hope to see you on April 12th. We look forward to your participation in the public hearing.

--- This is the Agenda for Monday's meeting ---

RUSSELL C. MAJOR LIBERTY SCHOOL AND JOHN T. WRIGHT ARENA ADAPTIVE REUSE STUDY

PUBLIC INPUT MEETING AGENDA

Monday, April 12, 2010

• Introduction - Richard Preiss, Phillips Preiss Grygiel

• Major Issues/Points of View Identified from Stakeholder Interviews - Paul Ricci, Phillips Preiss Grygiel
  
• Potential Reuses for Each Facility as Identified by Stakeholders - Paul Ricci, Phillips Preiss Grygiel
  
• Existing Conditions of the Liberty School and Wright Arena - Fradkin & McAlpin Associates
  
• General Floor Plans for Potential Adaptive Reuses of Each Facility - Fradkin & McAlpin Associates
  
• Questions from the Public
  
• Public Input and Comment Period
  
• Summary and Recap - Richard Preiss, Phillips Preiss Grygiel Associates
  
• Distribution of Short Survey
  
• Next Steps - Richard Preiss, Phillips Preiss Grygiel Associates
  
• Incorporation of Public Comments
  
• Preparation of Recommendations and Report