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.