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