Help Save Our Ice!

[Bill_S]

If people e-sign the petition who don't live in the area, and rink management does due diligence, to try to check that out - as they reasonably should - it could be counterproductive.

In my petition statement, I mentioned the very real possibility of visiting Portland as a travel destination in the future, and listed the rink as something I'd like to visit while I'm there. The rink makes the mall a tourist destination. Without the beautiful rink, it's just another mall.

[Bunny Hop]

Don't laugh.  When I was doing study abroad in Townsville, Australia, there was a rink.  The teeniniest little rink I have ever seen.  I couldn't even begin to guess it's size, but barely big enough to set up a lutz.  But this was Northern Queensland- tropical, and it was probably the only ice in several 100's of K's.   As I recall there was some sort of hockey there, too.

It was too small to zam, and square shaped, iir.  So periodically they'd scrape it off by hand.  I don't know if they'd hose it down or not, but I imagine so.  I was never present for this process (just there to help out teaching group lessons). By normal standards, the ice was a disaster, but considering the circumstances, it wasn't bad.

The rink in Hobart, Tasmania is one quarter size. They hose water onto the ice and then use a small tractor dragging a scraper to resurface the ice. It was interesting, to put it mildly, to try and fit in a dance pattern on a rink that size. They were putting together a synchro team down there at one point as well - I can't imagine how they managed to practice!

[Loops]

I just learned that a similar battle came to a successful conclusion over in the UK.  Here are their FB pages:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/216105301846921/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/566559856730965/


Icedancer, maybe you and your people could get into cahoots with the organizers over there and talk strategy.  They were actually going to lose their ice, not just have it made barely usable, but I think there are more similarities than differences in your situation.

And if anyone wants to see the scariest slab of ice in the world, google Hemel Ice Rink- there are 5 (well padded) pillars lined up right down the middle    Sounds like they call them the "pillars of wisdom" ......

[fsk8r]

Down the road from the rink in Hemel there is Milton Keynes which also has a rink. This is currently closed for refurbishment without a temporary rink being offered. Hemel isn't seen as particularly good for serious training (the pillars have something to do with this!), and the next nearest rink is a LONG way away. So the skaters at Milton Keynes set up a group and managed to lease a former grocery store and install inside a temporary rink. It's been run by all the volunteers and is doing really well by all accounts.
I just thought it gives people hope that you can do something about it, if everyone works together and puts their mind to it.

[icedancer]

I just learned that a similar battle came to a successful conclusion over in the UK.  Here are their FB pages:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/216105301846921/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/566559856730965/


Icedancer, maybe you and your people could get into cahoots with the organizers over there and talk strategy.  They were actually going to lose their ice, not just have it made barely usable, but I think there are more similarities than differences in your situation.

Thank you for posting this - I see they also had a change.org petition but they were able to get a LOT more signatures than we have so far - wondering how we could contact them - also not clear to me yet if they were going up against a huge corporation vs. a municipality - which might be easier but it looks from my brief read on this that they were going against a corporation... wow.

Thank you and if anyone would like to sign our petition it would be most helpful!  Thank you!

http://www.change.org/p/cypress-equities-save-our-ice-don-t-shrink-the-rink

[Query]

OTOH, an oval rink might be just fine for speed skating.

Gee, this idea is sinful, but if you could make it look to rink management like you were trying to put together an investment group to build a new full sized rink, that might help.

Say, a "letter to the editor" of whatever type of local paper, and/or a call to your local radio station talk show - detailing the problem, and how it is going to eliminate (in your opinion  ) virtually all the business going to the old rink, leaving an opportunity for a new rink to take that business over. Then quietly provide a copy of the newspaper letter and/or a recording of the talk show to management.

If you could get someone authoritative, like rink alumni, and that PSA guy, to make the call, that might be even more fun.

In fact the talk show is a great way to attract community attention to the problem.

[icedancer]

OTOH, an oval rink might be just fine for speed skating.

Gee, this idea is sinful, but if you could make it look to rink management like you were trying to put together an investment group to build a new full sized rink, that might help.

Say, a "letter to the editor" of whatever type of local paper, and/or a call to your local radio station talk show - detailing the problem, and how it is going to eliminate (in your opinion  ) virtually all the business going to the old rink, leaving an opportunity for a new rink to take that business over. Then quietly provide a copy of the newspaper letter and/or a recording of the talk show to management.

If you could get someone authoritative, like rink alumni, and that PSA guy, to make the call, that might be even more fun.

In fact the talk show is a great way to attract community attention to the problem.

Oval for Speed skating LOL - yeah, except it will be too short to gain any actual speed.

The skating club is basically looking for other options - and of course the idea of building a new rink or maybe someone ELSE (like one of the nearby universities) building a new rink or using the big old hockey arena (used for our local hockey team - the Winterhawks) for ice - all of these ideas are out there floating - even if they keep the size of our rink there is definitely going to be a remodel which will take a lot of time and so people are looking for ice everywhere.

We have already had our television and newspaper interviews... maybe there will be follow-ups.

[Query]

I wasn't saying you need to build another rink. Only that  you make rink management think you will if they do the size change.

I hope rink management is aware of all the public activity you are doing - maybe they aren't paying any attention.

The real shame will be if resizing the rink loses them so much business that they have to close altogether.

[icedancer]

I wasn't saying you need to build another rink. Only that  you make rink management think you will if they do the size change.

I hope rink management is aware of all the public activity you are doing - maybe they aren't paying any attention.

The real shame will be if resizing the rink loses them so much business that they have to close altogether.

Local management is aware of what we are doing... the rink is managed by a remote company (Rink Management Services?) - and so who knows what they know - it is definitely all about the business -

And yes the new venture will most likely lose money - but as it will be cheaper to run (smaller) less people (less staff) then maybe they will get what they want with their pretty new rink and remodeled mall - where the money could be spent doing something more useful.

I'd be surprised if the rink closed altogether - apparently there is some sort of covenant that states that there must always be a rink since the person who built the mall in the first place had a daughter or grand-daughter that was a figure skater which is why there is a rink there in the first place! 

[Query]

I'd be surprised if the rink closed altogether - apparently there is some sort of covenant that states that there must always be a rink since the person who built the mall in the first place had a daughter or grand-daughter that was a figure skater which is why there is a rink there in the first place!

How incredibly cool!

Have you looked at the covenant? (I have no idea if there is a way to find private contracts. Maybe if you could find the person in question, or their heir, or the figure skater in question, they could be of help.) Wouldn't it be even cooler if it barred small-sizing the rink?

But that would be too lucky... Without such a rule, it could be the size of a postage stamp.

[Casey]

I skated there once...unique experience. Don't have any advice, but I hope things work out well in the end!

[icedancer]

I skated there once...unique experience. Don't have any advice, but I hope things work out well in the end!

Thanks Casey!  Did you find and sign the petition?

You can imagine how it will be to skate on it if it is any smaller and changing the shape to an oval is a really really bad idea.

[Casey]

Thanks Casey!  Did you find and sign the petition?

You can imagine how it will be to skate on it if it is any smaller and changing the shape to an oval is a really really bad idea.

I did now!  Not sure how much my vote counts since I live in Maryland now, but put in my vote anyways.

[icedancer]

Casey thank you for signing our petition!  I am giving you some GOE for this!!

I don't think it matters where you are in the world - it is about losing ice and your comment on the petition was exactly perfect - you have skated there - you know it is already smaller than normal NHL size but is skatable and unique in itself as it is.

Things are moving along slowly - I am still hoping against hope that they will reconsider and give us at least a little more length and perhaps not make the oval so... OVAL!!

If anyone else wants to sign our petition (and get GOE from me- you will have to PM me to let me know since I don't know all of your actual names) - there is is once again:

https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSkaters

Thank you!

[icedancer]

Just bumping this one up again - to let everyone know that our petition is still up and people are still signing it:

https://www.change.org/p/cypress-equities-save-our-ice-don-t-shrink-the-rink

Although the rink was originally told that they would close in January for the remodel, so far it is still open and things are going along - no one knows when it will close or whether there have been any alterations in the plans.  Everyone, including management, is being left in the dark pretty much.

Classes are still going on - on a week-to-week basis - you pay for the week and get all of your publics along with that, which is great but there is still a sense of un-ease. There have been some changes in the mall - stores closing, moving - the movie theaters on the top level closed recently... there are guys walking around with clipboards and talking, some newspaper coverage about potential leaseholders for the store spaces and a lot of unanswered questions...

[Bill_S]

Thanks for the update. I had sometimes wondered about the status of your rink.

My fingers are still crossed, hoping for the best.

[Query]

A truly evil, devious thought:

Since famous people skated there, it may arguably be a historic landmark.

Talk to people in the local historical society - but make sure no one in management belongs - mall and rink management would NOT like that, so don't let them know you are trying if you can help it.

Also - trying to make it an historic landmark is not a good way to make management like you. Maybe not such a good idea, now that I think about it.

But still fun to think about. 

[icedancer]

A truly evil, devious thought:

Since famous people skated there, it may arguably be a historic landmark.

Talk to people in the local historical society - but make sure no one in management belongs - mall and rink management would NOT like that, so don't let them know you are trying if you can help it.

Also - trying to make it an historic landmark is not a good way to make management like you. Maybe not such a good idea, now that I think about it.

But still fun to think about. 

Oh, Query, we have already gone down this road - in fact this is the first road we went down LOL - there was some "glitch" and I can't quite remember what it was.

It is interesting to me that in the last two days there have been over 25 more signatures on the petition - and by some people in the business community here as well - so who knows who is getting spoken to about what... the mall is a "small potatoes" topic around here right now with our governor resigning and all but STILL!!!

[skategeek]

Reviving an old thread here... I just discovered that the conference I'm going to in January will literally be across the street from Lloyd Center (well, the conference is at the convention center, but I'll be staying at the hotel next to the mall).  Any update on this?  Did they stick to their original plan or were you able to get anywhere with your petition?

[icedancer]

Well - yes, thanks for bringing this up!

So far NOTHING has happened with the rink.  There have been changes in the mall, - movie theaters closing, stores moving - Nordstrom moved out and there is a giant empty store there but there has been no real movement over the actual re-model.

We have been told that the rink will close mid-January... but basically it is like "WHENEVER" -

We wonder if it will ever happen, whether the rink will actually shrink and whether our petition and other action has been at all effective.  We just don't know.

So if you come in January, bring your skates, especially if you are coming the first two weeks.  If you are coming later, private message me and I will let you know what is happening.

[skategeek]

Good to know!  There's stuff about it on the mall web site; they mention January but no other details; they say the new rink will be a "more traditional oval" but neglect to mention it'll be smaller.  http://www.lloydcenter.com/renovation  I'll be there the first week of January.  I'll bring my skates!  (Next step:  Look into rules about flying with skates...)

[icedancer]

Funny I have not seen this website before - at least not this current article.  I see this article is from August 2014 - this is about the time we became aware of the changes that were coming.

I think that there has been some trouble with them getting the permits for a lot of the changes that they wanted to make and also have heard rumors that the original architectural firm that was going to do the bulk of the work has pulled out - we saw a group of architects standing rinkside last week that looked like they were making a bid... so I think the process has slowed a lot.

Some of the changes mentioned in this article have already come about - like the LED lighting in the underground parking lots - that has been nice.

So yes, bring you skates and if you want to meet up let me know!  Also happy to host skatingforums people at our little rink.

Oh - and "traditional oval shape" - who knows where they got that idea LOL   The rink does need renovation - new pipes, etc. - so that is a good thing.  But it does not need to be any smaller, or have the corners cut off that is for sure!

[skategeek]

Yeah, if they're still (or back) at the architect stage they're probably seriously delayed. 

I'd love to meet up!  I'll get in touch when we get closer to the date and I know more about the conference schedule.  I'm usually pretty booked but there's only so long I can sit and listen to talks... maybe I'll drag some colleagues.   

[icedancer]

Well, there is also the thing about them doing this massive remodel and the timing thereof - the stores DO NOT want anything to interfere with their precious Christmas shopping season.

And yes, bring you skates and enjoy our basically all-day public sessions starting at 10am and most go until 5 when FS and skate school starts.  There are also evening publics which if you want to come to when you are in town I will come to and meet up.  Otherwise I usually skate during the day, in the morning at 10 (a couple of days a week - but my schedule can be pretty flexible).

[skategeek]

OK!  (Hoping school is back in session by then so maybe it's not that crowded during the day, though I'll probably be busy with conference stuff.)