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A Mammoth Times Editorial |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
New skating rink: blades of glory or the same old story?
Mammoth Lakes' newest amenity, the ice rink, was supposed to open for skating on Christmas Eve. Between the weather and equipment delays, its debut was postponed nearly two weeks, finally ready for skaters on Jan. 7.
Early on during its concept and construction, we followed it with great enthusiasm. When the original opening date was nixed, we, along with the rest of the town, were dejected. The event's hype and anticipation had been built up, only to be delayed, dashing hopes for a Christmas Eve skate.
Don't get us wrong, we needed a new rink and it's a good thing we have one. Our concern here is that the Town will get distracted by other things and end up neglecting things in its push to final completion later this year.
Initial reaction to the facility has been good and to be fair it's got a lot going for it. The ice is actually pretty nice, with good grooming and maintenance. Keeping it clear of snow is going to be an ongoing effort, but we knew that going in, since the final foundation under the rink and the roof above won't be finished—at least so the plans say—until summer or so. Same goes for the temporary sound system, which will be integrated into the new roof. Lack of finishing also hasn't deterred the first hockey teams from organizing, and on any given night, lots of local and out-of-town families, especially kids, can be seen taking turns on the ice.
Yet, as with any startup, there are some issues the Town may want to put on its “to do” list. First, skating rentals are in temporary housing, and so far rent only new K-2 hockey skates, which didn't have the sharpest edges until the new sharpening equipment recently arrived. Most kids seem okay with them, but some “old school” skaters have been overheard asking about traditional figure skates with toe picks. Prices aren't out of line, but could have perhaps been “moderated” a bit, and once the complex is finished, we hope serious thought will be given before any increases.
Since rentals are in temporary digs, it might have also been nice to have had a rudimentary concessions set up in another temporary building, or a larger version of the one that's there. After the sun goes down, cocoa and coffee would really hit the spot.
Speaking of coffee...there should be closer monitoring of what goes on the ice, other than skates. Patrons skating with cups of coffee create possible hazards, not to mention messes, and zing around like accidents and spills, both the human and beverage kinds, waiting to happen. Kids mixing it up is nothing new, but the recent “assault” report indicates at least a little “break it up” muscle may be in order just to keep things cool on and off the ice.
This isn't a diss on the new rink. Quite the contrary, it's an affirmation that what we have is a good thing; it just has a few soft spots that need to be kept in mind going forward. We all want the rink to be all it can be. With consistent attention it will emerge as one more reason Mammoth Lakes will, winter and summer, stay on the cutting edge.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 08 February 2008 )
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