Alan Mayberry Letter to the Editor

It's the Journey... · Post by **It's the Journey...** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:09 pm

So I was looking at the Sentinel-Tribune's new website (finally) and came across this in the letters to the editor. I would just do a link, but don't know how to do a tinyurl.

To the Editor: Expanded ice arena would be a real community partnership

All Sentinel-Tribune readers should know that they are witnessing the end of an era. Mike Furnas’ letter to the editor that appeared recently on the sports page was right on the money, but if you don’t turn to the sports page, you might have missed it.
Those of us who grew up in Bowling Green have been fortunate enough to see Scott Hamilton skate between periods of BGSU hockey games and go on to win four consecutive World Championships and a Gold Medal. We witnessed six state high school hockey titles and numerous other final four teams. We watched the likes of Ken Morrow and Mark Wells go from playing on “our” team to the Miracle on Ice Olympic Gold Medal. We followed National Hockey League stars like Rob Blake, Ken Klee, Dan Bylsma, and others on TV and Sports Illustrated and we swell with pride when their ties to Bowling Green are mentioned. We cheered when the Falcons won the National Hockey Championship in 1984. We watched these boys grow up to become adults, shaped by their experiences on the ice.
These athletes and many others have brought much positive attention to our university and our town.
But those days are ending. For whatever reason, the administration at BGSU has turned its back on the Ice Arena and those who have put BG in the spotlight for 40 years. While other universities are building new arenas and growing their programs, our university sits idly by and watches as our rink and our programs deteriorate. I can tell you that the ice arena staff do a tremendous job holding the facility together with duct tape and bailing wire as the university administration ignores the problem.
What exactly is the problem? Currently, the roof leaks flooding hallways and turning walls into waterfalls. Concessions are inadequate, locker rooms have adequate space or showers or useable lockers. Having only one sheet of ice is another problem. The youth hockey association and skating club can no longer host tournaments or competitions due to the lack of ice, which results in lost revenue to the community, the organizations and lost exposure for the university. BG youth hockey loses talented travel hockey players because practice times are at 6 or 7 in the morning.
We have just been informed that beginning next year that we should expect an increase in ice rental fees. This latest blow coupled with a lack of any real improvement in services will seriously damage the ability of youth hockey to continue. Instead people will look elsewhere for hockey in Findlay, Fremont, Sylvania and Toledo. If youth hockey loses players and the ice arena loses its biggest paying customer, we may lose all hockey and skating in Bowling Green forever. If you share this concern, please act before it is too late. You can contact Edward G. Whipple at [email protected] or (419) 372-2147.
President Ribeau talks all the time about a “community partnership,” between the university and the community, but we fail to see that talk result in any real action. Instead, the university talks and studies and talks some more while the matter grows ever worse. A remodeled and expanded ice rink would be a real community partnership which would draw potential athletes and students to BGSU. It would again become an asset to the campus, community, youth and entire area. From September to March youth hockey brings in families from all over Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Indiana on a weekly basis; they stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and may someday pay tuition to college.
The final chapter of the ice arena has yet to be written, it can still have a happy ending.
Alan Mayberry
Bowling Green
BGYHA President

Now this letter strikes me as demeaning to the institution that is providing that facility in the first place, BGSU. We all know budgets have been tight for the past couple of decades and that has taken a toll on ALL of the Universities facilities. Athletics has seen the brunt of this shortage in funding. But why? Thats an easy answer, because it can. If I had the choice between renovating a facility that is functioning like the Ice Arena or building a new academic building to help the students attending BGSU I would pick the new building every day of the week. Mr. Mayberry rips the University for not having a second sheet of Ice, or letting the building fall to dis-repair and to a certain extent that is true. But wouldn't the demonstration of a true community-University partnership be realizing the University only gets so much money and going out to gather private funds for the renovation that is needed? It would not need to be the full amount, but 50% of the funds would show just how important the Ice Arena is to the community as a whole. I would like your thoughts on this letter. To me it boils down to someone who is bitching about a problem and not doing something about it.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:51 pm

It's not the community's job to put together renovation plans or funding for University facilities. It's the university's job to devise a gameplan and approach the community for help. Then it's "put your money where your mouth is" time.

I don't know how much of that has been done already...

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:06 pm

I agree with both of you. The community that is going to be hurt so badly should be beating down doors to get something rolling. (If they haven't started already.) It's obvious that they're passionate about it. In the meantime, it seems like the University could have a new arena built if they had just put their pocket change away from when they started their "feasibility studies". Or at the very least, as you said, go to the community and city leaders, the youth hockey coaches, etc. and tell them what you're looking at and what needs to be done. Not that studies grow on trees, but at what point could the folks from the community side get some stuff together and present it to the University?

Mr. Mayberry has some great points, but you're right, he sounds a little whiny.

As far as tinyurl's go... visit www.tinyurl.com and follow the instructions, it's cake.

(Well, cake if you can master copy and paste, which it appears that you can.

)

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:10 pm

Yeah..heis kina whiny...let's go give him a wedgie

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:11 pm

Flipper wrote:Yeah..heis kina whiny...let's go give him a wedgie

SWIRLIE!!!!

The more I thought about it, I bet Warthog has the Ice Arena renovation plans in his basement. If youth hockey goes away, he can start that football program!

ffejfalcon · Post by **ffejfalcon** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:50 am

I wish the University would grow a pair and run a $$ raising initiative to build a new ICE rick. Build something similar to what Miami did. A hockey only facility that is state of the art. You tap into the ALUM and hockey alum as well as commuity business'...I'd donate to that is a second....

BGSU's Rob Blake arena...has a nice ring to it......

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:26 am

You ever post the full size version of that avatar pictre ffej?

ffejfalcon · Post by **ffejfalcon** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:43 am

It's from my cell phone so the quality is not very good......

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:47 am

This letter is just the first in a series of letters that have been written to the paper. With my son having gone through the youth hockey program, I understand where they're coming from. It's not just whining....it's a legit complaint. Take your kid in at 5:30 am for hockey practice and you'll understand.

The university, IMO, has made the mistake of not running the arena as a business and, as a result, it's losing money. At one time it made the university quite a bit of money with the popularity of hockey, figure skating, etc. But instead of putting at least part of that money back into the arena for improvements, such as a full second sheet of ice which is desperately needed, the money went elsewhere. As a result, some of the surrounding communities have added sheets (Fremont comes to mind) and business that the university once enjoyed is gone.

If they do decide to put up another arena I hope they either keep the current one for high school games, practices, etc. that can be going on simultaneously with activities in the new arena, OR they put two full sheets of ice down in the new facility. This will solve a huge problem with scheduling.

Believe it or not, a facility with a single sheet of ice rarely makes money....multiple sheets of ice, on the other hand, will make a facility money. It doesn't cost much more to run it due to the design of the compressors, and the facility has the ability to schedule many more events.

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:41 am

Thanks for posting that BGFan. I know you guys are active in both sides of this issue. And is there such thing as "justifiable whining"??? I think that's the term that should have been used.

When you say the "money went elsewhere", if it at least funded programs within the University, I can't find *too much* fault in that, but they should have had more foresight than they apparently did to keep the arena up.

factman · Post by **factman** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:48 pm

I just don't understand why the "youth hockey" people feel it is the university's job to build bigger and better facilities for them, but at the same time complain about ice time and costs.
If it is so bad, maybe they would prefer to play and practice in Findlay or at TamO'shanter. If they REALLY thought it was a workable idea, and there is such a need for ice time and a low cost,you would think there would be plenty of investors knocking down the door to build a new, non university facility in the area. I have not seen this, plus I believe the #'s in the BGYHA are decreasing.
I am certainly not saying that the arena could not use some work and renovation, but it needs it to serve the university needs, and not those of the general public or BGYHA. If this comes as an additional benefit, then it is a positive for all. After all, the ice arena probable gets more use from the "public" than any other facility on campus as it is right now, and certainly the most of any athletic facility on campus.

BGFan · Post by **BGFan** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:05 pm

factman wrote:I just don't understand why the "youth hockey" people feel it is the university's job to build bigger and better facilities for them, but at the same time complain about ice time and costs.
If it is so bad, maybe they would prefer to play and practice in Findlay or at TamO'shanter. If they REALLY thought it was a workable idea, and there is such a need for ice time and a low cost,you would think there would be plenty of investors knocking down the door to build a new, non university facility in the area. I have not seen this, plus I believe the #'s in the BGYHA are decreasing.
I am certainly not saying that the arena could not use some work and renovation, but it needs it to serve the university needs, and not those of the general public or BGYHA. If this comes as an additional benefit, then it is a positive for all. After all, the ice arena probable gets more use from the "public" than any other facility on campus as it is right now, and certainly the most of any athletic facility on campus.

BGYHA is one of their largest and may be the largest customer as far as money coming into that facility. If it wasn't for that program the facility would be running even more in the red. For that reason alone some of this seems justified to me.

FWIW, the program IS considering moving to Findlay or elsewhere. If the university wants to lose one of it's largest customers....so be it.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:13 pm

BGFan wrote:Believe it or not, a facility with a single sheet of ice rarely makes money....multiple sheets of ice, on the other hand, will make a facility money. It doesn't cost much more to run it due to the design of the compressors, and the facility has the ability to schedule many more events.

Yep...you can't run any kind of tournaments and it's difficult as hell to run a decent sized league on one surface...be it a basketball court, tennis whatever the hell, hockey rink or baseball diamond

Tech83 · Post by **Tech83** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:52 pm

My opinion falls with Mr. Mayberry. The Ice Arena needs help. There are a lot of players involved..... the university, the local school system, the city, youth sports....... So let me stop there and say this...... All is not lost.

Without sounding too egotisical, but hell I'm an Architect... so everyone should worship the ground I walk on

This would be a dream project and would be easy to get built. But everyone has to come to the table and play. And provide resources.

This is really an economic development project. And this is a proejct dying to have money given to it and could easily get lots of it. Each organization mentioned has funding sources - and I not talking about increasing taxes on the fair citizens of BG or increasing tuition.

It might require some complicated contracts concerning ownership and such, but basically, this project is no different than building 5/3 field in Toledo or Dayton. The State of Ohio would help. The University could help, The Alumni Could help, the city and youth organizations could help.

The problem is that the University (or anyone else involved) does not know how to think outside of the box.

There are special funding sources for economic development and sports facilities/museums and so on fall under that criteria. The City and County could assist in getting those grants or loans. THE STATE OF OHIO LOVES IT WHEN MULTIPLE JURSIDICTIONS GET TOGETHER FOR A PROJECT THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO AN ENTIRE AREA!!!!!!

This is just the type of project I do all the time. You need to hire a grant writer and a fund raiser. The University, City and County all have these.

I could make this project go........ I am so wound up about this that post probably sounds like the ravings of a mad man. But I am telling you, get everyone together and this will happen. I am thinking BIG.

Puckhead · Post by **Puckhead** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:06 pm

Thank You Alan Mayberry
It is about time some one stormed the Admin Building with torches and pitchforks.

People have commented that the community should put together a program to fund a major renovation to the ice arena. It is the responsibility of the university to together the program and work with the community, private funding, and government sources. Some people on this forum commented that Mr. Mayberry sounded a little whiney. Excuse me, we have heard about feasibility studies for at least 10 years. We keep thinking that something is about to be done to our facility. We sit back and think that the administration is going to do something. Nothing has happened. If something is not done to the ice arena and therefore the hockey program very quickly, we as a community will lose youth skating, Bowling Green High School Hockey as we have known it, and BGSU Hockey that was once the soul of this community.

The arena and compressors are 40 years old; they do not make spare parts or the coolant. The roof still leaks, Burger King would reject the sound system, the locker rooms for high school and youth hockey are disgraceful. We have paid $ 5 per game to park or $ 30 per season to park; where has that money gone?

We do not necessarily need a new arena. We need the major renovation and second ice sheet as is spelled out in the latest feasibility study. The question is will the administration finally act.

We all know that in the 70’s and 80’s we had one of the best facilities in the nation. We also had some of the best hockey teams in the nation ( 1978, 1983 and 1984). Since then there has been a massive neglect. Many hockey alumni and parents of alumni will tell you that the City of Bowling Green and BGSU are tremendous. We have a great geographic location, we have a great University, and the folks in BG are a treasure. But, if a blue chip player has his choice of MSU, Miami, OSU, BC or BG; these guys will go to the university that has made the major commitment to the program. U of Mich is no palace but it has tradition. BGSU has tradition, but when you are # 12 ( in a 12 team league ) you have to try harder.

Please look at the winning records for the last 15 years, please look at the attendance figures for the last 15 years. It is now recruiting season for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. Something needs to be done now! The community of Bowling Green knows good hockey, the community will not support a # 12 team.

The administration has a choice :
If the major commitment is made to the arena and the programs the youth skating, youth hockey, Bowling Green High School Hockey, and BGSU Hockey will be improved.
If the administration waits and studies the programs will deteriorate further. Make a choice Dr. Ribeau, commit to the program and the facility or fold the hockey program.

Alan Mayberry thank you for standing up and saying now is the time for action.