Proposed Ice Rink Is Good For All Of Us
August 11, 2021 at 12:40 a.m.
Proposed Ice Rink Is Good For All Of Us
By Roger Grossman-
The ice rink in Winona Lake is not a good idea…it’s a great idea!
I started getting emails from friends who pointed out letters to the editor in this very publication that criticized the Town of Winona Lake and anyone associated with the rink.
The beauty of America has always been that you can think what you want and say pretty much what you want, even when it may not be 100-percent factual.
People like me, then, have an obligation to know what the truth is and share that with those who don’t know or don’t understand. That’s a basic foundation of being in the media, even though it’s basically no longer followed.
So I have been reading what some of you have been writing about the ice rink that is going up in Winona Lake, and some of what you have been saying isn’t true in your objection to it.
For example, the land the rink is being constructed on was not public land. It was owned by the Miller family—yes, that Miller family.
Also, I have heard said that it is disrespectful to build anything on the site of the former Billy Sunday Tabernacle. I would like to remind those of that thinking that the Tabernacle was torn down a long time ago. It’s been a grassy lawn since 1992—that’s 30 years. The famed evangelist is probably not too worried about it since he’s been in heaven since 1935.
And, on top of that, the exterior of the building will bear a striking resemblance to the Sunday Tabernacle.
Oh, and on the subject of the site, the rest of that space on the east side of Park Avenue is still very wide open for people to occupy for reading, listening to their playlist, take a nap on a blanket or whatever they choose. Primary among those who are supposed be mourning the loss of that green space are the students at Grace College. They are supposed to be disappointed in being robbed of the grassy lands to study and spend their free time on.
Except they aren’t.
As a matter of fact, the Grace College website features a whole web page on the new building. It described where it is in relation to campus, and is using the rink’s construction as a selling point to prospective students.
Remember, students arrive in late August. It’s warm enough to be down their outside until mid-to-late October. It might warm up for a few days in April, but they are gone by the second week of May. The reality is, most of the time that Grace students are here on campus, the weather is cold.
This ice rink provides those students, and the rest of us, an indoor activity when the weather doesn’t welcome outdoor activities.
Oh, and then there is the money.
Because there is a segment of our community that thinks spending a dime on anything is outrageous, let’s go there now. I should note here that most of those same people can never be convinced that a project is worthy that same dime being spent on it, so I’m just going to state facts and let you sort through it.
The K-21 Foundation came to the town leaders a few years ago with the idea of building the ice rink, and they pitched in the first roughly 23-percent of the $6.5 million total price tag.
A company is building the building and will teach the locals how to operate it, then turn it over to Winona Lake. Users will pay for the on-going maintenance and upkeep.
You probably don’t remember, but I said in one of my columns a few years ago that if I had money I would develop an ice skating rink here, and I laid out the reasons.
It’s an excellent way to exercise. It’s a fun thing for families to do—especially little kids. It’s a way for the town to generate revenue in a non-traditional way during a time of year when tourism is at its lowest.
And (here’s my favorite part), they plan to use the building as a multi-purpose structure, not just an ice rink. Think about all of the things that happen in the village that cause people to lose sleep because they are dependent on the weather being just right. Now, there is a place to have a music festival if storms threaten. Or concerts. Or weddings. Or conventions. Or Taste of Kosciusko. Or a boat and sport show. Or anything they want to have indoors in a bigger space than the place down the street offers.
I am excited about this building and all of the things it could be, and all of the things it can do for us. All of us.
Yes, even those who don’t like it.
The ice rink in Winona Lake is not a good idea…it’s a great idea!
I started getting emails from friends who pointed out letters to the editor in this very publication that criticized the Town of Winona Lake and anyone associated with the rink.
The beauty of America has always been that you can think what you want and say pretty much what you want, even when it may not be 100-percent factual.
People like me, then, have an obligation to know what the truth is and share that with those who don’t know or don’t understand. That’s a basic foundation of being in the media, even though it’s basically no longer followed.
So I have been reading what some of you have been writing about the ice rink that is going up in Winona Lake, and some of what you have been saying isn’t true in your objection to it.
For example, the land the rink is being constructed on was not public land. It was owned by the Miller family—yes, that Miller family.
Also, I have heard said that it is disrespectful to build anything on the site of the former Billy Sunday Tabernacle. I would like to remind those of that thinking that the Tabernacle was torn down a long time ago. It’s been a grassy lawn since 1992—that’s 30 years. The famed evangelist is probably not too worried about it since he’s been in heaven since 1935.
And, on top of that, the exterior of the building will bear a striking resemblance to the Sunday Tabernacle.
Oh, and on the subject of the site, the rest of that space on the east side of Park Avenue is still very wide open for people to occupy for reading, listening to their playlist, take a nap on a blanket or whatever they choose. Primary among those who are supposed be mourning the loss of that green space are the students at Grace College. They are supposed to be disappointed in being robbed of the grassy lands to study and spend their free time on.
Except they aren’t.
As a matter of fact, the Grace College website features a whole web page on the new building. It described where it is in relation to campus, and is using the rink’s construction as a selling point to prospective students.
Remember, students arrive in late August. It’s warm enough to be down their outside until mid-to-late October. It might warm up for a few days in April, but they are gone by the second week of May. The reality is, most of the time that Grace students are here on campus, the weather is cold.
This ice rink provides those students, and the rest of us, an indoor activity when the weather doesn’t welcome outdoor activities.
Oh, and then there is the money.
Because there is a segment of our community that thinks spending a dime on anything is outrageous, let’s go there now. I should note here that most of those same people can never be convinced that a project is worthy that same dime being spent on it, so I’m just going to state facts and let you sort through it.
The K-21 Foundation came to the town leaders a few years ago with the idea of building the ice rink, and they pitched in the first roughly 23-percent of the $6.5 million total price tag.
A company is building the building and will teach the locals how to operate it, then turn it over to Winona Lake. Users will pay for the on-going maintenance and upkeep.
You probably don’t remember, but I said in one of my columns a few years ago that if I had money I would develop an ice skating rink here, and I laid out the reasons.
It’s an excellent way to exercise. It’s a fun thing for families to do—especially little kids. It’s a way for the town to generate revenue in a non-traditional way during a time of year when tourism is at its lowest.
And (here’s my favorite part), they plan to use the building as a multi-purpose structure, not just an ice rink. Think about all of the things that happen in the village that cause people to lose sleep because they are dependent on the weather being just right. Now, there is a place to have a music festival if storms threaten. Or concerts. Or weddings. Or conventions. Or Taste of Kosciusko. Or a boat and sport show. Or anything they want to have indoors in a bigger space than the place down the street offers.
I am excited about this building and all of the things it could be, and all of the things it can do for us. All of us.
Yes, even those who don’t like it.
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