Park Board: Ice to go in early at Wilson Arena

The Jamestown Hockey Boosters were promised the ice to hold a hockey camp in early August at Monday's monthly Parks and Recreation meeting.

However, figuring out what to do with the ice once it's been installed was left undecided.

Arena Manager Dave Seefried said the ice at Wilson Arena can be installed in three to four days because the Boosters requested fewer lines to be painted. The installation would start in late July.

The board did not decide to take the ice out and reinstall it two weeks later, or to completely install the ice for the camp with all the lines painted.

The second option would cost Parks and Recreation more money because it pays for the utility costs during the installation, which would take longer to do completely with lines, said Doug Hogan, Parks and Recreation director.

The topic was brought to the commission's attention last month, but a representative from the Hockey Boosters failed to attend the meeting.

"I guess my suggestion would be to look to next year," Hogan said. "... It might have been a different story if someone was here last month."

Still, debate ensued about the benefits a camp would bring to the city.

Kristen Allen, past president of the Jamesriver Figure Skating Club, said children are currently skating in Moorhead, Minn., because it has open ice. She also said her club would most likely use the ice after the camp.

"We're one of the only towns not able to do that," Allen said of available ice during the summer months.

Last year Jamestown youth hockey players traveled to Valley City for a hockey camp, said Angie Englund, Hockey Boosters representative.

"No matter how we do it it's going to be some type of hardship for us," said Larry Knoblich, commission chairman.

But because of the work the boosters and figure skaters have done on the arenas, the choice was made to allow the hockey camp.

"I guess I hate to say no, these guys have bent over backwards," said Mike Landscoot, commissioner.

The motion passed unanimously. Commissioner Wade Spitzer was absent from the meeting.

"The board generally wants to do what's good for the public and this is one of those examples," Knoblich said.

Also in ice-related news, the Jamesriver Figure Skating Club was allowed to push their annual ice show back one week so it would not be the same weekend as the Runnin' O the Green.

"If you don't mind you can keep it (Runnin' O the Green) your weekend and change ours," Allen said to Knoblich, who organizes the annual charity event.

The commission agreed in principle, and no vote was taken.

In other news, Landscoot presented a list of seven locations that he said would work well for a dog park in Jamestown. The issue of creating a dog park has come up several times in recent years, and commissioners have found resistance from neighbors whenever a specific location was up for consideration.

"We pick a spot, we get shot down, and that's as far as we get," Landscoot said.

The seven locations on Landscoot's list are in the southeast and southwest parts of Jamestown with some locations by Wal-Mart. Hogan agreed to check with City Hall to find out who owns the lots or if the city has any available lots.

But Ted Kapp, foreman, had complaints about dog owners near Meidinger Park not picking up after their pets, which he said basically run free in the park. He said he wanted something done before dog park plans move on.

"It's hard to keep things up when we have repeat offenders doing it all the time," Kapp said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com