Newington Rink Article - Facility Facing Financial Trouble

[adrianchew]

http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-newlawsuit1123.artnov23,0,5106282.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

[Trillian]

I'm not surprised--I've been hearing rumors about this rink having financial problems, or potential problems, for over two years now. It had to catch up with them eventually. Hope they're able to work something out.

[IgglesII]

If the town's not getting it's tax money, it has no one to blame but itself. That rink has been in financial hot water since the day it opened - and the idiot that decided lending them money in 2001 was a good idea (!!!) hopefully is currently out of a job. A loan officer should be able to recognize a bad risk when presented with one, and this one can't possibly present as anything but a very bad risk.

[Scott]

Why am I not surprised? My understanding is that the former manager,who has now been banned by the USFSA, went nuts with very unlucrative deals for these skaters to train in Newington. He forgot that he was running a business! If they close this facility I would imagine that Simsbury might be standing by with open arms. This facility and its sister rink in Cromwell Connecticut are nearby and the skaters wouldn't have to move.

[Scott]

I am now told that part of the crew from Newington is in fact transfering to Simsbury. I believe that this will now be the home ice for Sasha Cohen, Alexi Yagudin, etc. I have to check thisout further but friends in Simsbury tell me that some but not all of the skaters have already been seen on the ice at Simsbury.

[Trillian]

Originally posted by Scott
I am now told that part of the crew from Newington is in fact transfering to Simsbury.

I've heard from a reliable source that Tarasova and all her skaters will be moving to Simsbury. Morozov and a few other skaters appear to be staying in Newington, including (naturally) Bourne & Kraatz.

[Scott]

I have heard that Tarasova has split with some of her team and skaters.Anyone know whats going on?

[adrianchew]

It seems Morosov is finally really to strike out on his own after being trained by Tarasova... so they're dividing and conquering... Tarasova and some skaters are moving to Simsbury (Usova will assist Tarasova now). Confirmed to stay with Tarasova include Aleksei, Sasha, Grushina/Goncharov, Kulikova/Markov. Confirmed to stay with Morosov is Bourne/Kraatz.

I haven't a clue where Naomi/Peter are going to end up though, or Nussear/Gates.

[skateflo]

There was an interview with Cohen on CNN and the interviewed bluntly asked about the financially troubled rink. Sasha said she and Tarasava now skate at ISCC and praised the facilities (Olympic size rink, not so at Newington, full ballet and work-out rooms...)

No formal papers/committment has yet been arranged between the two parties, so who knows how long they will be there.

[Trillian]

Originally posted by adrianchew
I haven't a clue where Naomi/Peter are going to end up though, or Nussear/Gates.

Unofficial buzz I've heard is that Naomi and Peter will be staying with Morozov, but who knows? As far as Nussear & Gates go, I haven't a clue; I could envision either scenario.

[Scott]

I can't imagine why anyone would stay at Newington. From information that I have heard the Banks are forclosing and if they do the rink will be shut up. This really is good news for Simsbury as it enhances it's skating program with additional high level coaching and off course adds elite skaters who call it home.

Concerning L/T I have been told that they are staying in Newington. Though I have to say I am surprised because I really thought that maybe they had decided to call it quits this year. Does anyone know if they plan to complete at Nationals?

[chattykathy]

http://www.usfsa.org/news/2002-03/langtchern-return.htm


According to this article Lang and Tchernyshev are hoping to defend their title at Nationals.

Yeah!

[Jenny]

Originally posted by Trillian
I've heard from a reliable source that Tarasova and all her skaters will be moving to Simsbury. Morozov and a few other skaters appear to be staying in Newington, including (naturally) Bourne & Kraatz.

Actually, B&K are splitting their time between TT and Nicky, training equally with both.

Jenny

[Scott]

I am hearing rumors about Kulikova/Markov. Does anyone from Connecticut know if they are staying with Tarasova or training with N.M. at the Newington rink?

Simsbury must be jumping up and down with joy over this windfall: new caoches and lots of new elite skates to add to its roster.

[Spider68]

Were any of the facility users paying for the ice? Based on the publicity about all the "private ice" and/or "near private" for Sasha and all the hours of ice dedicated to these elite skaters, I can only speculate whether or not the $250-$300 an hour (charged in my area) for ice was being paid to the rink? And (no flames - I've never been there) -- were there public or hockey sessions allowed on this pristine sheet of ice?

By the way, I checked out the Simsbury rink schedule -- doesn't look like Sasha and the others will have their semi-private hours of ice. Only one "elite" session a day.

[adrianchew]

Are you looking online? The schedule only shows one set of times - there are 2 ice surfaces in Simsbury - perhaps the other ice surface has been set aside for Tarasova's exclusive use?

For more on the Kulikova/Markov rumors, read up on FSU...

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1961

[Trillian]

I've heard confirmation on the Kulikova & Markov split. Disappointing, considering how well they were doing--I was beginning to think they showed a lot of potential. (Wasn't a great fan when they were juniors.) It's too bad that it seems to be a direct result of the Tarasova and Morozov split.

[Spider68]

I stand partially corrected -- it appears there are two (9-10:20 and 1:30-2:20). However, the schedule for both sheets of ice appears to up on the single schedule, e.g. see 6 am session listed as "FS/Open Hockey" which probably means FS on one sheet and Hockey on the other --- I can't imagine both on the same ;)

Maybe someone that skates there can enlighten us. In either case, lets hope Sasha gets the ice she needs to continue her training.

[Scott]

Originally posted by Spider68
Were any of the facility users paying for the ice? Based on the publicity about all the "private ice" and/or "near private" for Sasha and all the hours of ice dedicated to these elite skaters, I can only speculate whether or not the $250-$300 an hour (charged in my area) for ice was being paid to the rink? And (no flames - I've never been there) -- were there public or hockey sessions allowed on this pristine sheet of ice?

By the way, I checked out the Simsbury rink schedule -- doesn't look like Sasha and the others will have their semi-private hours of ice. Only one "elite" session a day.

You sound bitter. Simsbury is a fine facility and offers lots of skating times for its skaters. They also have a good hocky program. I don't think that there will be any problem with people getting the time they need to train. I have been there a few times and have seen the likes of Victor Perenko having plenty of time on ice.

[CanAmSk8ter]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Scott
[B]I can't imagine why anyone would stay at Newington. From information that I have heard the Banks are forclosing and if they do the rink will be shut up. [B]

Well, the people there are wonderful, for those of us who can take advantage of it there is very uncrowded ice all morning, and to be honest Simsbury's program is so big now that skating there after school hours is almost impossible. The last time I did it there were at least 25 kids on the ice, many of them low-level beginners, and a few working on triples. It was frustrating, and bordering on dangerous. Hopefully the schedules there will be modified a little if they really do start getting kids from Newington, which I'm sure they will. I will miss Newington a lot, I was made to feel welcome there right away, and I'm sure I'll be seeing little if any of some of the friends I've made there.

[adrianchew]

Even if the banks foreclose - will they shut it down or keep it open? It would seem better for them to take ownership and keep it running while the attempt to sell it off, rather than turn the lights out on the place, IMO.

[CanAmSk8ter]

The impression I got from the Courant article was that because so many town and high school hockey teams play there, the town would consider taking it over temporarily while they tried to find a buyer. It's a nice facility with all the weight rooms, ballet studio, etc. They had to stop work on them for financial reasons last year, but my understanding is that they're all but finished and the certificate of occupancy was actually applied for. Hopefully someone will buy it, because it does seem like a shame for a perfectly good two-rink facility to just close.

[Scott]

The problem for the Lenders will be what to do with this facility if they foreclose. Chances are that if this is not a money maker that they will close the rink and sell it for some more economically viable venture. This may mean that the rink could be replaced by an office building or some other comnmercial venture that will provide a better return on investment. This would be unfortunate but Connecticut does have a lot of rinks and if you don't want to go to Simsbury you could go to Cromwell, which is not that far from Newington if I am not mistaken.

[CanAmSk8ter]

The thing is, it is a gorgeous facility in an area with a LOT of youth hockey and high school teams- I think it really could be a money maker if hockey were the main focus. The middle-of-the day ice that the hockey teams don't want could continue to be for figure skating and public skate and stick time. Much of the ice that Tarasova and co. were getting for free was mid-day, school-time ice that probably wouldn't have been bought anyway. Eight a.m. to two p.m. isn't going to be bought by hockey teams, wheras the higher-level and older figure skaters are often allowed to leave school early or go in late, and would be able to use the ice then. That's basically what's going on now. The only problem is that it shuts out the younger and/or post-Learn-To-Skate kids who aren't at a level where their parents are going to take them out of school early. But even one night with a freestyle at four o'clock and maybe one on the weekend would allieviate some of that.

This is the time of year where ice is always at a premium. Newington had at least four high school teams practicing and playing there, plus town youth hockey and I think youth hockey from one other town, and then they have another league or something (can you tell I know nothing about hockey?) I know it would mean figure skating becoming something of an afterthought, but I definitely think the rink could be financially successful.