Be nice with the ice, KYRO

If one were to read the latest article in The Press about sled hockey, one would get the impression that Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization is running the Frontier Ice Arena as an all-discipline skating rink (hockey, public skating, curling, broom ball, sled hockey). Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is being run for the benefit of hockey with a very rare token other discipline thrown in to attempt to fool the public into thinking it is a full-service arena. One just has to look back at the schedules since the September opening to see that virtually the whole schedule is filled with hockey games, practices and drop-in hockey times. Large blocks of prime daytime and evening times are left empty.

When questioned about this disparity, the manager stated "This is a hockey arena. Hockey pays the bills and you people don't. If there are any times left over, you might get some of it. The empty blocks of time are there in case hockey wants to use it."

Again from looking at the schedule for the ice, it should be noted that the very few public sessions scheduled are mainly during the daytime working or school hours (with just one Tuesday evening session, one Saturday and Sunday). The one and only "learn to skate" session is on Saturday morning and is thus terribly overcrowded.

There are no times set up for the figure skating clubs or for people who might want to take private "learn to skate" or more advanced training. One has to ask: Why won't management allow any lessors or figure skating? Management previously did allow lessons at center ice during public sessions (a standard practice around the world) until an accident in December 2012. The accident was caused by an out-of-control toddler who cut across the ice into the center and slammed into the back of a student. While the accident was no fault of the student - she was standing still in the center - management decided that rather than correcting the safety issues, they would no longer allow skating lessons during public sessions, which seems to be a case of "blame the victim." Even now management is refusing to open any other times for lessons, thus depriving students from learning and coaches from teaching and earning a living.

Safety is abysmal at the rink. The skate guards are mainly young teenage girls who have no skate guard/safety or first aid training (by management's own admission). Quite often there are no skate guards on the ice and if they are, they are usually skating around visiting with their friends, paying no attention to what is happening on the ice. It has been up to the instructors or public skaters to go over to the guards and point out dangerous situations and rarely do the guards ever go over to correct the problems. The scariest episodes are when one sees a parent skating with an unhelmeted child in their arms. As of this writing, there does not appear to have been any changes made to the skate guard procedures/safety issues.

Management has commented that perhaps after hockey season there might be more time for other things - which appears to prove the point that Frontier is being run as a "hockey" arena. At this point, future schedules do not indicate any "learn to skate" lessons (other than "learn to play hockey lessons"), clinics, camps, etc.

I believe that KYRO is in way over their heads in being able to run a facility of this size and scope. Perhaps it is time to hire a professional rink manager who understands the ins and outs of running a rink. All skating disciplines should be given fair and equal treatment (as was indicated by KRYO's fundraising efforts). I believe everyone should think long and hard about any more contributions to the Frontier Ice Arena until there is more fairness and concern for safety in this arena.

Maureen Wright is a Hauser resident.