As many of you may be aware of, and for those of you that are not, our rink sustained some serious damage due to being hit by a series of straight lines winds shortly after the conclusion of our Fall season.
The rink on the lake's end toppled inward and although put back into place by the work crew of Parks and Recreation, that work was done to simply insure that additional damage to the unharmed portion of our rink would not be realized. The rink is currently being held in place on that damaged end by a temporary "fix".
With the Spring season being just around the corner the Board had to take action this past week to insure that the required permenant repairs to our rink are completed on time for the season to begin as is scheduled.
Per requirments by the Parks and Recreation Department, we now have to have any and all construction projects contracted through a licensed and insured contractor. Gone are the days when a work crew can be garned from our membership to make these types of repairs to our rink that we are now facing and are required to be made.
Because of those requirements being in place, the Board of directors has contracted the contruction firm of, Scott, Murphy and Daniel to do the needed work.
This week Bud Agnew, Chris Kummer (director of Parks and Rec.) and myself met with a representative from Scott, Murphy and Daniel and did secure a cost estimate from him for the work that is needed to be done.
That estimate and project proposal was then brought forward during the monthly Board meeting held this past Wednesday and was presented to the board, and voted on. The vote to move forward on this project was passed with a vote of " all in favor of".
The project in detail includes the following:
The current rink from corner to corner on the Three Springs Lake end will be torn down. A footer of 100 running feet will then be poured on which the newly built portion of the rink will sit. The current rink inside surface of the repaired end of the rink will be cut in order to establish a straight line edge and the new footer concrete will be poured up to that newly established edge. This process should insure that we no longer will have to deal with the current problem that we have had of the surface breaking away and chipping, leaving those unsafe gaps where the playing surface and inner lower portion of the boards meet.
In addition the newly constucted portion of the rink will be put together using 2x8/2x10 pressure treated lumber versus the previous material of 2x4 standard grade construction lumber. The frame boards will be secured in their upright positioning by placing 4x4 support posts every running four feet and then sinking those support posts into the footer concrete. New fencing will also be added to the top surround.
This project is costly in terms of funding. But we as a Board are attempting to insure that the project is done correctly and are looking long term with the thought in mind that investing now in this manner will keep us from facing future damage to the rink that would be similar to that which we have had to deal with so many times in the past.
The current rink is to remain in use even after the new rink is constructed and we want to insure that we have two safe and productive rinks on which to play.
*********************On the note of the " New Rink Project"****************************
We are looking to present our final proposal to the fiscal court mid-February. The steering committee for this project met early in the month of December past and now the project simply requires final approval of funds in order for it to commence.
These are exciting times for our league with the proposed new rink project and the improvements that are being made to the existing rink being realized. The future of "our league" is bright and with these projects moving forward as projected, inline hockey will remain a viable form of recreation for kids and adults alike for many years to come in Warren County Kentucky.
Jim Harmon
Note:
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The WCIHL is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization which has existed in Bowling Green since 1995. The WCIHL encourages, develops, advances and administers amateur youth hockey in Bowling Green and its surrounding communities. The WCIHL strives to afford people the privilege of participating in youth hockey and related activities in an environment which allows players to learn the fundamental skills of hockey and experience the fun of playing the game without placing undue emphasis on "winning." By so doing, it is the WCIHL's intention to promote the development of character, integrity, good sportsmanship and an appreciation for teamwork and its importance.
