Newspaper article from the Niles Patch regarding the new ice rink recently installed. The rink features the Instant Ice portable rink piping system supplied by Everything Ice. To Marty, and the great staff and the Niles Park District, we thank you for business!

http://niles.patch.com/articles/outdoor-ice-skating-rink-to-open-at-iceland#photo-8592367

The Niles Park District is opening its just-built outdoor ice skating rink today or Saturday. 

Park district officials hope the rink, which was built with staff labor and some used parts to save money, will meet the public's growing demand for ice time. The rink, which has a refrigerated base and can be used in temperatures up to 52 degrees F, is located at IceLand, at Ballard Road and Cumberland Street. It's west of the main building, which houses an indoor ice rink.

“Ice just took off. There wasn’t enough ice to satisfy customers,” said Ray Czarnik, president of the Niles Park District board. Demand has been high ever since the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2009, he said.

Rink built on site of scrapped pool

The park district shut down the outdoor pool at IceLand a couple of years ago because it was sustaining losses of $60,000 to $80,000 annually, said Park District Executive Director Joe LoVerde.

Earlier: Iceland Skate Complex To Add Outdoor Rink

About one year ago, the board made the decision to build the outdoor ice rink on the site of the former pool.

The board did not seek public input, LoVerde said, but added that staff members felt that the community would be well-served with an outdoor skating rink and that the decision process began with a staff recommendation from IceLand.

Cost could have been much higher

Overall costs for the outdoor rink are projected to be $200,000, according to Czarnik, adding the price would have been four times that if the district hadn't used its own staff's labor and bought some used materials.

While he didn’t give specific numbers, he said he expects the outdoor rink to be profitable within the first year. The park district approved a $12.4 million annual budget for 2012 at its November meeting, which represented a 2.2 percent increase over the previous year.

During warmer months, the rink will double as a soccer field, which was another idea for the facility, said Ray Czarnik, park district board president. A golf driving range was also considered.

High usage for skating and hockey

Both Maine West and East high school ice hockey teams use the indoor facility, as well as Notre Dame College Prep’s team, he added.

Even though the existing indoor rink offers many public skating times, the rink is booked until March, said Marty Stankowicz, general manager and hockey director at IceLand.

By having the outdoor rink, IceLand staff members hope more patrons have time on the ice, Stankowicz said. The most popular hours are from 6 to 8 pm, he said, adding that between 100 and 200 people come for the public skate times.

IceLand has already gotten some calls to reserve space at the facility, Czarnik said.

Park District officials hope to having a grand opening event within the next couple of weeks. Czarnik said they are considering a one-week period of allowing people to skate for free, in order to try out the facility.

He added the park board welcomes public input, and invited residents to convey suggestions and comments to:

Look at this hot deal! We have 800 theater type seats for sale as seen in the above photo. The seats are in good condition and can be shipped immediately. We will consider any offer. Please inquire within at info@everything-ice.com for information.

Everything Ice is pleased to announce the completion of the War Memorial Ice Rink in Staten Island, New York. Everything Ice manufactured and installed the Instant Ice portable rink piping system and Pro Ice dasherboards for the project. The rink is a full size olympic rink that measures 200' x 100' that is used primarily as a seasonal rink in the months of October through March. 

JOHNSTOWN — Everything Ice at 701 Main St. in downtown Johnstown has provided a key component of the practice rink for the ballyhooed Winter Classic hockey game scheduled for New Year’s Day at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The practice rink is set up just outside Heinz Field and has been in use since Christmas Eve for various youth, high school and amateur hockey games as well as public skating, said Rich Hixon, executive director

strategic planning for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Winter Classic is scheduled to face off at 1 p.m. Saturday in Heinz Field. The Penguins will play the Washington Capitals.

The game will be televised by the NBC network.

Everything Ice has provided the “Porta-Ice’’ brand portable rink piping system for the practice rink, said John Burley, president.

He said the system allowed the entire rink floor to roll out in a matter of hours, covering the entire 17,000-square-foot ice sheet with 26 miles of coolant pipe in a 4-foot-wide, carpet-type configuration.

An antifreeze refrigerant was circulated through the system that made the ice sheet.

Although State College based-AccuWeather.com on Wednesday was calling for a high of 53 degrees for Saturday in Pittsburgh, Burley said the temperature should not impact the rink.

The Penguins will be playing on a rink inside Heinz Field that is overseen by the National Hockey League.

NHL ice chief Dan Craig said that while above-freezing temperatures are not ideal, they wouldn’t necessarily affect the 21/2-inch-thick ice surface that is refrigerated to 22 degrees.

Only bright sunshine in conjunction with warming temperatures would soften the ice.

Sunshine is not expected Saturday, said AccuWeather.com.

But rain is and that could be worrisome. A light rain could freeze almost immediately after hitting the ice, creating an uneven surface. A steadier rain might flood the surface.

Everything Ice has built about 800 ice rinks throughout the world, Burley said. Largely because of a resurgence worldwide in ice-skating interest, he anticipates continued growth in 2011.

--Ted Potts 

http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x982166618/Local-company-assists-in-Winter-Classic

HAYMARKET, Va. - The Prince William Hockey Club has a place to call home again.

After Prince William Ice Center’s roof collapsed during a snowstorm in February, the youth hockey club was left without a place to play.

The ice center owners expected to have their rink open in time for this season, but, in August, announced that they would not reopen in time.

Without the Ice Center, hockey club members had to travel to ice rinks in Maryland to play.

So, Prince William Hockey Club members began looking for another solution.

“We decided as a club it would be best to get an ice rink,” Prince William Hockey Club President Ron Evans said.

Club members got approval from the Haymarket Town Council to convert an abandoned building at 15151 Washington St. into a temporary ice rink, which they plan to use until the Prince William Ice Center reopens.

The club is holding a grand opening ceremony for their new temporary rink Oct. 30, from 1:10 to 2 pm.

The celebration is open to the public and will include a flag dedication ceremony, a raffle, food for purchase and ice hockey.

Evans said the ice rink has been open for about a week and has gotten good reviews from those who have used it.

“Everyone’s very excited and just ready to play some hockey,” Evans said.

About 700 people, including youth, teen and adult hockey players and figure skaters are expected to use the ice rink, Evans said.

Volunteers from the Prince William Hockey Club helped to get the rink ready to open.

“This never would have happened without our volunteers,” Evans said.

For more information about the Prince William Hockey Club, visit www.pwhockey.com.

--Amanda Stewart

http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/oct/29/ice-hockey-rink-open-haymarket-ar-616980