The city of Austin will pursue its own ice rink project.

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

The city of Austin will pursue its own ice rink project.

This time, Mower County will be asked to contribute financially to the project.

There were happy faces all around Monday afternoon at Riverside Arena, when city officials held a news conference to announce the project.

Only a week ago, the Mower County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to abandon a multipurpose building project at the fairgrounds in southwest Austin. The proposed facility would have included two sheets of ice and allowed the city to close Riverside Arena to hockey and figure skating and turn the downtown building into a combination recreation and activity center.

Citing concerns about steadily escalating costs and uncertainties about operating revenues, the county commissioners said "no" to the project.

At Monday’s news conference, city officials said "yes."

"We’re going to move forward to get a second sheet of ice," Mayor Bonnie Rietz said. With members of the Austin High School boys and girls varsity hockey teams, plus Austin Youth Hockey and Riverside Figure Skating Club skaters observing, the mayor said: "We’re here to tell you we’re going to do it."

Joel W. Johnson, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods Corp., said the company’s pledges of $600,000 to the project, plus another $250,000 in matching funds, remain intact "as long as there is a responsible governmental body."

Larry Lyons, a member of the AYH board of directors, said a week ago when the county board abruptly abandoned the much-anticipated multipurpose building project, his hopes were dashed.

"Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I would be here today taking about a new project," Lyons said.

Lyons said with Hormel Foods Corp.’s commitment to its $250,000 pledge of monies raised by AYH, "We will continue to support this project and hope additional people will come forward to join us."

Dr. James A. Hess, Austin superintendent of schools, consoled those who were disappointed over the county board’s decision. Hess reminded all, "Nothing comes easy."

However, he also said, "Something like this is too good to go away for ever."

According to Hess, the Austin Board of Education has agreed to continue its pledge to pay ice time costs toward the project. The Austin school district’s role in the city’s plan will continue to be a $250,000 participant, but only in terms of user fees and with no up-front construction costs.

When everyone had spoken, it was the mayor’s turn to capture the mood of the Riverside Arena news conference attendees.

Rietz led everyone in a H-O-C-K-E-Y cheer: "H" was for Hurrah!, "O" for getting the project done On time, "C" for staying the Course, "K" for Keep working, "E" for Everyone involved and "Y" for Youth.

That building a facility for future generations was the impetus for the city’s decision to embrace the project was evident from the mayor’s spontaneous cheer and Hormel Foods’ Johnson’s comments.

"We want to make this as good a town as we can for our employees and for the children of our employees," Johnson said.