The Hockey Rink

The city approved expenses to redo the hockey rink building and volunteers went in and fixed it up. It looks fantastic! Great job everyone!

Check out the pictures of it at the Ortonville City Website.

They did a GREAT JOB!

The artwork is a nice touch! Thanks for the link!


nascargirl

Why can't Ortonville support a hockey team? Maybe because Ortonville is one of the last teams to have an indoor arena! We need to invest in our children. What message are we sending our children when we are 20 years behind the rest of the state. When we invested in our medical facility our children returned. When we invest in our children they will return. When we invest only in ourselves our children see



narcissism and go elsewhere. What the city did was just a start! We need an indoor arena.

Having a nephew in hockey - Ortonville is certainly not the LAST community not to have an indoor rink.

People
on this forum have complained at a suggestion of a water park,
complained about the golf course - yet want people to come to the
community???

Shouldn't we try and support VARIOUS activities in our community? Along with EMPLOYMENT opportunities....other activities will KEEP people here, but you have to GET them here first.

It is nice to have all KINDS of activities for not only the YOUNG people, but citizens of all ages - during the entire year.


nascargirl

Your point takes my analysis out of context. I support a water park. I support a baseball park in Big Stone City and I support a Big Stone area ice arena, indoor. I should know what a great signal this would be to our children. My son played hockey in two different communities in Minnesota and never played a game in an outdoor arena. Our children can not compete with schools in Minnesota who begin their hockey programs in August and we do not even have cold enough weather to form ice until January.

I also promoted a new indoor ice arena paid for with private money but was told that I was not part of the hockey association and was not allowed to raise money for the arena.

I then went to Big Stone City and have now raised all by myself over $20,000 and with help raised an additional $100,000. How come Big Stone City can afford to spend thousands of dollars and Ortonville is literally years behind.

In your comments you seem to be very unselfish and in touch with others. I most certainly respect your opinion. However, there is a thought that permeates our local political decisions. What is good for me is good for the community.

We need leaders in our community who go beyond themselves and see a future. The future for our children for generations to come.

We need to be unselfish.

I have played hockey all over the state of Minnesota and Ortonville is the worst i have ever played on. Its not only Ortonville but Milbank and Big Stone both have kids that play hockey over in Ortonville. The Ortonville team has to go over to Morris or Benson until there ice freezes and that takes untill after the new year, and to go to Morris or Benson 3 or 4 times a week to practice and play games that adds alot of time and gas. If Ortonville could get there own rink they could save time, gas, and money;but they also could bring in so more money for the community to use. A rink can also be used for different things. Where I live during the winter the community also uses the rink for curling and broomball. During the summer they melt the ice and use the floor for many different events. A rink is more then for hockey but many different things that a community can do with a bigger building with more space.

I had to laugh when I saw this article on the front page of the local newspaper. I wish they would spend as much time and energy trying to recruit new players and retain old players. I'm sure it looks nice but what a shame that very few people will actually see it. With the numbers in the Hockey program in severe jeopardy, I would think they would look at ways to increase their numbers. The fact of the matter is that without an indoor sheet, this program has little room for success. Parents just do not want to drive the miles to Morris for practice twice a week. With just a little bit of energy, I believe they could find a building that they could use. It doesn't have to be regulation size, just big enough to practice on. However they just choose to paint some walls that will eventually fade in time as willl their program.

The hockey rink is just another example of the inability of the leadership of Ortonville to work together. They call it the Big Stone Area Hockey Association and then most of the participants from Milbank are treated poorly. The leadership in this organization is poor at best and lacks a common or any direction. Perhaps Milbank can provide better leadership. Thanks for your comments. The leadership of Ortonville is dominated by negative thinking.

I want to be sure of what I am reading here. Watching this thread and seeing the comments provoked me to make a few inquiries.

This is the situation as far as I can understand it.

1. The Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association was approached by a person who was able to raise $120,00.00 to build a new indoor hockey rink that could be used by everyone in the Big Stone Lake Area.

2. Big Stone City, SD made the land available for the Hockey rink to be built.

3. Did the Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association refuse this offer?
Why would they refuse such an offer?

Perhaps someone from the Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association could enlighten us with their side of the story.

Although I am no longer associated with the Hockey Association, perhaps I can shed some light on some of your questions.
About three years ago, some members of the board along with some volunteers started acting as a small committee to put together a plan to devise a way to get an indoor ice rink built. After 3 or so of what we deemed successful meetings, one of our volunteers received a phone call from a non-board hockey parent telling him that he was not welcome to participate in this project mainly because he had no child participating in the hockey program. Naturally, I was dumbfounded as I don't ever recall any organization that I was a part of turn down volunteers. This individual had donated his time and expertise and probably would have donated dollars to this project. After this happened I could see what I would be up against to get this project off the ground. About a year or so later, I was able to keep moving ahead and had come up with a building to practice in. This
would have enabled the kids to start skating earlier than previous years and eliminated the drive to Morris. Yes, the building was in a neighboring town, however the association being called Big Stone Lake Area, I thought it would be no big deal. When I approached the idea to the board their exact quote was " Ortonville parents won't drive their kids to ....." Again I was dumbfounded. After that, I knew it was no use to try and fight the politics of the "Ortonville Hockey Association" If they choose to have tunnel vision, I won't be a part of it.

Part 2 of your question refers to the land. Again, yes the city of Big Stone had some land that the Association could use for their rink. They were excited that we wanted to pursue such a project and we had their full support. After the political games of the association, I gave up with the project.

We have waited for a week with no response and we are well aware that the leadership has read the thread. In silence we know the truth. When the attack is personal instead of dealing with the debate it is further proof that the leadership in the Hockey Association needs to be changed.

Ortonville can no longer treat its neighbors badly. It is time for the leadership of Ortonville to admit they are wrong and correct the problem.

Why did the Hockey Association not allow Big Stone City to build a hockey rink? Perhaps this "exclusive club" dominated thought of the Association permeates itself throughout the establishment of the City of Ortonville.

The city only wants to here a cheering section when they do good and bury their head in the sand when the do poorly!

The hockey association needs changes. Are they going to answer the allegations?

I called the president of the Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association, Trish Kellen, and she informed me that she had read these posts. She would be discussing this at the next hockey board meeting and would perhaps have a reply in a week or so after the meeting.

Trish stated to me that this incident happened before she became president, and that no one ever came to a board meeting offering money for a new rink. She said that she had heard about someone, some years ago, that had come in and there was talk about building an indoor rink but that there was some kind of an argument and the person left.

Trish spent some of her energy in our conversation talking about not knowing who this person was making this claim. I find that a peculiar thing to say. How many people have come to the Hockey Association offering to help raise $120,000.00 for an indoor rink?

I have already addressed the issue of Unidentified Forum Members (UFM's) in another post, (See "Using the Forums" section, post "Specifying your real name on The Forums.") and one shouldn't get distracted from the issue at hand with trifles.

Who makes a statement shouldn't be the point.
Is the statement true, is what should be addressed.

I look forward to hearing the other side of the story.

As I have indicated in the past, there is and continues to permeate through the leadership of Ortonville a "big Fish, little bowl syndrome. Ortonville is my home town and yet this community continues to demonstrate this attitude.

This community continues to fight with its neighbor and the leadership think they are winning.

Here are additional facts:

The Association was notified that three individuals were working to build a indoor rink in Big Stone City. One person called one of the three members and told them the rink had to be built in Ortonville and if it were not going to be built in Ortonville the committee needed to quit raising money.

I responded by saying is Ortonville willing to donate the land and they said "I doubt it!" This did not alter the opinion of the person. I was told to quit because they would make sure the association would not support a rink in Big Stone City, SD.

There was no fight at a meeting as Trish Kellen reported.

This group of volunteers were ready to start the fund raising and requested that the association open a bank account earmarked for the rink in Big Stone City and board said no way. They wanted the money but wanted to build the rink in Ortonville or no rink at all.

I was not at this meeting but was told by the caller above what the board had decided.

Trish Kellen knows the truth and instead of telling the truth chooses a vindicative and non-responsive approach.

Her leadership has caused further division between Milbank, Big Stone City and Ortonville. She continues to create animosity to others and is not a catalyst to a better organization working with people of all communities.

The name of this organization is really Ortonville hockey program.

This is the one and only time I will be visiting your web site. The Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association will be having a board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13th at 7pm at the rink in Ortonville. If anyone has any questions or concerns about anything brought up on this website or elsewhere please feel free to come to our meeting and we will be more than happy to address your concerns.
Thank you,
Trish Kellen
Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association

justcuz, your response to this discussion is insufficient. In our phone conversation where I personally invited you to tell the Hockey Associations side of the story you stated that this shouldn't be discussed in public. I beg to differ.

On the one hand you say to me that this shouldn't be discussed in public and then you make a post saying that the public can come to your board meeting and discuss it.

Why would you only allow "public" discussions in one place? Why are you willing to talk about it at your board meeting but not here in The Forums?

The fact is that you are a public organization with a responsibility to the public. You are not just an exclusive club with a few families who happen to play hockey and you owe no one but yourselves.

Many people in the community could have benefited from such an indoor ice rink. The building could have been used for others beside the Hockey Association and people from other neighboring towns would have come here thereby gaining opportunities for more revenue for our area.

Sue Kaercher-Blake has tried for several years to get a figure skating program going here and an indoor rink would be perfect for that. As it is now she has to drive all the way to Watertown every week to take her daughter to ice skating lessons, and that would be burdensome for anyone considering gas prices these days. Your decisions affects others in the community.

There is no logical reason not to reply to this thread and address the public with your side of the story.

I am not surprised you are confused?

This thread started with innocent praise because the City painted the warming house. The innocence of our youth.

There was an article in the Ortonville Dependent bragging about the accomplishments of the city. The article written by the very people that were responsible for the fiasco and now they are attempting to cover up their wrongdoing.

Trish Kellen is well aware of this cover up and now wants to cover it up in a smoke filled room, where a small group of people hid behind their positions to reek havoc among innocent children. What was the hockey associations decision? The hockey association turned town a hockey rink being built in Big Stone City. Big Stone City had donated the land and ended up raising over $120,000 for a baseball field because Ortonville would not allow the hockey rink to be in Big Stone City.

It is interesting to note "just cuz" is symbolic of her attitude. Ms. Kellen refuses to accept her responsibility for this bad decision. She cannot justify her position in public so she hides behind a smoke filled room with a bunch of her buddies for no "just cause".

There were three men who had a "just cause". Our cause was to make our area better for our children. We decided that our children should be placed ahead of our own needs. We worked towards an indoor arena. Our children were excited. The parents were excited. Only a handful of people who were short-sided and allowed their inflated egos to be in the way stopped this project. Who did these people hurt?

They hurt Ortonville. Others in the surrounding area wondered how insane it was to turn down $120,000 and land. Instead of growing together these decisions turned and hurt Ortonville. Other communities were appalled! Ortonville blew it!

Most importantly, this group of people hurt innocent children. To date there has been no effort to build an ice arena. Children in Milbank, Big Stone City and Ortonville were hurt. Trish, you must feel real important to hurt children! You have hurt your own children with your short-sidedness and an effort to cover up.

Ortonville spends thousands on a improving the golf course, thousands for new elderly housing and thumbed their noses at their children.

What have we done for our children? It is time to serve our children who rely upon us. The hockey association should be ashamed of their behavior. At least one city councilmen has a relationship to the hockey association. He should be the most embarrassed. He voted for all of the city projects that have done nothing for our children.

These decisions defy logic and we all are confused on why you would hurt children!

I have sat back and watched this conversation develope, but now you guys are getting just plain nasty. Whatever happened 3-4 years is over and done with. There is no sense dwelling on it. If we want an indoor arena, the hockey association is not going to turn that down, and we get work together for a common goal instead of creating enimies and bashing community members on a website. As for Trish answering questions on your forum, I agree with her. If you want answers, go to the board meeting. This forum is in no way, shape, or form the best way to discuss this. She is not refusing to discuss it, but the conversation is not just hers to have, it is for the entire hockey board.

As for the people complaining..... What are you doing for the hockey association? Community? I dont know who you are and I am not psychic, so I am curious. People on the hockey board work hard to keep are kids playing hockey no matter where it is. The kids are doing this for fun, let them enjoy it! As for the rink we have, It looks great!! Alot of heart and hard work was put into it by the hockey people. I am glad that we have programs like Big Stone Lake Area Hockey to keep are kids active in a positive environment. Anyway I hope that those of you who are complaining are somehow involved in the association and not just blowing smoke. If your not, get involved, you obviously need a hobby.

I think the users on this forum are just curious as to the direction the Hockey Association chooses to take. I am sure the rink looks great, but could the energies that were used on the project be used to devise something even more? I know the Association numbers are down, but has the board looked at the possible reasons why they are down. I know from talking with people that program costs are not an issue. Since the Association has equipment for the kids to use, I don't think that is an issue. I think the real issue is the cost and drive time for the first 4-6 weeks of practice. It might not be an issue for some, but I know for a fact that it is for others. How many kids are out there that really want to play, but parents refuse to let them based on distance to practice. If we could have a facility in the area (10-20 miles) how many kids would take advantage of it. Even a practice facility would suffice. Get the interest built up and then move up to bigger things. The board had such a facility almost given to them a couple of years ago. Being that they are Ortonville based, they chose to pass on this facility. Now it looks like another organization in the area will be able to use it. In a previous post, I read that Sue Kaercher Blake drives all the way to Watertown for ice skating. How ironic when it was her that made the phone call telling the one volunteer that he was not welcome to help with the rink project, because he did not have a child in the organization. He has since moved on and helped raise $120,000 for the Big Stone ballfield.

As far as the people complaining and bashing the association on this forum, you must realize that this is an electronic newspaper. It is here for news and events. However, like a newspaper, there are also editorials. People are just expressing their opinions and questions.

Hi hockeymom, nice to meet you.

These forums were created for the purpose of better communication. Giving people the opportunity to talk about things that are important to them. This forum is the most positive thing that has come to our community in a long time. Everyone has a voice.

The old days of public servants making selfish decisions behind closed doors in a smoke filled room is gone. Now that a window has been opened people will have to be accountable for what they do when they have a responsibility to the public.

You stated that the people you say are complaining should be involved in the hockey association helping it. That, I believe, was their point. They had been involved in the hockey association and were asked to leave when they were trying to raise money for a new indoor rink. Their point was how can they work for an association that rejects help.

Now that this has all been brought to light through the positive influence of these forums we can proceed to correct the mistake. I am so happy to hear in your post that the hockey association is not going to turn down an indoor rink. Does this mean that at the upcoming Hockey Association Board meeting they are going to rectify the issue and accept the help and build the rink in Big Stone City?

You are incorrect in your assertion that this is not the place for Trish to discuss this issue. As President she is the head and representative agent of the Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association. What ever the Board agrees to do she is then the one to implement the action. She needs to consider public relations and would want to release information to the public. There is no better way to do that than to write, in her own words, what their position is.
Trish can do that here. She stated that this was the one and only time she would visit this website. She should reconsider and use this website to promote the hockey association.

If you read the posts carefully, they are not all 'bashing' the Hockey Association. Some of us may not have children that play hockey, are simply curious on what the community can provide for the Association, or how we can 'support' hockey.

I have contributed to the various fund raisers for the Hockey Association (as well as other local groups) when approached. I have always participated without giving it another thought. When questions were asked in this forum, I was hoping for some additional information directly from the Hockey Association members. It is a great opportunity for both sides to be heard.

If you do not wish to post in this forum, maybe something in the local newspapers?


nascargirl

Why is Ortonville all by itself on this one?

It is hard to imagine Ortonville declining help from a philanthropist. As I read the thread the question is how many chances does Ortonville get?

Both Trish Kellen and hockeymom go to a site and criticize a person who wishes to make this area a better place to live for the children of all communities. The back handed apologies and then the insults aimed at a person who only wanted to make this a better place for children?

Bleedgreen and Lady Hawk have it right. The numbers are decreasing. If they treat others like I have been treated it is not a small wonder that numbers are decreasing.

Now, the bigger issue! Bleedgreen is correct. It was Sue Kaercher that made the phone call saying the hockey association did not want an indoor rink in Big Stone City.

The Kaerchers print newspapers in Milbank and send papers to Big Stone City. Since Ms. Kaercher does not want the rink built in Big Stone City and does not support Milbank, perhaps her advertisers and people purchasing the paper should boycott the Ortonville Dependent.

One of the purposes of this Forum is to promote all communities to make this a region instead of three separate communities.

Perhaps to neutralize the location of this discussion Nascargirl promotes a newspaper approach. Perhaps Trish Kellen, hockeymom and Ms. Kaercher would like to air their opinions in the Grant County Reveiw justifying on why the indoor rink should not be built in Milbank?

This is what I know. If the Kellen mentality is maintained in Ortonville, Ortonville will become a suburb of Big Stone City!

justcuz wrote:

The Big Stone Lake Area Hockey Association will be having a board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13th at 7pm at the rink in Ortonville.

So, what did the Hockey Board decide to do about this issue at the meeting. :|

The half hearted invitation to the meeting was really nothing more than an empty threat. This was nothing more than intimidation of the worst kind.

Although I am reluctant to speak because of the obvious vindicative nature of the group and most important the leadership there is a tendency to say "hands off".

Here are my observations. The meeting was almost 20 minutes late and everyone was passed around some type of secret e-mails. The nature of these e-mails was discussed later but we were not given copies of these e-mails.

The Treasurer's report was not available, nor was the minutes of the past meetings available. There most certainly was a reason neither of these documents were present.

The leadership complained about suppliers, past members and had no kind words except for those present at the meeting.

Last but not least, without a motion and in an arbitrary fashion, Ms. Kellen disclosed to the group that they would not be getting their fund raising project from the supplier in Milbank this year. Instead she had to go to Wheaton and paid more for the product but she would try to talk the Wheaton supplier to a lower price.

There was never a mention about an indoor arena and the word children or kids was not uttered.

From my standpoint as a stranger this was an organization without leadership. The leadership was not friendly to me nor was it friendly to others not in the organization.

Update to having a hockey arena

The key to success in a hockey program is how many more kids join the program and how many leave.

In Alexandria there continues to be talks about expanding the indoor arena. In Watertown, SD they decided to build a second indoor arena but have placed it on hold for one year because of the economy. Benson, Morris and Willmar all have indoor arenas.

Alexandria and Watertown have great win-loss records and are drawing large crowds. Hockey is a truly exciting and fast moving sport.

Ortonville has no program beyond a young group and no one is talking about expanding the program. It appears to be a dying program with poor leadership.