Ice Rink Stays Open!

[gvsusean]

A win for the people of West Michigan!!!

"...Both men hope to get their point across by giving a combined $25,000 to the city to keep the ice skating rink open at Rosa Parks Circle this winter.

Their gift, to be announced today, is expected to be coupled with a pledge from the Downtown Development Authority to pay for maintaining the rink at the Maya Lin-designed park.

"When we heard they might be closing the ice rink, it seemed like it was inconsistent with our tag line, 'Making more possible,'" said Terpsma, senior vice president of commercial banking for LaSalle. "Nothing seems more important than keeping people coming downtown, even in the wintertime for activities like ice skating."

Hollis, senior vice president of Fort

Wayne, Ind.-based Centennial, said they wanted to pitch in because "Rosa Parks Circle is a special place in Grand Rapids."

City Parks and Recreation Director Jay Steffen said the corporate gifts will restore a winter recreational activity that attracted about 30,000 skaters last year and more than 40,000 in previous years.

Despite its popularity, city commissioners cut the skating program as part of $3 million in cuts to the parks and recreation budget that also eliminated the city's outdoor swimming pools and ended adult recreational leagues. "

But alas pools being closed and other parks and recs activites cut a loss

If the fathers of GR want people to live in GR then they should realize that people come here for what they cannot get in the suburbs... i.e. the large festivals and other amenities unavailable in the burbs.