Politics & Government

Readers Split on Bringing Back Ice Skating Rink

In a Patch poll, 19 of 23 voters supported seeing the ice rink return.

St. Charles Patch readers were split on whether the city should consider bringing back an ice skating rink for the 2013-14 winter season. 

Parks Board member TJ Slattery suggested the city consider the issue as he has had several phone calls from people wondering what happened to it.

The city operated an ice skating rink in Frontier Park in 2009 and 2010, but opted not to bring it back in 2011 because of cost concerns.

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Patch readers raised concerns about the amount of money the city would spend on bringing back the rink. 

"Saint Charles needs to save money. Why don't they spend less and stop taxing utility bills? STOP WASTING MONEY!!!!," said one reader, dbatch1715.

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Catherine Moody Dreher said, "It doesn't generate revenue and those discretionary funds came from the taxpayers. If the city can't think of a better use for the funds than a costly ice skating rink, they should give the money back to the citizens. Of course, THAT will never happen."

Jackie Cogle Dalton said on Facebook, "It's a really cool thing, but if it doesn't bring in revenue, it only hurts the city. Unfortunately, the only solution to that is to raise the price to cover expenses and I wonder how many would pay the inflated price to skate."

However, several people said they'd like to see the rink return. In a 19 of 23 people who cast votes supported a return to the ice rink. 

"Yes! The city should bring back the ice skating rink!" Joe Strehl said.

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