New skating program making a difference at NLA

The first-time skater program at Northern Lights Arena appears to have achieved some success, with registrations for figure skating increasing drastically.

NLA Manager Bob Krafft informed the Multi-Purpose Arena Coalition during its meeting Wednesday that the figure skating club has 61 more skaters this year than last year. Krafft said some of that success should be attributed to the first-time skater program.

An anonymous donor is paying for the second sheet of ice at the arena, with the stipulation that M-PAC has a program to pay for the registration fees of first-time skaters.

The program also paid for a clinic over the summer, teaching people how to skate.

Krafft said the success of the increase in figure skaters is tempered a bit by a slight decrease in hockey registrations, but he said those numbers could come up.

The new faces in the clubs are important to the success of the arena, he said.

"The kids are the lifeblood of that facility," Krafft said.

He also highlighted some recent mechanical problems in the facility. On Sept. 28 a bearing in a compressor motor failed, and a gauge in the diesel engine of the backup compressor was shutting the unit off intermittently.

If the unit was not manually turned back on after it shut off, the ice could have melted.

"Losing the ice would be very costly, it would cost $3,000-$4,000 to put the ice back in," Krafft said.

To avoid that problem, NLA Maintenance Supervisor Jeremy Winterstein stayed the night in the arena, until necessary repairs could be made the next day. Krafft said the ice did soften up, but only took a few hours to get back to normal.

The board received a resignation letter from NLA Assistant Manager Christina Riley, who had filed a sexual harassment complaint against Krafft in August. The Alpena County Prosecutor's Office found no evidence of criminal behavior in the matter after receiving a report from the Alpena County Sheriff Department.

Riley's letter stated M-PAC did not adequately handle the situation, and she was asked to perform illegal bookkeeping, and was underpaid because of her sex.

M-PAC held a closed session personnel meeting Wednesday to discuss the options moving forward.

M-PAC Chairman Bill Peterson said Treasurer Mike Seguin has been doing much of the work Riley did since her resignation on Friday. He said M-PAC will need someone in the position as soon as possible.

"That's where personnel (committee) in the next few weeks will really have to bear down," Peterson said.

Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.