MIRMA CELEBRATES 40 YEARS!
by Lisa Fedick, MIRMA secretary T
he Metropolitan Ice Rink Manager’s Association (MIRMA) celebrated our 40th anniversary in
October at our annual fall meeting and mini trade show. As charter members, Te Park District of Great Neck, N.Y., proved to be wonderful hosts. As members grew sentimental in approaching this milestone, we compiled a history of MIRMA and our members. Today, MIRMA enjoys the distinction of being one of the oldest ice arena trade organizations.
MIRMA
President Judy Sniffen cuts the ceremonial cake in celebration of MIRMA’s 40th anniversary recently.
Former ISI Treasurer Richard Arenella,
founded MIRMA with our “original nine” charter member rinks in 1975, immediately following the ISIA conference in St. Louis, Mo. MIRMA was initially viewed as a renegade organization, but the ISIA quickly recognized that MIRMA was in fact formed to support not only the Institute’s efforts at the local and regional levels but also those of the industry as a whole. MIRMA’s mission is multifaceted.
First, the organization encourages and promotes ice skating in all forms as both a participant sport and a lifelong recreational activity. MIRMA hosts the annual ISI District 3 “Skate for Knowledge” Championships, which culminates in the awarding of college scholarships to qualified participants.
From left, Doug Peters, Zamboni Company; MIRMA President Judy Sniffen and huband, Burt; MIRMA secretary Lisa Fedick; ISI Executive Director Peter Martell; and Scott Lebedz of Athletico.
Our second objective is to offer
information and guidance for the benefit of our members and the industry as a whole. We hold regular meetings to provide education on the best practices for operating ice arenas while fostering the exchange of information and ideas through networking. You can find membership information,
events calendars, helpful tips and a classified section at
skateMIRMA.org. MIRMA also has a social media presence on Facebook. Please “like” us! MIRMA board members have a long,
proud history of being leaders in our industry. Led by longtime president, Judy Sniffen, MIRMA is currently working with the legislatures of New York and New Jersey on regulations that affect ice arenas, particularly on the matter of indoor air quality.
Meeting Highlights During the meeting, Bill Zak of IntellEnergy gave an informative presentation on the recent advances in LED rink lighting. Troy Shutler of the Rochester Midland
Corporation also provided updates on the New York State cooling tower regulations, which were designed for protection against the legionella pneumophila bacteria, which can cause the potentially fatal Legionnaire’s disease. Te bacteria were first identified in Philadelphia in 1976. Te bacteria commonly exist at microscopic levels in ground water, and unfortunately, untreated cooling towers and evaporative condensers can provide ideal breeding grounds, particularly in summer. Once a problem unique to the
Former ISI Treasurer Richard Arenella shows off his Zamboni- inspired raffle prize at the meeting.
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Northeast, legionella incidents have now popped up in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ontario. To date, only New York and Quebec have regulations in place. Zamboni’s Doug Peters presented on
“all things Zamboni,” and an active Q&A session followed. MIRMA extends appreciation to ISI Executive Director Peter Martell
and Jim Hartnett, ISI past president, for participating in the meeting. Special thanks go to our generous meeting sponsors, Becker Arena Products, Safehold Insurance, CIMCO Refrigerationand Frontline Solutions!
Other News Te Floyd Hall Arena in Little Falls, N. J., will host the 2016 MIRMA ISI District 3 “Skate for Knowledge” competition on Sunday, April 17. Once again, to encourage participation, MIRMA will award a full 2016 ISI/PSA Las Vegas Conference registration with a $500 travel expense stipend to the ISI Professional member with the most event starts at the competition. MIRMA continues to monitor and distribute proposals evolving at the state level for indoor air quality regulation. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut legislators now seem to be passing legislation back and forth as they approach this ongoing issue. Te helmet law is now on the books in
New Jersey. Tis issue is being revisited by legislators throughout the tri-state area. As facilities, we do not want to be responsible for supplying helmets, primarily due to compliance and sanitary considerations. Corey Cash of Safehold Insurance noted that our primary defense is still the Assumption of Risk:
“Skaters must assume inherent risks when partaking in the sport of ice skating.” We continue to encourage our member
facilities to be proactive rather than reactive in their approach to this issue. Two $500 college scholarships for skaters will be awarded for the 2015 -2016
“Skate for Knowledge” competitive season. Tese funds will be placed in 529 accounts until released to a college or university. Tese annual awards are based on the quality and quantity of participation in District 3, as well as in ISI national events. One update to this program is the change in dates for our competitive season, which now runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 to mirror the ISI
ISI EDGE SPRING 2016
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