FINAL April 2020 Digital Rink Rat

April 2020 PRECAUTIONARY STEPS FOR “LONG-TERM” SHUTDOWN BY Ed Peduto SHUTDOWN OF INSIDE THIS ISSUE REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT Lost and Found Page 3 NEISMA Spring Program Update Page 4 NEISMA 2020-21 Program Page 5 “Low Flying Drones “ Tid Bit Page 9 “Career Growth” Tid Bit Page 10 Rink and Hockey Accounting 101 Page 12-13 What To Do Page 16 Insurance During The Pandemic Page 18 EPA Rescinds Leak Repair Page 20 Current NEISMA Membership Page 22-23 Whether your shut down for the season was planned or unex- Safety Standards vs Safety Regulations Page 23 pected, making sure your equipment is shut down properly is Page 26 Keep It Pristine imperative. Many, including myself, have operated our rinks with ice for so long that we may have forgotten the potential Small Business Protection Program Page 30 ills that can occur when the machinery is shut down for an extended period. Anything more than a few days would be considered an extended period of time. If you are not trained We know that the COVID-19in refrigeration repair and maintenance, it is recommended that you call you licensed refrigeration contractor to shut pandemic has changed all of down your equipment properly. Shutting down the rink can our daily lives. be expensive as it is, unexpected costs can be prevented. A shut down is not as easy as flipping off the switches, most sys- tems require a pump down along with isolating your com- pressors and condensers. Any refrigerant left in the liquid line During this challenging andincluding the condensers, will not pass by a properly function- ing expansion valve. It will, however, travel in the reverse di- uncertain time, we hope thatrection on many systems, leaking past the cylinders into the crankcase. If you are asking yourself what a check valve is, put all of you and your loved ones this article down and call your contractor! A thorough and proper shutdown will make for a smooth restart when the are staying healthy and safe. time comes to put your ice back in!

Page 2 Rink Rat President’s Message by EJ Gottwald, CIT, CAO, CAP, CAM As we are all exploring ways to keep busy, model, industry advocate, and dear friend to many of us. His whether at work or at home, we hope this finds you well. leadership and dedication to his roles with NEISMA have left a While our association tried to hold off in hopes that this may lasting impression and solid foundation for our association. He have subsided by now, the difficult decision was made, in best served on the board of directors for several years and was interest of our members and their families, to postpone our President for the past five years. It was under Bens’ leadership 2020 Spring Conference and Trade Show, due to the current that NEISMA started the Rink Summit, which will continue this COVID19 pandemic. If you registered and would like a credit/ Fall in Minnesota, hosted by MIAMA. Our quarterly publication refund please reach out to John Zullo, [email protected]. For was expanded to have more pages and to be printed in full col- hotel reservation refunds please reach out directly to Gurney’s or. We revised the format of our annual conferences to now Resort, as they will be handling the refunds. We hope that you encompass certification classes by ISI and USIRA. These are just will all join us in 2021 at Gurney’s for what we are planning to a few of the accomplishments of NEISMA under his leadership be another fantastic event. and direction. We have our fall conferences lined up with locations and dates. You will be receiving this issue digitally, as we know many busi- Be sure to check those out. Full agendas will be released once nesses are closed and aren’t available to receive mail during this completed, as we are still working to confirm those details. time. We will resume printed publications once businesses are We look forward to hosting those events and seeing some able to re-open safely. Be sure to follow us on social media to friendly faces! stay updated on what’s going on with NEISMA. As many of you may know, in December we lost Past President, Please stay safe and healthy. active board member, and friend, Ben Ruggles. Ben was a role Best, EJ Gottwald NEISMA Board of Directors PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT 2ND VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER EJ Gottwald, CIT, CAO, CAP, CAM Tom Ferguson Eric Dursin Michelle Stenberg OPERATIONS MANAGER Safehold Special Risk Inc. Schneider Arena Quincy Youth Arena FMC Ice Sports 230 Commerce Way, Suite 230 Providence College 60 Murphy Memorial Dr. 100 Schoosett Street, BLG 3 Portsmouth , NH 03801 1 Cunningham Square Quincy, MA 02169 Pembroke, MA 02359 Providence, RI 02918 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] P: 617-479-8371 P: 781-312-5024 P: 603-570-5216 P: 401-865-2331 C: 781-215-1260 F: 855-529-7684 BOARD MEMBER SECRETARY BOARD MEMBER BOARD MEMBER Tom Morton Rob Harkins Morton & Morton Thomas Walsh George Arnaoutis University of Pennsylvania 200 Jackson Street, Boston College Athletic Facilities Yale University 3130 Walnut Street Box 700 140 Commonwealth Avenue |ngalls Rink Philadelphia, PA 19104 Zebulon, GA 30295 Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 73 Sachem Street [email protected] [email protected] New Haven, CT 06511 P: 770-567-8534 [email protected] w: 215-898-1923 F: 770-567-3786 P: 617-552-0137 [email protected] c: 302-249-6100 C: 617-594-1205 P: 203-430-0662 ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR F: 203-239-9244 COMMUNICATIONS John Zullo BOARD MEMBER DIRECTOR NEISMA BOARD MEMBER Marissa Trott P.O. Box 290595 Ed Peduto Warrior Ice Arena Wethersfield, CT 06109 Burbank Ice Arena William Vecchio 90 Guest Street [email protected] 51 Symonds Way 11 Scotland Ave . Brighton, MA 02135 P&F: 888-234-3968 Reading, MA 01867 Salem, NH 03079 [email protected] [email protected] P: 401-345-2334 [email protected] P: 617-892-0200 P: 781-942-2271 F: 781-942-0423

Lost and Found Page 3 By Jason Piche, Warrior Ice Arena Think about that. Not one person isn’t affected by this. We’ve all lost something. We all have a story to In our industry we often have a huge lost and found tell. That’s how big this really is! We thought it would take an alien invasion to unite the entire bin. Equipment left behind, sweatshirts forgotten, world and yet here we are together… but apart be- cause of social distancing… but you know, together one mitten… and of course all those damn water in that. bottles! The Corona Virus, Covid-19 or the Black Found - Video conferencing. While it’s been around for years never has there been a better time to Plague 2.0… whatever terms you’re on with it...has create a Zoom login. In fact I’d never heard of that particular service until this started. We’ve left a trail of items in the lost and found. As the all used it to check in on loved ones, friends, or days pass with this pandemic I couldn’t help have work meetings. Not eve- ryone is stuck inside with fam- but think of all the things piling up in ily or friends, so having a way the world’s lost and found bin to communicate where you can see a face is important! right about now. But to Lost - Sports. Look I know it’s not as important as keep it light, what’s going on out there, sometimes that laptop (Continued on page 14) that got left behind is picked up the next day, and thus I’ve included some “found” moments too. Lost - All plans. I mean, no one person exists that didn’t have something cancelled, or postponed.

Page 4 Rink Rat NEISMA PROGRAM UPDATES Spring 2020 Conference and Trade Show Due to the progression of COVID-19 in the US and Canada, and with the many government mandates coming through, NEISMA has made an informed decision to reschedule our Spring 2020 Conference and Trade Show. Save the NEW Dates! Sunday, April 25th — Wednesday April 28, 2021 NEISMA 2020 Conference and Trade Show Refunds/Credits Submit all credit and/or refund request to John Zullo at [email protected] Credits can be applied to our 2021 NEISMA Spring Conference Program. Please excuse any delay in response to your inquiries. NEISMA is committed to work- ing with all of our members to provide the highest standard of customer service pos- sible during this time. Gurney’s Hotel Room Refunds/Credits For Hotel room refunds, please contact Gurney’s Reservations Agents- 833-235-7500. All registrants have the option to apply their registration fee or hotel room deposit to next year’s conference.

Page 5 NEISMA 2020 –2021 Program Fall 2020 Conference Schedule NEISMA is making plans for three Fall conferences, so mark you calendars! October 6, 2020 College of Holy Cross Worcester MA October 13, 2020 Flyers Skate Zone Voorhees NJ TBD Plymouth State University Plymouth NH Spring 2021 Conference and Trade Show Goat Island NEISMA Conference & Trade Show NEISMA Golf Tournament Gurney’s Newport Newport National Golf Course Sun April 25-Wed April 28, 2021 Monday, April 26, 2021 2021 Spring Conference and Trade Show details regarding program, speakers and classes will be announced in December. Follow us to stay up to date on all of our upcoming events!!

Page 6 Rink Rat BATTERY CARE DURING AN the machine monthly (10 minutes or more) UNPLANNED SHUTDOWN to draw the battery down and then connect back to the charger. Ed is available to evaluate your battery and charger; something that should be part of reopening if the closure of rinks goes as long as is feared. Call him for pricing. Ed’s company’s batteries are essential to keeping the food supply moving in the country. Thus, he IS working and can be reached at 781-985-7279 with any battery questions. Note: he can not get you toilet paper from the grocery store! Just off the phone with Ed DaRosa, battery care tech- nician for Concentric Bjorkman (Bjorkman Industrial Power) and we spoke about the imminent shutdown of all non-essential businesses in Massachusetts, which includes ice rinks. Many year-round rinks have never had to deal with an extended shutdown, so I asked Ed what is proper extended shutdown protocol with regard to ice resurfacer batteries. Ed said that rinks with “Smart” Chargers have 2 choices: 1. Leave the machine plugged into the charger. Water only needs to be topped off every month to 2 months since there will not be much evaporation occurring from use. 2. Leave machine unplugged, start machine monthly and turn on all accessories (augers, lights, etc.) for 10 minutes to draw the bat- tery down. Charge battery fully. Add water every month to every 2 months. If your rink does NOT have a “smart” charger, besides using this time to buy one, Ed’s advice is to follow choice # 1 above, run

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Page 9 NEISMA Tid Bit By Tom Morton LOW FLYING DRONES-101 that will help manage low flying drones. Their goal By: Tom Morton is to create a program of action that can integrate drone safety and effectiveness into air traffic that is As an ice rink manager you may ask what do drones already flying in low altitude air space. After NASA have to do with the Ice Rink Industry and especially to has completed their research it is their intent to me and my ice rink? As of right now, perhaps nothing. transfer their findings to the FAA. But then one never knows what changes may occur in Of direct interest to the Ice Rink Industry is the today’s fast changing world of technology. fact that ASTM, with whom NEISMA is a member, considers the low flying drone traffic a serious safe- Having said that, as a preface to this article, I ty problem. It is ASTM’s intent to draft and publish thought it might be helpful to you as an ice rink manag- an appropriate safety standard. Indeed, ASTM has er to learn something about drones hence this 101 already developed a Remote ID standard to help article. Indeed, it may help just having a passing knowledge regarding drones. If nothing else, having track and identify unmanned drones worldwide. some knowledge may be a good coffee chit chat topic. Also, ASTM International has recently issued a In prior articles going back to 1997, I have been News Release pertaining to a “Remote ID Drone NEISMA’s designated representative to both the Tracking Standard” that is to be published by ASTM American Society for Testing International. paaimAokdptwcIR3iwannninngon6rerpoiehdhgdaniooddron,ennrtOAWoo0uukstfnsweroeipM0soshssiAtaesfpIsntteu0hnennttsrtraaidusathibanisdiynptovhsnuabemate,lrte.ukgroismagtssleespriiTiisiytplssmhnrcsuAiariutoeahhnonus7irobnnansflSaseecyatlsp0ydptaattrTeasldt?“rr0eunfyeemoipntuoMeraoose,ddrrhtp0ottnetfaofnrthii.ieyer04nffmnayoStareefAomsh0l0,goepesynlrtsaxii0atS?earyoeismtndaco(ionTtcahmBmrFnnrforpdenrrpeegMioAoeedsomgabaaae2AgnidtaaItAltcennttchmu0iereenotsdiridae)andl2lznsisatymoizuoabats0darhtRtaanestnoicnii.renafrtitonirlrooadvniWyrleoteoinaFfeysrknhhtnsfAsneettetoe.ge-r”dxSaiarwvilsepTsiovgtevre!ieyOMutoneachCnnnlsltSioaeddneaAHatr(wn.edcnNvatAlfldiuhiytflaAnylodoe-yseSiuianbNnAfgegee)atvttdrNfniyeheitlorosyoneoooatinitsimfnnIit-amcealga-ea-sldUoprwiFodpfadt(OonRoelorrreoTrer,aTA,tnfaTduihsdend)rttaSeysygtrteibetr.ohhegareemteenlesKnnsotas,aruadtwFabnrastcsateraeoeipbahhroedleeltfdesifneebhmnseaesrarthaerdiayalotnaser,rhmlireradfscseeeaAen.thoGabtcaMxcaadvFrcarrrateatbiaarAooedcRtremadunbiAshrrtdtetAillotisriprigsiihomSsocctmie,atultieeeTwapeenshicniNtlamcillneMlatta,toritACtfirsAtnire,olPctomfetydehosthtSrantihahthsmdeneeoxpAi.anonTie.sgr,lhsti,adaiwtiinrSenadovnshdtanauidgeissewnseerdnenApfi.tnodwgftwtsrgraifSAohtnidocnuacttTieeedreciotnnnsheloiodMoctsrncefoeIianooltDntwoAinaInsimirDneTtovTvnydSdohsewfaaendise,aTltiaitytcnwularossliesMoaiorhodgatmsnuibmeafctnyalnglltlr-niIaladiesonscyo-doa--nl traffic, NASA has set out to create a research platform (Continued on page 25)

Page 10 Rink Rat “Career Growth” Tid Bit By Tom Morton Even though I continue to be medically handi- sentative has just published an additional short note on capped and have reached the age of 97 and the career changes entitled, “Evaluate Your Job Before You doctor has me on a strict two to three hours per Quit” (see my recent article in the Rink Rat on career day activity, I am still going to my law office and changes). trying to keep up with my practice and with matters pertaining to ASTM stated in their recent short note as follows: NEISMA and the ice “When evaluating your job, it’s important “Professionals should evalu- rink industry. to consider your position, organization, and ate their jobs once a year so they won’t be pressured to tools for career growth.” leave their organization be- Some years ago I fore readying themselves for wrote a very short NEISMA Tid Bits for the Rink their next career move”, says Pricilla Claman. “When Rat as some of the Board Members and John evaluating your job, it’s important to consider your po- Zullo may recall. This one is a continuation of sition, organization and tools for career growth.” those interesting Tid Bits. Rink Managers are certainly professionals, at least in my ASTM of which I am NEISMA’s designated repre- opinion.

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Page 12 Rink Rat RINK and HOCKEY ACCOUNTING 101 FIXED COSTS / VARIABLE COSTS / FIXING THE GAME By Ed Peduto The only thing better than February are the 6 ly audited, you pay a percentage of wages. Rink lia- months that follow! February marks the end of high bility insurance is typically a percentage of revenue; school regular season games at my rink and affords insurers take a bigger percentage of higher risk rev- me the opportunity to begin to get out to other enue sources. By keeping high risk revenues to a rinks for play off, trophy and championship games. minimum, rink managers can certainly manage this Just back from the Beanpot Final and 2 nights of as a VARIABLE cost. Fire / Property / Employee Dis- Massachusetts High School State Tournament honesty / Directors & Officers and Pollution cover- games and I believe that the rinks and game of age are more likely FIXED, based on what your hockey are broken on many levels. I’ve been known to be a bit cynical, but I think the quest for the al- building and its contents are valued at. mighty dollar is hurting our buildings and ice hock- ey. I hope that you are held ACCOUNTABLE at Salaries – NOT hourly workers, which is most your rink and if nothing changes, at least some of rinks’ payroll costs, the assumption is that salaries continue whether another hour of ice is sold or not. these items may give bring a smile to your face. Unrealistic, if I don’t sell ice and the rink sits empty, FIXED COSTS I’m fired and salaries drop, making them VARIABLE! Defined as those costs which don’t change with an Utilities – I’d argue any decent rink manager (are additional unit of production manufactured, I’d ar- there any?) has to be aware of his/her utility con- gue that the rink industry has very few fixed costs. sumption. Ice thickness, ice temp, heat settings , hot The most common fixed costs in general business water temps, evening lighting in parking lots and pa- are rent, insurance premiums, loan payments, utili- tios SHOULD BE MANAGED. In my world, they’ve ties, amortization, depreciation, taxes, salaries, always been VARIABLE and I’ve taken great satisfac- equipment rental and legal fees. In the rink business, tion any time I’ve been able to increase the I’d argue that quite a few of those are, in fact, efficiency of my rink! VARIABLE costs. Eddie’s FIXED Costs – wondering what all of this Rent – Most rinks are government or school owned, thus a traditional monthly rent is not paid. has to do with the Beanpot? Generally, the rink is expected to cover its costs in some manner, and repeated annual shortfalls or Goal Judges - I have to spew about the removal of dramatic revenue & expense swings often trigger a Goal Judges from the game of hockey. The 2020 management change. Keeping in tune with industry Beanpot Final game featured the first 8 goals scored trends and “normal” returns can often result in a at 1 end of the ice , from which I was 200’ or more rent renegotiation or a change in the surplus/ away from. Repeatedly, the goal light was turned on shortfall expectation. If you can successfully change long after the teams were celebrating their score. It your rent or pay it as a percentage of revenue, it was then I realized there was NO GOAL JUDGE BEHIND THE NET. Told that it was now 1 person would then be VARIABLE. high above the ice with a button for each end, I was disgusted. A FIXED cost at my little High School Insurance Premiums – I haven’t meant anyone Rink is 2 GOAL Judges! Most people ONLY know who likes paying insurance premiums but in our when a goal is scored when the light goes on IN A business many of them are more VARIABLE than TIMELY MANNER. My disdain for the new system fixed. Workers’ comp is the most obvious – annual- only increased when BU scored with 1.2 seconds

Page 13 left in the game, and the GREEN light came on, sound system and the Public Address Announcer, as the RED light NEVER did. Really? 1.2 seconds af- ter it was in? Shame, Shame, Shame! Reinstall a FIXED cost of conducting a game well in your rink! GOAL JUDGES! Something tells me they can find a few dollars from the $ 14.50 draught beer price Shoutout to NEISMA’s own JOHN HICKEY & JIM to pay a goal judge. I don’t even want to hear McKENNA for running first class games at Gallo Are- about the revenue from the seats sold by elimi- na in Bourne. Hickey will receive the 2020 William nating the judges. THE SEATS ARE AWFUL! Stewart award from the MA State Hockey Coaches NOT the VIEW, THE ACTUAL SEAT! And I’m Association for Outstanding Service to HS Hockey! 5’7”! By the way, the 2 nights of MA state tourney action featured NO GOAL JUDGES! Exponential Well-deserved! Shame! Charge me another dollar admission, please give me RED LIGHTS WHEN GOALS ARE VARIABLE COSTS SCORED. If “getting it right” is a concern for the tournament, isn’t another set of eyes on precious As you can glean from above, I would argue that the goals worth it? Yes, one “goal” last night hit the majority of costs in the rink business are VARIABLE! rear, unpadded cross bar (back In addition to managing ice rentals and personnel, a of the nettop basket) and good manager works to reduce costs by keeping while the referee aggressively equipment running efficiently, by not over- pointed it a goal, many of us refrigerating or over-lighting the rink for the events sitting behind that net still har- bor doubts, and all concerned scheduled. Spend what you “need”, would have been better served be critical in spending on what you with a GOAL LIGHT! It’s an “want,” and try to run the best rink ESSENTIAL part of hockey, PLEASE keep them! Goal Judg- that you can! es for ALL GAMES with something on the line! – FIXING THE GAME FIXED COSTS as long as we have them! Youth sports of all types have been dasher BOARDS!!! – Maybe it’s me…..does ANY- poisoned by the “elite” team classifi- ONE prefer the cheap plastic “tink” sound of a 3” cation. The social bonds created by vulcanized rubber disc hitting ½” high density pol- house league hockey, Little League Baseball and yethylene sheet of plastic to the affirmative Town Basketball have been relegated to almost “boom” of that same puck hitting ¼” HDPE with “irrelevant” status. National organizations are trying plywood behind it??? I know, I know, the wood to serve both “Elite” and “local” teams and the mis- absorbs water and the wood needs to be sions of each seem mutually-exclusive to me. Town switched out every 15 years or so. Well, the programs must find a way to recapture state and lo- plastic gets brittle and cracks upon resurfacer im- cal championships under some umbrella. Colleges featuring 22 year old freshman in college hockey pact – pick your poison! I’ll take WOOD! (some even older) keeps the “dream” alive far longer then it should. Putting 27 year old graduates of PA Announcer – I watch a lot of hockey games “college hockey” into the world does not endear and can USUALLY tell who scored a goal. Rarely, if ever, do I get the assists correct. Other info, people to watch the college game. like who is refereeing, what car needs to be moved, how much is in the 50/50 jackpot can The problems with youth sports in general and hock- ONLY be conveyed with some type of PA. Even if ey specifically can be the topics of many doctoral dis- it’s a bullhorn, it needs to work well and the per- sertations. It seems that in the 50 years of my in- son using it needs good diction. I look at a good volvement the sport’s emphasis has gone from healthy, social fun skating with your town residents to a profit-making, win at all cost philosophy. A deep economic recession may be the only catastrophe that could swing it back!

Page 14 Rink Rat From page 3 - Lost and Found ) ple can still get what they need. but staying home in March would have been what I Lost - Wages/Jobs. In many wanted to do with March Madness to watch. I mean cases without people not free if we were watching the NHL Playoffs start right to roam, there are no cus- now and the NBA ready to follow suit, this would be tomers. This equals no need a whole lot cooler being home. for employees. I mean that’s business 101. For many, this Found - People being good. In a time where seniors time has been trying because they have been fur- are at risk we’ve heard countless loughed or let go altogether. If you live paycheck to stories of people finding ways to paycheck what are you doing about now without make sure they stay as safe as possi- one? It’s tough times out there, and I fear the econ- ble. Even just getting groceries for omy is going to take a long time to recover, but I an elderly neighbor… It’s hard to know that it will. step up to help people when you’re supposed to stay home and social Found - Checking in with everyone you know. I’ve checked in with almost everyone I know in the past distance, but people find a way. The people on the month and that was probably not in the cards if not frontlines in the medical community are the heroes for this. It’s making everyone miss… well… every- we expect, but what about UPS drivers and all deliv- one. I popped by my rink the other day and the se- ery people? Grocery store and Pharmacy employ- curity guard was so excited to see me in the building ees? Policemen, cleaners, and so many more... all of he audibly let out a noise as if I had just scored an the sudden their lives changed too, but they aren’t overtime winner.. Just imagine how cool it will be to sitting home bored. They are out there still working with vastly different conditions, and risking it so peo-

Page 15 eventually go back to work and see family again… particular show there are so many things to watch we’ll get there, and maybe we’ll appreciate it more and see and we’re all getting to the “Well I might now. watch that but I just don’t have time” the same Lost - Our damn minds. Regardless of how much you phrase works for those who are big readers with feel like a sane person, we’ve all had books. A distraction. Some entertainment. We’re some insane thoughts during this finding it! “The unsureness of it all has ta“tpStubteihhOgenromleeeoesloCuye,pufkpreeeDswerevacrinreagrealelsynbhelrostloteevhqsIn?neduaulooI’lttie,tfsQs”mlthtislntuheaauemaoiadnsrsarylwd,enlasbatdhnyrwerncaatiuvilgdthmsneechhaiarntknnettenhfguamitytpanhloltotlelhgiyye’nuosesdharsacpntCaoyoliaoendoa.uvetunBewnstinhgtourthhotamr-treotyoyerpdhft.opa,aaTrrekbsahoneDugrpe’turtetlraehmIaeb’pem’olemhslneym.insneAeuhoiscdnr.agdetTdeoh.e,sedogmee”heyta1osode7pagu,tt0erihhn0octeega0pgntftollio’ehuntewa’sosjttonhnontkehIuueiUtgmsartSbbeiLdoosewooeafbraluastoslyuhtttlnhpoiaf-tsesahfrLifr,wniweniatvt.crhngohetNisayterestil.donlo’dobsS.gfisnwotgttwehgrhiweedereadysetisstt.athtiaPtolomoonendusrecoesetopa,appamlrlaomoecnpp1kroddtua0nsirl0eombtae,duwt0yitto0alh-an0nissd speaking of losing your mind... Found - Resiliency. My entire life I’ve seen people Found - Tiger King on Netlfix. Just learning the fact overcoming adversity as inspiring. From less serious that there are more tigers in the US in captivity than stuff like John Elway overcoming Super Bowl crush- exist anywhere else in the world had me hooked. ing defeats to finally win the big one twice before Then Joe Exotic vs. Carol Baskin reeled me in faster (Continued on page 16 ) than a slow salmon at a fishing derby. Aside from this

Page 16 Rink Rat (From page 15– Lost and Found) What To Do he hung it up. To the more serious situation the by Tom Walsh nation faced after 9/11. Everyone loves a comeback story, and eventually we’ll get one for this too. Eve- What to do….. You can’t find anyone to cover the ryone wants to get “back to normal” but how will Sunday night shift again so guess who gets the honor? we get there? What will the new normal be? And The same person that usually does. It’s been tough most importantly how long? Cause I know as a trying to get anyone to cover any shift never mind a New Englander most of my life, we only get like 2 weekend. Way back when I had to cover Sundays for and a half months of good weather, and I don’t years in addition to the regular work week. I never want to be inside for that! really minded the Sunday shift but as I aged it got old too. I know a manager that has been doing Sundays Someday we’ll open the doors of our facilities again. for 5 plus years. He finally gave up looking. So once People will learn to skate. Hockey will return. Par- again what do you do? One option is to ask the par- ents will yell at referees. Kids will vandalize our ents that are there all the time when you don’t want locker rooms. Remember these days when we get to be. You’re already there might as well give it a shot back to normal. Remember how you missed… since you’re probably not getting much done other well... everything... everything except maybe that than making ice. Good time to meet the people that post-high-school-team-practice locker room smell are in your building when you usually aren’t. that is. Remember that the lost and found of life is what makes us who we are. Be safe now while we (Continued on Page 24) feel lost, and resilient when we are found.

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Page 18 Rink Rat INSURANCE DURING General Liability and Workers Compensation insur- ance which are commonly based on estimated reve- THE PANDEMIC nues or payroll. Again, the response varies by insur- ance carrier and state. Since the length of the situa- By Tom Ferguson, Safehold Special Risk tion is unknown, both are reluctant to react until the actual loss can be determined. It is likely that some Like everyone else, the insurance industry is in the will make accommodations once more information process of trying to figure out how to handle this becomes available regarding the potential effects. social and economic catastrophe. I thought that I However, the process has begun, as demonstrated by would try to provide a general update of how things some personal auto carriers offering returns because stand and what you might expect. Please keep in they have determined that there is less driving going mind that everything is fluid and changing rapidly but, on. Stay tuned. maybe this can serve as a frame of reference. As regards to policy coverage, the inability of Busi- Insurance is an industry that is heavily regulated by ness Income coverage to apply in the pandemic has the individual states. As such, the remedies are dif- ferent in every state. Currently, most states are al- lowing or requiring that payment options be relaxed and that policy cancellations be restricted. Grace periods are a common temporary remedy. Your insurance agent or your state insurance department can provide the proper information and advice based on your location. Many people are wondering about the costs of (Continued on page 27)

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Page 20 Rink Rat EPA Rescinds Leak Repair Requirements for Systems EPA is partially rescinding refrigerant management requirements under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act that apply to non-ozone depleting substitutes such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Specifically, EPA is re- scinding the leak repair requirements at 40 CFR 82.157 for systems that contain substitute refrigerants while retaining other provisions that govern their use. For a copy of the revised rule, go to: https://www.epa.gov/section608/revised-section-608-refrigerant-management-regulations For more information, see https://www.epa.gov/section608 What does this mean for ice skating rinks? As of April 10, 2020, the leak repair requirements will no longer apply to ice skating rinks that contain 50 or more pounds of non-ozone depleting, substitute refrigerants, including but not limited to R-404A, R- 507, R-134a, R-410A, R-513A, R-450A, R-448A, R-449A, and R-449B. EPA continues to view prompt at- tention to leaks as an essential part of best maintenance practices for ice rinks. However, with this change ice rink owners will no longer be required to repair a system leak within a set timeframe. They will also no longer be required to conduct leak rate calculations when refrigerant is added, conduct verification tests on repairs, conduct periodic follow-up inspections when the leak rate threshold has been exceeded, report on chronically leaking appliances, or keep records related to leak repairs. For more information, see https://www.epa.gov/section608 (Continued on page 27)

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Page 22 Rink Rat CURRENT 2019 - 2020 NEISMA MEMBERS (as of 3/20/20) If your rink isn’t listed, please renew today! Thanks for being part of NEISMA! Public / John Gallo Arena Prep Schools Private Rinks Kirk S Nevin Ice Arena Maine Ice Vault Berkshire School Aleixo Arena, FMC Brooks School Armstrong Arena, FMC Martha's Vineyard Ice Arena Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Asiaf Arena, FMC MassMutual Center Choate Rosemary Hill School B.O.R. Ice Arena McVann-O'Keefe Memorial Rink Eaglebrook School Blackstone Valley IcePlex, FMC Merrill Fay Arena Methuen Ice Rink Breakaway Ice Center Middlesex School Brigdewater Ice Arena Mid-Hudson Civic Center Millbrook School Buffone Arena, FMC Nantucket Ice Company Milton Academy Burbank Ice Arena Nashoba Valley Olympia New Hampton School Burlington Ice Palace, FMC Navin Arena, FMC Newton Country Day School Cambrdge Skating Club Phillips Academy Central Vermont Memorial Nelson Withington Skating Facility Proctor Academy Charles Moore Arena New England Sports Management Rye Country Day School Chelsea Piers, CT NorthStar Ice Sports St. Paul's School Churchill Rink Northwell Ice Center The Fessenden School City of Chilliwack The Harvey School Clinton Arena Norway Saving Bank Arena The Pingree School Collins Perley Sports Center Oaks Center Ice The Roxbury Latin School Collins/Moylan Arena, FMC Ocean Ice Palace The Taft School Connery Rink, FMC Olympia Ice Center The Winchendon School Cronin Rink, FMC Westminster School Dix Hills Ice Rink Optimist Ice Arena Dorothy Hamill Rink Paramount Iceland Colleges / Dorset Park Skating Pilgrim Skating Arena Douglas N. Everett Arena Pop Whalen Arena Universities Dover Ice Arena Driscoll Skating Arena, FMC Porrazzo Arena, FMC Amherst College E. F. Loring Ice Arena Quincy Youth Arena Babson College Edora Pool Ice Center Ralph Walker Rink Boston College Essex County South Mountain Raynham IcePlex, FMC Boston University Essex Skating Facility Bowdoin College Falmouth Ice Arena Revolution Ice Centre Brown University Fitzpatrick Arena, FMC Robert Crown Community Center- New Castleton University Gardner Veterans Arena, FMC Simoni Ice Rink, FMC Curry College Gordon Paquette Arena Skate 3 Arena Dartmouth College Greenheck Field House - New Harvard University Greenwich Skating Club Skylands Ice World Holy Cross College Hatfield Ice Arena Smead Skating Rink, FMC Niagara University Hetland Arena, FMC Smithfield Municipal Ice Rink Northeastern University Hobomock Arenas Sport-O-Rama Ice Rinks Plymouth State University Holland Arena Stamford Twin Rinks Princeton University Horgan Arena, FMC Providence College HPP Rinx, Inc Stoneham Arena Quinnipiac People's Untied Center Hyannis Youth & Com Center Terry Connors Rink Rochester Institute of Tech. Ice Rink Events The Edge Sports Center Saint Anselm College Ice Vault Arena The Forum, City of Presque Isle SUNY Brockport Iceland SUNY Broome CC Jack Kirrane Rink The Greater Canandaigua Civic Center SUNY Cortland James W. Campion III Rink The Ice Center University of Connecticut JFK Coliseum The Skating Club of Boston University of Delaware Jim Roche Arena, FMC The Skatium University of Pennsylvania John A Ryan Skating Arena University of Rhode Island The Wharf Ice Rink Tony Kent Arena Troubh Ice Arena Union Arena Community Center Valley Forum Ice Rinks Valley Sports Arena Veterans Arena, FMC Veterans Memorial Ice Skating Rink, WH Wallace Civic Center, FMC Waltham, Veterans Memorial Rink Warrior Ice Arena Watertown Municipal Arena Wendell A. Barwood Arena Westchester Skating Academy

Page 23 Vendors Kane Insurance Friends / Kingston Knife & Grinding Accent Refrigeration Level-Ice Individuals All-American Arena Products American Athletic Shoe Live Barn Ice Sports Industry, ISI American Insurance Agency LSK Enterprises Philip Siena American Refrigeration Company Mayekawa USA ORFA Arena Warehouse Miller Refrigeration MIAMA ArenaServ MIRMA Athletica Sports Systems Mollenberg Betz US Ice Rink Association, USIRA Beacon Energy Solutions Morton & Morton Attorneys WIAMA Bjorkman Industrial Power Corporation Munters / Ei Solutions Carnot Refrigeration Co. New England Ammonia Safety NEISMA Chemours CIMCO Lewis Refrigeration New England School Services MEMBERSHIP Climate by Design International New England Sports Sales / Blade Master Comstar International North Atlantic Refrigeration If you’re a NEISMA member Davis Mechanical Service Northstar Mechanical in good standing, your facility Emerald Environmental Tech or company name is listed Energie Innovations NorthStar Refrigeration here. Thank you very much! Everything Ice Paris-Kirwan Associates Facility Management Corporation, FMC Precision Industrial Services Our membership year runs Finnly Technology Preferred Mechanical Services Sep 1 to Aug 31 annually. If FJ Roberts-AASG Sports Surfaces you haven’t paid your dues Friar Architecture Purple Tractor / Dasherboard Cleaning for this year, there is an appli- G&A Insurance Resurfix cation form on page 31 of Grand National Curling Club Riedell Shoes this Rink Rat. HCG Associates Riley Manufacturing Honeywell-refrigerant Thank you Houghton Chemical Corporation Rink Services Group for your support! ICECO Advanced Arena Products Rink Systems . Independent Mechanical Contractors Safehold Special Risk IRESCO Scoreboard Enterprises J&C Ice Technologies Jet Ice Sharper Edge Skating School JLG Architects Sparx Hockey Stellar StinkySocks Hockey Superior Mechanical Tecogen Thermatec Valley Machine Knife Viking Ice Painting Way Cool Product Safety Standards vs Safety Regulations and as a matter of law Industry must comply with that Regulation if it applies to that Industry. More By Tom Morton could be set forth in this article but this short article ASTM prepares and publishes Industry Safety Stand- may be sufficient for now. ards some of which may impact an Ice Rink. OSHA prepares and publishes Safety Regulations some of which can impact the Ice Rink Industry. One may ask what is the difference? A short answer is as follows: With two exceptions ASTM Safety Standards are voluntary, An Industry does not need to comply with such safety standards. The two exceptions are: (1) If a specific industry should adopt a specific ASTM Safety Standard then an industry must comply to that standard. 2) Should OSHA include an ASTM Safety Standard in an OSHA regulation then it may be appli- cable, an industry must comply with that ASTM Safe- ty Standard. An OSHA Regulation is a Federal Regulation

Page 24 Rink Rat THE RINK RAT responsible for vendor representations or errors. We neither endorse or recommend any vendors Views expressed herein, including all articles and ad- products. vertising regarding any product or service have not been approved or endorsed either by NEISMA or by (From page 16 - What To Do the NEISMA Board of Directors or by the publisher of the Rink Rat. Accordingly, they should not be con- A longtime friend that used to be a rink guy while strued by anyone for any purpose as representing the we both were in school just started driving again policy of either NEISMA, its Board of Directors nor as after two decades off. His son is on the ice for an endorsement of any product or service. Articles two groups on late Sunday afternoon at the rink. may not be reproduced without permission. The manager was lamenting about not having any- one to cover and next thing you know my friend NEISMA was on the payroll and the manager was at home on the couch. So you never know where you can NEISMA is a professional service organization, orga- get a taker. The late Frank Brown from Farmer nized to provide the ice skating industry with educa- Brown Service used to say that once you were tion and training. Since 1972 NEISMA has disseminat- driving for 3 years you were in for life. My friend ed technical information and conducted seminars on is a perfect example, he just took a twenty year rink equipment, energy, air quality, marketing, skating break. Use your customer service ability, sell the programs, maintenance and safety. NEISMA provides job and get some rest. the professional rink manager with the technical infor- mation needed to operate a safe, efficient and profita- ble facility. The NEISMA Board of Directors is not a testing lab for vendors or their products. We are not

Page 25 (Continued from page 9) our NEISMA members will tip their hat to NEISMA. that this Low Flying Drone-101 article should pro- vide a very good and interesting primer for our NEISMA membership. NEISMA continues to stay in the forefront on addressing new matters particularly those involving safety issues. It will be my intent, sub- ject to my medical status, from time to time to pro- vide an update on this subject so that our members may stay current on the matter. Oh, yes! I need to answer the initial question- How do low flying drones possibly affect an ice rink manager? Well, sooner or later an ice rink manager may receive a delivery by a low flying drone of a re- pair part, a food item, an item for the pro shop, a brochure, and the list could go on. Should it eventually happen to you-you can then sit back with a smile on your face and say a word of “Thanks to NEISMA for providing me with this Low Flying Drone-101 Article in the Rink Rat,” and all of

Page 26 Rink Rat Keep it Pristine By: Adam Busalacchi. CIT CAP CAM CAO “The Principal product you have to sell is the ice keep or how cold you must maintain the ice. itself” Ice maintenance is vital to ensure this happens. No Frank J Zamboni one wants to get into a situation where they are dealing with thin spots on the ice or lost paint. At the start of each season comes anticipation and Granted if there is a situation such as a power fail- excitement. There’s nothing quite like a freshly paint- ure, there may not be much we can do to preserve ed ice surface. The ice always looks its best when the paint, however other than that it reflects poorly first built up before anyone has a chance to skate on on the facility and its operators if the ice has lost it. The key is to ensure it looks as close to that as paint or is not up to the standards we set for our- selves. There is no excuse for not properly main- possible by the end of the season. taining the sheet of ice no matter what you have for programming. Time (and money) must be set aside Every rink is different in terms of the programming on a daily basis for ice maintenance. Daily edging it hosts each season. Some rinks may focus on youth and grooming are vital. Know your ice depths and hockey and figure skating, while others have multiple build up or cut down as needed. But just as vital is high school programs that call your arena home. taking the time to train your entire staff. Each ice There are those rinks that house junior teams/ resurface they perform they can help maintain an tournaments and college teams. No matter what optimal sheet. Each driver/operator should know you host there are many players/skaters depending how much water to put down and how much to on your ice surface and expect it to be in great con- take up depending on the previous activity. Driving dition. A pristine sheet of ice is a source of pride for at a constant speed is critical as well, do not rush all of us operators and managers. Our goal should be the ice just to keep on schedule. Each member of to deliver a quality sheet to each user group every our staff is crucial in delivering the product we de- day and we strive to keep the ice looking fresh from mand and should always be reminded of their im- the start of the season all the way to the end. Your portance. As managers, we want our entire staff en- programming, and the weather conditions for that matter, will determine how much ice you need to gaged in maintaining a quality sheet of ice. Each staff member plays a major role in the suc- cess of an ice rink. If we allow the time to train and mentor each person it will make keeping the ice pristine that much more easy. Technology keeps changing, and new innovative options are being in- troduced to help assist in the process, but even do- ing things “the old way” can provide the same re- sults. There will always be work to prepare for an event but if you can stay on top of your ice mainte- nance, it will make the work go quicker and smoother. As important is properly maintaining your equipment with a preventive maintenance rou- tine. If successful we should have no trouble keeping that fresh looking ice all year long.

Page 27 Check Out - www.neisma.com Did you know about the EXCHANGE From the Exchange tab; Place your rink items for sale or look for items to buy. Add your own listing by clicking the \"Add New Item\" button at the top of the page. This will bring up a simple form where you can enter information about your item and even an optional photo. After submitting the form, you will receive an e-mail with a key number you use to confirm your listing. Once confirmed, your item will be immediately added to the exchange. It's that simple and there's no waiting. DON’T forget Nuts & Bolts Take advantage of Nuts & Bolts E-mail function on NEISMA.com. Let us search our entire network of rink professionals, for answers to your questions. Get responses to your questions directly back via your e-mail address. This vast resource of ex- perience will provide easy access to the information you are looking for. Just E-mail Nuts and Bolts ([email protected]) a question on a problem or issue you have. All questions will be moderated, meaning that all e-mails will be approved by NEISMA before being distributed. An active NEISMA member- ship is required. NEISMA CLASSIFIED Send your job opening to [email protected] or If you want NEISMA can email blast it out to the our entire database of rink professionals (an active NEISMA membership is required). An email blast will ensure you get a good number of qualified candidates to chose from. (From page 18 - Insurance During the Pandemic) (From page 20 - EPA Rescinds been widely discussed in the media. The essential Please contact : point being that the coverage must be triggered by a \"Bowen, Janet\" <[email protected]> physical cause applying directly to the property in- To get more details and answer any questions sured. For example, if the building suffers a fire and business is halted or interrupted, coverage applies. For more information on ammonia safety in New This is the case for civil authority as well. Again, England ice rinks, see EPA fact sheet: https:// stay tuned. It is certainly possible that the federal www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-12/ government may look to the insurance companies as documents/ice_rink_ammoniafs5.pdf a possible source of relief in some shape or form. One more thing, please make sure that you make regular trips to your facility. Theft and other dam- age may be more likely to occur during this period. Your presence is an obvious deterrence. Also, most insurance policies have a clause that voids or se- verely limits coverage due to vacancy or un- occupancy. The magic number is usually 30 consec- utive days. I hope this brings a little bit of clarity to you. I hope that you, all of yours and all that is yours are well and continue to be.

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Page 30 Rink Rat SMALL BUSINESS PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM The Paycheck Protection Program provides small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs in- cluding benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Fully Forgiven Funds are provided in the form of loans that will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mort- gages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll). Loan payments will also be deferred for six months. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees. Must Keep Employees on the Payroll—or Rehire Quickly Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. All Small Businesses Eligible Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees—including nonprofits, veterans organizations, tribal concerns, self-employed individuals, sole proprietorships, and independent contractors—are eligible. Businesses with more than 500 employees are eligible in certain industries. When to Apply Starting April 3, 2020, small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply. Starting April 10, 2020, independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply. We encourage you to apply as quickly as you can because there is a funding cap. How to Apply You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, fed- erally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating. All loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or bor- rower. A list of participating lenders as well as additional information and full terms can be found at www.sba.gov. The Paycheck Protection Program is implemented by the Small Business Administration with support from the Department of the Treasury. Lenders should also visit www.sba.govor www.coronavirus.gov for more information.

Page 31 2019 - 2020 NEISMA Membership Registration September 1, 2019 – August 31, 2020 Renewal Memberships: Just fill in rink/vendor, contact and any other profile changes. New Membership: Fill out entire form. RINK, VENDOR or Friend: ___________________________________________________________ (Account name) RINK or VENDOR Primary Contact: ___________________________________________________ Last First ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________ CITY: ________________________________________ STATE: ________ ZIP: ________________ TELEPHONE: (______) _____ - _________ EXT: _____ CELL: (______) _______ - __________ FAX: (______) _______ - _________ Website: ___________________________________________ Email Address: Someone else in our organization that you would like to receive NEISMA email notices: ______________________________ _____________________________ Last First Email Address: What category best describes your organization/business: PUBLIC / NON-PROFIT RINK COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY RINK VENDOR PRIVATE / FOR-PROFIT RINK PREP SCHOOL RINK OTHER: Yearly Membership fee, Facility ($ 175) / Vendor ($ 200) payment options: Mail Registration & check or credit card info to: NEISMA, PO Box 290595, Wethersfield, CT 06129 Email Registration form (PDF) & credit card info to [email protected] Fax Registration form & credit card info to 1-888-234-3968. Phone Registrations may be taken, call 1-888-234-3968. REGISTER ON LINE at neisma.com. Go to the Membership Registration tab. Credit Card (MC / Visa / AMX ) ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ / ___ ___ ___ ___ Expires ___- ___ / 20 __ Digit V-Code ___ ___ ___ ____ CC Zip Code ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Month Year Billing address: ________________________________________________________________ Name on card: _________________Signature: _________________________________ *If billing invoice needed please call 1-888-234-3968 or email request to [email protected] *