Rink

n April STAR kicked off the 2010 Regional Training Programs with an Ice Making and Painting Technology Class at the Moorhead Sports Center in Moorhead, Minn. This was a great class with operators in attendance from all over the country, including Michael Kane from Brewer, Maine and Brian Lee from Aspen, Colo. as well as many operators from Minnesota and the Dakotas. Canada also had good representation with Jason Johnson from Ontario and Jerry Santucci from Manitoba. We received our best feedback from Jerry, who has been in the rink industry for over 25 years. Jerry let us know that he arrived expecting to have all the answers, but quickly learned that being in one building for 25 years does not provide very good perspective on information and technolo- gies in the rink industry. Barry Warren, who is the general manager at he Moorhead Sports Center, and his staff at the rink have a unique spray cart they built themselves. The cart is used for building the ice in thin layers and creating a dense, solid ice sheet. Thanks to Barry for hosting and the groups of stu- dents that made this course a great learn- ing experience. STAR also held a Safe Ice Resurfacer Operation (SIRO) course in conjunction with the North East Ice Skating Managers Association (NEISMA) on May 5 in Mystic, Conn. Industry experience of the attendees ranged from 30-year veterans to brand new operators, all of whom shared their knowledge and experiences associ- ated with ice resurfacers. STAR's SIRO course is designed for attendees of all experience levels and the materials discussed in class provide a solid foundation of knowledge for ice resur- facer operators. Seventeen operators tested and received certificates of com- pletion at the Mystic course. Overheard in the SIRO classroom … • "Excellent resource and program." • "Sharing ideas, tips and experiences with classmates was invaluable." • "Perfect overview of ice resurfacing equipment." In June STAR was involved with NHL Building Operations Group FOMA (Facilities Operations Managers Association) meet- ings located in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. This group of NHL building operations mangers started off by reviewing the season that just ended and congratulating James Koehler from the Chicago Blackhawks for his team's Stanley Cup win. The group then talked with NHL Facility Operations Supervisor and STAR Instructor Don Moffatt on league concerns as well as concerns the group had for the league. Topics like pucks, TV timeout shoveling and changeover timing were some of the items men- tioned. The group then had a session on green cleaning, lighting and a new item in testing that is similar to the tear-off strips on NASCAR windshields for the rink Plexiglas. This group meets annually and will soon include operators from facilities housing NHL affiliate teams. ★ professional development ■ Allow Training to Advance Your Career I 44 R INK MAGAZ INE july/august 2010 STARrinks.com The Ice Making and Painting Technology Class at the Moorhead Sports Center in Moorhead, Minn. Talk, Tips & Training This summer STAR has some great locations and hotel deals for the remaining Regional Training Programs. July 19-22 we are in San Diego with an IMEO class and have access to inexpensive hotel room rates — what more incentive do you need! In August we have added two more training opportunities in great locations. Aug. 9-12 we have added a Basic Refrigeration class at the famous Boston TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins. Aug. 23–26 we will be in Provo, Utah with an Ice Making and Painting Technologies (IMPT) class in the 2002 Olympic Hockey facility. We finish up August with a choice of Basic Refrigeration or Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations (IMEO) classes in beautiful Falmouth, Maine, Aug. 30 – Sept. 2. Sept. 20–23 finds us in St. Paul Minn. at the Xcel Energy Center for a Basic Refrigeration Class. We wind up our training season Oct. 4–7 in fabulous Las Vegas with a choice of Basic Refrigeration or Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations (IMEO) classes at the ECHL Orleans Arena and Hotel Casino. With $39 per night rooms, this is a can't miss! Regional Training Program Update STAR PHOTO

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