It's a good day for Janesville and Rock County.

SarahB1-My family is very involved in Ice sports and we really miss not having the ice arena open anymore. As taxpayers, my family and I are no happier than anyone else to see such an expense come during a tough economy. Tax increase isn't welcomed by anyone. We rarely use the parks, the trails, the pool, the senior center, and we wouldn't use a skatepark either, but the one facility we use on a steady basis is a dump. If my taxes go up because of this project, at least it is being spent on something we will use on a regular basis. Do I want my taxes raised? ~No. But after all these years we are finally paying for something we'll get use of.

SarahB1, I don't have an answer to your question either, but it is a good question and one that I thought about earlier when the first proposal was posted in the agenda. I questioned what would take place if the system went down after a contract was in place. Since the contract seems to primarily look out for the WHP, It would be my guess the city would be responsible for ice time elsewhere and also getting the repairs at home done pronto. Just guessing. On an optimistic (and hopeful) note, maybe the ice arena will get maintained better once we have a team here and a contract with WHP.
I can't beleive how neglected the facility has been over the years!

I hope they sell Gray's beer at the rink. That too would help Janesville by supporting a Janesville made product. Also, I find it funny how some people here automatically assume just because they are going to serve beer there will be problems. Get a life people. I work for the Beloit Snappers and we don't have problems. If someone gets really drunk, we stop serving them amd we have them removed by our local police officer. This almost never happens. Also, its not like the hockey team will have thousands of fans packing it in. So its not like there will be all these raging drunks partying at the rink like its 1999. Come on folks get real here. Also, if you don't like beer don't buy it. If you don't want to be sitting by someone who is drinking, move. And for those who crying about this, How many Bluebird games do you go to? Probably none, because you don't like hockey anyways, but don't have a life and feel the need to cry because you don't like beer. FYI- Its legal. So zip it!

truthteller - McCoshen is one of the persons who is running this team with other partners.
NO I am not working for him. I'm sure the rest of the pro-side do's not work for him also. There is no corrupion as you say.

Misread your questions sorry. Don't have the answer for you.

The rink is still usable during the Junior Hockey season. We will still have all the ice time we have now. We will not loose any ice time.

MaidinUsa-Can't you have a beer without going on a binge?? Just because you have a problem with binge drinking (from the sounds of your post) don't assume that other RESPONSIBLE people can't have a beer or two at an event without going off the deep end.

I really can't imagine beer sales at the ice rink are going to cause too many problems....
You can just bet they're going to charge something like $6.50 for an eight ounce plastic cup, served at close to room temperature, anyway.

I have answered this once before I can only speak for the figure skaters and they pay for ice in Madison, Oregon, Mcfarland, Rockford for just a few places. I for one would rather have my money go to Janesville. I don't know where the hockey would go.

So the people behind the movement for the Junior Hockey League and a new ice rink hired a professional lobbyist to woo our city council? Or was this done by the Junior hockey league itself? This thing reeks of corruption. I am guessing most of the pro-hockey side that frequents these discussions are working for the lobbyist? Was the last election swayed by lobbyists too???

PARTY TIME!! <^..^>

stupidjanesville...there are no beer sales at the Rock County 4-H Fair because when the land was given (or sold?) to the county, part of the agreement was that no alcohol would be allowed on the site.

i can't have a beer in the warming room? whats that all about? do i have to go to the freezing room for a "few"

Not everyone who drinks beer is unresponsible! We live in Wisconsin and beer is our water. Drink up and enjoy the game.... If you don't like it, don't drink it.

Why is there no beer tent at the Rock County 4-H Fair? Then maybe they could raise money and bring better entertainment here. Green county has one at theirs - seems to work out okay.

The city would have had to spend the money to fix the rink either way.

It's not about the beer sales - the contract should never have been approved in the first place. How many landlords will go in and pay 200K to finish out a building for someone? NEVER! The locker rooms and any other special needs of WHP should have been paid for by WHP - not the taxpayers. They have plenty of money. And now, comes the news that they are still thinking about having a new ice rink built! WTH! Let them sit until 2010 - maybe our economy will have recovered a bit - and give time for a SANE contract that doesn't give away the farm to a for-profit company. THEN - the contract says that if they don't make a certain amount of money, they don't have to pay their rent! WOW! How many landlords give away this kind of deal! Keep your eye on the ball - I mean puck. The issue should be the facility - the contract - and who is on the hook to pay for everything.

Thank you city council for giving me the opportunity to make a choice on having a beer or a bottle of water at a professional hockey game. Thank you for having the sense to sort thru all the negative attitudes towards drinking alcohol and letting us adults make our own choices.

Has any of the posters even considered that a person drinking beer might have a designated driver?? So many close minded, negative people posting here. Any maybe someone would have just 1 beer, not neccessarily be doing beer bongs. Unreal.

Yep. I feel bad for those that live day to day with nothing but complaints. Life go's so fast and before you know it, all's you'll have to look back on is a bunch of nonsense that didn't make you happy, or more importantly, didn't get you anywhere.

I can't imagine why I ever left Janesville. What next? Banning dancing at Craig and Parker?

I also can't imagine why young professionals wouldn't want to be in Janesville with these attitudes. Tom McDonald may be young but he doesn't understand young professionals.

Almost 30 years ago as I followed the Janesville Legion baseball team from town to town in Wisconsin, almost every team was raising money by selling beer at the games. We have been left behind in almost everything by at least 30 years. That includeds fixing our roads.

Ok can anyone answer this for me. The city granted them the permission for a license but are there any avaliable? Last I thought they were all taken. I seem to remember some other business wanting a license to serve beer but there were none to be had. I thought Walmart got the last avaliable one when they opened their store.

the city gets them three ways: 1) the ticket purchased. 2)the beer served. 3)the dwi afterwords. good examples to the youth of our city.

Recently moved here from IL. So, lots of events serve alcohol (baseball/hockey/wrestling and yes the local fairs) just to name a few. Kids are at those events. I don't understand why some of you are making such a big deal about this. Weeks ago a lady commented that she was worried she would have beer spilled on her. Get real, maybe she was thinking about the last time she was in a bar. If there was by chance a "random drunk", ok so they should be removed from the event. There are Managers on site at all events. This move will create revenue for the city and the rink. It will be nice to have a beer if I so desire while I watch the game. Maybe Janesville should focus on helping the unemployed, homeless etc. instead of worring about who is drinking a beer.

Hey, guess what? There's a hockey team coming to town. Wasn't sure if any of you knew this yet because those of you that don't want it are still crying about it.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and
expecting different results. "

-Benjamin Franklin

Ya your right janesville lost.......... Bet most of the anti's on here will go down and buy a ticket and maybe a coffee (anti beer) just to watch the "drunks" in town support a local team. Thanks for the revenue of your hard earned money, you will get it back in your taxes. Congrats on the city getting the team.

No, we did not lose, Janesville lost.

they wont complain about the parking ramp, to busy worrying about a guy having a beer. Big deal, when you turn 21 you can drink!!!!! Its your choice to go there or not and drink or not. GET OVER IT, YOU LOST!!!!!!!!!!!

Drop it people - it's done. Why don't you go gab on the article re: the $4million parking ramp?!

McCoshen is a hired gun. He is a high paid lobbyist who delivered the goods as promised. I don't blame him, I blame the Council who bought into the bait and switch. Council members took their vote, mine is in April.

This is great another outlet for people to go and get drunk and endanger the citizens of janesville. We dont have enough already

The Council should start every meeting with a Janesville version of the Pledge:
*
I pledge allegiance to cup, and to any beer that fills it. And to the public, which cannot stand. One big drunk that never ends, with dizziness and drunkeness for all.

Again - this is a BUSINESS, not youth sports, not high school sports, not 4-H!! Stop comparing apples and oranges. Lost_city - "once a GM town, always a GM town" the whole of GM employees were not drunks, despite what you portray here. They are the same as insurance men, doctors, welders, plumbers,teachers, etc.etc. etc. some drink-some don't. SarahB1-Have you ever attended a city counci meeting or watched one on tv? Bill McCoshen has the "patience of a saint." The city council dragged their heals on this for months. His group already had to put money out for an application for a team that he wasn't sure was even going to have a place to play. He has to draft his players in a week. He attended 5 city council meetings, nevermind all of the other meetings that took place prior to these meetings. A typical ciizen would have run out of patience looong ago.

  McCoshen pushy at the council meetings? Hardly. If someone has to go out and dig up something about a driving record? Get a life. A councilperson, was trying so hard to wring money out of a guy who hasn't even had a game here, by asking for a percent before he can even starts business. I know , I was there for that. Bill says he wants to do right by Janesville, and I believe he will with his group. So, if you do not agree with this team coming, it's a done deal, get over it and move on for goodness sakes because many want to watch the games on the ice. The season can't get here soon enough so the bellyaching can go back underneath their bike tunnel.

If you are not drunk you are not in Janesville, this city has so much class! Once a GM town always a GM town.
This hockey thing won't last, so drink up.

They wont be selling alcohol during the high school games, this is professional hockey. Just because a high school team plays somewhere shouldnt be relative to its alcohol sales, Perhaps we shouldnt let high school teams play at the Kohl center for state tourneys because they sell alcohol at other times?

Again this is not high school sports or youth sports or 4H or what ever you can come up with.
It is a business. I thought they were to make money. Why would they need a family section? So far the only place you can't drink is in the warming room. can't wait for the season to start. So my family can support the team.I may or may not have a beer there. If I do I will be sitting with my boys and wife.
HOCKEY RULES

I feel the same way as you do starbuck. But the other side is who also listened the people and support it, Rashkin,Truman,Steeber,Voskul. But for the other three they wetre for the 4mil parking ramp if I do remember right. I may be wrong but I thought it passed 7-0 Spend Spend Spend. If people yhink they can do a better job than ower present city council. I expect to see 35,000 people running next election.

The YMCA and Rock Soccer Club are always looking for fundraising efforts. Why not a traveling beer cart to serve all the T-ball and soccer parents. Youth football can use it in the fall.

Hey, maybe beer should be sold at Little League Park and High School football and basketball games too. With this logic we definitely need a beer tent at the Rock County 4-H Fair. Also, I know I always need a beer while watching T-ball at the sports complex!

Funny thing is, for people who cannot control themselves, they have a thing called security. Crunchmunch, you better not go anywhere that has a TV and serves booze, like alot of area restaurants.

Yeah, Some of you might not like my comment but like you, I have a right to voice my opinion here like you do. And my opinion is that Rashkin, Truman, Steeber, And Voskul need to go! Period! They truely don't adhere to the citizens of the community. It's always spend, Spend, Spend, Greed, Greed, Greed! In these times, The last thing government needs to do is support alcohol McCoshen whos been in trouble with the law on numerous occasions back in the Governor Thompson era, And keep on spending on foolish things this city does not need. Those who voted against it, I praise you all! McDonald, Brunner, And Perrotto, They are the true council members who care.

Good we don't want you there anyways.

Drop the puck baby!!!

You people who bellyached about the whole beer thing it's time to move on to something else.

i was hopin we'd have one more place to DRIVE to and drink. i cant believe anyone actually thought the state of wi could survive with a venue that didnt serve beer. whew. good job people.