truthteller, I am with you.
I actually think kids have more to do out here than they do out in the Chicago area, where I grew up. It's a whole lot safer here, as well.

truthteller,

I am with you. Lets build a drag strip right next to a new hockey rink. I would never go home.

Ed Stettin

I was an ice skater most of my life and love the ice rink.However,I dont believe,in these times,this small city should spend the money to fix up the ice arena. It is too costly right now and we have much bigger problems than locker rooms!

hockeymom- the reason kids don't come back to janesville after school has nothing to do with the ice rink- it's the jobs. Really there are not too many good paying jobs in a small city like this.
I grew up in Chicago and the kids there alway's complained there was nothing to do. It falls back on the parents that don't spend times with their kids. My kids are in cub/boy scouts, go to a catholic school and are involved in many school activites. They are busy little kids living life to the fullest and never do they complain there is nothing to do. The kids I see that are sitting around playing video games all day are the ones whose parents take the easy route and let this happen.

I think it would be a great idea for the improvments in the rink. Kids nowadays who go away to school or something it seems like they dont want to come back to Janesville as there is nothing to do for young kids. This town is just a one minded town, it does not want change at all.

We have Milton Avenue to do that on.

I think we should build a dragstrip. Ever go to Union grove? Hundreds of young adults and teenagers having fun night after night and causing no trouble.

cdarcy20...give me a break.
Only SOME kids skateboard. Or play pool. Talk about narrow minded.
Quit trying to read into what the poll is about. Obviously you have some deep seated issue about the ice arena. We get it.
So go build a roller rink and make yourself a happier person.

Maybe the kids would like a roller blading rink? Cool jumps and activities. I personally think that Janesville is big enough to have a decent ice arena and a skate rink. No wonder kids spend all their time in front of the game systems.....what else is there?

Maybe the roller rink quit because it wasn't being subsidized by the tax payer like the ice rink is.

The roller rink closed because the owner was retiring and nobody wanted to buy a business that really didn't generate enough revenue to cover expenses. Yes - i miss the roller skating very much, as do my kids, but who is going to take that risk any more.

Ladystardust - did you expect ice skating to be warm? It is much warmer than outside - and nothing beats a good couple hours in the cold on a hot summer day! Yes, ice time is expensive, but this is Wisconsin. Ice is part of who we are. Narrow or broad in scope, the ice arena is essential.

I have to agree with most it would be nice to have a roller rink again! the kids around this area have no other place to go to hang with thier friends on a friday night!!! of course they are going to utlize the ice rink as they had the roller rink where is the common sense. what this poll really is for is the new hockey team they want to spend hundreds or thousands for. Lets see a hockey team consisits of maybe 20 kids or so. janesville youth population is way over a thousand. instead of putting all this money for 20 kids why not put it toward something that majority of the kids can utlize!! outdoor skateboard park, roller rink, teen club, billard hall for kids, this is completely naive and SELFISH for the community!!

I didn't vote because I don't know. What I do know is that youth hockey and adult hockey leagues exist and are vital to the physical and social development of the kids who play. I just hope that we choose to look at this from a 'what's best for our community' and not 'what's in it for me.' I don't skate anymore but will support the improvements and increased use of the Jvl ice arena should the council approve it.

I would bet the users of a roller rink would be narrow in scope also. What is the point to this poll? Like the other polls on this subject, it's very "narrow minded".

i agree it would be nice to have a roller rink back in janesville give the kids other things to do than be on the streets.

I would characterize the base of users as narrow. That doesn't mean we don't need an ice rink.

I had two boys that played ice hockey at the Janesville Ice Arena. I and some other people help at tourament time to announce the games at the arena. The ice arena has men's hockey team, special skating events, and open skating to the public. So in my opinion that the use of the arena has exceed since it was open in 1975. We even have other high school hockey teams that use the arena for practice. So I'm 100% in favor for the improvements so that the new Junior Hockey League have access to the Arena.

There is nothing better on a winter day than to ice skate outdoors.

i've lived here for 25 years and I only went ice skating once, it was expensive, boring and cold. I would never go back. Maybe if there was a roller rink (where I spent most of my childhood fridays) again we would see a bigger base of users.