On the same day the Post-Gazette reported the potential closing of Bladerunner's Warrendale ice rink ("Youth hockey may be out in cold if Marshall rink is sold," July 2), the paper ran a story about how the Penguins' Stanley Cup victory and resurgence as a premier NHL team is seeding a bumper crop of talented high school and college hockey players in the years to come. Do I have this right? More hockey demand, fewer sheets of ice to play on? How can we be so dumb, Pittsburgh?

Can you imagine how difficult it will be, very shortly, for boys and girls to have the chance to learn to play the most exhilarating and challenging of all team sports? (Surprise! It's also one of the safest.) Why would we convert such a precious resource into a church and displace so many young and old hockey players? Churches can locate nearly anywhere, but where else can hundreds of today's young stars and thousands of tomorrow's stars find their inner Sid, Geno, Brooks or Flower (Marc-Andre Fleury)? There's no way other local rinks can absorb all these athletes, even if parents were able to transport their kids the extra miles to get there.

I humbly offer two ideas to our politicians and civic leaders to help resolve this "ice crisis" affecting so many of the people who voted for them. They can even claim credit for it themselves. Before you ask, Who's going to pay for all this? The answer is I AM! Just use some of the hundreds of billions of economic stimulus money, all funded by taxpayers, that's being wasted on so many worthless and dubious causes.

Establish a sports management and marketing program at one of our distinguished local universities. Ice rinks are businesses, so run the rink under the business school. Run it for profit. Teach business ethics. Develop nationally recognized programs in coaching, team management, game officiating, nutrition and sports medicine. Seek endowments from some of Pittsburgh's recent and historic hockey icons, for whom some 375,000 adoring fans recently demonstrated their lifelong support.

Our commonwealth's distinguished governor, or perhaps even the vice president himself, could announce for the cameras some new recipient of a $10 million economic stimulus grant to purchase the rink and run it as a for-profit enterprise. Think of all the jobs that would be saved or created. Think of all your precious tax dollars that you'll lose if the rink becomes a church, unless you've already figured out a way to start taxing churches, too.

Of course, it's too late for any of the above. Contracts have been signed, variances will be granted and the rink soon will become another "things-that-aren't-there-anymore" thing. So sad.

TOM HAYSON
Franklin Park

As a follow-up to the story in the Post-Gazette North section ("Youth hockey may be out in cold if Marshall rink is sold," July 2), I wish to express my serious concerns regarding the pending request to rezone and sell the Bladerunners Ice Rink in Warrendale.

For more than 15 years, I have been coaching and playing hockey at that facility. Both of my sons, now ages 13 and 21, have grown up playing amateur and high school hockey there. We have spent hours enjoying the physical fitness, camaraderie and character building that hockey provides. I also have made countless friends through the hockey programs that my children have been a part of, and many of their friendships have been developed at that rink.

All of this will be seriously jeopardized if the building is sold and converted to a nonskating purpose. It is highly ironic that this plan was revealed immediately following the Penguin's Stanley Cup win and at the peak of hockey's popularity in Pittsburgh. If the zoning board approves this plan, thousands of children and their families will be disrupted.

As an Allegheny County taxpayer, I also would be very upset about taking this facility off of the tax rolls, as would be the case if it were sold to a nonprofit church. I imagine that under the current economic conditions, Marshall's finances are already tight and we cannot afford the loss of additional tax revenues.

With all due respect to the purchaser, I would point out that churches have many, many options for new facilities. Ice rinks are already in limited supply in Pittsburgh, and the conversion of this rink would leave the North Hills hockey community with virtually no options.

JOHN K. THORNBURGHFranklin Park