Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 2.25.15

12 | FEBRUARY 25, 2015 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM Pond Hockey Tournament Enjoys
Facts
FIGURES
Numbers in the news
10
Number of fuel-hauling trains predicted to derail every year for the next two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as the number of oil trains on America’s rails continue to increase. Three oil trains have derailed in North American this month alone.
$35 million
Amount of money the
high-tech industry is expected to contribute Montana’s economy in 2015, according to the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
$4.4 million
Federal funds lost for Lincoln County, more than 16 percent of its total budget, if Congress fails to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Act.
Sunny Competition at Woodland Park
Sportsman & Ski Haus team takes trophy at second annual event
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
Despite a last-minute shakeup, the pucks still dropped at the second annual Montana Pond Hockey Classic under sun- ny skies and favorable conditions in down- town Kalispell.
The three-day outdoor tournament, Feb. 20-22, featured 61 teams and more than 400 participants from across the U.S. and Canada. The local team sponsored by Sportsman & Ski Haus, made up of players from Kalispell and Whitefish, placed first in the competitive open division, winning the title game on Sunday and earning the coveted Monty Cup.
“It went well. The weather was great. The ice held up. The players had a good time. They had some positive things to say about the venue,” said Diane Medler with the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bu- reau, the chief organizer.
Medler said there was a significant drop in spectators at this year’s event and fewerteamsstuckaroundbeforeandafter games despite food vendors in attendance. She attributed that to the lack of a beer garden, which was prohibited by the city council.
The event was abruptly relocated from Foys Lake to Woodland Park four days beforehand due to unseasonably warm weather that created potentially unsafe ice conditions. Medler approached the Kalispell City Council Feb. 17 seeking ap- proval to use Woodland Park as the back- up site, which was approved, but the coun- cil denied a request to serve beer at the tournament, prompting frustration and disappointment among organizers and sponsors.
Councilors voted 5-4 to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol at Wood- land Park, citing Kalispell’s ordinance
The Sportsman & Ski Haus team competes against the Cellar Dwellars in pool play at the second annual Montana Pond Hockey Classic at Woodland Park in Kalispell. The Sportsman & Ski Haus team went on to win the tournament. Visit FlatheadBeacon.com for more photos and video. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
that deals with alcohol consumption on public property and requires three weeks notice through a permit application. Councilors Phil Guiffrida, Tim Kluesner, Chad Graham and Rod Kuntz voted to disallow alcohol consumption at the park and Mayor Mark Johnson cast the decid- ing vote. Councilors Jim Atkinson, Kari Gabriel, Sandy Carlson and Wayne Saver- ud voted in favor of allowing beer at the event.
“I’m a proponent of things that sup- port the economy. But we set specific rules within that ordinance and that municipal code, and one of the rules is that the appli- cation must be submitted in a timely fash- ion for review,” Guiffrida, the councilor who proposed the amendment prohibiting alcohol at the event, told the Beacon.
“I’m absolutely against variances, be- cause then the council is picking winners and losers. That’s dangerous.”
The decision sparked outcry from one of the event’s main sponsors, Tamarack Brewing Company, and disappointment among organizers.
“They really missed an opportunity to highlight what the city of Kalispell can do. I don’t think this puts Kalispell in a very positive light for tourism,” said Josh Townsley, owner of Tamarack Brewing Company, a partner of the pond hock- ey tournament that served beers at last year’s inaugural event.
“This absolutely hurts tourism dollars and opportunity, and it’s frustrating that the city is willing to alienate a large seg- ment of tourists.”
Medler said she received positive re- views about Woodland Park. Organizers are in the process of surveying players to gather feedback before determining any plans for potential future events.
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