Keeps going from bad - to worse.
I remember looking at the bankruptcy filing and wondering what kind of shell game these guys were playing. Looks like Freeman had the same thing in mind.
I don't know what this means for the future of hockey in Elmira. ECHL hockey in particular. This franchise needs someone with deep pockets to be able and/willing to absorb operating losses. I always hoped Terry Pegula would come in and buy the team - sort of to complete the development strategy of the organization by having a place to place, observe and supervise the talent they have that is not AHL ready.
Right now, they've got guys all over the ECHL and CHL. I know that some of that is due to the likes of Foligno, Hodgson and maybe McNabb or Brennan taking up AHL roster spots. But wouldn't it be nice to have a local ECHL level team to put the Szydlowski, Boychuk, Fienhage, Lagace and maybe some of the guys who are extras for the Amerks to play nearby and on a regular basis. How 'bout the ease with which they could switch out Knapp and Lieuwen to give both time at both levels. I have to think that Lieuwen is benefiting greatly from playing most games in Greenville while Knapp rides the pine and practices.
Same thing for coaches, trainers, front office and marketing staff - what a great way to develop all of those aspects of the organization.
The unfortunate thing is that what I'm seeing with how the Amerks are being managed is that Pegula either hasn't considered that, is not interested, or does not have the wherewithal to take that sort of step.
Would have been nice.
In the meanwhile, I hope the ECHL stays in Elmira. I think the Federal League or turning to a US Junior level team would be a huge disappointment.
Assertions like this will get you in troubleI might be okay with the USHL.
An agreement was made last May for everything to remain the same for the next year until the court nonsense was figured out then in July the place magically has a new buyer then a week after it's announced theres stuff about how the May agreement was invalid. Guy is on the Chamber of Commerce along with the County Exec. Sounds like some kind of political game happened.
Assertions like this will get you in trouble
Secret deal?
In a Jan. 11 filing, EDA accused Elm Arena and Southern Tier Economic Development of trying to sabotage the arena management company.
“One thing has been made clear in this case — Elm Arena LLC wants to own and operate First Arena and the Elmira Jackals,” wrote Joseph Grekin, an attorney for EDA. The Jackals are owned by Afr as a separate entity.
The management company is seeking permission from the court to interview officers of Elm Arena and Southern Tier Economic Development.
Grekin repeated allegations of a secret deal between Freeman, Chemung County and STED to give Freeman control of the arena.
He also accused Elm Arena attorneys of making unauthorized filings with the court, in an attempt to embarrass EDA through bad press generated by the filings.
“Elm (Arena) knew when it filed the unauthorized filings that the local media outlets would review them and that it would create negative publicity with regard to the debtor and its ability to operate the arena, thereby damaging the debtor’s chances of a successful reorganization,” Grekin wrote.
Grekin also said that after Elm Arena’s inspector said the compressors in the arena were leaking ammonia, Elm Arena didn’t immediately contact EDA to let it know about alleged public health risks due to the leak.
“Instead, Elm spent the next six days [during which Elm knew two hockey games took place at the arena] drafting a pretty PowerPoint presentation to show to the court, and ideally to the media, explaining why the debtor’s equipment was damaged and dangerous.”
Elm Arena notified STED, the building’s owner, which told the Elmira Fire Department and the county Health Department, but not EDA, Grekin wrote. Those notifications would appear to violate the portion of bankruptcy law that protects debtors as they reorganize, he wrote.
Yet in a recent article in the local paper there was a section in the article entitled "secret deal"?
Seems like thats not really an assumption I created for fun, but I had that assumption WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY before that article came out last week.
HERE:
http://www.stargazette.com/article/...lmira-s-First-Arena-court-filings-grow-heated
So what you are saying is you believe everything you read. Because what I read was this was an accusation made by this EDA group's lawyer. What is he supposed to say his client is in the wrong? You don't make money that way.
Key players
• STED: Southern Tier Economic Development Inc., owner of First Arena.
• EDA: Elmira Downtown Arena LLC, the company controlled by Michigan businessman Mostafa Afr that manages the arena by agreement with STED.
• Elm Arena LLC: A company run by local businessman Tom Freeman, a former chairman of STED, and holder of First Arena’s mortgage.
• U.S. Trustee’s Office: Part of the U.S. Department of Justice, the trustee is charged with acting as a watchdog over the bankruptcy process, for the benefit of the debtors, the creditors and the public.
Heres more:
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130130/NEWS01/301300061/Can-First-Arena-pay-its-bills-
But heres something on the side of the article to get back to my suspicion.
1 and 3 is where my interest is at. I knew about 1 and part of 3 but the 2nd part of 3 adds new info that even more has me wondering.
I'm not a consipracy theorist but I am a man of many questions. The last 13 or so months have had wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy more questions than answers(hell we really still don't have any of those)
Arena lights might get shut off now:
http://www.stargazette.com/article/...irst-Arena?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
It's minor league sports............So is it safe to assume the Jackels are done as of the end of this season?
So is it safe to assume the Jackels are done as of the end of this season?