Mayor Michael White closed two Trump Family-owned ice rinks in Central Park on Feb. 21. Pictured is one of them, Wollman Rink.
. The sudden closure of two rinks in Central Park at 4 p.m. yesterday (Feb. 21) sparked outrage. People say that Mayor Michael White closed the rinks six weeks early because they were owned by the Trump family, hurting only New York children.
According to a statement from the Trump Organization, owner and operator of the rink, their Wollman Rink and Laker Rink at the north end of Central Park will officially end their contracts with the City of New York this Friday, Feb. 26. The rinks officially end their contracts with the City of New York. The rinks closed on the 21st, six weeks earlier than in previous years.
The two rinks have been the neighborhood’s playground for New York City kids and were not supposed to close until April each year. And this year, because the New York City government after January 6, on the pretext of Trump inciting riots, cut off business with the Trump Organization. And now the two rinks were closed early, so another 250 jobs at the current rink were lost.
Skating enthusiasts among the public are outraged by this decision. Some Parents with children have launched an online petition asking the mayor to keep the rinks open.
The appeal letter on change.org reads that the two rinks are landmark sports arenas in New York’s Central Park, where many skaters have been skating even since they were 2 years old.
“Mayor Whitehouse’s desire to terminate the contract that the Trump family owns and is operating means that these rinks will need to remain closed until they are bought by someone else; if no one buys them, they will have to be closed forever.” The appeal letter reads, “And the Time suitable for skating is just over a month away, not long but vital for many people.”
Especially when the Epidemic is closed and schools are closed, high school students usually come here to skate at 5:30 a.m., several times a week; in addition to that, the rink provides jobs for many coaches, skating lifeguards, managers and security guards, dozens of whom have worked here for more than a decade, and these people especially need the jobs during the difficult times of the epidemic.
“This matter is not political in any way, and as Trump’s property, Waldman and Lasker Rink provide little to no financial benefit to Trump, and now that he is gone, the rink offers nothing to him.” The letter continued, “Please leave our rinks for all skaters and all New Yorkers who cherish them!”
People have been criticizing this political game at the expense of children online.
Ice Hockey in Harlem, an organization that teaches hockey to children in the Harlem community at this rink, tweeted, “Mayor Whitehouse is playing politics at the expense of Harlem kids. Let the kids play!”
Netizen GTRxMan said, “Thing is, Trump built the rink when the incompetent NYC government couldn’t do it; Central Park skaters are outraged that Whitehouse is closing the rink to punish Trump!”
Citizen Joycelyn Engle said, “We want our Central Park rink open! Help our kids, stop the hate, kids first!”
Meanwhile, some leftist New York officials, such as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Comptroller Scott Stringer, have taken to the Internet to say they want to keep the rink open, but take it off Trump’s hands and give it to a nonprofit to run.
Goble wrote a letter to the mayor and city council proposing that the rink be given to the Central Park Conservancy to manage.
“Eric Trump, vice president of the Trump Organization and Trump’s second son, issued a statement on the matter, saying it was a “purely political show” and that the only people hurt were New Yorkers.
He said, “New York has become a dead city that everyone is fleeing, and instead of focusing on saving rising crime, high taxes, closed businesses and completely incompetent leadership, all the mayor knows how to do is go in front of Trump Tower and paint some sign or destroy the only place for kids to go outside during an epidemic.”
Elric questioned, “When will all this crap end? What does our city see in it?”
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