RUDOLPH GOOD spoke for about 15 minutes at the first hearing on recreational facilities for New Ulm.While Good spoke, at left, James Penrod sat back to listen, Dr. George Germann, at center, rested on his elbows for support and William Gafford looked down after checking his watch. The three listeners are members of the New Ulm City Council. (Photo by Michael Larson)

Variety provided the spice Thursday evening at the first of four hearings on a recreational complex being discussed for New Ulm.

Fifteen of some 50 Ward 1 residents who attended Thursday’s hearing, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, expressed various ideas about a city recreation facility.

USE OF AN indoor ice facility drew many comments.

“I’m more or less against this hockey rink and so forth,” said Clarence Scheible, 1021 S. Payne.

He expressed a fear that any skating facility would end up reserved for hockey players. He also said he doubted whether such a facility would pay for itself.

Gerald Ubl, 1839 Crestview Drive, said a multipurpose area (which would offer ice for skating during part of the year) could pay for itself.”If the building is operated properly, the multipurpose arena will make money. The swimming pool might not.”

WE WANT hockey for a certain season,” added Jerry, 305 S. Valley,”but we don’t play hockey all nights.”

In an ice arena, he said, open skating would be offered during prime times, hockey practice would be at other times.

Mrs. Leo Goblirsch, 818 S. Minnesota, suggested that if a recreational complex came up for a vote, that the people should be offered a two-part question.

“I think you should have a swimming pool, with the other (a multipurpose arena as an option),”she said,”since there are so many who want only one or the other.”

Added Edon W. “Swede” Dahl,80912th S., “Even though I’m for the hockey program, I think the swimming pool is the first thing we should work on.”

THE HEARING lasted about one hour. Speaking longest was Rudolph Good, 211 S. Broadway, who held the floor for about 15 minutes.

“I’m not against recreation for our children,” he said, “but why add additional burdens to the people who are not so affluent. I would not want to sacrifice the public welfare in favor of our children.”

Good criticized the persons who approached the City Council to consider a recreational complex.

“I have some interests, too,” Good said. “But I’m not trying to have these good members of the City Council promote it for me.”

Good also questioned what a recreational complex might cost. Highland Manor plans a 26-bed addition for $280,000,he said, and asked why it would cost so much more for such a complex.

Ubl said some preliminary estimates had been made for a multipurpose building and all were less than $1.5 million.

SPEAKING LATER, Mrs. Good said any building probably would cost more than original estimates.

“There are always overruns,”she said. “Every time you build, it always costs more.”

George Bauer, 1 S. Valley, wondered if New Ulm’s young people needed another recreational facility.

“Today,”he said, “kids can’t even walk to school. They have to be bused. They have to be bused from school to the bowling alley-that’s one block.”

FIGURES SHOWING what it would cost property owners if a $1.5million bond issue were approved to pay for an arena drew some criticism from residents who said they thought the actual impact might be greater than the published figures.

City Manager Richard Salvati agreed to obtain additional in-formation to supplement the figures prepared by Bill Fenske and Andy Biebl, directors of Recreation Arena, Inc., a New Ulm group considering a multipurpose arena.

Willis “Chick” Laraway, 1008 S. Jefferson, said such an arena “is long overdue.”

Laraway said that while growing up in Brownton, he often came to New Ulm with his family to swim.

“The city fathers who put in that swimming pool,” he said, “did a great thing for New Ulm.”

A multipurpose complex, he continued,”would draw a lot of people to New Ulm. I think the economic impact would be tremendous.”

BOB GRATHWOHL, 1101 S. Payne, however, said New Ulm residents will be paying for the facility while other people are getting the same benefit as the local residents.

“You talk about big business,”he said.”If you want big business go to New York. There’s a lot of big business there.”

The second in the series of hearings will be May 6 for New Ulm’s 4th Ward, 7 p.m. at Turner Hall.

New Ulm Daily Journal

April 30, 1976