People petitioning to get the ice rink bond issue passed will find out if their long hours of campaigning paid off when it goes to vote March 31.

But until then, several organizations will continue to work hard to publicize the benefits of the new facility.

For the bond issue to pass, 60 percent of the voters must vote “yes” to raising their home property assessment tax by $7.62 annual per $100,000 valuation. If it passes, Iowa State will add $2 million to the $1.7 million supplied through the new tax by the city of Ames.

The new arena would be built just west of the current rink, which is located near Towers Residence Association. The facility has deteriorated from the 20 hours of use it gets every day, and many members of the community have expressed concern about its condition.

One local group has been reaching out to both ISU students and the Ames community in hopes of encouraging them to vote for the new community rink.

Ice is Nice, 600 5th St., has been meeting for many years to discuss the conditions of the arena, said Kathy Thomas, chairwoman of the group.

Members of Ice is Nice include representatives from groups that use and share an interest in the ice rink’s condition. The Ames Figure Skating Club, Cyclone Hockey, Ames Minor League Hockey, the Ames Park and Recreation Department and the Adult Hockey League are some of the organizations that belong to Ice is Nice.

Thomas added that several concerned students have sat in during Ice is Nice’s weekly meetings.

Although Ice is Nice has been meeting for years to discuss the condition of the ice rink, Thomas said, the group realized there were severe problems with the rink about two years ago.

“We’ve known that there would be a problem,” Thomas said. “We’re on very thin ice with the facility.”

Thomas noted some of the rink’s problems include paint chips falling from the ceiling, older mechanical systems and an uneven sheath of ice in the arena. She said underneath the current sheet of ice lies a bed of sand, which eventually will shift. There is also almost 12 feet of frost under the sand, she added.

Thomas said the condition of the rink has resulted in several figure skating competitors being pulled from test sessions because their coaches felt the conditions were unsafe.

“Safety has always been a concern out there,” Thomas said. “With hockey, at least they have pads; figure skaters only have little dresses.”

Thomas said Ice is Nice has been working hard to encourage the voting. Members from the group have appeared on television and radio. ISU Hockey Coach Al Murdoch, along with his hockey players, has also joined the effort by speaking to “almost all the dorm populations.”

The publicity about the poor conditions of the ice rink is significant, Thomas said.

She added that the rink does affect members of the community who are not “ice users.”

The City of Ames recently had to turn down a skating tournament, which would have brought revenue into the local economy.

Hundreds of youth participate in the “Learn to Skate” programs, and Ames Minor League has more than 300 participants, Thomas said.

Although the people have about a week before they cast their vote, Thomas said she’s received “incredibly positive” feedback about the issue. Many community organizations, including the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau, have given the bill their backing, Thomas said.

Ames City Council members also have been supportive of the bond issue.

“There certainly is a recognized need for [a new facility],” said Sharon Wirth, city councilwoman for the first ward. Wirth called the bond issue a “wonderful opportunity for partnership between Iowa State and Ames to fund the facility.”

She said she does not know how the students feel about the bond issue, but she said Ames residents are enthusiastic about the idea.

“The public is very interested in it, and [they] are feeling positive about it,” Wirth said.

Anne Campbell, city councilwoman for the third ward, an area that is heavily populated with students, agreed the arena “has mechanically lived its life.”

“[The council recognized] that it’s a matter of shutting the doors or doing something,” Campbell said, adding that the initiative came from the university.

In related news, the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau and Ames Area Sports Commission released a statement that the group is endorsing the proposed Ames Ice Arena.

“The new Ames/ISU arena will not only give Ames a great ice facility for local users, but it will also provide a very competitive venue for events that could bring thousands of visitors to Ames every winter,” said Ken Anderson, president of ACVB, in a press release.

Thomas also said ISU students have responded positively to the bill.

“They’re excited to be able to participate,” she said, adding that she encourages students “to show the community that there isn’t apathy. They’re mobilized and ready to take the action necessary.”

Mike Pogge, LAS senator for the Government of the Student Body, said nearly 1,000 students in TRA and Richardson Court Association are registered to vote because of registration efforts by the ISU hockey team and GSB.

Pogge said GSB discovered fall semester students wanted a new ice arena through open forums.

He said since students live in residence halls they won’t have to pay property taxes for the bond.

“I think we’re going to see a fair [voter] turnout,” Pogge said. “I encourage students to get out and vote. It’s something that all of us can take part in, and in the end, it’s going to save us money.”

Thomas added she is confident the bond issue will pass if people who know of the bond issue get out and vote.

“[The voters cannot] get complacent and think someone else will do it for them. Every vote will count,” she said.

The new ice arena bond election is March 31.