Northwest Ice Rink in Mt. Washington to close
One rumor has Phelps and coach buying facility
By Larry Perl
Posted 8/20/08
Coach Eileen von Birgelen said that Jackie Eliasberg, chairman of the board of the rink, told her and other coaches Tuesday that the facility would be closing Aug. 31, because Eliasberg and her husband, Lou, were retiring.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said von Birgelen, who has coached there and run the skate rental and sharpening shop at the rink, at 5731 Cottonworth Ave., since 1982.
Asked what she would do, von Birgelen said, “That’s a good question. You want to build an ice rink for me?”
Eliasberg did not return phone calls Thursday night and Friday. She was meeting behind closed doors Friday morning and would not come out to comment at that time.
Northwest Ice Rink’s roots date to the founding of the Ice Club of Baltimore in 1931. Early members skated on Lake Roland, on surrounding ponds, and at the old Carlin's Skate Land in northwest Baltimore, until it went up in flames in 1955.
The club remained homeless until the Meadowbrook Ice Club opened in 1959 in Mt. Washington. It flooded in tropical storm Agnes in 1972. A nonprofit group, Northwest Families Sports Center, paid to rebuild the rink and renamed it Northwest Ice Rink.
Other than von Birgelen, no other coaches or parents would or could confirm the rink’s closing. Many parents said no one had told them anything official, but that rumors had been swirling around the facility in recent weeks and that they were preparing to try to find other places in the area for their children to skate.
Several parents said they were angry that the facility was being shut so abruptly and that there was no consideration for children, many of whom were practicing for an upcoming regional synchronized and “production” skating competition in Virginia.
“If the rumors are true, it could have been handled a lot better,” said a parent who gave only her first name, Kathleen.
“No one will say anything officially,” said Rochelle Mendelsohn, of the Greenspring East area, whose daughter Alyssa, 12, has been skating at the rink five days a week for the past year.
Mendelsohn said she asked Eliasberg’s daughter, who she said would neither confirm nor deny that the rink is closing.
The mood at the rink was tense Friday, veering from the laughter of children in a summer camp to the tears of one coach who became visibly unnerved when a Messenger reporter tried to talk to her.
Some parents accused the Eliasberg family of hiding behind closed doors and conspiring to close the facility Aug. 31 without any advance notice.
“They were going to lock the doors, turn off the compressors and turn off the telephone on the 31st of August,” said parent Chris Egan, who was so angry that she called WBAL-TV and gave an interview. However, she, too, said she had not heard anything official but considered the rumor to be true.
Adding to the mystery was a report in The Sun earlier this week that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps’ trainer, Bob Bowman, will become chief executive officer this fall of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club at the Meadowbrook swimming facility next door and is considering expanding that facility, so that it can take on additional elite swimmers. Towson Olympians Phelps and Katie Hoff already train there.
That fueled rampant speculation at the rink that Phelps and Bowman were buying it, and the post office across the street as well, in order to build an Olympic training center.
Meadowbrook general manager John Cadigan said that's unlikely, because the area is in a flood plain.
Cadigan said neither Phelps nor Bowman has said anything to him about whatever plans they may have.
He said speculation is running high at the swimming center. “Everybody’s talking about them (Phelps and Bowman) coming back (from China) and buying this or that.”
But he said Phelps and Bowman have been so focused over the past year on the Olympics that “they don’t have time to think about buying an ice rink.”
Postal officials said they know of no plans to close the post office in Mt. Washington. Cadigan said Meadowbrook owns the post office building, which is leased to the U.S. Postal Service.
user comments (11)
user nstrahan says...
It appears the Ice Club of Baltimore is going to be without ice this year because they did not find out about the rink closure until this week, too late to arrange other regular ice time nearby. It is very unfortunate that the current owners did not have the courtesy to inform the Board of the Club sooner.
Posted 3:09 PM, 08.16.08
user lhinebaugh says...
The secrecy is disturbing - as if there is something to hide. It would have been a good faith gesture to have dialogue with the skating community. No one would fault a family for retiring after years of service; but it would have been considerate to inform us of the decision. It might have been possible for a group of people to purchase the rink so it could stay open for skaters. It's devastaing to the skating community to lose a facility.
Posted 9:19 AM, 08.17.08
user kabes says...
I used to joke with my friends (on the Senior Precision and Production teams) that when we got older (and hopefully had money) we should all put in money to buy the place and then we would make up the board of directors. Obviously the skaters know what the place needs and what other patrons want. It would be perfect! I'm sure there are plenty of groups, if given the chance, that would have been interested in buying the rink. It really is a shame; what's even worse is the way the situation was handled. Everything is a mess, they screwed over so many people and continue to do so. Not only is ICoB homeless but so is Von's Skate Shop. Eileen runs her business out of that place and has for decades. She could have been looking for new places to rent from and ICoB could have looked for a new home rink. I don't even know what else to say. Possibly the worst thing about all of this is that Northwest deserved to have a grand heartfelt closing. The memory shouldn't be tainted by all of this drama. We, the people who hold this place so dear, deserve better than that.
Posted 2:57 PM, 08.18.08
user amandaheath says...
Kabik, I agree, god i'm going to miss this RINK!!!! It's like my second home, I can't help but cry when I think of all the memories, that are going to be torn down! The Staff that have worked there for forever including my mother, WHAT ABOUT THEM!?! Hardly given a notice!?!? :-( I'll miss the staff and memories of NORTHWEST!
Posted 2:47 PM, 08.21.08
user alice says...
im friends with alyssa and im just sooooo sad its closing. im gonna miss northwest so much no other rink will be like it........ =( is northwest going 2 have a funeral? it deserves one.......................
Posted 8:04 PM, 08.26.08
user kabes says...
First of all, Mandy, it is great to hear from you after all these years. The rink closing will no doubt bring people together. I think we should fight this. There needs to be an effort to save it. It's a staple to the city of Baltimore. When Stars on Ice or Champions on Ice comes around each year, FAMOUS skaters choose Northwest over other facilities even though the other facilities may have larger rinks. They go there because it's familiar, they go there because IT'S HOME. Mandy, your mom was shaking the other day. I've never seen her so torn apart (and I've seen bad moments in all my years there) I don't think people are looking at the emotional aspects. This has shaken us to the core. Maybe when it's time for the Winter Olympics and Kimmy Meisner is in the spotlight, people will see that while Northwest is not her main rink, it is the (former) home of The Ice Club of Baltimore. People would want to save that because there's no way to even qualify for the Olympics w/o USFSA. They're killing dreams and hope for potential young Olympians in the Baltimore area.
Posted 4:14 PM, 08.27.08
user billy says...
The Eliasbergs have not paid the employees for over a month. They disconnected their phones. First class people
Posted 9:49 PM, 09.30.08
user lissa says...
the rink has been closed for several months now :( not only has it made it more difficult to get skating time in, Northwest was our home and no rink has been the same. I've also lost contact with alot of my friends. I've made new friends but it's not the same. I MISS NORTHWEST!!!
Posted 8:52 PM, 01.27.09
user tatyana says...
New to the area. I was sorry to hear that this rink closed! We were looking forward to some skating fun this winter. Any suggestions for an alternative that's in, um, a good area Many thanks!
Posted 1:43 AM, 01.31.09
user lissa says...
the Reisterstown sportsplex it a nice one to go to. and if you are will to make the drive the best one in Ice World in abingdon MD.
Posted 9:38 AM, 01.31.09
user isk8ingcoach says...
This is all so sad for me. I was hoping to move back to Baltimore and be able to coach at the rink that adopted me after Orchard so abruptly closed back in 1979. Seems to be a pattern in the rink world that no one says anything; it is all very hush hush and then the doors are locked. I saw it happen that way 3 times in Oklahoma. The emotional wreckage for the parents, coaches, skaters and employees is horrible. I guess I would just love to shout out to all my old friends to hang in there. You will get used to a skating life somewhere else, it is hard but doable. And dear Eileen, you are one of the most resilient coaches I have ever had, you too will make it. Here I am in Memphis, Eileen and Georges old home with no ice but a paltry 5 months a year, and there she is in Baltimore, my home, facing life on new ice after her home away from home closes underneath of her, the irony of it all. I hope I get to come home soon, even if it is to new ice. Take care everyone! I will be thinking of you! Love to all! Jenny DeAngelis, former BFSC, Free State FSC and Ice Club of Baltimore member.
Posted 12:32 PM, 08.12.09
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