The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Anyone who has been in the Whitney Forum recently has probably noticed the new, smaller Zamboni the staff are using to clean the ice. The new propane machine may look similar to the old electric one, but arena manager Guy (Beastie) Rideout says there is one substantial difference. ÒThe electric one quit on us and it was getting too much to maintain,Ó he says, adding that this new propane Zamboni will allow local workers to work out some of the problems, if any arise. ÒThere were no qualified technicians nearby to work on it,Ó says Rideout, about the previous ice cleaner. The Whitney Forum received the Zamboni a week ago Wednesday, the day before the Bomber game. Rideout says there wasnÕt a whole lot of time to get used to the machine, but all of the operators caught on quickly. Sharon Stringer, one of the operators, says this cleaner is just overall better. ÒItÕs got a shorter base than the other one so it turns sharper and it fits into the corners better,Ó she says. And although the propane Zamboni can go faster than the previous one, Stringer says it doesnÕt really help them get the job done more quickly. ÒYou have to drive a certain speed for your ice,Ó says the six-year operator. A plus for this new machine, in the eyes of Stringer, is the availability of parts. ÒThey are GM parts, so we donÕt have to get them from the States anymore,Ó she says. ÒAll the drivers are adjusted,Ó she says, Òand itÕs much easier to maneuver this one.Ó The new Zamboni got plenty of use over the weekend as the Peewee Provincials were in town from Friday until Sunday, along with the Bombers playing last night.
