YORKTON THIS WEEK (April 3)

The Yorkton Terriers defeated the Melville Millionaires, at home, in front of 2000 fans on Friday night and then finished them off in Melville on Saturday to advance to the Canalta Cup finals against Humboldt; which start this Friday in Humboldt.  Too bad it took until game five of the division finals, but it was still great to see a nice crowd to support a team that has played, exceptionally, well on home ice all season.  Let’s keep it going for the finals. 

The Gallagher Centre parking lot continues to be a place where you can find the most ignorant the City of  Yorkton has to offer for citizens.  A lot of folks say ‘people don’t know better’.  I disagree.  These offenders DO know better, but because the rules aren’t laid out in black and white, they take advantage of the situation.  Here’s the common sense rule that everyone should abide by:  leave enough room for one lane of traffic each way when going up and down the aisle or in between the two main areas of parking.   If you are parking at the end of the row and there isn’t enough room for free flowing traffic in both directions, then you shouldn’t park there.  Furthermore, if you see a row of vehicles ten or twelve long, chances are pretty good you shouldn’t be cheating and parking where the first vehicle is parked.  Make sense? 

Here is another tip to allow for easy traffic flow:  when leaving an event, try to let in one vehicle and then you proceed in the line to get out.  The vehicle behind you will also let in one vehicle and then it proceeds in line.  This has proven, in every other city I’ve gone to a hockey game to see, to be effective and people leave the facility a lot quicker than if you have a free for all of cars and trucks trying to jam their way in or shutting out long lines of traffic just looking to get into an orderly line to exit.  Trust me.  Go to Humboldt and leave their arena after the game.  It’s what they do and you will be on your way home in under five minutes.

It’s embarrassing to have to point all this out and must be hilarious for non-Yorkton people to read.  I think some of the onus does have to fall on the Gallagher Centre.  Permanent signage needs to be erected to prevent people from taking advantage of situations just so they can save four or five extra steps when trying to enter the building. 

A few weeks ago I wondered why people weren’t attending Terrier games and the parking situation was one answer I got from a couple of older folks.  They are scared to death to try and leave after the game as they fear for their lives.  When I was trying to leave on Friday night, I made a special note to see who was being a jerk in line and every time it was someone my age or younger.  Shame on you.  One guy, with his young son in the front seat, was doing almost 50km/h along the edge of the horse racing track and then barged his way into the front of the line by the YTC building.  Someone like that should be ticketed for dangerous driving.

Another reason given for not attending Terrier games is the temperature inside the arena.  I didn’t get an opportunity to test this out for myself on Friday, but I had a real good talk with a gentleman who said it’s extremely cold on the players bench side of the arena.  Apparently, the heaters are seldom turned on over there and sometimes you even get a blast of cold air from the ceiling fans.  I never gave it much thought until after my conversation with him, but it does seem as though the FAA is a little colder than some of the other rinks around the SJHL, including Melville, and it may be one reason why I see Yorkton area people going to games in Melville even on nights when the Terriers play.  Just a guess. 

Another possible reason for lower attendance was given to me by yet another individual, who says he lives outside of Yorkton and it is just as easy to go to Melville and watch a team play in a beautiful new facility with more comfortable seats.  I said last year when Melville’s new arena opened that it wouldn’t be long before you start hearing rumblings of Yorkton wanting one too.  It’s officially started.

Nice person mentions this week to Tim Ottenbreit, Darrell Halarewich (who is now lobbying to be included on the ‘Nice Person Of The Year’ list), Fred Schrader (Darrell’s main competition for ‘Nice Person Of The Year’), Jennifer Stackhouse (who says she never makes the list, but you have to actually read the column and then you will know you actually make this list more than you think), and Bruce Luebke.