Legitimacy.

Weird weekend. Most interesting thing learned on Sunday (besides another lesson in why I should wear my shin guards and some basic 6 vs 6 strategy) is that in St Louis, neighborhood associations have a lot of say in how the parks in their 'hoods get used. It goes from the local homeowners, to the Aldermen, to the parks dep't. The parks can't build without appropriations, and the Aldermen aren't going to give them the money for ideas their constituents don't like, cos that would be politically stupid.

We have a verbal agreement with some influential people at Lindenwood that we can have the rink from 2pm on Sundays. The Alderman heard it, the park ranger(s) heard it. Kacye brokered the compromise by being reasonable, cordial, and persistent. Any one of you who did anything else were not helping our cause. We'll follow up with the Neighborhood association at their next meeting to get written permission to have bike polo be allowed in that (and therefore, by aldermanic courtesy, every St Louis City) park. The verbal agreement and the 12-2 is for hockey, 2-dark is for polo compromise should hold up on their own until then.

We also ran into someone from the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Association. He was excited to see people using the rink and took a few pics to pass along to the other members and the alderman, who are right now considering wrecking the rink in favor of a physical resource that might get more use. There may be a meeting or two we can go to down there to support keeping the rink. If any of you have friends who play roller hockey or who want to practice roller derby, or any other use (aside from telling the soccer players about it) live near there or use that rink, let 'em know it's in danger of being torn down.

And yes, I told the guy that if it was already a done deal that we would dismantle and haul away the old boards.

In the meantime, we've been linked to by the Mt Pleasant Neighborhood Association, and we're the first thing that come up when anyone googles "St Louis" and "Bike Polo". So only curse in your replies after 9pm, when the kids go to sleep.