Trump’s Ice Rinks in Central Park to Remain Open as Demand Prompts de Blasio to Delay Termination

Janita Kan
By Janita Kan
February 22, 2021US News
share

Two Central Park ice skating rinks will remain open for the rest of the season following a dispute between the city and the Trump organization, which operates the rinks.

“New York City kids deserve all the time on the ice they can get this year,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said in a statement to media outlets. “The Wollman and Lasker rinks will stay open under current management for the few weeks left in this season. But make no mistake, we will not be doing business with the Trump Organization going forward. Inciting an insurrection will never be forgotten or forgiven.”

This comes after the city decided in January to cut ties with Trump’s business. Eric Trump, the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and son of former President Donald Trump, previously criticized de Blasio for shutting down the ice rinks before the end of the skating season, telling the New York Post that “the mayor is absolutely petty.”

“This isn’t about us, this is about the people of the city who come here to skate and disabled kids who joined hockey teams and others who joined skating school and take lessons every week,” he told the newspaper.

In a statement on Sunday, Eric Trump commended de Blasio’s office in a post on Twitter, saying “Mr. Mayor, Thank You for keeping Wollman and Lasker Rinks open—you’ve just made countless NYC families (along w our 250 employees) incredibly happy. This is a bright moment for New York and please know we appreciate it.”

He added that he intends to thank the city’s mayor in person.

The city’s contract with the Trump Organization runs through April but the leases for the Wollman Rink and the Lasker Rink were scheduled to be canceled on Feb. 26.

A city newsletter shows that the city is seeking an operator to maintain the Wollman Rink (pdf).

The Trump Organization will also be required to cease operating a Central Park carousel and the Ferry Point Golf Course in the Bronx. The organization has appealed the city’s decision to sever ties, CBS News reports.

The city had followed in the footsteps of several major businesses who also cut ties with the Trump Organization following the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

De Blasio, other lawmakers, and the media have blamed Trump for the violence and had called for his impeachment. Hours before the breach, the president addressed a crowd gathered outside the White House where he reiterated allegations about election irregularities and potential fraud, and his dissatisfaction with the media and several lawmakers. During the speech, Trump called on his supporters to “fight like hell” to be well-represented by their elected delegates in Congress, after he urged supporters to protest “peacefully and patriotically” outside the U.S. Capitol.

Trump was acquitted by the Senate in a 57-43 vote, which failed to meet the constitutional threshold of 67 votes for a conviction.

From The Epoch Times

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments