I have to respond to Erick Hickum's opinion letter in the
Dec. 8 Forum.
I was present at that motel in Alexandria, Minn., and what Hickum fails to tell our community is that there were also two other squirt teams present at that motel, one from Chisago Lakes, Minn., and another from Blaine, Minn. I know it can get very "active" when there is one hockey team present in a motel, but when there are three teams, well, you get the picture.
Our boys were originally playing floor hockey on their knees in the hallway Saturday afternoon. Then the management made a decision to let our boys play floor hockey in one of the empty rooms and quite often, boys from all three teams would be playing together. It was unfortunate the managers forgot which room they had opened up to our boys and gave him the keys to the same room. All was set right when he was given another room.
When our boys had finished a game that night and returned to the motel at approximately
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8:30 p.m., they went directly to play in the pool after changing. Present were most of the parents and the head coach. At approximately 10 p.m., all our boys retreated to their respective rooms for the head coach had imposed a 10:30 p.m. curfew.
As for the fire alarm, the motel was having trouble with it. Before Hickum arrived at the motel that afternoon, it went off and buzzed three times. We checked to see whether there was any concern and the front desk stated it was having trouble with it. It also went off later and buzzed only two times. And yes, it went off at 4 a.m. and woke everyone. So it was not our boys who engaged the fire alarm as Hickum suggests.
I feel our boys acted appropriately and in fact apologized to the motel manager twice for being so loud in the hallway. It is unfortunate Hickum had this experience, but it was not exactly as he portrayed.
Kurt Kollman
Fargo
