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It all goes smoothly at opening of ice rink
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 By Jan Ackerman, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
With skates on their shoulders and children in tow, Doug and Jill Saltzman were at the counter before 11 a.m., ready to try out the new Rink at PPG Place.
The Saltzmans, both 38, of Pleasant Hills, skated at Rockefeller Center in New York City about four years ago and wanted to be among the first to try out Pittsburgh's 9,586-square-foot version of an urban skating rink -- larger than New York's.
"It's terrific. The buildings are much prettier here," Doug Saltzman declared as he and his 5-year-old daughter, Allie, made their way around the rink and its 60-foot Christmas tree, all encircled by the sparkling glass spires of PPG Place. They were among the first local residents to hit the ice yesterday, within minutes of the ribbon cutting.
"We always used to say that this would be a great place for an ice rink," Saltzman said.
Billionaire industrialist Henry Hillman had the same idea, and the money to do it. The new rink is privately funded by The Hillman Co., which owns PPG Place.
"Elsie and I have been married for 57 years, and this is the first idea I have had," Hillman joked as he welcomed a large crowd to the grand opening, a daylong celebration that began with speeches, a performance by Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano and fireworks launched from the rooftops of PPG Place.
Hillman didn't skate, but Elsie Hillman did.
Dressed in a red and white Mrs. Claus outfit, she arrived on the ice in a sleigh with Mayor Tom Murphy and took to the ice with the help of some young assistants.
Murphy, wearing a Santa cap, skated with Hillman and then joined the public skaters when the rink officially opened.
County Executive Jim Roddey, always a jokester, drove the Zamboni machine onto the ice and later told the crowd a story about how the rink originated because of a miscommunication between Henry and Elsie Hillman.
"Several months ago, Henry asked Elsie what she wanted for Christmas," quipped Roddey. "She said 'I would like a nice mink.' Henry thought she said an ice rink."
Boitano flew into Pittsburgh from Las Vegas Monday night and immediately took a spin on the ice, even though it was after 11 p.m. and raining.
" I wish I had a rink like this to skate on when I was a kid," the 38-year-old Boitano said. "Maybe it will inspire children to be Olympic skaters or hockey players in the future."
Yesterday, the morning started off with a light drizzle, but the temperature was 41 degrees and the sun almost peeked through the clouds just as the ribbon was being cut.
Henry Hillman said Bishop Donald Wuerl, who formally dedicated the rink and helped cut the ribbon, was "in charge of the weather."
The event brought out other celebrities, including Steelers Hall of Famer Lynn Swann, who was master of ceremonies, and Mario Lemieux, who wore dress shoes and left the skating to his 5-year-old son, Austin.
Austin Lemieux was given the honor of being the first skater on the rink after the ribbon-cutting.
Henry Hillman, dressed in a raincoat and hat, said people ask him why he decided to build the rink when he doesn't skate and hates the cold.
"I think a lot of people thought about having a rink here. It cried for some activity," Hillman said.
The Hillmans bought PPG Place in 1999. For years, the rose granite obelisk in the square, now hidden by the 60-foot-high Christmas tree, was jokingly known as the "The Tomb of the Unknown Bowler," and the square was frequently criticized for its sterile appearance.
Come spring, the removable rink will be replaced by a fountain, which will have 140 spouts shooting water up to 15 feet in the air.
The Rink at PPG will be open for public skating seven days a week, weather permitting, through the end of February. Admission is $5 for adults, and $4 for children and senior citizens. Skate rentals are $3.
Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. It's also open 2 to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. The rink will close at 5 p.m. today for KDKA-TV's annual broadcast of its Free Care Fund event.
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