Fargo Force delayed longer?

Vandalism expected to delay Urban Plains Center construction, damage estimated at least $200,000
Teri Finneman, The Forum
Published Monday, April 21, 2008


UPDATED 11:27 a.m.


FARGO – Police are on scene at the Urban Plains Center construction site today in south Fargo after receiving a report of vandalism.

Fargo police Sgt. Jeff Skuza said authorities were notified at 7:20 a.m. of vandalism at the future $25 million hockey arena.

A patrol supervisor on scene gave a preliminary estimate of $200,000 worth of damage, but police are still investigating, Skuza said.

Vandals started up a huge crane on the floor, raised the boom and bent a beam supporting the roof.

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Construction site manager Trevor Speidel said the vandals also used the crane to smash a concrete block, shattered windows and threw equipment off the roof of the Urban Plains center, punching a hole in the concrete below.

The vandalism likely happened late Sunday night or early Monday, Speidel said.

“They didn’t understand the controls (of the crane),” Speidel said. “If that crane would have been a little bit farther back, they would have tore that whole beam down.”

It could have created a domino effect, “and you’d probably have lost half the building,” Speidel said.

Structural engineers are coming to take a closer look at the damage, he said. He expected it would delay work on the arena, which had been set to open Oct. 31.

“I would say in excess of $500,000, probably,” Speidel said, referring to a preliminary damage assessment.

Police will release more information as it becomes available, Skuza said.

When finished, the UP Center’s 5,000-seat main rink will house Fargo Public Schools, Fargo Shanley and the United States Hockey League’s Fargo Force, led by former University of North Dakota hockey coach Dean Blais.

For more information, check back on www.inforum.com later today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Teri Finneman at (701) 241-5560

Vandalism sucks

Not a good thing to try to get a new team up and deal with this stuff.

It is sad how some individuals get their thrills.

This will not delay the start of the Force's season, or their home schedule either.

The construction is still on schedule and if the team so chose, they could play home games in October. But they will not open at home until November, to insure that the UPC will be ready and any other unforseen oproblems would not force them to postpone their scheduled home opener.

Everything is A O K.

Jrhockeyfan - I have watched you spew crap for so long - don't talk like you know what you are talking about. Everyone that lives in the Fargo area or has been following the Urban Plains construction, AND the Fargo Force knows that the scheduled completion date for the facility is October 31 (see recent article from local newspaper reaffirming that). Everyone also knows that they have announced that they are going to try and schedule the first 2 months of games on the road to insure that the facility is ready. So don't open your trap saying that they could play in October, as they have already acknowledged that they won't and are taking precautions to insure the completion of construction before scheduling any home games. And, if you would know anything about business, you would know that it would be extremely detrimental for them to publicly acknowledge that there could be delays, even if a dealy is possible.


http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=198819&section=news

UP Center vandalized
Teri Finneman, The Forum
Published Tuesday, April 22, 2008


Overnight vandals caused more than $500,000 in damage at the Urban Plains Center construction site in south Fargo, according to an initial estimate from police.

Fargo police Sgt. Jeff Skuza said authorities were notified at 7:20 a.m. Monday of vandalism at the future $25 million hockey arena.

Between Sunday night and Monday morning, vandals managed to operate two cranes at the site – one inside and one outside the building. They used the cranes to damage the structure and the cranes, according to a police news release.

The vandals started up one crane, raised the boom and bent a beam supporting the arena’s roof.

Construction site manager Trevor Speidel said the vandals also used a crane to smash a concrete block, shattered windows and threw equipment off the roof of the Urban Plains Center, punching a hole in the concrete below.


Vandals threw equipment off the roof of the Urban Plains center, punching a hole in the concrete. Jay Pickthorn / The Forum
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"Yeah"
Vandals started up this crane
Shattered windows
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“They didn’t understand the controls (of the crane),” Speidel said. “If that crane would have been a little bit farther back, they would have tore that whole beam down.”

It could have created a domino effect, “and you’d probably have lost half the building,” Speidel said.

An initial report from the building architect indicates the damage will not affect the timeline to be finished by Oct. 31, said Todd Berning, president of the Metro Sports Foundation that runs the UP Center.

“We just have to work through it,” Berning said. “From that aspect, it’s good news … It’s nothing that we can’t work around. We’re fortunate it happened the way it did happen.”

The procedure is for workers to take keys out of the cranes. However, the keys were in and the machinery running when workers arrived Monday morning, Berning said.

Other vandalism at the site included the word “Yeah” written on the side of the building. A generator was among the items thrown off the roof, Berning said.

The builders and Metro Sports Foundation have insurance and have notified their insurance companies, he said.

Berning said extra security measures will be put in place as a result of the vandalism.

“We’re just lucky nobody got hurt. We’re lucky we can fix it and keep moving,” he said.

When finished, the UP Center’s 5,000-seat main rink will house Fargo Public Schools, Fargo Shanley and the U.S. Hockey League’s Fargo Force, led by former University of North Dakota hockey coach Dean Blais.

Meanwhile, Fargo police are asking for information from the public about the Urban Plains Center vandalism.

Tips can be reported to the Investigations Office at (701) 241-1405 during the day or to dispatch at (701) 235-4493 after hours.

Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous may call the TIP Line at (701) 241-5777, where callers can leave a recorded message.



The Associated Press contributed to this report. Readers can reach Forum reporter Teri Finneman at (701) 241-5560


The word “yeah” was written on a wall of the Urban Plains Center construction site.
Vandals started up this crane at the Urban Plains Center construction site in south Fargo, raised the boom and bent a beam supporting the roof. UPC President Todd Berning said the damage shouldn’t affect the estimated Oct. 31 construction completion date. Photos by Jay Pickthorn / The Forum
The windows of a crane at the site were shattered.
[/i][/b]

quote from Mudlip re: Jrhockeyfan - I have watched you spew crap for so long - don't talk like you know what you are talking about.

Thanks for speaking up. My thoughts exactly.

First of all, fuck you both.

Second of all, when team/league officials tell me something, which was the case here, I tend to believe them way before I'd believe a couple of douchebags like you too.

Lastly, fuck you both.

BTW: In case I haven't mentioned it before: fuck you both.

What a jerk.

Jrhockeyfan - what team offical? Ace Brandt the owner, Todd Berning the architect, Lance Johnson the GM of the facility, Chad Johnsone one af the assistant coaches, or Dean Blais himself? What league official? Gino Gasparini (USHL President) or John Cowley (USA Hockey)? Since I know all of them, I'm curious to know which one of these fine people told you, because they all know the time frame and not one of them would have told you (of all people) anything different. Now if you are talking about some Little League team or official that you talked to at your local rink, that's a different story........

Oh yeah, and you say, "Fuck me"? I've been married over 20 years, but if you did that (fucked me like you are so hot to do), you would never go back to women - I'm that good and obviuosly you have heard it too since you want some of me. You try to compensate for your true lack of knowledge by spewing obscenities, but most people on here are mature enough to see through you.

Mudlip wrote:

Jrhockeyfan - what team offical?

Jason Herter. (You do realize he's on staff there too, don't you?) It came from him, through another coach in the league.

Mudlip wrote:

but most people on here are mature enough to see through you.

Yeah, right. Like anyone believes that statement.

Jrhockeyfan wrote:

Mudlip wrote: Jrhockeyfan - what team offical? Jason Herter. (You do realize he's on staff there too, don't you?) It came from him, through another coach in the league. Mudlip wrote: but most people on here are mature enough to see through you. Yeah, right. Like anyone believes that statement.

You are a stupid jerk and you lie.

Jrhockeyfan -

I find it amazing that a newly hired assistant coach who has not been involved from the beginning would actually know something that everyone else does not know - he must have special powers. I had beers with Coach Blais recently, and you have no idea what you are talking about. Get real you clown - he has no clue of those kind of details as he was just hired. If that is the kind of crap you are passing off as good information on this site, then you are actually a bigger loser than you lead everyone to believe. I'm done with you - I refuse to have a battle of wits and facts with someone like yourself that is unarmed.

Wasn't Herter actually hired before Johnson?

Jrhockeyfan -

You continue to show your lack of knowledge. Pick a link below and you will see that Johnson was hired before Herter. I'm not sure what difference that makes, and I'm not sure why you couldn't just ask Herter yourself since you seem to know him. Once again, you don't know your facts. Do you continue to yak to see your stuff on some board? Shut the fuck up already and sit back and read what the people that really know what's going on have to say - you have zero credibility and it continues to drop from there.

http://www.areavoices.com/undhockey/?blog=25720

http://www.valleynewslive.com/artman2/publish/sports/USHL_s_Fargo_Force_completes_coaching_staff.shtml

http://www.westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com/


There are many more - just do a Google search and you can find more information.

Mudlip wrote:

Jrhockeyfan - You continue to show your lack of knowledge. Pick a link below and you will see that Johnson was hired before Herter. I'm not sure what difference that makes, and I'm not sure why you couldn't just ask Herter yourself since you seem to know him. Once again, you don't know your facts. Do you continue to yak to see your stuff on some board? Shut the fuck up already and sit back and read what the people that really know what's going on have to say - you have zero credibility and it continues to drop from there. http://www.areavoices.com/undhockey/?blog=25720 http://www.valleynewslive.com/artman2/publish/sports/USHL_s_Fargo_Force_completes_coaching_staff.shtml MUDLIP: http://www.westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com/ There are many more - just do a Google search and you can find more information.

THIS IDIOT LOSER JR. GUY HAS BAD INFO.

Midnight Rider wrote:

THIS IDIOT LOSER JR. GUY HAS BAD INFO.

And you are just now realizing this? What took you so long? Most of us figured that out after about 2 posts from him.

Aw gee, thanks everybody. Love ya all. Gotta go now, thanks for coming, don't forget to tip your waitress.

Good move regarding Ohio's players. Things are working out.

Midnight Rider wrote:

THIS IDIOT LOSER JR. GUY HAS BAD INFO.

And you have NO info. But, as long as you feel better about yourself, that's the main thing, right?