The Hammonton Gazette 09/21/16 Edition | Page 5

Rollway Skating Center transformed Police arrested local and into Hammonton Skating Center area residents last week Page 4 • Wednesday, September 21, 2016 • The Hammonton Gazette SKATING, from Page 1 going back and forth about whether or not to sell the rink for some time. “I got a lot of offers when I put it up for sale. People wanted to use it as a warehouse or as office buildings. It was really important to me that it remained a skating rink,” Bagliani said. Not only will it remain a skating rink, the Hammonton Skating Center will be a children’s playground in every sense. The rink was purchased by Charlie Kirchner, a longtime friend of Bagliani’s. “Charlie and I skated competitively together so we’ve known each other for a very long time,” Bagliani said. The model for the Hammonton Skating Center comes from a long line of proven family fun centers. The Hammonton center will be the fourth addition to a group that includes locations in Deptford, Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel. West Deptford native Nick Mazeika has worked under Kirchner for 12 years and will be acting as general manager in Hammonton. “Charlie and I have been friends for a long time, and we both have a ton of experience. I’m going to be the main guy here in Hammonton, I’m really excited,” Mazeika said. Longtime customers of the skating center will immediately notice the amazing changes that have been made during renovations. All of the walls, including the exterior, have been completely repainted. Outside of the skating area, the floors will be refinished with new carpeting. An interactive, glow-inthe-dark birthday party room for children will be the perfect place to host your next family get together. In addition, an indoor soft contained playground will feature slides, swings and a fully interactive 3D maze. “On top of all that great stuff, we’re getting all new skate rentals, making an Xbox room, hanging new cameras, installing 10 new televisions and three large projection screens, and we’ll have arcade games,” Mazeika said. In the past, Rollway closed its doors in July and August. That won’t be the case at the Hammonton Skating Center, as a new HVAC system has been installed in order to keep the place cool during the hot summer days. “The cool part about the remodeling is that we’ve been able to get a lot of local businesses and local people involved here in Hammonton,” Mazeika said. Mazeika already has a number of things in the works. He and his Hammonton Trivia Questions from the Town Sesquicentennial Committee Q: Which national pharmaceutical company used to be located in Hammonton? staff will be running both men’s and youth hockey leagues and starting next summer, an all-day camp for children of all ages. “Our summer camp isn’t like anything else around. The kids come from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and they’re entertained all day. A lot of places charge for those extended hours but not us. We provide lunch, drinks and snacks. There’s so much to do that there’s no way for the kids to get bored,” Mazeika said. The new skate center will host five big events a year that will take place during the following times: the annual teacher convention in November/Thanksgiving break, the December holiday break/New Year’s, President’s Day weekend, spring break and summer. Local schools distribute passes to students that allow them to come and skate for free during any of the time periods listed above. “Homemade pizza will be served here nonstop. I’ve heard that Hammonton likes good food, so we have a lot to live up to,” Mazeika said. Although a lot of things are changing at the beloved Rollway Skating Rink, Bagliani will still be involved with the new facility. “This place is generational. I watched kids grow up here. I know that it’s important to the town that I’m still here. People know that there has always been a sense of family when they bring their kids here,” Bagl