Next Spinners lease a whole new ballgame

If you sell 10,000 tickets at $32.50 that creates a gross revenue of $325,000. Not the $450,000 quoted in the first sentence of the this misleading editorial. Maybe the 10,000 concert goers are going to consume $125,000 worth of food and drink.

This leads to another misstatement, the park currently holds 5,000 people, it is very hard to envision another 5,000 people and the band's setting up on the playing field or that local fire codes would allow 10,000 people into an area designed for 5,000 people.

You never addressed the total cost of staging a show at the park, such cost as police details, in park security, food and beverage employees, other support employees, cost of goods sold, cost of the performers, utilities, trash removal, insurance etc.

So maybe when the concert is over the city leaders and Weber can split the profits and afford a few hot dogs downtown and discuss the positive effects of using the park for events other then just baseball.

If my math is right, the city now has a reserve account worth a minimum of $250,000 which is being handled by a top firm in the hopes of continuing to grow the nest egg. May the city invest a portion of that money into reviewing lease agreements (again, with a top firm) with all of the vendors that ring the stadium, reviewing parking fees near the ballpark, and finally, transferring some of the Spinner's business acumen to the folks over at the Tsongas Arena.

Yeah - that really floors me. Do we hate hockey so much as a city that we just can't sell seats to the Devils, or is the problem more they aren't associated with a Boston team? What's the difference in the price of tickets anyhow?

its that the arent affiliated with a boston team and i can guarntee that. and also look at lowells demographics, hispanic, asian, black, what sport does cultures play and who plays hockey mostly white people. thats why the devils cant get anybody there

The point remains that the city does not optimize the use of their resources throughout the year.

The ball park, the arena, open air venues and the auditorium all remain unused for long periods of time.

You have to scratch your head some times to understand how city leaders that lament on their positive working relationship with local businesses can not resolve this conflict.

Wow. What a bunch of whining about an institution that is bringing such a positive to the city of Lowell. Would we be saying anything if the Spinners were not profitable or did not help enhance the city's reputation. I have attended several Spinners games and my parking fees have not been paid to the Spinners. Some Lowell establishment is making money from the parking fees. The ballpark is maintained beautifully which makes it a place parents would want to spend a night with their children. There is a "down-home" feeling inside the ballpark as well and it is very appealing to those of us with children. These points all have a good effect on the city. Instead of whining about a contract that was signed years ago and looking for ways to capitalize on the hard work of the Spinners administration, why don't you look at the good done by the Spinners and hope they continue their success for Lowell's sake and benefit.

To the editors of the Lowell Sun:

The misleading editorial from June 1st on the Spinners and LeLacheur Park sounds like a typical lazy American trying to make money off somebody else’s hard work. So, the Lowell Sun thinks the City’s get rich quick plan should be to cut into a private business’ profits? The local hard-working dry cleaner or restaurant owner should be worried that the City is going to ask them to share some of their hard-earned wealth. The City should be looking to the successful Spinners organization for guidance on their work ethic, not looking at them as a cash cow.

A quick review of the facts will show:

It was the Federal Government that provided the bulk of the money needed to construct LeLacheur Park and the City’s contribution was minimal. The contract signed by both the Spinners’ organization and the City requires the Spinners to pay a yearly capital maintenance fee (which began at $25,000 and has escalated to $40,000 today) into a capital maintenance fund. While that fund has now grown to well into six-figures, the Spinners have never withdrawn a penny.

Another fact: the City spends millions to maintain the Tsongas Arena, but not a dime at LeLacheur Park. The Spinners take out of their pockets several hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to maintain this spectacular facility, again, using no City funds.

And the most important fact: work put into these outdoor concerts, like Dropkick Murphys are provided solely by the Spinners. The City did not pay the 6-figure appearance fee to host the concert and the Spinners are assuming all the risk that comes with hosting an outdoor concert. The City didn’t do any work, so why should the City get part of this profit?

It is the hard work of the Spinners’ organization that made LeLacheur prosper beyond anyone’s wildest expectations, because they have invested their time and millions of their own money There is a good reason the Spinners are sold out every game and that is because of the Spinners work not the City’s.

Instead of misleading readers and recommending a fast buck scheme, The Sun should tell the City to learn a lesson from the Spinners’ organization: good old-fashioned hard work will lead to success.

Lois and Vince Madden
Nashua, NH