January 2010
Both active members of the community, in January of 2010, Len Bernardo was sworn in as a Fire Commissioner in the Town of Rochester, 
and Terry Bernardo was sworn in as an Ulster County Legislator.
Skate Time 209 was just a dream for Accord residents Len and Terry Bernardo in 2003. Terry was a former competitive artistic Roller Skater and loved skating. She had introduced Len to the world of Roller Skating in Maryland where she used to skate competitively and he was hooked too. Terry is pictured to the right.
In December 2003, Len and Terry purchased the property at the corner of Mettacahonts Road and Route 209 in Accord, New York and began the long process of making that dream a reality. In May 2004 they attended the Roller Skating Association convention in Las Vegas, NV to gather information about the venture. After the convention, they were sold on the idea and made their application to the Town of Rochester Planning Board to get site plan approval for their project.
In September 2004 they attended the IALEI Expo (International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry), and gained even more momentum on the project. Architects and contractors were hired and a business plan was written.
They broke ground on the project in March 2004. Click the link to the left to see the Construction of Skate Time 209 Photo Album. In August 2004 Len and Terry kicked off the “YouCanNameIt.com” campaign and the Teen Board of Directors at the Ulster County Fair. Over 300 teens signed up for the Teen Board and they were organized into various sub-committees to help design every aspect of the facility. Skateboarders designed the park, the Public Relations team helped sift through over 700 names that were submitted for the place, Food and Entertainment taste-tested foods for the snack bar and weighed in on their favorite arcade games, and Administration helped to set up the operation.
In September 2005 the Roller Skating mascot, Roller Roo made his first appearance at the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Business to Business Expo and helped to bring home the Rookie of the Year Award and Best in Show for the booth. Shortly thereafter, Dave Lowrie was brought on board to help with the Sales/Marketing and hiring of staff.
In November the winners of the You Can Name It contest were announced: Kaitlyn and John Kelder of Accord had submitted the winning entry “Skate Time 209”. In December, Mat Warner came on board to oversee the Skate Park operation. April of 2006, Mat attended the University of California at Berkely “Skateboard Instructor Certification” as well as the “Skateboard Camp Director Certification”
The official Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Ceremonies were held Thursday, April 27, 2006 with the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce and various other politicians and invited guests. The late Hallie Arnold, former Director of Ulster County Tourism skated the Inagural Lap!
Skate Time 209 was honored in early 2006 at the 6th Annual Youth Recognition Event as a Community Asset Builder with the Wow Award, by the Ulster County Youth Board.
October 2006 Skate Time 209 is honored by the Ulster County Development Corporation and Ulster County Chamber of Commerce as Small Business of the Year at the 2nd Annual Business Recognition Awards.
Also in October 2006 Hudson Valley Magazine named Skate Time 209 Best Place for a Kid’s Party! Elaine Samuels, Party Manager at Skate Time 209, continues to be one of the reasons why Skate Time 209 is such a great place to have a kids (or adult) party!
Las Vegas — The Roller Skating Association International awarded Terry and Len Bernardo, co-proprietors of Skate Time 209 in Accord, the 2007 Victor J. Brown Rink Operator of the Year Award. The announcement, made on Aug. 28 during the opening General Assembly, was one of the highlights of the annual RSA Convention.
Joe Champa, RSA president, said, "In the last 46 years, since the award was conceived, there have been several thousand past and current roller rink owners who were eligible for nomination. The fact that Len and Terry have won this prestigious honor in only their second full year of operation speaks volumes to their efforts and devotion to roller skating."
Bernardo, who owns the rink with his wife, Terry, was both ecstatic and humbled by the award victory. "We opened this business with the intention of providing a safe, healthy destination for the many youth in our area who previously had no facility of this kind," said Bernardo. "Our roller-skating rink, along with our very popular skateboard park, has proved successful with skaters of all ages and abilities, and that is reward enough. To win Rink Operator of the Year blows us away, as we know there are many other deserving rinks worldwide who share our vision of service and community."
The Victor J. Brown Operator of the Year Award is given annually as a symbol of respect and business excellence to individuals whose activities within the roller-skating industry go beyond personal business contribution. The honor of Operator of the Year recognizes those who, in the past year, have made an important contribution toward strengthening the position of commercial roller skating, the betterment of the industry, and the advancement of the goals of the RSA on an international level.
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