Still alive in the memories of most locals over the age of 35 are the frosty nights spent at the city ice skating rink under bright lights, circling around the rink with friends and family. Included in those memories are the painful bumps and bruises from a game of Crack the Whip, the warmth from a woodstove in the old warming house and Archie Longueville, long time caretaker of the rink, guardian of the warming house, skate blade sharpener and local legend to those who spent any amount of time at the rink.
A group of people in town are determined to see Caledonia youth create similar memories these cold winter nights. Jane Meisch, inspired by the encouragement of Susan Kittleson, Liz Bickford, and a number of other volunteers, has spearheaded a project to get a new generation of kids back in skates and out on the ice. Over three weeks ago they began staffing the warming house and encouraging people to come out and skate. So far, the effort has been met with much success initially drawing 20-30 kids and adults each evening until the deep freeze hit two weeks ago.
The idea came from Meisch who regularly uses the city skating rink for her elementary Phy Ed class in February.
“Every year I do February Fitness Fever,” she explained. “The Mondays in Feb. we would play broom ball. The skating rink hasn’t been open the last four years or so and every year I call (the city) in Feb. to see if we can use it and it hasn’t been up.” This year she said she “called during Christmas vacation and it was flooded and ready to go but there wasn’t anyone to open the warming house.”
Meisch then contacted Kittleson and Bickford who she believed would be interested in seeing the sport resurrected. They met at Good Times to discuss the possibility of providing some structure and supervision for the rink. The excitement was contagious. “Without their excitement and enthusiasm we wouldn’t have gotten going,” Meisch stated.
The warming house is now supervised from 6-8 p.m. each weekday evening and 1-4 and 6-8 p.m. on the weekends, but people are welcome to skate there anytime. Popcorn, hot cocoa, and pizza is regularly provided. Skates are also available in all different sizes for people to borrow. They consist of a collection of forgotten, donated, and second hand purchased skates of a variety of vintages. An announcement is made daily at the elementary school and Meisch continually promotes the sport as she teaches kids “seven days without exercise makes one weak.” The roster of volunteers consists of 10 people who take turns supervising. Caledonia City employee Mike Gerardy cleans the ice after each snowfall. The phone number for the warming house is 725-2079.
Tradition in Caledonia
Ice skating is a rich tradition in Caledonia. The February 3, 1926 Caledonia Journal published, “Nearly 500 people crowded their way into the city hall on Friday evening, January 29, to attend the second annual skating rink benefit dance and once inside refused to go home until both the Caledonia orchestra and the old time musicians were used up. Dancing started at about 8:30 p.m. and not until the clock had worked its way around to 3:30 a.m. did the dancers let the music go home. The Skating Rink Association was well pleased with the support received at the dance and wishes to thank the musicians and all others whose co-operation helped to make the affair a success.”
Whether this episode was a testament to a community’s love of music and dancing or proof of an enthusiastic skating crowd could be debated. However the popularity of the city ice rink over the decades cannot.
Helen Houlihan, an avid skater in the 50s and 60s, remembers evenings spent at the ballpark. “We probably skated from 6-7 p.m. Probably thirty kids just skating around. You’d have a rink of kids and play Crack the Whip.”
Crack the Whip, I learned, was a game where people would hold hands in a line and skate around the rink. Slowly at first, they would increase speed with the goal of spinning the skaters on the end of the line off into the bordering snowbank, an early physics lesson in cetrifugal force. Meisch recalled playing the game as well. “I didn’t know what was going on,” she laughed. “I chose to take the end. I only played that twice.”
Bickford remembers when the ice rink used to be where the present softball field is. She stated, “It seemed like it was always packed but most of it was probably my family.” She also recalls it being bigger in size and music being played.
All accounts I’ve come across describe the busy skating rink as the place to be after school and on the weekends.
“If you talk to anybody who grew up here that was all they did in the winter,” Meisch explained. “Kids haven’t skated the last 10 years around here. No one has skates. Reports these days focus on how our kids of today are watching too much TV and sitting around on the couch. There’s nothing to do.” Bickford agreed adding, “forty years ago we didn’t have internet or cable TV. Skating seemed like a pretty good proposition.”
When I stopped by for a few pictures, Kyle and Kaylee Cavanaugh were enjoying the ice. When asked who was the better skater of the two, Kyle, 2nd grade, said, “I am” in unison with 6th grader Kaylee’s response, “he is.” Kyle hopes to one day put those skates to use on the hockey arena. It was his third time skating at the rink and Kaylee’s first. Both wore warm coats, hats, mittens and bright smiles.
Long term goals
To improve their services Meisch said they are in need of a skate sharpener which can cost upwards of $750. She continues to search the internet for a used one and is simultaneously in search for some money to cover the cost. Sharpening skates is not as straightforward as it may seem since the blades require a certain type of edge to be safe and effective. They are also looking for donations to pay for the snacks they provide. So far, that money has come from the city and a few of the volunteers. If another Archie Longueville were out there and willing to help with the facilities regularly, I don’t think they’d mind either.
Meisch explained their long term goal. “If we pull this off and have attendance like the first week, the long term dream would be a rink like we used to have in 1954. What better a thing for kids to stay out of trouble?”
The rink of 1954 constructed by Longueville and Clarence Lommen was described in the Argus as “the largest rink ever offered by the village and has become a popular place after school hours.”
I asked Bickford why she was spending time supervising the warming house. She replied, “I like volunteering and I like kids. Two hours a week, I can do that. That’s how things get done.” Helping Jane was another incentive she added saying, “I like Jane. She’s got good spirit and is a good leader.”
Not much of a skater myself, I wish this opportunity would have been more visible and popular when I was a kid. My one attempt at ice skating occurred over six years ago on a frozen farm pond in skates two sizes too small and the fact that I haven’t tried again highlights my lack of success. But in writing this I realized you don’t have to be a student to enjoy the rink. Even parents such as Lynette Privet and Darrin Schmidt laced up their old skates and joined their kids on the ice.
Perhaps you’ll see me up there one of these cold nights practicing, awkwardly scuffling around the arena while frantically flailing my arms to keep balance. Thanks to Jane Meisch and the group of volunteers dedicated to introducing this memorable and active winter pastime to a new generation, at least I know someone will be there to scrape me off the ice after I fall and hand me a glass of warm cocoa. Save me a pair of size 13 skates and look out Kyle!
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Publication of any text or images is prohibited without authorized permission.
A group of people in town are determined to see Caledonia youth create similar memories these cold winter nights. Jane Meisch, inspired by the encouragement of Susan Kittleson, Liz Bickford, and a number of other volunteers, has spearheaded a project to get a new generation of kids back in skates and out on the ice. Over three weeks ago they began staffing the warming house and encouraging people to come out and skate. So far, the effort has been met with much success initially drawing 20-30 kids and adults each evening until the deep freeze hit two weeks ago.
The idea came from Meisch who regularly uses the city skating rink for her elementary Phy Ed class in February.
“Every year I do February Fitness Fever,” she explained. “The Mondays in Feb. we would play broom ball. The skating rink hasn’t been open the last four years or so and every year I call (the city) in Feb. to see if we can use it and it hasn’t been up.” This year she said she “called during Christmas vacation and it was flooded and ready to go but there wasn’t anyone to open the warming house.”
Meisch then contacted Kittleson and Bickford who she believed would be interested in seeing the sport resurrected. They met at Good Times to discuss the possibility of providing some structure and supervision for the rink. The excitement was contagious. “Without their excitement and enthusiasm we wouldn’t have gotten going,” Meisch stated.
The warming house is now supervised from 6-8 p.m. each weekday evening and 1-4 and 6-8 p.m. on the weekends, but people are welcome to skate there anytime. Popcorn, hot cocoa, and pizza is regularly provided. Skates are also available in all different sizes for people to borrow. They consist of a collection of forgotten, donated, and second hand purchased skates of a variety of vintages. An announcement is made daily at the elementary school and Meisch continually promotes the sport as she teaches kids “seven days without exercise makes one weak.” The roster of volunteers consists of 10 people who take turns supervising. Caledonia City employee Mike Gerardy cleans the ice after each snowfall. The phone number for the warming house is 725-2079.
Tradition in Caledonia
Ice skating is a rich tradition in Caledonia. The February 3, 1926 Caledonia Journal published, “Nearly 500 people crowded their way into the city hall on Friday evening, January 29, to attend the second annual skating rink benefit dance and once inside refused to go home until both the Caledonia orchestra and the old time musicians were used up. Dancing started at about 8:30 p.m. and not until the clock had worked its way around to 3:30 a.m. did the dancers let the music go home. The Skating Rink Association was well pleased with the support received at the dance and wishes to thank the musicians and all others whose co-operation helped to make the affair a success.”
Whether this episode was a testament to a community’s love of music and dancing or proof of an enthusiastic skating crowd could be debated. However the popularity of the city ice rink over the decades cannot.
Helen Houlihan, an avid skater in the 50s and 60s, remembers evenings spent at the ballpark. “We probably skated from 6-7 p.m. Probably thirty kids just skating around. You’d have a rink of kids and play Crack the Whip.”
Crack the Whip, I learned, was a game where people would hold hands in a line and skate around the rink. Slowly at first, they would increase speed with the goal of spinning the skaters on the end of the line off into the bordering snowbank, an early physics lesson in cetrifugal force. Meisch recalled playing the game as well. “I didn’t know what was going on,” she laughed. “I chose to take the end. I only played that twice.”
Bickford remembers when the ice rink used to be where the present softball field is. She stated, “It seemed like it was always packed but most of it was probably my family.” She also recalls it being bigger in size and music being played.
All accounts I’ve come across describe the busy skating rink as the place to be after school and on the weekends.
“If you talk to anybody who grew up here that was all they did in the winter,” Meisch explained. “Kids haven’t skated the last 10 years around here. No one has skates. Reports these days focus on how our kids of today are watching too much TV and sitting around on the couch. There’s nothing to do.” Bickford agreed adding, “forty years ago we didn’t have internet or cable TV. Skating seemed like a pretty good proposition.”
When I stopped by for a few pictures, Kyle and Kaylee Cavanaugh were enjoying the ice. When asked who was the better skater of the two, Kyle, 2nd grade, said, “I am” in unison with 6th grader Kaylee’s response, “he is.” Kyle hopes to one day put those skates to use on the hockey arena. It was his third time skating at the rink and Kaylee’s first. Both wore warm coats, hats, mittens and bright smiles.
Long term goals
To improve their services Meisch said they are in need of a skate sharpener which can cost upwards of $750. She continues to search the internet for a used one and is simultaneously in search for some money to cover the cost. Sharpening skates is not as straightforward as it may seem since the blades require a certain type of edge to be safe and effective. They are also looking for donations to pay for the snacks they provide. So far, that money has come from the city and a few of the volunteers. If another Archie Longueville were out there and willing to help with the facilities regularly, I don’t think they’d mind either.
Meisch explained their long term goal. “If we pull this off and have attendance like the first week, the long term dream would be a rink like we used to have in 1954. What better a thing for kids to stay out of trouble?”
The rink of 1954 constructed by Longueville and Clarence Lommen was described in the Argus as “the largest rink ever offered by the village and has become a popular place after school hours.”
I asked Bickford why she was spending time supervising the warming house. She replied, “I like volunteering and I like kids. Two hours a week, I can do that. That’s how things get done.” Helping Jane was another incentive she added saying, “I like Jane. She’s got good spirit and is a good leader.”
Not much of a skater myself, I wish this opportunity would have been more visible and popular when I was a kid. My one attempt at ice skating occurred over six years ago on a frozen farm pond in skates two sizes too small and the fact that I haven’t tried again highlights my lack of success. But in writing this I realized you don’t have to be a student to enjoy the rink. Even parents such as Lynette Privet and Darrin Schmidt laced up their old skates and joined their kids on the ice.
Perhaps you’ll see me up there one of these cold nights practicing, awkwardly scuffling around the arena while frantically flailing my arms to keep balance. Thanks to Jane Meisch and the group of volunteers dedicated to introducing this memorable and active winter pastime to a new generation, at least I know someone will be there to scrape me off the ice after I fall and hand me a glass of warm cocoa. Save me a pair of size 13 skates and look out Kyle!
All content subject to U.S. copyright law.
Publication of any text or images is prohibited without authorized permission.
