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Show THE Page 10 OGDEN VALLEY NEWS February cont. from page 1 with the intent of ceiting | interest. n more recen the history is a bit clearer. Frustrated by the snow removal and accessibility problems associated with skating on the recently raised reservoir, “Blondie” Petersen and his sons began flooding the tennis court in the town square during the 1960’s. Mayor Leon Sorensen and sons Dave, Doug, and Don also put in countless hours crafting this early rink. They would drag garden hoses from Orvis Petersen’s home and spend night after night perfecting the rink that would be considered small by today’s standards. Blondie, along with young sons Kenton and Blake, would put on their old, dull Deseret Industries ie while sitting on Orvis’ front porch, then make the trek across the street to the tennis court for some power skating. Their skates were sharpened by the asphalt as they made the journey. Blondie was the true pioneer of the rink as we know it today. Sadly, he passed and took with him the knowledge, determina- tion, a hard work associated with ice rink con- structio Satie years later, during the mid-late seventies, a young and ambitious Valley Junior High School History teacher ws Daurel Barnes gave the rink new life. Mr. Barnes, as known b his students, spent time writ: and was schooled by, the ice rink creators of the Logan Ice Rink that was the premier rink in the state at the time. The rink was recreated directly west of the tennis courts and had a rectangular shape running north and south with the entrance across from the school’s east entry door. Daurel enticed a couple of unsuspecting local students to help with his endeavor by allowing them to miss a history class or maybe even an occasional English class to spray the rink during the cool mornings. The downside was that they also had to spend late nights sweeping and spraying the rink in the bone chilling temps. In return, the boys were given keys to the school so they could have a “warming hut” to wait in between coats. They had free rein of the school and spent time drinking hot chocolate, running through the empty halls, and dancing on Principal Scott Ballif’s desk. That rink was a big part of winters in Huntsville. Organized iice skating lessons and clinics were given by professional skaters, and Valley students skated during recess, lunchtime, and after school. Hockey was not real big then so most kids skated on figure skates. Marshal Hislop, in true Evel Knievel fashion, perfected the art of jumping fellow classmates and other obstacles. Eventually, Snowcrest was built and it came time for Daurel to pass on the reins. Principal Ballif kept it going for a few years and interest finally waned when he was transferred. = Ag Kenton Petersen scores on Alex Goodrich. Daxton Sorensen and Derek Peterson shown in the background. Many years passed and the rink received a new revival in the nineties. A few saviors such as D. Bell, Kenton Peterson, Sam Bellarosa, and others resurrected the rink yet again. Yes, Kenton Peterson, the same Kenton who helped his sag sige thirty years prior. They relocated tl k to its present location and have fe vith many upgrades over the years. The town acquired a tractor and a used sweeper attachment, and also installed a hydrant as well as fire hoses to assist in the watering. Mood lighting has been installed over the years to add to the atmosphere. The most recent 12 to 15 years have transepee the rink into more of an era for Hockey well as free or figure skating. Many local Kids have excelled in the sport and have been an integral part of the Weber High Hockey Club. Other home town boys have even gone beyond high school to play. There are many challenges to keep an outdoor rink alive. Burnout among volunteers is a factor as it can be very tiring to spend late night after late night prepping and watering only to wake early a few hours later to do it allover again. On any given night—and morning— when the temperature is below about 25 degrees or so, you'll probably see someone working on the rink. The volunteers’ payback is when they see people using, enjoying, and respecting the Issue IX 15, 2006 Mother Nature is also a huge issue; she can be friend or foe depending on her current temperament. When it is clear and cold, she is definitely on our side, but when it is warm and rainy she creates havoc. Worse yet is a skiff of snow followed by warm temps and rain, then a hard freeze followed by an errant snowmobile. Couple this with shade issues; or rather, areas of the rink without shade during the midday sun, and you begin to realize the difficulties. Additionally, we don’t have the luxury of a perfectly level surface such as The Ice Sheet, nor do we have refrigerated coils to keep the ice a consistent temperature. We certainly do not have a fleet of pricey Zamboni’s like the E Center, nor do we have walls to contain the ice. What we do have is a great location with a lot of class and character along with a few dedicated volunteers that keep the rink going. And now, it is time to take the rink to the next level. Huntsville Town has generously purchased a new, top of the line, six foot wide sweeper station to keep the ice in top shape. But more improvements are needed. We would like to install a new hydrant and construct a heated building to house the plumbing and hoses. If you have driven by the park, you may have noticed a fire hose nozzle spraying to prevent the water and hydrant sa freezing up as it has done twice so far this year. Also, we would like to install additional fighting for, not only the skaters, but for the rink workers. At some point, we would like to grade and resod the area to create a more level and useable subsurface. With these improvements, we would be poised to have the best outdoor rink in Northern Utah . . . and possibly the west. o where do we go from here? Above all, come out and enjoy the rink as our window of opportunity is short and will be questionable a March. AS of this writing, the rink i is in Ne 1 welcome and your help is8 appreciated As pre viously stated, virtually any cool night alte about 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., or morning before 9:00 a.m., you will find someone working. Furthermore, your donations are always welcome and appreciated. Huntsville is a small town with a small budget and cannot solely afford the necessary improvements to keep the rink running. Since many of the users are from outside the town limits, it a not be fair to burden the town’s resi s with all of the costs. To that end, we are also hoping to secure assistance in the form of grants. If you would like to make a donation, please send it to HUNTSVILLE TOWN ATTN COUNCILMAN SORENSEN PO BOX 267 HUNTSVILLE UT 84317 www.huntsvilletown.com 100% of your donations will go towards ice rink improvements. If you have any questions or comments, you may email htcouncil@xmission.com or call Richard at 745-0945. We appreciate your support and hope to see you on the ice; who knows, your child may become the next Gordie Howe! Since Basements Water & Sewer Rock Walls Septic Systems Demolition Yard Leveling Concrete Prep. Top Soil Hauling Bee PINEVIEW esletes = Sea ay Ki When Experience Counts... Choose the #1 Realtor in Valley Wide Sales 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005... 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