Letter to the Editor: The area needs an ice rink, winter activities

Dear Editor,

I am so pleased that folks are thinking of ice rinks in Spring Green….and sledding spots, x/c ski trails and maybe some snowshoeing areas. These silent and lifetime sports are so important to young ones, families and people of all ages and should be supported by local governments with some help from local groups and interested parties.

My interest comes from having been brought up in Baraboo where there were local rinks, 3 of them, one each for each school district in the town. As a kid I walked to a rink every day it was open. I had a great time, there was a shanty with benches, a wood stove and an older gentleman who was in charge…..keeping the fires going and the kids safe. Crack the whip and learning to skate backwards were my great joys.

I do not know how these rinks were supported, as a kid it never entered my mind. I carried my skating abilities on to my family of 5. We lived in the country and skated on a natural pond and when the freezing was just right we had beautiful skating on the backwaters and sloughs of the Wisconsin River.

Later my son-in-law made an ice rink for his family every winter. This included a shed, benches, wood stove and ice hockey games. People came from town to enjoy.

There is a history of ice rinks in Spring Green and if private families like the Quiqleys’ can do it, one would think the Town/Village could also get in the act. How do towns such as Dodgeville and Sauk support their ice rinks?

—Derry Graves
Spring Green