Jackie Fritzke
Scandia Area Reporter

New Scandia Township might not have ice to skate on or snow to slide on at its second annual Community Sliding and Skating Party on Sunday, Jan. 29.

ìThe odds are poor, I would say,î rink manager Mike White said Thursday. ìThere is ice, but thereís also concrete. Itís unsafe. Unusable.î

While Scandia Parks and Recreation Committee members are willing to leave the snow in natureís hands, some believe that more can be done about the ice.

Since February the committee has voiced its concerns about how the enclosed, outdoor rink is flooded, committee Chair Deb Campobasso told the town board at its Tuesday, Jan. 3 meeting.

Before a lack of ice shut the rink down more than two weeks ago, about seven Forest Lake Hockey Association teams used the rink each week, and the townshipís after-school skating program attracted 25 to 30 children to the ice each night.

ìGiven the last two weeks of warm weather [the committee] really thought that there should at least be an attempt made to try to get four to six inches out there so we can recover from these thaws,î Campobasso said.

But Blair Joselyn, town board supervisor, said there was nothing they could do about it this year, and White seemed unwilling to entertain the idea.

ìWhen you get the ice that thick and the sun and the wind come out, you end up with slush just like you get on the lakes,î White said.

ìIt doesnít make any difference if youíve got two inches, four inches or eight inches, you end up with the same mess.î

White, who has been rink manager for more than 10 years, said keeping the ice two-inches thick makes it easier to repair.

Thickness debate

Gary Hogle, parks and recreation committee member, said last week he disagrees with White. Hogle, who was a ìrink ratî assigned general rink duty when he played hockey as a kid, said getting the ice that thick isnít difficult, and itís actually recommended.

ìThe League of Minnesota Cities has an official guide on how to manage rinks,î he said. ìThey recommend four to six inches.î

More ice means more mass, and more mass means more energy is needed to raise the temperature of the ice, Hogle said.

ìThe reason you put so much ice on is so that it survives these warm spells,î he said. ìUnless the physics in Scandia are different from anywhere else in the state, we should have a four- to six-inch base.î

In order to get this base, the rink should be flooded several dozen times with one-eighth to one-fourth inches of water, Hogle said.

Although Campobasso said she is frustrated that White and the town board donít seem to want to give this method a shot, she is optimistic.

ìIf itís warm now, it will be cold then,î she said. ìIt only takes maybe three days, at most, to build that ice back up. Once it starts getting cold, itís no problem whatsoever.î

But with or without snow and ice, the Sunday, Jan. 29 party will still include hayrides around the park, marshmallows to roast at the bon fire, snowshoe and kick sled demonstrations by the Wargo Nature Center and hot chocolate from 1-4 p.m.

The events will also be at the New Scandia Community/Senior Center, 14727 N. 209th St.

All activities are free, but there will be a can for donations.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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