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Volunteers needed to complete ice rink

Lee Harstad

Strap on the blades and tape the stick because the pond is just about ready.

Since the beginning of summer, Moffat County Recreation Director Steve Grandbouche has been leading the charge to refurbish the existing ice arena at Loudy-Simpson Park.

With recent volunteer help and the work of Grandbouche, the ice rink is beginning the downhill slide toward the beginning of hockey and skating seasons.



The decision to reconstruct the arena came after officials in Craig decided to install a refrigeration system in the building that would allow for a longer skating season.

Volunteer construction crews, along with Grandbouche and two other employees, are currently working on the outer structure of the facility. The old tin roof will soon give way to a new cover which should be done by the first week in October, according to Grandbouche.



The next step will be working with sheetrock. Grandbouche and volunteers will lay and paint sheetrock for the next couple of weeks.

The floor will be prepared for the refrigeration system by mid-October. The refigeration system should be delivered by the first of November and, according to Grandbouche, it will take two weeks to install. Once this is installed, the rink will be ready. Grandbouche believes the rink will be open in mid-November.

Other improvements include an expansion of the ice surface by 6 feet which will bring the ice arena to above minimum size standards for hockey games. Grandbouche also said they would like to install an infrared heating system in the entry way of the arena to provide maximum comfort for all occupants. Four change rooms, a compression room and a concession stand are also being built.

Attempting to keep the project below budget has resulted in careful planning.

“We are trying to keep the cost down to eliminate pricing people out of ice time,” Grandbouche said.

According to Grandbouche, volunteers have worked almost 700 hours and the big push will be during the installation of the refrigeration system.

“We welcome any help we can get,” Grandbouche said.

Everyone is invited to help in this community project. No experience is necessary and there are a wide range of tasks to be done.

For more information, call Kathy Pearson or Steve Grandbouche at 824-7675 or 824-5724.


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