Welcome to Kenmare

Feature Stories (Vol. 110 No. 9--2/20/2008)

Manager dedicated to reviving the old glory
of Carl's Rink

By Caroline Downs

Carl’s Rink is open for winter fun in Kenmare again, managed by one of Carl’s former skaters.

Ronnie Martinsen, the new caretaker of the city’s ice skating rink on Third Street, up the hill from the Memorial Hall, is tapping into his own memories of Carl’s Rink to provide a place where kids and adults can enjoy themselves on the ice.

"The highlight of my childhood was down here skating when Carl Petersen ran the rink," he said. "Everybody loved Carl. He was a wonderful old man."

The rink opened for skating this season on January 24th, four days after Martinsen walked into the warming house. "It was the first time I’d seen it in here since I was a kid," he said, describing the piles of old skates and magazines from recent years littering the floor. "I had to clean the place out with a scoop shovel and a rake and a leaf blower."

The warming house had been neglected and somewhat abused, but Martinsen tackled the project with his tools, his paintbrush and his determination to recreate, as best he could, the scene of strong childhood memories for so many people in town.

"Carl used to have an old phonograph, and he played 45 (rpm) records for us," Martinsen recalled. "He’d sharpen our skates."

Martinsen paused and laughed. "The only time he’d ever get mad was when the kids would come in and spit on the old coal stove back there in the corner," he said. "That was his pet peeve."

To update the rink for Kenmare’s kids today, Martinsen added a pizza oven and coffee pot to keep water ready for hot chocolate. Outdoor speakers are connected to AM/FM radio stations and a stereo system, donated in part by Chris Weigel, in the warming house that sends music across the ice from cassette tapes, although Martinsen would like to add a working CD player. He generally has chips and cookies to snack on and offers cans of soda for 50 cents, with a container available for recycling those cans.

There’s a new first aid kit in case of accidents, and an old CB radio Martinsen can use to talk to the kids on the ice when he wants to liven things up with sled races or games for the skaters. The oversized perch he cut and painted to hang on the front of the warming hut, next to a "No Fishing" sign, has been popular with the kids, the youngest of whom almost believe the tales he spins about mythical fish visible beneath the surface of the ice when the light is just right.

Then there’s the ice itself. Martinsen uses the bright yellow blade attached to the front of his Ford Explorer to groom the surface after any new snowfall, estimating that he needs nearly an hour to clear the ice after a storm. Neat piles of snow line the far south side of the rink.

His efforts are paying off as kids and families hear about Carl’s Rink being open this winter. "(Sunday) night I had about a dozen kids out here, playing hockey," he said. "They came about 4 pm and played around until about 8:30 pm." He has also had parents come to the rink to skate with their young children.

Skaters of all ages can visit the rink free of charge Sundays from 2 to 5 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 pm, Fridays from 7 to 9 pm, and Saturdays from 2 to 5 pm and again from 7 to 9 pm. Outdoor lights provide plenty of visibility for safe nighttime skating. Several pairs skates are available to loan, as well as helmets for hockey players and other skaters. "They have to bring their own hockey sticks, though," Martinsen said.

He noted that April Edwards and Kari Neuenfeld, along with Kayla Edwards, have served as assistant rink managers by replacing skate laces, helping young skaters find skates to use, and performing other tasks they considered necessary. The girls have also helped on the ice, teaching and encouraging first-time skaters.

Martinsen appreciates the help, and the feedback, from the kids. "For me, running this rink, I have such fond memories of the place I’d like to a good job like (Carl) did," Martinsen said. "I work for the kids and would like to hear some input from the parents."

He admitted to some initial hesitation in accepting the caretaker position, recalling his own mischievous behavior as a youngster. "I figured I was going to have to deal with a bunch of kids like I was," he said.

He doesn’t allow any fighting or squabbling on the ice, but he rarely has to remind the kids of that. Instead, they clean the warming hut for him and help each other improve their skating. "I was totally amazed," he said. "The older kids help the little kids learn and keep them encouraged. There’s no rough stuff or things getting busted up. They’re really good!"

Although a thorough cleaning job and fresh paint have transformed the place, Martinsen would like to make a few more improvements, including adding a window in the front wall to better watch the ice and replacing an old, bulky picnic table in the building with a table and chairs that could accommodate groups of kids.

He also envisions replacing a couple rafters and insulating the ceiling, then installing two baseboard electric heaters to supplement the propane heater currently in use. The floor is uneven and worn from years of use and neglect, and can be hazardous for young kids tottering on unfamiliar skates. Martinsen would like to see a plywood floor laid, then covered with indoor/outdoor carpet.

While two walls are lined with pairs of skates to loan, more would be welcome. "We need skates in men’s and women’s sizes," Martinsen said. "We could use...mostly size 7 and up."

He said the kids have asked about getting new goal nets for hockey and portable outhouses at the rink during the winter months, but the most significant item on Martinsen’s wish list is a skate sharpener. "All these skates are dull," he said, gesturing toward the skates he loans to kids, explaining that he worries about kids struggling to maintain control on the ice with dull blades. "There’s supposed to be a skate sharpener, and we need one. That’s the number one thing on the list."

Several unexpected donations have already come in, and Martinsen expressed his gratitude to Roger Ness for providing sleds for the kids to use and paint for the building and Rick Harris for contributing a new door. April Edwards donated plastic sleds to the rink, and Rory Stroklund provided a new bright blue bench for skaters who want to sit outside and watch their friends or re-tie their skates.

Some of the kids who’ve been coming to the rink have joined Martinsen in daydreaming about how the space could be used at other times of the year. Martinsen pulled a small notebook from a corner desk and read from the list he and the kids had brainstormed.

"They could play baseball out here, put up volleyball nets," he said. "There could even be a miniature golf course." He suggested that a layer of pea gravel spread over the present dirt surface could lead to more versatile uses of the site during other seasons, including auctions and flea markets with the warming hut open to sell concessions.

"Running a skating rink is the easy part," he said. "All you gotta do is add water once a year!"

Martinsen suggested anyone else interested in making a donation of money or materials to the rink should contact Mayor Roger Ness. "I could go a long ways with this place," said Martinsen. "I’ve dedicated myself 100 percent to this place and I go to bed with new ideas on my mind. It just depends on how much funding I get."

One thing he is adamant about, regardless of any changes made, is keeping Carl Petersen’s name attached to the site. "He’s a legend in this town," he said. "He was just like my grandpa when I was a little kid. Everything I do is in Carl’s name, so when these kids are 50 years old like I am, they can have those memories also."

Martinsen is also determined to make skaters of all ages happy this winter. "There’s nothing that feels better than letting yourself be a kid again," he said. "We’ve got a good thing going, and we’re going to keep it going. I encourage everyone to come up and see for themselves!"