Laurium sets Nov. 14 ice opening at Gipp Arena before deer season thins volunteer pool
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LAURIUM -- Village Manager Ian Lewis said he is hoping to have the George Gipp Memorial Arena ready for public skating by Nov. 14, before volunteers head out for the firearm deer hunting season.
Lewis told the village council Tuesday evening that public works crews will begin ice-building operations immediately after Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw (CLK) students clear out the annual Halloween haunted house attraction which, he said, should take roughly three days.
"At the end of that first week of November, we're going to turn the plant on, let the rink cool for that first weekend in November, then start building ice that whole week," Lewis said. "And hopefully, we'll have it up before hunting season, so that we can actually get volunteers."
The state’s traditional firearm deer hunting season runs from Nov. 15 through Nov. 30, a window where village trustees say local volunteer labor completely disappears. To beat that deadline, Lewis is hoping to schedule the winter season’s first open skate session on Saturday, Nov. 14.
The primary challenge remains the intense physical demand of building a skating surface with limited personnel. In past seasons, the process has routinely fallen entirely on Lewis and a single village employee.
"I work until 5, and then I'm down there until 2 a.m. sometimes trying to build ice," Lewis said. "It would be nice if we have some volunteers to maybe help out during that week."
While numerous individuals routinely sign up to assist the public works department or staff the arena’s concession stands, village officials noted that actual attendance remains low when operations begin.
"We've had a lot of people that signed up, but when push came to shove, no one actually came," Lewis said, commenting that former volunteer Nate Polzien was the sole individual to consistently report for duty during the previous build cycle. Polzien was then hired to drive the Zamboni.
Trustee Krista Olson noted that volunteer shortages also impact the arena’s concessions. Olson said that while people volunteer to manage the concession stands, many fail to show up for shifts.
Village President John Sullivan suggested posting the need for volunteers on the village's social media page ahead of the November cooling cycle.
Residents interested in assisting with the round-the-clock water spraying and perimeter maintenance are instructed to coordinate with the Laurium Village Hall offices on Hecla Street.