Graham Jaehnig/ Daily Mining Gazette Meadowbrook ice arena in L’Anse was awarded a $150,000 Michigan Recreation Passport grant to purchase new boards and glass for the well used rink.

L’Anse — The village of L’Anse was notified Dec. 9 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Office that L’Anse was awarded $150,000 in Recreation Passport grant funding for new hockey boards and glass at Meadowbrook Arena, on Division Street.

Village Manager Bob La Fave said he is proud of the fact that out 14 communities awarded grants, L’Anse was one of only two U.P. grant recipients.

“We had the sixth most competitive grant that came through their program this year,” he said, “and we were one of only two; us and Ford River Township, in Delta County.”

The boards currently in place at the rink, said La Fave, are from the mid-to-late-1990s. They came from the Lakeview Arena at Northern Michigan University, in Marquette, when NMU moved its arena to the university campus. The boards were already well-used by the time they were installed at Meadowbrook some 30 years ago.

“At Meadowbrook, they’ve been playing hockey there since the early 1970s and figure skating,” said La Fave, “but we’ve never had boards of our own, they’ve always been used boards — hand-me-downs, essentially.”

The village receives enormous assistance from a group of dedicated volunteers, who help the village manage the rink, La Fave said. The group conducts several fundraising events a year, such as a haunted house, to help raise money for the rink and its operating costs.

La Fave said the village met with the volunteer group to discuss options for the rink. The rink at Calumet had a lot of success with Passport grants.

“So, instead of going out and trying to find another set of used boards,” he said, “we thought: why don’t we take a chance at this and see if we can get a Passport grant like Calumet did and get some brand new boards that are just for our ice sheet and see if we can set this rink up for decades to come.”

La Fave said that led to the village working very closely with the volunteer group, as well as U.P. Architects and Engineers, in Houghton, for help in putting together the grant application, so all the technical specifications could be included.

The total price tag for new boards and glass is calculated at $300,000, said La Fave, so the $150,000 Passport grant will be matched by funds from the village’s Downtown Development Authority, some from the Meadowbrook volunteers, and also contributions from the village’s department of public works and volunteers associated with other groups.

“It’s really important to our community, just like all the different towns here in the Copper Country,” he said. “Hockey and figure skating are a huge part of our culture here and a big part of our recreation.”

Everybody, from youth to teenagers, adults and seniors, skaters, hockey players on every level use the arena, La Fave said.

“So, we were really feel quite fortunate, and we’re really grateful that the DNR gave our project such a close look.”

La Fave has served as the L’Anse Village Manager for over 14 years and received the 2022 Community Builder Award from the Michigan Municipal League.

The statement from the Governor’s Office stated that the recreation passport program started 12 years ago to boost visitors and funding for Michigan state parks, and over a decade later it is also delivering more funding to improve local and community parks and trails across the state. On average, every $1 invested in land conservation leads to $4 in economic benefit for the local community through job growth and tourism.

“Recreation Passports help more (Michigan residents) explore Pure Michigan and secure critical resources to improve state, local, and community parks,” said Governor Whitmer. “Michigan has always been a four-season recreation destination, and the enhancements made possible through Recreation Passport grants help ensure residents and visitors of all abilities can enjoy a rich variety of activities and experiences every day of the year.”

Since the introduction of the Recreation Passport in 2010, support for it has steadily grown. The Recreation Passport grant program – which has awarded just over $16.5 million statewide since its inception – is funded from 10% of the passport revenues, with the remaining funding supporting operations, infrastructure and historic and cultural assets in the state parks and recreation system.

Other counties where funded grant projects have been approved include Allegan, Alpena, Baraga, Benzie, Berrien, Delta, Eaton, Gladwin, Kent, Newaygo, Sanilac, St. Clair and Wayne counties.