Reviving Memories & Traditions ~ Voice Of The Township
It’s been good to see the revival of the building that housed the former Roller Dome South at 4540 Bluffton Road. Several people here at the Wayne Township Trustee Office remember that as the site of our first holiday skating party held back in 2012. Trustee Rick Stevenson thought that people might be excited about coming out to skate for a winter party, but we had no idea how many would show up. The day of the party, people started lining up outside well before the event was scheduled to begin. The Roller Dome was filled to capacity, and officers eventually had to turn cars away from entering the parking lot. We had a great time and returned each year after that until, sadly, our party venue closed.
Since then, eleven years ago now, we have held winter holiday celebrations every year. When the Roller Dome closed we moved to the McMillen Center for several years. We couldn’t skate there, but we had lots of games and other activities like petting zoos and three-on-three basketball tournaments. Then a few years back, remembering how excited the kids would be to get on roller skates, we revived the skating party tradition, and for the last three years we have held a Holiday Skate at Bell’s Rink on 930 East in New Haven.
We’re in the planning stages now for our next party, our 12th annual event, which will be held at Bell’s on Saturday, December 16th. As always, admission will be free and food will be provided. There will be music and prizes and best of all, skating! So, mark your calendars.
In the meantime there is still a lot of autumn to be enjoyed. Every once in a while I will run in to someone who doesn’t like the fall, and I really have to work to understand that. Brisk temperatures, great color everywhere lit up by the slanting fall sunshine and wild winds that keep it all moving—what’s not to like?
But when I dig deeper I see that to some the fall season just means that winter is on the way, when nature is less than friendly. Getting colder and darker is not everyone’s cup of tea. Ending Daylight Savings Time may give us a little reprieve (We gain an hour on Sunday, November 5.), but still, there it is.
Enter Halloween, the festival of fear and death, skeletons, ghosts, pirates and pumpkin heads, remnants of an ancient All Hallows’ Eve—when everyone gets reminded of their own mortality along with their bag full of candy.
But fear not, there’s still hope for civilization. Tuesday, November 7th, is Election Day when all eligible citizens can exercise their right to choose their municipal leaders. Vote early, or go to the polls on November 7th—but by all means, vote! It’s a legal act of defiance and hope for the future. Look the darkness in the face, and exercise your right to vote!
- ITA’s Annual Education Conference: Voice Of The Township - September 27, 2024
- Honoring Hispanic Heritage: Voice Of The Township - September 13, 2024
- Labor Day Picnic At Headwaters: Voice Of The Township - August 30, 2024