Cumberland Kiwanis
Minutes of January 18, 2010
Speaker: Tom Goldsmith, Cumberland Hockey
Topic: Youth Hockey Program at the Cumberland
Hockey Arena
Tom Goldsmith, who serves as
treasurer for the Cumberland Hockey Arena, gave a broad overview of the Arena
and the many programs served by the facility. He began by describing the steps required for preparing the
ice sheet in October. This is done
by laying a sand base and gradually building up the sheet, layer by layer. White paint and the required hockey
lines are incorporated into the ice until it is complete by the end of the
month.
Practice games start in
November and team competition begins in December. Cumberland cooperates with Barron, Rice Lake and
Chetek. Each level of players has
one home tournament with six or seven teams at their level. March first marks the countdown to the
State tournament, held the first or second weekend in March. On about March 15, an alumni tournament
is held.
At the end of the season, Tom
has the responsibility of clearing all the bills. Finally, the ice is allowed to melt, which can take three
weeks.
The Cumberland Arena was
opened in September 2001 with a mortgage of $565,000, now paid down to $305,000. The City paid $20,000 a year for the
first five years. The school
district pays $2000 a year for use of the facility. The Arena can be rented for private parties and is open for
free skating Sundays from 5-7 p.m.
At present, income does not fully cover expenses, so fundraising is
needed each year. However, a
constant cash balance has been retained.