|
|
|
Going green soon in CSC Gold Arena
Slowly but surely, another youth hockey season is winding up in Crookston, which means the arena at Crookston Sports Center that has a sheet of ice for the least amount of time each year, the Gold Arena, will soon be melted, giving way to the green artificial turf. It’s a transformative time at the CSC when that happens, because all of a sudden everyone who walks into the sports center isn’t loaded with hockey gear, and instead might be carrying a bag of tennis rackets, or a baseball glove and bat. Of course, with our mild winter, maybe some of the local high school and college spring sports teams will be able to actually get outdoors and practice once in a while. Even so, there are events scheduled, like the second annual Senior Citizens Day and possibly a dodgeball tournament, that heavily utilize the Gold Arena’s turf. The color green is a sign of spring, so let’s roll out that turf.
More home lots
The city Planning Commission will meet Tuesday to look at a second, updated plat for Bob Herkenhoff’s Nature’s View Estates residential subdivision in the city’s northeast corner. Here’s hoping that continued interest in his large, attractive home lots tucked into a natural setting are generating enough interest to force him to keep getting more lots ready to be marketed and sold. The city, with not a ton of cash lying around at this point to start platting lots north and east of Crookston Sports Center, is sort of taking a risk right now, relying largely on private developers like Herkenhoff and Kevin Ross, on the south end, to add to the city’s new housing stock. There’s the development on the former Lincoln School property, too. Keep it up, everyone, because the city needs you to be successful.
Time to kick it up a notch, Pirate boys
We are closing in on the Section 8A Boys' Hockey Tournament. It kicks off Tuesday with a couple play-in games but really heats up Thursday and Friday with the quarterfinals in Warroad. Crookston, seeded No. 4, faces No. 5 Park Rapids on Thursday at approximately 8:15 p.m. The Pirates beat the Panthers in both meetings this season, including a 5-4 overtime thriller in Crookston and a 6-0 romping in Park Rapids. But, the Pirates need to be on their game and use Thursday's game as a stepping stone for a potential Saturday semifinal meeting with top seeded Thief River Falls. The Pirates have just eight wins this season and are winless against Thief River Falls, East Grand Forks and Warroad this season. Pirate senior goalie Kollin Erdman will need to have his A-plus game going and the junior forwards will need to be scoring goals. It's do or die.
Going green soon in CSC Gold Arena
Slowly but surely, another youth hockey season is winding up in Crookston, which means the arena at Crookston Sports Center that has a sheet of ice for the least amount of time each year, the Gold Arena, will soon be melted, giving way to the green artificial turf. It’s a transformative time at the CSC when that happens, because all of a sudden everyone who walks into the sports center isn’t loaded with hockey gear, and instead might be carrying a bag of tennis rackets, or a baseball glove and bat. Of course, with our mild winter, maybe some of the local high school and college spring sports teams will be able to actually get outdoors and practice once in a while. Even so, there are events scheduled, like the second annual Senior Citizens Day and possibly a dodgeball tournament, that heavily utilize the Gold Arena’s turf. The color green is a sign of spring, so let’s roll out that turf.
More home lots
The city Planning Commission will meet Tuesday to look at a second, updated plat for Bob Herkenhoff’s Nature’s View Estates residential subdivision in the city’s northeast corner. Here’s hoping that continued interest in his large, attractive home lots tucked into a natural setting are generating enough interest to force him to keep getting more lots ready to be marketed and sold. The city, with not a ton of cash lying around at this point to start platting lots north and east of Crookston Sports Center, is sort of taking a risk right now, relying largely on private developers like Herkenhoff and Kevin Ross, on the south end, to add to the city’s new housing stock. There’s the development on the former Lincoln School property, too. Keep it up, everyone, because the city needs you to be successful.
Time to kick it up a notch, Pirate boys
We are closing in on the Section 8A Boys' Hockey Tournament. It kicks off Tuesday with a couple play-in games but really heats up Thursday and Friday with the quarterfinals in Warroad. Crookston, seeded No. 4, faces No. 5 Park Rapids on Thursday at approximately 8:15 p.m. The Pirates beat the Panthers in both meetings this season, including a 5-4 overtime thriller in Crookston and a 6-0 romping in Park Rapids. But, the Pirates need to be on their game and use Thursday's game as a stepping stone for a potential Saturday semifinal meeting with top seeded Thief River Falls. The Pirates have just eight wins this season and are winless against Thief River Falls, East Grand Forks and Warroad this season. Pirate senior goalie Kollin Erdman will need to have his A-plus game going and the junior forwards will need to be scoring goals. It's do or die.
Remember the holiday, and not just out of convenience
Today is Presidents Day, make that Washington's Birthday, the official name of this federal holiday that people have largely forgotten. So that means our nation's first president, George Washington, was born on Feb. 20, 1732, right? Not exactly. His birthday is actually Feb. 22, which is only two days off this year. And every few years, the nation does actually commemorate his birth on the true anniversary. With the Uniform Monday Holiday Act though, federal holidays such as this were conveniently moved to the nearest Monday so our government employees can enjoy more three-day weekends. So instead of recognizing the true date of a particular anniversary or birthday, these have instead become convenience holidays that, arguably, dilute their importance.
Can’t stress it enough: Be careful and use common sense on the ice
It can't be stressed enough, especially this year, to watch for thin ice on waterways, whether you're snowmobiling or ice fishing. A few sleds have gone in local waters – with no harm to the riders and the sleds recovered with minimal damage. The outcome could easily be worse, though, as it has in a few incidents this season in North Dakota and Minnesota. With the temperatures hovering around the freezing point and a thin snow cover, it might be wise to avoid bringing heavy equipment onto rivers and lakes altogether for the rest of the season, which will soon be winding down. There's always next year.
