Ice rink shack damaged by mold

WITTENBERG — Wittenberg Village Board trustee Paul Yaeger brought attention about the damage done by mold to the ice skating rink warming house to the board at the meeting Nov. 19.

“All that rain we got must have wicked up through the walls,” said Yaeger, who recently opened the building to get it ready for the winter season.

Yaeger reported that all 75 pairs of ice skates were ruined and had to be thrown out. The carpet will need to be replaced and the walls cleaned and repainted with a special coating to prevent mold, according to Yaeger. The board estimated the repair costs would be minimal and could be done by the village maintenance staff before the ice rink opens. The money would come from the parks and recreation budget.

The heater still works, and the board discussed preventative measures such as adding a vent near the roof and possibly putting the shack up on blocks, Yaeger said.

The ice rink is maintained through the village with the help of volunteers, and they are currently looking for people to help flood the rink once the weather gets cold enough to sustain it. People are also needed to help remove snow from the rink and resurface it throughout the winter season.

The ice shack serves as a warming house and a place to borrow skates. According to village clerk Traci Matsche, people may drop off donations of new or used skates to the Community Center during normal business hours. Once the ice rink is ready for the season, the shack will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and skates may be left there.

When the Wittenberg Lioness Club disbanded years ago, it donated wooden Victorian figure decorations to the village. These figures also sustained mold damage from being stored in the ice shack.

Yaeger said he will contact the high school to see if there are students who would like to clean and repaint the figures as a community service project. He will also contact the high school art teacher and the woodshop teacher to see if this type of restoration project would fit their curriculum.

Yaeger noted that the Walls of Wittenberg mural on the outside was not damaged.