What would winter be without days on the ice with blades on your feet? Well, it wouldn't seem like Minnesota. Chilly temperatures made for good ice making Thursday but a warming trend expected this weekend could threaten plans for skating just yet.
The Brainerd maintenance workers, including Scott Belisle, were braving a cold breeze Thursday to lay down a layer of ice on the rinks at Mill Avenue Park in northeast Brainerd. After finishing their work there, they headed to the rink at Gregory Park. They haven't started flooding at Bane Park yet as they are wrapping up a building construction project.
Tony Sailer, Brainerd parks director, said it takes a couple of weeks to get a good ice base down and the colder weather, the better for ice making. Workers will flood each rink two or three times a day until the base is established.
While people are hoping for a white Christmas, actually delaying the onset of a full-blown winter is rather nice. Because while it's awesome to have winter and snow, I'm fine with a shorter season. And after some winters started in November or even October, starting in late December and ending in March seems quite workable.
