Skate Jonesboro Ice

2009-04-28T13:59:00.002-05:00

Well, before the Chicken Chef Challenge I located the land that I knew was exactly the right spot for the ice rink! But then I spent every day for the next few months driving by and visualizing what the rink would look like there and trying to find out who owned it. There was no for sale sign on it and everyone told me that I was living in a dreamworld that the owners probably wouldn't sell it to me anyway. I had no luck at all trying to find the owners and so I told God, okay, maybe you have something better for me. I am going to drive up and down the highway and call every number I see on land for sale. Well, in short order I got a phone call back on some land that was close to the Nestle frozen foods plant and he wanted soooooo much money for it, that I said thanks but I couldn't pay that much in one lifetime, let alone several and I wished him good luck in selling it. Finally I decided to turn toward home and when I got to the same spot where I had spotted Carol (See Above) in front of the McDonalds on Highland, my phone rings again. (I swear there is something about that spot in the road--- maybe I need to go stand there and pray to win the lottery!!!!) A very sweet sounding lady on the other end asks me what I plan to put on the land and I told her an ice rink. She said she needed to call her sister across the country and get her on three way and she would call me right back. Well, I thought, either she is excited too (please, please please) or I am not going to get a call back. I chose to be optimistic and I was rewarded; she called me back in less than 2 minutes. She explained that they had several pieces of land to show me but there was one in particular that they both thought would be perfect, but that would be totally up to me. Well, I go to her house which happened to be on the back side of the land that I had been scoping out. We get in the van and go.......... straight to the land I had picked out months before. At the point where she pulled into the driveway of the land, I am sure I was holding my breath, she turned around and pointed, that is where I told my Dad as a little girl that I wanted an ice rink. (the same darn spot where I had been visualizing the rink!!!!!! HYPERVENTILATION AND TEARS!!!!!) She asked me if I was okay, and I told her this was the piece of land that I had told her about that I had given up on!!!! Yep, two blubbering ladies in a van!!!! That sweet lady is Sissy Moore (same name as my MOM!) and is now an integral part of the ice rink. Who says God doesn't listen or there is no God???? They need to follow me around for a while!

2006-08-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

It all started when I found I was moving to Jonesboro over two years ago. I was going to have to leave behind all of my figure skating students, the wonderful hockey players, speed skaters and the amazing staff I worked with at a rink that only our prayers had managed to bring into being. That arena was my baby and now I was to leave all of it behind, going to a new place with no ice arena, no job, no new students, no new sweet, smiling, shining,excited faces during the group lessons, no ups and downs with the smiles, laughter, sweat and tears.

Sure, the Figure Skating Club of Memphis has skating time at the DeSoto Center, I thought I'll go teach there. We don't have enough time to truly train figure skaters there, but just enough to get them to fall in love with ice only to be cut off from it from April, May, June, July, August and September. Ice comes back and we skate again in Mid-October. Then begins the cycle anew come spring. It is heartbreaking for all of us, the figure skaters and the hockey players. There is not enough time to go around. The figure skaters get 1-3 hours a week to fit in the lessons and practice and the hockey teams only get about an hour each week, which is hardly enough time to teach them to skate and forget trying to establish skills. The once very robust hockey teams there are now travelling as far as Georgia for ice time. There are 20 teams there looking for ice close by. At an hour away, we are the logical choice, if I am able to get an ice rink built here.

So begins the saga.........

I talked with everyone here starting with the Parks and Recreation, City of Jonesboro, The Chamber of Commerce, The Banks and just anyone who would listen. I hoped that somehow the City would want to build it. I know they want the youth here to have another sports venue that also provides lots of fun in an atmosphere that encourages healthy living. But, sadly no, the City said that while they thought it might be a good idea, there was not any money in their budget that could accomodate such a request.

At this point major discouragment has set in and I am just ready to scrap the whole thing and just be a good housewife and mother. I sat at the computer with my spreadsheets in front of me and cried. I didn't think there was any way on earth that I could do this alone, crying out to God for people to band with me in efforts to bring the rink to Jonesboro. I remembered that several months before I had actually moved here during one of my visits I had seen a white SUV with a hockey player sticker on the back of it with their sons name. I prayed that they lived here and that I would be able to find that car again. I told God that I would step out in faith and get in the car, go to Highland Street where I had seen the car driving many months ago and drive up and down the street and if I happened to see that same car then I knew He wanted me to continue the quest for ice. It took me 3 minutes to get in the car and get to Highland and I turned east past the McDonalds. Suddenly I see the white SUV coming the other direction and I turned my head around to look for the sticker as it went by......... Instant HYPERVENTILATION!!!!! It was the car! I pulled a u turn (I know, not a smart move, but I was not going to lose her!) right there in the middle of the road and followed her home. Turns out, my showing up and pronouncing I wanted to build an ice rink in Jonesboro was an answer to their prayers. Her name is Carol Jordan and her hockey player is O'Neal. Their love and support mean the world to me and this ice arena.We started a non profit together to help struggling skaters whose parents meet financial hardship. In order to raise money we have sold Krispy Kremes, sold and delivered Poinsettias at Christmas and hosted a Gala. At our Gala, known as the Annual Chicken Chef Challenge, our mayor, Doug Foremon said that while the City of Jonesboro could not help our endeavor financially, he would show his support for the project. He said he fully believed that we could make it happen.

2006-08-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

Skate Jonesboro Ice
Things haven't been going too smoothly in the building process. I guess that happens when you don't have a lot of money to throw around. But the fact of the matter is that a lot of people are really wanting the ice rink in Jonesboro, Arkansas and I have to keep going.

I guess as soon as I am done with my appointment today at the City of Jonesboro, I will start at the very beginning of the story and share all that I have gone through to date. It is truly an amazing story and I am sure it will continue to be. There have been so many wonderful people that I have met and that I am so priviledged to know on a more personal note now. This project has almost made me a politician. Note key word..... "Almost!"