2005 Year in Review

Skatetime Under New Ownership and Open Thanksgiving

John and Brenda Martin

By Sara Thorndike

Are you ready for some football? No? Then how about some roller skating? You don’t have to spend all day Thursday in a tryptophan stupor. Skatetime in Morrison will be open Thanksgiving from 6 – 9 p.m.

Now under new management, Skatetime has been subjected to extensive cleaning and remodeling. Fresh paint shines on the walls and there’s new carpet and a new look to the concession area. It is located at 308 East Main Street in Morrison.

“I have good memories of skating at the old coliseum,” declared John Martin. “I used to skate like crazy.”

John and his wife Brenda are the new owners of the facility. Themselves parents of two teenagers, one of their motivations were to give kids someplace to be and something constructive to do.

“I like skating,” said nine year old Morgan Keller, with a shy smile and a twinkle in her eye. Morgan comes with her dad as often as possible. “It’s fun.”

Skatetime is now open every weekend; Friday and Saturday nights from 6 – 10 p.m. and the $5 admission includes skate rental; admission and state rental is $4 on Saturday afternoons from noon to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 1 – 4 p.m.

You can get $1 off Sunday admission just by bringing in your church bulletin from that day and there are other incentives such as game prizes. Private parties and birthday parties can be arranged by calling Skatetime at 815-772-7893.

“We may offer an adult night for skating if there is enough interest,” Brenda added.

David Stickel from Rock Falls and Jann Brackemyer from Morrison are two adults who enjoy roller skating and especially like the Morrison Skatetime.

“This is a really good surface to skate on,” Stickel explained. “It gives good traction; you can get up a lot of speed and still do tight turns.”

He grew up in Tampico where “there wasn’t a whole lot to do.” There was a bus that came around on Friday nights and took kids to a roller rink in Geneseo, according to Stickel. “It was a bomb!” he said with a grin.

Stickel has skated in most of the facilities in the area and prefers the coated cement floor in Morrison to the wood and even the marble surfaces other places.

“Skating is fun,” stated Stickel. He also teaches skiing at Chestnut Mountain and wants his ski students to roller skate because “it teaches good fore and aft balance.”

In addition to skating, the facility is open for walkers from 7 – 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The cost is just $1 per day. It’s a good chance to get ahead of the weight game/gain for the holidays.

So, when you’ve had it with your rambunctious cousins, head off to the skating rink this Thursday. Skate off some calories and you won’t feel so guilty about that extra piece of pumpkin pie.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
November 23, 2005