WINONA LAKE - Ice skating in Winona Lake may continue next year, the town's park board voted Thursday.

With a 2-1 vote, the board agreed to renew the Northern Lakes Skating Association's lease on the Quonset hut near Winona Lake Park. NLSA has leased the building for two years for ice skating.

The lease renewal is contingent on the association buying a refrigeration unit to freeze the ice so skating activities would not depend on the weather.

Other groups are interested in leasing the building, said park board president Chris Boyd, especially groups who want to use it for indoor soccer leagues during the winter.

Boyd, who voted against the lease renewal, said, "We think skating is valid. It's just so seasonal ... it's just so out of your control. And you guys can't help that.

"It's like a rock and a hard place - who do we try to serve? My heart lies with the many - who can the park service the more of?"

The season for the indoor soccer association begins in September, and Brian Smith of NLSA said the organization will know by then if they will have a chiller for the next skating season.

NLSA will report to the park board in June on their progress toward raising money for the refrigeration unit.

In other business, the board asked Tim Kelty of Bob Murphy & Associates if changing some of the activities planned for the park in Southtown Estates would affect the grant from the Indiana Department of Resources.

Swimming would not be recommended at the location on Lake John because of the sediment on the bottom of the lake. Ice skating and beach volleyball were turned down because of safety reasons.

Kelty said the IDNR would support water-based recreation since the original grant included that, and any alterations must be approved by the IDNR.

The park board also voted to continue with the Winona Lake Park pier, and Kelty said the plans for the pier will be resubmitted to the IDNR. The state should let the town know by early summer if the plans are approved. [[In-content Ad]]