Evening star., 1935-12-27
A Plea for Adequate Ice.
Skating Facilities Here
To the Editor Of The star:

TO the Editor OF The star:
Once again the residents of the Dis
trict can enjoy the annual Ice skating
joke. The joke consists In having fine
ice, great weather but no public service.
Every year the story repeats itself. Every
year few small voices cry out in the
wilderness in protest. But nothing comes
of it. We are quite helpless. We are
the docile wards of Uncle Sam. We are
patient and long suffering. We have
learned through experience how futile
our protests can be.
Last Monday front page stories invited
the public to the Mirror Pool. Those who
went found small area clean. The rest
lay as nature had made 1t, beautifully
coated in snow.
Skaters must put on skates. To put on
skates they must sit down. Monday, as
on every other skating day In former
years, the skater had three choices. He
could sit down on the snow which lay
on the concrete. He could remove the
snow from the concrete with his hands
or his skates or he could sit down on
settee, if not occupied, which stood some
distance back from the ice and walk
across ground and concrete on his skates.
Those who cleaned the ice dumped the
snow on the concrete where the skater
would normally sit down to put on his
skates. What simple matter it would
have been to leave the edge free and TO
lay a few dozen 10-inch boards on 1t.
And as to the cleaning process, some
c. c. C. boys did the job. That is fine
idea as far as 1t goes, but why not get
enough boys to do up the job quickly and
properly and present Washington with
beautiful skating. We have one c. c. c..
camp within thousand feet OF the Mir
ror Pool. There are several other camps
nearby. Properly organized these boys
would find the work of cleaning the pool
a grand jamboree. Why quit before sun
down? Why not keep at it in the eve
ming with some bonfires flaring and hot
dogs and hot coffee and maybe hurdy-
gurdy or two. Put something human
into the job. Hundreds Of Washington
| ians would be delighted just to see it.
Cleaning ice, especially when 1t is none
too thick, and snowfall is reasonably
! heavy is an art in itself. That art was
| not practiced Monday. 1t is an engineer
| ing art where proper thought must be
| given to the distribution of weight OF
men and snow.
1t has been done before in Washington.
| Some Is. years ago the writer helped to
organize the Washington Ice Skating
Club. Thanks to the supprt of the local
papers the organization made ice skating
history for Washington. Residents came
| to realize that we could have ice skating.
Indoor base ball was played on the ice.
carnival was arranged. The Marine
Band provided the music. The news
papers reported $4,000 people attended.
All this can be done again.
But why not create public sentiment
and force proper planning in advance.
Why not insist on having few tenn
| porary buildings erected along the Mir
ror Pool with coal stoves in them that
send out welcome warmth for the tired
and hungry skater. Provide simple food
and drink and ordinary comforts.
There are dozens of spots around the
| District which can be converted over
night into outdoor ice rinks at almost no
cost except the little labor of flooding.
There are similar opportunities to pro-
vide for other Winter sports through a
very small outlay.
The large returns in public health, pub
lie happiness, and public appreciation Of
thoughtful administration will make
the outlays look beggarly.
| CHRISTOPHER MEYER.