Local Rink-Building Dads Are My Early Leaders For Fathers Of The Year

Todd Spainhower of Barrington and Jon Ellis of Rochester have built ice rinks in their respective back yards and that is awesome!!

Playing hockey was one of the great joys of my youth. When I lived in Virginia, where winters were too mild to have safe ice on ponds, we would play hockey on roller skates in the street most afternoons during the winter months. We even had our own league whose team were named after the streets we lived on.

So one of the first things I did when Our family moved here was get a pair of skates, and go to the old Snively Arena at UNH and spens Saturday and Sunday afternoons rec skating. Or I'd ride my bike to Jackson's Landing and skate at the outdoor rink, or better yet, find a frozen pond to play hockey on. The drawback was that we had to be home a certain time.

Enter Mr. Spainhower and Mr. Ellis, who, according to today's Foster's Daily Democrat, have gone to great time, effort and expense to build rinks in their backyards so that their children and their friends might enjoy one of the great winter pastimes as often and as safely as they can.

Thumbs up dads!