From The Hack - February 2nd, 2021

Editor: Derek Allerding
Date: 2021-02-02

Dear Petoskey Curling Club Members, Friends, and Enthusiasts,

As you may be aware, due to the combined difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to find reliable ice, the curling season for the 2020/2021 season had been cancelled.  Despite this, the Petoskey Curling Club Board has continued to meet in an effort to strategize on how to move the Club forward.  As always, the goal has been to try to obtain our own facility with curling quality ice.

To demonstrate its commitment to dedicated ice, the Board also adopted a resolution to move forward with the following in the hopes of having dedicated ice within the next two years.  This is ambitious, but the Board believes we can do this, if not in this time frame, in the very near future.

After doing a considerable amount of research and work, particularly by Board members Mark Sattler and Charlie Willmott, it was believed that the best avenue for achieving our goal of obtaining our own curling facility was to attempt a partnership with a governmental entity, namely either the City of Petoskey and/or Emmett County. Charlie and Mark had obtained some estimates for costs and also drafted a detailed plan for the potential of a two-sheet dedicated facility with refrigeration.  The plan also included having adequate space to add two additional sheets, lockers and bathrooms at a later date. Partnering with Emmett County was anticipated to allow the use of free county land located near the hockey arena on M-119. Any partnership with the City anticipated the building of a facility at the Winter Sports Park.   At this time, Charlie and Mark are working on the specific details of how this would come about, but the Board did wish to move forward with endorsing this process.  As a result, the Board voted to move forward, and communication was to be made with the City first.  As of this writing, the initial response from the City has been very favorable, with a hint of caution due to the nature of the beast known as Bureaucracy.

That leads us to this call for support.  We believe that the more member support we are able to demonstrate, even during, and perhaps especially during this pandemic, the more enthusiastic a potential partner, either the city or the county, will be.  In turn, the more support we are able to gather from a partnership, the more enthusiasm we can generate throughout the community.  It all starts with our current membership, friends, and enthusiasts.

As with any organization, the Club is only as strong as the commitment of its members.  For that reason, we are again soliciting your support.  First, although we have no curling to offer, we are still soliciting memberships for this season.  The Board decided to again suggest a membership fee of $50 but are asking you to contribute any amount you feel you can afford.  The Club still has a small debt on the stones to be paid, and there will be continuing expenses as we move forward with facility plans.  Second, we want you to be a part of this process and are looking not just for your membership but any skills or energy you may have to offer to this.  Charlie and Mark have done a tremendous amount of work, and any help any of you can offer will help insure this is a success.

Again, we know we cannot offer curling, but the Board hopes you will see the benefit of continued membership.  We want to have more direct contact with you and will plan on offering a monthly Zoom meeting to keep you updated on this process but also to just have a chance to socialize.  To keep us all from getting too rusty, we will try to keep you updated on podcasts or other events that may offer some instruction or training.  We may also consider, if it is safe to do so, some outdoor events given that the stones are back at the Winter Sports Park.  Finally, we will keep in touch over the summer months with cornhole or Kubbe events.

These are difficult times, to be sure, but we believe that as a club we can work together to build something worth looking forward to and enjoying together.  If you like the idea of dedicated curling ice here in Petoskey, now is the time to add your name to the list of supporters.  We do believe that a public/private partnership is the fastest track for us to reach our goal, but we can't do it without your support.  Please join us in this endeavor!

To continue your support and membership through a payment of $50, or whatever amount your feel you can contribute at this time, we suggest either of the following two options:

Online, through a secure payment with Square.  Simply click the link immediately below, enter your payment amount, email, phone number, name, and debit/credit card amount.  That's it.  You will receive an automatic email reply showing your payment, but you will also receive a receipt from the Club Treasurer.
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/KCGE8GRRQW53G/checkout/C6F7MIJVTCJG5ZL2PNCJBY6H



You can also send a check via US Mail.  Make your check payable to Petoskey Curling Club and send it to:

Mary Clinton
1004 Howard St.
Petoskey, MI  49770


We wish we could offer you ice time right now, but if we can come together with our continued and collective support, we will be able to share our own dedicated, quality ice time together in the near future.  Stay tuned for more details, and thank you so much.  Stay safe and healthy!

Sincerely yours,
Your friends and fellow members in the Petoskey Curling Club Board of Directors