IN THE NEWS North Carolina curl
Charlotte breaks ground on dedicated facility
By Sheri Symanski of the Charlotte Curling Association “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” Tis quote by inventor
Charles Kettering describes the efforts of the Charlotte Curling Associa- tion as it builds a dedicated curling facility, one of the few in the south- east. Founding board member Ronda Harlow shared this sentiment at the groundbreaking event on April 23, 2014, as she complimented the group’s vision in taking this major step a mere four years aſter the club’s founding and encouraged its continued teamwork moving forward with the project. Te 17,000-square-foot facility, planned to open in this fall in northeast
Charlotte, N.C., will feature four sheets of curling ice, locker rooms, and a break room serving refreshments. A raised spectator area 5 feet above the ice surface will provide an enhanced viewing experience. Accu-Steel, Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., is the general contractor, and Everything Ice of Salix, Pa., will install the refrigeration equipment. Since North Carolina generally has high humidity, extra measures are being taken to ensure an airtight build- ing supported with a robust dehumidification system. Te facility will be fully accessible – the club already has a blind curler,
and members have met with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation staff about a wheelchair league. Te new facility will provide opportunities for expanded league play to include men’s, women’s, youth, senior, and col- legiate leagues and allow membership to increase from its current level of 110 curlers. Among the approximately 50 people who gathered on a sunny spring
day for the groundbreaking ceremony were club members, local business leaders, and Charlotte City Council Member Alvin Austin. Austin acknowl- edged that although not very familiar with the sport, he is intrigued and excited about the new facility. “It’s going to be an awesome addition of rec- reational opportunity and community building for this area,” he said. Two unnamed donors have made significant contributions – one building
the facility and leasing it back to the club on a lease-to-own basis, and one donating $200,000 and making a loan of another $200,000, for which pay- ments are not due until 2024. Donations from within the club and through- out the curling community have also been received. Te club needs another $250,000 to complete the project, but as President Steve McKee said, “We
// EIGHT-ENDERS Arlington On Jan. 26, 2014, the Paige rink scored an eight-ender during the Ar-
lington Men’s Bonspiel in Arlington, Wis. Te rink consisted of Tim Paige, Dan Deeren, Kurt Deeren, and Randy Guthrie. Tis happens to be Kurt’s second eight-ender scored during an Arlington Men’s Bonspiel. His first was in 2009.
Appleton
An eight-ender was scored by the O’Neill rink during Monday Night Men’s Night at the Appleton (Wis.) Curling Club on Jan. 27, 2014. Team
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members include Jim O’Neill, Matt Stiltjes, and Jess Rank. Tis eight-ender is Jim’s second, with his first being scored back in 1980 at the old Eau Claire Curling Club. Seems eight-enders run in the O’Neill family as his father, Chuck, also scored one back in 1974 at the old Tri-City Curling Club. Granite (Seattle)
On Jan. 6, 2014, Team Stutzenberger scored their first eight-ender in the
Best of the Best playoffs during Monday night open league at the Granite Curling Club in Seattle. Te team consists of Matthew Stutzenberger, Mi- chael Eickbush, Tim Adlington, and Travis Sims.
Charlotte Curling Association President Steve McKee, Founding Member Ronda Harlow, Charlotte City Councilman Alvin Austin, Dedicated Facility Chair Peter Strickland, Charlotte Curling Association Member Dave DeFehr, Charlotte Curl- ing Association Member Doug Young, and Accu-Steel General Contractor Kirk Anderson break ground on a new dedicated curling facility in northeast Char- lotte.
will get there! I have confidence from our experience of everyone pulling together and pulling in the same direction.” Four years ago, Harlow couldn’t imagine the Charlotte Curling Associa-
tion in its own facility. And when she first started curling, she wondered whether or not she had the strength to deliver a 42-pound rock all the way to the house at the other end of the sheet. “But then I remembered there are three other people with the same goal – two helping me by sweeping, and one at the other end helping as well,” Harlow said. “So I knew it wasn’t just up to me, it was a group of people. And they made something that I thought was impossible, possible.” McKee echoed the emphasis on teamwork – in the sport of curling, in
the dynamics of the Charlotte club, and in the effort to build a dedicated curling facility. “It’s about inclusiveness,” he said. “It’s about camaraderie. It’s about
teamwork and encouraging each other. It’s about the group as a whole. We are truly honored to be building this facility.” n
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