Huron homemade rink unites neighborhood

HURON — A newly formed homemade hockey rink achieved a hat trick of happiness for locals: • First, it allowed children a place to play outside during the wintertime. • Second, it gave adults a reason to venture outdoors for leisure, watching kids play as they enjoyed warm drinks and snacks themselves • Third, it achieved a rare feat not often seen in this part of Huron. After several days of at- or below-freezing temperatures, spouses Derek and Kristin Allison, who live on Mudbrook Road along the estuary, shoveled off enough space in their backyard to create a hockey rink. The space roughly measures 50 feet long by 30 feet wide. Their 6-year-old son, Hendrik, plays hockey for an Elyria youth team, known as the Panthers. Twice this week, on Saturday and then Tuesday, the Allisons invited Hendrik's teammates, family members and neighbors over for a skating party with a fire pit, s'mores and hot dogs. Among the children playing hockey alongside and against Hendrik: brothers Ben and Lincoln Basinger, who also play on the Panthers, along with Emmett Geffeller, Hendrik's cousin. "This was such a fun thing to be able to do," Kristin said. "So many people say that they had such great memories of skating on the lake or the lagoons growing up, but not many people put in the effort anymore to do this. We're so glad to be able to give our son and his friends these memories that they will carry for the rest of their lives." Emmett's mother, Lexus Geffeller, came down twice this past week, bringing her daughter, Sadie, on Saturday. "There really isn't anywhere around us to skate," she said. "It's a great perk." On Tuesday afternoon, adult neighbors walked down to the rink, pulling up a seat where they enjoyed seeing children playing on the estuary. Cynthia Brown, who lives next door to the Allisons, noted it's been about a decade since the estuary, leading into the Huron River, froze at depths safe enough to create an ice skating rink. "It's awesome and great to have great neighbors and be able to celebrate," Brown said. "What else are you going to do when it's cold outside? Go out and have fun like this."