Editorial

From the time it opened in the early 1970s, the Ice Chalet has managed

to become an integral part of the Costa Mesa community.

It’s been the frosty home to Olympians and Olympic hopefuls, hockey

teams and amateur skaters.

But most of all, it’s provided members of the general public with a

small sliver of winter in these normally balmy climes.

So we were saddened, as were others, to learn the Mesa Verde landmark

had suffered a meltdown of sorts and would soon close its doors.

“We are not talking about just a personal kids’ activity. We’re

talking about the impression we make on the world,” Fountain Valley teen

Jan Kowski told the Costa Mesa City Council about the impending loss.

“If we lose the rink, the whole community will suffer.”

We tend to agree with her.

The demise of the Ice Chalet is just one in a number of ice rinks lost

over the last few years, the most recent being one in Irvine that closed

after the landowners sold the site to a religious congregation.

Unfortunately, many of those who frequented that rink found solace in

knowing the Ice Chalet in Costa Mesa was not far away. Now, that too may

be lost.

We acknowledge that ice skating has never reached the same level of

popularity as, say, surfing or skateboarding.

Nonetheless, we believe it deserves a place here in our community.

It’s our hope that someone will come to the aid of the ice skating

community and maintain this longtime institution for years to come.