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Contest could help ice arena receive upgrades

Marquette has been home to ice rinks for more than a century, beginning with such natural skating surfaces as the old Cinder Pond where early rough and tumble hockey games were played.

A major improvement to skating and the sport of hockey came in 1921, when the famed Palestra ice arena was dismantled in Laurium and reconstructed in Marquette at the north end of Third Street.

That facility was the venue for hockey games for more than a half century, featuring thousands of home-grown hockey players honing their skills on the ice, as well as figure skaters who learned their twirls and put on an annual ice show.

By the early 1970s, though, the Palestra had seen its better days and the city decided to build a new arena

So in 1974, the city’s Lakeview Arena was opened up a few blocks east on Fair Avenue and the Palestra came down, but hockey in Marquette continued to flourish.

However, Lakeview is showing its 40-plus years of heavy use, and the city could use a little boost with sprucing the place up.

And there’s a great opportunity for area residents, as well as those who have left the area but still have fond memories of growing up around Marquette ice rinks, to help out.

The avenue for assistance comes through the inaugural Kraft Hockeyville USA competition, which will be awarding a total of $425,000 to 10 communities across the country for ice arena upgrades.

Marquette Junior Hockey, as well as the city, is encouraging people to participate in the competition, which involves describing in 2,500 characters or less what makes the arena special and how passionate the community is about hockey.

The nomination period runs through March 18, with submissions judged on three criteria: passion for hockey, 34 percent; creativity and originality, 33 percent; and community spirit, 33 percent. The top 10 communities will then be entered into an online voting phase, with the winner taking home $150,000 for upgrades, as well as hosting an NHL exhibition game next season. Other finalists will receive from $20,000 to $75,000 for renovations.

To nominate Lakeview Arena, visit http://bit.ly/1ttmuf7. nominations can be submitted through March 18. For more information on the contest, visit www.krafthockeyville.com.

We encourage everyone with a taste for hockey to get involved in the contest and help keep hockey thriving in Marquette for many years to come.

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