Bloomington’s Skate ‘N’ Place Roller Rink Closes After 50 Years

ARE SAYING A FINAL GOODBYE TO THEIR BELOVED RINK. OUR JILLIAN RISBERG HAS THAT STORY. <<( A ROLLER RINK ... WITH FIVE DECADES OF HISTORY. "It's been an exciting adventure." AFTER 50 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY ..... SUNDAY ... IS THE FINAL CURTAIN CALL FOR SKATE N PLACE RINK IN BLOOMINGTON. BUT FOR OWNERS TIM AND DIANTHA OVERHOLSER ... THE RINK SYMBOLIZES THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES TOGETHER. "I was the owner of the business part of it 35 years ago, I met my wife here i front of this counter, we've been married for 31 years." ACCORDING TO DAVE BLUNK WHO FOUNDED THE RINK IN 1973 .... THIS IS THE STORY FOR MANY. HE SAYS AND SAYS THERE IS A TON OF HISTORY BEHIND THOSE WALLS... "The people that have met here, got married... Have kids, bringing the kids up, bringing their grandkids, there's all kinds of stories about this place; it's been a wonderful place." BUT EVEN WITH DECADES OF BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES WITH CUSTOMERS.... THE OVERHOLSERS SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN HARDSHIPS DIANTHA SAYS DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS WITH SOME CUSTOMERS LED THEM TO COME TO THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLOSE PERMANENTLY. "Disrespect, we ask them to do things... They flip us off. They chest bump ya -- cuss at us on a regular, call us Everything that you could possibly think of." BUT DESPITE EVERYTHING THEY'VE ENDURED OF LATE, OWNER TIM SAYS HE WILL KEEP YEARS OF HAPPY RINK MEMORIES CLOSE TO HIS HEART. "Too many to even list, but the best part is meeting my wife, and having all the grandkids that have followed from that marriage And having all of them actually work and take part in this business today." SAYING GOODBYE TO THE RINK ON SUNDAY WAS ALSO VERY EMOTIONAL FOR CUSTOMERS BECKY HICKS HUTCHISON, WHO GREW UP AT THE RINK SKATING WITH HER COUSINS. SHE SAYS MET HER FIRST BOYFRIEND AND EXPERIENCED ALL HER FIRSTS AT THE RINK. "When I started a family I instantly always came back, like everything always just brought me back here... we have a huge skate family... it's gonna be huge adjustments in our life." THE OVERHOLSER SAY THEY'LL BE FOCUSING ON THEIR FAMILY. A POST ON THE RINKS FACEBOOK PAGE SAID THE BUILDING WILL BE CONVERTED INTO WAREHOUSE SPACE FOR A MAJOR COMPANY. IN BLOOMINGTON ... JILLIAN RISBERG
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