Roller skating is the tonic for the times, says Page

Gilford Skate Center closed about 15 years ago, ending an era of family-friendly roller skating in the Lakes Region. Although the center closed, the concept lived on, especially with Janine Page, whose parents operated the center, and her daughter Erica Duncan. This summer, the mother-and-daughter management team will open Skate Escape on Court Street, in the space recently vacated by Aubuchon Hardware.

According to Page, it was her daughter who was the "driving force" behind the project, daydreaming and strategizing with her mother about how they could bring skating back to the area.

"She said to me in December, 'I'm done talking about it'," said Page.

Currently, their dream is in the hands of a team of tradesmen who are converting the hardware store space into a roller skating rink. They hope to open the doors before the end of this month, and plan to hold a grand opening celebration in mid-August.

Following the grand opening, the skating rink will be open from Tuesday through Sunday.

"We want to be an option for people," said Page, saying there are too few opportunities for people and families to enjoy a fun evening together.

When the Gilford Skate Center closed, rising insurance costs had a large role to play, said Page. In the intervening roles, she said the cost of insuring a skating rink has returned to a "manageable" level.

Another change in the last couple of decades has been the proliferation of computers, game consoles and other gadgets into many facets of daily life. Page thinks old-fashioned fun has only become more relevant in light of the technological divisions which have grown between family members.

"When my grandson sits in front of the computer," said Page, he has the opportunity to learn a lot and access a nearly unlimited range of information. But, she said, "it takes him a while to come back out of that. You have to make that effort to take them away from that and remind them of the rest of the world."

She's apparently not the only person who feels that way. Since word about the rink has started to spread, Page said she's gotten lots of interest from others who are excited about the project. Many of them are parents who remember the nights they spent with their friends at the Gilford Skate Center. "They can't wait to get their kids in here," she said. "Especially with the moms I talk to, they want a place to take their kids where they can actively do something... And they want to connect with their own childhood."

Many birthday parties have already been scheduled. Page has also been contacted by a few roller derby teams. She hasn't decided if that's going to be part of Skate Escape's regular operations, but it's something she's seriously considering.

When they move closer to the grand opening, the website www.laconiaskateescape.com will become active. Until then, Page encouraged interested parties to follow her business's progress on Facebook.

An exact date is not yet available, but soon people in Laconia will once again be able to lace up a pair of skates and roll out onto the rink. "People are craving that," Page said. "They want something wholesome to do, engaging with other people."