As she has done just about every Tuesday for the past 30 years, Rhoda Rarick tied the laces on her roller skates last Tuesday. It was time for the Tuesday Morning Skate Group and Rarick’s friends came pouring into the Franconia Roller Rink.
It wasn’t just any Tuesday. When Rarick met with her friends on Oct. 25, it was to celebrate a milestone — Rarick’s birthday. On Oct. 27, she turned 90 years old.
Rarick started coming to the rink 30 years ago when her friend, Florence DeWalt, asked Rarick if she wanted to go roller-skating. She said yes, and liked it so much that after a few weeks, her husband brought her a pair of roller skates from Montgomery Ward.
"I don’t care how bad you feel; when you come here it releases all the tensions," Rarick said. "If you’re not here, they’re looking for you."
Rarick likes the camaraderie of the group, and said that they helped her through a tough time when her husband died.
DeWalt is 82 years old and has been coming to the rink for 31 years. "I got Rhoda involved," she said. "I like the group of women — and the exercise. We try not to miss it — we schedule doctor’s appointments around it. I had a fractured back and came right back after my surgery."
DeWalt is the last member left from the original group, started in 1972 by two sisters.
CINDY WADE HAS the distinction of being both the youngest and newest member of the group. Just 42, she was signing her children up for classes at the rink when one of the members walked by and invited her in.
"Hey come in, have fun," they said. Wade put her skates on and has been coming ever since.
"It’s a great group of women," she said. "I walked into the best thing of my life. I have all these mother hens and grandmas. I’ve skated all my life and have been coming religiously. It’s something just for me and it’s nice to have adult conversation. I hope that people will carry this on. If people knew it was here, they would do it. These ladies are so special."
Another member, Dora Dorland, said she’s been skating since she was six years old — first on the sidewalk, then in the rink. She’s been with the group since the 80s and used to skate every day; she also used to skate competitively. She rides in with DeWalt, and said, "It’s a different attitude. Everybody is interested in you."
Dorland likes to tell everybody that she’s two months older than Charlie Lowe. He has managed the rink for the past 33 years, with his wife, Eileen helping out.
"Charlie’s a gem," Dorland said.
"It’s unbelievable the changes since we opened up," Lowe said.
They had to adapt to roller blades and a different style of music. Now they’ve entered another stage — jam sessions. I try to keep up with the times."
"There are a lot of teenagers but not as many as before," he said. However, birthday parties at the rink continue to be popular.