8th Graders Plan and Execute Hockey Rink Cleanup

Thanks to some Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School students the city roller hockey rink is in like-new condition, with a plan to keep it that way.

Eighth grader Michael Langston said he and some friends were using the rink this winter and all agreed it needed work.

“It looked like, honestly, poop,” Langston said. “There was litter everywhere. One time there was a broken cinder block, and like, 10 Powerade bottles."

His friend, Steven Wooden, said he slipped on leaves when he played, and the lines were completely faded away.

Langston said he pitched cleaning up the rink as a project in their cornerstones connections class. Eventually he and Wooden were given the OK.

“We came up with the basics, that we needed to sweep everything up, fix the nets, repaint the poles, the lines, the dots – make it look beautiful," he said. "I think we did a pretty good job.” He said the city painted the lines, sand blasted the goal posts and bought new nets.

They also created a sustainability program with a website (mrhmaplewoodhockeysustainability.jimdo.com) to keep it maintained.

“Now that everyone sees it’s clean, they should respect it more,” Langston said.

Acting middle school principal Michael Dittrich said they’ve helped students with lots of projects this year, and at times he’s had to give kids a push, but not this time.

“This was one where I had to pull them back at times. And say, ‘Hey, before you go calling the city mayor, can you come tell me you’re going to call the mayor?’ That’s a good problem to have,” Dittrich said.