2024 marks two anniversaries for Howard and Dixie Miles, owners of the Rainbo Palace Roller Rink, one good, one not so good. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Miles operating the Rainbo Palace here in Fennimore.
This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the roof collapse at the Rainbo Palace.
On the morning of Feb. 15, 1994, at around 12:15 a.m., heavy snow caused the west wall of building to give way, sending the debris into Madison Street, and the roof collapsing onto the skating floor.
The entire building, with the exception of the very back and front of building was completely destroyed.
“The snow and ice on the roof pushed the brick of the west wall out, which caused the roof to collapse,” Howard stated.
The Miles were thankful though the collapse happened during off hours, when no one was in the building.
The building, which had stood at 1280 7th St., since the 1920’s, and had been everything including a garage, dance hall, and pen making plant, was a total loss.
But as the Fennimore community does, they came together, and a large group of volunteers gathered to assist the Miles in the clean up effort.
As Howard stated to the Times during the cleanup, “We’re so happy, I don’t know what to say or how to thank all these people.”
Looking back Howard stated, “We just had such an outpouring of support during the cleanup. We were so thankful.”
During the clean up, Howard and Dixie’s main concern was the hardwood rink floor, would cost thousands to replace.
“We had everyone put the debris into piles, and Reynolds out of Boscobel came and picking up the piles,” Howard noted. “Once the floor was cleared, we covered it up, and thankfully it was a dry spring.”
The initial debris cleanup took roughly six weeks.
From there, Wick Building did the construction of the new building, and once that was accomplished, the Miles family did the interior themselves.
“It was a family project,” Howard noted. “Us and all the kids were involved.”
And almost six months to the day of the roof collapse, the new and improved Rainbo Palace opened back up to the public on Aug. 14, 1994, with the Miles continuing as its owners and operators to this day.
Even in this world of YouTube, Snapchat, Netflix, iPhones and iPads, the kids still come out to the Rainbo Palace during its operating hours of 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays during the school year.
The roller rink is still also available for birthday parties and other celebrations as well.
The Miles recently just finished up allowing the Fennimore Elementary School, and junior high students roller skate roller as part of their physical education classes.
As the old building served as several different venues/businesses from the 1920’s until 1994, the new structure has only had Howard and Dixie, their family and the roller rink as its past and present.
This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the roof collapse at the Rainbo Palace.
On the morning of Feb. 15, 1994, at around 12:15 a.m., heavy snow caused the west wall of building to give way, sending the debris into Madison Street, and the roof collapsing onto the skating floor.
The entire building, with the exception of the very back and front of building was completely destroyed.
“The snow and ice on the roof pushed the brick of the west wall out, which caused the roof to collapse,” Howard stated.
The Miles were thankful though the collapse happened during off hours, when no one was in the building.
The building, which had stood at 1280 7th St., since the 1920’s, and had been everything including a garage, dance hall, and pen making plant, was a total loss.
But as the Fennimore community does, they came together, and a large group of volunteers gathered to assist the Miles in the clean up effort.
As Howard stated to the Times during the cleanup, “We’re so happy, I don’t know what to say or how to thank all these people.”
Looking back Howard stated, “We just had such an outpouring of support during the cleanup. We were so thankful.”
During the clean up, Howard and Dixie’s main concern was the hardwood rink floor, would cost thousands to replace.
“We had everyone put the debris into piles, and Reynolds out of Boscobel came and picking up the piles,” Howard noted. “Once the floor was cleared, we covered it up, and thankfully it was a dry spring.”
The initial debris cleanup took roughly six weeks.
From there, Wick Building did the construction of the new building, and once that was accomplished, the Miles family did the interior themselves.
“It was a family project,” Howard noted. “Us and all the kids were involved.”
And almost six months to the day of the roof collapse, the new and improved Rainbo Palace opened back up to the public on Aug. 14, 1994, with the Miles continuing as its owners and operators to this day.
Even in this world of YouTube, Snapchat, Netflix, iPhones and iPads, the kids still come out to the Rainbo Palace during its operating hours of 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays during the school year.
The roller rink is still also available for birthday parties and other celebrations as well.
The Miles recently just finished up allowing the Fennimore Elementary School, and junior high students roller skate roller as part of their physical education classes.
As the old building served as several different venues/businesses from the 1920’s until 1994, the new structure has only had Howard and Dixie, their family and the roller rink as its past and present.
“We’ve really enjoyed it over the year,” Howard went on to say. “Not a lot of money in it, but with only a left rinks left in the area, but do it for the kids.”
