Perham Approves Ice Rink Plans, Eyes New Youth Hockey Programs

When a story about Perham's hockey program ran in USA Hockey magazine, a New York-based group contacted the Perham Area Youth Hockey Association with an offer to donate its arena. PAYHA President Bryan Tusow agreed to pay $60,000 plus transportation costs to bring it home, and that early bet now anchors a $5 million plan to build a permanent outdoor rink and multipurpose facility at Arvig Park.

The Perham City Council moved the project forward at its March 30 meeting, voting to hire Widseth, a local architectural firm, to produce final design drawings and bid documents. The council had previously approved the rink's placement on the east side of Arvig Park in a 3-2 vote, with council members Lehmkuhl and Mattfeld dissenting. City Administrator Jon Smith and City Attorney Dennis Happel were both involved in the approval process.

The full vision is a 6,000-square-foot multipurpose Trail Head facility, with an estimated price tag of $5 million. Lead fundraiser Ashlea Clifton has cautioned that construction costs fluctuate and a final number won't be set until bids come in. The building would include parking, storage, restrooms, and changing rooms, sitting near Arvig Park's sledding hill and connecting with the "Brave like Gabe" trail. It would also serve cross-country skiers alongside the new pickleball courts already installed at the park. When construction is complete, the city of Perham will assume operations.

Driving the fundraising campaign is "Operation Trail Head," a group of four Perham businesswomen: Clifton, Kellie Smith, Nicole Preussler, and Veronica Marpoe. The project originally took shape through a partnership between PAYHA and city officials before the COVID-19 pandemic stalled it. Since the four women relaunched the effort, they have raised more than $500,000 toward an initial milestone goal of $1.5 million targeted for Spring 2025. "We are very confident we will easily reach this through donors and fun activities," Marpoe said.

PAYHA has contributed approximately $240,000 to the city from gaming proceeds over several years, with a third installment of $80,000 expected to fund amenities scheduled for 2026. The association, a nonprofit registered under Minnesota Hockey District 15, is at least in its third season and offers a learn-to-skate program for children ages 3 and up, open to both hockey and figure skaters, with Mites and Pee Wee programs reflecting steady growth. Tusow has described the organization's trajectory as encouraging: "Our fundraising is going well and we have solid numbers with participation." Under the current plan, PAYHA would use the new rink approximately five hours per week for its Mites program.

Clifton, who owns the Gathering Grounds café in Perham, envisions the facility drawing users well beyond city limits. "We are close to Frazee, Dent, Ottertail, New York Mills, so this facility would be a great way to bring all these communities together," she said. The Trail Head project joins a recent wave of recreational investment in Perham that includes a paved path to Maplewood State Park and a new skatepark. With Widseth now working on bid documents, construction is expected to proceed in phases over the next several years.