Less than two years after a devastating fire, the Norfolk Curling Club finally reopened its doors this Sunday.
After a lot of stress and determination, for those standing inside the new Norfolk Curling Club, it was a moment of accomplishment and celebration.
"We're ready to get back on the ice, get curling again," said Norfolk Curling Club President Mary Fanette.
With fundraisers, volunteers, and hard work, the sheets of ice and 32 new stones were ready for curlers. It's something the area has been missing for two years.
In December of 2011 two 19-year-olds set the building on fire. For members, it was like losing their second home. Starling Childs' parents helped found the club back in 1956.
"It was a gut-wrenching feeling. It was hideous," said Childs. "It was really sad to see this smoldered ruin. You realized everything was gone, not even the memorabilia or anything left."
While the new facility may not quite have the ambiance of the former, it does have a bit more room, and there are pieces connecting it to the past including two fragmented stones recovered from the ashes which are now embedded in the new fireplace.
