Pat O'Donnell Civic Center to Turn 25

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP, MI - Thursday, July 17, 2008 - On August 6, 2008 the Pat O'Donnell Civic Center will celebrate its 25th anniversary as Ironwood's number one corner stone. It is very fitting that the civic center is located on the beautiful campus of Gogebic Community College where side by side two of our most valuable resources stand as testaments to what our wonderful community can achieve with hard work, dedication and forthright communication among the various entities within our community.

The Pat O'Donnell Civic Center, carries the name of a great community leader and its principle donor, whose Will and Trust provided $200,000. Other private donors added close to $400,000 to the project and the State of Michigan, Gogebic County, and the City of Ironwood provided an additional $225,000, for a grand total of $800,000 plus. Governmental grants have served as catalysts, with the total contribution greatly expanded by private donors.

The total cost of the building was kept under one million dollars due to purchase agreements successfully negotiated by Tom Lundin and Joe Davis.

Joe Davis, Tom Lundin and others provided the City of Ironwood with an outstanding recreational facility of which we can all feel very proud. To many of us who have seen major industries fold an important phase of the planning involved savings in operating costs, minimizing  the dangers of operating costs. Many of us have reached the age level that precludes active personal enjoyment, we can all enjoy that "inner sense of satisfaction" in knowing that our contributions will benefit not only present but future generations. The "Arena" serves the needs and interests of our young hockey players,  but to a very great extent it should provide an ever increasing benefit to our economy by exposing our visitors to:

• Favorable educational advantages.
• Family life in a favorable social environment.
• Good outdoors, as well as indoor recreational facilities, and organized Sports activities.
• Availability of a skilled workforce.
• Existences of facilities for large and small conventions.
• Good local government cooperation.

The Civic Center is  great addition to our economy and a promise of a better tomorrow for Our Citizens.

Lou Bonagura

EDITOR'S NOTE: The preceding article is reprinted with permission from IronwoodInfo.com Online News Magazine. Lou Bonagura is the webmaster of that site.