Community names new ice resurfacer after city employee

BIRMINGHAM — When Connie Folk was a teenager, she spent much of her time at the Birmingham Ice Arena as a competitive figure skater. At the time, little did she know that she would one day have an ice resurfacer named after her.

Since her days as a figure skater, Folk has worked at the Birmingham Ice Arena for over 34 years. She is currently the ice arena and facilities superintendent, and her responsibilities include supervising three ice resurfacer drivers.

The Birmingham Ice Arena recently received its new, custom-built ice resurfacer. When an ice resurfacer is ordered, it takes one to two years to be finished, according to Folk.

The new ice resurfacer uses a lithium battery. This is a more sustainable approach than the propane-powered ice resurfacer the arena previously used. The arena is keeping the old ice resurfacer for backup. 

When the time came to pick a name for the new ice resurfacer, the city asked the community for input. During the voting portion of the process, “Connie” received twice as many votes as the second-place name. It was clear that the community wanted to honor Folk for all her hard work by naming an ice resurfacer after her.  

When Parks and Recreation Manager Carrie Laird began working for the city 23 years ago, she met Folk on her first day, and the two have been working together ever since. Laird has been Folk’s supervisor since 2010.

“I can say that she is probably the most dedicated employee that I have ever met,” Laird said. 

“She is so loyal. She gives everything that she has to the ice arena and the organizations that utilize it. She really puts her heart into everything that she does, and she really cares so much for the community that comes and visits our ice arena and our park system.”

Naming machinery is not a tradition Birmingham has had for long. The city has only recently begun involving the community in the naming of new machinery that is purchased. Prior to the new ice resurfacer, the city named three sweepers: Sweep Caroline, Meryl Sweep and Sweeping Beauty.

Laird said they always receive a lot of responses on the Engage Birmingham website when they launch a new initiative to choose a name for a city resource. 

“I consider the ice rink my second home, so I really appreciate that they honored me by naming the Zamboni after me,” Folk said.