Citrus Heights roller rink struggling to make it during year-long COVID-19 shutdown
By Mike Hazlip—
With the exception of a few days in June, Sunrise Rollerland in Citrus Heights has been closed for the past year, as COVID-19 health orders have prevented roller skating rinks in the state from reopening.
A fundraising account set up to help Sunrise Rollerland owner Ken Neutz meet his financial obligations has collected over $5,000 as of press time Saturday night. The GoFundMe page was set up by skater Tim Laskey to benefit Sunrise Rollerland and Neutz’s efforts to keep the Citrus Heights tradition rolling.
Neutz told The Sentinel in an interview Friday the pandemic closures have taken a toll on his business, with his roller rink still not allowed to reopen in the less-restrictive “Red Tier.”
He says water and electric bills must still be paid, despite the forced closure of his facility. As an added problem, Neutz said he’s had to deal with illegal dumping and an increasing homeless population on his property.
“This has been my life for the last twelve months, just cleaning up junk and garbage,” Neutz said. “Now I’m getting back to work hopefully to get some employees and get opened up again.”
Neutz has now installed a sound system to discourage homeless camping on his property.
This excerpt was taken with permission from the Citrus Heights Sentinel – March 21, 2021