Timeline to be determined for Hodag Dome repairs

The Hodag Dome in Rhinelander sustained damage and was manually deflated Sunday, March 30, as the result of a power outage caused by a winter storm the area encountered.

According to a press release issued by the School District of Rhinelander, the weather caused a power outage and “the Dome’s generator failed to provide backup power.” This led to partial deflation and structural tears. 

The dome was fully deflated because of that to prevent any further damage. 

St. Louis-based Arizon Building Systems will be on-site “as soon as possible” to develop a timeline for repairs, the press release says.

Additionally, the school district said it will be looking into why the generator failed when the main power source went out. 

District superintendent Eric Burke told The Northwoods River News on Tuesday there is no update at this time on the district’s investigation into generator failure.

He said it’s an issue that will need to be worked through with the district’s insurance company, National Insurance Services. 

Not only did the generator fail to kick-in, but a notification system hooked up to it failed as well, Burke explained. 

“So the generator didn’t work and it’s supposed to send alarms and it didn’t,” he said. “There’s many people in the district that were supposed to get alarms (that) didn’t. Moving forward, we have to figure out why that happened so it doesn’t happen again, but then also insurance will be looking into that more closely.”

    Nets, lights, cables and the membrane of the Hodag Dome lay nearly flat on the ground of the structure Sunday, March. 30. The deflation of the dome has left equipment for multiple Rhinelander High School sports teams trapped inside. (Bob Mainhardt fro the River News)
  

The dome stores a significant amount of the district’s athletic equipment.

“Right now it’s under the tarp, so until it gets inflated, it’ll just need to stay there,” Burke said. “We can’t get it out.”

He said the district is unsure how soon repairs will get underway and it will all depend on weather conditions. 

Burke said damages can’t be assessed until the snow is gone. 

“So as soon as the snow is gone, that’s when they can assess the damage, and then we got to plan to do repairs,” he said. “(Arizon was) going to come up as early as Monday (March 31), but with our snowfall, it would’ve been a waste of time because they wouldn’t have been able to assess the damage. … They were very responsive. So we’re hoping the snow melts … and maybe get them in here as early as next week.”

It’s “definitely been a challenge” for the district, Burke said, but the district operated for a long time without a dome. 

“Like, for example, our athletic director has been here for a while, Brian Paulson, so you kind of go back to how it was before we had a dome when scheduling athletic events and those kinds of things,” he said. “So, I guess, you just do the best you can with what you have.”

Burke indicated all of the district’s gym facilities will be used for spring sports until the weather is nice enough to move those activities outside. 

“Things that were planned in the dome are going to have to either be re-scheduled or canceled until it gets fixed,” he added. 

Burke reiterated the bottom line is nothing with the dome will be able to be done until the snow melts.

The dome was first inflated in 2020.

Community impact

Besides providing a venue and space for the school district, the Hodag Dome is also an integral part of the community. 

According to the press release, 250 community members use it daily during the winter for activities such as walking, pickleball, tennis and family fun. 

“The facility serves as a hub for key community events, including elections, graduations, family nights, expos and local celebrations,” the press release says. “The dedication of Janet Jamison, Janice Halverson and the Hodag Dome staff has made the Dome a truly special resource. Hosting over 18 large weekend tournaments annually, the Dome attracts thousands of visitors to Rhinelander. These events generate millions of dollars for the local economy, supporting hotels, restaurants, and businesses, especially in years where other tourism revenue sources, such as winter recreation, may be impacted.”

To note, voting for the April 1 election on Tuesday was moved from the dome to James Williams Middle School last minute. A multi-county veterans expo was scheduled for the end of April as well, but was canceled due to the collapse. 

Additionally, dome manager Janet Jamison said Tuesday, there was a family night scheduled to take place in the dome Wednesday, but had to be moved to the high school gymnasium. 

She said knowing what events will be able to be rescheduled or canceled will depend on a timeline, which won’t be determined until Arizon visits to assess the damages. 

Jamison said spring sports are affected, but added the dome is past a majority of its events for the season. 

“I think just in the last two days, since people are realizing it will be a little bit until they can get back in here, I’ve had a number of people approach me out in public who just are sad and realizing that it changes their day-to-day life,” she said. “They’ve been people who walk here every day, and not only has it become a place for them to get some physical activity, but it’s kind of become a gathering place for our community, and a place where they can come to be social and make connections with other people. So I think it’s as much that that people are missing as the physical space too.”

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].