I too grew up going to Roller City in Glendora. I was there
I too grew up going to Roller City in Glendora. I was there every Saturday and Sunday, and was on the Speed Club on Sunday afternoons. I knew of all the Chado kids, and even went to a slumber party for their daughter Judy. There is nothing like having a skating rink to yourslef...snacks and broom hockey for around 20 of your favorite people. It was a blast!
Like the blogger said, all the Chado kids got into some trouble, including Tony (the meth guy..convicted child molestor.) More than one got into drug or alchohol addiction. This said, it wasn't because their parents weren't "there," they were ALWAYS there. They often turned a blind eye to the kids (and their friends') antics. They were too lenient, and maybe too much wanting to be their kids' "friends."
Dick Jr. was a spoiled punk as a teen, and probably still is. Tony (the baby), was a spoiled brat, and is probably still in "arrested development." But the Chado parents, Dick and Darlene did their best. They loved them, even if they let way too much go by. They were rough around the edges themselves.
All that said, their rink is, and always was, a fine place to play! It provided good fun, not to mention exercise, for me as a kid. It hasn't really changed in terms of what it offers to families. When I go, its like stepping back in time: the limbo, the races, the couple skates, backward skating...the music is all that has changed.
It's true, as a teen, you could get into trouble at their rink...underage drinking, pot etc. But that is true anyplace we let our kids go...the burden falls on parents to know where they are going, and who they are with. They can smoke dope in the car on the way to a movie...that doesn't make it the mall's fault. Give the Chado's a break, they run a fun place!
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