Village outdoor rink open in the park

Jocelyn and Amelia enjoy the free space at the skating rink.

by Dan McClelland

Jocelyn Savage and her daughter Amelia, 5, braved the bone-chilling temperatures on Saturday to skate on the public skating rink at the municipal park on Demars Boulevard. The pair were wearing their masks but took them off briefly to post for this Free Press photographer. Jocelyn said that they “just had to get out of the house,” and “it’s not so cold when you’re skating. An added bonus was that the pair had the rink to themselves as no one else was out in the nippy weather. The skating rink is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required. (Rich Rosentreter photos)

The village’s outdoor skating rink opened the third week of January after considerable preparation by the village’s department of public works team. As in recent years the rink was built atop the basketball court area of the park, after a large tarp was placed on the asphalt surface.

The outdoor rink is particularly important for skaters here this winter, with the school district-owned Tupper Lake Civic Center closed all season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plans for the outdoor rink were discussed between DPW Superintendent Bob DeGrace and the board members at the January monthly meeting.

The elected officials approved his plan to operate the rink seven days a week, noon to 8p.m. each day for the balance of the winter, weather permitting.

“We’d like to try your plan and see how that works,” Mayor Paul Maroun told the supervisor that evening.

Mr. DeGrace said the park lights in that section of the park are now programmed to extinguish at 9p.m. each evening.

The rink operation will be unsupervised like the village did two years ago, the last time a rink was offered here by the village when winter conditions permitted. Last year relatively mild weather prevented the DPW crew from sustaining an outdoor rink, despite its determined efforts.

The basketball court was flooded three separate times last years, only to melt after warm rains followed cold ice-making temperatures.

There are two signs posted at the rink to inform skaters as to the rules of using the facility, such as maintaining social distancing and wearing masks at all times and those who skate with a hockey stick and puck must use a helmet. .

Signs have been posted there stating that “skaters must skate at their own risk.”

Mr. DeGrace also requested that time be set aside each week for “stick and puck” play by local hockey players. It permits informal hockey action there as local hockey enthusiasts stickhandle and pass the puck around between themselves.

“A couple of years ago we offered that twice each week from 4p.m. to 8p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Are we going to do that again?” Mr. DeGrace asked the village leaders.

Trustee Ron LaScala spoke in favor of it, saying he believes the season will see more stick and puck action down there this year than in the past, what with the civic center closed and hockey teams here traveling to arenas around the area that are open for their practices each weekend.

“Do you want to add more days?” Mr. DeGrace asked the board.

Trustee Clint Hollingsworth felt that two days was probably satisfactory at the start but more days could be added, if the demand is there. Others agreed.

David “Haji” Maroun, a recently retired trustee, was on that night’s teleconference call and he recommended an additional “stick and puck” session on the weekend.

Trustees LaScala, Hollingsworth and Jason McClain all liked that idea.

Trustee LaScala said many young hockey players, who are normally very busy each winter, have a lot of time on their hands with the pandemic.

Trustee McClain explained that many of the local hockey players are now traveling with their parents to areas around the North Country for practice on Fridays and Saturdays. “Sundays would probably be a good day” to offer a third session of the stick and puck.

The other trustees agreed with him.

Mr. DeGrace said as in the past young skaters with their hockey sticks and pucks will be required to wear a hockey helmet. He said it was a requirement of the village’s insurance carrier.

Shin and elbow pads and hockey gloves, while advisable, are not required to be worn.

Trustee Clint Hollingsworth asked Mr. DeGrace to make sure there was an adequate number of garbage cans at the rink site and the DPW chief said there would be.

There will also be port-a-jons on site as well, it was noted.

All skaters at the outdoor rink will be required to wear masks and stay sufficiently distant from each other, in accordance with state pandemic guidelines.