Sports

Ice Rink a Possibility for Hunnewell Field

The Recreation Department discussed building an ice skating rink near Hunnewell Field's tennis courts.

An area of may be sectioned off for ice skating as early as this coming winter.

At a Monday meeting, the Wellesley Recreation Department discussed building a skating rink under the lights next to the tennis courts at Hunnewell Field.

Recreation Commission Chair Andy Wrobel said the department is looking into two different outdoor rink-building methods, based on rinks in Concord and Reading. One method would involve moving snow to the marked edges of the area and then flooding the "bowl" in the center. The other would involve fixed barriers around the perimeter.

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Wrobel said ideally the will fill the bowl with water and resurface it and the Department of Public Works would plow the area. He added, Wellesley Youth Hockey has said they would be willing to pay for the plowing, which could be provided by a private contractor.

“It does seem like there are a bunch of community parts all coming together,” he said.

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Currently, each winter there is a small makeshift rink at the basketball courts maintained by the Recreation Department’s staff.

This proposed rink, however, would operate as if it were a town-maintained natural ice surface, Wrobel said.

“It’s pond ice,” he said. “You’re kind of expecting some of the people show up and have a shovel like you do at a pond.”

Wrobel said Concord was able to maintain its rink from before New Years to the beginning of March in winter 2009-2010.

Commission member Mark Antonelli said the town would have to boost its level of maintenance in order to keep the rink useable. 

“You need someone who is going to plow it when it snows, not two weeks later,” he said.

The rink would be primarily for skating, but Wrobel said he does not want to rule out the possibility of hockey on the surface.

“We want to have a place where people could play hockey,” he said, “but I also think it would be important to have a place where the little kid who wants to skate can be kept safe.”

The commission raised issues with policing of the surface. Antonelli said, however, maintenance would have to come first.

“If a hockey game breaks out, a hockey game breaks out,” he said. “If that’s our biggest problem that’s OK. But I do think you’re going to need someone out there spraying it.”

Recreation Department Director Jan Kaseta said the Fire Department, which could be responsible for keeping the rink frozen, has indicated it is on board.

“They want to see it happen,” she said.

Wrobel said a goal of a Hunnewell rink would be to keep people off of local ponds.

“By having it under the lights you’ll keep people off ponds in the dark,” he said.


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