Dec 1, 2016
Although it won't be available until the cold and frost set in, Dewitt Park now has an outdoor skating rink.
An outdoor skating rink has always been in the master plan for Dewitt Park, said Parks Supervisor Paul Osborn on Wednesday.
"We received an opportunity when Oakfield-Alabama School was looking to get rid (of their skating rink)," he said. "They thought about donating it to the Town of Oakfield, but the Town of Oakfield felt they wouldn’t be able to use it to the maximized opportunity that it provided."
Osborn said the school had made a determination the outdoor skating rink wasn't the best activity to have as a liability without having staff there to make sure it was being used correctly.
The skating rink is currently 48 by 100 feet which can grow bigger if necessary as time goes on.
"We determined that a 48 by 100 (ice rink) was small enough for us to maintain at the level of staff that we have and big enough for the public to enjoy," he said.
The liner for the ice rink was installed Wednesday and after a few other things — including filling it with water and waiting for the cold weather to come in — it should be usable.
There will be rules posted when the skating rink can be used and people will need to bring their own ice skates.
