New Life for an Old Rink in Barrington

It’s a great spot for a lively game of hockey, or to help a little one stand and glide on ice skates for the first time. Toddlers to grownups, the ice rink on Legion Way in Barrington can be a busy place on a cold winter day. A few years ago, this was not the case.

When they began the task back in 2009, the rink wasn’t even holding water. T. R. Rimoshytus , Bob Hoder and Dave Bonney decided to undertake a task that continues today, revamping a safe place to skate. The ice rink on Legion Way in Barrington was first created in the 1950s but the upkeep was mainly ignored for decades. “It’s been there since the ‘50s but it was in so bad disrepair,” T. R. says.

Since the trio and other volunteers got involved, the rink, approximately 150 feet by 300 feet, has benefited from a number of improvements. The group, called “Friends of Legion Way” kept the water from draining away, fixed up a shed and a fire place that was on site, created guard rails with materials left over from a town project, installed lights and kept slush and snow off the ice when it froze. More than 400 volunteer hours have gone into the project to date, with much of the materials and professional work donated by individuals and businesses in the community.

Students in a Barrington high school woodworking class created picnic tables for the area and Barrington’s Department of Public Works helped with the project as well. T. R. says the group worked with town officials throughout the process. “Parks and Rec board, we’ve been in front of them numerous times. We talked with the town manager, Peter DeAngelis. He would say, ‘talk to Phil Hervey’ (town planner) ‘or Bob Speaker’ (building inspector.)”

Partnership with the town continues with a recent grant request. The group hopes to see the entire rink resurfaced this summer. The cost will likely be between $130,000 and $160,000, because the area needs to be dug up and re-graded. The town council sent an $80,000 grant request to the Department of Environmental Management, and agreed the town will match the figure if the grant is awarded.

T. R. and Bob offered numerous reasons to resurface. Right now the depth of the rink varies from two feet to six inches, and a more uniform depth with more drainage holes is planned. Bob mentioned it’s rare to get the whole area frozen; the deeper part catches all the sun, so often only a section is skated on. Plans include painting the area a lighter color, because black asphalt keeps in the heat. “You can see the ice shrink during the day,” T. R. says.

Additional lights are also planned if the grant comes through. Currently three light poles are in place, and the group would like to see two more light poles installed on the backside where it can get rather dark. The lights are on a timer that goes off at 10pm each night. There is also a plan being worked on by a Barrington high school senior, Alex Raad, who hopes the area can be used in the warmer months as a skate park.

Bob summed up why the group has given so much time for the project: “It’s good for the town.”