Something for the kids: Dennison offers preview night for new ice-skating rink
DENNISON ‒ Bradley Brooks has the distinction of being the first child to skate on Dennison's new ice-skating rink.
Bradley, 8, who lives outside of Dennison and attends Conotton Valley Union Local Schools, took to the ice Tuesday evening during a special preview night following trick or treat in Dennison. Many children came still dressed in their Halloween costumes.
He had never skated before. "I didn't go out there with a helper. But I used a couple of them, and then I got used to it," he said.
Bradley took a several spills on the synthetic ice, but he said it didn't bother him.
He was dressed as Spider-Man, the costume he wore to go trick or treating. "I was going to be a rhinoceros Transformer. I got this for my friend, but I wore this because it's more comfortable," he said.
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Where is Dennison's ice-skating rink?
The collapsible rink is located on village property at the corner of Grant and Fourth streets, behind the gazebo. It uses synthetic ice panels that connect together. Since it won't be real ice, skaters can use it even if the weather is warm.
Dennison is working with Cambridge Ice Rink LLC on the project. The village bought the rink through the company, and Cambridge Ice Rink will operate the facility. The two entities will share any profits from the operation.
The rink officially opens on Nov. 10.
"We are thrilled with the turnout," Mayor Greg DiDonato said about the preview night attendance. "We are also thrilled with the response. I've had at least 20 people say this is a great thing that we did. So, we're really excited about it."
Funding the project
The total cost of the project was around $124,000, with another $9,000 in in-kind donations. Stocker Concrete donated half of the concrete that forms the base of the rink, and Newton Asphalt provided blacktop.
No tax dollars were used. The village sold about $70,000 worth of advertising, the Reeves Foundation provided $30,000 and the Rosenberry Foundation gave the village $20,000. The rest was paid for with private donations, the mayor said.
The goal was to provide young people with something to do, he said. "I think people are looking for something where they have an option to get out of the house and do some activities. And this is really a physical activity as far as exercise."
Another goal was to help boost activity in downtown Dennison, and DiDonato said that is already happening. The Dennison Railroad Depot Museum's Streetside Center has gotten four bookings, and people have also booked the Dennison Yard restaurant and Pangrazio's Pizza.
Keeping the blades sharpened
Among the employees working at the rink is Denise Schrock of Mingo Junction. The rink has about 100 pairs of skates available for rent, in small, medium, large and extra large.
One of her jobs is to sharpen the blades on the skates. The duty can take an entire day. The blades need sharpened after every three or four uses.
She noted that patrons can use regular skates on the synthetic ice.
Hours of operation
The rink will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 3 to 8 p.m. There will be extended hours during the Christmas holiday. It is scheduled to close the last weekend in February.
The rink can be booked by families or organizations on off days or off hours.
People can find more information on The Dennison Ice Rink Facebook page.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Large crowd attends preview night for Dennison's new ice-skating rink
