Sports

Stotzky Ice Rink Ready to Go, Though Mother Nature Not Quite

A temporary rink at Stotzky Park was installed on Thursday afternoon and will be filled up on Friday, though the outdoor rink needs cooler temps to freeze.

The Riverhead Recreation Department set up a on Thursday afternoon. All ice skaters need next is Mother Nature to cooperate.

"Even if all we get is one day, that's great," said Recreation Superintendent Ray Coyne.

This being the first winter the outdoor rink will be available to the public, Coyne is still figuring out some details as he goes. "We're not exactly skating professionals," he said.

Find out what's happening in Riverheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As such, he said he's been in talks with private companies about leasing the rink from the town, in return for operating the facility. He's due to have a meeting with Modell's this week, he said, about purchasing 300 pairs of skates from them for rental at the rink. Renting, sharpening, distributing the skates and overseeing the rink - all of that would fall to a private company that would lease it from the town.

The temporary rink, which consists basically of PVC pipe and a plastic liner, measures 65-by-100 feet, sits inside the town's in-line skating rink, and cost the town just under $5,000 to purchase. Coyne said he's also found a product for about $4,000 which would allow the rec department, should it decide to go that route, to keep the rink going at higher temperatures - up to 70 degrees.

Find out what's happening in Riverheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Until, or unless, any leasing agreements are worked out, Coyne has guessed in the past that a recreation department employee would work the rink during evenings, maybe four nights a week. He added that a regular group of roller hockey players have already expressed interest in continuing their weekly pick-up games on Tuesday evenings at the rink.

Friday is expected to be warm - roughly 50 degrees - and rainy. The Riverhead Fire Department is going to help in filling up the rink with water.

The Business Improvement District has been separately pursuing opening a year-round, synthetic ice rink behind the Riverhead Grill. Ray Pickersgill, BID president, said recently that while  to help open it up, the group must complete a final draft of its engineering sketches before obtaining the funds.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here