UPDATE: High Winds Delay Stotzky Park Ice Rink Construction

Riverhead Recreastion Superintendent Ray Coyne had planned on setting up a on Wednesday, however harsh winds kept his crew from setting it up, and it looks like the rink won't go up until next week.

Though the weather hasn't indicated quite yet that Mother Nature is ready to welcome an outdoor rink, Coyne said he's hoping to give it another try next Wednesday, weather depending. And then skaters will have to wait for the ice to freeze.

"We'll see what the weather is like, but we have our ducks in a line," he said. "If it's cold, great. If not, we'll have to wait."

It's as simple as that. With no refrigeration to keep the ice frozen, the rink - which came in at a cost just under $5,000, Coyne said - will be at the mercy of Mother Nature. The town board voted in December to .

Because it's the first year the town is running the rink, finer details have yet to be figured out concerning how the rink will be operated - what the exact hours of operation will be, and whether or not skates will be available for rental. Coyne said if worse comes to worse, residents can bring their own skates and come whenever the rink is open. He said use of the rink will probably be free of charge for this first year, and guessed that the rink would be open four nights a week.

"We do have lights at the rink, so we coud likely extend use into the night. Especially considering it's colder," he said.

A group of roller hockey players who play pick-up games on Tuesday has already expressed interest in moving their games to ice, Coyne said. He added that his department is speaking with organizations on Long Island that may be interested in renting skates.

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