A PHOTO TOUR OF THE RINK

REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT IS BROKEN / FAILING

One of the condenser/compressor pairs has an internal leak that cannot be repaired. However, we need both pairs to create ice in the fall and on warm days. In addition, the remaining refrigeration equipment is on the verge of failing, and the sub-ice refrigeration tubing and piping is compromised.

The refrigeration system will not be usable beyond this season, which means we cannot make ice.

GAPS UNDER SIDING AND DOORS

The rink was built in 1969 as an open air rink, and in the early 1980s it was wrapped with metal siding around the chain link fencing. The walls are not attached to the floor, and the panels are not sealed together. It was described in a 1999 report as  an enclosure, which is more accurate than a building. 

This doesn’t help in the ice department. The ancient refrigeration system is slaving away, using energy, trying to keep up. But it’s like trying to keep your house air conditioned with all the windows open. It’s a losing battle.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED

Electrical outlets are protruding from crumbling walls, nestled up to gaps in the wall panels that are open to rain, and situated next to profoundly rusted steel. In many cases, the outlets themselves are rusted, a sure sign they have been in contact with rain or condensation.

FLOORS ARE HEAVING, CRACKED, AND CRUMBLING

The floors are cracking, and in a number of places there are significant differences in height. The pad under the ice is heaving, with a 2-inch rise in the winter that is nearly gone in the summer. The dressing room addition at the back of the building is separating from the floor. Tripping is a frequent occurance, with consequences ranging from embarassment to shattered bones.

STRUCTURAL BEAMS ARE PROFOUNDLY RUSTED

A significant portion of the steel is profoundly rusted, especially on the left side of the rink. These beams are not just discolored; they are so rusted that you cannot see the beam underneath the rust. Paint is pealing off because of the rust. The rain comes through the roof and under the siding, and there is humidity and condensation everywhere – there is no way to prevent the rusting. There is even rust surrounding some of the outlets.

SIDING PANELS DO NOT KEEP OUT THE WEATHER

The wall panels are not sealed together or sealed to the floor. Many walls are a loose patchwork of panels. You can grab some of the panels and pull them apart a few inches or watch them sway with the wind. In some places, they are held to the frame with baling wire.

The rink enclosure has never been airtight, so of course there is no insulation or dehumidifiers. If it’s cold outside, it’s colder in the rink. If it is warm outside, it’s foggy inside. If it is raining outside, the rain leaks through the roof and floods under the walls.

HAZARDOUS ICE CONDITIONS

Rain and melting snow leak through the roof, and humidity causes condensation on the ceiling – all of it dripping onto the ice and creating holes and bumps in the ice. Material falls from the birds nests in the ceiling and create more bumps in the ice. When it’s warm, patches of ice melt. Sometimes, they put out buckets to catch the drips or cones to block off the melted patches. Because you cannot keep the weather out of the rink, hazardous ice conditions are frequent.

BIRDS HAVE SHREDDED THE CEILING SOUNDPROOFING AND BUILT NESTS

There is soundproofing on the ceiling, but it has been shredded by nesting birds, who dodge the spectators and leave their droppings everywhere – including the ice and bleachers. The high school players describe it as a “strategic advantage” because it distracts their opponents – our kids are used to it. The birds’ nest material falls, becomes embedded in the ice, and causes accidents. And on at least one occasion, a coach had to remove a dead bird before the young “Learn to Play” children could come out on the ice.

AND IT DOESN’T END THERE

Some issues in the rink are easy to photograph, like the crumbling walls. Others are invisible. You cannot see the leaking plumbing, the weak pipes, the hot water heaters that need replacing, the partial HVAC loss, the leaking roof on a dry day. Or on that sub-zero day in February, when the Zamboni even froze and was inoperable. You can’t see that in a picture.

You can hear the refrigeration system cranking away non-stop because the rink structure is not sealed up – and you can imagine the waste of energy it represents. It’s as if you were trying to air condition your house with the windows wide open.

You wouldn’t likely notice the ADA inaccessibility unless you tried to enter the rink in a wheelchair.

You probably wouldn’t see the problems with the boards that cause sticks and skates to get stuck while kids are skating full speed, but if you did, you’d silently pray that no one gets hurt.

The Select Board said that the rink is broken and they cannot justify investing in a building that is profoundly failing. They said that we are now at the point where we either build a new rink or have no rink. This photo tour has tried to explain why.