With colder temperatures in the forecast, Greenport Village officials are hoping to open the Mitchell Park ice rink next week.
The rink opening has been delayed by the unseasonably warm weather this month. Village workers started the ice-making process yesterday, a good two weeks later than usual.
While the village rink uses refrigeration equipment to make and maintain the ice surface, air temperatures must be cold enough to sustain it.
“Sand has been placed where required, some water has been sprayed, and the compressors are operating,” village clerk Sylvia Pirillo said late yesterday afternoon. The exceptionally warm weather in December has been “challenging,” Pirillo said.
“We are hoping for an official opening of the ice rink early- to mid-week next week, with the exact date dependent upon prevailing temperatures,” the clerk said.
It should start to feel a bit more like winter on the North Fork in the days ahead. The extended forecast from the National Weather Service in Upton is calling for temperatures in the low 40s after the New Year, with Monday’s forecast highs topping out in the upper 30s.
When open for skating, the rink has public sessions from 3 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m to 5 p.m. on weekends and school holidays.
Rink admission fees are $5 for adults, $3 for kids under 18 and seniors on weekdays and $10 for adults, $$7 for kids under 18 and seniors on weekends. Skates and training bars may be rented for $5. (Cash, Mastercard and Visa accepted.) Skate sharpening services and skating lessons are also available. For more information, see the Village of Greenport website.
