The rink, free to all and open daily from 10 a.m. until dusk, has been in the works since plans were announced last fall. Saturday’s grand opening drew a big crowd of excited skaters eager to test the ice.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
‘The kids are out there having fun,’ Mayor Brown says as facility opens
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Wilkes-Barre mayor George Brown (center, green hat) celebrates the opening of Public Square’s new ice skating rink along with members of city council and the Diamond City Partnership.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — With the big blue “Wilkes-Barre” sign providing the backdrop, the city’s new ice skating rink opened to the public, welcoming skaters of all ages to test the ice and have some fun.
A ceremonial ribbon-cutting by Mayor George Brown, along with members of Wilkes-Barre City Council and members of the Diamond City Partnership, officially marked the rink’s opening. Also on hand were members of the Wilkes-Barre City fire and police departments, along with other city officials and a whole host of community members eager to strap on their skates and hit the ice.
“The kids are out there having fun, that’s what it’s all about,” Brown said as he watched the skaters glide across the rink on Public Square. “I can’t thank our council members enough for their support getting this done.”
The plans for an ice rink on Public Square have been in motion dating back to last year, with the assembly and construction of the rink beginning this past Tuesday.
“We wanted to have it ready for today, barring any bad weather,” Brown said. “Fortunately, it’s not snowing or too icy, and we’ve got a good turnout here.”
Indeed, even before the ribbon-cutting, a number of folks took to the rink to test out the synthetic ice and get their bearings.
“It’s a little different than the ice we play hockey on, but you get used to it,” said Anthony Carlo, who came out to the rink with his parents.
Joe Antonelli, of Plains and formerly of Boston, echoed Carlo’s thoughts about the ice being a little different, but he was very pleased with the new rink.
“We used to flood the parks and skate when I was a kid,” Antonelli said. “This is a great idea for the community.”
Hot chocolate and hand warmers were provided at no cost by the city, an effective duo in battling the cold and wind on Saturday.
Officers and firefighters were on hand to greet community members while also getting in a little ice time themselves, and the city’s Health Department had their own table set up with a prize wheel.
A special appearance was made by Tux, the mascot of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who proved to be quite adept at handling the ice — even without skates.
The rink will be open daily from 10 a.m. until dusk from now through March. Skating is free to the public, though skates must be brought by the skaters themselves.
