Majestic Park to get an ice skating rink

By RICK REMSNYDER
Posted 1/5/22

Town of Gardiner residents are sharpening up the blades on their ice skates as they anticipate the debut of a new ice rink at the George Majestic Memorial Park.

More than 10,500 gallons of water …

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Majestic Park to get an ice skating rink

Posted

Town of Gardiner residents are sharpening up the blades on their ice skates as they anticipate the debut of a new ice rink at the George Majestic Memorial Park.

More than 10,500 gallons of water have been poured into the newly constructed rink and it will open for ice skating once it turns cold enough to form ice.

“People are very excited about it and they want it to get cold,” Gardiner Supervisor Marybeth Majestic said. “There’s been an incredible response.”

Majestic said there were more than 7,000 views on the town’s Facebook page when it announced the creation of the new rink.

Majestic said a local contractor, who wished to remain anonymous, called her recently and offered to install a rink and pay for all the materials and labor.

“I said: ‘That would be a wonderful thing,’” the Supervisor said.

The only cost to the town was for a rider on its insurance policy to add additional coverage for the ice rink.

Majestic said the contractor and eight or nine volunteers helped install the 60-foot by 95-foot plastic surface and supporting material over the new basketball court at Majestic Park the day after Christmas.

She said contractors who built the concrete basketball court assured her that putting the ice rink on top of the court wouldn’t cause any damage.

“Now all we need is some cold weather so we start to use it,” Majestic said.

A sign has been constructed by the ice rink that reads, “Ice Skating Rink in progress. Please be patient, while we wait for the rink to freeze! Do not enter or place objects on the surface.”

A recent visit to the site by a Wallkill Valley Times reporter revealed that there was certainly a lot of interest in the rink. At least 10 people walked by the rink to see it in the half hour the reporter was there.

Majestic said that town officials considered installing the rink on property near the Town Hall, but couldn’t find an area flat enough for it. It was determined after looking at several areas that Majestic Park had the flattest surface and would be an ideal location for the rink, she said.
Although she said that the rink was supposed to be limited to ice skating for Town of Gardiner residents, the town wouldn’t enforce that rule.
“How are we going to say someone’s cousin from out of town can’t enjoy it?” she said.

Majestic said she can recall a much smaller rink being installed at Majestic Park many years ago.
“So this may not be the first one in Gardiner, but it certainly is the first one in a long time,” she said.

There is no admission fee to skate on the rink, Majestic said.

“It’s a good opportunity for everyone to get outside and exercise and enjoy the fresh air,” she said. “It’s for all Gardiner residents to enjoy in this pandemic world.”