Eddington residents can now add ice-skating to their list of usual outdoor winter activities that they can do in town, thanks to a host of local businesses that scraped together enough money to open a public ice rink next to the town office and fire department.
The rink has been open for about a month, said Craig Russell, Eddington’s deputy fire chief, allowing residents to ice skate and play pickup hockey.
The town will hold an official grand opening ceremony from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at 906 Main Road to honor the sponsors and donors who gave money to open the rink, which cost $13,000, Russell said.
Darling’s Chevrolet, Machias Savings Bank, Williams Family Farms of Clifton, Twin City Tire, and Heritage Tackle & Gear donated the money to help realize the project, Town Clerk Shawna Hinkley said. Bangor Water District donated the water to fill the rink.
“This was definitely a community project and everyone’s super excited about it,” Russell said.
The town previously had an ice rink in the early 2000s, but maintenance challenges and construction of a new addition to the town office building forced its closure, Russell said.
The new rink will be open every winter for the foreseeable future, he said.
LP Williams Construction, Gary Pomeroy Logging, and Lakeside Lawncare & Construction donated equipment including picnic tables and a Zamboni, and also volunteered labor to make the necessary groundwork repairs to transform the rink from a hole in the ground to a working skating arena. Volunteers maintain the rink.
The rink is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Saturdays are dedicated open skate days, and other days have dedicated times for stick and puck, Russell said.