There was plenty of food and chances to win door prizes. Skating also was free on Sunday..
"Welcome to the official grand opening of the renovated, upgraded, refurbished Town of Mamaroneck Hommocks Ice Rink,'' said Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson,who cut a red ribbon with Councilwoman Jaine Elkind Eney.
Seligson noted that Hommocks Ice Rink "is one of our favorite recreation facilities . . . but it is 30 years old and needed to be updated."
The ice rink is the town's largest energy user, but the upgrade is part of a larger energy performance contract that will save the town a $292,000 in utility costs in the first year, according to Seligson.
"The old mechanical systems of the rink were failing,'' she said. "We now have new chillers, condensing units, dehumidifiers and LED lighting. We have new flooring and a new event deck that will allow us to have indoor soccer and lacrosse. We have an ice melt pit that allows us to reuse the ice and water for the Zamboni cleanings."
Best of all, Seligson said, the ice rink can be used 12 months a year instead of the previous nine-month season. (Some grandparents recalled Mamaroneck's ice rink bubble of the 1980s when young skaters didn't wear helmets.)
Children were delighted to shake hands with Olaf, a snowman that looks like a penguin. Plenty of elected officials were shaking hands, too, including state Sen. George Latimer, Assemblyman Steve Otis and Village Trustees Illisa Miller and Leon Potok.
Seligson thanked Town Council Members Jaine Elkind Eney, Abby Katz, Ernie Odierna and Tom Murphy for "having the courage and sense of responsibly to invest in this beloved community asset."
She said many town employees worked on the project, "overseeing, troubleshooting, lending a hand, managing and putting in many extra hours including doing carpentry and painting." She also thanked the Town Recreation Department, especially Recreation Superintendent Jill Fisher and Ice Rink Manager Rob Lunde and Town Engineer David Goessl.
Finally, the supervisor thanked the Town Recreation Commission, Town Administrator Steve Altieri and Honeywell Systems project managers Terry Guiery and Bob Corcoran.
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