Ice Rinks Coming Back to Wayland; Volunteers Needed

Wayland will try again this year to provide residents with two outdoor recreational ice skating rinks, but with a few key changes to last year's efforts.

Notably, the rinks will be in separate locations this year, one in the center of town and the other in Cochituate. The Department of Public Works and the Recreation Department have coordinated to bring one rink to Cochituate Ball Field and another to the Wayland Town Building soccer field.

Last year's effort to create outdoor rinks was largely thwarted by the unusually warm winter that never allowed the rinks to fully freeze.

This year, the Department of Public Works has ordered two 100x100-foot white tarps, instead of the blue tarps ordered last year, in hopes that the weather will be colder and the white will better reflect sunlight. Additionally, the plan is to wait until after the ground freezes to lay the tarps.

While laying the tarps and flooding them may be a few weeks off yet, the work of building the brackets and installing the boards will take place on Saturday, Dec. 15, and volunteers are needed to make that happen.

"Last year we had a beautiful, sunny day and a great turnout of about 50 folks," said Board of Public Works member Michael Wegerbauer in an email call-out for volunteers. "I'm hoping we can do the same this year and make this another successful community project!"

The group plans to convene at about 9 a.m. on Dec. 15, and plans to start at the Cochituate location. Cordless screwdrivers would be helpful for volunteers to bring.