BRUNSWICK

For better or for worse, the holidays are behind us, and with months of winter still ahead, it’s good to have a few family outdoor activities available to make the snow, cold and long nights worthwhile. If you’re in the Mid-coast, strap on a pair of skates and hit the ice and hit a public rink. The best part is, it’s free.

Skating at the Mall has been a staple in Brunswick for decades. The rink’s downtown location evokes a Rockwell-esque sense of nostalgia.

The rink was opened last week, thanks to work by the town’s parks and recreation department.

Brunswick’s ice rink is built a little at a time, and starts with a base of frozen ground. Accumulated snow is plowed to form the rink’s edge.

“In good conditions, we can do it in about a week,” said Parks and Facilities Manager Peter Baecher.

Once the rink is open, it has to be maintained and cleared of snow through sweeping or plowing. More water then gets added to keep the surface smooth.

How long the rink remains open depends on the season.

The rink becomes more of a challenge to maintain as the days get longer and the rink is exposed to the sun’s warmth.

“We hope to extend it to President’s Week,” he said.

Brunswick’s rink is free and open to anyone, but you have to bring your own equipment.

Baecher said he sees “all different levels” of skill on the ice.

Skating on the Mall has become a such an institution in Brunswick that the merest suggestion of cutting $1,500 for maintaining skating in Brunswick during budget deliberations in May caused the town council to balk.

“It’s a great location, and great thing to have in the downtown,” Baecher said. “We need conditions to cooperate to do it well. Some years are better than others. You make hay when the sun shines, we make ice when conditions are good.”

Brunswick isn’t alone in having a downtown rink. A few years ago, Freeport opened a rink near the community center.

Freeport’s rink is illuminated for night use and the public is encouraged to give it a try, according to the Town Manager Peter Joseph.

The rink is on a parking lot owned by Linda Bean’s, according to Freeport Town Planner Donna Larson, and its structure was purchased thanks to a number of donations. It is set up by the town’s public works department and is filled by the fire department.

“Then we let the weather take over,” said Larson, who added that the town has benefited from volunteers clearing snow and maintaining the rink, although the town is formulating a more structured maintenance plan.

“It gets a lot of use,” said Larson. “It’s a lot of work to keep up.”

Avoids blade

SKATING ON THE MALL has become a such an institution in Brunswick that the merest suggestion of cutting $1,500 for maintaining skating in Brunswick during budget deliberations in May caused the town council to balk.