Veterans’ rink re-opens under city control

Veterans' Memorial Rink re-opened for business on November 1 with Somerville Youth Hockey practice. ~Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

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By Elizabeth Sheeran

Somerville kids who dream of being the next Bobby Orr or Nancy Kerrigan can now spend a lot more time skating closer to home.

Veterans’ Memorial Rink is now under city management and officials say residents can expect a longer operating season, extended opening hours, and a facility they can be proud of.

“It’s been a long time coming and we’re very happy about it,” said Donna Carvalho, whose two teenage sons have played hockey in Somerville since their preschool years. “The rink’s been here but we were limited in what we could do. Now we can finally have more ice time and our kids will be first here.”

The city recently finalized a five-year renewable operating agreement with the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which owns the rink, and has installed full-time rink manager John Teves within the city’s recreation department.

Teves, a Somerville native and long-time youth hockey coach and parent, said the facility will now be open daily from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Public skating sessions will be offered seven days a week, including at times that “make sense for kids and parents,” such as during after-school hours on weekdays.

Along with hockey leagues and learn-to-skate programs, Teves rattled off a long list of new community programs that are in the works, including birthday parties, disco skate nights, parent-and-tot lessons, special needs hockey, and accessible skating. He said a new website will offer up-to-date scheduling information.

City and state officials, veterans, and representatives from Somerville Youth Hockey gathered for the grand re-opening of Veterans' Memorial Skating Rink. Youth Hockey player Chris Carvalho cut the ribbon. - Photo Elizabeth Sheeran

Once the rink is fully operational, it is expected to be financially self-sustaining, using income from rentals, sponsorships, program fees and special events to subsidize public skating and other community programs.

Residents have long complained that Veterans’ was often the last public rink in the area to open each fall, often not until the end of November, and was only open for half the year. But under  city management, the rink is scheduled to be fully operational for ten months of the year, shutting down only for two months between May and July, to remove the ice and give the compressors a rest.

Teves said the arena will still be available for non-ice activities like soccer and lacrosse during the summer shut-down, making it a year-round recreational facility.

Youth hockey parents said things are already better. “This is the first time in my experience in eight years with Somerville Youth Hockey that the rink’s been open by the first of November,” said Jill Guardia, president of the Somerville Youth Hockey Association.

She said the hockey association has always had to fill the gap by renting ice time in other towns, which is tough on both parents and kids. “We always start in August and we end up traipsing around to all different places,” said Guardia. “It’s a much more welcoming experience when you get to skate in your own rink.”

Rink Manager Teves said a top priority is to completely change the atmosphere in the building, which is on Somerville Avenue next to Conway Park. “For a long time, walking into that rink, there wasn’t that warmth, no pun intended. I want people now when they leave our rink to say, ‘That was one of the best experiences.’ We want to raise the bar and have our rink be used as an example,” he said.

Mayor Joseph Curtatone said the grand re-opening of the arena marked the culmination of a seven-year effort by city officials and Somerville’s

Somerville Youth Hockey Mites were the first to take to the ice in the newly renovated Veterans' Rink on November 1. - Photo By Elizabeth Sheeran

state legislators to upgrade the state-owned facility, which was targeted for privatization under the Romney administration, and to bring it under local control.

As part of the operating agreement, the state invested $3 million in improvements prior to the transfer. “One of the things that the Mayor insisted upon is that when the building would transfer over to the City of Somerville, it needed to be a better building than when it started,” said DCR Commissioner Richard Sullivan, whom Mayor Curtatone credited with being instrumental in facilitating the agreement on the state end.

The new and improved Veterans’ Memorial Skating Rink boasts brand new netting and boards, and NHL-quality ice. Bleachers, matting, benches and even the heating system have been replaced or refinished, and the whole facility is sporting a fresh coat of paint. The Somerville DPW has also been hard at work on maintenance and improvements to the parking lot and grounds.

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is playing on the new ice,” said eighth grader Christopher Carvalho, whose Bantam hockey team will play its first game in the newly-renovated arena on Saturday, November 6. “It’s awesome. Everything’s so improved. I just love this rink.”